NFL 2009 Playoffs: Wildcard Weekend Preview

NFL 2009 New York Jets Thomas Jones RB
Thomas Jones, New York Jets

It doesn't matter how you got here. All that matters is that you're here.

"You can throw the records out now," says New York Jets tackle DAMIEN WOODY. "Once you get into the playoffs, it doesn't matter what you did in the regular season. Everybody is 0-0 right now. We're just glad we're one of the 12 teams to have an opportunity to play for it all. We're ready to go."

The NFL playoffs, which conclude on February 7 with Super Bowl XLIV at Dolphin Stadium in South Florida, begin this Saturday and Sunday with Wild Card Weekend.

Three of the four Wild Card matchups -- Jets vs. Bengals, Eagles vs. Cowboys and Packers vs. Cardinals -- are repeats of games that took place in NFL 2009 Week 17. Since 1990, when the current 12-team playoff format was adopted, there were nine previous instances when two teams played in the final week of the regular season and again the next week to start the postseason. In those nine instances, the Week 17 loser has won the playoff game five times (55.6 percent).

"It's hard to play a team three times," says Dallas head coach WADE PHLLIPS, whose team defeated the Eagles 24-0 to win the NFC East last week. "But I'd rather be on our side of it. I'd rather be the team that won twice and is playing at home. I don't expect anything from them except for their best game."

The Jets and Cowboys are two of six clubs -- Cincinnati, Dallas, Green Bay, New England, New Orleans and the New York Jets -- that did not make the playoffs in 2008 but have done so this season. This marks the 14th consecutive season that at least five teams qualified for the playoffs that were not in the postseason the year before.

However, the 2009 postseason field also showcases teams that have enjoyed recent playoff success.

Five of the top seven teams with the most playoff berths since 2000 are in this year's postseason -- Indianapolis (9), Philadelphia (8), New England (7), Green Bay (6) and Baltimore (6).

NEW YORK JETS (9-7) at CINCINNATI BENGALS (10-6)

"That was a great win for us and it was a total team effort," says Jets head coach REX RYAN about the team's 37-0 win over the Bengals in Week 17 to clinch a playoff berth. "We're excited but definitely not satisfied. This is just the start. We'll see Cincinnati at Cincinnati. It's going to be a huge challenge. But I feel good about this football team."

The Jets became the eighth team since the 1970 merger to lead the NFL in both rushing offense (172.3 yards per game) and total defense (252.3) -- all eight made the playoffs. Against the Bengals, the Jets rushed for 257 yards and held Cincinnati's offense to 72 total net yards.

"It feels good to make the playoffs," says Jets running back THOMAS JONES, who led the team with a career-high 1,402 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. "A lot of people wrote us off early and we kept fighting and sticking together. These are the kinds of things that happen when you stick together through 16 games."

The Bengals posted a 10-6 record and won the AFC North, the team's first division title since 2005.

"I'm excited about the playoffs," says Cincinnati quarterback CARSON PALMER. "We've got a very resilient team. We're ready to make a playoff run. There's no better way to rectify a loss than to beat that same team the next week."

Cincinnati will look to get its running game going with the return of running back CEDRIC BENSON. Benson, who didn't play in Week 17, led the team with a career-high 1,251 yards, becoming the fourth player in franchise history to reach 1,200 yards. He averaged 96.2 rushing yards per game, the second-highest mark in the NFL.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (11-5) at DALLAS COWBOYS (11-5)

For the third time this season, these two division rivals will meet. The Cowboys defeated the Eagles 24-0 in Week 17 to clinch the NFC East, the club's second division title in the past three seasons. For the Eagles, this is the team's eighth postseason berth since 2000, the most in the NFC.

Dallas swept the season series, defeating Philadelphia twice. Since 1970, 19 teams have gone 2-0 against an opponent in the regular season and then faced that club in the playoffs. The sweeping team has won the postseason meeting 12 times (63.2 percent).

