NFL Playoffs: Are Ravens the new chic pick?
NFL Playoffs: Are Ravens the new chic pick?
Two of the last three Super Bowl Champions, Pittsburgh at the XL event and the New York Giants last season, have risen from the ranks of wild card qualifiers to claim the title. Could the same be in store for the Baltimore Ravens are are drawing a lot of attention as they prepare to face the Titans in Tennessee on Saturday? Carolina hosts the Arizona Cardinals in Saturday's second playoff tilt.
If you’ve just come back to work refreshed after taking a holiday week off, you know how much of an advantage the home teams have in the NFL’s Divisional Round. But the league keeps producing stronger and stronger Wild Card teams - two of the last three Super Bowl champions were Wild Cards.
Saturday’s playoff action kicks off with a club that could definitely make it three out of four.
Baltimore at Tennessee (-3, 34½)
Saturday, Jan 10, 4:30 p.m. (ET) CBS
It’s been well established that these are doppelganger teams. Now let’s take a look at their differences. The Titans have a veteran arm in QB Kerry Collins, who turned 37 last week and has six playoff games under his belt, going 3-3 SU and 4-2 ATS with 12 TD throws and 10 INTs. The Ravens respond with rookie Joe Flacco (about to turn 24), whose playoff maiden was last week’s 27-9 victory at Miami (+3½).
Both men are asked to manage the game, but we’ve seen Collins be “creative” at times this season with his arm, as well as in his previous incarnations with the Panthers and Giants. That creativity led the Titans to their come-from-behind 13-10 win at Baltimore (+1) in Week 5. Flacco, on the other hand, has never thrown for 300 yards in a game or more than two TDs. If the Ravens find themselves needing to mount a winning drive in the last two minutes, Flacco and the No. 19-ranked Baltimore passing offense will be in a jam.
Neither team will win awards for their special teams, but the Titans have an edge in the kicking department with Rod Bironas, who was 29-for-33 on field-goal attempts this year and 16-for-20 from the 40 and beyond. Baltimore’s Matt Stover was a highly competent 27-for-33, but just 5-for-10 from 40 or longer. The Ravens, however, have a huge punting advantage with Sam Koch, who dropped 40.5 percent of his punts inside the 20 compared to Titans P Craig Hentrich at 31 percent. The Baltimore return coverage is stellar, as well. Each team punted four times in Week 5 and should expect plenty more work on Saturday in this war of attrition.
Arizona at Carolina (-10, 48½)
Saturday, Jan 10, 8:15 p.m. (ET) FOX
There are a few similarities between these two clubs: high-scoring offenses, dubious run defenses, a pair of Pro Bowl place-kickers, and a 6-1 record for the over in the past seven games. But that’s about where the similarities end. The Cardinals are much stronger through the air with Kurt Warner looking like his old St. Louis self (30 TDs, 14 INTs, 96.9 passer rating). They’re also lousy at pass defense, but Carolina’s strong suit happens to be on the ground with DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart combining for 2,351 yards rushing and 28 TDs.
This is the first trip to the playoffs for Arizona in a decade, while Carolina is in the Super Bowl hunt for the third time in six years. But playoff jitters aren’t likely to be a problem for a Cards team led by veterans like Warner and RB Edgerrin James. Neither is Carolina’s 4-3 defense; the ‘Cats are ninth in the league with 37 sacks, but Arizona is seventh in pass protection with a 4.3 percent sack rate on 28 sacks allowed. Credit to Cards coach Ken Whisenhunt for bringing O-line coach Russ Grimm with him from Pittsburgh.
The betting odds seem heavily inflated in this matchup with the Panthers laying a full 10 points at most books - shop around and you can get Carolina at -9½. The ‘Cats will need to squeeze every advantage to cover on Saturday. Their biggest advantage is on special teams, particularly on kick-offs. Carolina uses England native Rhys Lloyd as a specialist for this task; his 30 touchbacks are six more than anyone else has recorded in a season since the league switched to the K-ball for kick-offs in 1999. Lloyd’s big leg takes away the threat Arizona’s J.J. Arrington (25.6 yard average, one TD) poses as a returner. If Carolina gets paid against the Cardinals, Lloyd deserves an extra share.
