2* Arizona -1
Although Matt Ryan has been having an incredible year, I will take the more experienced Warner who has been in this situation before. Heres a stat for rookie QBs playing in the playoffs:
<table class="story-table" border="0"><tbody><tr class="story-table-even-row"><td>Quarterback </td><td>Team </td><td>Season </td></tr> <tr class="story-table-odd-row"><td> Dan Marino </td><td>Miami </td><td>1983 </td></tr> <tr class="story-table-even-row"><td colspan="3">Playoffs: 0-1, Lost in second round</td></tr> <tr class="story-table-odd-row"><td> Bernie Kosar </td><td>Cleveland </td><td>1985 </td></tr> <tr class="story-table-even-row"><td colspan="3">Playoffs: 0-1, Lost in second round</td></tr> <tr class="story-table-odd-row"><td> Jim Everett </td><td>LA Rams </td><td>1986 </td></tr> <tr class="story-table-even-row"><td colspan="3">Playoffs: 0-1, Lost in first round</td></tr> <tr class="story-table-odd-row"><td> Todd Marinovich </td><td>LA Raiders </td><td>1991 </td></tr> <tr class="story-table-even-row"><td colspan="3">Playoffs: 0-1, Lost in first round</td></tr> <tr class="story-table-odd-row"><td> Shaun King </td><td>Tampa Bay </td><td>1999 </td></tr> <tr class="story-table-even-row"><td colspan="3">Playoffs: 1-1, Lost NFC championship game</td></tr> <tr class="story-table-odd-row"><td> Ben Roethlisberger </td><td>Pittsburgh </td><td>2004 </td></tr> <tr class="story-table-even-row"><td colspan="3">Playoffs: 1-1, Lost AFC championship game</td></tr></tbody></table>
Overall Rookie QBs are 2-6 in the playoffs.
Heres a good article I found about what the Cardinals need to do to win the game:
1. Do not allow Michael Turner to take over the game. The Falcons’ Pro Bowl running back rushed for 1,699 yards and 17 touchdowns during the regular season. He’ll get his yards on Saturday, and he most likely will find the end zone at least once. While the Cardinals won’t be able to stop him, they’ll need to find a way to contain him. If Turner rushes for, say, 115 yards on 27 carries, the Cardinals will have a chance to win. If Turner runs for 215 yards on 27 carries, it will be tough for Arizona to prevail.
2. Prevent big pass plays to Roddy White. Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan was named the NFC’s Offensive Rookie of the Year after passing for 3,440 yards and 16 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. His favorite target is White, a Pro Bowl receiver who caught 88 passes for 1,382 yards and seven touchdowns. Ryan and White have the ability to break open the game. The Cardinals must stop that from happening.
3. Protect quarterback Kurt Warner. The Cardinals’ stellar receiving trio of Larry Fitzgerald (who finished the regular season with 1,431 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns), Anquan Boldin (1,038 yards and 11 scores) and Steve Breaston (1,006 yard and three touchdowns) can get open against anybody. If the Arizona offensive line can keep defensive end John Abraham (who has 16.5 of the Falcons’ 33 regular-season sacks) and the rest of the formidable Atlanta pass rush away from Warner, the Cardinals’ Pro Bowl quarterback (who has thrown for 4,583 yards and a franchise record 30 touchdowns) and his receivers can have a big day. They’ll need to in order to keep pace in what could develop into a high-scoring shootout.
4. Exhibit some semblance of a running game. Most likely, the Cardinals will not rush for as many yards as the Falcons. That’s OK, as long as Arizona can run the ball enough to keep the defense honest. Whether it’s Edgerrin James (who rushed for 100 yards last week against the Seahawks in his most-extensive action since October) or Tim Hightower (who has started seven games this season) or J.J. Arrington (a change-of-pace back who has the speed to make things happen), the Cardinals will need at least one of their running backs to contribute.
5. Do not turn the ball over. This one is simple -- just don’t do it. In what figures to be a closely contested matchup, the Cardinals simply cannot afford to give away the football on fumbles and interceptions.
6. Make plays during crunch time. In a game that likely will be decided in the final five minutes, the Cardinals will need great plays from their best players. There will be a fine line between a 27-24 victory and a 27-24 defeat on Saturday. In the closing minutes, Arizona will need Warner, Fitzgerald, Boldin and Breaston to step up on offense and will rely upon Darnell Dockett, Karlos Dansby and Adrian Wilson to come through on defense.
Summary:
Statistically, Atlanta has been the more impressive team this year, but everyone knows that on game day all previous stats are thrown out the window and the team that comes to play usually wins. I will take the more experienced team, who is having the so-called "Cinderella" season, to win this one 31-21.
