Hey ladies… so the first two games of the NFL Divisional Playoffs are in the books, and both road teams came out victorious, with Baltimore and Arizona moving on to the AFC and NFC championship games. One cool stat from Saturday’s games…Joe Flacco, the Baltimore Ravens’ QB is the first rookie to win 2 playoff games….craziness… So, Sunday brings us two interesting matchups, the Chargers visiting the cold weather in Pittsburgh, and the Eagles travelling up the NJ Turnpike to take on their division rival the NY Giants. Here’s a couple of facts to keep you in the know for tomorrow’s games, and at the insistence of my loyal reader Christine, a pick for the popular Eagles-Giants game in the Meadowlands.
San Diego at Pittsburgh, (4:30 EST, CBS)
- The Chargers all-world running back LaDainian Tomlinson is probably not going to play due to a torn tendon in the groin area… doesn’t sound very pleasant if you ask me, almost sounds like something an angry girlfriend might inflict on a guy.
- The wind-chill in Pittsburgh is expected to be at or below zero, so I’m guessing the boys from Southern California might not be too comfortable on the frozen sludge of Heinz Field.
- The replacement for Tomlinson is Darren Sproles, who is listed at 5′6″, which apparently is also a “generous” listing, meaning he is likely even shorter than that. Can you imagine playing in the NFL at 5′6″? That’s 3 inches shorter than me, and I’m a little bit intimidated just watching on TV.
Philadelphia at NY Giants (1:00 EST, FOX)
- The Eagles are the sixth and lowest seed in the NFC playoffs, while the Giants are the #1 seed and have homefield advantage up until the Super Bowl. Since these two teams play in the same division, they have already played twice this year, with each team winning on the road.
- I was a little nervous when my husband’s Sports Illustrated came in the mail…the Eagles were on the cover highlighting their victory over the Minnesota Vikings. If you are wondering why I was nervous…well that is because there is a “curse” that when a player or team are on the cover…that player/team loses. My husband reassured me that the cover was done on a regional basis, not national…so maybe this means the “curse” does not apply???
- Apparently the wind currents at Giants Stadium are pretty vicious, which wouldn’t be good for the hair if you were attending the game (Thank goodness that a ponytail is a very “in” hairstyle at all times…) Look for the wind to play a big factor either in the kicking or passing aspects of this game…Eagles kicker David Akers is only 7 for 16 kicking field goals in his career at Giants Stadium.
- As I mentioned before, both road teams advanced on Saturday, and my husband says usually only one or maybe two of the road teams win on this weekend in the playoffs each year. This doesn’t bode well for the Eagles’ odds. But… I can’t let two totally independent situations impact my pick. Therefore, here’s the prediction: The third matchup between these teams will be the charm for the Eagles. The winds will cause the Giants to muff a big punt from the Eagles midway through the fourth quarter, giving the Eagles prime field position for a short Akers field goal and a 16-14 Eagles win, setting up a date in the desert next week for the Eagles and the Cardinals. (And ladies, if you want to seem like you really don’t have a clue on Sunday just say that both of the ‘Bird’ teams won on Saturday, why not continue the trend on Sunday?)
Obviously my pick is a bit biased, but hey, can you blame me? We’ll see what happens in the games… keep in mind that after Sunday there are only 3 football games left in the season, which means the man in your life might actually pay attention to you on Sunday! Enjoy the games.
-sportsgirl
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