The opening round of the NFL Playoffs should just be called déjà vu.
Three of the four games are rematches from last Sunday, the final week of the regular season, and only one of those contests even has a slight tweak, as the Jets travel to Cincinnati to face the Bengals.
Along with one of the AFC contests being a repeat, both games in the other conference remain the same, as the Packers travel to Arizona to face the defending NFC Champion Cardinals and the Eagles head back to Dallas to renew their rivalry.
The remaining match up pits the Ravens at New England, the two teams squared off during Week 4, as the Patriots try and reestablish themselves as the top team in the AFC.
Each winner last week can make the excuse it was resting its players (except for Dallas, as they clinched the NFC East title with a win) as the Cardinals and Bengals had no incentive to win their finales. The Patriots played their stars extensively and it cost them as Wes Welker, the teams top wide receiver, blew out his knee during a loss to the Houston Texans last week.
In 1980 the Oakland Raiders became the first Wild Card team to win a Super Bowl and since then four teams have accomplished the same feat, including three of the previous 10 Super Bowl winners.
Let’s take a closer look at each match up as we inch closer to Super Bowl XLIV on February 7 in Miami.
New York Jets (9-7)
vs.
Cincinnati Bengals (10-6)
When: Saturday, 4:30 p.m. on NBC
Line: Bengals by 2.5
Previous Match up: Jets won 37-0 Week 17
Team Strengths:
Jets- Controlling the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. New York led the league in rushing (172.2 yards per game) and total defense (252.3 yards allowed per game).
Bengals- Plain and simple, a complete defense. Despite having no players in the upcoming Pro Bowl, the Bengals rank in the Top 10 in all four major defensive categories: Points allowed (6th), Yards per game (4th), Passing yards per game (6th) and rushing yards per game (7th).
Team Weaknesses:
Jets- Rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez has proven to be turnover prone, throwing 20 interceptions this season, and has little experience against playoff caliber teams (1-1 against New England and beat the Colts and Bengals, both teams pulled its starters). A rookie quarterback on the road in the playoffs is never in a good situation.
Bengals- The Jets are excellent at containing the rushing attack, even though Cincinnati has a potent running back group, quarterback Carson Palmer will be forced to step up for the win. He has only thrown for more than 250 yards three times this season.
Prediction:
Jets 20-17
Philadelphia Eagles (11-5)
vs.
Dallas Cowboys (11-5)
When: Saturday 8 p.m. on NBC
Line: Dallas by 4
Previous Match ups: Dallas won 20-16 Week 9, Dallas won 24-0 Week 17
Team Strengths:
Philadelphia- Even when the offense struggles, second year standout DeSean Jackson can turn any game around with a big play either as a wide receiver or kick returner. No lead is safe with him on the field.
Dallas- The Cowboys offense has been able to destroy opponents, ranking up 399.4 yards per game, trailing only the New Orleans Saints (403.8).
Team Weaknesses:
Philadelphia- Donavan McNabb is their quarterback in the post season.
Dallas- Tony Romo is their quarterback in the post season.
This game will likely wind down to whoever has the ball last, usually that means the team will score the winning touchdown. In this case, the last team with the ball is the one likely to blow the game. Saturday night playoff games in the opening round have always been memorable, so be sure to tune in.
Prediction:
Eagles 31-20
Baltimore Ravens (9-7)
vs.
New England Patriots (10-6)
When: Sunday, 1 p.m. on CBS
Line: New England by 3.5
Previous Match up: New England won 27-21 Week 4
Team Strengths:
Baltimore- Running back Ray Rice has emerged as one of the most complete offensive forces in the entire league. Rice totaled 2,041 yards from scrimmage, 1,339 rushing and 702 receiving along with eight total touchdowns.
New England- Once the post season begins, quarterback Tom Brady turns into one of the most unstoppable players in league history. Brady owns a 14-3 playoff record and has the best touchdown/interception ratio of all time (2.29 more touchdowns thrown). With two more wins, he’ll pass Joe Montana for most playoff victories by a quarterback.
Team Weaknesses:
Baltimore- New England will be keying in on Rice, forcing second-year quarterback Joe Flacco to beat them with his arm. Seven times this season Flacco has thrown for less than 200 yards in a game and the strength of the Patriots defense is the front seven.
New England- With Welker watching the game from the sidelines, everyone expects rookie receiver Julian Edelman to step in and match his production. Edelman has shown flashes, but replacing the best slot receiver in the game is a tough task. Welker lead the NFL with 123 receptions for 1,348 yards and also returned kicks and punts for New England.
Prediction:
Patriots 24-13
Green Bay Packers (11-5)
vs.
Arizona Cardinals (10-6)
When: Sunday, 4:30 p.m. on Fox
Line: Arizona by 1
Previous Match up: Green Bay won 33-7 Week 17
Team Strengths:
Green Bay- Any time Green Bay needs a big play, quarterback Aaron Rodgers has delivered this season. Five times he went over 300 yards passing and he ranked forth in the league in both passing yards (4,434) and passer rating (103.2).
Arizona- Coming off his third consecutive 1,000 yard season, Larry Fitzgerald is the best receiver in the playoffs. Any time Arizona is in trouble, #11 will be there to save the day. He made the Super Bowl interesting by shredding Pittsburgh’s secondary in the fourth quarter and can do the same thing against Green Bay.
Team Weaknesses:
Green Bay- The Packers have a complete team, but have lost four games by 10 points or less. Playoff games are always determined by field goals and kicker Mason Crosby has struggled this season, ranking 28th in the NFL in field goal percentage, converting just 75% of his attempts.
Arizona- Rookie running back Beanie Wells has had a good first season (793 yards and seven touchdowns) but as team, the Cardinals rank 28th in rushing yards per game at 93.4.
Prediction:
Packers 33-27
