Saturday 1/16 Divisional Playoff Games

As the playoffs head into their second week, there are a lot of question marks about what will happen in this week's games. With both of the lower seeds winning in the AFC, while both higher seeds took the victory in the NFC, seeding seems to be a small factor in deciding who will win this weekend's bouts.

The first game on Saturday will be between the New Orleans Saints and the Arizona Cardinals at the Louisiana Superdome, at 4:15 EST. These two teams did not meet during the 2009 regular season.

The Saints, who ended the season with a 13-3 record, have come under heavy scrutiny after starting the season 13-0 yet losing the last 3 games. Almost losing their chance at securing home-field advantage, the Saints sputtered into the playoffs. Led by Pro-Bowl quarterback Drew Brees, the Saints ended the season with the most points scored, leading them to have the #1 ranked offense in the league. Also aiding their offense is a bevy of talented runningbacks including Pierre Thomas, Mike Bell, Reggie Bush, as well as Deuce McAllister, who was just acquired after being released from the Saints last February. As for the defense, which is led by Pro-Bowl safety Darren Sharper and underappreciated linebacker Jonathan Vilma, they are faced with the tremendous task of slowing down a Cardinal offense that put up 531 yards against an outstanding Packer defense last week. And with the abscence of defensive end Charles Grant, the Saints D will have an even larger problem with putting pressure on Card's quarterback Kurt Warner, who is unstoppable when he is allowed time to throw in the pocket. The Saints offense has the firepower to overcome the Arizona defense, but whether they move onto the conference finals will come down to whether the defense can step up can step up and shut down Warner and the Cardinal offense.

The Cardinals, who ended the season with a 11-5 record, surprised the major of the football nation last week by coming away with an exciting overtime victory over the favored Green Bay Packers. Warner and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald have led this team all season long, helping them garner the NFC West and a spot in the playoffs. Warner had an outstanding game last week against the Packers in which he only missed 4 of 33 passes, throwing for 379 yards and 5 touchdowns. Receivers Fitzgerald, Steve Breaston, and Early Doucet all had at least 6 receptions and a touchdown, which helped lead the Cards to a 51-45 victory. Rookie runningback Beanie Wells also had a solid game, running for 91 yards and keeping the pass rush at bay. The defense, however, were X-factor in the victory, as they forced 3 turnovers, including two in the first two Packer offensive possessions. They forced 5 sacks against Packer quarterback Aaron Rodgers, which will be a huge factor in stopping Brees and the Saints offense. If defensive end Darnell Dockett and the rest of the line can keep pressure on the Saints and they can force turnovers, the Saints will be in for a battle.

This game will come down to whether the 13-0 Saints or the 0-3 Saints show up. Either way, this should be a close game that will come down to the fourth quarter to decide the winner. The offensive talent and secondary talent of the Saints should give them the edge over the Cardinals.

My pick: New Orleans Saints

The second game on Saturday will see the Baltimore Ravens playing the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium, at 8:15 EST. The two teams met in Baltimore earlier on in the season, in a game which the Colts outlasted the Ravens by way of a red zone interception within the last few minutes of the game.

The Ravens, who ended the season with a 9-7 record, come into this game pumped up and ready to run all over the Colts after a 33-14 trouncing of the New England Patriots. Ravens running back Ray Rice, who has really come on as one of the premier running backs in the league in his second season, has been the spark plug for the Ravens offense. With the help of fellow running back Willis McGahee, the Ravens pilled up 234 rushing yards. However, quarterback Joe Flacco had a subpar performance, including only 4 completions out of 10 passes and an interception. The defense did an outstanding job of keeping NFL Comeback Player of the Year Tom Brady contained, holding him and the offense under 200 total yards. Ray Lewis and the pass rush did a sensational job of keeping the pressure on and forcing mistakes, including 3 interceptions and a fumble recovery. Forcing turnovers will be a key to success against the dominate Colts offense. The game will come down to whether they can keep pressure on Peyton Manning, who has the potential to tear the defense apart. The Ravens team as a whole did an outstanding job of dashing the hopes of a tough team that has played its best football during the playoffs in the past. With an outstanding defense and a scary running game, the Ravens will be a handful for the Colts come Saturday.

The Colts, who ended the season with a 14-2 record, are coming into the game as a team that has nothing to gain and everything to lose. They blew their chance at history when they decided to pull their starters and ruin their chances of ending the season undefeated. They ended the season on a 30-7 stomping by the Buffalo Bills. Their quarterback, NFL MVP Peyton Manning, is a handfull for any defense, but with a young, emotional group of receivers and an average running game, the offense is going to have a tough time against a tough, hard-hitting Ravens defense. If running back Joseph Addai can get into a rhythm and Manning can connect consistently with receiver Reggie Wayne, the Colts should have no problem putting points on the board. The Colts' main issue will be on the defensive side of the ball. They have had plenty of games during the season in which they won by the skin of their teeth, mostly by the talent of the offense. The defense has struggled all year to stop the run, ending the season as the #24 rush defense. If they are unable to slow up Rice and McGahee, it could be a long day for the Colts. The defense will need to get pressure on Flacco and keep them from throwing the ball with the help of defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, which will allow the defense to focus on stopping the Ravens running game.

With two high power offenses, the Colts and their passing game and the Ravens and their running game, the game will come down to which defense can handle the other team's offense. The Ravens have played well against the passing game, while the Colts have struggled against the run this year. With this in mind, the Ravens should be able to pull off a huge upset against the team with the best record in the league.

My pick: Baltimore Ravens