NFL FAN IN ENGLAND 2008-2009 NFL Wild Card playoff predictions

Boldin and Fitzgerald will show their class during the crazy Wild Card weekend (Pic Lacy Atkins/The Chronicle)

This is where it all matters, where all the effort means death or glory, over four or maybe even five quarters.

I for one did not expect to see the Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins or the Minnesota Vikings in the post season.

As for the Eagles, Colts, Chargers and Ravens – I thought they were capable of making it to part 2. I also had a degree of expectation that the Arizona Cardinals could scrape a wild card, but with such a weak division they surprised many and won a home playoff game.

Here are my predictions for the crazy crazy Wild Card Weekend………..

AFC

Sat., Jan. 3, 8 p.m. ET, NBC

Indianapolis (12-4) @ San Diego (8-8)

Colts to win 31-27 – This will be some revenge for Peyton Manning and his Colts, who were killed off by the Chargers in the playoffs last season. I have a feeling the Colts will jump out to an early 14-0 lead but the Chargers will then dominate right up until the final drive, where Dominic Rhodes punches the winner in from 3 yards away.

Sun., Jan. 4, 1 p.m. ET, CBS

Baltimore (11-5) @ Miami (11-5)

Baltimore to win 23-10 – This will unfortunately be a proverbial wicked witch coming down from her broomstick to spoil the fairytale Dolphins season. Not a pretty game to watch the Ravens will rely on their running game with Rice and McClain showing that they have plenty left in the tank. Pennington will again be accurate but he will not have the time to get big 10 play 80 yard drives.

NFC

Sat., Jan. 3, 4:30 p.m. ET, NBC

Atlanta (11-5) @ Arizona (9-7)

Arizona to win 27-24 (OT) – This is my upset special even if the Cardinals are the division winning home team. Atlanta will look to establish the run with Michael Turner and the underrated Jerious Norwood (who I think could start somewhere like Denver). Kurt Warner will be expecting the pass rush from John Abraham, but with 3 1000 yard wideouts in his arsenal this will be the time for Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald to show that they are the top tandem in the NFL.

Sun., Jan 4, 4:30 p.m. ET, FOX

Philadelphia (9-6-1) @ Minnesota (10-6)

Philadelphia to win 29-16 – Brian Westbrook will show the entire NFL world that he is the best all purpose back in the NFL, as he goes for 175 all purpose yards and two touchdowns. Adrian Petersen will show some potential, but the playoff pressure will get to him and he will ultimately be the second best back on the field. One of the no name Eagles wideouts will get a huge td – someone like Hank Baskett or Jason Avant – and that will kill off the Vikings.

Cue the counter arguments……….

It is just me or is there NO point voting for Pro Bowl players in Week 7?

The oft debated Pro Bowl - voting is open - ALREADY !

With 11 weeks of the 2008 NFL Regular Season still to play for the NFL powers that be have decided that it is time for fans to start voting in the annual popularity contest, oopps, I mean Pro Bowl.

Maybe it’s just me but I think voting for people to be playing in Honolulu on February 8 2009 in late October 2008 is a bit premature.

Lets face it over half the players will be voted in on reputation alone, especially positions that garnish little fantasy football interest such as offensive and defensive linemen.

People going to vote are going to click on the likes of Jeff Saturday and Olin Kreutz because they recognise their names from previous Pro Bowls.

Who knows the Arizona Cardinals could have the best C in the NFL, but unless you live in the desert it is unlikey you can name him. Just for fun the Cardinals starting C is viewable on THIS LINK – did you honestly know who it was? Thought not.

Another reason I am cynical about opening the voting in Week 7 is that there is a helluva lot of football still to be played, and this means heroes (of week 1 through 6) becoming zeros and vice versa.

A few examples spring to mind following this rash of starting quarterbacks being hit by the injury bug. Lets first look at the Bengals. QB Carson Palmer is likely done for the year, and Ryan Fitzpatrick is now stepping in. Despite a 0-6 start the theory goes that Fitzpatrick could go 10-6 and lead Cincy to a playoff berth.

This would go un-noticed on the Pro Bowl radar as the likes of Peyton Manning will be a shoe in, with people likely voting for him already, despite a start that has been far from perfection.

Likewise the undefeated Tennessee Titans could throw up a horror show and end up 5-11, but the likes of DT Albert Haynesworth or even dare I say it Kerry Collins could be getting fitted for a hula skirt.

I have a few suggestions to make  Pro Bowl voting a bit more sensible and a bit fairer to teams, players and fans;

• Before NFL fans are able to vote they should apply to the NFL via an online form. In that form they state the NFL team they support. Then when the online form is opened you CANNOT vote for players on the team you support.
• Then when you have collated the results for the fans you weight it so that the results from all 32 teams are given equal billing. That way the fans of each team are not penalised for the amount of fans they have, the % who have computers, or the teams that have fair-weather fans (did anyone say Patriots fans post the arrival of Tom Brady?)

What do you think? Please vote below and also give an opinion…….