NFL MVP PEYTON MANNING

As the AFC Playoffs start, the team that represents the conference in Super Bowl XLIII should be tournament tested even the 8-8 San Diego Chargers won’t be an easy out. With that in mind, let’s take a look at AFC Wild Card weekend.

The Colts have won nine in a row – including a 23-20 win at San Diego in week 12. However, they will be looking for revenge because the Chargers upset them in last year’s playoffs and prevented them from defending their Super Bowl title.

“There’s a lot of familiarity amongst the players,” Colts quarterback Peyton Manning said about the teams which are playing for the fourth time in two seasons. “There’s always going to be changes in schemes each time you play but you do know the players. I know how good a team they are and the problems they can cause.”

Manning has been the one causing problems, he started slowly after off-season knee surgery, but has been playing at high level as of late (17 touchdowns passes and only three interceptions in the nine straight wins). He was voted NFL MVP for a record-tying third time. For the season, he completed 66.8 percent of his 555 passes for 4002 yards and 27 touchdowns while being intercepted only 12 times and sacked just 14 times.

His counterpart, Philip Rivers, played at a high level as well, he was the top-rated passer in the NFL with a 105.5 rating. In the last four games – all must wins for the Chargers – Rivers threw for 11 touchdowns and just one interception. The Chargers overcame an 0-2 start and a November losing streak that saw them lose three games by a total of 10 points to win their third-straight AFC West title.

“A lot of us played well in December to get to this point,” Rivers said. “You want to be playing your best in December and hope it carries over into January.”

Rivers and star running back LaDainian Tomlinson were injured in last season’s playoff win over the Colts and the Chargers are dealing with injuries again. Tomlinson and tight end Antonio Gates are both listed as questionable with groin and ankle injuries respectively.

Despite the home field advantage, it’s too hard to pick against Peyton Manning.

Who would have predicted that either of these teams would make the playoffs? Let alone both teams. They both have rookie head coaches. The Ravens have a rookie quarterback while the Dolphins plugged a hole at the position by taking on Chad Pennington after he was dumped by the New York Jets.

“This time last year,” Pennington said, “[there was] no playoffs, no starting job, no anything. Now, here we are playing in a Wild Card Playoff game with a team that was 1-15 the year before. So it’s pretty special.”

It’s been a year of change for the Ravens quarterback, Joe Flacco, as well. A year ago, he had just finished leading the University of Delaware to the NCAA FCS finals and was preparing for the NFL draft, where Ravens new head coach, John Harbaugh, would make him the team’s first pick.

“Last year, I was getting ready to watch the first-round of the playoffs,” said the Audubon, NJ native. “Now, I’m here playing in them. We feel like we have a good team and that’s the most important thing, how confidant we are going into this thing.”

Despite the rookie signal caller, the Ravens have every right to be confidant. They have the AFC’s best rushing attack and their defense is ranked second in the NFL in yards allowed and third in points per game. Flacco just had to manage the game but he rebounded from his worst game of the season – a 13-9 loss to Pittsburgh – to play two of his best games of the year in the season’s final two contests which were must wins. In the final 11 games of the season, Flacco threw 13 touchdowns against only five interceptions and the Ravens won nine of those games.

Under new coach Tony Sparano, the Dolphins don’t do anything great but have been solid in all phases of the game and of course, they introduced the Wildcat offense to the NFL. Pennington, who received some MVP consideration and was voted the Comeback Player of the Year, threw 19 touchdowns with only seven interceptions.

Pennington has the playoff experience – this will be his sixth start – and since the NFL-AFL merger rookie quarterbacks are 2-6 in their first playoff start. The Dolphins defense, which was fourth in the AFC with 40 sacks, should be able to force Flacco into a mistake or two that will be the difference.