Wild Card Preview: Ray Lewis to Play Final Game at M&T Bank Stadium

Yesterday's games went as planned, with Houston knocking off Cincy for the second consecutive season and the Packers destroying the Christian Ponder-less Vikings. We have the final two Wild Card games today, starting with a (No. 4) Baltimore Ravens squad hosting (No. 5) Indianapolis.

Indy's rookie Andrew Luck led his Colts to an 11-5 season under head coach Chuck Pagano, who has been battling Leukemia but returned to the sideline last week to lead the team over Houston. The Ravens will have soon-to-retire linebacker Ray Lewis back on the field today, in what will be his final game at M&T Bank Stadium. Perhaps that adds a little bit of added motivation for Baltimore?

Indianapolis Colts @ Baltimore Ravens

1 PM, M&T Bank Stadium

Favorite: Baltimore by 7

Baltimore's Joe Flacco is the first quarterback since Otto Graham to take his team to the postseason in the first five seasons in the league. With a 5-4 career postseason record and an expiring contract this season, Flacco and the Ravens offense will be looking to take the team to the next level. New offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell will need to get the ball to Ray Rice early and often, however, in order to pull away with a victory over Indy today.

The Ravens are 0-4 all-time in postseason games in which Flacco attempts 30+ passes. Pro Bowl running back Ray Rice has just three career postseason touchdowns and 444 yards in 7 games, with one 100+ yard performance. Against Indy's 29th-ranked run defense, Rice will need 25-30 touches in order to control the game clock and wear down the front seven of the Colts.

The most important thing for Indianapolis to accomplish on offense will be to protect Andrew Luck. A healthy Lewis and Suggs could be trouble for this offensive line, and if he isn't protected against a team such as Baltimore, turnovers are bound to happen.

Offensive 2012 Stats

Indianapolis: 18th-ranked scoring, 7th-ranked passing, 22nd-ranked rushing

Baltimore: 10th-ranked scoring, 15th-ranked passing, 11th-ranked rushing

Defensive 2012 Stats

Indianapolis: 21st-ranked scoring, 21st-ranked passing, 29th-ranked rushing

Baltimore: 12th-ranked scoring, 17th-ranked passing, 20th-ranked rushing

With offensive coordinator Bruce Arians of the Colts hospitalized, the young rookie will be thrown out there with quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen calling the plays today. Without much of a running game––rookie Vick Ballard was team's leading rusher with 814 yards, 3.9 Y/C––all the pressure will be on Luck to perform. If he isn't protected against this Ravens' defense, they will eat him alive. And I expect that to happen to the poor guy today.

An even more motivated Ravens' defense, which will be looking to get Ray at least one more game, and a motivated, healthy Lewis, will be enough to limit the damage Luck and Reggie Wayne do in the passing game. It'll be tough to win against this team with a one-dimensional offense (not expecting much from the running game).

The key will be on offense for Baltimore, as they will need to put 20+ points up on the scoreboard today. If Caldwell is smart, he will get Rice the ball from the start. Rice has yet to get 30 carries in a game this season, but they went 5-1 in games that Rice received 20 or more carries. Also, 6-2 in games that Rice gets into the end zone. I'm sure I sound like a broken record, but come on, how long do you think it'll take Baltimore to realize that they win games under Rice, not Flacco?

Things to Remember While Watching

*Indy's Reggie Wayne needs just 6 receptions to jump to No. 2 on the all-time postseason receptions list (Jerry Rice is No. 1, of course).

*No Bruce Arians today, so quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen will be calling the plays for Luck.

*This will be Ray Lewis' first game since October 14, 2012.

*Baltimore's offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell was Indy's head coach from 2009-11.

Key Players for Each Team

Indianapolis

*Andrew Luck: Without play-caller Bruce Arians on the sidelines calling the plays for today's game, even more pressure falls on Luck's right arm. He could have a good day if he receives the necessary protection, but a four or five sack game could be coming his way against Baltimore's rested up defense.

*Dwight Freeney/Robert Mathis: Indy's two top pass rushers will need a huge day in putting pressure on Flacco. If you get enough pressure on him and rattle him, he starts to make mistakes and turn the ball over. Forcing turnovers on defense will be huge for the Colts and may be the only way they have a chance at getting the Ravens off the field if Rice has a good day.

Baltimore

*Joe Flacco: Hopefully, for Baltimore's sake, Flacco wont be throwing the ball 30+ times today. But he's still a key player because what he does will obviously play a huge role in what the Ravens do offensively. In his nine career playoff games, Flacco has 8 TDs and 8 INTs. Seven of those eight interceptions came in losses, including two multi-interception games. Clearly, he'll need to protect the ball and pass under 30 times in order for this offense to click today.

*Ray Rice: The only two key players I'm mentioning are offensive players, and there's a reason for that. I don't think it's any secret that the Baltimore defense has the advantage over Indy's offense. But the result of today's game revolves around what the Ravens can do on offense. I'm thinking Indy sees a heavy dose of Rice, and he breaks 130 yards with a pair of touchdowns.

This is a tough match-up, but I think we'll at least see a close game today unlike last night's Packers victory. A mistake-free day for the two quarterbacks is crucial, but with an advantage in the run game and on defense, not to mention Baltimore is playing at home (6-2 at M&T this season), I believe the Ravens will prevail in this match-up and live to see another Ray Lewis postseason game.

Final Prediction: Ravens 21, Colts 17

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Colts, Bengals Clinch Final Two AFC Playoff Spots with Victories

Heading in to today there were two playoff spots remaining in the AFC and three teams in the hunt. At 9-5, the rookie-led Indianapolis Colts were just one victory away from clinching one of the two open AFC wild card seeds. Cincinnati (now 9-6) and Pittsburgh (now 7-8) were both facing off in hopes of capturing that final spot.

Tip-toeing away from Heinz Field with a 13-10 last-second victory, the Bengals managed to eliminate its AFC North foes from playoff contention and snag the final spot earlier today.

Thanks to a late Ben Roethlisberger interception and a 43-yard field goal from freshly-signed kicker Josh Brown, the Bengals defeated the Steelers despite managing just 14 yards on the ground, as a team.

This marked the second consecutive week that Roethlisberger threw a costly interception late in the game, leading to three straight losses and five over the last six weeks of play. The only win since an overtime victory over Kansas City on November 12? A Charlie Batch upset over the playoff-bound Baltimore Ravens at the beginning of the month.

Cincinnati struggled mightily on offense throughout their 6th road win of the season, combining for 267 total yards and turning the ball over three times (also forced 3 on defense). Andy Dalton threw for 278 yards but was sacked six times and threw two picks in his fourth multi-interception game on the season. BenJarvus Green-Ellis had run for 100+ yards in four of his last five games with three touchdowns, while combining for the second-most rushing yards in the league over that five game span. But Pittsburgh limited him to all 14 of Cincy's rushing yards on 15 carries and no touchdowns.

The only Cincinnati touchdown of the day was off another Roethlisberger mistake, coming on a 17-yard interception touchdown by Leon Hall towards the end of the 1st quarter.