Although Matt Ryan has been having an incredible year, I will take the more experienced Warner who has been in this situation before. Heres a stat for rookie QBs playing in the playoffs:
<table class="story-table" border="0"><tbody><tr class="story-table-even-row"><td>Quarterback </td><td>Team </td><td>Season </td></tr> <tr class="story-table-odd-row"><td> Dan Marino </td><td>Miami </td><td>1983 </td></tr> <tr class="story-table-even-row"><td colspan="3">Playoffs: 0-1, Lost in second round</td></tr> <tr class="story-table-odd-row"><td> Bernie Kosar </td><td>Cleveland </td><td>1985 </td></tr> <tr class="story-table-even-row"><td colspan="3">Playoffs: 0-1, Lost in second round</td></tr> <tr class="story-table-odd-row"><td> Jim Everett </td><td>LA Rams </td><td>1986 </td></tr> <tr class="story-table-even-row"><td colspan="3">Playoffs: 0-1, Lost in first round</td></tr> <tr class="story-table-odd-row"><td> Todd Marinovich </td><td>LA Raiders </td><td>1991 </td></tr> <tr class="story-table-even-row"><td colspan="3">Playoffs: 0-1, Lost in first round</td></tr> <tr class="story-table-odd-row"><td> Shaun King </td><td>Tampa Bay </td><td>1999 </td></tr> <tr class="story-table-even-row"><td colspan="3">Playoffs: 1-1, Lost NFC championship game</td></tr> <tr class="story-table-odd-row"><td> Ben Roethlisberger </td><td>Pittsburgh </td><td>2004 </td></tr> <tr class="story-table-even-row"><td colspan="3">Playoffs: 1-1, Lost AFC championship game</td></tr></tbody></table>
Overall Rookie QBs are 2-6 in the playoffs.
Heres a good article I found about what the Cardinals need to do to win the game:
1. Do not allow Michael Turner to take over the game. The Falcons’ Pro Bowl running back rushed for 1,699 yards and 17 touchdowns during the regular season. He’ll get his yards on Saturday, and he most likely will find the end zone at least once. While the Cardinals won’t be able to stop him, they’ll need to find a way to contain him. If Turner rushes for, say, 115 yards on 27 carries, the Cardinals will have a chance to win. If Turner runs for 215 yards on 27 carries, it will be tough for Arizona to prevail.
2. Prevent big pass plays to Roddy White. Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan was named the NFC’s Offensive Rookie of the Year after passing for 3,440 yards and 16 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. His favorite target is White, a Pro Bowl receiver who caught 88 passes for 1,382 yards and seven touchdowns. Ryan and White have the ability to break open the game. The Cardinals must stop that from happening.
3. Protect quarterback Kurt Warner. The Cardinals’ stellar receiving trio of Larry Fitzgerald (who finished the regular season with 1,431 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns), Anquan Boldin (1,038 yards and 11 scores) and Steve Breaston (1,006 yard and three touchdowns) can get open against anybody. If the Arizona offensive line can keep defensive end John Abraham (who has 16.5 of the Falcons’ 33 regular-season sacks) and the rest of the formidable Atlanta pass rush away from Warner, the Cardinals’ Pro Bowl quarterback (who has thrown for 4,583 yards and a franchise record 30 touchdowns) and his receivers can have a big day. They’ll need to in order to keep pace in what could develop into a high-scoring shootout.
4. Exhibit some semblance of a running game. Most likely, the Cardinals will not rush for as many yards as the Falcons. That’s OK, as long as Arizona can run the ball enough to keep the defense honest. Whether it’s Edgerrin James (who rushed for 100 yards last week against the Seahawks in his most-extensive action since October) or Tim Hightower (who has started seven games this season) or J.J. Arrington (a change-of-pace back who has the speed to make things happen), the Cardinals will need at least one of their running backs to contribute.
5. Do not turn the ball over. This one is simple -- just don’t do it. In what figures to be a closely contested matchup, the Cardinals simply cannot afford to give away the football on fumbles and interceptions.
6. Make plays during crunch time. In a game that likely will be decided in the final five minutes, the Cardinals will need great plays from their best players. There will be a fine line between a 27-24 victory and a 27-24 defeat on Saturday. In the closing minutes, Arizona will need Warner, Fitzgerald, Boldin and Breaston to step up on offense and will rely upon Darnell Dockett, Karlos Dansby and Adrian Wilson to come through on defense.
Summary:
Statistically, Atlanta has been the more impressive team this year, but everyone knows that on game day all previous stats are thrown out the window and the team that comes to play usually wins. I will take the more experienced team, who is having the so-called "Cinderella" season, to win this one 31-21.
