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Wild Card Weekend Preview
Wild Card Weekend Preview
Besides Jamaal Charles, nothing else scares opposing defenses with regard to the Chiefs offense. Like the meeting a couple of weeks ago, the Colts will key on stopping Charles. Kansas Citys offense lacks the threat of a big play downfield because quarterback Alex Smith is hesitant to throw downfield to try and make a big play. The Chiefs are also lacking in the wide receiver department with the exception of Dwayne Bowe. When the running back is also the leading receiver, there are clearly problems with the offense. However, this conservatism in the Chiefs offense has also been beneficial as quarterback Alex Smith makes very few mistakes. He only has nine interceptions on the season. Colts quarterback Andrew Luck has been slightly better this year by throwing only seven interceptions. Luck also has a dangerous receiving threat in T.Y. Hilton to throw to for the big play downfield. As we saw in the two games against Denver, Kansas City had difficulties covering speedy receivers. Hilton falls into that category. The Colts also have the edge playing at home at Lucas Oil Stadium, where teams playing in their home dome on Wild Card weekend enjoy a 7-2 edge over the last seven years. The Colts are also the fourth seed in the AFC. Four has been a lucky number in the NFL playoffs as of late. The last two Super Bowl winners started the NFL playoffs as fourth seeds, the Giants two years ago and the Ravens last year.
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Eagles closed the season by hammering the Bears 54-11 and followed it up by clinching the NFC East by beating hated division rival Dallas 24-22. The Eagles also have the benefit of hosting Saturday nights tilt at Lincoln Financial Field where the temperature is expected to drop below 30 degrees. Surprisingly, the usually superb Drew Brees is 0-3 in such cold weather games with a subpar completion percentage of 56% to go with only five touchdowns and five interceptions. Quarterback Nick Foles has emerged this year for Philadelphia and may have a hotter hand than his counterpart Drew Brees. Foles tied an NFL record set by Peyton Manning earlier this year by throwing seven touchdowns in a game when the Eagles pummeled the Oakland Raiders 49-20 in week 9. If Foles isnt dangerous enough, the Eagles boast the NFLs leading rusher in LeSean Shady McCoy, who can singlehandedly change the outcome of a game. Philly was tops in rushing this year with an average of 5.1 yards per attempt while the Saints were 19th in stopping the run and allowed an average of 4.6 yeards per carry. Look for a large dose of Shady on the ground tonight. However, not everything favors the Eagles in this game. The Eagles defense let up a ton of yards this year and led the league in most pass yards allowed with 4,636. Last week, Cowboys backup quarterback Kyle Orton shredded them for 358 yards. Everybody knows that Saints quarterback Drew Brees is as skilled as a surgeon in dissecting defenses through the air. Brees once again threw for over 5,000 yards for the fourth time in his career, completing 68.6% of his passes with 39 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions. He has a plethora of weapons to throw to, including reliable wide receiver Marques Colston, monstrous tight end Jimmy Graham, and elusive running back Darren Sproles. Add to that all the talk about Saints road woes, and Brees and company will surely be motivated to quiet the critics. Even though Phillys pass defense is suspect from a yardage standpoint, they are adept at intercepting the ball. Last week, a Philly interception put the nail in the coffin for the opposing Cowboys. Phillys running game against a weak Saints run defense and the New Orleans aerial attack against the Eagles porous pass defense should pose some interesting matchups. This contest has the makings of a high scoring affair. However, the cold weather should create difficulties in both offenses moving the ball.
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