With two struggling offenses and three combined missed field goals, it was clear that the winner of the game would have to be the team that makes the least-critical mistakes. And that was Cincinnati. Making big plays when it mattered most, Andy Dalton got the team in field goal range following Roethlisberger's second of his 2 picks of the game and Brown made up for his missed field goal earlier and kicked the game-winner through the uprights with :04 to play, sending Cincinnati to the postseason.

With the Ravens (9-5, already clinched a playoff berth) facing the 8-6 New York Giants at home, the AFC North division may end up coming down to next week's Baltimore/Cincinnati match-up in Cincinnati next Sunday. Win against the G-Men, and the Ravens win the North. But if the Giants pull out a victory on the road, the North division will come down to the final week of the season. That's what we all want, right? Makes things a bit more exciting during Week 17 games.

As for the Colts, rookie Andrew Luck stole the show this afternoon. Though it took him and Indy's offense all game to finally put the Kansas City Chiefs (2-13) to bed, Luck managed to steal the show in front of the Arrowhead Stadium crowd.

Just one year old, Cam Newton's rookie passing yards record has already been surpassed. Luck's 205 yards against Kansas City's 7th-ranked pass defense was enough to pass Newton's 4,051 yard total from 2011. He's now at 4,183 for the season, and can shatter the record with another 200-300 yards next week against division foe Houston.

The game-deciding touchdown came with just over four minutes to play in the game and culminated with a 7-yard touchdown pass to veteran wideout Reggie Wayne, the 21st TD pass of Luck's season and career. The drive 73 yards on 13 plays and ate up over six minutes of the game clock. Indy's 24th ranked defense forced a 3&out from KC's Brady Quinn the following drive to seal the playoff-clinching victory just one season after the franchise was 2-14 and at the bottom of the league.

A loss from Houston (12-3) and a win from New England (11-4) and a possible win from Denver (11-3 but leading Cleveland 14-3 in the second quarter) could possibly result in a shake-up of the AFC seeds. One thing we do know for sure at the moment, however, is that Indy and Cincy are in the postseason, and Indy will be either a 5th or 6th seed.

The road for Cincinnati will be clearer once the New York/Baltimore match-up is in the books later on this evening...Baltimore currently leads 14-7 at the end of the opening quarter.

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Recapping Week 15: AFC Playoff Picture Experiences Shake-up

Heading into this past weekend, the Baltimore Ravens had a perfect shot at proving they belong with the top dogs in the American Football Conference. Taking on Peyton Manning and the then-10-3 Denver Broncos, a banged up Baltimore defense seemed poised for the challenge.

Needing a victory to clinch the AFC North title, Baltimore struggled early and often against Denver's 5th-ranked overall defense. The firing of Cam Cameron as the team's offensive coordinator earlier that week was supposed to fix the offensive problems, promoting Jim Caldwell as the OC and play-caller. With Ray Rice receiving just 12 carries throughout the entire game, Joe Flacco clearly struggled to get anything going.

If Baltimore wants to make it deep into the postseason, they will need to get Rice the ball early and often. I'm talking, 25-30 carries a game. With an All-Pro playmaker at your disposal, it's hard to understand why coach John Harbaugh has not done anything to address this problem yet.

During Baltimore's current 3-game losing streak, Rice has received just 44 carries (average of 14.6 per game) while Flacco has averaged nearly 32 pass attempts during those games. While Flacco's stat line looks near-perfect in the overtime loss to Washington (16/21, 182 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT, 121.4 rating), in the other two games he completed under 50% of his passes.

The truth is that Flacco has been one of the most inconsistent quarterbacks in the game this season, and has overthrown more receivers than a fifth-year quarterback should be.

There have been five instances in which Flacco had attempted 40 or more passes and Rice had received under 20 carries (at PHI, vs. CLE, at HOU and vs. DEN) this season, and Baltimore went 1-3 over that span while being outscored 117-76.

Need more proof that Ray Rice needs the ball in his hands more and Flacco should be throwing less often? I have one more vital piece of information for you: On six different occasions this season Joe has completed under 60% of his passes, and BAL's record during those six games is 2-4. Flacco has a combined 6 TDs and 6 INTs. During those two wins the defense surrendered just 19 combined points to the Chiefs (2-12) and the Chargers (5-9).

Hopefully, for Baltimore's sake, Caldwell will come to his senses and get Rice the ball early and often. He will need to in order to break Baltimore's current 3-game losing streak this weekend. All Baltimore needs is a victory over the next two games to clinch the AFC North for the third consecutive season. They did, however, manage to back into the postseason this past Sunday with the Dallas Cowboys' victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in overtime.

In other news...

Houston Captures Second Consecutive AFC South Title

With a 29-17 victory over rookie quarterback Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts (9-5), the Houston Texans (12-2) managed to capture its second straight (and second overall) AFC South division title. The victory came in stunning fashion, too, coming off a disappointing 42-14 defeat at the hands of the Patriots (10-4) a week prior, Houston's offense was clicking on all cylinders again.

Arian Foster ran for a season-high 165 yards and quarterback Matt Schaub threw for 261 more. Thanks to 5 total sacks of Luck, the Texans managed to keep its spot as the team with the best record in the AFC. Three of those five sacks were recorded by Defensive Player of the Year favorite J.J. Watt, who managed to tie San Francisco's Aldon Smith for most in the league, with 19.5. With two games to play, both Watt and Smith are just 3.5 sacks away from breaking Michael Strahan's single-season sack record of 22.5, set in 2001.

Luckily for the Colts, they still hold the No. 5 seed in the playoff picture and will get another shot at the Texans in a Week 17 showdown at home. This week against the Chiefs the Colts can clinch a Wild Card spot with a win or a Steelers loss to the Bengals.

Houston can clinch a first round bye and the No. 1 seed with a win over Minnesota or Indianapolis.

Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh: Week 16 Game to Watch

Regardless of what happens in the New York/Baltimore game, all eyes will be on Cincy (8-6) and Pittsburgh (7-7) Heinz Field this Sunday. With only three remaining teams that can clinch the final 2 spots in the AFC playoffs, this is the most important game left in the conference this season.

Cincinnati easily handled the Eagles on Thursday night, pulling away with a 34-13 victory and inching one game closer to Baltimore. Pittsburgh missed out on a huge opportunity with an overtime loss to Tony Romo's Dallas Cowboys. But, luckily for a frustrated Ben Roethlisberger, he can still clinch the sixth seed with wins over the Bengals and Browns these last two weeks.

It really will be a must-win game for the Steelers on Sunday. A win, and they control their own destiny Week 17, needing just a win over the Browns (they would hold the tiebreaker over the Bengals). But a loss would mean Cincinnati would clinch a Wild Card spot, and the Colts (whether they win or lose against the Chiefs) would capture the final available playoff spot.

Cincinnati is certainly the dark horse to squeeze into the postseason, despite winning 5 of its last 6 games. The victories over that span have come against just one playoff contender (New York Giants, 31-13). The rest of them: Kansas City (2-12), Oakland (4-10), San Diego (5-9) and Philadelphia (4-10) have a combined 15-41 record in 2012. A last-second loss to the Cowboys (8-6) two weeks ago, 20-19, has proven costly for the Bengals and may be the game everyone looks at if they lose to Pittsburgh on Sunday and miss the postseason.

