NFC WILD CARD WATCH
By Andrea de Vera
OnlineTickets.com
During the NFC Wild Card round, the Seahawks, Buccaneers, Giants, and Redskins are all out to prove that they can step up, move on, and compete with the NFC’s elite Cowboys and Packers.
#6 Washington Redskins (9-7) @ #3 Seattle Seahawks (10-6) Sat., Jan. 5 @ 4:30 p.m.
Lookin’ Good: Raising their game in honor of fallen teammate Sean Taylor, the Redskins are one of the feel-good stories heading into the postseason. Look for 13-year-veteran backup QB Todd Campbell and resurgent RB Clinton Portis to continue making big plays for the ‘Skins.
Seen Better Days: Even though the Seahawks’ 44-41 loss to the lowly Atlanta Falcons didn’t really matter, it wouldn’t hurt going into the playoffs with some winning momentum, especially against the red-hot Redskins. However, the Seahawks rusty ground game has recently shown signs of life, taking some pressure off of QB Matt Hasselbeck.
Edge: Close one, but we’ll take the Redskins. Since the Nov. 27 tragedy, the surging Redskins have reeled off four straight Ws and grabbed the NFC’s #6 spot in the final week, while the sputtering Seahawks have lost two of their last three games.
#5 New York Giants (10-6) @ #4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7) Sun., Jan. 6 @ 1 p.m.
Lookin’ Good: The New England Patriots went undefeated this season, but just barely escaped the Giants in the final week. QB Eli Manning and the Giants are coming off one of their best performances of season – despite a 38-35 final score – which gives the boys in blue a much-needed boost of confidence going into the playoffs.
Seen Better Days: With two weeks left in the regular season and the NFC South title already locked up, Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden decided to rest his starters. However, the Bucs haven’t locked up any winning momentum either – losing three of their last four games.
Edge: Bucs. On the flip side, Tampa Bay’s starters have had two weeks of rest, so we’ll give ‘em the edge over the Giants, who lost three starters in Week 17. With one of the top-ranked defenses in the NFL, expect the Bucs’ Big D to give young, turnover-prone Eli some big fits.
NFC Divisional Playoffs: After NFC-Wild-Card winners are determined, #1 Dallas Cowboys will host the lowest remaining NFC seed, while #2 Green Bay Packers will host the highest remaining NFC seed.
#3 Seahawks, #4 Buccaneers, or #5 Giants @ #2 Packers (Sat., Jan. 12)
#4 Buccaneers, #5 Giants, or #6 Redskins @ #1 Cowboys (Sun., Jan. 13)
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