The Cowboys head into Minnesota red hot after annihilating the Eagles in the Wild Card Round last Saturday Night. When the dust had settled, they easily waltzed to the 2nd round with a 34-14 win.
Beginning with their 24-17 upset of the then 13-0 Saints, the Cowboys are on a four game winning streak and peaking at the right time.
The same can’t be said for the Vikings. Although they demolished the Giants 44-7 in Week 17, let’s not forget that New York had packed its bag for the winter vacation a week earlier.
Minnesota, after beginning the season 11-1, stumbled badly to end the season and only received the No. 2 seed after the Eagles choked away their chance in the final week of the season.
Onto the match-up:
When the Cowboys have the ball, they’ll come out throwing. The Vikings possess a formidable front four so a quick passing game neutralizes the effectiveness and Jared Allen and Co.
It’ll also set up the running game which the Cowboys will certainly make use of.
Once a dominating group against the run, the loss of E J Henderson to the middle of the defense has negatively impacted the unit’s ability to stop the ground game. Both Chris Wells and Jonathan Stewart had a lot of success in consecutive weeks.
Look for Felix Jones, Marion Barber and Tashard Choice to all play key roles in the running game on Saturday.
And once they begin to find success, and force the Vikings Safeties up, Tony Romo will key on Jason Witten, Miles Austin and Roy Williams. The injury to Antoine Winfield has affected his coverage skills and teams are attacking his side (of the field) frequently.
When Minnesota has the ball, it all starts with Adrian Peterson and the rushing attack in this one.
The ground game fell off precipitously late in the season and it’s a must that it gets going here. If it doesn’t, it’s going to be a long day for the Vikings.
The Cowboys possess two of the best pass rushing players left in the playoffs (DeMarcus Ware, Anthony Spencer), and the Vikings can ill afford to have Favre dropping back in the face of constant pressure.
So look for a lot of No. 28.
However, in order to win, the Vikings will need to do their damage in the passing game.
The running game should provide the necessary balance to make the play-action effective, and that’s where Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin will come into play.
Both are big play receivers – Harvin with his speed, Rice with his size and route running ability – and both will have an opportunity to pick up big yards after the catch.
And once in the red zone, keep an eye on TE Visanthe Schiancoe because Favre loves to look his way near the goal line.
When this one is all said and done, expect the Cowboys, currently 2.5 point underdogs, to prevail with a 27-17 win.
The Super Bowl is the only reason Favre came back, and he’s put his team into a position to reach its goal, but the Vikings are going in the wrong direction at the wrong time.
The offensive line is not creating holes for AD, it’s not pass blocking for Favre as well as earlier on, and the defense has been average since the loss of E.J. Henderson.
And that’s not the recipe for success against a surging Cowboys team playing great defense.
Pro Football 101 » NFL Picks - Divisional Round Playoffs
January 14th, 2010 at 18:47
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[...] The Cowboys, as a 2.5 point underdog, are the best bet on the board this week. They’re coming into this game playing exceptional defense. [...]
Pro Football 101 » NFC Championship Game Breakdown: Vikings vs. Saints
January 21st, 2010 at 15:59
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[...] Vikings, after stumbling down the stretch and backing in to the No.2 seed, dismantled the red hot Cowboys 34-3 in the Divisional [...]