It’s Fair Game This Weekend …………………… Triumph Or Go Home !

It’s Fair Game This Weekend …………….. Triumph Or Go Home !

The wildcard rounds of the playoffs begin this weekend and with a number of games set to get the fans salivating at their outcome . No game might be more intriguing than the NFC match-up that pits the Philadelphia Eagles against the Green Bay Packers . To my mind these are two evenly matched teams that are well coached by Andy Reid and Mike McCarthy respectively. Furthermore even with the advent of the play of Michael Vick I for one don’t believe this is by any means a foregone conclusion ! There’s enough here to suggest even with their records and play late in the season this game could go either way just like the flip of a coin.

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As good as Michael Vick has been playing, his counterpart Aaron Rodgers in spite of his injuries appears to be as tough as they come and willing to do battle in order for the Packers to win. And not only that it’d appear that the Lambeau faithful have taken Rodgers to their heart while onetime hero Brett Favre now remains a distant memory. He may well be still beloved in certain parts of Green Bay but I’m not so sure that holds through for the entire state of Wisconsin much less the rest of the country. This Packers’ team has shown a great deal of resiliency in spite of repeated adversity and when many may well have felt all was lost , they’ve risen to the challenge and this may well be one of the reasons why they could upset the apple cart as far as this match-up is concerned .

Defensively at times both teams have struggled but the Packers might well have the edge in that department . Where the advantage lies is in the fact that McCarthy’s coaching staff will have to deal with the mercurial and enigmatic play of Michael Vick . And as we know given his play this season a game can be turned at the drop of a hat. And I’ve no doubt that both defenses will be rigorously tested by the respective offenses at game time. This may well also become a game of attrition if neither side can find an opening but if it isn’t, then look for it to be something of a one sided affair with the winner showing the tenacity needed to seek out a win.

While many of us will have no doubt question the merits of a 7-9 team making the playoffs the Seattle Seahaws as winners of the NFC West are now there by right. And given what we’ve come to expect from that division within recent years I’m not entirely surprised. Sadly this is now what the league and to an essence the competitiveness of that division has now become where mediocrity is immediately rewarded rather than substance. How else can you explain when teams such as the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished the season with better records but failed to make the playoffs ?

The Seahawks will have the privilege of hosting Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints this weekend and it remains to be seen whether or not the reigning Superbowl champions have overcome their recent slump of late. Both teams come into the postseason with a great deal to prove …….. the Saints in proving that they’re worthy champions and looking to make a successful defense of their title . Whereas Pete Carrolls’ — team is simply looking for respect and a chance to upset the apple cart .

This game will certainly down to as the stealth of the Saints’ potent offense and how good this Seahawks’ defense is presumed to be. And given what we’ve seen from that defense this season they will have to be at the very top of their game . Having been ranked in the lower echelons of all of the defensive categories this season it remains to be seen whether not they will be able to counter act whatever the New Orleans Saints will be able to throw at them . What the Seahawks will have to their distinct advantage will be a home crowd of raucous fans at Q West Field in Seattle , Washington who will essence become the team’s twelfth man. If Matt Hasselbeck can rise to the occasion and lead this Seahawks’ team with any semblance of competitive instinct then this game could be a great deal closer than most would expect it to be . Discerning a victor from the midst of this all will come down to who has the greater appetite for the win.

With all of the off the field antics and some might say the overbearing personality of the New York Jets’ coach Rex Ryan one can’t help but wonder what the coach will do next. Apart from one time proclaiming the Jets the best team in the league this season Ryan has repeatedly put his foot in his mouth with some of his rather outrageous statements. Needless to say fans far and wide have either ridiculed the coach or supported his claims in part. Now comes crunch time for the team as they meet the Indianapolis Colts in a highly anticipated game that’s a rematch of last season’s AFC championship game .

Ryan and his team are certainly looking for redemption and the same can be said too for the Peyton Manning led Colts after their immense letdown in last season’s Superbowl against the New Orleans Saints . Many believed that the Indianapolis Colts would have the better of that Saints’ team on the day but that was clearly not the case as the defense of the Colts was exposed as flawed and extremely slow. Brees simply shredded that team almost at will and nothing could hide the disappointment from Manning’s face at the end of the day. To top it all off we then had the rather asinine claim by Colts’ GM Bill Polian that the reason for the team’s loss was the fact that the offensive line didn’t play well. This was a collective loss on all parts as the Colts were simply outplayed in every facet of the game and nothing can hide that fact not even the infantile rants of the team’s general manager.

It will be interesting to see how this Jets’ defense measures up against the Colts’ offense and how in fact they’re able to deal with Peyton Manning . One thing is sure this game won’t be short on drama whichever way you look at it and if Mark Sanchez is keen to prove that last season’s form was no fluke then now will be the time for him to prove that fact. As he goes so does this team and if he’s not performing at the highest caliber then the Jets’ postseason ambitions could come to an abrupt end once again at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts.

In this season of surprises within the NFL perhaps none could have been more of a surprise than the turnaround initiated by Todd Haley and the coaching staff of the Kansas City Chiefs . Having handily won the AFC West where many had expected to make the San Diego Chargers to make their normal late season charge the Chiefs simply held on whereas the Chargers fell by the wayside . Can someone please remind the Chargers that the NFL season is one played of sixteen games and not eight or nine as they and their fans have now come to expect ? Sooner or later it had to catch up with them and it’s safe to say that even with the exploits of Philip Rivers this season way too much was being asked of the player to lead this team into the postseason.

