Bodog NFL Wildcard Picks

NFL runners-up fail to make the playoffs the following season.

And it didn't end there.

There was also the Madden curse to contend with once MVP running back Shaun Alexander appeared on the cover of the Madden NFL 07 video game.

The latter struck in Week 3 when Alexander fractured a bone in his foot during a game against the New York Giants. He would miss six games and subsequently see his production fall to a fraction of his 2005 numbers.

Injuries continued to wreak havoc with the Seahawks all season. Their other star, quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, sat out four games from Weeks 8 to 11 with a second-degree MCL sprain.

Alexander and Hasselbeck were in the lineup together for just nine full games and Seattle never seemed to regain the offensive rhythm it had last year, when it went 13-3 in the regular season and reached the Super Bowl before losing to Pittsburgh. The NFL's highest-scoring attack in 2005 (28.2 points per game) ranked just 14th in 2006 (20.9 ppg).

It's somewhat surprising then that the first curse mentioned has failed to come to fruition. That is, until you remember Seattle is a member of the NFC West, the only division in the NFL where a 9-7 record is good for first and an automatic home playoff date.

Seattle is a 3-point favorite in Saturday's game against another team that's had its share of ups and downs.

The fist turning point for the Dallas Cowboys came while dropping to 3-3 during an Oct. 23 Monday nighter against the Giants. That was when coach Bill Parcells made the move that many believe saved his team's season. Much-maligned quarterback Drew Bledsoe was pulled halfway through the game and replaced by Tony Romo, who promptly led the Cowboys to five wins in their next six games, vaulting them to the top of the NFC East standings.

Romo's numbers over the six-game stretch were impressive: 275.2 yards passing per game, 10 TD passes, and just four interceptions.

Unfortunately for Romo, he couldn't control how the Dallas defense played, and it was that side of the ball that let up down the stretch. The same team that surrendered just 15 points per game from Weeks 8 to 13 allowed 33 per contest during the final four games, three of them losses. The biggest kick in the teeth came via a 39-31 home loss in Week 17 to the lowly Lions, a game in which Detroit quarterback Jon Kitna threw four TD passes.

Besides a leaky secondary, the Cowboys have also had a great deal of trouble protecting Romo. He was sacked 12 times in his last four and must now prepare to face a Seattle team that tied for sixth in the NFL with 41 QB drops. Linebacker Julian Peterson led the Seahawks with 10 sacks.

In fact, Romo's protectors might well control the fate of the game. If they can provide their QB with time in the pocket, the Cowboys can turn their receiving corps of Terry Glenn, Terrell Owens and tight end Jason Witten loose against a makeshift Seahawks secondary that's been decimated by injuries to starters Marcus Trufant, Kelly Herndon and Jimmy Williams.

If the protection breaks down, however, Romo will be prone to mistakes. In December, while running for his life, he threw eight interceptions and fumbled seven times.

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Compiled by Bodog Nation Contributing Writers

Despite winning their division and opening as 7-point favorites, the Indianapolis Colts seem to be touting more weaknesses than the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Colts' run defense has played like matadors all season, allowing 173 yards per game including 375 in a 44-17 loss to Jacksonville. And it doesn’t help that they’ll be going up against one of the biggest bulls in the NFL, 230-pound running back Larry Johnson.

Johnson is the kind of bruiser that troubles the Colts’ quick but small defensive line. How else could Houston’s Ron Dayne – a 245-pounder considered a flop in the NFL - run for 153 yards and two touchdowns to help the 6-10 Texans beat Indianapolis 27-24 in Week 16?

The Peyton Manning-era Colts have also been brutal in the NFL postseason. They’ve reached the tournament seven of the last eight years and have won four straight division titles. However, they’re 3-6 straight up in the playoffs. That includes a 41-0 blowout loss to the New York Jets in 2002, losses at New England each of the next two seasons, and a loss at home to Pittsburgh last season despite starting the year 13-0 and earning the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

This will be Chiefs quarterback Trent Green's second playoff start as well as his second against the Colts. In the 2003 season, Indianapolis won 38-31 in Kansas City, putting the Colts in the AFC title game. Green threw for a modest 212 yards and one TD. Manning picked apart the KC secondary to the tune of 304 yards and three TDs. In all, the Colts gained 434 yards to the Chiefs' 408.

Oddsmakers expect another wild one Saturday. The total is at 51, the highest of the weekend's four games. - CR

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Forget the coaching matchup for a paragraph or two. Look at the rosters. The Patriots have polished off more bottles of champagne this decade than a New Year's Eve party at Lindsay Lohan's crib. On the other hand, the Jets have been going back to the same old bottle for inspiration: a guarantee made a long time ago by a creaky-kneed quarterback who, if you gave him enough alcohol, would like to kiss you.

The Patriots have retained many building blocks that have erected their dynasty: Tom Brady, Tedy Bruschi, Richard Seymour, Mike Vrabel. The Jets ... they have ... Kimo von Oelhoffen, who signed as a free agent in the offseason after winning a Super Bowl with Pittsburgh. He is the only New York starter accustomed to an elite culture. So, why did these two division rivals, who seem so far apart in talent level, split their regular-season games?

That's where the coaching comes in. Ex-Patriots coordinator Eric Mangini has infused the Jets with a fighter's mentality and underdog's spirit. The players responded with a 10-6 season that included victories in five of their final six games. The Patriots have won six of seven after losing to the Jets in Week 10. For bettors, both teams have been profitable, as their records against the spread attest.

Although the Patriots appear fine-tuned for another long playoff run, the Jets have the wherewithal to keep it close, maybe even pull out the victory if Mangini is, indeed, inside Bill Belichick's head as many observers seem to think. - AB

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What an amazing turnaround it's been for these two teams.

Less than two months ago, on Nov. 19 to be exact, it seemed all was lost for the Philadelphia Eagles. That was the day Donovan McNabb tore a knee ligament, ending his season.

Meanwhile, the New York Giants were sitting atop the NFC East division with Super Bowl thoughts dancing in their heads.

The Eagles' season was rescued by the most unlikely of characters. Veteran QB Jeff Garcia, a player most fans thought had already retired, led his team to five consecutive victories to finish the season and secure first place in the division.

The Giants, at the same time, lost six of their last eight games. If not for some Week 17 heroics by the soon-to-be-retired Tiki Barber as well as a conference that boasted more losers than a Star Trek convention, Tom Coughlin's crew would be standing on the sidelines for the postseason.

Coughlin might be standing in the unemployment line if New York can't get the job done on Sunday. Team cohesion has not been a strength of the G-Men. They stand in stark contrast to the Eagles, a squad that came together in the face of adversity.

Of course, all of the above won't matter if the Giants spring the upset. They certainly have the weapons to do it, starting with Barber. The Eagles have had trouble stopping the run and will likely insert an extra safety into run support, forcing the mistake-prone Eli Manning to beat them through the air.

Manning had a horrendous playoff debut last year against the Panthers, throwing three picks in his team's 23-0 home loss. He'll have to be better and will rely on Plaxico Burress and Jeremy Shockey to get open.

As for the Eagles, expect Garcia to make lots of short, quick passes, a staple of Andy Reid's West Coast offense. He'll also utilize RB Brian Westbrook as much as possible. Westbrook is a threat on the ground as well as through the air. He caught a team-high 77 passes during the regular season. - JB

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PHOTO: Seattle's Shaun Alexander fell prey to the Madden curse, but his team still has a chance to regain its rhythm. (AP Photo)

Note: All NFL lines subject to change.

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