NFL Playoffs, Day Two

Ray Lewis and the Ravens D will show up big.
(AP Photo/Rob Carr)

Chiefs big winners? "Nevermore," quoth the Ravens


The Kansas City Chiefs have been one of the big surprises of the season. After finishing last season at 4-12, the Chiefs were not the most threatening team coming into this season. They definitely weren't thought to be a team that could take down the Chargers and Broncos in a difficult AFC West. However, despite the low expectations, the Chiefs managed to finish with a record of 10-6, enough to earn them a division title and a home game in the playoffs. Led by a quarterback-receiver tandem of Matt Cassel and Dwayne Bowe and a two-headed monster in the backfield of quick scat-back Jamaal Charles and bruiser Thomas Jones, the Chiefs and head coach Todd Haley have crafted an extremely dangerous team.

The Baltimore Ravens, on the other hand, have not been surprising, but rather they have been exactly what we expect the Ravens to be. This season they posted a terrific 12-4 record to finish even with the Steelers, but lost the division by a one-game tie-breaker. However, Baltimore is still a high-caliber team with that famous defense and consistent offense. They are not flashy in how they win, they just win. They don't allow a lot of points on defense and score enough to win on offense. Simple enough. They don't blow teams out, but you can tell when the Ravens are dominating a game. They do everything necessary to win.

In today's game, we will be seeing the NFL's best rushing offense in the Chiefs (1st in rushing yards) against one of the NFL's best rushing defenses in the Ravens (5th in rushing yards allowed). All signs are pointing to this game being a grinder, one that will be low-scoring with both teams fighting tooth-and-nail to get to the endzone. It will be an interesting one to watch, but ultimately I think the Ravens will play that classic Ravens football to squeak out a win. They won't blow the Chiefs out of the water by dropping 40+ points on them unless they have to. I see the Ravens getting a nice seven- or ten-point lead and playing running the clock and playing for field position.

Ravens 20 - Chiefs 14

Aaron Rodgers is running into the next round.
(AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Packers win, RODGERs that


The Green Bay Packers, as I reminded everyone yesterday, have been my Super Bowl champs from day one of the NFL season. I think that this team has everything it takes to be a Super Bowl team. Aaron Rodgers will be in the same class with Tom Brady and Peyton Manning as soon as he gets that ring. Donald Driver is a fighter and Greg Jennings is electric at the receiver position. The Packers' defense is a force to be reckoned with. Clay Matthews could be the best linebacker in the league and Charles Woodson is an ageless wonder. All they have missed this year is a solid running attack with Ryan Grant out for most of the season. Overall, though, this team is the most rock solid team all the way through in the NFC.

Michael Vick is an incredible story. There is no doubt in my mind that he will be Comeback Player of the Year in the NFL this season. But with a banged up Vick, where does that leave the Eagles? It leaves them searching for options. Backup quarterback Kevin Kolb can definitely play, but he changes the entire Eagles team. Vick's identity as a dual threat keeps defenses on edge, so that Philadelphia can do basically whatever they want on offense and they will be able to succeed nine out of ten times. However, with Kolb in the game, the mobility threat is taken away, so that allows defenses to stick with a gameplan. Vick cannot be contained by a gameplan because he is a game-changer, but when he is injured he begins to lose that identity. He cannot take as many risks with his legs and his tackle-breaking ability to avoid getting hurt worse.

I think that is what makes the difference in today's game. Vick will play, no doubt, but he has been knocked around quite a bit in the past few weeks. In the game against the Vikings he was clearly hurting in the final quarter of that game. A solid week of rest in Week 17 could have been what he needed to be back up to speed this week. However, I still think that with the Packers being so solid and Vick's health being slightly in question, the safest bet is to take Green Bay. Their defense is great and Rodgers is absolutely incredible. As long as Rodgers puts the ball where it needs to be, I think the Packers will win this one and send the Eagles home early.

Packers 31 - Eagles 21


p.s. Props to the Seahawks and the Jets yesterday for starting me off with an 0-2 playoff record. Terrific.

p.p.s. Sorry for no NBA post yesterday. I had more homework than I thought.

p.p.p.s. For more senseless babble, follow me on Twitter @Bradley_W_Parks.