---
January 6, 2007

ESPN
http://tinyurl.com/2oakpz
---

Excerpt:

---

Seahawks at Packers, Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET

1. How big a factor is Green Bay's lack of playoff
experience?

It's huge. Green Bay has just 17 players on its 53-
man roster who have played in a postseason game
(including quarterback Brett Favre, wide receiver
Donald Driver and cornerbacks Charles Woodson
and Al Harris).

Seattle, on the other hand, has 39 players with such
experience, including many who were around for
the Seahawks' Super Bowl loss to Pittsburgh during
the 2005 season. That much exposure to high-pres-
sure situations served Seattle well in Saturday's
wild-card win over Washington and it certainly
will benefit the Seahawks in this round.

The key issue for the Packers is making sure their
less-experienced players understand the magnitude
of this moment. Green Bay fielded the youngest team
in the NFL this season and it could be easy for those
players to think they'll have many more opportunities
to pursue a championship.

If they are thinking that way, they need only talk to
Favre about how quickly prosperity can vanish in
this league. After all, since reaching consecutive
Super Bowls in 1996-97, the Packers are just 2-5
in postseason play and are making their first play-
off appearance in three years.

2. Can Seattle prosper without much production
from its running game?

No. It's true that Seahawks quarterback Matt Hassel-
beck has enjoyed a terrific season, but Seattle will
need more balance in its pass-happy offense against
the Packers.

Green Bay has one cornerback who is going to the
Pro Bowl (Harris) and another who played well
enough to join him (Woodson). Those two are good
enough to cover two of the options in Seattle's four-
receiver sets. Meanwhile, the Packers' front seven
should be able to create plenty of problems for
Hasselbeck.

The real downer for Seattle is that running back
Shaun Alexander has given no indication that he'll
elevate his game. He led the Seahawks with just
46 yards in the win over Washington and injuries
limited him to a mere 716 yards this season.

If that's not bad enough, the Seahawks' offensive
line also has struggled with its run blocking all
year. That's not likely to change this week.

3. How much does Seattle's playoff record on the
road matter?

Plenty. The Seahawks have just one postseason
win outside of Seattle -- against Miami in 1983
when the Seahawks were a member of the AFC.

To make things even more difficult, consider that
Green Bay has suffered just two playoff defeats
in the history of Lambeau Field. Plus, Seattle
coach Mike Holmgren, who coached in Green
Bay from 1992-98, is 1-2 versus his old team
at Lambeau.

The reality here is that Seattle is far more com-
fortable inside the noisy confines of Qwest Field.
Once the Seahawks hit the road -- and they're 3-5
this season away from home -- they become far
more vulnerable.

---

Giants at Cowboys, Sunday, 4:30 p.m. ET

1. How much will the Cowboys miss Terrell Owens
if he can't play?

It will be huge. As explosive as Dallas has been all
season, the Cowboys owe a great deal of their suc-
cess to the fact that Owens remains one of the elite
receivers in the NFL. The bottom line is that when
he's on the field, he makes life easier for everybody
else on offense.

Without him, quarterback Tony Romo isn't likely to
play with the same swagger and the Cowboys' offense
isn't going to be chewing up yardage by the chunks.

Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said Monday that
T.O. is a "game-time decision." He apparently has
been rehabilitating his high ankle sprain so relent-
lessly that he was meeting with trainers on Christ-
mas Day and New Year's.

If we had to wager, we'd assume Owens will be
dressed Sunday. His ankle probably won't be 100
percent -- such injuries tend to linger -- but his
presence alone makes all the difference for the
Cowboys' offense.

2. Has Eli Manning really turned a corner with his
play?

There's still good reason to be skeptical of Manning
-- mainly because he was playing lousy during the
final month of the regular season -- but the Giants
have to love what they've seen from him lately.

Aside from one critical interception, Manning played
brilliantly in a season-ending loss to New England
and he was equally impressive in Sunday's wild-
card win over Tampa Bay (20-for-27 for 185 yards
and two touchdowns). If he can perform that well
against Dallas, the Giants could very well pull the
upset.

Remember, Manning enjoyed a huge day against
Dallas in a season-opening loss (312 yards, four
touchdowns, one interception). He was mediocre
in the rematch, but the Dallas defense can give up
big plays.

The key here is how well the Giants protect Man-
ning and how well he makes decisions. One thing
that is definitely certain is that he won't lack for
confidence heading into this contest.

3. Why will the Giants beat Dallas now after losing
both games during the regular season?

For one thing, the Giants finally have regained the
form they displayed during a six-game winning
streak earlier this season. They're flying around
on defense and harassing quarterbacks with a pass
rush that produced a league-leading 53 sacks.

On offense, they're running the ball with Brandon
Jacobs and benefiting from the improved health
of wide receiver Plaxico Burress, who has been
nagged all season with an ankle injury. By the
way, they're also 8-1 on the road this season, so
hostile environments don't bother them.

That being said, the Cowboys are a safe bet to
win this contest. They've outplayed the Giants in
both previous meetings and it's hard to overcome
the confidence that comes with such results.

--- end excerpt ---

Archived from group: alt>sports>football>pro