The NFL regular season has come to an end. Last week, the Jets clinched birth in the Sunday night game against Cincinnati at the Meadowlands. The other Wild Card spot in the AFC went to the Ravens as they took care of business in Oakland. The NFC playoff teams were set a few weeks ago, but the positions were not. If the playoffs ended after Week 16, Philadelphia would have the first round bye and the Packers would be the six seed. Instead, the tide turned and Philadelphia lost to Dallas, while Green Bay and Minnesota won. Now, the Vikings got the first round bye, Dallas got the three seed, Green Bay got the five seed and Philadelphia dropped all the way to the six seed. Tomorrow, the playoffs start. Listen to this fact: three of the four wild card games are games that were played in week 17, and two of them are taking place in the same exact stadium. Here are my picks for Wild Card Weekend.
Jets at Bengals - Jets
The Jets beat Cincinnati last week by the score of 37-0. I think this is going to be a very good game, but the Jets have the best defense in the league along with Thomas Jones, the player who I feel deserved to be on the Pro Bowl roster most out of everyone who didn't make it. Jones was third in the league in touchdowns with 14 and yards with 1,402. Home-field advantage will definitely benefit the Bengals, but while they did win the AFC North, I still think they Jets will win because of how balanced they are as a team. As long as Mark Sanchez doesn't try to do too much, I've got the Jets moving on to the Divisional Round.
Ravens at Patriots - Patriots
Baltimore traveled to New England in Week 4 and lost 27-21. At the time, the Ravens were 3-0. They went 6-6 following that loss. Wes Welker will miss this game for the Patriots, but I think that will work out fine because Randy Moss will get the ball more. On the defensive side of the ball, the Patriots leading tackler Jerod Mayo missed the game against the Ravens. A few defensive players are listed as probable for the Ravens, meaning that the defense is not 100% healthy. I think if the Patriots front seven can limit the Ravens ground attack, New England should move on.
Packers at Cardinals - Packers
The Packers have looked great recently, winning seven of their last eight. They seem like the 2007-2008 Packers, as Aaron Rodgers has turned into a Pro Bowl quarterback. The Packers had four Pro Bowlers this year, with three of them coming on defense. They are one of the most balanced teams in the league, with a great offense and defense. I think they will be too much for Arizona to handle, as they beat the Cardinals in Week 17, 33-7. Also, the Packers have the best run defense in the league, allowing just above 83 yards per game. Anquan Boldin is "highly unlikely" to play, and if Green Bay plays their type of football, I think they'll come away with a win.
Eagles at Cowboys - Eagles
This might be one of the best matchups we'll see this postseason. Both teams send six players to the Pro Bowl. Both teams finished 11-5. Dallas beat the Eagles twice this year. Nonetheless, I think the Eagles will pull off the upset. Before the loss to Dallas, they were riding a six-game winning streak. The Cowboys impressed me last week: they showed they were really strong. But I think that they may feel like all they need to do is play the same, while the Eagles have learned what they did wrong. The winner of this game could very well make it to the Super Bowl, but I think the Eagles will come out determined to prove the world that last week's performance was not the real Eagles.
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