The Bengals are 5-2 on the road this year, but are on a 5-game skid against the Steelers right now and haven't beat them and haven't beaten them on the road since November 15, 2009. Andy Dalton has improved vastly in his second season under center (62.5 comp %, 26 TDs, 14 INTs, 89.4 rating) and is just 86 passing yards away from surpassing his 3,398 rookie performance, but will need solid protection from his offensive line if he plans on recording his first career victory against Pittsburgh (0-3 all-time).

Establishing the run game with BenJarvus Green-Ellis early and often will be key and will allow Cincinnati to set-up the play-action pass and keep Dalton comfortable under center. Pittsburgh, to make up for its depleted defense, will need to play mistake-free football. That's exactly what they were able to do against Dallas prior to Antonio Brown's fumble on a punt return late in the game. If Brown doesn't fumble, Pittsburgh had a great shot at winning the game without going into overtime.

Must-win for both teams, obviously. But even bigger for Pittsburgh, as a loss will eliminate them from playoff contention.

New York Jets Embarrassed on Monday Night; Eliminated from Playoffs

Thanks to a porous performance from the offense (6-8) against the Tennessee Titans on national television, the Jets were officially eliminated from the AFC playoff picture last night. Both offenses, to tell you the truth, looked horrendous. But luckily for Jake Locker's Titans, Mark Sanchez (54.8 comp %, 2,678 yards, 13 TDs, 17 INTs, 67.9 rating) stole the show.

Sanchez's four interceptions and game-ending fumble with under 30 seconds to play led to a disappointing playoff run and basically a disappointing season. Sanchez, who should have been benched for good after 3rd stringer quarterback Greg McElroy led the Jets to a 7-6 win over Arizona two weeks ago, was finally benched by head coach Rex Ryan earlier today.

McElroy (5/7, 29 yards, 1 TD, 118.5 rating in 1 game this season) will make his first career start against the Chargers on Sunday. Long overdue for the second-year quarterback out of Alabama? Yes, I think so. All of New York would agree––well, half of New York anyways, I'm sure Giants fans love watching Sanchez.

The Jets offense had ample opportunities to put points on the board, as the defense managed to stall the Titans offense plenty of times, sacking Jake Locker four times and forcing 10 Tennessee punts. They even managed to limit them to just 12 first downs and, aside from one mistake that allowed Chris Johnson to run for a 94-yard touchdown in the second quarter, the front 7 limited CJ to just 28 yards on his 20 other rushing attempts. No turnovers were forced, but Tennessee committed 14 penalties for 111 yards, giving New York second chances and stalling offensive drives.

With just over two minutes to play, New York had the ball at Tennessee's 23-yard line (down by four points). Sanchez made the decision to lob a pass over the middle to tight end Jeff Cumberland, in triple coverage, as Tennessee's Michael Griffin picked off Sanchez for the fourth time of the game. It appeared to end the Jets' night, but after three Chris Johnson runs managed just four yards, the Jets had forced a 3 & out and set Sanchez up with 1st and 10 on Tennessee's 25-yard line (punter Brett Kern shanked a punt in his own end zone).

What does Sanchez do with this gift from heaven? Fumbles the snap out of shotgun formation on his first play. Game over.

I'm not even near being a Jets fan and we here at All-Out Blitz have gotten very frustrated watching this offense. Despite all of this guaranteed money Sanchez is due, I wouldn't be surprised if New York's front office somehow tried to dispose of him this offseason. Especially if McElroy is able to get something going in these final two games.

Rant over.

AFC Playoff Scenarios

*Texans clinch home-field advantage throughout playoffs with a win over Minnesota OR Denver and New England both lose.

*Broncos clinch first round bye with win over Cleveland AND Jaguars beat the Patriots.

*Ravens clinch AFC North with win over Giants.

*Colts clinch wild card with win over Kansas City OR Bengals beat Steelers

*Bengals clinch wild card with win over Pittsburgh.

*Steelers clinch wild card with wins over Cincinnati and Cleveland.

Up next...Recapping Week 15: NFC Playoff Race Coming Down to Final 2 Weeks

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Colts at Steelers Live Blog: Primetime Preseason Action

It's only Week 2 of the preseason, I know. But it's primetime football and rookie quarterback Andrew Luck will be making his road debut, in Pittsburgh's Heinz Field of all places.

It'll be quite the test for the young signal caller, but I'm sure he's well-prepared for it. This will be the second chance for fans to get a look at Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Todd Haley's reinvented offense.

Running back continues to be the position that has haunted Pittsburgh early on, with Isaac Redman suffering a hip injury. The injury will not require surgery, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, and he will likely be able to return to the practice field early this week, but he will not be available for tonight's game.

Rashard Mendenhall was just activated from the PUP list this week, but clearly he still may not be able to play the entire month of September.

What exactly does this mean? Well, until we figure out how serious the Redman injury is, it appears as though the rest of the Pittsburgh running backs will be under the microscope tonight (and for the rest of the preseason).

Baron Batch, John Clay, Jonathan Dwyer and rookie Chris Rainey will be battling it out tonight and the last two weeks.

As for the Colts, the big headline for tonight–and every other time the Colts are even mentioned–will be Andrew Luck, the No. 1 overall pick in April. He made a very impressive debut last weekend, and will look to add on to that in tonight's matchup with Pittsburgh's hard-nosed defense.

Here's the live-blog feed for tonight's game, I will be making edits and adding on to this as the night goes on...

6:57 PM eastern time: We are now just over an hour until kickoff in Heinz Field, here's a look at the field.

Found a couple of pre-game photos (from SNF on NBC's twitter page):

*If you would like updates straight from NBC, just follow their Twitter account @SNFonNBC

*Two great Twitter accounts to follow for Steelers and Colts news/updates: @Steelersdepot and @nflcolts

*Steelers: No Redman and Mendenhall tonight (as stated above), so I would expect for Dwyer to get the start. Roethlisberger, Charlie Batch and Jerrod Johnson is the QB rotation. Byron Leftwich will not play, according to head coach Mike Tomlin. No tackle Max Starks tonight, either.

Tomlin: "I'd like for them to play about as twice as long as they did last time out. That's always a general reference but I always reserve the right to change it based on circumstance, performance, time of possession and things of that nature." (as told to Steelers.com earlier this week)

*Indy's offensive coordinator Bruce Arians will be facing his old team. It's only preseason, but you know Arians will want to stick it to his old employers after the awkward exit in Pittsburgh this offseason. Should be interesting to watch tonight.

*Former St. Louis Rams wideout Donnie Avery will likely miss his second preseason game in a row for the Colts tonight. According to reports, he could end up being Indy's slot receiver this season if he can stay healthy.

Former Pittsburgh wideout Hines Ward joined the NBC Sunday Night Football coverage team this offseason after his retirement from the game. The long-time Steeler will be making his debut as an analyst in the city he played for over the last 14 seasons (pictured below w/ sportscaster Dan Hicks from @SNFonNBC))

8 PM ET: NBC's coverage is kicking off as we speak. Meaning kick-off will come in about five minutes. Dan Hicks and Cris Collinsworth will be calling the game in the booth.

*Protection for Roethlisberger (with two rookies on the O-line) will be very key for Pittsburgh this season. For Indianapolis? A potent running game to take pressure off Luck.

