There is just a month of football left in the season before we have our league’s champion. It’s hard to believe that the AFC and NFC championship games are next week. We have four fantastic matchups this weekend though first, featuring New England’s march at perfection, a first ever battle between two NFC East foes in the postseason and a battle at the fabled frozen tundra of Lambeau Field.
Will the Mannings prevail on Sunday? Can Jacksonville pull off the shocker? There are a ton of questions that need to be answered this weekend as we keep our eyes pealed to the Divisional Playoffs. After correctly predicting all four games last week, The Weekly Forecast will preview all four matchups, give our spin and prognosticate our winners for each contest.
Saturday, Jan. 12 4:30pm ET
#3 Seattle Seahawks @ #2 Green Bay Packers (-8)
Aired on FOX
TV announcers: Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa
Low 20s, partly cloudy and windy
Winner plays victor of N.Y. Giants @ Dallas
In 2004, these two teams faced off the playoffs. After a deadlock 27-27 regulation, QB Matt Hasselbeck was asked if he wanted to receive or kick, and he responded in the official’s microphone with his infamous line, “We want the ball and we’re gonna score.” Well, somebody scored on Seattle’s opening drive in overtime, but it wasn’t the Seahawks. Packers CB Al Harris picked Hasselbeck off and went 52 yards to pay dirt, and Green Bay advanced.
Seattle has a 7-9 record in the postseason – including a miserable 1-6 record on the road. They’ll look to win their first game on the road in the playoffs since 1983. Coach Mike Holmgren will be visiting his old stomping ground, and the place where he had his most successful tenure in the league. With Favre as his young, brash QB, Holmgren took Green Bay to Super Bowls in 1996 and 1997, winning the title in ’96.
In the opening round of the playoffs vs Washington, Hasselbeck was picked up twice by S LaRon Landry, but led the Seahawks back in the fourth quarter as Seattle scored the final 22 points of the contest. D.J. Hackett was their best WR that day, racking up six catches for 101 yards and a score. Deion Branch (calf) sat out the contest and will likely be a game-time decision this week at Lambeau Field. With Bobby Engram and Nate Burleson as well, Seattle definitely has a lot of weapons though.
The weather could be a factor this weekend, and that would definitely benefit the Packers. Shaun Alexander is a shell of his former self, so it would be wise of Holmgren to utilize Maurice Morris more often than Alexander the (former) Great. Ryan Grant is averaging 5.1YPG and has amassed 956 yards despite only starting seven games. He’s a force to be reckoned with in the Packers ground game.
Last season at this time, it was uncertain if Brett Favre would even play in 2007. Now, it seems like he could play forever. He threw for 4155 yards with 28 touchdowns and even garnered an MVP vote (Tom Brady got the other 49). With Donald Driver’s physical play and Greg Jennings’ magnetism towards the end zone, Green Bay has a lethal offense. These two teams know each other well, so you can expect a barnburner likely coming down the final possession.
Prediction – Green Bay 31, Seattle 27
Saturday, Jan. 12 8pm ET
#5 Jacksonville Jaguars @ #1 New England Patriots (-13)
Aired on CBS
TV announcers: Jim Nantz, Phil Simms
mid-30s, partly cloudy and windy
Winner plays victor of San Diego @ Indianapolis
Can the Jags knock off the undefeated Patriots? This is going to be a good one; New England is favored by 13 points, but you can expect a closer game than that. The mighty Pats enter with an unblemished 16-0 record and have won a dozen straight home games (they also have a nine-game win streak at home in the playoffs).
However, they are will have to go toe-to-toe with perhaps the next hottest team in the league this Saturday night. The Jaguars are built to compete against any type of team in any climate. They can win a hard smash-mouth defensive struggle or match points in a shootout. You can expect a heavy dose of Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew in the ground game, while New England counteracts with their devastating pass attack highlighting the enigmatic Randy Moss and the under-the –radar Wes Welker.
