After a day of thrilling finishes, with both of last season’s Super Bowl participants sent home packing, the wild-card weekend is living up to its moniker. Even after the Seahawks shocked the world by topping the Saints and Jets got
After a day of thrilling finishes, with both of last season’s Super Bowl participants sent home packing, the wild-card weekend is living up to its moniker.
Even after the Seahawks shocked the world by topping the Saints and Jets got a last-second field goal to finally best Peyton Manning’s Colts, the best may be yet to come today.
Baltimore Ravens (12-4)
at Kansas City Chiefs (10-6)
8 a.m., CBS
While very few predicted the Chiefs to be a playoff team this year, they have acted the part fairly well through 17 weeks. Kansas City boasts the league’s best 1-2 punch at the running back position with Thomas Jones and Jamaal Charles.
The younger Charles came within a few inches of setting the all-time yards per carry record this season, gaining 1,467 yards on 230 carries for a staggering 6.4 yard average.
Jones gained 896 yards and scored six touchdowns, giving the team a duo that averaged 164.2 yards on the ground each week.
They will likely have trouble matching those figures against the vaunted Ravens defense which, though not what it has been in the past, can still stuff the run and make big plays.
Baltimore gave up just 93.9 rush yards a game, good for fifth in the league. Its secondary is still suspect, but the Chiefs’ only true downfield threat — wide receiver Dwyane Bowe — missed practice time this week with an illness before returning Thursday.
If he is not at full strength, Baltimore may be able to key on the run game even more and limit the Kansas City agenda.
KC quarterback Matt Cassell had a stellar season, throwing 27 touchdowns to just seven interceptions and displayed his toughness by missing just one game after undergoing an emergency appendectomy.
On the other side, Baltimore has the makings of an explosive offense. Quarterback Joe Flacco has developed into one of the league’s best young arms and tossed 25 touchdowns to 10 interceptions this season. His 3,622 yards through the air were a result of an improved wideout crew, which was led by the newly-acquired Anquan Boldin.
Boldin led the team with 64 catches for 837 yards, but seemed to slow down towards the end of the season. He had just eight catches for 67 yards total in his final four games. Derrick Mason seems to still be ageless and T.J. Houshmandzadeh was a nice pickup with 30 catches for 398 yards.
But the true strength for Baltimore is in its backfield, where Ray Rice, though not the 2,000 total yard player he was a season ago, still had 1,776 total yards and six scores. He is complemented by Willis McGahee, who also found the end zone six times.
There is little doubt this will be a tight affair, as the Chiefs’ style of play lends itself to close contests and the Ravens have struggled to create separation all season. Nine of Baltimore’s 12 victories were by single-digits and many against far inferior competition.
Arrowhead Stadium was kind to KC until last week (7-1 home record), but it could be the difference today, along with a far superior special teams and kick return unit.
THE PICK:
CHIEFS 23, RAVENS 17
Green Bay Packers (10-6)
at Philadelphia Eagles (10-6)
11:30 a.m., FOX
A month ago, the Eagles looked like the scariest team outside of Massachusetts.
Now, some weaknesses have been exploited and the book may be out on how to contain quarterback Michael Vick.
However, reading that book and executing it are far different things. The Giants had Vick and the Eagles completely bottled up for 52 minutes before Philadelphia exploded for what proved to be a win that put it into the postseason.
Blitzing Vick from his left side seems to be the way to limit his production, forcing the left-handed gunslinger to his right. While it may cut down on his passing options, it also opens up the chance that he will take off with the ball.
Be careful what you wish for.
Vick’s obvious speed and quickness are unrivaled at the QB position and have had him in the MVP discussion all season, until Tom Brady apparently took over the conversation in December.
Philly also has running back LeSean McCoy, as shifty and tough-to-tackle a player as there is in the league.
Vick’s health, along with that of deep threat DeSean Jackson have been concerns in recent weeks.
Jackson can also be utilized, when at 100 percent, in the special teams game. He had the game-winning punt return in the team’s improbable comeback win at the Giants.
Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers makes the game look so effortless, he may still be underrated. His talents put him on the same level as the game’s elite, but he has yet to prove himself fully in the postseason.
The Green Bay run game has been mostly non-existent all year, following the Week 1 injury to Ryan Grant. The Packers have struggled in close games for that reason, as they haven’t been able to take time off the clock with consistent running.
Rodgers is actually the team’s second-leading rusher with 356 yards and six touchdowns.
With a trio of wide receivers as good as Greg Jennings, Donald Driver and James Jones, many of the team’s slew of injuries were compensated for and it is now back to almost full strength.
Defensively, health has been obvious with the Packers giving up more than 20 points just once — to the Patriots — in their past nine games.
Linebacker Clay Matthews is a dominant force and will be relied on to contain the versatile Philly weapons out of the backfield. He needs to be utilized and not just simply “spy” on the QB, which is ineffective against Vick.
If Green Bay follows the script and either blitzes Vick, or hangs back in coverage, it should be good enough to pull off the road win.
THE PICK:
PACKERS 27, EAGLES 20
Playoff picks record: 1-1
