John Crichton
First Post
Wild Card Weekend Picks
Chiefs @ Colts
I think teams with an actual home field advantage will get one on Wild Card Weekend. There is one team playing this weekend that actually has one: The Colts. We all know their run defense is a sieve and LJ should shred them. But this is Manning at home where he is 8-0. KC's Defense isn't exactly the '85 Bears and I smell shootout/track meet. We may see another Vinatieri game winner as time expires now that Peyton doesn't have to worry about his kicker missing anything under 50 yards.
It appears that the Colts has been coasting and a win-or-else game is exactly what they need to wake up. KC played their elimination game yesterday, but they only delayed fate for 6 days. That and this season has been so wacky that since most folks think the Colts are going to be one-and-done (as opposed to last season's premature Super Bowl crowning) that this will be the one where Manning takes them the farthest. Wouldn't surprise me.
Cowboys @ Seahawks
Grrr, I hate the whole NFC. There doesn't seem to be a single team that wants to stand up and look like they can beat any of the AFC contenders. No two teams exemplify this than the two teams in the 8pm Saturday match-up. Romo and the 'Boys looked very strong after beating the Giants but it's been downhill from there. Can't beat Detroit at home. Romo looking like the first-year starter that he is. But if they get a running game going they'll be dangerous as they are good on the play action and have talented receivers. And with a lead can put pressure on Super Bowl losing QB, Matt Hasselbeck. Again, ugh.
The Seahawks are simply not the same team as last year. They have no rhythm and backed into the playoffs worse than the Giants did. Why? Their division is cake and they didn't take advantage. The NFC West had one good team to start the year and a pretender (San Fran). For a SB team, their schedule and "home field advantage" should gotten them more wins. 5-3 at home isn't gonna cut it.
I have zero feel for this game and hate both teams, so here's the formula I'm going with: Wacky year + The Tuna + East Coast Bias = Cowboys win.
Jets @ Patriots
Both Sunday games are filled with interesting subplots. First, we have the shocking Jets @ the Pats. Take home-field advantage and chuck it out the window here - ok, sorta. It's still Belichick & Brady. But with no standout receivers, no Vinatieri and possibly no Rodney Harrison the Pats are ripe for being picked off. Too bad they don't play in the NFC where they would be a lock for the Super Bowl.
The Jets already beat the Pats at home once and Mangini knows how Belichick thinks. If I'm the Pats, this team is the one first round opponent I wouldn't want to face. All that said, the Jets had a very easy schedule and the AFC East had only two good teams. They took proper advantage of their situation. As much as I'd like to drink the Mangini cool-aid, I don't think the Pats are going to lose their one home game and it will be close.
Belichick will take away Pennington's short passing game and stunt the run forcing the Jets to throw deep. Dillion + Moroney + Play Action will be too much for the Jets. New England in a thriller as the Jets wild ride comes to an end.
Note: I would love nothing more than for the Pats to lose to the Jets and will be happy to pick their game next week if they win.
Giants @ Eagles
This one looks like the easiest to pick with the way things have been going. The Eagles look like a complete team on both sides of the ball, have confidence and a QB playing out of his mind who has playoff experience. 3 consecutive wins on the road against increasingly harder division foes is also not to be dismissed. Andy Reid is an excellent game planner and Jim Johnson's Defense will be throwing the kitchen sink at Eli Manning. Westbrook is a huge weapon and is being utilized better than he ever was with McNabb at the helm.
But this is the NFC, where a team looks great for a month and then loses at home to the Redskins/Lions/Packers. Here are the facts: The Giants have looked dreadful since beating the Cowboys. They have sustained massive injuries to starters who are gone (Strahan, Pettigout, Toomer, Arrington) and may not have Shockey or Umenyiora playing at full strength. The Giants are a better road than home team (5-3). They have already beaten the Eagles at the Linc and these NFC East division games almost always come down to 1-2 big plays that sway the course of the game. This will be a dogfight.
The Giants had the hardest schedule of any of the teams currently in the playoffs. Before the season I put them at 9-7. Their 6-2 start had all the NY fans in a frenzy and thought the division was locked up. Things went sour quickly. The stars wouldn't shut up, Manning looked worse and worse and the defense couldn't stop anyone in the 4th Quarter because they were on the the field too long.
To me, Coughlin is still coaching for his job and needs at least one playoff win especially after last year's dud. The team has a little confidence back and have remembered to give the ball to their retiring superstar, who was most of the offense when they were winning games. If the Eagles shut down Tiki there is a great chance they will win.
My completely biased pick: Tiki motivation + new offensive play caller (more running, less Manning) + Coughlin desperation + wacky NFC + Division Game + Garcia comes back to Earth a bit = Giants win.
