So it begins, the ending of the NFL season with plenty of good teams playing at this time of the year, and I mean that sincerely. Not one team playing in the Wildcard rounds got here by accident or backed their way in. You have New York, a Super Bowl team 5 years ago, with a revamped line-up, you have Jacksonville with one of the brightest young coaches in the game and a great W-L record, you have New England, 2 time defending champs with THE BEST coach in the game today, and the list goes on and on, not to mention the Super Bowl team from 2 years ago, the Panthers in the mix again! Did I mention that the Steelers or Bengal's are no slouches either, and Carson Palmer has emerged and become a Pro Bowl caliber quarterback? What a weekend we have!

Some notes, as far as the pointsprerad is concerned. Many times, and I mean many times the wild card games are blowouts. Hard to figure when you look at 2 defensive minded teams like Washington and Tampa Bay huh? Both coaches in that match-up have went to and won Super Bowls. For many years there always been a blowout or two in the opening round, as a matter of fact 24 out of 40 wild card games since 1995 have been won by 13 or more points. Usually that is because, in my opinion, teams on the rise and teams that are underdogs, sometimes do not have the experience of a favorite in that particular game, and the playoffs are all about your "A" game, and not making mistakes. Look at USC in the national title game against Texas this week. They were in the red zone 5 times in the first half, walked away with one score and had crucial turnovers in the second half, and when you play a good team, #2 Texas for instance with Vince Young, you cannot do that and win. The playoffs are very similar to that in the NFL, make mistakes and miscues, and you lose, plain and simple.

Wildcard underdogs last year went 3-1 ATS and since the year 2000, they are 12-8 ATS. Some more numbers from a respected publication that may make you think twice or use an expert this weekend is that 1-3 point underdogs are 17-13-1 ATS since 1998, home underdogs are 8-1 ATS in the wild card rounds, and 7 point underdogs are 11-8 ATS since 1978. More of interesting note, and bear in mind there was no free agency in 1978 and for many years after that, 37 wild card games have been won by 14 points or more.

One has to sidestep a few landmines in the wild card games this weekend, but no team playing on Saturday or Sunday is there by accident, as I already mentioned and with parity at the forefront, I look for tried and proven handicapping methods that have stood the test of time in the NFL post season, I urge you to do the same. It is blocking and tackling 101 this weekend, who has the better team and the better coach, it boils down to simple thinking.