*It will be interesting to see how Andrew fares under pressure. St. Louis didn't stand a chance against Indy last week, falling 38-3. Pittsburgh will be a different story as Dick LeBeau is sure to bring the heat tonight. This will be the first real test for Luck.

Tomlin to Michelle Tafoya prior to game:

"He's got a passion for winning" on new OC Todd Haley.

"We're taking it day-to-day" on Redman injury.

"It was good. Not good for a rookie, good for any quarterback" on Luck's debut last Sunday.

First Quarter

8:07 ET: Colts kickoff to Steelers. Kick sails over rookie Rainey's head for a touchback. Here comes Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh O.

8:10 ET: Dwyer does, in fact, get the start as expected and takes the first two plays of the game for a first down. He'll get a lot of playing time tonight according to Collinsworth.

Rainey is down after being popped by Jerraud Powers on an end-around (third play of game). Rainey fumbled the ball on the play after a solid gain, however wideout Emmanuel Sanders did recover. Timeout taken for Rainey injury (appears to be his head), and updates on the extent of his injury will be on the way.

Personal thought: I always love NBC's football teasers/commercials. Just saw the one for the Sunday Night Week 1 matchup of Denver and Pittsburgh. Just gets you even more pumped for the start of the season in September.

8:13 ET: Cory Redding just limped off the field for the Colts. Not even three minutes in and we've already seen two players leave due to injury. Bad news.

Will be interesting to see how Indy's transition from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4 defense will go this season. Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney, former d-ends, will be playing outside linebacker.

8:15 ET: Roethlisberger is picked off on this opening drive by Antoine Bethea, intended for Antonio Brown. We will get our first look at Luck in just a few minutes.

*Pagano and Arians are showing us that they would like to keep it safe with Luck so far...first three pass attempts are under five yards, just one of them completed. Three & out for Indy as Roethlisberger will come out for his second possession with 10:45 remaining in the opening quarter.

*It's been reported that Pittsburgh inside linebacker Stephen Sylvester will be out for 3-4 weeks with a torn MCL in his left knee. Along with RB, linebacker is one of Pittsburgh's thinnest positions at the moment due to injuries (James Harrison, Jason Worilds).

Mike Wallace to return this week? Who knows, but that's been the word on the street.

Injury update: Rainey being evaluated in the locker room for concussion symptoms. Indy's Redding being evaluated after injuring knee.

8:26 ET: Roethlisberger to Antonio Brown for a 57-yard touchdown reception. Caught a short pass and turned it into a long run on 3rd and 4. The extra point makes it 7-0 Steelers.

*Austin Collie, who's already had a history of concussions, has left the game after that hit.

*Indianapolis sure does have quite a few young, quick receivers. They'll see their fare share of playing time this preseason, too.

8:40 ET: So far Pitt's defense has been giving Luck the jitters, it appears. Has made some errant passes (2/7, 16 yards) and hasn't done much of anything in Indy's first 2 possessions. Acceptable for a youngster.

*Shoulder strain for Colts' Mathis. He's done for the night. No word on Collie yet.

8:43 ET: Steeles' Ike Taylor just picked off Luck and took it to the house. Luck pretty much handed him that one as he stared down the receiver. The 49-yard return and extra point puts Pittsburgh up 14-0 late in the first quarter of play.

8:49 ET: End of the first quarter, Pittsburgh 14-0. But following that INT TD, and a sack to start the current drive, Luck is driving this Indy offense down the field. Despite early struggles, Luck is keeping his head up and, as a quick learner, I'd say he bounces back from the vital mistake on the previous drive.

*PIT first quarter stats: 7 passes/8 runs...Dwyer 4 attempts, Batch 2, Rainey 1, Roethlisberger 1. Pittsburgh needs to spread the ball around to all backs and see who rises to the occasion.

*IND first quarter stats: 12 passes/4 runs. Luck is 6/12, 76 yards, 1 INT. Clearly Pagano wants to put the ball in Luck's hands early and often to see what he can do against this defense.

Second quarter

8:56 ET: Luck drives the Colts down the field after his INT and puts the ball into the end zone. 14-7 early in the second. Donald Brown capped the drive off with a one-yard run on third down. Drive went for 80 yards and took 10 plays. That's the kind of drive you'd like to see your franchise quarterback complete, even if it is only preseason. Did it with ease.

Photo from Brown's TD catch in first quarter (borrowed from NFL.com's Facebook page):

Injury update: Collie being treated for concussion symptoms. Mathis will not return with a strained left knee.

9:07 ET: Luck's second pick of the night. This one wasn't even his fault. Receiver juggled it, knocked it into the air and it was picked off by Pittsburgh's Cortez Allen.

9:10 ET: Veteran Charlie Batch is now in for Roethlisberger with about 9 minutes to play in the second quarter.

*Pittsburgh's nose tackle Steve McLendon started out at 280 lbs., now apparently up to 320 as he has gained 10 pounds of muscle with each season he's been with the team. Casey Hampton was just activated off the PUP list, but McLendon has certainly made his case for the starting job this summer.

9:30 ET: Andrew Luck slides in from the one yard line to cap off his second scoring drive of the night at the two minute warning. Watching the replay, the ball clearly was not across the line (in my opinion), but the replay officials said it was. No official review took place, and the touchdown was counted. Knotted up at 14 with 1:56 in the opening half.

*The drive went 80 yards on 11 plays. Batch is back out for Pittsburgh (both QB Charlie and RB Baron).

Wow, had Charlie Batch really been with the Steelers for 11 years now? I certainly did not realize it's been that long. Seems like just yesterday he was Detroit's starter...Batch is 5-2 as Pittsburgh's starter.

9:36 ET: With :42 to play in the half, it appears Luck will come out for his final drive of the game. So, naturally, the Colts will run a couple of pass plays before he exits the game for good tonight.

Four time Super Bowl champ Adam Vinatieri just drilled a 53-yard field goal attempt as time expires in the half. Pittsburgh gets out to a 14-0 first quarter lead, but 17 unanswered points from Indy gives them a 17-14 halftime lead.

Halftime stats: Colts 17, Steelers 14...Luck: 16/25, 175 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT (3 scoring drives), Roethlisberger: 5/9, 81 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT.

Total plays: IND 41, PIT 25...1st downs: IND 13, PIT 5...total yards: IND 229, PIT 151...pass yards: IND 170, PIT 96...rush yards: IND 59, PIT 55...T.O.P.: IND 18:19, PIT 11:41.

Can't imagine being Luck, and realizing that, "hey, the Colts just gave up one of the franchise's greatest quarterbacks of all-time in order to draft me with the first pick." That's a lot of pressure placed on the shoulders of a 22-year old. Clearly, of all guys, Andrew is the perfect person/player to replace a legend though.

Luck during pre-game warm-ups (via Colts' Facebook page) below:

*Ward just made his television debut, talking with Collinsworth during halftime. Didn't really say anything that caught my attention, but yet I still think I already like him more than Collinsworth. They should let Hicks call the game with Ward instead. Am I right??