Chiefs @ Colts
I think teams with an actual home field advantage will get one on Wild Card Weekend. There is one team playing this weekend that actually has one: The Colts. We all know their run defense is a sieve and LJ should shred them. But this is Manning at home where he is 8-0. KC's Defense isn't exactly the '85 Bears and I smell shootout/track meet. We may see another Vinatieri game winner as time expires now that Peyton doesn't have to worry about his kicker missing anything under 50 yards.
It appears that the Colts has been coasting and a win-or-else game is exactly what they need to wake up. KC played their elimination game yesterday, but they only delayed fate for 6 days. That and this season has been so wacky that since most folks think the Colts are going to be one-and-done (as opposed to last season's premature Super Bowl crowning) that this will be the one where Manning takes them the farthest. Wouldn't surprise me.
Cowboys @ Seahawks
Grrr, I hate the whole NFC. There doesn't seem to be a single team that wants to stand up and look like they can beat any of the AFC contenders. No two teams exemplify this than the two teams in the 8pm Saturday match-up. Romo and the 'Boys looked very strong after beating the Giants but it's been downhill from there. Can't beat Detroit at home. Romo looking like the first-year starter that he is. But if they get a running game going they'll be dangerous as they are good on the play action and have talented receivers. And with a lead can put pressure on Super Bowl losing QB, Matt Hasselbeck. Again, ugh.
The Seahawks are simply not the same team as last year. They have no rhythm and backed into the playoffs worse than the Giants did. Why? Their division is cake and they didn't take advantage. The NFC West had one good team to start the year and a pretender (San Fran). For a SB team, their schedule and "home field advantage" should gotten them more wins. 5-3 at home isn't gonna cut it.
I have zero feel for this game and hate both teams, so here's the formula I'm going with: Wacky year + The Tuna + East Coast Bias = Cowboys win.
Jets @ Patriots
Both Sunday games are filled with interesting subplots. First, we have the shocking Jets @ the Pats. Take home-field advantage and chuck it out the window here - ok, sorta. It's still Belichick & Brady. But with no standout receivers, no Vinatieri and possibly no Rodney Harrison the Pats are ripe for being picked off. Too bad they don't play in the NFC where they would be a lock for the Super Bowl.
The Jets already beat the Pats at home once and Mangini knows how Belichick thinks. If I'm the Pats, this team is the one first round opponent I wouldn't want to face. All that said, the Jets had a very easy schedule and the AFC East had only two good teams. They took proper advantage of their situation. As much as I'd like to drink the Mangini cool-aid, I don't think the Pats are going to lose their one home game and it will be close.
Belichick will take away Pennington's short passing game and stunt the run forcing the Jets to throw deep. Dillion + Moroney + Play Action will be too much for the Jets. New England in a thriller as the Jets wild ride comes to an end.
Note: I would love nothing more than for the Pats to lose to the Jets and will be happy to pick their game next week if they win.
Giants @ Eagles
This one looks like the easiest to pick with the way things have been going. The Eagles look like a complete team on both sides of the ball, have confidence and a QB playing out of his mind who has playoff experience. 3 consecutive wins on the road against increasingly harder division foes is also not to be dismissed. Andy Reid is an excellent game planner and Jim Johnson's Defense will be throwing the kitchen sink at Eli Manning. Westbrook is a huge weapon and is being utilized better than he ever was with McNabb at the helm.
But this is the NFC, where a team looks great for a month and then loses at home to the Redskins/Lions/Packers. Here are the facts: The Giants have looked dreadful since beating the Cowboys. They have sustained massive injuries to starters who are gone (Strahan, Pettigout, Toomer, Arrington) and may not have Shockey or Umenyiora playing at full strength. The Giants are a better road than home team (5-3). They have already beaten the Eagles at the Linc and these NFC East division games almost always come down to 1-2 big plays that sway the course of the game. This will be a dogfight.
The Giants had the hardest schedule of any of the teams currently in the playoffs. Before the season I put them at 9-7. Their 6-2 start had all the NY fans in a frenzy and thought the division was locked up. Things went sour quickly. The stars wouldn't shut up, Manning looked worse and worse and the defense couldn't stop anyone in the 4th Quarter because they were on the the field too long.
To me, Coughlin is still coaching for his job and needs at least one playoff win especially after last year's dud. The team has a little confidence back and have remembered to give the ball to their retiring superstar, who was most of the offense when they were winning games. If the Eagles shut down Tiki there is a great chance they will win.
My completely biased pick: Tiki motivation + new offensive play caller (more running, less Manning) + Coughlin desperation + wacky NFC + Division Game + Garcia comes back to Earth a bit = Giants win.
