So it's come to this...AFC-style

Yesterday, the NFC got its due. Today, it's AFC time.

Let's get a few things straight (again)...

The identity of the Ravens begins and ends with Ray Lewis. If you're looking for the emotional leader to watch during Wild Card weekend...look no further.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

AFC

..."The Guys You DREAM about Being"...
#1. (13-3) Tennessee Titans
Comment: Ever since the run for undefeated ended (not that anyone took it too seriously), the Titans did just enough - including a highly impressive home victory over the Steelers - to secure homefield throughout the AFC. Their reward? Potentially the suffocating defense of Baltimore OR the winner of the Colts/Bolts. Awesome, right?
Guy to Watch: Albert Haynesworth is the heart and soul of this defense. We get it. Nevertheless, if this team can't score enough points on offense, the Titans may be one-and-done. I'm looking at an aging Kerry Collins and wondering if his last playoff go-round will be his most memorable or not.

#2. (12-4) Pittsburgh Steelers
Comment: Big Ben should be fine and the Steelers will make the very most of their week off. Problem is, this team can be beat in Pittsburgh. How do I know this? David Garrard and a very different Jaguars team took some of the luster away from Heinz field last year. Nobody is walking into Pittsburgh intimidated anymore.
Guy to Watch: Santonio Holmes was a collosal fantasy dissapointment. Duh. Nevertheless, he has downfield ability and can open up lanes for both the rush game and for slot wideout/cheap-shot artist Hines Ward.

..The Guys Everyone Out of the Playoffs Wants to Be Next Year"...
#3. (11-5) Miami Dolphins
Comment: Just because the team beat teams it was "supposed to beat" doesn't mean it will lie down - at home - against the Ravens. Take care of the ball, slip Ted Ginn downfield a play or two, and bust open an unexpected special teams play or two and the game may be theirs. Playing with house money makes you very dangerous.
Guy to Watch: Ronnie Brown is the lone Dolphin Pro Bowler for a reason. His ability in the Wildcat Formation allows the Dolphins 4-5 chances a game to open up a big play. He'll need to be ready for a brutal pounding from the Raven defense. If he survives though, Miami might too.

...Yes, YOU can make the playoffs after starting 4-8...
#4. (8-8) San Diego Chargers
Comment: 4-8 and suddenly everything seems to go right. While LT's groin is an obvious issue, Phillip Rivers isn't the NFL's top-rated QB for no reason. As dangerous as the Colts are, you gotta know the Chargers have no fear about them coming into their house.
Guy to Watch: Antonio Cromartie has to be the elite shutdown cornerback many pegged him as after last year's sensational effort. While that's easier said then done against the likes of Manning/Wayne/Harrison, it's time for AC to go Prime Time.

..The Teams NOBODY Wants to See Right Now"...
#5. (12-4) Indianapolis Colts
Comment: The media loves this team and Peyton Manning likely has a third NFL MVP secured (although he did share one with McNair). Blah blah blah. Wake me up when something new is said.
Guy to Watch: Addai and Rhodes are behind the likes of Manning and Bob Sanders in acclaim; nevertheless, I want to see if these two backs can work the same chemistry they did two seasons ago en route to a championship.

#6. (11-5) Baltimore Ravens
Comment: The coordinators (Cameron & Ryan) have been the perfect duo behind their rookie head coach. Meanwhile, Ed Reed (9 INTs) is playing as well as any defender in football, the RB duo of McClain & McGahee (in that order) look terrific, and it's another rookie QB leading his team to 11 wins. How sweet.
Guy to Watch: Haloti Ngata was given a real tough time in Baltimore after being drafted, until he showed up on the field. Nowadays, he's perhaps the most athletic man - at his size - the NFL has seen in quite some time. He clogs the middle and allows those playmakers behind him to dominate. Not bad for a collegiate underachiever who "took plays off".

..."The 11-5 Team NOT in the NFL Playoffs"...
#7. (11-5) New England Patriots
Comment: I'm a bitter Jet fan, so I'm clinging to a pathetic notion that as long as the Pats are out...all is good. It's all I have...
Guy to Watch: Matt Cassell, of course.

..."The Same Old Jets"...
#8. (9-7) New York Jets
Comment: There's nothing left to say except, "same old Jets".
Guy to Watch: Vernon Gholston has an offseason to get ready for next year. 12 total tackles again may run him out of New York for good.

..."The Others"...
#9. (8-8) Houston Texans
Comment: Another season where they end well in Houston. Question is: when do they start well and put two-and-two together?
Guy to Watch: Steve Slaton has dynamic talent. Better get him a legit compliment in the first 3 rounds of the draft next season. Ahman Green can't be that guy.

