NFL Wild Card weekend

[Ray Barnes]

After going 5 for 5 last Sunday I feel somewhat reluctant to do this, since my batting average can go only downhill. I also feel a lot less comfortable with making predictions on these games than last Sunday.

The prevailing wisdom is to take all 4 road teams. After week 15, the experts were picking New England to take the AFC East. Around the same time, I told someone over a cheese section in the deli, while wearing a Pats jacket, "I like Miami this time." The experts are not always right, nobody is.

Indianapolis at San Diego
I thought the Chargers' win last year over the Colts, in their stadium, with Rivers and Tomlinson out in the 4th quarter due to injuries, was nothing short of inspirational. My favourite game of the whole post-season. I think it is payback time, combined with the Colts losing a close game early this season thanks to a missed field goal. This should be a great game, again - but this time I like the Colts. For what it may be worth, I think the Chargers ran up the score against the Broncos. A week later, that can come back to haunt you.

Philadelphia at Minnesota
Some weeks the Eagles look invincible (like last week) and others they can't do anything right. I don't follow the Viks. For some reason though, playing at home in a dome, I like the Vikings here.

Baltimore at Miami
For sentimental reasons only, especially with the Ravens having a rookie QB, I have to pick the team that eliminated the Patriots. I'm taking the Dolphins.

Atlanta at Arizona
On paper this should be no contest in favour of the Falcons. Unfortunately the game is not played on paper. Again, with a rookie QB playing on the road in his first playoff game, combined with a week Falcon secondary, I'll take Kurt Warner and the Cardinals to pull an upset at home. I think they are a better team than their record, but played only as well as they needed to win the NFC West.

[Glenn E.]

Again we're pretty much of the same opinion, but I'll differ with you on your last pick.

To paraphrase Dennis Green, the Cardinals are who we think they are. I don't doubt the potential of the Arizona passing attack, but you don't go 9-7 in a division as weak as the NFC West if you're really a playoff caliber team. I'll take the Rookie of the Year, but only for one more week.

[Ray Barnes]

There is one factor in Baltimore's favour I had not considered. Miami's only victory of the 2007 season was in OT at home against Baltimore. I think the Ravens would love nothing more than to spoil the Dolphins' Cinderella story.

Ray

[Ray Barnes]

The one thing I am most dissapointed about for this weekend's schedule, is that none of the games are going to be played in cold weather. I love watching games in miserable conditions - on tv of course. The Vikings home game is of course indoors - against my very strong objections.

I am so much looking forward to next weekend in polar Pittsburgh - and New York might be interesting too.

Ray

[Glenn E.]

My success rate so far does not bode well for the Vikings and Dolphins tomorrow.

However, I can't complain. Nebraska, Missouri, and Kansas all won their bowl games while Oklahoma State and Texas Tech both lost. Big XII North is 3-0 this year, while the Big XII South is 0-2 with 2 games left to play.

[Ray Barnes]

I can't comment on college football, I do not follow it - except casually for the Sooners.

The Arizona-Atlanta game pretty much went according to expectations - and it is tough for any rookie QB playing his first playoff on the road. The Colts-Chargers game could have gone either way - usually the team winning the coin toss in OT wins the game. I feel worse for the Colts than I do for the Patriots.

Ray

[Glenn E.]

I'm now accepting bribes to NOT pick your favorite team(s) next week.

[Ray Barnes]

Well let's see - I won one and lost three, but one of those losses was in OT after the winning team got the coin toss. I was picking the Dolphins for sentimental reasons only, but am not the least bit surprised about the Ravens winning that one. The Eagles/Vikings game I had no idea how that would go.

Last week: 1-3 (technically)
To date: 6-3

I will not posting anything on next weekend's matches until we get some news about Ben Roethlisberger.

Your point is taken though Glenn. :)

Ray

[Glenn E.]

You might be surprised, but the coin toss isn't as big of an advantage in OT as you might think. I can't remember where (or when) I saw the statistic, but as I recall the team that wins the coin toss in OT only wins the game about 55% of the time. So it is an advantage, but it's not really not a huge one.

Just ask Matt "we want the ball and we're going to score" Hasselbeck.

The NCAA OT system is vastly superior, but I don't see the NFL ever changing.