Wild Card Info

[Raji]

Washington at Seattle (-3 ½, 40 ½)

Two years ago, the Redskins faced Seattle in an NFC divisional playoff game and lost 20-10 despite veteran quarterback Mark Brunell passing for 242 yards compared to 215 from Seattle's Matt Hasselbeck. Washington, though, allowed 119 rushing yards while managing only 59.



Jacksonville at Pittsburgh (+2 ½, 39 ½)

Ben Roethlisberger had three TD passes in the Steelers' 29-22 loss to Jacksonville last month, but finished just 15-of-32 for 142 yards.



N.Y. Giants at Tampa Bay (-3, 39 ½)

The Giants and Bucs have never met in the playoffs. New York has won two of the last three meetings, most recently a 17-3 home victory Oct. 29, 2006, and leads the series 10-6. Tampa Bay, though, has won five of nine matchups at home.



Tennessee at San Diego (-9 ½, 40)

San Diego has won five straight in this series, including a 40-7 win at home last season. The Chargers, though, are 0-3 in the postseason against the former Houston Oilers, including a 17-14 loss in their last playoff meeting on Dec. 29, 1979.

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[Raji]

Washington Redskins at Seattle Seahawks -3 1/2, 40 1/2

Redskins

Redskins are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
Redskins are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 vs. NFC.
Redskins are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games as an underdog of 3.5-10.0.
Redskins are 4-1-2 ATS in their last 7 games following a SU win of more than 14 points.
Redskins are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games as a road underdog of 3.5-10.0.
Under is 4-0 in Redskins last 4 playoff games.
Under is 6-1 in Redskins last 7 games as an underdog of 3.5-10.0.
Under is 6-1-1 in Redskins last 8 games after allowing less than 150 yards passing in their previous game.
Over is 5-1 in Redskins last 6 games after accumulating more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
Under is 5-1 in Redskins last 6 games following a ATS win.
Under is 5-1 in Redskins last 6 games as a road underdog of 3.5-10.0.

Seahawks

Seahawks are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games as a home favorite of 3.5-10.0.
Seahawks are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 home games.
Seahawks are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games as a home favorite.
Seahawks are 6-1-1 ATS in their last 8 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
Seahawks are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games on field turf.
Seahawks are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games after accumulating more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
Seahawks are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games after allowing more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
Seahawks are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games as a favorite of 3.5-10.0.
Seahawks are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS loss.
Under is 5-0 in Seahawks last 5 Saturday games.
Under is 8-1 in Seahawks last 9 games after accumulating more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
Under is 7-1 in Seahawks last 8 games following a S.U. loss.
Under is 5-1 in Seahawks last 6 games following a ATS loss.
Under is 4-1 in Seahawks last 5 playoff games as a favorite.
Under is 4-1 in Seahawks last 5 playoff home games.

Head to head

Home team is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings.
Redskins are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Pittsburgh Steelers +2 1/2, 39 1/2

Jags

Jaguars are 5-0 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
Jaguars are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games on grass.
Jaguars are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games overall.
Jaguars are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
Jaguars are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 vs. AFC.
Jaguars are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games after accumulating more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
Jaguars are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games after accumulating more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
Over is 7-0-1 in Jaguars last 8 games on grass.
Over is 4-0-1 in Jaguars last 5 vs. a team with a winning record.
Over is 5-0 in Jaguars last 5 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
Over is 6-0 in Jaguars last 6 road games.
Over is 6-0-1 in Jaguars last 7 vs. AFC.
Over is 6-1 in Jaguars last 7 Saturday games.
Over is 5-1 in Jaguars last 6 games following a S.U. loss.
Over is 5-1 in Jaguars last 6 games following a ATS loss.
Over is 5-1 in Jaguars last 6 games after allowing less than 150 yards passing in their previous game.
Over is 4-1 in Jaguars last 5 games after accumulating more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.

Steelers

Steelers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 playoff games.
Steelers are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games after accumulating less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game.
Over is 6-0 in Steelers last 6 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
Over is 4-0 in Steelers last 4 Saturday games.
Under is 5-0-1 in Steelers last 6 games after accumulating less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game.
Over is 6-1 in Steelers last 7 playoff home games.
Over is 9-2 in Steelers last 11 playoff games.
Over is 13-3 in Steelers last 16 games in January.

Head to head

Jaguars are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 meetings.
Jaguars are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings in Pittsburgh.


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[Raji]

Jacksonville Jaguars at Pittsburgh Steelers (+2 ½, 39 ½)

Who’s left at tackle for Pittsburgh?

The Steelers are down to their third-string left tackle because of injuries to Max Starks and Marvel Smith. The task of protecting Ben Roethlisberger’s blind side falls on seldom used Trai Essex. The third round pick in 2005 was a healthy scratch for 12 of Pittsburgh’s games this season.

“Trai is the next guy up and the level of expectation will not change,” head coach Mike Tomlin told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Using common sense, because he is the third guy we’ve lineup up at that spot this year, we have to do some things schematically to help him. We intend to do that, but we expect him to play winning football for us.”

