2009 NFL Wild Card Weekend Preview

wadE and Wade have teamed up to give you the most indepth analysis of the upcoming 2009 NFL Wild Card Weekend… well… the most indepth analysis you\’ll find on simpleprop.com at least…

wadE: I have no idea if this is a fact or not, but since I’m posting it on the internet makes it true. Never in the history of the NFL have 3 final games of the season resulted in 3 immediate rematches the following week in the playoffs. Two of those games will even be in the same location.

Wade: I know nothing about this NFL you speak of, except that I\’ve been advised against ever going on a boat ride on Lake Minnetonka with any of their players. To your point, though, knowing nothing about a topic shouldn\’t preclude one from writing about it. Especially on the InterWebS.

wadE: This sets up a very interesting wild card round. Let’s take a look at the game and make some predictions we can all laugh about later.

AFC:
#5 New York Jets (9-7) @ #4 Cincinnati Bengals (10-6)
wadE: These teams met last week in the final (most likely) game in Giants Stadium. Unlike the Giants the Jets actually showed up to play their final home game and destroyed the Bengals. The Bengals defense here is that they had nothing to play for, but their starters were in for much of the first half and produced nothing. Ochocinco hurt his knee before the game started, Palmer was terrible, and the defense let the Jets march up and down the field. But this game will be in Cincinatti, the Bengals will have something to play for, and they got a good look at the Jets and what they like to do. Early line of the game is Bengals with a 2.5 point spread. My prediction is that the Bengals win by 6.

Wade: The J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS waltzed into the playoffs against the B-squads of two opponents; they must know this, and can\’t feel great about it. Additionally, Mark Sanchez posted the following on his Twitter account a week ago: \”Memphis on Broadway… Soooooo good! Music, lyrics, choreography, costumes all great… Overall a great show.\” The Bengals, on the other hand, will likely be playing inspired football after the death of wide receiver Chris Henry last month. Will that be enough to combat the potential defensive holes if Domata Peko can\’t play? I think so. Also, Cincy is at home, which is really about the only thing above that will affect the outcome of the game. Bengals by 10.

#6 Baltimore Ravens (9-7) @ #3 New England Patriots (10-6)
wadE: The one match-up that is “new” for wild card weekend. These teams played each other in week 4 with the Pats winning 27-21. The Pats are favored by 3.5 points this time around and that seems right to me. They just lost Wes Welker for the year, who is like a really talented version of Wayne Chrebet; but the Patriots still have Tom Brady and Randy Moss. Their defense ranks surprisingly well even though Belichick has no faith in them. But this game is really about the Ravens. Their last win over a playoff team was their only win over a playoff team in Weed 2 against the Chargers. They are a good team but not as good as last year. The offense isn’t as good, neither is the defense, and their kicker is suspect (more than suspect, he cost them 3 games this year). Unless there is a blizzard in Foxboro, Pats by 4. And if there is a blizzard, Pats by 1.

Wade: Are you knocking Wayne \”The Flashlight\” Chrebet, who was really just the football version of David Eckstein? Baltimore certainly has some talented pieces in place on offense, with Joe Flacco, Ray Rice, and Derrick Mason. Their D is certainly less strong than it\’s been traditionally, Ngata and Lewis notwithstanding. Talent-wise, I think they match up pretty evenly with the Pats, who are even more of a ghost of their former selves without Welker; the deciding factor in this one, though, is the fact that New England is playing this one at home. Randy Moss will have a monster game (because he\’ll actually be, like, trying) and Tom Brady will do what Tom Brady does (no, I don\’t mean having kids out of wedlock) and the Pats will advance. Side note: am I the only one who would become a huge Pats fan if they switched back full-time to their 1986-era throwbacks? Yeah, maybe. Pats by 6.

NFC:
6. Philadelphia Eagles (11-5) @ #3 Dallas Cowboys (11-5)
wadE: The biggest game from Week 17 (and not just from the Vikings perspective) was the Eagles travelling to Jerry World (http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/sports/Jerry-World-Has-A-NameKind-Of.html). Winner would be the NFC East champion, and in the case of the Eagles they would secure the number 2 seed. Thankfully for the Vikings, the Eagles imploded on both sides of the ball setting up a rematch 7 days later in the same spot. The Cowboys are a 4 point favorite and rightly so. This was a game the Eagles needed, not as badly as the Cowboys, but they needed the game. I don’t believe this game will be another blow out, but I do believe the Cowboys win by 6.

Wade: Isn\’t the definition of insanity akin to doing something repeatedly and expecting different results, or some such nonsense? Yeah, sure, on any given Sunday and all that, but why would we expect Andy Reid to get any smarter in the past seven days? Although, to be fair, I think it\’s reasonable for Wade Phillips to get dumber in the same amount of time. (His name\’s Wade; he\’s quirky and irrational!) I believe Wade is playing for his job, the \’boys are confident, Marion Barber and Felix Jones are doing a good impression of the Giants\’ balanced running game from 2007, and that Miles Austin guy is pretty decent at catching the ball. The Eagles peaked too early and will enter an offseason in which they ultimately trade Donovan McNabb for Terrell Owens. (I made that part up, just to sound like I\’m an insider. You believed it, didn\’t you?) Dallas by 10.

#5 Green Bay Packers (11-5) @ #4 Arizona Cardinals (10-6)
wadE: I was so pleased as I drove to the Vikings/Giants game last Sunday morning and heard that the Packers game was being bumped here in the Twin Cities for the Eagles/Cowboys game. One more thorn in the side of Packer fans living in MN. The Packer fans will be especially rabid next week after the 33-7 shellacking of the Cardinals. However, the Cardinals tend to have their best games of the season after their worst games of the season. Lose the first game of the season at home to lowly San Fran? Come back the next week and beat up the Jags on the road. Get crushed by the Colts? Hold on the following week to beat the Texans. Get spanked by the Panters? Come back the next week and obliterate the Bears. Lose a tight one to the Titans? Come back the next week and beat the Vikings. Lose another game to the 49ers? Play the Lions the next week. Ok, that last one doesn’t count, but the fact remains that the Cardinals haven’t lost back to back games all year long. The good news for the Packers (besides wiping the floor with the Cardinals last week) is that Arizona is 4-4 at home. The Cardinals are favored by 2.5 points, but I see the Packers winning this game by 7.

Wade: It\’s funny– a decade ago there was another person named Kurt Warner who was an NFL quarterback. Great story– undrafted, former grocery bagger at the Hy Vee, kinda goofy. Odd coincidence. Wait… what? Same guy? How many concussions? You\’re freaking kidding me. Packers by 8.