Ravens Vs. Miami

Run, Ravens, run: All of the Baltimore starting pass catchers are listed as “questionable.”  Wide receiver Clayton has a bad knee, tight end Todd Heap’s having back trouble and wideout Derrick Mason’s shoulder is injured. Will the three starters play? Most likely, yes. But their range, durability and output will probably be reduced. Rookie QB Joe Flacco will be handing the ball off a lot to running backs Le’Ron McClain and Willis McGahee. The best thing that the Ravens’ offense can do is play cleanly, allowing the team’s defense to play its game and control Miami.

Tricks of the Trade: Miami will do anything to win, including a myriad of trick plays. Fake punts, the flea flicker and passes by running back are all on the table. They will have to do something in order to make this a game against the stellar Baltimore defense. The good news is that overall the team is healthy. Also, home field advantage will help. By all rights, Baltimore should crush these guys. But if Pennington and company can break through the Ravens’ “D,” taking them out of their game, the Fins can win.

Eagles Vs. Vikings

Secondary is Sound: Philadelphia got some good news today. It was announced that Pro Bowl cornerback Asante Samuel, who sustained a hip injury during Wednesday’s practice and was held out from Thursday’s practice, will be ready to play in Sunday’s Wild-Card game. Samuel’s past playoff performances have been first-rate as the corner has returned three interceptions for touchdowns. He could certainly be key on Sunday.

Viking Spirit: With less than a few days to go before Minnesota hosted Philadelphia, the Viking’s had not sold about 24,000 of their Metrodome seats. That’s because many season ticket holders decided to forgo the purchase of playoff seats. Viking fans, facing a blackout of the game by the NFL, started buying up tickets. The Eagles promoted ticket sales to their fans. It’s unknown how many Philadelphia fans purchased game tickets. But if enough did, the Vikings could lose some of their home field advantage. The Metrodome is now sold out, which means that the NFL will allow the game to be televised locally. By the way, if QB Tarvaris Jackson falters in the contest, look for Minnesota’s former starter Gus Frerotte to replace him. Head coach Brad Childress will act quickly if Jackson plays poorly.