Zachary GirsbergerNFL Playoffs: Wild Card Saturday
January 8th 2011 06:30
Category: No Category
So, the playoffs officially begin in a day and so it is about time to run through the two games for this Saturday, evaluate the chances of each team, and put in my input towards the winner of the game.
New Orleans (11-5) at Seattle (7-9)
New Orleans in this game is a heavy favorite, as they should be as defending superbowl champions with eleven wins versus the worst division champion in the history of the game—strike seasons notwithstanding. This established, the Seahawks played well enough to win their division and with the recent batch of injuries to the Saint, most notably at the running back position, Seattle still has a chance at pulling off an upset win. Surprisingly, New Orleans actually played better on the road than at home, so I think that eliminates some of the twelfth man factor—if playing in the Superdome did not already—and Seattle had a winning record at home, thus home-road splits have to be a non-factor in the decision of a winner.
The Winner: The Saints. Matt Hasselbeck perhaps not playing the entirety of the game secures this pick for me, although I gave Seattle about a 5% chance of winning even with a perfectly Healthy Matt. While I appreciate Seattle giving San Diego a pick for Clipboard Jesus, Whitehurst is not a playoff quarterback, if a starting quarterback at all. It does not get simpler than breakdowns, and New Orleans wins probably each individual position and element of football, except maybe in the kicking game. Final Score: 27-19
New York (11-5) at Indianapolis (10-6)
This game is what the Jets prepared for this offseason—beating the Colts to make the Superbowl. Indy has Peyton, two good defensive lineman, and a great wideout, and beyond that they really don’t jump out at you, but the first of that set is what won the AFC South for the Colts. The Jets matchup well with the Colts, creating a matchup where the Jets can pound the game out while the Colts try for a more finessed game. Health is the concern here for both teams, the Jets at the skill positions and the Colts in the strong ones, and so the game will likely be decided by turnovers.
The Winner: The Colts. While I hate to give the credit solely to Manning, he has carried this team for too many seasons not to in this case. Neither team jumps out at me, as both have struggled at times this season, making the final games more critical than they could have. Jets at Patriots, Chargers at Colts. These are the downsides to each team, but both also have impressive wins and comebacks, so the game should be great. Final Score: 24-21
New Orleans (11-5) at Seattle (7-9)
New Orleans in this game is a heavy favorite, as they should be as defending superbowl champions with eleven wins versus the worst division champion in the history of the game—strike seasons notwithstanding. This established, the Seahawks played well enough to win their division and with the recent batch of injuries to the Saint, most notably at the running back position, Seattle still has a chance at pulling off an upset win. Surprisingly, New Orleans actually played better on the road than at home, so I think that eliminates some of the twelfth man factor—if playing in the Superdome did not already—and Seattle had a winning record at home, thus home-road splits have to be a non-factor in the decision of a winner.
The Winner: The Saints. Matt Hasselbeck perhaps not playing the entirety of the game secures this pick for me, although I gave Seattle about a 5% chance of winning even with a perfectly Healthy Matt. While I appreciate Seattle giving San Diego a pick for Clipboard Jesus, Whitehurst is not a playoff quarterback, if a starting quarterback at all. It does not get simpler than breakdowns, and New Orleans wins probably each individual position and element of football, except maybe in the kicking game. Final Score: 27-19
New York (11-5) at Indianapolis (10-6)
This game is what the Jets prepared for this offseason—beating the Colts to make the Superbowl. Indy has Peyton, two good defensive lineman, and a great wideout, and beyond that they really don’t jump out at you, but the first of that set is what won the AFC South for the Colts. The Jets matchup well with the Colts, creating a matchup where the Jets can pound the game out while the Colts try for a more finessed game. Health is the concern here for both teams, the Jets at the skill positions and the Colts in the strong ones, and so the game will likely be decided by turnovers.
The Winner: The Colts. While I hate to give the credit solely to Manning, he has carried this team for too many seasons not to in this case. Neither team jumps out at me, as both have struggled at times this season, making the final games more critical than they could have. Jets at Patriots, Chargers at Colts. These are the downsides to each team, but both also have impressive wins and comebacks, so the game should be great. Final Score: 24-21
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