FiOS Football - Week#14, Playoff Preview

Eight Teams Begin Three-Week Quest for Glory

by Paul Pearson

For a good portion of the country, December is a time for snow, freezing winds and holiday parties of every stripe. For fantasy football players, it can be a time of regret (if you're one of the six FiOS teams that didn't make the postseason) or a time to sweat every possible roster move (if you're one of the eight still alive for a championship).

QUARTERFINALS

Big O vs. Scarlet Eagles

The Os won their last four games of the regular season and finished at the top of the power rankings, earning the top playoff seed in the process. The Eagles dropped three games in a row, but its 5-8 record was barely good enough to get the eighth and final postseason bid. Arian Foster and Andre Johnson may find the sledding tough Monday night against the Baltimore Ravens, but Tom Brady is...dare Dan Patrick say it?...en fuego. So is the Pittsburgh Steelers defense/special teams. Troy Polamalu literally yanked a victory out of Joe Flacco's hands on Sunday night. Yes, Matt Ryan has a tasty matchup against the utterly miserable Carolina Panthers, but his points won't be enough to keep the Os from advancing to the semifinals.

Ann-Tics vs. Pussy Galore and her Abrocats

The Ann-Tics won their last two games to finish with the league's best record (11-2), but the power rankings bumped them down to the second seed anyway. The 8-5 Abrocats won their season finale but still fell to seventh place in the power rankings. Both sides have vulnerabilities. Hines Ward of the Ann-Tics seems to have dropped off the face of the earth, while Reggie Wayne of the Abrocats is suddenly saddled with a quarterback throwing as many interceptions as competions. The Ann-Tics' edge comes from the running game. Knowshon Moreno lit up the Kansas City Chiefs last week, and Adrian Peterson shook off his injury by crossing the goal line twice. Look for the Ann-Tics to ride their powerful rushers into the next round.

Scarlet Pack vs. Bringers of Awesome

The Pack ended the regular season on a three-game winning streak that boosted them to a 9-4 record and the third playoff seed. The 7-6 Bringers stumbled in their finale but still got the sixth seed. Both sides have quarterbacks looking to bounce back from disappointing results last week (Joe Flacco for the Bringers and Peyton Manning for the Pack). Both sides also have red-hot running backs (Maurice Jones-Drew for the Bringers and Peyton Hillis for the Pack). The difference may come at wide receiver. The Pack's Greg Jennings is great, but the Bringers' Dwayne Bowe leads NFL receivers with 14 touchdowns, and he faces a San Diego Chargers defense that is no longer invincible. Expect Bowe to provide the fuel for a Bringers upset.

Lovely & Talented vs. Ninja Stars

The 9-4 Talented won its last game of the season and slid into the fourth playoff spot. The Stars managed to tie for the third time this season (yes, Virginia, it's possible) and finished with a hockey-like 8-2-3 record and the fifth seed. The now-appendix-free Matt Cassel is a huge question mark for the Stars, and Matt Forte should ask LaDainian Tomlinson whether the New England Patriots are easy to run against. On the other side of the ledger, Anquan Boldin faces the famously soft Houston Texans pass defense, and Mike Wallace should find more holes this week against the Cincinnati Bengals. Surprisingly, these teams may be even at tight end; Antonio Gates is a talent, but Jacob Tamme is one of the last men standing in the Indy offense. This will be a close one, but the Talented should prevail.

TOILET BOWL

In this league, getting a bye week isn't necessarily a good thing. The 4-8-1 P Funk Tribe and the 4-8-1 To the victor go the spoils get this week off. What they don't get is a chance at the championship.

Baby Needs a New Pair of Shoes II vs. WiFis and Bigger GBs

The 3-9-1 Shoes need Michael Turner and Calvin Johnson to keep finding their way into the end zone. The 3-10 WiFis need Mark Sanchez to forget last week's debacle and Larry Fitzgerald to get a quarterback who could hit water if he fell out of a boat. The Shoes have the more reasonable needs. They'll move on.

Suckawoodz vs. NM Agency

The 4-9 Woodz have Philip Rivers, while the 4-9 Agency has Drew Brees. They're also evenly matched at running back. At wide receiver, Wes Welker moves the chains, but Miles Austin scores points (and he no longer has to share the field with Dez Bryant). Look for the Agency to win this one.