MVP Tom Brady has a cool 12-2 record in the postseason, so Jacksonville will obviously have a difficult task ahead of them. If New England does lose, the perfect regular season will totally be for naught. All the records they broke and their 16-game win streak is pointless. That’s not likely to happen though. Expect the Pats to start out fast and hit the scoreboard often. Jacksonville will be right on their heals though.
Prediction – New England 38, Jacksonville 31
Sunday, Jan. 13 1pm ET
#3 San Diego Chargers @ #2 Indianapolis Colts (-8)
Aired on CBS
TV announcers: Greg Gumbel, Dan Dierdorf
Winner plays victor of Jacksonville @ New England
Weather - Dome
Thanks to six Peyton Manning interceptions, the Colts were upended on Nov. 11 vs San Diego. They found themselves down 23-0 early on, but battled back to make it ultimately a 23-21 game before Adam Vinatieri missed the makeable, potential game-winner in the closing minutes. Antonio Cromartie picked up three of those passes en route to his league-leading 10 picks on the year.
San Diego will almost definitely be without All-Pro TE Antonio Gates (toe) for the contest, while the Colts are expected to get the perennial Pro Bowler Marvin Harrison (knee) back after sitting out Indy’s previous 10 contests. With New England, Dallas, Green Bay and even Jacksonville stealing most of the headlines throughout the season, the defending champion Colts have flown under the radar most of the season. I can’t remember a 13-3 defending champ that has gotten such little publicity.
However, if Marvelous Marvin can suit up (and he is expected to), they will finally have a healthy unit with top wideout Reggie Wayne, emerging Anthony Gonzalez, TE Dallas Clark and pounding RB Joseph Addai, this team is built for another title run.
They’ll have to stop perhaps the greatest running back in history though. Last season’s MVP LaDainian Tomlinson won’t be easy to start though. He racked up his seventh straight 1,000-yard campaign amassing a league-best 1516 rushing yards. He also had his seventh consecutive 50-reception and double-digit touchdown campaign. The 28-year-old has 129 TDs in his seven-year career, is on pace to be the NFL’s leading all-time rusher, has an MVP on his resume, but is still searching for that first ring. He and QB Philip Rivers will definitely have a difficult task ahead of them on Sunday if they’re going to make this the year they do that.
Prediction – Indianapolis 31, San Diego 17
Sunday, Jan. 13 4:30pm ET
#5 New York Giants @ #1 Dallas Cowboys (-8)
Aired on FOX
TV announcers: Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver
Winner plays victor of Seattle @ Green Bay
Weather - Dome
Last week, the Giants looked absolutely atrocious against the Bucs in the first quarter. Then, something clicked and they did an absolute 180. After being down 7-0 through a quarter, the G-Men battled back to rattle off 24 straight points and completely take over the game.
There’s no doubting that the Giants go as Eli Manning goes, but with the ground game of Brandon Jacobs and emerging rookie RB Ahmad Bradshaw, New York looked like a complete team last weekend. Eli played under control, not trying to do too much, but still mixing up the offense brilliantly. Jacobs, who ran for 1000 yards despite missing five games, struggled early on but Bradshaw took over with 66 yards rushing – almost all after halftime.
It will mark the third time the two NFC East teams have matched up this season, with the Cowboys winning both by double digits. New York has now won an amazing eight straight road games with their only defeat away from the Meadowlands coming in – you guessed it – Dallas.
Terrell Owens (ankle) is expected to be ready after resting the past three weeks. He compiled nine catches, 212 yards and four TDs against NY this season, so his presence is vital if Dallas wants to become the first team in NFL history to defeat another team three times over the course of a season. Tony Romo has looked human the past few weeks, including the regular season finale lackluster lose to Washington and the rattled performance with new girlfriend Jessica Simpson in the loss vs Philadelphia before that.
These teams know each other well, so you can expect a smash-mouth battle. With the combo of Marion Barber and Julius Jones vs Jacobs and Bradshaw and the aerial attacks of Manning, Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer vs Romo, Owens and Jason Witten, there are a ton of weapons in this one. The two fabled franchises have met 91 times, but this will be the first time in the playoffs.
Prediction – New York 34, Dallas 27