Wildcard Weekend 2015

Arizona Cardinals (11-5) @ Carolina Panthers (7-8-1)

Only six weeks ago, the 9-1 Cardinals were the NFC favorites for the #1 seed and the 3-7-1 Panthers were in the conversation for the #1 pick of the draft. Now, the Panthers host the Cardinals to kick off the 2014/15 NFL Playoffs. It's not the marquee playoff matchup ESPN wanted but it certainly is unique.

QB Cam Newton and the Panthers are riding a 4 game win streak into the playoffs but still finished with a losing record. The December Panthers have looked more like a playoff team and in the woeful NFC South, one month of good football was enough. Fortune could not have been sweeter as their playoff opponent is moving in the opposite direction. Arizona has suffered injuries to QB Carson Palmer, backup QB Drew Stanton, and star RB Andre Ellington, leaving the Red Sea offense to rely on QB Ryan Lindley and RB Kerywnn Williams, two players who weren't even with the team for any part of the 9-1 start.

KEYS FOR ARI: If banged-up Arizona is going to shock the world with the three road victories it would take to return home to Arizona for the Super Bowl, it will need to be on the backs of the defense. DE Calais Campbell and CB Patrick Peterson will need to make themselves household names starting this Saturday.

KEYS FOR CAR: Cam Newton can elevate his game any time, but a playoff team with the 19th best record in the NFL is going to have multiple keys. Against Arizona, a consistent run game, a rejuvenated pass rush and a healthy Cam Newton must all continue their December improvement, or at least not regress, to keep Carolina favored in this game.

Baltimore Ravens (10-6) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (11-5)

This is not your older brother's Ravens/Steelers of 2006-2012. These are two teams turning the corner of their respective rebuilding processes that have over-performed into the playoffs. It really is a testament to both franchises that they could lose so much of their recent Super Bowl teams (2012 for BAL, 2010 for PIT) and already return to the playoffs.

You know both Baltimore and Pittsburgh would love to ground and pound through each other with the run game and stifling defensive lines like the "old days" but that is just not where the strength of these teams lie. The Ravens will need big plays from QB Joe Flacco to the Smith bothers (Steve and Torrey) against a suspect Steeler secondary and the Steelers Ben Rothlisberger will look to remain on fire with his All-Pro WR Antonio Brown and big play rookie WR Martavis Bryant. Steelers/Ravens; the aerial versions.

KEYS FOR BAL: The Ravens offensive line has sustained injuries to both tackles and may start two rookies in their line for the 2nd straight week. This was well and good against a demoralized Cleveland last week, but in the hostile playoff atmosphere of Heinz field it may be a factor. Much of the Ravens' success will hinge on if the patchwork offensive line can keep Flacco protected and make some room for RB Justin Forsett.

KEYS FOR PIT: This season, the Steelers witnessed the rise of two legitimate superstars, WR Antonio Brown and RB Le'Veon Bell. If Bell cannot play after hyper extending his knee last week, it's clear that the burden will be placed on Brown and the Steelers' passing game.

Cincinnati Bengals (10-5-1) @ Indianapolis Colts (11-5)

Marvin Lewis, QB Andy Dalton and their tiger striped friends appear on Morning Wildcard TV for the 4th straight year. If this were a movie, it would follow that the Bengals would overcome this obstacle and finally thrive. That still may be the case but the Bengals' playoff woes have not been coincidence, in the case of opposing QBs, Andrew Luck is already miles ahead of Andy Dalton.

While Luck hasn't been perfect, he's turned the ball over a lot, he has been one of the best players in the league this season. Meanwhile, Andy Dalton has embarrassed himself on primetime television a few times, calling back to his horrendous Wildcard performance against San Diego last year in this same TV time slot.

KEYS FOR CIN: Spark-plugs RB Jeremy Hill, RB Giovoni Bernard and another year from another solid defense have signed Dalton up for the Playoff Challenge yet again. I continue to harp that the playoffs are won and lost with quarterback play and Andy Dalton;s time has come again. Will he rise to the challenge?

KEYS FOR IND: Meanwhile, Andrew Luck could use some help. The Indianapolis defense was at it's scariest during it's week 7 shutout of these same Bengals. The Colts have had a lackluster December and they would benefit greatly from a few early big plays on defense.

Detroit Lions (11-5) @ Dallas Cowboys (12-4)

The underachieving Lions & Cowboys combine for our final Wild Card battle. Cowboys QB Tony Romo makes his first playoff appearance since the 2009 season and finally has the cast around him to contend. RB DeMarco Murray and the O-line have been the best in the NFL. The offensive balance has helped the much-maligned Cowboy defense turn in the most surprisingly solid year on record despite being the worst defense in the league last season and then losing two stars (Ware and Lee) before the season began.

The Lions are looking to add a 2nd playoff victory their franchise's troubled history. QB Matt Stafford has not put up the video game numbers he has in years' past, even with Megatron finally being complemented by another decent option in WR Golden Tate. The Lions have dominated lesser teams with great defense. Some hold this against them, but I don't see it that way. The old Lions would have underachieved again and dropped many of those games. Defeating the lesser opponents without requiring offensive explosions is what real playoff teams do.

Perennial troublemaker DT Ndamukong Suh is lucky to be playing in this game after being suspended for his attempted ankle step on Aaron Rodgers. It does give us the benefit of a Dallas' O-line -vs- Detroit D-line matchup, a consensus #1 -vs- #1 unit battle.

Can the Lions do to the Romo/Murray/Bryant Cowboys what they did to the Aikman/Smith/Irvin Cowboys in 1991? Be afraid, Dallas, be very afraid!

KEYS FOR DET: The Lions' defense has been great this season because of LB DeAndre Levy, an above-average secondary and truly the best D-line in the league. Except they have been destroyed by the Saints, Packers and Patriots. The Lions need to rattle the top-tier passer they face, this time Tony Romo.

KEYS FOR DAL: Dallas just needs to do what they have been doing; running the ball, getting great decision-making from Romo, and keeping their offense on the field for long drives. The Cowboys have shown themselves to be a complete team, they need only prove it by continuing their formula into the playoffs.