Wild Card Weekend 2011

New Orleans Saints (11-5) @ Seattle Seahawks (7-9)

Seattle has made a deal with the devil for this home playoff game at 7-9. Unfortunately, the defending champs are rolling into town and have the manpower to repeat the Week 11 34-19 pounding. 34 points was a nice gesture, because QB Drew Brees could have put up 60 easily, and RB Reggie Bush didn't even play in that game.

Now granted, that game was in New Orleans at the Superdome, lately one of the harder stadiums to pull out a road victory. Quest Field in Seattle is the loudest, most intimidating stadium there is. Even with the Seahawks at 7-9 (3-7 outside the NFC West) that has to be a concern. This is the NFL, so New Orleans cannot take for granted one of the most lopsided playoff games in history, it is still a road game against a division champ.

KEYS FOR N.O: Saints WR Marques Colston needs to be in fine form for the playoffs, but his knee injury is a concern. Yes, Drew Brees can hit any number of receivers, but Colston is that big one that every team needs deep in the playoffs. The D needs only a few turnovers to quiet the crowd, and we know Brees can control the ball with his plethora of targets and 3-headed RB monster RB Chris Ivory, RB Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush.

KEYS FOR SEA: Seahawks QB Charlie Whitehurst will have no St.Louis breaks, and if QB Matt Hasselbeck suits up, there will be no time to shake any rust off. In St.Louis RB Marshawn Lynch and RB Justin Forsett found holes and had great runs behind the patchwork O-line, that will be important. OT Russell Okung must play.

New York Jets (11-5) @ Indianapolis Colts (10-6)

The Jets spent all off-season with nightmares of Coach Rex Ryan's proclamation of the Super Bowl, and Colts QB Peyton Manning once again taking Rex to the cleaners (Manning is 5-1 against Ryan defenses, dating to Ryan's days as Baltimore D-Co, the lone loss was week 16 of last year with the Colts at 14-0, resting Manning).

It's not often we get a rematch of the AFC Championship in the Wild-Card round. QB Mark Sanchez has had a year to mature (though he has not performed well against quality teams) and there was no RB LaDanian Tomlinson or WR Santonio Holmes last year. Meanwhile the Colts are without many key players to injury and Manning suffered a mid-season streak that put doubts on their playoff potential.

KEYS FOR NYJ: There is only one key, stop Peyton Manning. Now, CB Darrelle Revis is respected by Manning but he can't shut out Colts WR Reggie Wayne all game because the Colts will find ways to get him the ball. LaDanian Tomlinson could be a key, he's been well-rested through the season and Rex could be saving him up for the playoffs, lets not forget this is a future Hall-Of-Famer in the backfield.

KEYS FOR IND: Pressure on Mark Sanchez will make this an easy victory. DE Robert Mathis and DE Dwight Freeney have their hands full, with a very solid Jets O-line but a few sacks and hits on Sanchez and this game is likely over. The Colts are built on early leads and the Jets are not equipped to erase them. You know, Manning will be coming out firing. The Colts do not intend for anything close to a down-and-dirty slugfest.

Baltimore Ravens (12-4) @ Kansas City Chiefs (10-6)

Baltimore wants another shot at Pittsburgh, possibly more than any other team wants anything, besides the Jets not wanting New England. If the Jets win on Saturday, they will drudge (heads lowered I would think) to New England, and Baltimore will playing for another shot at Pittsburgh. Through all this, Kansas City fans are probably sitting here thinking 'what are we chopped liver?' Take solace, if Baltimore considers you chopped liver, this game will be a surprising upset.

Kansas City and QB Matt Cassell have had a streaky year and have really pounded on lesser teams in the AFC West and NFC West. RB Jamaal Charles, WR Dwayne Bowe have finally got confidence in their steps while the D has a swagger not in KC since the 1990's. The Cheifs' Arrowhead Stadium is nothing to be taken lightly, a real college atmosphere. But if Baltimore keeps its focus, they should be delivering a wild card road victory for the 2nd year in a row.

KEYS FOR BAL:  RB Ray Rice, WR Anquan Boldin need to show, on the big stage, what the new Baltimore offense is supposed to be. QB Joe Flacco is having a solid year but likely can't shoulder a Super Bowl run on his own. You know LB Ray Lewis and S Ed Reed will show up strong, and DT Haloti Ngata is a force, but the rest of Baltimore D needs to step up for the playoffs.

KEYS FOR KC: An early lead, a few good runs and big yardage. This is a team built on big plays. The D needs to get hits on Ray Rice and get off the field, wear down the aging Baltimore D. The home field advantage for KC is strong, so this is a toss up game, KC knows this is their key, get the crowd going.

Green Bay Packers (10-6) @ Philadelphia Eagles (11-5)

The last thing Green Bay wants is another shoot-out loss like last year's debacle against Arizona. The Green Bay defense, was as hailed with praise last year as this year, and they gave up 50+ points in the first game of the playoffs. CB Charles Woodson, CB Tramon Williams, LB Clay Matthews, LB A.J Hawk... the game is on their shoulders to stop Eagles QB Micheal Vick.

Unless of course, Vick stops himself. Has his body taken too much of a pounding? Both teams have so much offensive firepower and the Eagles are the team likely to need it the most. The D has been lukewarm down the stretch and the last time we saw most of the starters was a sore-looking loss to Minnesota on a Tuesday.  Meanwhile, Green Bay has surged out of their injury-plagued season with confidence.

KEYS FOR GB: QB Aaron Rodgers is the guy for a shoot-out, but GB would rather he be able to take their West Coast style to ball control. The Packers are great at using high-percentage completions to keep the clock moving, without much of a running game, this has been their strategy. If the D can keep Vick and the Eagles O contained, Rodgers can run the game.

KEYS FOR PHI: Big plays are the life and death of the Philadelphia Eagles. WR DeSean Jackson has regressed on his route-running but his speed keeps him relevant. WR Jeremy Macclin and RB LeSean McCoy are all fast, eager for the big play and they have one of the all-time game-changing QBs under center. Neither team looks to run much, but the Eagles would do well to get LeSean McCoy plenty involved.