Sunday 1/10 NFL Playoff Games

The first of two games this Sunday will be between the Baltimore Ravens and the New England Patriots at Gilette Stadium at 1 PM EST. They met early on in the season on October 4th in a game in which the Patriots outlasted the Ravens 27-21.

The Patriots, who ended the season with a 10-6 record, have had a tough time down the stretch this season. They were 3-3 in their last 6 games, with two of those three wins coming against two teams that aren't even in the playoffs. With defensive tackle Vince Wilfork questionable for the game and star wide receiver Wes Welker out for the rest of the season, Tom Brady, the comback player of the year, and his Patriots will have to find new ways to slow down and score against the Ravens who are ecstatic just to be here. With the media and fans bearing down on Coach Bill Belichick this season after numerous questionable calls and bad decisions, the Patriots need a win to keep their strong following and position as one of the top teams in the league. Their #3 offense will be hoping to find a spark against a historically relentless Ravens defense.

The Ravens, who ended the season with a 9-7 record, fought hard in their last regular season game against the Oakland Raiders to earn themselves this spot in the playoffs. Their offense is led by second-year quarterback Joe Flacco and Pro-Bowl running back Ray Rice, who has had a breakout season for the Ravens this year. Flacco has gone through a bit of a sophomore slump, but has still had a decent year. Rice has been the key to success for the Ravens, along with fellow running back Willis McGahee, who helped the Ravens become 5th in the league in rushing. And although they are facing the 3rd ranked offense in the league, middle linebacker Ray Lewis and Co. have battled their way to becoming the 3rd ranked defense in the league, which could be the critical against an injury plagued Patriots offense.

This game will come down to whether the Patriots can stop Rice and McGahee, and keep Flacco from connecting with Rice and veteran wide receiver Derrick Mason and making big plays down the field. The Patriots don't stand a chance if they can't find a successful gameplan that doesn't involve Welker.

My pick: New England Patriots

The other Sunday game will see the Packers playing against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium at 4:40 PM EST. This will be yet another rematch from the final week of the season, in which the Packers meticulously disassembled the Cardinals, 33-7.

The Cardinals, who ended the season with a 10-6 record, are hoping to find their way back to the Super Bowl after a disappointing lose in the Big Game last year. Their offense has been one-dimensional all season, lacking a solid running game, with their leading running back only amassing 793 yards on the year. The passing game, however, has been the way that they have kept themselves in games this year. Quarterback Kurt Warner continues to prove that 40-year olds can still be professional quarterbacks and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald has helped him along the way. The defense has been inconsistent and most of their wins have come from being in possibly the weakest division in the NFL. They have the best chance of blowing it in the first week of the playoffs.

The Packers, who ended the season with a 11-5 record, have become one of the hottest teams going into the playoffs, winning seven of their last eight games. Aaron Rodgers has really broken out as a franchise quarterback for the Packers, finishing 4th in the league in passing yards. The offensive line struggled to protect him at the beginning of the season, but have since given him time to make outstanding passes to wide receivers Donald Driver and Greg Jennings. And with the help of running back Ryan Grant, the offense has been unstoppable. Their #2 defense is led by former Heisman Trophy winning cornerback Charles Woodson as well as an outstanding group of linebackers. And with the #1 rushing defense, they can put their focus on shutting down Warner and Fitzgerald.

Unless the Packers have a mental lapse, their outstanding offense and dominating defense should be able to overwhelm a Cardinals team that has stuggled to count on anything other than their passing game to notch wins this season. The only chance the Cardinals seem to have is hoping the Packers are overwhelmed by the temperature change between Arizona and Green Bay, but then again, the Cards home field is a dome. There goes that idea...

My pick: Green Bay Packers