Eight teams remain on the Road to Super Bowl XLIV in Miami.
Arizona Cardinals @ New Orleans Saints
Saturday- January 16th 4:30 PM
The Louisiana Superdome
The Cardinals wound up on the winning side of the highest scoring playoff game in NFL history when they knocked off the Packers last Sunday by a score of 51-45. What’s scary is that this weekend’s game vs. the Saints could wind up being just as high scoring, as both teams post two of the highest scoring offenses in the NFL. The Saints struggled down the stretch of the regular season on both sides of the ball, but the porous defense exhibited by the Cardinals in their wild card game has got to have Drew Brees and the Saints offense salivating at their mouths. If Pierre Thomas and the running game can get going, the Saints could run away with this one. But you can’t count out the Cardinals, who are led by one of the most productive post season QB’s ever in Kurt Warner. The Cardinals will also have WR Anquan Boldin back for this game, giving Warner yet another weapon at his disposal in the passing game to go along with Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston. This game will likely come down to which defense can make the bigger plays and slow down the opposing team’s offense. It’s a tough one to call, but I’ve got a feeling the Cardinals are going to get the job done.
Prediction: Cardinals 34 Saints 30
Baltimore Ravens @ Indianapolis Colts
Saturday- January 16th 8:15 PM
Lucas Oil Stadium
The Colts haven’t played a meaningful football game since locking up the #1 seed in the AFC by defeating Jacksonville back in week 15. There has been a lot of controversy surrounding head coach Jim Caldwell’s decision to rest his starters down the stretch instead of going for an undefeated season, and history has shown that the Colts haven’t done well in the past under similar circumstances. I can see Peyton Manning and the Colts offense struggling to find a rhythm early on, but the defense should be well rested and prepared for the Ravens offense. The Ravens boast a very physical defense and will try to do everything in their power to get to Manning and force him to rush his throws. They will also look to run the ball with Ray Rice all game long to burn the clock and keep the Colts offense off the field. If they can do these things with success, they will have a good chance of knocking off the Colts. But I’ve got Indianapolis winning it all, so rest or no rest, I think they play like the team we’ve seen for most of the 2009 season in this one.
Prediction: Colts 27 Ravens 17
Dallas Cowboys @ Minnesota Vikings
Sunday- January 17th 1:00 PM
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
This game pits two of the most balanced teams in football against each other and has the potential to be the best game of the weekend. Dallas is rolling, having won 4 straight games, including two straight weeks of domination against a very good Philadelphia Eagles team. The Vikings sputtered somewhat down the stretch, but ended the season on a high note with a lopsided victory over the New York Giants. The bye week will surely help the Vikings, especially Brett Favre and Adrian Peterson who will be well rested for this matchup. As good as the Cowboys defense has played in recent weeks, it’s not going to be an easy task for them to slow down one of the best and most balanced offensive attacks in the league. Dallas will also struggle to run the ball against a stout Vikings run defense, so Tony Romo will once again need to be on top of his game if the Cowboys have any chance of winning. The Vikings secondary could struggle to cover Miles Austin and Jason Witten in the passing game, but ultimately I expect them to get the job done and move onto the NFC Championship game.
Prediction: Vikings 28 Cowboys 24
New York Jets @ San Diego Chargers
Sunday- January 17th 4:40 PM
Qualcomm Stadium
When a team can play defense and run the ball as the Jets have done all year long, they have the ability to beat anyone they’re up against. With that said, the Chargers have arguably been the best team in the NFL this season and it will be a tough task for the Jets to beat them in Qualcomm Stadium, where the Chargers have only lost 2 games this season. Phillip Rivers will not shy away from throwing at Darrelle Revis. He will take his shots downfield to Vincent Jackson throughout the game, which will open up the middle for TE Antonio Gates to find room in the Jets secondary. I’m not sure that the Jets will have an answer for Gates, but they will need to limit his touches if they’re to have any chance of winning this game. The Jets linebackers will also need to be on their heels and watch out for screen passes to LaDainian Tomlinson and the quicker and more dangerous, Darren Sproles. For the Jets offense, it will be nothing new. They’ll look to run the ball as much as possible against a defense that has struggled against the run for much of the season. If they can have success in the running game and QB Mark Sanchez can get into the flow early and limit his turnovers, the Jets will remain in this game throughout. For the critics out there who still believe that the Jets “backed into the playoffs,” this game will prove them wrong. I expect a hard fought battle between a great QB on one side, and a great defense on the other. This game will be decided in the final minutes of the 4th quarter. If the Jets can stick to their game plan and maybe catch a few breaks, they are capable of knocking off the Chargers and advancing to the AFC Championship. But the realist in me has got to give the edge to San Diego in this one.
Prediction: Chargers 23 Jets 20
**YMM Staff’s Super Bowl XLIV Predictions:
-Jsunfella: Colts vs. Vikings
-KRM: Colts vs. Saints
-Dubbs: Chargers vs. Vikings
-Bobby O: Chargers vs. Packers
-Magnum Stache: Chargers vs. Packers