The Chiefs will have the privilege of hosting the Baltimore Ravens and somehow I get the feeling that Ray Lewis and Ed Reed of this Ravens’ team will be baying for blood as they look to seperate Matt Cassel’s head from his shoulders . I’m not suggesting that this won’t be a baptism of fire for this Chiefs’ team but I just hope that there are several fire engines and marshals in attendance at Arrowhead Stadium once this game begins. There’s liable to so much heat brought to this party by the Ravens that I’m not too sure that the Chiefs might be able to withstand the onslaught.

On the flip side of this , the Chiefs offense led by Cassel has a number of offensive weapons that could waylay the ambitions of John Harbaugh’s team. Thomas Jones , Jamaal Charles and Dwayne Bowe are liable to give the Ravens’ defense all that they can handle if they’re left to their own devices as they’ve become the main threats on offense this season for the Kansas City Chiefs. And the trio are one the main reasons behind the success of the franchise this season in convergence with the team acquiring both Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel to take over the coaching responsibilities of the offense and defense respectively. If the Chiefs are to endure then it will come down to the coaching strategies put into place by Haley and his staff and how his team goes about executing that plan.

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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick (7) throws a pass during practice at the team’s NFL football training facility, Thursday, Jan. 6, 2011, in Philadelphia. The Eagles host the Green Bay Packers in a first round playoff game on Sunday. AP Photo/Matt Slocum ……

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson (10) greets quarterback Kevin Kolb (4) during practice at the team’s NFL football training facility, Thursday, Jan. 6, 2011, in Philadelphia. The Eagles host the Green Bay Packers in a first round playoff game on Sunday. AP Photo/Matt Slocum ………..

Head coach Andy Reid of the Philadelphia Eagles looks on against the Dallas Cowboys on January 2, 2011 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Cowboys defeated the Eagles 14-13 . Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images ……..

: Head coach Mike McCarthy of the Green Bay Packers on the sidelines against the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field on January 2, 2011 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images ……….

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) of the Green Bay Packers attempts to break free from Tommie Harris (91) of the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field on January 2, 2011 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images …….

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) celebrates with Josh Sitton (71) after Rodgers threw a touchdown pass to Donald Lee during the second half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, Jan. 2, 2011, in Green Bay, Wis. The Packers won 10-3 . AP Photo/Morry Gash ……….

Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll watches the NFL football team’s practice Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2011, in Renton, Wash. The Seahawks host the New Orleans Saints on Saturday in an NFC-wild card game. AP Photo/Elaine Thompson …… </font

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Charlie Whitehurst (6) watches as Matt Hasselbeck throws during NFL football practice Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2011, in Renton, Wash. The Seahawks host the New Orleans Saints on Saturday in an NFC wild-card game. AP Photo/Elaine Thompson ……..

Drew Brees (9) of the New Orleans Saints warms up before playing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Louisiana Superdome on January 2, 2011 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images …….

Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell , right, talks with quarterback Peyton Manning as the team worked out at the NFL football team’s practice facility in Indianapolis, Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011. The Colts face the New York Jets in Saturday’s AFC wild-car round. AP Photo/Michael Conroy ……..

New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez (6) listens to a question at his locker after practice Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2011, in Florham Park, N.J. AP Photo/Mel Evans …….

New York Jets coach Rex Ryan smiles during an NFL football news conference, Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2011, in Florham Park, N.J. The Jets are scheduled to play the Indianapolis Colts in a playoff game on Saturday, Jan. 8 in Indianapolis. AP Photo/Mel Evans ………

Baltimore , Md,. Cedric Benson (32) of the Cincinnati Bengals runs the ball while Ray Lewis (52) of the Baltimore Ravens makes a tackle at M&T Bank Stadium on January 2, 2011 in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens defeated the Bengals 13-6 . Photo by Larry French/Getty Images ………….

Ed Reed (20) of the Baltimore Ravens returns a last second endzone interception in the first half of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium on January 2, 2011 in Baltimore, Maryland. Photo by Larry French/Getty Images ……….

Kansas City , Mo,. Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe (82) of the Kansas City Chiefs runs down field in a game against the Oakland Raiders at Arrowhead Stadium on January 2, 2011 in Kansas City, Missouri. The Raiders won 31-10 . Photo by Tim Umphrey/Getty Images …….

Quarterback Matt Cassel (7) of the Kansas City Chiefs is helped off the ground by the referee after being sacked in a game against the Oakland Raiders at Arrowhead Stadium on January 2, 2011 in Kansas City, Missouri. The Raiders won 31-10 . Photo by Tim Umphrey/Getty Images ……

In this Feb. 6, 2009, file photo, Kansas City Chiefs coach Todd Haley, left, talks with general manager Scott Pioli before a news conference an – Monday December 27th 2009. Associated Press/ Chris Thornton …….

Graphic looks at the NFC wild-card playoff game between the Packers and Eagles to be played at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania this upcoming Sunday 9th January 2011 . …………..

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What thoughts if any do have with regard to the wildcard round of the playoffs and which game do you anticipate will be the most entertaining to watch ? Simply chime in with a comment and as always thanks for the continued support as it’s gratefully appreciated !

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Teams receiving a bye are the New England Patriots , Pittsburgh Steelers , Atlanta Falcons and Chicago Bears .

Alan aka tophatal ………………………………………….

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Wu Tang Clan ……… “Triumph”

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