On a side note I know the blog has been NFL heavy recently but it is just that time of year. It's the big story in sports right now. Once things start to fizzle out there will be updates on baseball, basketball, and hockey. For now though, here are the picks...
New York Jets at Cincinnati Bengals
Rex Ryan's press conference yesterday raised some eyebrows when he boldly proclaimed that his guys were the team to beat in the NFL postseason tournament. He cited that his team had the best defense in the league as well as the best running game in the league which does give them a threat and something to be confident about going into this week. After smashing the Bengals last Sunday night the fans seem to be way too over confident. You can throw that score out the window from that game as this one will be completely different, though their are questions in Cincinnati. Chad Ochocinco tweaked his leg last week and his health is in question. Can the Bengals rebound from such an embarrassing defeat at the hands of the team who they face this week? I believe that can and this will be a much tighter game. Mark Sanchez, the Jets rookie QB, has to play mistake free football. If he can do that the Jets will take this game and I believe he can. The Jets make a big defensive stop late to win the first playoff game of the Rex Ryan era...Jets 24, Bengals 20.
Phildelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys
It seems like everybody who has anything to do with the sports media is picking the Cowboys to win the Super Bowl, which is scary. This is another rematch from last week in which a team was blown out. The Cowboys decisively handled the Eagles last week beating them 24-0 and completely dominating the game for four quarters. Donovan McNabb was under some pressure this week after people were accusing him of blaming some of the young guys on their loss. Tony Romo hasn't played this well his entire career and the Cowboys defense is on an absolute tear. Anthony Spencer and DeMarcus Ware have put relentless pressure on opposing quarterbacks and Jay Ratliff has been a force up the middle. New center Nick Cole has got to have a big game for the Eagles to have a chance. Just like the Jets/Bengals game you can throw out the score from last weekend as this game will be a lot closer. The Cowboys want to silence the critics and for at least one week they will do exactly that...Cowboys 28, Eagles 24.
Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots
After making it to playoffs as a rookie last season Joe Flacco has got the Ravens right back in the postseason. Last season Baltimore made a run to the AFC championship game and their hoping they can get on a run like that this year and carry their momentum on a deep postseason run. Meanwhile the Patriots are dealing with some issues. Wes Welker, in the last week of the season, tore is ACL and MCL in his knee and will miss the entire postseason. Also it was reported earlier in the week that Tom Brady has been playing with broken ribs, a report that was triumphantly dismissed by Bill Belichick a couple days ago. Who knows what the real situation is with Brady. Their defense is nothing like what it used to be and this team has not been the force they once were. Teams don't fear playing them this year and they have lost some rough games. On the other hand Baltimore' s defense is also a shell of its former self. The Patriots have potential to make a run if they can fire on all cylinders, the Ravens don't have enough...Patriots 31, Ravens 20.
Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals know what its like to get hot in the postseason. After having a not-so-stellar regular season Arizona got hot in the playoffs and carried their success all the way to the Super Bowl where they lost to the Steelers. Green Bay has been on a streak of their own as of late winning 7 of 8 games with, ironically, their only loss being to the Steelers as well on a last second touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger. This is the third rematch from week 17 going into Wild Card Weekend and the third time where the score doesn't matter. The Packers completely gave it to the Cardinals last week who didn't put forth their best effort at all. This a real tough game to call as I can see it going either way. Kurt Warner has plenty of postseason experience and this team showed last year they know how to win when it counts. Aaron Rodgers is new to this whole thing and who knows how he'll perform. I like the guys who've been there before...Cardinals 31, Packers 27.
This is one of the best weekends in sports. Two big games on Saturday and two more on Sunday. On a completely different note I like Alabama tonight. I would've done a write-up on it but I'm not as well informed on Alabama and Texas as I should be. Goodbye.
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