What to Watch For: Eagles @ Giants

Eagles @ Giants

The Eagles are top two least deserving playoff teams, but much like the Chargers, displayed that they belong by moving on to the next round. The Eagles sport the NFC's top defense and strong playmakers on offfense. They got by the Vikings with a little trouble but advanced nonetheless. It took a 70 yard screen to seal the game, but they did what they needed to leave with a win.

The Giants were the best team in the NFC all season and did so with a powerful running game and a tough-minded defense. Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward both got 1000 yards on the ground for the season running over or around everything in their path. Plaxico almost derailed the season but the team seems to be past the drama and back on the right track. The proved in week 15 in a win over the second seeded Panthers that they're still the top dogs in the NFC. However, the division rival Eagles is the last team they wanted to play in the playoffs after the bye.

Here's what to watch for:

• Asante Samuel running for cover everytime Jacobs comes his way. Asante does the "Ole" with much less imposing backs, I can't think for a second he'll be throwing his fragile body in front of the human eighteen-wheeler.


• Donovan McNabb's feet. If McNabb is quite in the pocket and still, he's comfortable and poised for a good day. If he's got happy feet and is dancing all over, then I'm sad to say it's going to be a long day for the Eagles. This doesn't mean he shouldn't run, it's just all about pocket presence.


• Brian Dawkins anytime he isn't playing. Dawkins is awesome to watch in pre-game huddles, his introduction, dancing on the sidelines, and in between plays. I can imagine that Giants fans hate it, but his raw emotion and love for the game is rare in a league that is progressively more and more self-centered.


• The Manning face. Made famous by The Sports Guy on ESPN, Eli has a fantastic "oh crap, what's happening now"" face. Every drop and interception is met with this classic show (or non show) of emotion.


• How the Giants defense will play to stop Westbrook. They say they won't et him beat them, which could work in the Eagles favor. If they devote too much attention to West, they play-action passing game should flourish.


• Which Giants team is going to show up? Tom Coughlin did a terrific job coaching throughout the Plax nonsense this season and his team normally comes out firing. But they've been flat before, especially in the second game against the Eagles. I don't think he's a particularly asute coach, but he is great motivator.


• Which Andy Reid is going to show up? Andy has done a good job so far, but I won't be surprised if he abandones the run out of no where and submarines the Eagles chances at victory.


• My brother tells me all the time that Andy Reid looks like the Heat Mizer from some Christmas movie with his new playoff beard (he saw the comparison on tv somewhere). What do you think?


• Can the Giants D-Line win the battle in the trenches? In other words, how much will the be ablse to disrupt Philly's efforts to run the ball and get time in the passing game? Depending on how healthy Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan are, it may not be much.


• Is Eli good enough to win the game if the running game is stifled? I don't know that he can put the team on his back and throw successfully to Toomer, Hixon, and Boss. I see another Asante TD in Eli's future.


• Another predicition, DeSean Jackson is either DeSeawesome or DeSeawful in the punt return game and it swings the turn out of the game.

Prediction Time: Eagles 17, Giants 10

If the game is any higher scoring than this, I don't know that the Eagles will win it, but the Eagles defense has been FANTASTIC and the Giants should have plenty of trouble moving the ball if the Eagles don't miss tackles and play disciplined on defense. Yes, I'm a homer but this is how I see it, so deal with it.

What to Watch For: Ravens @ Titans

Ravens @ Titans

The Ravens defense has been stingy and exceptional most of the season. Miami had major trouble moving the ball for most of the game at Baltimore and the defense forced 5 turnovers against a Dolphins squad that led the league in least committed turnovers. The Ravens offense wasn't exactly stellar, but as usual, they got the job done.

The Titans are your prototypical successful playoff team. The run the ball and stop the run. And they do both of these things very, very well. They're very similar to the Ravens, except their defense isn't quite as good, but they have a much better rushing attack. It seemed as if they weren't as good as their hot start indicated, but they took down the Steelers at the end of season to solidify the top spot.

What I'll be watching for when they face-off:

• Kevin Mawae is out for the Titans and his absence will definitely have an affect on the Titans run game. The question is how much? If the Titans are going to win, they need to be successful running the ball and missing interior linemen is not a good start.


• Chris Johnson and LenDale White are the best running one-two punch in the league and you can be sure that the Ravens are going to be loading the box on most downs. I think Chris Johnson is phenomenal and the better back, but he needs LenDale to soften the Ravens up so he can find some holes. If I was Jeff Fisher, I'd lean on LenDale heavy in the first half and hope that Johnson runs wild in the second half.


• The only way to best a great defense is to attack it. The Ravens thrive on controlling the tempo of the game with their defense, so if Tennessee is tenative out of the gate they're going to have their hands full early.


