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Who will be the #1 pick in the 2010 NFL Draft?

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Saturday 1/9 NFL Playoff Games

So after 4 weeks of preseason games, 17 weeks of regular season games, a couple of head coaches being fired, and tons of drama, the playoffs have finally rolled around. And frankly, I couldn't be more excited!

With so much tension and what-ifs going into the final week of the season with about half of the AFC still trying to sneak their way into the playoffs and 4 teams battling for a first-round bye in the NFC, the playoff picture is finally set and the playoffs are upon us.

This upcoming Saturday, the first game will pit the New York Jets against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium at 4:30 PM EST. The game will be a rematch of the final week of the season, in which the Jets smashed the Bengals in a 37-0 blowout.

The Bengals, who ended the season with a 10-6 record, are coming off a rough last four games. Their only win during that stretch was against the 4-12 Kansas City Chiefs, in which they took the lead on a Chad Ochocinco touchdown with two minutes remaining in the game. The two of those three loses during that stretch were games in which the Bengals played totally demoralized football and lacked the firepower that is needed to compete in the NFL playoffs. Even with a winning record, the Bengals were almost even in the amount of points given up compared to points scored.

The Jets, who ended the season with a 9-7 record, are coming into the playoffs with a much stronger end to their season, winning 5 of their last 6 games, including ending the Indianapolis Colts' run at going undefeated. Rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez has had an up-and-down season in which he's thrown 20 interceptions, but only 12 touchdowns. His lack of strong play has been aided by the #1 rushing attack in the league, led by Thomas Jones who finished the season third in the league in rushing with 1,402 yards. The Jets also ended with the #1 total defense in the league, which gives them a huge advantage against the Bengals offense, which was ranked a lousy #24 after their season finale.

After last week's shellacking, the Jets are hoping for some deja-vu as the visit the Bengals. Even with home-field advantage on their side this time around, the Bengals will have to produce some huge plays on offense if they hope to stand a chance of advancing to the AFC Divisional Playoffs. Their best hope is putting pressure on Sanchez early and often to keep the playoff pressure on a rookie quarterback who has struggled at times this season.

My pick: New York Jets

The second game on Saturday will be between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles, at Cowboys Stadium at 8 PM EST. Like the Jets-Bengals matchup, this game will be a rematch of the final week of the regular season, which also involved one team shutting out the other team. The Cowboys left Lincoln Memorial Field with a 24-0 victory over the Eagles.

The Cowboys, who ended the season with an 11-5 record, had one of their best December performances in Tomy Romo history, losing only one game to the red-hot San Diego Chargers in their last seven games, including two games in which they shut out their opponent. The #2 offense has become a nag for opposing defenses, as the offensive line consistently gives quarterback Romo plenty of time find receivers like newcomer Miles Austin and star tight end Jason Witten. If Romo and the Cowboys can keep their December success going through the new-year, the Cowboys may just be one of the toughest teams to beat in the NFC.

The Eagles, who ended the season with an 11-5 record, looked good coming into the final week of the season, with a chance at earning themselves a first-round bye. Those chances were spoiled when they took the field against the Cowboys, who kept Donovan McNabb, DeSean Jackson, and the Eagle offense out of the endzone all night. This, however, was not completely due to the talent of the Cowboys, but instead due to the lack of concentration as the Eagles were plagued by dropped passes and inaccurate throws all night long. With a defense that has started seven different players at middle-linebacker, the Eagles are going to need a great defensive showing as well as a little luck to hold off the Cowboys.

This game will come down to whether star players for each team show up to play. DeSean Jackson, who has been a game-breaker all season, contributed little offensively during the Eagles loss last week. They will need him to step up to pull off a win. If Romo can stay consistent, then the Cowboys should have no problem moving on to the next round.

My pick: Dallas Cowboys

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