Everything You Need To Get Ready For the the NFL's Divisional Round

Baltimore (+3) @ Tennessee

The Titans earned the right to home field throughout the playoffs, but they're probably the least dangerous top seeded team in recent years. Granted, that was because it was usually the Patriots on top of the AFC, and last year they entered the playoffs 16-0. But this Titans team can't possibly scare the Ravens, who come to town Saturday night.

The Titans have an excellent running game, featuring rookie Chris Johnson and the stout and mighty LenDale White. But Kerry Collins is a very ordinary quarterback, and their most productive receiver was Mizzou's own Justin Gage, who had just 651 yards. The Titans running game is good, but it can be stopped. The miserable Chicago Bears defense held this vaunted running game to 20 yards in week 10, and could easily be stopped by an excellent Ravens defense.

The Ravens defense last week single-handedly won the game against the Dolphins last week, by creating 5 Miami turnovers in a 27-9 convincing win. Joe Flacco went just 9-23 passing for 135 yards, but Chad Pennington threw 4 picks, including one that came back 64 yards for an Ed Reed touchdown. They're the sexy pick right now to upset Tennessee after the way they played last week, but keep in mind Jeff Fisher is an excellent coach who will have his team ready. Still, I like the Ravens, considering that defense wins championships (cliche but true), and while the Titans D is good, the Ravens' D is better, and hotter.

Scott's Pick: Baltimore Jordan's Pick: Baltimore

Arizona (+10) @ Carolina

Somehow, the Cardinals showed up last week and actually played a good game. Arizona stumbled into the playoffs playing pitifully, having lost four of six. But against Matt Ryan's Falcons, 'Zona played great defense, intercepting the rookie QB twice and even recording a safety. Arizona's offense played great, as Kurt Warner threw for 271 yards and 2 touchdowns, and he looked like the man many were considering an MVP candidate earlier in the season.

But it's no secret the Cardinals don't win on the road. The Cardinals were just 3-5 away from sunny Glendale and Carolina did not lose at home. That's right. The Panthers went 8-0 in Charlotte this season. So by any measuring stick, this is not an easy game for the Cardinals to come in and win, especially when you consider Arizona's last road win came at lowly Seattle November 16th.

Carolina only lost 4 games this season, and already beat the Cardinals at home, 27-23. The Panthers have won four of their last five games too, the only loss coming at the Giants, who hold the #1 seed in the NFC. Carolina has a good running game, and good receivers. They have a good defense, and solid special teams. They are a definite force in this year's playoffs and will win this game. With the line being 10 however, it's hard to pick a playoff game to have that wide a margin. That's why I'll pick Arizona to cover, even if they barely cover it.

Scott's Pick: Carolina Jordan's Pick: Arizona

(Then again though, go with Scott. Remember, I'm 0-4 in this year's playoffs.)

The Monday Morning Longsnapper

Worst Player on a Good Team Edition

It's easy to pick on him, but I can't help it:  Tavaris Jackson plain stinks.  He just isn't a good quarterback, and you don't need to be a film coach to see it.  He has awful technique (he drops his arm when he throws, rarely squares up, and often stares down the same receivers), and he's wildly inaccurate.

His only saving graces (only!) are that he can occasionally throw a deep ball, and he can run a bit.  But, he only can do the former so often, and seems unwilling to do the latter enough.  

Yesterday's Wild Card game between TJ's Vikings and the Eagles was difficult to watch at points, if only because you sort of got the feeling that Jackson wasn't ever going to be able to do much.  It was as if he'd lost a bet, and someone told him, for the next few years, you have to go out and embarrass yourself in front of millions of people a year, because we all know you can't play in the NFL.  Even if it's amazingly apparent that you can't play, you can't quit, no matter what.

Now, hear me out (or, in this case, read me out), I'm not solely going off this one game.  I've seen him play before, and, frankly, I couldn't figure out why he was playing those other times.  The pass he threw to Asante Samuels (I have trouble calling it an interception because I'm of the belief that it was intended more for Samuels than Sidney Rice) was just pathetic.  Don't even start with this nonsense that he was hit as he threw, it was just one of his many awful, off-target throws.  That one though, just happened to swing the momentum of the game in the favor of the opponents.

Yesterday, Jackson connected with his receivers at a clip of under 43%.  Come on, already.  Do this kid a favor, find someone else to play quarterback.

• From that same game, the one guy that will likely never get the credit he deserves is Kevin Curtis, for two reasons.  First, he's a wideout on a team that hasn't had a popular one since you-know-who.  Second, he's a white wideout, which makes him quite the rarity, to where he'd need to be as good as, say, Wes Welker, to get a national bit of clout.  Which, he isn't, at least not in the Eagles system.  Point is, Curtis is a solid wideout that most people likely don't pay attention to.  Also, he can do little things, like block downfield.  Just check that Brian Westbrook screen pass run again.  Yes, that is Mr. Curtis flattening a Viking DB downfield (white guy, number 80) to spring Westbrook.
• Ed Reed may not be the best safety ever, but he has to be one of the best ball-hawk safeties ever.  He's a better receiver than about half of the clowns actually playing that position in the league.
• Chad Pennington was simply over matched yesterday.  Chad's a calculated quarterback, one that's made his living in the league with short passes, quick routes, and nearly impossible-to-miss targets.  Occasionally, he'll go more than 15 yards down the field, but, his strong suit is within the first down markers, and letting his wideouts do the rest.  Yesterday, down by a bunch early, he couldn't do that.  The Ravens, a-la what the Eagles would later do to Tavaris Jackson, wouldn't stop picking on Pennington.  Blitzing, applying constant pressure, and making Pennington throw the ball where he didn't (and couldn't) want to.  It was especially rough, when you consider that the entire season, Pennington had only thrown 7 INTs.
• I had it predicted right, at least partially.  I said the Chargers would have success on the ground, I was just wrong about who it was that would have that success.  Backup Darren Sproles, who nearly set a record for most all-purpose yards, just tore it up after LT couldn't go with a groin injury.  Sproles isn't your prototypical back, listed at only 5'6", 181.  But, he can motor, and he's quick on a dime.  Not sure what his future is, but, this is only the beginning of the death knoll for Tomlinson.  His days as a top notch back are over.  He'll have a few good games sprinkled in, here and there, but, elite is now a past tense word for him.