Pagano at halftime: "Luck is unflappable"

Tomlin at halftime: "Looking for more physical play"

I agree, Luck doesn't seem to let mistakes both him for very long, as displayed this evening. As for Tomlin's comment, it's scary to think he wants them to be even more physical this evening. It's already been a hard-hitting first half. Should be interesting to see how backup Drew Stanton fares in the third.

Third quarter

9:56 ET: Stanton's first drive of tonight, early on in the third, ends with a punt by Pat Macafee, which is BLOCKED by Pittsburgh, setting Batch up with a 1st and goal at the IND 10-yard line.

*Pittsburgh's first round pick, right guard David DeCastro, is still in the game.

Score alert (10:01 ET): Tie game, 17-17. Daniel Hrapmann, undrafted free agent and backup to Shaun Suisham, hits a 25-yard field goal w/ just over 11 minutes to play in the third.

10:07 ET: T.Y. Hilton, the receiver that bobbled a Luck pass in the first half which resulted in his second INT of the game, just caught his second pass of the game. Play went for 29 yards on a pass from Stanton.

*Stanton started just four games (2-2 record) in his four seasons with the Detroit Lions from 2008-11. At 28, he signed a contract with the Jets in March, but after the Tebow acquisition he requested a release or trade. He ended up being traded to Indy (along with a 7th rd pick) for a sixth rounder two days after the request.

....And here he is throwing a four-yard TD pass to undrafted free agent rookie Griff Whalen. Caps off a 9-play, 74-yard drive in which Stanton went 4/7 for 69 yards. 24-17 Indy.

*Okay, DeCastro is now out at right guard. John Malecki replaces the rookie for Pittsburgh.

10:18 ET: Steelers Depot just tweeted that PIT's O-line is now Adams, Beachum, Legursky, Malecki and Essex here in the third quarter. Meaning rookie second round selection Mike Adams is still in the game at left tackle.

10:28 ET: David Gilreath is really showing us he wants a spot on this Pittsburgh roster. That's his second first down catch of the drive. First one went for 41 yards, this one for seven from Batch.

*Lots of great backstories from the young guys on this field tonight.

Score alert: Hrapmann with his second field goal of the night to pull the Steelers within four points, 24-20, after a 39-yarder.

Starks/Adams battle for left tackle position for Steelers is starting to get interesting. It's the only offensive line position that is questionable for the start of the season. Most other O-line positions seem to be set for Tomlin's Steelers.

It's 10:35 eastern time here, and the third quarter has come to a close with the score 24-20. I am expecting to see Jerrod Johnson at the QB position for the Steelers once they get the ball back. As for Indy, I think Stanton will at least finish out this current drive.

*Hines Ward will join the guys in the booth when the fourth quarter gets underway in a couple of minutes.

*Batch and Batch: Charlie went 7/10, 84 yards in third qtr; Baron ran for 19 yards on eight carries (only 2.4 YPC).

*Stanton threw for 69 yards on his four completions in his quarter of play. Made some incredible passes, but he's made some errant ones as well. A bit erratic, in my opinion.

Fourth quarter

10:40 ET: Twitter is blowing up right now, as it usually does when sporting events are taking place. Andrew Luck, Austin Collie, Charlie Batch, Colts and SNF are all trending in the United States at the current moment.

Oh hey, look at that. I was right about Johnson coming in for the fourth...well, duh, Tomlin said he wanted to see a lot of Johnson. But still, I'm going to pretend like I was way ahead of everyone else watching.

*Rookie Chris Rainey just called for a 15-yard chop block penalty, but it wasn't even a chop block. Mike Adams wasn't already engaged with the defender, so it shouldn't have been called on Rainey. It'll be 2nd and 22, nonetheless.

Cris Collinsworth, to no surprise, is sucking up to Hines Ward right now. I'm not sure I like this. Actually, I know I don't like this. It's a little too weird, Cris...

*Big fan of the mobility of Johnson, it's a different kind of mobility than Roethlisberger. Ben uses his strength to overpower defenders, Johnson just straight up outruns them. Nice change of pace.

Score alert: Hrapmann has continued to make a case for the starting role as PIT's placekicker, hitting a 43-yarder to make the game 24-23 with approximately 10 minutes to play in the game. At least this one's a close game.

Love the Eli Manning/DeMarcus Ware fantasy football commercial. I may be alone when I say this, but I think I enjoy Eli's commercials more than Peyton (in particular, his DirecTV commercials with Deion Sanders).

With the pace of the game slowing down quite a bit at this stage of the game, I've decided to post some action photos (from Colts official website, I do not own any of the images):

Not the best photos (^^^), but it's tough to find photos of games when the game is still being played. Soooo, this is what I was able to come up with.

*Again, I was right with an earlier statement. Stanton finished out the drive from the third quarter that carried over into the fourth before Chandler Harnish took over at QB. Harnish was this season's "Mr. Irrelevant," being picked with the final pick in this past April's draft.

Harnish, 24, was a four-year starter while playing his college ball at North Illinois University.

He threw for over 3,000 yards and 28 TDs (only 6 INTs) as a senior at NIU last season.

11:00 ET: Harnish has had a couple of connections over the middle with Griff Whalen, who now has three catches for 39 yards.

Well, I was just giving you all this positive vibe about Harnish, but then he goes and throws Indy's third pick of the night. Jerrod Johnson will get the chance to put PIT ahead again as we approach the five minute mark. Josh Victorian makes the pick.

*Gilreath has been making plays all over the place tonight. Made a great second effort after reaching up high for a Johnson pass. Evaded one tackler and got the first down. Now has four catches for 78 yards.

Wow, gotta be kidding me. Wearing Mewelde Moore's #21 jersey, rookie Jason Ford has ran for a couple of back-to-back first downs before being hit from behind and suffering an apparent injury–he has left the game for now. His 56 yards on six carries leads the Steelers tonight.

*Rainey showing he can make an impact this season, and I've really liked the guy so far this preseason. Showing some potential in this offense. Excited to see his versatility.

11:11 ET: Colts have used two timeouts just before the two minute warning. Clearly trying to save some time on the clock for them to come back and score if Pittsburgh takes the lead on this drive.

*Two minute warning and Johnson has the Steelers inside the five yard line after rushing for a first down on a play-action bootleg. What a play by the young guy.

When we return from the commercial break the Steelers will have a first and goal inside the five, as they are down by one. 24-23. Ford has returned to the game, fortunately for Pittsburgh. Likely just a cramp. I mean, it is late in the game.

*Johnson is 4-for-5 for 65 yards in this quarter.

Ford has been nicknamed "Mini Bus" by Collinsworth and Ward tonight. The 251 pounder was just stopped for a loss by Indy's front line on first down.

...And stopped for another loss on second. Three straight running plays (last one by Rainey) gets Pittsburgh nowhere, as they will have to settled for a fourth Hrapmann field goal after a 15-play drive. His attempt was blocked, but it still just barely split the uprights for a 26-24 score. Harnish has :20 to re-take the lead for a victory.

11:23 ET: Colts fall short on the final drive, failing to convert on 4th and 10.

Final: Steelers 26, Colts 24

Final thoughts: Well, not bad for my first live blog of the season, I'd say. Right? Am I right? Let me know what you thought of it in the comments section. Was it too short, too long? Too boring, not informative enough? You tell me!

