AFC Wild Card Round

Going into Week 17, seven teams were in contention for the two AFC Wild Card spots. Analysts were in heaven, simulating every scenario and obsessing over the complex tiebreaking procedures. Entering Sunday with a "win and you're in" situation, both the Ravens and Jets emerged from the rubble to claim playoff berths. The AFC division leaders can take a deep sigh of relief as the Steelers, clearly the most dangerous team in contention, have been eliminated, despite Jeff Reed's two fourth quarter field goals. Warning to all Pittsburgh area convenience stores: Fill your paper towel dispensers! And to answer your question, that's a picture of Reed, not a random, burnt out, middle-aged beach bum.

The AFC Wild Card features another rematch from Week 17 as the Bengals host the Jets. In what was a meaningless game for Cincinnati, the Jets cruised (lame joke) to a 37-0 victory. Sunday's game marked the first time that the Bengals have been shut out since 2001, when the Super Bowl champion Ravens held them scoreless.

The key matchup will be New York's league leading rushing offense against a tough Cincinnati defense allowing 3.9 YPC. The Jets will likely limit QB Mark Sanchez to game manager mode. He has only attempted more than 20 passes once in his last five starts.

Offensively, the Bengals rely on the play of resurgent running back Cedric Benson, who sat out last week's matchup to rest for the playoffs. He is eighth in the league with 1,251 rushing yards, despite only playing in 13 games. Carson Palmer's performance (or lack there of) was disastrous in the harsh climate of East Rutherford, NJ. He completed 1 of 11 passes for 0 (not a typo) yards with one interception. That earned him a comically low QB rating of 1.7. Number 1 receiver Chad Ochocinco was completely shut down by Pro Bowl cornerback Darrelle Revis, but as usual Ochocinco had no trouble making excuses, attributing his poor performance to a knee injury. “Whether I had one leg or not, Darrelle did a great job.” Revis has shut down elite receivers all season, leading a Jets secondary allowing a league low 153.7 yards per game.

New York has allowed just 3.8 YPC this season, good enough for #4 in the NFL. They should have no problems containing Benson once the secondary shuts down the Bengals' struggling passing attack. With Ochocinco blanketed by Revis, Palmer will rely on former Jet Laveranues Coles, who has disappointed so far this season. When Sanchez and the offense take the field, Cincinnati will be able to stack the box. However, the Jets deeper backfield will outlast Benson, who will receive nearly all of the Bengals' carries. New York will win the impending battle of attrition.

Prediction: NJY 17 CIN 10

The AFC East champion New England Patriots will host Baltimore this weekend. These two teams met on October 4th in Foxborough, where Tom Brady led the Pats to a 27-21 victory. For those of you who value the complete history, the Ravens have lost all five meetings between these clubs, none of which occurred in the playoffs.

This week's matchup will feature the Patriots' 3rd ranked offense against Baltimore's 3rd ranked defense. Tom Brady will be without Wes Welker, who leads the NFL with 123 receptions. Baltimore will be able to roll coverage towards Randy Moss, who is tied for the league lead with 13 receiving touchdowns. New England's underrated rushing attack will have to step up against the Raven's D, who are allowing a league low 3.4 YPC.

Baltimore has the league's 5th ranked rushing attack, averaging over 130 yards per game and 4.7 YPC. New England can be run on, allowing 4.4 YPC, including a 6.8 YPC showing in the regular season contest between these two clubs. Joe Flacco has only eclipsed 200 passing yards nine times this season, and only five times in his last ten games.

This game will likely come down to the ability of Patriot receivers Julian Edelman and Sam Aiken to fill the void left by Welker. Expect Brady to target tight end Benjamin Watson early and often. In Weeks 12-16, New England rushed for 715 yards, a terrific 143 yards per game.

The key for the Ravens is for Flacco and the receiving corps to connect early, forcing the Pats to respect the pass. Otherwise, New England will stack the box and shut down Baltimore's dynamic backfield.

Prediction: NE 20 BAL 13