• It is important for Tennessee to grind it out and avoid an early deficit. If Kerry Collins starts throwing the ball a lot, Ed Reed is going to have a field day. And he's consistently shown that if he gets his hands on it, he's taking it for six, almost everytime. It has gotten to the point that I'm wondering how he would fare with a few offensive touches. He's shown the ability to follow blockers, read tacklers, and make the right cut to get to the endzone. Why not send him on a toss and run him behind an overload of pulling blockers? It's slightly unorthodox, but what have you got to lose?


• Joe Flacco has his hands full against this defense. He's going to have to make some plays because he can't rely on Ed Reed to put up points for him every week. Willis McGahee and LeRon McClain do a nice job on the ground and Derrick Mason, Mark Clayton and Todd Heap are find in the receiving game, but none of them are good enough to take over and take it off Flacco's shoulders. At some point in the game, he's going to have to lead them down the field and get a score, or they're not gonna win the game.


• Most importantly about Flacco, I think it should be necessary to yell his name is your best New York accent: JOE FLACCO!


• Ray Lewis gets a lot of credit, but it's pretty obvious that he's not the best player on this defense anymore. He's the emotional leader, but it's Reed, Suggs, and McAllister who have to make the plays.


• Albert Haynesworth should wreak havoc on the Ravens O-line, but I think they'll find a way to get aroudn him.

Prediction Time: Ravens 17, Titans 16

This one was just a hunch, but I think the Ravens are going to sneak away with a win. Flacco was 9/23 passing last week and I think he'll be slightly better this time around, maybe a 15/25 type performance. Also, I don't think Collins is going to play mistake free and possibly a running back fumble is going to lead to defensive points (most likely by Ed Reed). I'm not expecting a ton of scoring in this one, but I think Chris Johnson is the X-factor. If he runs wild, they win. If he doesn't, they lose.

What to Watch For: Cardinals @ Panthers

It's playoff time and we're a sports blog, so our first preview of the NFL Playoffs Divsional Round.

Cardinals @ Panthers

The Cardinals surprised many by beating the Falcons in the Wild Card round and did a lot of things well that they haven't showed all season. The Cardinals ran the ball and stop the run fantastically, which is exactly what people assumed they couldn't do and exactly why they couldn't win.

The Panthers were a great team all season, led by a great dual-headed running attack and a formidable defense and pass rush. DeAngelo Williams seemingly scored 4 td's every game this season and despite Jake Delhomme's frequent ineptitude they rolled to the #2 seed in the NFC.

As these two face off in Carolina on Saturday, here's what we'll be watching for:

• Before the game even starts, the Cardinals have two things against them. Travel and temperature. The Cardinals were winless this season traveling to east-coast opponents which is unbelieveable for a playoff team. Also, they are a warm weather team, historically they haven't performed well in colder, crappier weather. They can't possibly lay another egg against east-coast teams. It's law of averages, right?


• Is the Arizona pass rush from the Wild Card round legit? Or was that showing one and done, because that certainly wouldn't surprise me. Bertrand Berry told Tony and Wilbon on PTI today that Falcons QB Matt Ryan wasn't changing up the snap count and that is part of the reason for the pressure they generated. That certainly won't happen with a veteran QB like Delhomme running the show. He's been to the playoffs and all the way to the Super Bowl, he won't be nervous come game time and forget such a simple facet of his job.


• Is Edgerrin James back and is he a solid running back again? Edge looked great against Atlanta, but he's been so poor this season that I have trouble thinking he'll be successful in Carolina. Jon Beason covers a ton of ground and the Carolina front 7 will be much more tenacious than the group Edge just ran all over.


• Speaking of the Carolina front 7, they shouldn't have trouble getting all the pressure they need on Kurt Warner come Saturday. That is their key to victory. They can't allow Warner time to sit back and kill them from the pocket. They need to flush him out and keep him moving all game, the more they hit him the better. Kurt is still a great QB, but he's never been a scrambler and as he gets older, he's only getting more and more immobile. It's a lot harder to Fitzgerald and Boldin if you're worried about who's about to hit you (namely, Julius Peppers)


• About Boldin, how hurt is he? This is the guy who played after he broke his face, so I've got to assume he'll be toughing it out if at all possible. But hamstrings are a strange injury, there's no telling how long it'll take to heal. Could be a week, could be 4 weeks. I'm confident Boldin will play, but the real question is how effective will he be? He hurt it while sprinting down field and didn't seem any slower until he reached the endzone, so who knows? Maybe, he'll be fine, and I hope so because any hope of a competitive game may rest on his well being.


• Who is going to tackle DeAngelo? And if they bring him down, who's going to stop Jonathon Stewart? Now this defense was good against Atlanta against the second best rushing attack in the league in Michael Turner and Jerrious Norwood. But this is the best rushing attack (no offense, Earth, Wind, and Fire, you're probably tied for 2nd. Maybe 2B to ATL's 2A). Williams has shown all season that he will take advantage of cutback lanes and if the defense is disciplined, he'll make you pay. Now how much discipline can we possibly expect from this team? Outside of Adrian Wilson how many playmakers do they have? Karlos Dansby is a good, but unspectacular linebacker and I can probably say the same for Darnell Dockett on the D-line.