Two of the last three Super Bowl Champions, Pittsburgh at the XL event and the New York Giants last season, have risen from the ranks of wild card qualifiers to claim the title. Could the same be in store for the Baltimore Ravens are are drawing a lot of attention as they prepare to face the Titans in Tennessee on Saturday? Carolina hosts the Arizona Cardinals in Saturday's second playoff tilt.
If you’ve just come back to work refreshed after taking a holiday week off, you know how much of an advantage the home teams have in the NFL’s Divisional Round. But the league keeps producing stronger and stronger Wild Card teams - two of the last three Super Bowl champions were Wild Cards.
Saturday’s playoff action kicks off with a club that could definitely make it three out of four.
Baltimore at Tennessee (-3, 34½)
Saturday, Jan 10, 4:30 p.m. (ET) CBS
It’s been well established that these are doppelganger teams. Now let’s take a look at their differences. The Titans have a veteran arm in QB Kerry Collins, who turned 37 last week and has six playoff games under his belt, going 3-3 SU and 4-2 ATS with 12 TD throws and 10 INTs. The Ravens respond with rookie Joe Flacco (about to turn 24), whose playoff maiden was last week’s 27-9 victory at Miami (+3½).
Both men are asked to manage the game, but we’ve seen Collins be “creative” at times this season with his arm, as well as in his previous incarnations with the Panthers and Giants. That creativity led the Titans to their come-from-behind 13-10 win at Baltimore (+1) in Week 5. Flacco, on the other hand, has never thrown for 300 yards in a game or more than two TDs. If the Ravens find themselves needing to mount a winning drive in the last two minutes, Flacco and the No. 19-ranked Baltimore passing offense will be in a jam.
Neither team will win awards for their special teams, but the Titans have an edge in the kicking department with Rod Bironas, who was 29-for-33 on field-goal attempts this year and 16-for-20 from the 40 and beyond. Baltimore’s Matt Stover was a highly competent 27-for-33, but just 5-for-10 from 40 or longer. The Ravens, however, have a huge punting advantage with Sam Koch, who dropped 40.5 percent of his punts inside the 20 compared to Titans P Craig Hentrich at 31 percent. The Baltimore return coverage is stellar, as well. Each team punted four times in Week 5 and should expect plenty more work on Saturday in this war of attrition.
Arizona at Carolina (-10, 48½)
Saturday, Jan 10, 8:15 p.m. (ET) FOX
There are a few similarities between these two clubs: high-scoring offenses, dubious run defenses, a pair of Pro Bowl place-kickers, and a 6-1 record for the over in the past seven games. But that’s about where the similarities end. The Cardinals are much stronger through the air with Kurt Warner looking like his old St. Louis self (30 TDs, 14 INTs, 96.9 passer rating). They’re also lousy at pass defense, but Carolina’s strong suit happens to be on the ground with DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart combining for 2,351 yards rushing and 28 TDs.
This is the first trip to the playoffs for Arizona in a decade, while Carolina is in the Super Bowl hunt for the third time in six years. But playoff jitters aren’t likely to be a problem for a Cards team led by veterans like Warner and RB Edgerrin James. Neither is Carolina’s 4-3 defense; the ‘Cats are ninth in the league with 37 sacks, but Arizona is seventh in pass protection with a 4.3 percent sack rate on 28 sacks allowed. Credit to Cards coach Ken Whisenhunt for bringing O-line coach Russ Grimm with him from Pittsburgh.
The betting odds seem heavily inflated in this matchup with the Panthers laying a full 10 points at most books - shop around and you can get Carolina at -9½. The ‘Cats will need to squeeze every advantage to cover on Saturday. Their biggest advantage is on special teams, particularly on kick-offs. Carolina uses England native Rhys Lloyd as a specialist for this task; his 30 touchbacks are six more than anyone else has recorded in a season since the league switched to the K-ball for kick-offs in 1999. Lloyd’s big leg takes away the threat Arizona’s J.J. Arrington (25.6 yard average, one TD) poses as a returner. If Carolina gets paid against the Cardinals, Lloyd deserves an extra share.