And the journey begins. The quest for the Lombardi Trophy officially gets under way today at 4:35pm EST when the Arizona Cardinals travel to Bank of America Stadium to take on the Carolina Panthers. There is a lot to love about this year’s National Football League playoffs, however, what I find most appealing are the participants in this year’s field.
You’ve got vast storylines surrounding the defending Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks while “Americas Team”, the Dallas Cowboys, look to avoid ghosts of playoff past while advancing deep into the playoffs. Out, are popular pre-season Super Bowl picks like the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles. In, are the Detroit Lions and the Cincinnati Bengals who must figure out a way to win in Indianapolis against Andrew Luck and the Colts. The Bengals are making their fourth straight wildcard appearance while looking for their first win. Bengals quarterback, Andy Dalton and Head Coach, Marvin Lewis futures may very well be in jeopardy if the Bengals fail to record a victory.
NFL Wildcard Weekend 2015 Predictions
Arizona Cardinals 10
Carolina Panthers 20.
After no team appeared to want to claim the NFC South title, the Carolina Panthers ended up the champions of this futile division. The Panthers were able to overcome adversity to the team as well as to their field general, Cam Newton, to finish the 2015 with a huge win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers which won them the NFC South regular season banner.
The Arizona Cardinals had their share of adversity in 2015 as well. Starting quarterback Carson Palmer was playing Pro Bowl caliber football before tearing a ligament in his knee against the St. Louis Rams in a week 10 contest. Once Palmer went down, the Cardinals went on to finish the season with three wins and four losses finishing behind the Seahawks in the NFC West.
I like the Panthers at home in this one. The Carolina defense will find a way to confuse quarterback Ryan Lindley while I expect Newton to be sharp at home. Newton will move the Panther offense by any means necessary causing fits for an otherwise solid Arizona Cardinal defense.
Baltimore Ravens 10
Pittsburgh Steelers 20.
This a tough one. Even though this rivalry lacks some of the defensive intensity that I have become accustomed to, it promises to still be a bloody backyard battle.
Ravens wide receiver, Steve Smith brings a certain type of production, attitude and toughness that the Baltimore Ravens offense has lacked since Anquan Bolden left for the Bay area. Ravens quarterback, Joe Flacco, has been solid throughout the season however has seemed to disappear at times during games. If the Ravens hope to move on, the defense must stand up and slow down a very well-oiled machine which is the Steeler offense.
I’m giving the edge to the Steelers as Big Ben Roethlisberger has consistently been playing championship football throughout the 2014 season. Teaming with fleet footed wide receiver Antonio Brown, the Steelers present a lethal and complicated passing attack presenting problems for the most veteran of defensive backfields. With Roethlisberger’s ability to improvise, the Raven defense will have to limit the penalties that extend drives and take advantage of all turnover opportunities. Giving Big Ben multiple second chance opportunities will surely spell doom for the 2014 Baltimore Raven season.
Cincinnati Bengals 24
Indianapolis Colts 38.
As previously stated in this column, the Cincinnati Bengals need a playoff win worse than the NY Jets need a quarterback, if you can imagine that. Unfortunately for the Bengals, they not only are taking on one of the most proficient quarterbacks in the game in Andrew Luck, the Bengals must earn this win on the road.
It is not all bad for the Bengals however. Head Coach Marvin Lewis is a defensive genius and has the personnel in place to give Luck and that explosive Colts offense fits. The X-factor in this one is Bengal super-duper star receiver AJ Green who will more than likely not pass the concussion protocol and be ruled out of the game. If this is in fact the case, expect the Bengal offense to struggle moving the football.
Byrds-Eye ‘Genius’ or ‘Jackass’ Pick of the Week
Detroit Lions 27
Dallas Cowboys 23.
I understand the Cowboys are playing on a different level. I get the fact that the relentless offensive fire power is enough to make the “Greatest Show on Turf” jealous but that Dallas defense scares me. I am actually a believer of Tony Romo and place him in the top 10% of NFL quarterbacks BUT think the Lions are coming in to get some R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Expect a bit of a let-down in Jerry World. After a prolific regular season, look for the Cowboys to get impatient, veering away from the formula for success, failing to appropriately feed DeMarco Murray the pigskin. The Lion defense will step up and show there is only one true “Big 3” in “Big
D.”