We come finally to that time of year that everyone has been practicing and playing for ever since July. It’s down to 12 teams now, all back to 0-0, and all playing within the peculiarly stressful one-and-done playoff reality.
Two of the four games this weekend are widely regarded as mismatches. The visiting Ravens are expected to go into Kansas City and beat the AFC West champion Chiefs. And, even more than that, the defending Super Bowl champion Saints are almost universally expected to beat the sub-.500 Seahawks in Seattle. The “in Seattle” part seems to be the only thing that the Seahawks have going for them.
The Jets-Colts match-up is a more interesting one. Peyton Manning has owned Rex Ryan, and now the mouth that roared is adding juice to the game by talking way too much about Manning, the Colts, and the personal sense of rivalry he feels.
The experts at SI.com have made their playoff predictions, from this weekend’s game all the way through the Super Bowl. No one is picking us to win it all, though several are predicting that we’ll make it to the big game and lose to the Patriots. Meanwhile, all but one of them is picking the Packers to beat the Eagles.
That is the game that is being celebrated as the best match-up of this coming weekend.
The Packer players may not feel the need for vengeance on Sunday afternoon, but the Packer fans feel it.
First, it’s a playoff game in Philadelphia, which brings back into our mouths the bitter taste of “4th-and-26.” Most of the guys on our roster know nothing about that debacle, but it’s a painful memory for the fan base.
Second, there is the memory of Michael Vick vs. the Packers in the playoffs. Up until that awful winter night, the Packers were undefeated in the postseason in Lambeau Field. Favre, too, had a similarly unblemished cold-weather record. Who would have thought that the warm-weather, dome-home upstarts could come into the Frozen Tundra and get the win? It was a miserable night, and while the present players may not know much about it, we fans remember.
I heard an encouraging word about our game on the radio today. Sal Paolantonio said that he, Ron Jaworski, and Merril Hoge all believe that Michael Vick has actually regressed during this season. That, in addition to the uncertain condition of his bruised quad, makes for a very hopeful scenario.
On the other hand, Paolantonio also soberly observed that the Packers’ great weakness is that they tend to “get tight.” He said McCarthy gets tight at the end of close games, and he believes that filters down into the team -- especially the offense. He thinks it’s very likely, therefore, that Green Bay will lose another close one on the road.
Ugh. What a kick in the gut that would be.
Ross Tucker, on the other hand, who is a very bright guy, likes the Packers to win on Sunday. He thinks it’s a horrible match-up for Philly, and he doesn’t even think it’ll be close. He thinks a Packer win is the surest thing of the weekend after the Saints beating the Seahawks.
So I’m going to relax -- until the Seahawks win on Saturday, at which point I’ll go back to feeling anxious!
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