ny jets at cincinnati
while it has been widely documented that mark sanchez is a rookie quarterback starting on the road in a playoff game, not much has been said about how carson palmer only had one 300 yard passing game and six games under 200 yards passing [not including the final game where he was rested after the first quarter] and how he has basically turned into an above average 'game manager.' [the label 'game manager' always seemed to be a backhanded compliment. analysts say that they don't win games, but they don't lose them either. so not being able to win a game is supposed to be a good thing?] case in point, the bengals have relied on their excellent running game and their solid defense to win games, though carson palmer did play well in the clutch. but that isn't to say that carson palmer is still an elite quarterback or that he doesn't deserve any credit, but rather that he's become a glorified brad johnson. with that said, the bengals should be able to dispatch the jets [or as jets fans and trey wingo like to call them, the 'j-e-t-s jets jets jets!']. the jets enjoyed a favorable schedule where they didn't have to play against the first string of two playoff teams, which has them looking like they're playing better than they really are. and on a side note, it would be surprising to hear that chad ochocinco actually injured his knee when he slipped and fell during warmups last week. the only thing that he hurt from that fall was his pride.
the pick : cincinnati
philadelphia at dallas
did andy reid play rope-a-dope last week against the cowboys last week? did he not show everything that his team could do so that he could save plays for the rematch? perhaps. if this is true, some may think that he is a genius. but considering the circumstances that if the eagles won, not only would they not play the cowboys in the wild card round, they would have clinched a FIRST ROUND BYE. so, suppose andy reid decided to play conservatively and throw the game in order to show the cowboys what they can really do in a "game that matters," he basically is saying that he'd rather have to win a game on the road to earn a second round berth than rest his players and do nothing to get into the second round, in addition to playing that game at home. with that in mind, the eagles may have an advantage because they didn't show everything in their playbook and perhaps the cowboys come into the game a bit overconfident. maybe andy reid is a genius after all.
the pick : philadelphia
baltimore at new england
in previous seasons, the ravens' defensive players believed they had to return a interception or a fumble for a touchdown by any means necessary, even if they had to take risks by utilizing the lateral. such risks were justified though, with the reason being that the defense had little or no confidence that trent dilfer or kyle boller could lead a scoring drive even with favourable field position. this year the ravens offense is the best they've had in their franchise's relatively short history, but ray lewis and ed reed still lead a ball-hawking defense that laterals the ball as much as any other nfl team that played before the forward pass was legalized. all of which is moot with brady and belichick, as they seem to do their best when games matter more, especially when they play at home.
the pick : new england
green bay at arizona
the arizona cardinals super bowl berth in last year's playoffs was surprising to many, mostly because no one believed the nfc west could produce anything more than terrible football teams. this year's cardinals team seems no different, but for some reason no one expects them to do much in the playoffs, mostly because the nfc west doesn't produce anything more than terrible football teams. on the other side, the packers have had a fairly good season, but their well-known losses at the hands of brett favre and the vikings has given people the lasting impression of not being able to protect aaron rodgers and being downright awful. while the former may be the true, the latter is not. in a game where the packers and cardinals can score points with the best of them, the packers superior defense should be the difference.
the pick : green bay