Tackle isn’t the only thin position for the Steelers. Pittsburgh heads into its home playoff game without Pro Bowl running back Willie Parker, defensive end Aaron Smith and with several other starters limping around practice.

“Injuries are a part of the game and when I say that, I believe it,” Tomlin said. “We are not unlike any team. Any of the 12 teams that are in this field left still standing have had injury issues. They found ways to overcome it.

“Whoever hoists that Lombardi Trophy in a month or so will have had injury-history issues and will have found ways to overcome it. We don’t dwell on that. That’s as much of part of the game as blocking and tackling. The healthy guys play and the standard of expectation doesn’t change.”

Been there, done that

The Jags are considered by many to be the club that could throw a wrench in the AFC playoffs. Of course some might point out the Jaguars did little to impress in their last playoff appearance – a 28-3 loss to the New England Patriots at Foxborough two years ago.

There are a number of reasons to think Jacksonville is a different club than the 2005 edition. That team benefited greatly from a soft schedule and finished with a 12-4 mark. The ’05 Jags went 7-1 in the final eight games but barely squeaked out wins against the Cleveland Browns (20-14) and San Francisco 49ers (10-9).

“We have good chemistry going on, and I think this is the best team I have been on as the word team is concerned,” Jags running back Fred Taylor, now in his 10th year with the Jaguars, told Florida Times Union. “On past teams, we had some great players. These guys on the team now, there are no selfish players. We thrive off of everyone else.”

It doesn’t hurt having a productive quarterback (David Garrard) behind center either. Jacksonville’s once non-existent offense is now one of the better units in NFL. Garrard’s steady play has pushed the Jaguars’ offensive into the league’s top seven in both scoring and total yards.

“We’ll see if it’s better,” Taylor said. “At the end of the day, if we don’t win, it’s the same thing like the team in 2005.”

The numbers lie

The Steelers finished with the league’s best run defense but they allowed an average of 165 rushing yards in the final three weeks. Jacksonville first exposed Pittsburgh’s D when the club rushed for 224 yards at Heinz Field.

“We’re standing there watching, and you are like, ‘Holy cow, we’ve never seen a team run on us or beat us at home,’” Roethlisberger told USA Today. “I don’t expect that to happen again. I expect our defense to come out firing. That motivates us as an offense. They give us the ball in good field, and they are fun to watch.”

The black curtain will have to come up with a way to stop the Jags’ tag team running tandem of Maurice Jones-Drew and Taylor.

Head-to-head

Jacksonville has won and covered three straight against the Steelers including the last two games at Heinz Field. The Jaguars have covered the number five straight times and eight of the last 10.

Jacksonville also leads the series history 11-8.


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[Raji]

Looking for a betting edge in this weekend’s NFL playoff games? We’ve picked out two key mismatches in each game that could have a major affect on the outcome.

Washington at Seattle (-3 1/2, 40)

Seahawks defensive end Patrick Kerney vs. Redskins quarterback Todd Collins

A season-ending injury to Redskins starting quarterback Jason Campbell gave veteran Todd Collins a chance to close out the season. The new starter has led Washington to four straight wins and the playoffs but he may well meet his match against Seattle – and defensive end Patrick Kerney in particular.

Kerney finished second overall with 14.5 sacks this season, and managed three sacks a game three different times. The 6-foot-5, 273-pound monster has also managed 49 tackles, five forced fumbles and an interception.

Collins has done an excellent job as Campbell’s replacement, but a postseason game against Seattle will easily be his most competitive yet. He has been sacked eight times in four games. Expect that number to increase when Kerney gets going.

Redskins running back Clinton Portis vs. Seahawks’ rush defense

Washington running back Clinton Portis closed out the season in storming fashion and that should carry over into the playoffs. Seattle, meanwhile, has struggled to defend against the run in big games this season.

Portis ran for a combined 306 yards and four touchdowns in his last three games – all of which where Washington wins. He finished sixth in the league with 1,262 yards, and had a team-leading 11 TDs.

Seattle’s rush defense ranks 12th in the league in yards per game (102.8) but has been found wanting against top opposition. It surrendered 128 yards and a touchdown to Cardinals RB Edgerrin James in a Sept. 16 loss, and 102 yards to Willie Parker in an October defeat against Pittsburgh.

On current form, Portis is capable of putting up similar totals.

Jacksonville at Pittsburgh (+1, 38 1/2)

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger vs. Jaguars pass defense

Ben Roethlisberger has picked apart opposition defenses at will in certain games this season. If he produces his best this week, he will cause serious problems for a mediocre Jags’ pass defense.

Roethlisberger had the second-best QB rating in the NFL behind Tom Brady (104.1) and was third in passing TDs (32). In his previous outing against Jacksonville this season, the fourth-year pro threw for 146 yards and three touchdowns in a Dec. 16 loss.

