With the regular season finished, and the NFL playoff schedule announced for the NFC and AFC, the post-season narrative is beginning to come together. First up for this wild card weekend: the battle of the rookies.
There's sure to be compelling football Saturday and Sunday no matter how you slice it, but with rookie QBs like Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck, and Russell Wilson all making their first playoff appearances in wildcard playoff games, this weekend is all about the rookies. The first games of the 2013 playoffs are a veritable litmus test for these rookie QBs' futures.
AFC
For the second year-in-a-row, the playoffs will kickoff with a match-up between the Houston Texans (12-4) and Cincinnati Bengals (10-6). Just like last year, the game will be the first of wild card Saturday, getting things rolling in Houston at 4 p.m. EST.
Sunday, Jan. 6, Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts take on the Baltimore Ravens in Charm City with a 1 p.m. kickoff on CBS.
Colts rookie QB Andrew Luck was the first overall pick in last year's draft and has largely lived up to the hype surrounding him, completing his first season by grabbing the single-season rookie passing yards record as Indianapolis went from last place to the playoffs in one year.
NFC
Saturday's night game is a rematch of Sunday's game between the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers. Viking QB Christian Ponder, and star running back Adrian Peterson will try to strike lightning twice against the volatile Packers at 8 p.m. EST Saturday at Lambaeu Field. Both of Saturday's games will be broadcast on NBC.
After dominating the beleaguered Cowboys, Robert Griffin III and the Washington Redskins will host the Seattle Seahawks at 4:30 p.m. on FOX; this will be the Redskins' third consecutive playoff game against the Seahawks. Seattle trounced the Skins in 2005 and 2007.
With both teams' quarterbacks testing their post-season mettle for the first time, this game will be a true battle of the rookies.
Robert Griffin III has been playing with an injured knee for weeks now; that can easily suck the life out of any team's offensive attack. And while Griffin has no doubt been playing it safe, if anything, he's seems emboldened by the injury and resolved to pay that much harder in spite of it. He proved that in the Redskins' commanding 28-18 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, and according to the Washington Post, he's feeling even healthier than during that game.
"Each week, I've been able to do more," Griffin said to the Post. "Today, I felt a lot better than I did last week, and I mean, that's all you can ask for at this point."
Griffin and Seattle's QB Russell Wilson will be one of the most exciting showdowns on Sunday; especially considering the two QBs had the third and fourth highest QB rating in the NFL this season, respectively.
Wilson, who came in mid-season to start for the Seahawks, looks like he's only improving with time. He's had 16 touchdown passes and just two interceptions in the second half of the season.
"Unlike Griffin and Luck, who looked good from the start, Wilson improved dramatically over the course of the season. Early on, he had problems on third down. He fixed those. He didn't play well on the road. He started to get consistent. He got into trouble when he rolled right. It became a strong suit," noted the LA Times.
Divisional round
The divisional round of the playoffs begins Saturday, Jan. 12 in Denver. At that point, the lowest remaining seed in the AFC (either the Bengals, Colts, or Ravens) will go head-to-head with the Broncos at 4 p.m. on CBS. That same day the highest remaining seed in the NFC (Packers, Redskins or Seahawks) will visit the 49ers at 8 p.m. EST on FOX.
The following day, Sunday, Jan. 13, the lowest remaining NFC seed (the Vikings, Redskins or Seahawks) will challenge the Falcons for supremacy at 1 p.m. EST on FOX. The divisional round will wrap with Sunday's last game, a match-up between the New England Patriots the highest remaining AFC seed (the Texans, colts, or Ravens) in Foxboro, Mass. at 4:30 p.m. EST on CBS.
The AFC and NFC Championship Games are on Sunday, Jan. 20. The Pro Bowl is on Sunday, Jan. 27 and the Super Bowl is on Sunday, Feb. 3.
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