Wildcard Weekend 2014

Kansas City Chiefs (11-5) @ Indianapolis Colts (11-5)

Every team is happy to make the playoffs but the city of Kansas City has a decent argument as the happiest. Last year, despite 6 Pro-Bowlers including superstar RB Jamaal Charles, the Chiefs finished with the worst record in the NFL at 2-14.

QB Alex Smith and Coach Andy Reid, cast-offs from San Francisco and Philadelphia, respectively, have been the pieces to turn things around. Critics point out that most of Kansas City's 11 wins have come from lesser opponents, more optimistic types point out that having 11 inferior opponents is progress, in itself.

Meanwhile, Indianapolis has been a roller-coaster. In the first 6 weeks, they announced themselves with impressive victories against the top 3 teams in the league (San Francisco and both eventual #1 seeds, Seattle and Denver) but once they lost WR Reggie Wayne, they were dominated by St. Louis, Arizona, and Cincinnati. Pulling out of their downward spiral, QB Andrew Luck has found a rhythm, and put together a nice winning streak to end the season, including a 23-7 drubbing of Kansas City in Arrowhead just two weeks ago.

KEYS FOR KC: The Chiefs started the year as the league's most dominant defense but has had injury concerns later in the year. LB Justin Houston, LB Tamba Hali (both questionable) will need to return to early season form for Kanas City to make a dent in the playoffs. Will that frightening Chiefs D, LB Derrick Johnson, S Eric Berry, frighten?

KEYS FOR IND: The Colts dark times adjusting without Wayne are over, but now the skill position players around Luck must take another step forward, be it traded-over Brown RB Trent Richardson, RB Donald Brown, or WR TY Hilton. Somebody needs to make a name for themselves in the playoffs.

New Orleans Saints (11-5) @ Philadelphia Eagles (10-6)

The over-arching story for Phildelphia has been the emergence of QB Nick Foles. Taking over in week 6, Foles had one obligatory dud in Dallas, 80 yards and 0 TDs. Since then, he firmly grabbed the starting job from oft-injured QB Michael Vick. Foles threw 19 TDs before throwing his first interception in a genuine blizzard. He finished with 27 TDs and 2 INTs, leading a dynamic offense that has returned RB LeSean McCoy to a superstar, and WR DeSean Jackson to one of the league's top playmakers. In his first year Coach Chip Kelly can already boast a top offense in the NFL.

Of course, there is an accomplished offense on the other sidelines as well. QB Drew Brees is still among the best, especially at home. However, when the Superdome Superman Saints have traveled this season, they have done so with their Clark Kent glasses, going 3-5. The Saints have also not won a playoff road game, going 0-3 in recent history.

While these are sensational statistics, here is another; the Saints are 35-29 on the road in the Brees/Payton era (since 2006). Hardly an easy-out. Brees has been fiery in press conferences when questioned about the supposed 'road problem', this is a scary man to fuel.

KEYS FOR PHI: Philadelphia's defense is in a tough  position because of their fast-paced offensive counterparts. Preventing big plays out of WR Jimmy Graham, RB Darren Sproles and WR Marques Colston is no easy task, and they will be on the field a lot. The Eagles D will be exposed. They need to bite back.

KEYS FOR NO: The Saints are thin on D as well, though improved from 2012, the Eagles can't be too displeased with the card they drew in the first round. Maybe we are taking these amazing offense for granted, but they are going to score points, the key for New Orleans also will be the need for defensive playmakers to step up.

San Diego Chargers (9-7) @ Cincinnati Bengals (11-5)

San Diego's playoff hopes were kept alive by a convincing defeat of the record-setting Denver Broncos, followed with a shockingly unconvincing defeat of the 2nd-string Kanas City Chiefs. The Bengals needed help in OT from the referees and a fortunate missed field goal. Only the Chargers would get into the playoffs this way, QB Philip Rivers has re-emerged, while rookie WR Keenan Allen and RB Ryan Matthews have both made names for themselves.

The Bengals have been penciled in as the 3rd seed for some time now. QB Andy Dalton and WR A.J Green received a playmaking boost adding rookie RB Giovoni Bernard. The defense is just as good as it has been for the last 3-4 years and in Week 17 they dashed the dreams of the defending Super Bowl Champs, Ravens. Now, the Bengals have a home game against a 6th seed that needed buckets of help to get into the playoffs at all.

Doubt remains, not only have the Bengals not won a playoff game since 1991, these 2013 Bengals have under-performed in big spots, while the Chargers have inexplicably risen to high occasions. This will be a much better game than suggested. A pair of true wild cards, Rivers and Dalton, lead the charge/

KEYS FOR SD: San Diego rises and falls with their stars, Rivers obviously but good performances out of Keenan Allen, and S Eric Weddle will go a long way.

KEYS FOR CIN: Dalton threw 4 interceptions to Baltimore, practically giving the game away multiple times but the Bengals were the superior team. That kind of thing won't fly in the playoffs. RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Giovoni Bernard can help out a lot.

San Francisco 49ers (12-4) @ Green Bay Packers (8-7-1)

On this date one year ago, Packers fans gave no ill thought to QB Colin Kaepernick. One year later, he sits perched on a potential three-pack of pain inflicted upon Green Bay. In the Divisional Round last year, Kaepernick became a star with one of the most overwhelming performances in playoff history. Week 1 of this season, Kaepernick logged a 412-yard, 3 TD performance to start the Packers on the wrong foot this season, and down a wobbly path. The ire of Green Bay fans will boil to new levels if San Francisco can complete this three-peat.

San Francisco has won 4 more games, and has been generally more impressive. Howevert, the two previous meetings were in comfortable, habitable San Francisco. Whereas this game will be on the frozen tundra of Green Bay. The weatherspeople have been predicting record low temperatures and the sportspeople have been predicting the effects. It's likely that the cold will benefit Green Bay, a break that evens the playing field.

KEYS FOR SF: San Francisco need only to avoid pitfalls of playing on the road, or on the cold, because they have the better team.

KEYS FOR GB: The Green Bay offense will need to click. While the heroics of returning stars QB Aaron Rodgers and WR Randall Cobb defeated the Bears dramatically to enter the playoffs, the rest of the game was mediocre at best. The Bears don't possess a defense anywhere near the same class as the 49ers. If Rodgers clicks back to Rodgers-form, the Packers have a shot.]