Now that the NFL has whittled down the contenders from the pretenders, the four teams that still remain are clearly the four that were expected to reach this point all season. The Saints, Vikings, Colts and… Jets? Alright, three out
Now that the NFL has whittled down the contenders from the pretenders, the four teams that still remain are clearly the four that were expected to reach this point all season.
The Saints, Vikings, Colts and… Jets?
Alright, three out of four ain’t bad.
The Jets have crashed the top-heavy conference championship round after their own head coach thought they were eliminated from playoff contention following a Week 15 loss to the Falcons that put them at 7-7.
Since then, the Jets have played their own brand of football without changing their personality the slightest bit. The results have been four straight wins, all coming in elimination games.
Rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez has not faltered as his running game can now claim to be the league’s best with Shonn Greene and Thomas Jones continuing to punish opposing defenses.
Their own defense has been just as spectacular, with cornerback Darrelle Revis saying all the right things about his Defensive Player of the Year snub, but showing why he may have been the most deserving candidate with an interception in each playoff game.
This week, they match up once again with the top-seeded Indianapolis Colts, who gave up the opportunity to play for an undefeated season by benching Peyton Manning for the second half of the teams’ Week 16 game — a game the Jets had to win to continue a playoff push.
The Colts may be regretting that decision as they face the team which they gave new life, now riding a tsunami-sized wave of momentum.
Had this game been played one week ago, the Jets probably would have been completely dismantled. The Colts are eager to prove that the last game was only a Jets win because they laid down.
Unless something tragic were to happen, the Jets won’t be seeing Colts backup quarterback Curtis Painter on the field today. Manning, the league’s best signal-caller and clutch passer, will be at the helm for the duration.
But the fact that the Jets were able to get themselves another road win against the hottest team in the league — the San Diego Chargers — will have them feeling uber-confident come kickoff.
They have no problem punting and playing a field-position battle, so early jitters won’t really effect their mentality once the game begins. If Sanchez goes three-and-out on the first series, they won’t be in panic mode.
However, their bread and butter is the running game. The Colts are a very strong defensive team against the run. Their entire defense has great speed, which has neutralized solid running backs all season.
Defensively, the Jets are a blitzing team that relies on their secondary to play receivers tight. Manning is in a class by himself when it comes to reading defenses, audibling at the line and changing protections based on what he sees before the snap. Nothing the Jets show will have him flustered.
If Revis is able to take away Manning’s favorite target, wide receiver Reggie Wayne, Manning will just exploit the Jets’ weaknesses in other areas. He has receivers Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie, along with one of the best tight ends in the business, Dallas Clark.
All this amounts to a game that will probably play out similarly to the Jets-Chargers game. Points will be hard to come by in the first half, but Manning should be more successful than Sanchez at moving his team into the red zone.
The Jets will count on wearing down the Colts defense and breaking a few big runs in the second half, as Greene managed to do last week.
The Colts opened as a 7-point favorite. It has since been bet up to an 8-point line as the public seems to think the Jets’ dream ride is coming to a close.
Eight is a lot to cover against a team that plays the style the Jets do.
THE PICK:
The Colts jump out to a 10-0 lead, but have to sweat out the result in the fourth quarter. Their defense ends up making a stand to preserve a tight win;
COLTS 17, JETS 13
The NFC matchup has the potential to be the exact opposite, as the Saints and Vikings put up a combined 79 points in their divisional-round wins.
Minnesota looked about as good as they could, ripping apart the Cowboys on both sides of the ball. The defensive line got the most credit, and deservedly so. It made life absolutely miserable for quarterback Tony Romo.
Brett Favre was just about perfect and has turned Sidney Rice into the true downfield weapon Minnesota was expecting when it drafted the young receiver. Running back Adrian Peterson didn’t produce much, but still got 23 rush attempts. Any time the ball is in his arms can be a game-changing play.
The Cowboys managed to contain his output, but the Saints are much softer against the run. He should manage some more big plays this week.
The Saints have a strong secondary and Jabari Greer will be the guy responsible for keeping a close watch on Rice. He’s an unheralded superstar who will be up to the challenge.
Vikes receiver Percy Harvin has been battling another case of migraines, which have plagued him all season. He participated in the team’s final practice, so he is expected to be on the field. When healthy, he is an x-factor in the return game and the passing game, so his questionable health is a big knock for the Vikings.
The Saints’ Reggie Bush had perhaps his best NFL game last week, busting loose for an 83-yard punt return and showing his old self on a marvelous 46-yard touchdown run. The question is whether he’s able to even come close to that type of day against a much more stout defense.
Drew Brees is probably the most accurate passer in the league and should have a good day against the Vikings secondary. Head coach Sean Payton will have tons of formations and pre-snap motions to keep Minnesota guessing. They will probably also try to move the pocket to limit the Vikings’ pass rush.
Brees, like Manning, is also terrific at exploiting matchups. With weapons like Marques Colston, Devery Henderson, Jeremy Shockey and Robert Meacham — not to mention Bush — he’ll have advantageous matchups on just about every snap.
The spread has remained at New Orleans -3.5 for the week, showing that these teams are basically even with the Saints getting a slight edge for the home field.
Saints fans are terrific and though the Vikes are used to playing in a dome, crowd noise should play at least a small part.
THE PICK:
The two teams battle for most of the game, but the Saints assert themselves late in the third quarter. A Favre interception swings the momentum and Minnesota runs out of time;
SAINTS 38, VIKINGS 24
