NFL Wild Card Weekend Set To Kick Off

Well the weekend has finally arrived. After a long 17 game season the playoffs for the National Football League has arrived and is ready to go. We had nail bitters at the end of the regular season to get us to where we are, and now the playoffs are set to kick off. For being the top seeds in the conferences, the Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks and Carolina Panthers all have the opening round bye for the post season. With that being said, here are the matchups for the opening round of the 2014 NFL Playoffs

Saturday 1/4/13
Kansas City Chiefs (11-5) vs. Indianapolis Colts (11-5) 4:35PM NBC
Both teams come into this matchup at Lucas Oil Stadium with the exact same 11-5 record. Indianapolis is the only AFC South team to make the playoffs, winning the division, while the Chiefs come in as the Wild Card Winner. These two teams met earlier this season, out at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 16, a game which the Colts won 23-7, something that isn't very easy to do. These two teams have met three times before in the playoffs, with the Colts winning all three of the previous meetings.

Kansas City dominated during the first half of the year, going 9-0 but fell off in the 2nd half, closing out the year 2-5 after the bye. The Colts are coming in on a 3 game winning streak. Both teams seem to be going in opposite directions. Indy is heating up and the Chiefs are slipping just a little bit.  Kansas City has been slipping a little but will want revenge for their loss at home in week 16. KC Will make a game of it but Indy is going to take it by a field goal. Colts move on to the divisional round.

New Orleans Saints (11-5) vs. Philadelphia Eagles (10-6) 8:10PM NBC
This will be the 3rd all time meeting in the playoffs between these two clubs, with each team winning one game apiece. Both teams have turned in interesting seasons. Philly started off to a 1-3 start, but pulled it together under Chip Kelly and came away with a 10-6 season and a division title. Meanwhile the Saints finished the year 11-5, finishing 2nd in the NFC South. What makes the Saints season so interesting is that all 5 of their losses this season have come on the road, finishing 3-5 on the road.

Heading into this game at Lincoln Financial Field, its going to be interesting from a Saints perspective, as to which Saints team will show up, the one that dominates at home, or the team that can't seem to get it together on the road. The Saints prowless on offense at home has been well documented, as is their lack of said offense on the road. The way I look at it if the Saints want any chance to win this ball game they have to shut down the NFL's best rusher, LeSahwn McCoy and the top ranked Eagles running game. Sure Nick Foles has had good days at Quarterback, I'm not taking that away from him by any means. Foles I think will have a decent game. But if the Saints shut down the Eagles run game and can protect the football it is their game to win. They also have to shake of the stigma of not being able to play in cold weather, which they should be able to do. It's going to be a good ball game, very low scoring, but the Saints take it and move on to the divisional round next week.

Sunday 1/5/14
San Diego Chargers (9-7) vs. Cincinnati Bengals (11-5) 1:05PM CBS
This is the 2nd time ever that these two teams have met in the playoffs, with the Bengals beating the Chargers 27-7 in the 1981 playoffs. This year they have already faced off, during week 13, a week in which saw Cincinnati come away with the win, on the road, 17-10. Now San Diego is going to want revenge for the loss. San Diego is coming into this contest riding a four game winning streak, while Cincy has won four out of their last five games. So both teams are coming in hot.

This will be a highly contested game, featuring two clubs who finished top ten in the NFL in passing this season. The difference though is that the Bengals have the 3rd best defense in all of the league, while the Chargers have the 23rd ranked defense in the NFL. Sure Philip Rivers is going to make a game out of it, but Andy Dalton and the Bengals are going to be too much for him, as Cincinnati rolls right on to the next round.

San Francisco 49ers (12-4) vs. Green Bay Packers (8-7-1) 4:25PM FOX
This will be probably the most entertaining game of the entire weekend. This will be the 4th ever meeting between the 49ers and Packers in the playoffs, with each team winning two games, including the 49ers win last year by a 45-31 score. The two teams met at the start of this season, a game in which the 49ers won 34-28. The 49ers are coming in on a 6 game winning streak, while the Packers are coming off the division win against the Bears the last week of the season.

Green Bay has struggled the last few weeks but with Aaron Rogers back in the mix the Packers look like their old selves again. Only problem is the Packers defense isn't that great, espically without Clay Matthews, who might miss the game with a broken thumb. 49ers have been good this year, and will continue that play rolling right past the Packers in the opening round.

So there you have with the preview of wild card weekend!