Few things throughout the year get my engines roaring like the NFL playoffs. I love me some football. But I really freaking love me some playoff football. It just seems to me that the level of play grows exponentially the farther into the playoffs a team goes which makes for some exciting action, great plays and in half of the games, significant heartbreak. It is why they play the game. To see who the last team standing is.
This weekend starts the 2008 NFL season playoffs. There are some surprise teams in the hunt this year, and some surprise teams absent from this post-season. I will not spend any time on the teams that did not make the playoffs. No, in fact I will have a hard enough time putting together my picks for just this weekend. But I am going to take a shot at it anyway.
Game 1 – NFC Wildcard: Atlanta Falcons at Arizona Cardinals
To be painfully honest, I don’t know much about either team except that Kurt Warner is my favorite player and that Arizona has been on a downward spiral for the last few weeks. While this game is a home game for Arizona, I think that given the way Atlanta has been playing, they will walk away from this game with a solid victory. I mean solid, as it the Cardinals are going to stink it up the way they have for the last three weeks. Fans in Arizona will be disappointed, but really, they will have expected it. Falcons for the win.
Game 2 – AFC Wildcard: Indianapolis Colts at San Diego Chargers
Indianapolis comes to San Diego riding a nine game winning streak and featuring the league MVP in Peyton Manning. San Diego hosts this game as the winner of the AFC west, a division they did not win until the last game of the year. San Diego had to win its last four games of the season in order to take the division away from Denver, including a game against Denver in week 17 to seal it up. They are riding a wave of confidence this weekend, and have been known to upset a team or two (can we say Indianapolis?) in the past. Look for a high scoring affair with the Colts squeaking one out by just a few points.
I know, I would probably never make it as an NFL analyst. But this stuff sure is fun. 