NFC Divisional Playoffs: Philadelphia Eagles @ New Orleans Saints

Saints -5
I am really looking forward to this game. Both these teams are very similar, they played once this year, the coaches have coached against each other, there is an Eagle who as a Saint, two QBs that have bad great years, dynamic RBs on both sides of the ball and a city, that is among the best in the world, that will be going nuts! Try and remember what the Superdome was like during that Monday Night Game against the Falcons.

Both the Eagles and the Saints were 1-3 against AFC teams with Philadelphia beating Houston and losing to Jacksonville, Tennessee, and Indianapolis. New Orleans beat Cleveland and lost to Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. The Saints went 3-1 against the NFC East, beating Philadelphia, Dallas and the Giants; losing to the Redskins. The Eagles meanwhile went 2-2 against the NFC South, beating the Panthers and the Falcons and losing to the Saints and the Buccaneers. What all that tells you is what has already been said, these teams are very similar.

Here are some keys as seen by The Dean. The Eagles last 6 games, all wins, have been against the following: NYG, ATL, DAL, NYG, WAS, CAR. It’s nice to win 6 in a row, but that series of wins is notable only in its duration. If anything, a team like the Eagles becomes more likely to lose with each win they accumulate. Are the good enough to win 7 in a row?

The other key is the matchups. Starting at the top, Sean Payton has been coaching against the Eagles for a number of years and knows them very well. He also had a week off and will have his team prepared. The Eagles are without CB Lito Sheppard which weakens a position that the Saints have found ways to exploit all year. Also, the combined efforts of McAlitster and Bush will cause the Eagles problems. The Saints have a lot of weapons. Even with that said, Jeff Garcia has proven he knows how to win games, the Eagles have shown they know how to win games and Andy Reid has shown he knows how to win games. All that adds up to what should be a hard-fought game. The Dean is going to give the points and take the Saints and play it for 3-stars.

AFC Divisional Playoffs: Indianapolis Colts @ Baltimore Ravens

Ravens -4
In the process of breaking down this game, there was a part of me that was screaming, “The Colts are not any good!” I went through my pre-game routine and did my best to ensure I cleared my head of any prejudices or opinions. I wanted my opinions to come from the numbers, the facts and my own analysis of the situation; not from an opinion that was formed more from listening and than studying.

During the course of study the most significant factor to me was how the Ravens went through their schedule and did it with little fanfare. They are a solid, consistent football team with experienced people in key positions on both sides of the football. They have a coach that has done more with less then the opposing coach has done with more. The San Diego Chargers came into Baltimore in Week 4 and were shut down. Take into consideration that was about 14 weeks ago, and it is still impressive. The Ravens did to the Chiefs what the Colts did to them, only Baltimore did it on the road. The Ravens beat the Steelers twice by a combined sore of 58-7. The Colts split with the Texans, Jaguars and Titans; losing the back-end of each of those series.

The Colts do have games that are worth mentioning, but look a little deeper and there are flaws. The Colts beat the Patriots in New England and they hammered the Eagles at home. Not bad, but not so great. New England was playing at their lowest level of the season and the Eagles game was Garcia’s first start and Manning only threw for 183 yards; the Colts ran for 237 yards on Philly. You think that s going to happen today?

The Ravens are not perfect. Their offense struggled at times and they eked out a few games against some not-so-great teams. In the Ravens’ favor, they were 6-2 ATS at home with their 2 losses being a SU loss to Carolina and the faliure to cover a large line against Cleveland. But in the long run, the Ravens have shown who they are and the Colts have shown who they are. How many times do you need to see something to believe something? The Colts in Baltimore today, with their offense against the Raven defense and their defense against the Raven offense, and their coach against the Raven’s coach, don’t stand a chance. The Dean is playing this at 5-stars, taking the Ravens and giving the points.