Playoffs first weekend interesting, but rarely exciting

The first weekend of the NFL playoffs weren’t all that exciting save for the Green Bay- Arizona shootout in the desert.  What can you say about Kurt Warner.  He may be 38 but he’s still one of the best in the business when he’s on his game.  The problem for the Cardinals is with that defense he’ll have to be on his game all the time next week when they take on the Saints.

Rex Ryan said four weeks ago his teams playoff chances were dead.  After making the playoffs he said they should be the favorites in the AFC.  The fact they can run the football as well as anyone and play top notch defense is the reason they bounced the Bengals Saturday.  That and the fact rookie QB Mark Sanchez was good, efficient and stayed calm in his first playoff game.  

This week the ante gets upped as the Jets travel to San Diego, a team that hasn’t lost since long before the current ice age most of the country has been in.  Playing the Chargers isn’t playing the Bengals.  Philip Rivers isn’t Carson Palmer and even San Diego’s disjointed running game has the talent to move effectively against the Jets.  Sanchez won’t have it as easy in sunny California even if the temps are warmer.

The Cowbys are now the new hot pick for everyone.  Not me.  Before they blew up Philly two weeks in a row, the Eagles were the hot team.  It can change in an instant and Philly had a lot to do with their losses to Dallas.  Jerry’s boys have to go to Minnesota and win on the road against a team that looked like it righted itself in the final week of the season.  The Vikes still have the best running back, a very good defense and Brett Favre.  Tony Romo, until you prove it, you’re no Brett Favre.

Finally, all those folks at ESPN can stop genuflecting toward Foxboro.  The Pats are dead.  They were dead before last weekend and the Ravens proved it by shoving a ground game right up Bill Belichik’s sweatshirt.  Baltimore won a playoff game while throwing for 34 yards because that’s all they had to do.  Run.  Next week it won’t be so easy against the Colts although I give the Ravens a chance to pull this one off.  I just think Manning and the Colts will find a way to eek one out.