Wildcard Preview Atlanta Falcons @ Arizona Cardinals

What: The start of the 2008-09 NFL playoffs
Who: Atlanta Falcons @ Arizona Cardinals
Where: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
When: Saturday at 4:30 PM EST
What Channel: NBC
Weather Forecast (Assuming roof will be open, as of 12/30): 40% Chance of showers, high of 60 degrees
Announcers: Tom Hammond and Cris Collinsworth with Tiki Barber serving as a Sideline Reporter
Announcers Talking Point of the game: Should the NFL playoffs be amended in order to prevent mediocre division winners such as the Cardinals to have a home playoff game?

After what was seemingly a decade of underachieving, the Arizona Cardinals have made the playoffs. Oh wait, that's only because the rest of the NFC West sucks.

Nonetheless the Cards are in the postseason and they are the home team. In this game, you really have two contrasting styles. You have the Cardinals who have become more or less a very finesse team and the Falcons who love to pound the ball with Michael Turner. Already it looks like a mismatch for the Cardinals, and we haven't even begin to talk about Matt Ryan. The rookie has had an absolute sensational year and is definitley a lock for rookie of the year. The Falcons were a team that was left in shambles when the Vick Dogfighting Scandal broke, but Ryan after being booed on draft day by the Falcons fans, is now more or less a cult hero and he has played like it.

The Cards offense does have the potential to strike though. While the running game this year has for the most part been ineffective, there's a reason the Cards quickly emerged as the best of the worst in the NFC West and that reason is Kurt Warner. He still has an arm and he can still make plays. Will it be enough to beat the Falcons though? That I highly doubt.

However, we must consider the venue. Yes, University of Phoenix Stadium. In 3 football postseason games played there (college and the NFL) the underdog has won every game. Boise State in the 07 Fiesta Bowl over Oklahoma, West Virginia over OU in the 08 Fiesta Bowl, and who will ever forget Super Bowl XLII when the Giants made the Pats 18-1. Will the underdog make it 4 for 4? If past trends mean anything, we'll be in for a surprisingly wild ride.

But, what is this but a mere coincidence? You can see it as you like but in this particular case, I'm going on the side of odd coincidence (I'm currently growing an Eagles' playoff beard and I wore Phillies' color tee-shirts everyday during the NLCS and World Series, so I'm not totally a coincidence person). Therefore, I will take the Falcons in this one 31-10 over the Cardinals.