In what can only be described as ingenious regular-season scheduling on the NFL’s part, each of this weekend’s divisional contests are rematches from the regular season. That fact only serves to heighten the drama as we head into what is, in my opinion, the best weekend in all of football. After Wild Card Weekend gets rid of some of the riff-raff or gives surprise teams a chance to continue their run at the Super Bowl, the Divisional round ups the ante by adding the cream of the crop back into the mix after their bye weeks. This weekend’s slate of action looks to be an excellent one. I get you ready right here, right now.
Baltimore Ravens at Tennessee Titans, CBS, Saturday 4:30 PM (ET)
Week five’s meeting between the Titans and Ravens was a defensive struggle, with Tennessee winning 13-10. Kerry Collins was a mere manager of the game while rookie Joe Flacco was finding his way early in his first season as a pro. This time around things are much different, as Collins has proved his ability to fling it when necessary and Flacco has completed his first regular season in impressive fashion. There are plenty of similarities between these two squads. They both feature a strong dose of running the ball on offense while stopping the run on defense, and their rankings in those categories correlate. Baltimore ranks 4th in rushing and 2nd in overall defense, while Tennessee ranks 7th in both. Each team’s passing game is suspect (Tennessee is at 27, while Baltimore sits right behind at 28), so there won’t be too many plays to be made through the air. I may trust Collins more than I trust Flacco, but the Ravens defense is too scary to ignore. Honestly though, can I really pick a rookie head coach in John Harbaugh over the wily veteran Jeff Fisher? This one is a “pick-em.” You can’t go wrong either way. Just sit back and watch a game that is sure to hearken back to the league’s olden days.
Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers, Fox, Saturday 8:15 PM (ET)
Carolina may have eeked out a victory in their week eight shoot-out with Arizona, but these teams have gone through tremendous changes since then. The Panther are sitting pretty at the number two seed, so they will welcome the warm-weather Cardinals to Charlotte for Saturday’s night game. Carolina’s two-headed rushing monster in DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart has been dominant down the stretch, and they’ll look to continue that success against Arizona’s defense which was shockingly stout against Michael Turner and the Falcons. QB Kurt Warner will have the Carolina pass rush in his face all night and must place an emphasis on getting rid of the ball early, just as he did versus Atlanta. Three-step drops and quick passes to Larry Fitzgerald (and Anquan Boldin, if he can play) will negate some of the pressure, but Edgerrin James and the running game must make another appearance in the post-season if Arizona is to continue. I expect another high scoring affair from these teams, so don’t blink or you could miss a touchdown.
Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants, Fox, Sunday 1:00 PM (ET)
After splitting their regular season series, these two NFC East rivals meet one more time with a spot in the NFC Championship game on the line. Eli Manning and the Giants have used their bye week to heal up, so ground-pounder Brandon Jacobs will play on Sunday. When Jacobs isn’t in Tom Coughlin’s line-up, the running game noticeably suffers, so his healthy return is more than welcomed by Manning. The Giants will undoubtedly run the ball at the Eagles early, trying to soften the Eagles up heading in the latter portion of the contest and keeping the defense from continuing the success that led to ranking third in the NFL with 48 sacks. Donovan McNabb will be under a comparable pass rush that ranked 6th in the league with 42 sacks, so Brian Westbrook and the underneath and screen passing routes will be factor large in Philly’s success. Andy Reid and McNabb have already earned their job security, but you can rest assured they’re still chomping at the bit to prove themselves. This is a grudge match of the best variety, where the winner moves on the at the expense of a division rival. That’s playoff football at its finest.
San Diego Chargers at Pittsburgh Steelers, CBS, Sunday 4:45 PM (ET)
Hopefully, for the fans’ sake the conditions at Heinz Field will be more playable than during week 11, when these teams met in an ugly 11-10 Steelers victory. However, the Steelers’ number one rated defense wont care, they like any weather conditions that slow down the opposing offense. With LaDainian Tomlinson’s confirmation of a torn tendon in his groin, stand-out return man Darren Sproles will again be called on to carry the load at running back. Pro Bowl tight end Antonio Gates was still having toe and ankle problems, so Philip Rivers may be lacking the explosive weaponry to which he’s accustomed. On the opposite sideline, Ben Roethlisberger will have a full complement as Willie Parker is healthy and ready to be the feature back. It is perfect timing for Big Ben, as no one knows how well he’ll perform following the mild concussion he suffered in the regular season finale. Obviously Pittsburgh wouldn’t risk their franchise quarterback, but they’ll have to keep an eye on Ben’s tendency to hold onto the football too long. San Diego’s defense may be lacking sack machine Shawne Merriman, but coordinator Ron Rivera will still bring the blitzes to put Roethlisberger on his back. This one may not be football at it’s prettiest, but it will be as physical a match-up as you’ll see all weekend (okay, maybe not as much as Ravens v. Titans, but it’ll be close).
Happy Divisional Round everyone!
