Wild Card Preview three: This time, it's Baltimore at Miami

I'm 1/2 for Playoff picks, and that was from what some would consider the easiest ties to predict. The Colts were upset in Overtime by the Chargers after a spirited display that saw the Chargers overcome LaDainian Tomlinson's lack of fitness and lean on the speed of Darren Sproles.

Tonight, Miami will host Baltimore, while the Eagles head to Minnesota for a date with the Vikings. On the Love Boat. Possibly.

Baltimore @ Miami

As always, the focus of most people's attention will be the Quarterbacks. Will Joe Flacco fall to the veteran Chad Pennington, just as Matt Ryan was cowed by Kurt Warner last night? I don't think so, but for me, this game is more about what their supporting cast can do.

For the Dolphins, Chad Pennington has had little help all season at the receiver position, and Ted Ginn Jr must start producing more consistently if the team is to progress, as his two TD's this season are not enough. For me, Pennington's best weapon might turn out to be TE David Martin, who has been underrated throughout his spell in the NFL. He has come up trumps for the Dolphins on a few occasions this season, and tonight, when the Ravens bring the heat, he will be Pennington's first read often enough to make a few plays.

Similarly, Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams must establish the ground game, and make the Ravens D play what is generally referred to as 'honest football'. A big question for the Ravens is how they will hold up in the playoffs. They are extraordinarily healthy for this period of the season, which is a huge advantage over most of the teams they will face at this point. Players such as Ed Reed and Terrell Suggs have been in tremendous shape this year, after suffering with injuries in the recent past. Is this their year again? It's hard to argue that the Dolphins can stop them when the two teams match up, especially considering the talent that the Ravens have on offence, with LaRon Mclain, Willis Mcgahee and Ray Rice rushing, while Derrick Mason and Todd Heap are both solid veterans in the air.

One thing that for me, swings the entire game in Miami's favour: Bill Parcells.

When the two teams met in October, Baltimore won. Unfortunately, it could well be their undoing, as there is nobody in the game better than Parcells at film study. He will will put the knowledge of the Ravens offence to good use, and primarily, he will ensure that Miami get a much better pass rush this time around. Flacco knows that at any point, he is expected to hit the fabled 'rookie wall', and the Miami Defence will do everything possible to make him uncomfortable while the spotlight is so heavily concentrated on him.

Secondly, I can see the 'wildcat' coming out, but rarely. The thing works, but if you ever have the opportunity to see and hear Ed Reed and Ray Lewis communicate on a football field, you will understand why this Baltimore Defence is categorically one of the greatest to ever play the game. The understanding of offensive plays is probably as good as those who are running them, and their ability to read a formation such as the wildcat comes instinctively. They will not fall into the traps that Miami set. Instead, I think beating the Ravens comes down to one thing: stopping their rushing attack. All of the games they have lost have been primarily down to not being able to establish a solid ground game. Take away this part of the attack, and all of a sudden Flacco is not so comfortable.

The Dolphins should take a leaf out of Arizona's book, and ensure that they put the rookie under as much pressure as possible. After that, they may find that Chad Pennington's traditional dink and dunk style of play is more than enough to beat the Ravens. Of course, don't discount Cam Cameron's offence and his knowledge of the Miami Defence, but I have to side with the Dolphins and Parcells on this one - even over the arguably more talented Baltimore team.

One final note: Out of all of the games this weekend, this is the one I feel could well become a blowout one way or the other.

Wild Card Preview Numero Deux: Indianapolis @ San Diego

Well it's been an interesting game in Arizona, and right now my prediction looks pretty accurate. Kudos to the Cardinals defence for stepping up too. It's not over by a long shot, but either way, it's clear that the media have underestimated Arizona.

Anyway, on with the show:

Indianapolis @ San Diego

I've left this late for one big reason: L.T. As it happens, he says he'll play. but after seeing the extent of his injury, I'm not 100% that he can have any impact at all, even if he does so.

To that end, Darren Sproles will likely shoulder the workload, along with Jacob Hester. Ironically, I'd be surprised if that changed the gameplan much. Sproles is a great receiver, just like Tomlinson, so expect plenty of screen passes, which should also negate the Colts' excellent pass defence.

Unfortunately, it's still a huge blow, and it gives the Colts a big boost. Indeed, I think the actual reason why Tomlinson's status is even in doubt is to stop the Colts getting that confidence from knowing their opponent's star player will take no part in the game. The status of Antonio Gates is also up in the air, which is exactly where the Colts thrive on both sides of the ball.

Indy are amongst the league leaders in both passing categories, and with MVP Peyton Manning at the peak of his powers, it's hard to bet against them, even on the road. Dallas Clark will be a key player, and expect him to get on the scoreboard at least once. On the ground, I'd also expect Dominic Rhodes to play an expanded role, much as he did in the 2006 playoff run. Rhodes offers a similar veteran mindset to Edge in Arizona, and sometimes a player with experience can be just as important to a team as a player who is theoretically more gifted.

As always, there is one caveat: Peyton Manning is one of the greatest players - if not the greatest player full stop - to ever play his position. Unfortunately, when he is bad, he is really really bad. Watch for his head dropping if he throws a pick. If he throws another one, watch for him getting irritable on the sidelines. Very occasionally, those things backfire for Manning, and he ends up having a nightmare.

I don't honestly think that will happen tonight, but never say never. Indy will likely win tonight against a frail San Diego Defence, and the key to this game will be not what the Colts do, but what the Chargers Offence can conjure up in the absence of their focal point.