Green Bay Packers @ Philadelphia Eagles NFC Wildcard Sunday: Make no doubt about it, this game boils down to one position: the quarterback. Both teams have high octane QBs, with the Packers led by big-armed Aaron Rodgers and the Eagles by the fleet-footed Michael Vick. Rodgers is as good as it gets at the pivot position, with only Peyton Manning and Tom Brady as his peers. However, Vick is such a wild card in this game, and is arguably the best athlete at the most important position in the game. He has rounded into a very accurate thrower and can take off and run for a first down in a blink of an eye, so the Packers top-ranked defense, led by Linebacker Clay Matthews, will not be able to just pin its ears back and attack.
On offence, the Packers have a throw-first mentality, and not many do it better than Rodgers, who tossed 28 touchdowns this year. In the only meeting between the two teams this year, the Pack won 27-20 in Philadelphia. However, Kevin Kolb started that game and struggled, as the Packers jumped out to a 20-3 lead. With Vick under the centre, the Eagles fought back and almost tied the game with the ball on the Green Bay half of the field in the final minute, but failed to convert on 4th and 1.
But ultimately, the whole game should boil down to Vick. If he is able to move around the pocket, buy some time, make a few first downs, and consistently hit his receivers down the field, it will make for a long day for the Green Bay defenders. This is something Vick has shown he can do. However, if Vick is static in the pocket, and is erratic with his throws, then the Pack will move on.
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