Even if yesterday's were drama-less (story of the playoffs so far), I couldn't miss a second. That won't change today as the most hyped game of the weekend starts Divisional round Sunday. New York's Cinderella story (is Rex Ryan the fairy godmother?) closes out the night with a west coast appearance. The Opening Drive of Divisional Sunday in the NFL starts now!
Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings
1:00PM ET FOX
I don't know if you knew, but Brett Favre is a Viking. Back for one last (?) Super Bowl run, Favre has done all Minnesota has asked him. Now its time for his team to show up. That means blocking for Adrian Peterson and the secondary showing up to play. Hopefully Brad Childress did some coaching this week,
Dallas has been under fire for failing in December and the post-season for several years. Now, they've broken both "jinxes" and found themselves one game away from the NFC title game. Wade Philips saved his job with a pounding of Philadelphia last weekend and will look to blow Favre up in the pocket.
Analysis: Minnesota wishes they had Dallas' offense. The Cowboys have been committed to and successful with the run, and Romo has been efficient with 20-26 throws a game. Felix Jones needs another huge run to loosen up the Vikings' D so Miles Austin can strike deep against poor-playing corners. Favre will be under pressure from DeMarcus Ware, Anthony Spencer and Jay Ratliff all afternoon, which will cause at least one interception, maybe two. Dallas' defense is playing dominant football while the Vikings have been inconsistent at best. Adrian Peterson has to be the game-breaker today and not the poster child for fumblitis.
Prediction: Can't I just flip a coin? That's how close this game is. The home team, Minnesota, is currently favored by 3, which is Vegas code for an even game. But as I told my mother this morning when she asked me who I was picking, "Minnesota can go to hell." I'll take Dallas to beat the 3. Go Cowboys.
New York Jets at San Diego Chargers
4:40PM ET CBS
After roughing up the Bengals, hopes are high in New York. Their Jets have the number one defense and number running game in the NFL, but Mark Sanchez is the key to the offense's success. His first step is not making mistakes, second is putting up points. Darelle Revis should have been the defensive player of the year, but he'll have his hands full with a probably match-up on the 6'5" Vincent Jackson.
It seems as if every year is San Diego's year. With 11 straight wins to close out the regular season, I think they're as ready as they've ever been to take the next step. Norv Turner is an underrated coach with an underrated quarterback in Philip Rivers. Their explosiveness on offense makes up for their better-than-average defense.
Analysis: Circumstances were set up perfectly for the Jets to topple the Bengals last week, but the Chargers are a different animal altogether, (In fact, they're not an animal at all... they're lightning.) Unless the Jets have cloned Darelle Revis, they won't be able to contain the Charger wide receivers. San Diego has scored 20 points in every game this season, so there's no reason to doubt them now. Mark Sanchez won't be able to complete 12 of 15 throws today if he wants to keep up. New York will be able to run the ball fairly effectively, but they will need touchdowns, not field goals. I don't have much faith in the offense to put up more than 17.
Prediction: San Diego is favored by 8. I'm going to stick with this year's playoff trend of games being over at halftime and take the Chargers to cover. Sorry Jet fans, I think the ride is over.
Enjoy another great day of NFL action! Look for more in-game tweets on Twitter: @JoeAnello
