InGamer: Preview for Sunday’s big playoff games
Posted January 15, 2012 10:35 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
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All you have to do is pick players in an individual game that you think will perform well. You will score points based on how those players do. Then, if you want, you can change your picks for each quarter/period/half. Sounds pretty cool, eh?
The Captain Morgan Playoff Challenge continues and below is Sunday’s Conference Semi-finals preview brought to you by InGamer co-Founder and fantasy sports expert Nic Sulsky.
Enjoy the read and come try the coolest new sports game around.
Houston @ Baltimore
Arian Foster or Ray Rice. Pick your poison. This will be a game with two offenses focusing on getting the ball into their best player’s hands as often as possible, and that means 25-plus touches for each starting running back. They’re as talented running between the tackles and outside of them as they are catching passes out of the backfield.
Because they will be the focal point of both offenses, the starting middle linebackers and strong safeties will be the focal point of each defense. While each team utilizes the 3-4 defence — usually diluting the effectiveness of a single MLB — Brian Cushing and Ray Lewis are clear favorites to post at least eight tackles. The guy I really like this week on the defense side of the ball is Bernard Pollard. The Ravens’ SS and former Texan starter has an axe to grind and a prime opportunity to do so.
Neither team wants to rely on their passing game to win this match up. Baltimore has the more experienced quarterback in Joe Flacco (who isn’t exactly described as explosive) while TJ Yates has looked comfortable in recent weeks but is still not someone who can put the team on his shoulders, so to speak.
While Andre Johnson is the game’s best wideout, Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith offer more hope through the air. If shutdown corner Jonathan Joseph is stapled to Boldin, Torrey Smith could have a big game.
Don’t forget about the tight ends either. Houston’s Owen Daniels and Ed Dickson of the Ravens will be used in play action to keep these two aggressive defenses honest.
This first quarter may involve two very long, run heavy drives, so look to start your game with a very un-sexy combination of runners and tacklers. As the game progresses at least one offense will likely be forced to open it up; the question is who?
My Starting 6:
Captain: Ray Rice – RB, BAL
Bernard Pollard – DB, BAL
Ed Dickson – TE, BAL
Brian Cushing- LB, HOU
Arian Foster – RB, HOU
Ray Lewis – LB, BAL
Keep an eye on: Terrell Suggs, Torrey Smith, Billy Cundiff, and J.J. Watt
New York Giants @ Green Bay Packers
I can’t think of anything I’m looking forward to more this weekend than seeing how the Packers deal with the vaunted defensive line of the G-Men. If the Giants can get to Aaron Rodgers and make him uncomfortable, the Giants will win. That simple.
The Giants offense is good enough to score against a mediocre Packers defence. So, the question is will Aaron Rodgers be able to throw for 350 yards and a handful of scores? I think that’s what he’ll need to do in this game. Unfortunately for Rodgers, I think Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, and the otherworldly Jason Pierre-Paul will make that a bigger challenge than Rodgers has had all year.
On the Packers side of the ball, you know the big three: Jordy Nelson, Jermichael Finley, and a healthy Greg Jennings. They could all have huge games, the question is who and when? James Jones and Donald Driver also could merit consideration as we see how the Giants decide to deal with the big three.
James Starks is coming back, but who cares? I don’t. I care for Ryan Grant even less. Aaron Rodgers will get more rushing yards than either of those guys; you heard it here first.
For the Giants defence, you can’t go wrong with any of the aforementioned defensive linemen, but don’t sleep on DE/OLB Mathias Kiwanuka. SS Kenny Philips might be the best Giants defender to use if you’d like to roll with some consistent points.
The Giants are going to use the run to set up the big play ability of their three main receiving targets; Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham. Tramon Williams, Sam Shields and Charles Woodson have the skill and speed to match up well, but they are all ball hawks who like to gamble. There is a lot to lose this game.
The first quarter will likely find Tom Coughlin trying to establish Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs, but Manning loves to take his shots down field so you never know. Clay Matthews Jr. will have a hard time finding rushing lanes with the way the Giants offensive line is playing, so look to LB Desmond Bishop and SS Morgan Burnett to put up some solid second-level tackle numbers.
The big sleeper in this game is receiver Randall Cobb in Green Bay. He’s the return man and has saw an increased number of offensive snaps with Jenning’s recent injury.
My Starting 6:
Captain: Jordy Nelson – WR, GB
Aaron Rodgers – QB, GB
Desmond Bishop – LB, GB
Jason Pierre-Paul – DE, NYG
Ahmad Bradshaw – RB, NYG
Randall Cobb – WR/KR, GB
Keep your eye on: Greg Jennings, Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz, and Kenny Phillips.
Good Luck Everyone and see you in the games!
