For
an NFL season that was marred by controversy off the field that showed a level
of incompetence that hasn’t been seen since the replacement ref fiasco of 2012,
it did have its highlights. First it was the year of the rookie wide receiver.
Buffalo’s Sammy Watkins, Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans, Carolina’s Kelvin Benjamin,
Philly’s Jordan Matthews, Miami’s Jarvis Landry and New Orleans’s Brandin Cooks
all made impacts on their respective teams. And if you happened to have the
foresight to pick up Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite Odell Beckham Jr. on
your fantasy team, you probably did pretty well. As for Jacksonville,
Minnesota and Cleveland, which drafted quarterbacks this past year, there’s always the first round of the 2015 draft.
Second
could this be the first year that a defensive player wins the MVP award since
Lawrence Taylor did it in 1986? Houston’s J.J. Watt has made a strong case, and
will definitely win Defensive Player of the Year. He finished with 20.5 sacks,
a safety, a pick six, a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown, and three
touchdowns on the offensive side of the ball. He was simply dominant and almost
led the Texans to the playoffs with Ryan Fitzpatrick, Ryan Mallett and Case
Keenum sharing the quarterback duties. Unfortunately for Watt, Aaron Rodgers
still plays in the league, who clinched the MVP trophy by playing through a
calf injury to win the NFC North in Week 17.
As
exciting as the regular season was, it's always raised to another level in the
playoffs. Winners of six in a row, the Seattle Seahawks look primed to make
another run towards the Super Bowl. Can the Seahawks be the first repeat
champions since the Patriots in 2005? Can the Cowboys remove the stink of
mediocrity that has lingered in recent years and win their first playoff
game since 2009? Will the Detroit Lions win their first playoff game since the
George Herbert Walker Bush administration? Will Andy Dalton finally win a
playoff game period? All of our questions will be answered over the next couple
of anticipated weekends. Let the tournament begin.
(HOME
TEAM IN CAPS)
Arizona
Cardinals (+6.5) over CAROLINA PANTHERS
Is
it fair for a team that finished with an 11-5 record has to travel across the
country to play a road game against a team that finished 7-8-1, just because
that team won the abysmal NFC South? I didn’t think so. Even though Carolina
won their last four games to sneak into the playoffs, don’t forget they lost
six in a row before that, and they only have one win against a team with a
winning record (Detroit), which took place way back in Week 2. The biggest
question is should you back Arizona's third string quarterback Ryan Lindley,
who was on the San Diego practice squad to begin the season, in a road playoff
game? The prospect of it is downright terrifying, and I should have my head
examined for doing so. But I see the defenses setting the tempo and this being
a game of field position, with not much offense and points being scored. If
Lindley plays a safe game and doesn’t turn the ball over, then Arizona can keep
it close. Look for a field goal to decide this juggernaut.
PITTSBURGH
STEELERS (-3) over Baltimore Ravens
When
teams from the AFC North clash, it's usually a grudge match, especially this
rivalry. The bad news for Pittsburgh is they're going to be without versatile
running back Le’Veon Bell. In the end it’s not going to matter. Both teams do a
good job defending the run, so look for the game to take to the air. If that is
the case, would you rather put your money on Ben Roethlisberger or Joe Flacco?
They both have playoff experience and Super Bowl titles under their belts, but
I would give the edge to Roethlisberger. He had the best receiver in the game
this season in Antonio Brown, who led the league in both receptions (129) and
receiving yards (1,698). The last time these teams met in Week 9,
Roethlisberger torched Baltimore's secondary for six touchdowns, and Bell was a
non-factor running the football (10 carries, 20 yards). Baltimore has also
reaped the benefit of an easy schedule, with eight of their ten wins coming
against teams with a combined record of 42-85 (.331), and only one win against a team
with a winning record (Pittsburgh in Week 2). I like the Steelers to advance.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (-3.5) over Cincinnati
Bengals
The
Colts have the advantage of playing in the AFC South, which led to a handful of
creampuff victories. The Bengals are molded out of the tough AFC North like the
Steelers and Ravens. But they’re still the Bengals. In the playoffs quarterback
Andy Dalton is 0-3 and head coach Marvin Lewis is 0-5. I don’t trust them as
far as I can throw a Hail Mary pass. If the Colts can keep talented rookie running back Jeremy Hill in check (that's a big if), and force the
Red Rifle to beat them, they should have a field day like they did against
Cincinnati in Week 7, where they shut out the Bengals 27-0. On the opposing
side the Colts can’t run the ball worth a lick, but that’s not how they’ve won
football games. Andrew Luck led the league with 40 touchdowns, and the Bengals
defense isn’t good enough to stop him. There’s also the potential that
Cincinnati’s primary receiver A.J. Green won’t play in Sunday’s game. All signs
point towards Indy moving on.
DALLAS COWBOYS (-6.5) over
Detroit Lions
I
usually look forward to watching these two teams play only when there’s large
portions of turkey involved. Both of these teams, and their quarterbacks,
definitely have something to prove. For Detroit, they’re looking for their
first postseason win since 1991, and Matthew Stafford his first playoff victory. Dallas
is trying to forget their 1-6 playoff record since 1998, and all is on the line
for Tony Romo. With a 1-3 playoff record that has plagued him for the later
part of his career, he desperately needs a win. It’s a good thing for the Cowboys that Romo has been
on fire lately. Dallas was 4-0 in December, and Romo has tossed twelve
touchdowns to one interception during that span. But this game might be decided
in the trenches. A big part of Dallas’s success this year has come from NFL
leading rusher Demarco Murray. Can the strong offensive line of the Cowboys
open up running lanes for Murray against Detroit’s number one rushing defense? It
will be fun to watch. Also keep in mind that Stafford is 0-16 in his career (yikes!)
on the road against teams that end up finishing with a winning record. And then
there’s this:
It’s
all a recipe for a Cowboys win and the playoff woes to continue for Detroit.
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