As for the game, it was a pretty exciting game for a mid-preseason matchup, in my opinion. Primetime is always fun to watch and we did learn one thing: Andrew Luck has amnesia when it comes to making mistakes, and he didn't look much like a rookie in his 175-yard performance. He's obviously got some things to work on (like staring down that receiver), but a nice road debut against a stingy defense.

Well, it's about time for me to sign out for the night. Thanks for reading and be sure to come back for my thoughts on position battles and preseason matchups, among other things, this week.

Andrew Luck Takes Control of Offense in Pro Debut

One day after the best debut of Week 1 of the preseason, possibly even one of the best rookie quarterback debuts we've seen in years, there seems to be more talk about the release of Miami Dolphins wideout Chad Johnson.

It's a shame, really. Sure, the Johnson arrest (head-butted his wife, Evelyn) came as a bit of a surprise, therefore leading to the surprise release of the veteran wideout. But why is it that we are more obsessed with discussing his future, rather than the future of the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft: Andrew Luck.

Yesterday afternoon was the long-awaited debut of former Stanford Cardinal quarterback Andrew Luck, who is taking over the reins from Colt legend Peyton Manning–now a Denver Bronco.

His first ever pass? A 63-yard touchdown completion to running back Donald Brown. It was only a little dump-off to Brown, who did the rest of the work as he followed his blocking and took it to the house. Luck simply stood in there long enough for Brown to bounce off his block and took off down the field after the catch.

The rest of the game for Luck went just as smoothly, as he played a majority of the first half and left the game with a 21-3 lead over the St. Louis Rams. Luck's stat-line at the end: 10/16, 188 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT.

Luck orchestrated three near-perfect scoring drives on four total possessions, one being just the one play for 63 yards. The other two–7 plays, 53 yards and 13 plays, 80 yards–took a little bit more time off the game clock.

Throughout Indy's 13 play, 80-yard scoring drive that was capped off with a Delonte Carter one-yard TD run, Luck was in the no-huddle offense and lined his offense up in the shotgun for nine of those plays. Eight of the 10 completions went for 10+ yards (63, 10, 12, 5, 23, 9, 12, 12, 10, 32).

Luck displayed poise and had complete control over his offense. Obviously this is only the first preseason game of 2012, but if his performance against St. Louis' first team defense is any indication, Luck could have a solid rookie season.

His predecessor, Peyton, threw for a TD on his first professional pass with Indianapolis as well, so could Luck just be following in his footsteps?

No. 2 overall pick Robert Griffin III had a solid debut for the Washington Redskins this past weekend in a 7-6 victory over the Buffalo Bills, too. Griffin played a lot less than Luck did, going 4/6 for 70 yards and a touchdown pass to Pierre Garcon from 20 yards out.

It's a much smaller sample size in Washington, but either way both young guns impressed in their first couple snaps as professional players. I'm thinking there's still plenty from where that came from.

Note: I do not own the above images. No copyright infringement intended.

Manning, Colts to Part Ways According to Sources

It's been reported, by ESPN's Chris Mortensen, that the Colts have made the decision to part ways with four-time MVP quarterback Peyton Manning. The official announcement is expected to be made tomorrow, Wednesday March 7.

I, along with many others, have been expecting this move to be made before March 8 rolls around and his $28 million bonus is due to him. With Stanford's Andrew Luck entering the draft in April, this further proves that owner Jim Irsay would like to rebuild with Luck as the face of the franchise in 2012. So this really isn't exactly "breaking news," it's just finally becoming official.

Sources have also said he (Manning) would like to continue playing football, so he will not hang up his cleats and enter retirement just yet.

Manning, 35-going-on-36, has spent 14 years donning the blue and white horseshoe helmet, capturing four regular season MVP awards, nine playoff victories, 11 Pro Bowl selections, five First-Team All Pro selections, Super Bowl MVP and numerous passing records.

His list of accomplishments has him a first-ballot Hall of Fame upon his retirement, no matter what he accomplishes through the remainder of his career.

After four neck surgeries in the past year, teams do not seem to be too worried about Manning's health and well-being, and there's no doubt that he will find a team and turn around a cellar-dwelling franchise into a playoff contender football squad.

Unfortunately, this announcement involving Manning will not be quieting ESPN and their Manning talk any time soon (we all love Manning, but ESPN sure knows how to talk a subject to death). In fact, I think all this Manning talk is just beginning, and here I am contributing to it.

Oops.

I'll end my article with this: Luck will be a Colt, and Manning could end up almost anywhere in 2012, including teams such as Denver, Arizona, Washington, Miami, Cleveland, Jets, Chiefs, Seahawks, etc. Lets hope he signs with someone sooner rather than later, and ESPN, could you please tone down the Manning talk just a tad, maybe?

Photo credit

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Tackling the Peyton Manning Issue Once and for All

I was planning on spending my wonderful afternoon taking on The Great Debate between legendary Joe Montana and future Hall of Famer Tom Brady. But, it looks like that will have to wait at least another day. Instead I decided to spend my time taking down the huge question surrounding another future Hall of Fame quarterback: Peyton Manning.

In the next couple of weeks we will be hearing plenty of quarterback talk, but today it was a different quarterback. Not Brady, not New York's Eli Manning. No, Eli's older brother Peyton. Of course everyone is well aware by now that Manning missed the entire 2011 regular season and his Indianapolis Colts suffered dearly, finishing 2-14 after making the playoffs 11 times in the past 12 seasons.

Indianapolis' embarrassing season ended in clinching the first overall pick in the draft this April. There have been rumors spreading like wildfire in the social media world about a possibility of Indianapolis taking the coveted No. 1 ranked quarterback in this year's draft class–Andrew Luck out of Stanford.

There's that, a huge distraction in the back of Manning's mind as he continues his rehab over the offseason, and there's also the fact that team owner Jim Irsay cleaned out the house in the past couple weeks or so.

Irsay let go of head coach Jim Caldwell, Tony Dungy's successor, last Wednesday. The very next day he relieved eight more coaches of their duties, including Coaching Assistant Devin Fitzsimmons, Offensive Line Coach Pete Metzelaars, Special Assistant to the Defense Rod Perry, WR Coach Frank Reich, Defensive Assistant Bill Teerlinck, Strength and Conditioning Coach Jon Torine and QB coach Ron Turner.

President Bill Polian had already been fired before all of this went down, might I add in. And Defensive Coordinator Mike Murphy announced his retirement as well.

The magnitude of the changes in the staff were brought to the attention of the general public earlier today when Peyton revealed his feelings on the issue in a lengthy interview with Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star. I will not discuss every little thing that was talked about, but here's a shortened quote of his on the atmosphere of the Indianapolis facilities:

"I'm not in a very good place for healing, let's say that. It's not a real good environment down there right now, to say the least. Everybody's walking around on eggshells. I don't recognize our building right now. There's such complete and total change."

 He wasn't angry, according to Kravitz in his article, but Bob did say Peyton was sad and disappointed that Caldwell and numerous other coaches had been released of their jobs. But Peyton didn't stop there, he also said "it was tough" and "very emotional" seeing the guys he had been working with cleaning out their offices.

"I just want to pay tribute to all those guys. It's unfortunate because so many of them have been such a big part of so many big wins here, and this is so...sudden. Their keys didn't work the next day. There's no other way to do it? I don't know. That's hard to see, all these people leaving.