• Which big-time WR would you rather have, Larry Fitzgerald? or Steve Smith? or maybe Boldin? At gun point, I'd take Boldin because he does things over the middle and after the catch that is only rivaled by Brandon Marshall. However, Fitzgerald has the best ball skills in the NFL which was obvious by that awesome TD catch he had last week between two defenders. But, Steve Smith has game-breaking athleticism and speed that you just can't teach. I read somewhere the other day that he's such a freak that his physical talents make up for poor route-running skills and game IQ. I don't know if the DB's in this game are capable enough to stop any of these 3.

Prediction Time: Carolina 31, Arizona 21

I think Carolina will have it's way with Arizona unless Delhomme takes too many risks. DeAngelo will get two TDs, Stewart one. Also, one of the Arizona TD's will probably be garbage time at the end when it is too little, too late. For Arizona to steal this one, they need to keep the score low and I think it'll take a final, two minute drill to win it at like 17-14 or something. The line is Caroline -9.5 so I guess I'd be laying the points, but most likely I'd stay away from this one. If anything, I think I'd take the under of 48.5 because I'm usually wrong on those. Then again, if i could tease Arizona and the Under, well now we're in business.

Second Half Predictions

As a Mets fan, the 2007 season was a painful reminder that nothing is certain until all 162 games have been played. One thing is certain however. The first half of the 2008 season was full of surprises. So far we’ve seen the emergence of potential superstars Evan Longoria, Ryan Ludwick, Edinson Volquez, Ervin Santana, and most notably Josh Hamilton. The Tampa Bay Rays are finally a legitimate contender, Chipper Jones has flirted with .400, and Rich Harden and C.C. Sabbathia both found new homes in the national league. With the trade deadline approaching, and tight races in nearly every division, the second half of the season should be exciting. With roughly 100 games in the books, there’s still plenty of baseball left to be played. Here’s how I see it playing out.

Final Standings

National League

East: Mets
No doubt I’m being biased here, but the resurgence of Carlos Delgado, and a potential emerging ace in Mike Pelfrey make it justifiable. Jose Reyes is the key to the rest of the season.

Central: Cubs
Undoubtedly the best team in the national league, the Cubs are loaded with talent and primed to make a World Series run. The acquisition of Rich Harden puts the Cubs over the top, unless his arm falls off.

West: D’Backs
Easily the worst division in baseball, this is still up in the air. The entire division is loaded with young talent, but nobody wants to step up and take it. The D’backs are by far the best team in the division, but the Dodgers are very dangerous. And don't sleep on the Rockies

Wild Card: Phillies
They will be in a tight race with Milwaukee, and the Mets for the East. However, their lineup is dynamite, and once Chase Utley returns to form watch out. If only they had better starting pitching

American League

East: Boston
The defending champs are an offensive juggernaut, and have the best team batting average in all of baseball (.280) . With Big Papi coming back, I see the Red Sox running away with the division.

Central: Minnesota
The Twins have been quite a surprise after parting ways with Johan Santana. Mark my words, Fransisco Liriano will return to the majors soon and dominate once again

West: Angels
This one isn’t even close. Billy Beane is half the reason for that.

Wild Card: Rays
Everyone loves an underdog, and the Rays are the feel good team of the year. But theres more to this story than the Rays being an underdog. They are a solid team, composed of players that really care about winning. Thats a rarity in todays game. The Rays strength is pitching, and their starters need to maintain their current pace, considering that Akinorni Iwamura leads the team with a .277 average.

World Series: Boston over Chicago in 6
It hurts me to write this, because I’d rather make a bolder prediction. But its tough to bet against them

NL MVP

Albert Pujols

Runner up: Jose Reyes, Chase Utley, Hanley Ramirez, Brad Lidge

AL MVP

Josh Hamilton

Runner up: Fransisco Rodriguez, Evan Longoria, Ian Kinsler, Grady Siezmore

NL Cy Young

Tim Lincecum

Runner up: Edinson Volquez, Jake Peavy

AL Cy Young

K-Rod

Runner up: Cliff Lee, Justin Duchsherer, Roy Halladay

Random Thoughts:

-The Marlins will fade
-Chipper Jones battles through injuries and slumps, but still finishes at a respectable .355
-Mark Texiera stays put
-Josh Hamilton ends the season around .320/35/165
-David Price gets the call in September and is lights out
-The trade deadline will pass without any major blockbusters
-What are the A’s doing?
-I'd be perfectly happy if I never heard the words "Bonds" or "Clemens" ever again

Again these are just predictions, and the vast majority of them are based on gut feelings. I can’t wait to look back on these and laugh at myself. All I can really hope is that my prediction in the NL East is correct, otherwise I may have to go into hiding for a while.