Jacksonville’s pass defense is giving up 213.8 yards per game to rank 15th in the league. It has allowed seven different opposing quarterbacks to throw for more than 250 yards, including a 445-yard performance by Drew Brees in a Nov. 4 loss to New Orleans.

Jaguars running back Fred Taylor vs. Steelers’ rush defense

The Steelers have one of the meanest defenses in the NFL, but Jags running back Fred Taylor has already got the better of it once this season. He will be confident of a repeat performance in Saturday’s playoff clash.

Taylor ran for 147 yards and a touchdown in Jacksonville’s 29-22 win over Pittsburgh on Dec. 16. That was part of a five-game streak of 100-yard games for Taylor. Overall this season, the fifth-year pro ran for 1,260 yards and five TDs.

The Steelers boast the league’s third-best rush defense (89.9 yards per game), but the ‘D’ did not finish the season strong. It allowed an average of 104 yards per game in its final four contests, three of them losses.

New York Giants at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-1, 39 ½)

Buccaneers’ turnovers gained vs. Giants’ turnovers lost

Tampa Bay boasts one of the league’s best defenses, allowing just 278.8 yards and 16.9 points per game. But one of the team’s greatest strengths is its ability to take the pressure off by forcing opponents to turn over the ball.

The Bucs ranked third in the league with 35 takeaways this season – 16 interceptions and 19 recovered fumbles. Safety Jermaine Philips and defensive end Greg White are largely responsible for that success. Philips finished the season with four INTs and three forced fumbles, while White had a team-high seven forced fumbles and 8.5 sacks.

Protecting the ball has not been the Giants’ greatest strength this year. They have turned over the ball on 34 occasions – 20 intercepted passes and 14 fumbles that were recovered by opponents.

Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora vs. Buccaneers quarterback Jeff Garcia

The Giants had a league-leading 52 sacks this season, with defensive end Osi Umenyiora producing 14 of them. On Sunday, he gets the chance to add to that impressive total against veteran Bucs quarterback Jeff Garcia.

Umenyiora finished third in sacks overall, but led the category for most of the year. His numbers are somewhat skewed by an amazing six-sack performance against the Eagles on Sept. 30, but he still managed at least one sack in eight of New York’s 16 games.

At 37 years old, Garcia is not as mobile as he used to be, and could be a sore man following this encounter. He has been sacked 19 times in 13 games. It’s not just Umenyiora that Garcia has to worry about – three other Giants players have more than five sacks this season.

Tennessee Titans at San Diego Chargers (-9, 41)

Titans running back LenDale White vs. Chargers’ rush defense

These teams met on Dec. 9 and LenDale White caused San Diego’s defense problems. The Chargers won 23-17, but White ran for 113 yards and a touchdown.

The second-year pro ranks 12th overall with 1,108 yards and seven TDs this season. White has broken the century mark in five of his 16 games, including two of his last four. White also has 114 receiving yards.

The Chargers, meanwhile, are allowing 107.6 yards per game on the ground. They have allowed four different running backs to break the 100-yard mark against them this season, including Adrian Peterson’s record-breaking 296-yard game on Nov. 4.

White is unlikely to come close to that total, but should be able to repeat his performance of a few weeks ago.

Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers vs. Titans’ pass defense

The Chargers closed out the season with six straight wins thanks in large part to quarterback Philip Rivers. He averaged 183.3 yards per game over that time and had a combined 10 touchdown passes.

That includes the 23-17 win over Tennessee in early December in which Rivers threw for 228 yards and two TDs. The fourth-year pro has racked up 3,152 yards in 16 games this season, throwing for a total of 21 touchdowns.

The Titans’ pass defense ranks 10th in the league in yards per game (199.4), but has not finished the season well. In four of its final five games (omitting the final contest against a second-string Colts lineup), Tennessee’s pass defense allowed an average 232 passing yards per game and a combined six TDs through the air.

Raji

[Raji]

Here it is, short and sweet, for the Wild Card round. Since 1990, teams which win the game have gone an impressive 56-9-3 ATS, or 86.2 percent!. Home teams are 47-21 SU and 35-30-3 ATS, with favorites (home or away), going 45-23 SU and 33-32-3 ATS. The average score of a Wild Card game has been 27.8-to 15.3, with 29 games going 'over' and 38 games going 'under' (one push).

Raji

[UMDBookingRook]

Originally Posted by Raji

Here it is, short and sweet, for the Wild Card round. Since 1990, teams which win the game have gone an impressive 56-9-3 ATS, or 86.2 percent!. Home teams are 47-21 SU and 35-30-3 ATS, with favorites (home or away), going 45-23 SU and 33-32-3 ATS. The average score of a Wild Card game has been 27.8-to 15.3, with 29 games going 'over' and 38 games going 'under' (one push).

Raji

i'm not trying to hate Raji, but I think that stat is meaningless. Most NFL playoff spreads are less than 4 and not too difficult to cover. Obviously every underdog covers and usually bookies undervalue the spread for the favorites. Too much emphasis on the competitive nature of the opening round games.