"It's tough to beat any team three times," says Cowboys quarterback TONY ROMO, who set a franchise record with 4,483 passing yards. "They're going to know us. We're going to know them. After winning like we did in Week 17, we're probably going to see a completely different team next week."

The Dallas defense posted back-to-back shutouts to close out the season, joining the 2000 Tennessee Titans as the only teams in the past 33 years to end the season with consecutive shutouts.

Despite last week's loss, the Eagles enter the playoffs having won six of their past seven games. The offense, led by QB DONOVAN MC NABB, WR DE SEAN JACKSON and TE BRENT CELEK, will look to get back on track.

"There's a positive amongst the negative," says Philadelphia head coach ANDY REID, who is 4-0 in the Wild Card round. "The positive is that you're in the playoffs and very seldom do you have an opportunity to play a team that just beat you. We have that opportunity to correct ourselves. I expect everyone, coaches and players, to figure out the problem, get back out and execute. That's what we have to do."

BALTIMORE RAVENS (9-7) at NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (10-6)

Last year, the Ravens advanced to the AFC Championship Game as a Wild Card team. In 2000, when the team won its only Super Bowl, it did so as a Wild Card entry. So, entering this year's playoffs as a Wild Card should be nothing new for Baltimore, who needed a win in Week 17 at Oakland to qualify.

"We're in the same position as last year where we had to win to get in," says Ravens running back WILLIS MC GAHEE, who rushed for 167 yards and three touchdowns against the Raiders. "Once we get in, we know we can do damage. And now we're in the playoffs."

In Week 4, New England quarterback TOM BRADY scored two touchdowns in the Patriots' 27-21 win over Baltimore.

"That was a long time ago," says Ravens head coach JOHN HARBAUGH, who has led the team to the playoffs in each of his first two seasons. "We've changed. They've changed. Every week stands on its own. That's the beauty of it."

The Patriots, who won the AFC East with a 10-6 record, have won 11 consecutive postseason games at home (1997-present), the second-longest streak in NFL history (Green Bay, 13, 1939-2002). In addition, Brady can become the first quarterback to win his first nine home playoff starts in the Super Bowl era.

"We worked all year to be in this position," says New England head coach BILL BELICHICK. "We're in the playoffs and looking forward to getting started."

GREEN BAY PACKERS (11-5) at ARIZONA CARDINALS (10-6)

"Momentum is a benefit," says Packers head coach MIKE MC CARTHY. And one team that certainly has momentum heading into the playoffs is Green Bay. The Packers ended the season winning seven of their final eight games, including a 33-7 victory at Arizona, the team's first-round opponent.

"Our focus as a football team was to complete the 16 games, to make sure we take our best football into the playoffs," says McCarthy. "I was very happy with the quality of our work. We feel like it is important for us to stay in tune, stay sharp and now we feel we're ready for the playoffs."

Green Bay boasts the NFC's top-ranked defense (284.4 yards per game), led by Pro Bowl cornerback CHARLES WOODSON, and the first offense in NFL history to feature a 4,000-yard passer (AARON RODGERS), 1,200-yard rusher (RYAN GRANT) and two 1,000-yard receivers (DONALD DRIVER & GREG JENNINGS) in back-to-back seasons.

The defending NFC champion Cardinals have won division titles in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1974-75. The team will open the playoffs at home for the second year in a row, a franchise first.

"To me, everything starts now," says Arizona quarterback KURT WARNER. "It's time to go play football. It's one and done. You don't show up and play, you go home."

Last year, during the team's Super Bowl run, Warner passed for 1,147 yards, the most ever in a single postseason. His career 98.9 playoff passer rating is the second-best mark in NFL history. Pro Bowl wide receiver LARRY FITZGERALD will look to extend his streak of four consecutive 100-yard games in the playoffs, a league record. He also set NFL single-playoff records with 30 receptions, 546 yards and seven touchdown receptions last season.

 

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