#10. (8-8) Denver Broncos
Comment: One win in the final four weeks and we're all treated to yet another Colts/Broncos game. Thank god this team lost out.
Guy to Watch: The RB-position needs stability and some luck with injuries. Peyton Hillis ain't the answer, either.

#11. (7-9) Buffalo Bills
Comment: Dick Jauron should save his job; however, real answers are needed when you go from 5-1 to 7-9. Especially when you're winless (0-6) in the AFC East amidst those final 10 games.
Guy to Watch: Trent Edwards. Up-and-coming superstar my a**.

..."The Other Others"...
#12. (5-11) Oakland Raiders
Comment: Whether or not they hire a new coach is irrelevant. The team can't draft well and there's nothing stable in the locker room. 5-11 might be the best this team sees for the next few seasons.
Guy to Watch: JaMarcus Russell has shown glimpses. But are only glimpses what you expect from the #1 overall pick?

..."How the 'Mighty' Have Fallen..."
#13. (5-11) Jacksonville Jaguars
Comment: As dissapointing a team as the Green Bay Packers, the Jags are lucky their media market stinks and they aren't getting any play as total underachievers.
Guy to Watch: David Garrard sucked this year. That's being nice, too. Another ECU QB flameout? Probably.

...And then there's "THEM"...
#14. (4-11-1) Cincinnati Bengals
Comment: I love that people were stupid enough to believe in this organization.
Guy to Watch: Chad Ocho Cinco is a pariah. Ride his big mouth out of town if you want any chance of locker room continuity and self-respect.

#15. (4-12) Cleveland Browns
Comment: I called this record EXACTLY. Anyone who believed that this organization - behind Savage & Crenel - were playoff bound was an idiot. 4 QBs or not.
Guy to Watch: Brady Quinn is gonna need a lot of Myoplex to pull this organization out of the toilet. 10-6 was a fluke. A total fluke.

#16. (2-14) Kansas City Chiefs
Comment: It's gonna be a series of double-digit loss seasons for years to come...
Guy to Watch: Giving all that money to someone with the character of Larry Johnson will bury Carl Peterson's legacy in Kansas City. Probably serves him right, too.

PHSports Playoff previews and predictions start TOMORROW!!!

NFL WildCard Playoffs Pre-Game Analysis: Tennessee at San Diego

San Diego Do’s and Don’t’s:

Do get the ball in the hands of Tomlinson early and often, then follow up with Turner/Sproles. LT’s magic on the field is what frees up Gates and Chambers. Throwing some mid-game and early 4th quarter carries in Turner’s and Sproles’s direction will offer enough of a breather for Tomlinson to take over at the end of the game.

Do force Vince Young to pass the ball (assuming Young is healthy enough to play). While Young has a slightly better completion percentage than Rivers, the TD/INT ratio is not even close (Young 9/17, Rivers 21/15). If Kerry Collins gets the nod, the Chargers pass rush might have a field day.

Don’t let Vince Young take the defense out of its game. While it might be a good idea to have either Merriman or Phillips spy on Young, it would be disastrous to allow more than one player focus on him. That’s what frees up players like Roydell Williams and Chris Henry to break long ones.

Don’t let Phillip Rivers within LT’s vicinity if he’s fresh off throwing an interception.


Tennessee Do’s and Don’t’s:

Do run the ball and tire out the Chargers defense. The Chargers are in the middle of the pack when it comes to run-defense. Sending LenDale White, Chris Brown and Chris Henry after the defense could wear out the Chargers defense enough for the Titans to make a move late in the game.

Do let the defense slow down the tempo of the game. The more vanilla the game, the more advantage for the Titans. This is a defense that found success over the last five games of the year by lulling opposing offenses to sleep. Keith Bullock and David Thornton must bring their A-games, to keep LT in check.

Don’t let the game get out of hand early. The Titans don’t have the best system for playing catch-up. In a three-game losing streak at the start of the second half of the season, they let Jacksonville, Denver and Cincinnati get early leads, and the Titans never recovered. Furthermore, they were games where Young averaged about 38 pass attempts per game totaling 2 TDs and 5 INTs.

Don’t let LT beat you. Put the ball in the hands of Rivers and let him try to beat you. Rivers is more prone to fatal errors than LT is. When Rivers has to force his game, he’s usually good for two to three picks.