And I may be behind them. Who knows?"

He added in that he would like to play in the same place his whole career, he loves the fans and the city, as well as the stadium. But at the same time, it's obvious that owner Jim Irsay is fully entering a rebuilding mode at this franchise's current position, and does the 35-year old Peyton really want to be in Indy for all that?

He's not ready to retire yet either, despite what actor Rob Lowe may have attempted to say on his Twitter page (supposedly he announced Manning was planning to retire).

So, what exactly does that mean for Manning? Well, I would just like to say that I would love to make this my final Peyton Manning article this offseason. I do not want to spend the entire offseason talking about whether Peyton will stay or go, so I'm going to do you all a favor and end this talk immediately:

Peyton will not be in Indy in 2012.

Come March, Peyton will hit the old age of 36, and if Indianapolis is starting over new why would they want a 36-year old leading a team of 24-year olds? It just wont work. And I understand Peyton loves it in Indy and would like to stay loyal to the team that took a chance on him in 1998. But he also understands the NFL is a business, and if Indianapolis is ready to move on without him and draft the young Luck in April, then that is their choice and I'm sure Peyton will accept that.

Someone will take a chance on the recovering Peyton in 2012, and it will not be Indianapolis. Mark my words.

Thank goodness, we can get over this whole Manning situation and stop watching his every move now that I have gotten my point across. Sorry, Colts fans, but I think it's time to move on for the better of both participating parties.

Photo credit
Peyton: Joe Robbins/Getty Images
Andrew Luck: Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Irsay: Colts to Prepare to Begin Season without Manning

Yesterday it has been revealed that Indianapolis may be without All Pro, future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning for week one of the regular season.

Manning himself–freshly re-signed to a new five-year, $90 million contract–has ruled out the possibility of playing in the two remaining preseason games, and Colts' owner Jim Irsay tweeted that the team must prepare to play the first game of the season without him.

Of course, this doesn't necessarily mean he will not be suiting up for his 209th consecutive regular season start come September 11, but with Manning still in the rehab process after his neck surgery, things certainly aren't looking too great in Indy.

Manning, 35, was just locked up for another five years, and it doesn't even look like he will be 100 percent for this coming season.

The end of the road is near for the four-time league MVP, and Indy was forced to spend a fortune on keeping him in a blue and white uni for the rest of his career, rather than spend that extra cash on adding offensive weapons and defensive firepower to improve the overall team.

It's an ugly situation for the franchise, and a lose-lose for Irsay and his employees. Irsay owed this money to Manning after all he did for the franchise, but I think they are giving it to him just a bit too late.

What makes the Manning neck surgery worse? Probably the rest of the quarterback depth chart, which consists of veteran Dan Orlovsky (former Detroit Lions quarterback) and Curtis Painter. Of the two reserves, only Orlovsky has made an NFL start at quarterback.

Obviously experience is a huge weakness in Indy's depth chart, Painter has played in just two career games (went 8/28 for 83 yards and two INTs with a 9.8 QB rating during 2009 season), and Orlovsky hasn't made a start since the 2008 season with the Lions.

Six days ago the team waived 24-year old Nate Davis, who was drafted by the 49ers in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL draft, and was later waived. Painter is the No. 2 guy as of right now, but if I were Irsay, I would go after a veteran free agent in case they need a Peyton replacement.

Irsay has been active on twitter trying to ask for advice from his fans. Why he's doing this, I'm not so sure but one thing he said a couple of days ago hinted towards the idea that he may go after a vet, like I just proposed:

"Not taking Pryor....what VET QB would u vote 4 to sign that's out there? If sum1 has 2 hold the fort early season,who u going with?"

Even if Manning does decide before the two weeks of the preseason are up, signing a capable backup would benefit the Colts greatly. Neck surgery is a big deal and if Manning gets hit hard enough he could miss some time with a more serious injury.

Available Free Agent QBs:

*Jake Delhomme...he's seen better days, and embarrassed himself in Cleveland, but would be a very cheap option.

*Chad Pennington...I would love to see Indy sign Pennington. He's the same age as Manning and has a career rating of 90.1, not a bad rep if you ask me.

*Troy Smith....if Irsay happens to be interested in adding some speed at the position, something they obviously haven't had in years, then Smith would be another cheap option and an upgrade over Painter.

*JaMarcus Russell....just kidding, I don't think anyone will sign Russell anytime soon.

The only other option for the Colts would be to acquire a solid reserve from another team via trade. They can't afford to give too much up, though. We'll have to wait and see if Irsay decides to make a move or not in the coming weeks. If I were running this franchise, I would act as quickly as possible, but maybe that's just me.

Photo found on Google, no copyright infringement intended

Sanders Era Over In Indy: Colts Release Two-Time Pro Bowl Safety Bob Sanders

The Indianapolis Colts have officially released its 5'8''/200 pound hard-hitting free safety Bob Sanders earlier this morning, according to ESPN and Twitter.

Colts' owner Jim Irsay tweeted:

"We have released Bob Sanders today. We thank Bob 4 all his incredible contributions from his Sup Bowl pic 2 def player of year honors."

The injury-ridden Sanders started just one game this season, and a total of nine games in the past three seasons. The last time the two-time All-Pro (2005, 2007) was an impact player on the Colts' defense was during Indy's Super Bowl run in 2007 when he recorded 71 tackles, 3.5 sacks and picked off two passes in 15 starts.

There's no doubt Sanders is quite the playmaker when in full health, but I think lagging injuries to his ankle, knee, arm and his torn biceps tendon which forced him on to the injured reserve this past season, will prevent him from landing a big-time contract with another team.

Don't get me wrong, Sanders' knack for making tackles in the secondary will get him a short-term contract for the 2011 season (as soon as the owners and players agree to a new CBA), but at age 29 I don't think he will be swarmed with offers. He will likely need to settle with a smaller contract by the time training camp rolls around.

Sanders has yet to play a full 16-game season, but he has had two seasons with 14 or more starts and was named to the All Pro team and AFC Pro Bowl roster in both of those seasons ('05, '07). He's not a guy who picks off a whole lot of passes--just six in his 46 career starts since entering the NFL in 2004--but in both of his "full" seasons he recorded at least 70 tackles.

There's always a chance that Indianapolis brings him back, but it will obviously be a much smaller contract. They have been overpaying him by a lot over the past three seasons. He will likely listen to any offers on the table and take the best suitable contract for his situation.

Whoever signs Sanders, it will likely be in a low-risk situation, meaning if they get a healthy Sanders the risk will be well-worth the end result.

Wild Card X-Factors

When playoff times rolls around, usually just a couple of key players end up making the largest impact on the game's outcome. Each of the eight teams competing for a spot in the second round of the playoffs have guys who I think will be the deciding "X-Factor" for his respective team.

New Orleans at Seattle, Saturday 4:30 PM ET

Saints X Factor: Drew Brees

With the loss of New Orleans' top two running backs in 2010, Chris Ivory and Pierre Thomas, both of whom will miss Saturday's game due to injury, even more pressure will be put on defending Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees. If he can't get off to a quick start I don't see him having any trouble carving up Seattle's defense with quick, intermediate passes on the perimeter of the field. A couple of deep balls to Marques Colston could be a lethal weapon in the match-up with the league's 27th-ranked passing defense. On the road this season Brees has 16 TDs/10 INTs (6-2 record).

