NFL Post-Season Preview: Let the games begin

After an exciting and wildly unpredictable season so far, JOE eagerly looks ahead to the NFL play-offs.

By Sean Nolan

America might be the standard bearer for capitalism but when it comes to their sports it is more left wing than Damien Duff at a Socialist Workers meeting. Equality, fairness and even distribution of resources are the cornerstone of their games, especially in the NFL.

Earlier this year that level playing field led to a wildly unpredictable league that was viewed as a paragon of parity or a mediocre menace depending on your point of view. Despite all the big names stuttering at times, we have been left with lots of familiar faces in the post season, and one of the surprise play-off teams - Seattle – are being heavily criticised just for being there.

Top Dogs

Let’s start at the top. As the season wore on it became apparent that one team was the undisputed best in the league. The New England Patriots finished the year like a train and are number one seeds in the AFC. Still available at 2/1 in places for the Super Bowl, the advice would be to get some cash on now as they will be odds on if they make it to Arlington on 6 February.

The Steelers are second seeds and second favourites for the Super Bowl (5/1) but they may not be the biggest threat to Bill Belichick’s side. The Ravens, who are the fifth seed, were only behind the Steelers on divisional record and they won’t fear the Pats after beating them in last year’s play-offs in Foxborough and only losing to them in OT this year. Baltimore have to overcome the AFC West champions, Kansas City, this weekend in the wildcard round and despite the Arrowhead Stadium factor, the Ravens will get it done.

Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning is back on song once again

The other wildcard game sees the Colts, division winners once again, face the stuttering Jets in Indy. Rex Ryan’s crew lost three of their last five games while Peyton Manning has overcome his mid-season travails to inspire Indianapolis once again. Don’t rule out a Colts exhibition as the Jets implode under pressure.

No need to fear the NFC

Over in the NFC, it is hard to see any of them beating whoever comes out of the AFC. Number one seed are the winners of the NFC South, the 13-3 Falcons. Matt Ryan is a good QB but they don’t inspire fear. The second seed Bears look even weaker, so the likely NFC representative in the Super Bowl should come from this weekend’s wild-card clashes.

On Sunday, Green Bay travel to play Philadelphia. Green Bay had to win their final two games to get into the post-season and they did it, destroying the Giants in week 16 before grinding down the Bears last week. They are tough but their performances, especially on the road, are inconsistent and if Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson are fit, it should be a win for the Eagles.

But the opener on Saturday evening is the game that has caused the most conversation. The Super Bowl champions, the New Orleans Saints, have not hit the heights they hit last year but they still have Drew Brees and Reggie Bush is back to full fitness. Last week’s loss to Tampa Bay was worrying, but they are still a good bet at 7-2 to take the NFC.

Seahawks are in the play-offs fair and square, but try telling that to the Giants

They begin the trek to Texas against the aforementioned Seahawks. The Seahawks won the NFC West with a 7-9 record, leading to howls of protest around the league, particularly in New York. The Giants finished behind the Eagles with a 10-6 record but are out of the wildcards. It appears to go against the NFL ethos of fairness and excellence to see a team with a losing record playing in the post season, but New York have only themselves to blame. They lost to the Eagles in week 15 and then rolled over to Green Bay in week 16 when a win in either would have had them in so it is easier to pick on the Seahawks than look at their inability to seal the deal.

The rules are clear, win your division and you are at home in the first round of the play-offs. It is not the Seahawks’ fault that their divisional opponents were abject. They had to beat the Rams last week to secure their slot and they did it. Watch and learn New York and stop complaining.

That said Pete Carroll’s (pictured above) team are easily the worst team in the play-offs in a very long time and even with a rabid home support and the Saints frailties in outdoor games, it is highly unlikely they will be alive on Sunday.

Apart from the Patriots, there is little between teams like the Steelers, Colts, Ravens, Eagles and Saints. Rather than focussing on the worst team in the play-offs, we should be relishing the best facing each other for the next few weeks. The blend of teams, styles and ability is just about right and with five teams who didn’t make last year’s play-offs appearing this time around, it looks like the NFL still works, despite what some would have you believe.