Jan 5, 2008 

N.Y. Linemen Hold The Key To Beating The Bucs

WILDCARD-N.Y. GIANTS @ TAMPA BAY, 10 AM PT

Forget that the Buccaneers took the last game and a half off and finished 9-7 to get healthy. Tampa is the weakest team in the NFC playoffs. The team isn't built with stars, so the health and cohesion of this team is very important. 

There quarterback has a bad back, they have a running back nobody's ever heard about and their defense is undersized, or, to be nice; "speedy".

Tampa couldn't have picked a worst team, matchup-wise, than the Giants. It's hard to beat a team that is superior on both the offensive and defensive lines. 

On top of that, New York's Brandon Jacobs looms large in whether this game is a cake walk or a nail-biter. It's hard to imagine the hulking Jacobs not wearing down a Tampa defensive line that features a pair of linemen tipping the scales at less than 300 pounds.

Jon Gruden should have known better than to let up during the last two games of the season. There's something called momentum that a team under-experienced and lacking amazing talent needs in the postseason.

Undoubtedly, the Florida press is going to skewer Gruden for this decision after they fall in the playoffs. GIANTS 31-19.

GIANTS WIRE REPORT

Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo will be coaching in his first playoff game. His unit is ranked seventh in the NFL and the players love him.

Not every quarterback can be like Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger. It took Peyton Manning four tries to win his first playoff game and papa Archie never made the postseason, so lay off Peyton's baby brother.

Jacobs is Bucs' worst nightmare, New Jersey Star-Ledger
The undersized Tampa defensive line could have major problems with the grinding running back Brandon Jacobs. As the article points out big back whittle small defensive down by the fourth quarter.

BUCCANEERS WIRE REPORT

Bucs QB Jeff Garcia has beaten the Giants in two previous playoff matchups, including the momumental meltdown the G-Men endured against San Francisco in 2003.

Bucs Take Risky Approach in Build-Up to Playoffs, Miami Herald
Will Jon Gruden's Bucs suffer from resting regulars and losing the last two games of the regular season? Will there be a Giants letdown from fighting hard against New England in week 17?

Giant Threat, Bradenton Herald
New York's defensive line is strong and creative. Of there 53 sacks this season, 37 came from the front line. Can the young Tampa offensive line protect Jeff Garcia and make space for Earnest Graham.

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7:54 PM | |

Jan 5, 2007 

Wildcard Weekend Is, Well......Wild!

COLTS, COWBOYS, JETS, GIANTS WILL ADVANCE

KANSAS CITY @ INDIANAPOLIS
Everyone seems to think K.C.'s Larry Johnson is going to run and run and run the Colts out of the playoffs. Indy's league-worst rush defense is a red herring because it's too much to ask of Johnson, with his league record rushing attempts, to be a chief among Chiefs. The poor guy is just overworked. Aren't we all?

More importantly, remember that only those dubious Oakland Raiders had a better pass defense than the Colts and with a tiring rusher and few passing options the Chiefs are at the mercy of the NFL's premier quarterback Peyton Manning and his passing mates Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne.

The Chiefs are very lucky to be in this position and I don't like the presence of Herman Edwards on their sideline. The Colts will quickly jump all over K.C. and advance.
Colts 35, Chiefs 19.

DALLAS @ SEATTLE
The stars come out for the primetime matchup Saturday night. There's T.O., Tony Romo, The Tuna, and the NFL's reigning MVP, but this game will be determined by the little guys.

With Seattle's secondary decimated by injury, the job of stopping Terrell Owens, Terry Glenn and Jason Whitten, comes down to the leadership of Jordan Babineaux. He could do it but, of course, he won't.

Sure, Seattle has the vaunted 12th man in the Pacific Northwest, but it won't be enough to stop a Dallas team that thrives away fromBig D. Coach

Bill Parcells has quite a job to do this playoff season. If he can get the notoriously inconsistent Cowboys to perform the next three weeks, a surprise invitation to Miami is more than possible. Nevertheless, this game will come down to the last minute. Cowboys 21, Seahawks 17.

>>>Sunday
N.Y. JETS @ NEW ENGLAND
Of the four games this wildcard weekend the game in Foxborough is the hardest to predict because of one man--Jets coach and former Bill Bellichick lieutenant, Eric Mangini.

The surprising Jets are playing efficient football for the past month which is why a few prerequisite turnovers New York's way and the apprentice may upend the master. If New York can ride a mediocre but flawless performance from QB Chad Pennington and few bombs to Lavernues Coles it will happen.

The end of the Patriots playoff dominance has to end sometime, right. The slide has been steady, but protracted as not to be sensed by the casual fan, but Tom Brady has had to assert himself on the sideline more than usual and it's not because he's grown as a leader, but the personnel around him is not what it once was.

It's hard to prognosticate the intangibles but it's everything that the Jets have become under Mangini and there's nothing wrong with that. Some call it luck, I call it solid coaching. This will be the highlight matchup of the weekend. Jets 34, Patriots 31 (OT).

N.Y. GIANTS @ PHILADELPHIA
Three words: Sports Illustrated jinx. Put it this way, it's not Tiki Barber on the cover, but Jeff Garcia and the Cinderella Philly Iggles. For the sake of allotted column space, I'll continue.

A rerun of New York's final regular season against Washington will have to occur for them to pass another division rival.

It sort of sadden me to think that it took until the possibility of Barber's last pro game to appreciate his greatness. What agility! What desire! What a nice guy!

Barber single-handily picked up the moping G-men off the gridiron and carried them last week. The still fragile psyche of the Giants is still evident, but Tiki can and will empty his tank for the chance of another week.

Garcia has been a great story himself as has their veteran defense led by the excitable Brian Dawkins, aside from the jinx, the NFL's 26th ranked defense against the run is problematic.

A big, early lead or a couple of Joe Pisarchick (Miracle of the Meadowlands) moments will have to go down for Prozac-laden Giants to fall. Giants 27, Eagles 24.

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10:53 PM | |