Contact Sports Director Bruce.Rader@wavy.com

The NFL Wildcard puzzle was put together this weekend, and now the four pieces are in place.

The Ravens, Chargers, Cardinals and Eagles live to play another week, and the divisional match-ups for next weekend are set.

The best game of the weekend was by far the one played Saturday night when the San Diego Chargers beat the Indianapolis Colts 23 to 17 in overtime.  Dead in the water five weeks ago, the Chargers have gone on a tear.  Darren Sprawls had an incredible game including a 22 yard touchdown run in overtime which was the game winner.  Mike Scifers the punter put six of his kicks inside the 20 yard line.  Phillip Rivers is a great quarterback, I don’t see how he didn’t make the Pro Bowl this year.  Norv Turner’s Chargers have now won five games in a row, ending the Colt’s nine game winning streak. 

Next week the Chargers travel to Pittsburg to take on Mike Tomlin’s Steelers, that game will be played Sunday evening at 4:30pm.

In the other AFC wildcard game played Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens once again proved why they have the best defense in the NFL. The Ravens beat the Miami Dolphins 27 to 9, limiting the Dolphins to 52 rushing yards and forcing five tournovers.  Ed Reed had two interceptions for the Ravens, for 76 return yards and a touchdown.

Chad Pennington trhew four interceptions for Miami, but still what a great comeback year for the Dolphins.  They went 1 and 15 last year, and then Bill Parcells took over the team and they come back to win 11 games this year.

The Raven will play the first game next weekend, when they travel to take on the top seeded Tennessee Titans at 4:30 next Saturday evening.

The first game of the weekend was Saturday’s first NFC wildcard game, and the Arizona Cardinals knocked off the Atlanta Falcons 30 to 24.  It was the first time the Cardinals had won a playoff game at home since the old Chicago Cardinals beat the Philadelphia to win the FLF championship back in 1947.  The Cardinals now travel to the east coast to take on the Carolina Panthers Saturday night at 7:30 on FOX 43.

And the final game of the weekend Sunday night had the Philadelphia Eagles go on the road and beat the Minnesota Vikings 26 to 14.  The Eagles had a two point halftime lead, thanks in part to an interception returned for a touchdown by Asante Samuels.  The score stayed that way until with 6:40 left in the game, old number 36 Brian Westbrook took a screen pass from Donovan McNabband broke loose for a 71 yard touchdown.  Up to that point, the Vikings defense had held Westbrook in check all day.  Then the Vikings with a bad snap under 2:50 to play in the game, the Eagles recovered. David Akers kicked a couple of long field goals, McNabb with 300 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

The Eagles now travel to the Meadowlands next week to take on the well rested Super Bowl champion New York Giants. During the regular season each won on the others home turf.  It will be the 4th time these two teams will have met in the playoffs the Giants lead the series 2 wins to 1.