Seahawks X Factor: Lofa Tatupu

Without an active Ivory and Thomas available this Saturday, and Reggie Bush (150 rushing yards in eight games this season) making the start at running back, Seattle's defense has their work cut out for them. They know Brees will be throwing the football freely and that if they can force a couple of Brees turnovers they would give their offense a shot at putting points on the board. That's why its up to Seattle's defensive captain--and leader--Tatupu to keep his 'Hawks in the game and make sure they are focused on stopping the pass. Tatupu (58 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT this season) doesn't specialize is rushing the passer, but is a great coverage 'backer and is the backbone of Seattle's defense.

New York at Indianapolis, Saturday 8 PM ET

Jets X Factor: Brad Smith

The former quarterback out of Mizzou has had success against Indy before, in fact in last year's AFC Championship game he made a couple of big plays albeit in a losing effort. The Jets' defense as a whole will be a pretty big factor against the Hall of Fame-bound Peyton Manning, but the real x-factor I believe will be the elusive receiver/return man. He can be used with trick plays and formations such as the wildcat and pistol formation. Out of those two formations he has shown he can make an impact both running the ball and throwing it deep. Not only that, but he also has three career kick return touchdowns, two of which he ran back this season. Head coach Rex Ryan has several ways of using Smith, and he will most definitely incorporate him in to his game plan against Indy.

Colts X Factor: Dwight Freeney

We all know the Colts struggle stopping the run, and that the Jets will likely take advantage of that. It's so bad that the Colts may even just allow the Jets to run the ball and completely shut down Mark Sanchez's passing offense. Last year, when Indy knocked New York out of the playoffs in the Conference Championship game, then-rookie Mark Sanchez threw for 257 yards and two touchdowns (1 INT), yet the offense still only managed 17 points against Indy. With Freeney's nine sacks in 11 career playoff games, I don't expect him to lay off of Sanchez this week. Expect a couple of Freeney sacks, and a couple of New York turnovers at the expense of Sanchez, who still has a lot of maturing to do.

Baltimore at Kansas City, Sunday 1 PM ET

Ravens X Factor: Ed Reed

This past Sunday against the Bengals, Baltimore's free safety Ed Reed posted his 11th career two interception game. What's even more miraculous about this feat is that the Ravens are 11-0 when the seven-time Pro Bowler has at least two interceptions in a game. On the defensive side of the ball, it isn't nose tackle Haloti Ngata, veteran Terrell Suggs or even the seven-time first team All Pro linebacker Ray Lewis that KC's quarterback Matt Cassel needs to look out for. It's the roaming ball-hawk Ed Reed that needs to be contained.

Chiefs X Factor: Jamaal Charles

After reading what I wrote about Reed above, it's obvious that if Kansas City wants to win this game they will need to have success on the ground. With the league's top rushing attack, Charles' career-high 1,467 yards on the ground will surely be tested against Baltimore's fifth-best run defense, which allowed just 1,503 yards rushing all year. Despite topping the league in rushing yards, Kansas City struggled to get the ball in the end zone while running the ball. Kansas City will need to get the ball to Charles 25-30 times in order to have a shot at controlling the clock--and the game.

Green Bay at Philadelphia, Sunday 4:30 PM ET

Packers X Factor: Clay Matthews III

On defense, there's no doubt Matthews is the nucleus. After a solid rookie performance in '09 (36 tackles, 10 sacks, 7 PD, 1 FF, 1 FR TD), Matthews one-uped himself with an even better 2010 season, quickly making a name for himself. His 54 tackles, 13.5 sacks and interception landed him a second straight Pro Bowl selection. Not only have his numbers been solid, but he has also imposed fear in his opposition. Quarterbacks now need to know where No. 52 is at all times when they step on to the field. He's not all that large (6'3'', 246 pounds) in comparison to other linebackers, but his speed and strength is baffling. He is the Packers' key to containing Vick and keeping him inside the numbers. Once Vick bounces to the outside it is tough to stop him. Look for Matthews to be running sideline-to-sideline on Sunday.

Eagles X Factor: Michael Vick

Vick says he has recovered from his thigh injury and is "100 percent" ready to go on Sunday. But we should all still keep an eye on Vick's thigh. If Green Bay's defense is all over Vick he could re-injure his thigh at any moment. If he is ready to go like he says he is, though, Green Bay could be in for a long day. That's why, of course, Matthews is my X-Factor for Green Bay. The result of this game will vary depending on who shows up and is ready to play. If Vick can break out for a couple of big plays against Matthews' defense, Philly could take this one at home.

Photo Credit

Lofa Tatupu and Jordan Babineaux: AP Photo/John Smierciak

Brad Smith: AP Photo/Bill Kostroun

Jamaal Charles: AP Photo/Ed Zurga

Clay Matthews: AP Photo/Morry Gash

Must-win for Houston Tonight at Lincoln Financial

Houston has been very lucky this season? If Peyton Manning wasn't having an off year they would not have a shot in hell to make the playoffs right now with a 5-6 record (2-2 in division). But, coming off a 20-0 defeat of division rival Tennessee, Houston seems to be on track to put themselves in the middle of the playoff hunt in the South.

Just one game behind the first place Colts and Jags (both 6-5), the Texans have the ability to put themselves atop the division--temporarily, at least--with a convincing win over Michael Vick and the high-flying 7-4 Eagles.

Tonight, at 8:20 on NFL Network, Michael Vick will test the Texans' 28th-ranked defense in front of NFL fans all over the country. This is Houston's chance to show the nation that they truly do deserve to be considered a playoff contender coming out of the South. Whether they will manage to beat out Indy for this division title is yet to be seen, considering they still have Baltimore, Denver and two more divisional matchups (TEN, JAC) left on their schedule.

Despite having the seventh-best offensive attack in the league (seventh in rushing, 15th in passing) and one of the game's best runners in Arian Foster, I really don't think Houston will manage to contain Vick.

Unfortunately for Houston, Philly is poised to put a beating on Houston. This is actually unfortunately for me as well--I had Houston making the playoffs for the first time in franchise history this offseason.

Vick puts the ball in the end zone four times tonight, three through the air and one on the ground. Philly wins the game 38-17. That's my prediction. Bold, I know, but hey someone's gotta do it.

Whatifsports.com says...

Philadelphia 21, Houston 18

Not quite as big a margin as I was predicting, but same outcome nevertheless. Vick didn't have any rushing yards on five attempts (Houston did manage to contain him), but threw for 198 yards and tossed two TDs. LeSean McCoy ran all over Houston for 112 yards and a score.

Jeremy Maclin's 15-yard catch and run from Vick, which he put in the end zone, allowed Philly to extend its lead to 21-10 early in the fourth quarter. Foster ran the ball in from 13 yards out with four and a half minutes to play, but Philly's defense stopped Matt Schaub's late-game surge.

This loss may be the end to any playoff run Houston was hoping to make this season, putting to waste their solid 4-2 start this year.

Photo Credit

Arian Foster: AP Photo/David J. Phillip