Wild Card Weekend Preview-palooza II

Wow. I mean, WOW. Yesterday was shocking. It was thrilling. It was incredibly fun to watch....and then the Jets game started. Forget how awful my pick was for the game- seeing Seattle rise to the occasion and play above themselves was phenomenal. Marshawn Lynch had one of the greatest runs in NFL history to seal the deal, and the upset was complete. Maybe it was just me, but that game just made me feel so much better about the Jets' chances last night. Come playoff time, you really have to throw everything out the window. Seattle gave a pacifier to everyone who said they didn't belong, and they're off to the divisional round where they will be given more respect that that 10 point spread against New Orleans.

As far as the Jets...I mean, where do you begin? Well, it's fair to begin with the admittance that Indy was quite banged up. These Colts were not the 2009 Colts, or the 2006 Colts that won it all. But they had Manning, they were at home, and there was a reason the Jets were 3-point underdogs. Believe it or not, the most exciting part about yesterday's Jets win was how flawed they were in victory. Throwing away superb field position in the first half...Sanchez inexplicably throwing every single pass 3 feet too high...Receivers dropping passes. The defense was finally able to "Play like a Jet" and held Peyton Manning as well as anyone could ask (the Colts were held under 20 points just two times all regular season.)

The most appropriate fact pertaining to the game: the Jets MVP and LVP were the same player! Antonio Cromartie got torched on the Colts' one and only touchdown. But he came back later in the game to shock Jets fans with his return-ability. When all hope seemed loss after that damn Vinatieri kicked the field goal we all knew he'd make, Cromartie was prancing down the sideline like a gazelle and making the final drive a possibility. What a day to be one of his seven 3-year-old children.

Ok, more on this game later in the week. Now, onto today's games. It's going to be mighty tough to live up to yesterday's theatrics. But these matchups certainly have the potential to be great.

BALTIMORE RAVENS (12-4) AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (10-6)

The Line: Ravens by 3

How They Got Here

Baltimore started their great regular season by ruining the Jets' home opener at the Meadowlands. They only have four losses, and three (NE, Pit, Atl) were against teams on byes this week. Solid defense, capable offense, and they're battle tested. That destruction of the Patriots last season was no fluke. Ray Rice does it all in the backfield, and the receivers are nothing to sneeze at, either. The Chiefs seem to just be a B-minus version of the Ravens. Cassel, Charles/Jones, and Bowe run the offense, and a bunch of no-names combine to make a rather capable defense. Kansas City will enjoy a big homefield advantage, which may pay serious dividends if this is a close game in the 4th.

How the Ravens Can Win

As the 12-4 record indicates, the Ravens can beat anyone when they play to their potential. Limiting turnovers, playing their defense, and plenty of Ray Rice would be enough to beat these Chiefs. The window won't be open much longer for defensive veterans like Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. Baltimore is a legitimate Super Bowl contender and many people expect them to take care of business this afternoon.

How the Chiefs Can Win

Well, they were tremendous in their home stadium this year. Kansas City also boasts the best rushing attack in the NFL. Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones can pound the rock on anybody. Matt Cassel is unspectacular-yet-effiecient as a quarterback, and Dwayne Bowe really came on this year. The Ravens don't play a blow-you-out style of football, so things should be close throughout. When that's the case, it's great to be the home team.

The Pick

I'm excited for this one. The Chiefs love to run, and the Baltimore defense takes it as a personal insult if you run on them. But Kansas City coach Todd Haley scares me a little bit. You hear some...not nice...things about him. The Chiefs really left a bad taste in people's mouths last week when Oakland blew their doors off. They didn't have much to play for-but in a game this close, it's definitely something to keep in mind. I think too much Ray Rice, too much Baltimore defense, and the Chiefs are a little distracted by Charlie Weis being a pseudo-offensive coordinator as he is leaving for Florida. RAVENS 14, CHIEFS 10

Gotta get this pick up before kickoff...Packers-Eagles will be up later today. Thanks for reading.