Wild Card Weekend: Saturday results

The first day of the post-season is over and two teams got added for the Divisional games. Unfortunately I couldn’t see any of the games, we sure need to get Sky Sports in this house. Both games were close and if the playoffs stay this exciting all the way, we’re going to have some really great games to follow.

The Steelers came close to win a game that seemed lost after three quarters. Trailing 28-10 going into the fourth, the chances for Pittsburgh were slim. But some great plays brought them back in the game, only to have the Jaguars beat them with 37 seconds on the clock.

Looking back, their two 2-point conversion attempts were a mistake. Failing both of them, they missed the two points that cost them the game. But great performances on both sided, Roethlisberger showed once again he’s a great QB.

The final score of the Washington – Seattle game doesn’t do credit to the effort the Redskins made. Being 13-0 behind going into the fourth, Washington came back strong and took the lead early in the final quarter. But the Seahawks fought back and won the game 35-14.

I thought the Redskins had a pretty good shot at reaching far into the playoffs. Their story would have made an excellent addition to NFL history. But unfortunately for them, it wasn’t supposed to happen. But the team looks strong and confident, they will be back next season. No doubt in my mind about that.

For the Jaguars it’s a trip to New England to face the Patriots. The Jags will have to do better next week, otherwise they will get crushed by the Patriots. Mike Holmgren takes his Seahawks to his former team, the Green Bay Packers. Hopefully for him they will do better than the last time, when the Packers won in OT after a Hasselbeck interception.

NFL overtime statistics

I did a very quick scan of the 2007 regular season games that went into overtime. A total of 15 games went into overtime, 7 games were won by the team that won the coin-toss on their first possession. Another 2 games were won by the winners of the coin-toss, but not on the first possession.

With under 50% of the games actually being decided on the first possession, you might conclude that the rules are not that flawed after all. Then again, I need to do some more research and put the numbers together for more seasons.

Also, the Denver Broncos had 4 games going into overtime and won twice. The Washington Redskins and the Cleveland Browns have the best multiple overtime game record, they were both 2-2 in the regular season. Washington’s opponent in the playoffs, the Seattle Seahawks, lost their only overtime game to the Cleveland Browns.

My NFL Wild Card Weekend predictions

The regular season is over, the teams are ranked and it’s time to get ready for the first week of playoff action. The games certainly are interesting, especially after some teams tried to get a favorable position for the Divisional games. Well, here are my predictions for the Wild Card Weekend.

Jacksonville @ Pittsburgh
I like the Steelers, but I don’t like their chances in the playoffs. Their defense is still solid, I expect them to have some troubles on the offensive side of the game. Losing Parker has left the offense unbalanced, which relies basically on the passing game. Roethlisberger has had a great year, but I don’t think it’s good enough.

In my opinion there are only two teams who can stop the Patriots: the Colts and the Jaguars. Their running game is great and they came close to beating the Colts. I think it’s too much for the Steelers to handle, so I pick Jacksonville to win this game.

Washington @ Seattle
Looking purely at the stats won’t give you any indication of the outcome of this game: they’re basically the same. Washington nearly didn’t make it to the playoffs, the division they’re in is strong. Seattle had it pretty easy getting another trip to the playoffs and they play solid football at home.

I think the drive within the Redskins team is big. They have been through a lot this year and will step up. So I’m going for a small upset and pick the Washington Redskins for this game.

Tennessee @ San Diego
This is a tough one to pick. The Chargers have beaten the Titans earlier this year at Tennessee, so that puts them in a more favorable position. On the other hand, the Titans are coming from a solid win at Indianapolis. And we shouldn’t forget the numbers of the Chargers in the playoffs, they haven’t been great in the past years.

That being said, I think the quality of the Chargers roster and the power they bring into the running game will put them ahead of the Titans. My pick goes to the San Diego Chargers.

NY Giants @ Tampa Bay
The Giants played a very good game against the Patriots, with basically nothing on the line other than refusing the Patriots a perfect season. But the Giants, and particularly Eli Manning, have also played very weak games. In a bad week Eli can throw more interceptions than other QB’s have in a season.

I like Tampa Bay, they’re balanced and show that you don’t need big stars to get into the playoffs. Their trip to the playoffs is a true team effort and I like their defense. Offensively not as strong as the Giants, but overall more balanced. Unless the Giants can play two great games in a row, this one definitely will be for the Bucs. I’m sticking with Tampa Bay in this one.