Key Matchups:

When San Diego has the ball
TE Antonio Gates vs. S Michael Griffen
Gates put together another dominant season from the TE position. While most TEs in the league can be covered by an athletic linebacker, there are few linebackers in the league that can cover Gates. Griffen will have to spend most of the day shadowing Gates limiting his free space in center field. Griffen, a swing safety who can play corner, has the coverage skills to shut down Gates. Gates will have to bring his best.


When Tennessee has the ball
RB LenDale White vs. NT Jamal Williams
A matchup of some of the beefiest at their respective positions. White must move the pile on a consistent basis in order to open things up for Chris Henry and Chris Brown on the outsides. If Vince Young plays, one of the keys to success on offense will be the play-action. Not only will this open up receivers, as the play is designed for, it will also buy Young a precious second or two to decide whether he throws the ball, or tucks and runs for a gain.


Intangibles:

Will Vince play?
This is the big question in this game. Young likely gives the Titans their only chance to win. Unfortunately, as much as Kerry Collins has helped this franchise in the past two years, he will most likely be helpless against the Chargers pass rush. The Titans desperately need Young’s mobility in the pocket (and outside of the pocket) if they plan on moving to the next round.

Can Norv Turner win in the playoffs?
This remains to be seen. We’ve already seen some unraveling at points (LT walking away from Rivers in disgust). Norv Turner coached teams have always shown a tendency to make mental errors late in games, especially in the playoffs. This lack of discipline has haunted him his entire head coaching career. For the Chargers players, however, last year’s letdown could fuel them to keep up their current momentum heading into the playoffs.


Final Score Prediction:

San Diego wins, 31-17

NFL WildCard Playoffs Pre-Game Analysis: Jacksonville at Pittsburgh

Jacksonville Do’s and Don’t’s:

Do let your two headed running attack go buck wild on the Pittsburgh D. In game one Fred Taylor and Mo-Jo-Dro had 37 combined carries for 216 yards (5.84 yards per carry).

Do torment Big Ben. You sacked the wannabe golden boy 5 times in the first meeting, yet he still torched you for 3 TDs. Keep the pressure on him.

Don’t rely too much on the passing game. Yes, David Garrard has been key for you all season, but that’s due to the awesome running game. Don’t switch things up now.

Don’t let the Steelers’ long injury list fool you. The Steelers define the word “grit” and will come out swinging.

Don’t get cocky. Many writers, including one here on PHSports, have labeled you as a “hot” team entering the playoffs and Vegas has you as 1.5 point favorites. Don’t buy the hype … show up to play.

Pittsburgh Do’s and Don’t’s:

Do make use of your home-field edge. The condition of the turf is pathetically horrid, so practice on it all week long. That’s what makes it “home-field advantage” … you get to know the field (plus you have thousands of fans screaming for you).

Do stack 7 men in the box on defense. Take a page from the Washington/Minnesota week 16 game and make the Jags beat you through the air. It’s not a surefire strategy, but it’s easier to beat a one-dimensional team.

Don’t give up the running game. Najeh Davenport is a solid back and can pound away at that Jacksonville front 4. Even if you’re struggling to establish the run, keep with it.

Don’t underestimate David Garrard. While he probably can’t beat you entirely on his own, he also won’t lose the game for his team with stupid mistakes. Focus on your run D, not on hoping that Garrard makes errant throws.

Don’t let Big Ben ride a motorcycle. Sorry, had to.

Key Matchups:

When Jacksonville has the ball
Fred Taylor/Maurice Jones-Drew vs. Pittsburgh’s Front 7
The two RBs are Jacksonville’s bread and butter, in that order. Pittsburgh will need to stack the box and add Polumalu to the mix as well. If they don’t, then I wouldn’t be surprised with a 6-7 ypc average for the Jags’ duo.

When Pittsburgh has the ball
TE Heath Miller vs. FS Reggie Nelson
Roethlisberger will need to settle his nerves early and throughout this game, and he’ll need his TE to be reliable in order to do that. Reggie Nelson (and the rest of Jacksonville’s D) will have to rough Miller up regularly and keep him from making solid grabs. If they can do that, Big Ben might be feel pressured enough to make regular mistakes.

Intangibles:

Injuries
Like I referenced earlier, the Steelers are suffering from a long list of injuries. Those with minor bumps and bruises will need to step up and play like the blue-collar community they represent. And the second and third-stringers who will get to see solid playing time will need to drop the playoff jitters too, or else it’ll be a long day for the Steel crew.

Field Condition
Another earlier mentioned factor, field condition, will be a major issue as well. Fred Taylor has already expressed his concerns about the field, and based on earlier showings he’s got a point. If there’s any inclement weather, this will be a really, really ugly game.

Final Score Prediction:
Jacksonville wins, 27-17.