A Sports Filled Weekend

The divisional round of the NFL playoffs will dominate Saturday’s and Sunday’s TV programming, so prepare properly for two sets of doubleheaders. Beverages, chips, eye drops – all very important for eight-hour viewing days.

Now, your weekend TV six-pack …

Real life on Saturday starts at 4:35 p.m. ET with the streaking Kansas City Chiefs visiting the New England Patriots, who finished the season on a decidedly down note. The Chiefs, who opened 1-5, have won 11 in a row, including last weekend’s playoff blanking of the Houston Texans. The Patriots, 10-0 to start, lost their last two to teams that didn’t make the playoffs (New York Jets, Miami Dolphins).

Saturday’s late game (8:15 p.m.) pits the Green Bay Packers against the Arizona Cardinals. The Cards destroyed the Packers 38-8 in Week 16. The Cardinals may be the most complete team in the playoffs, with the NFL’s No. 1-ranked offense and No. 5 defense. The Packers went back to an up-tempo style and to come from behind and beat the Washington Redskins in their playoff opener.

Sunday brings us the team no one wants to play, the Seattle Seahawks, matched up against the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers won the regular-season matchup. Carolina quarterback Cam Newton ought to be the NFL’s Most Valuable Player, and Seattle’s Russ Wilson is just as much fun to watch. This game is at 1:05 p.m.

The divisional round closes out on Sunday afternoon at 4:40 p.m. with the Pittsburgh Steelers at the Denver Broncos. QB Peyton Manning makes his first start in more than two months for the Broncos. Injured Ben Roethlisberger will likely try to play for the Steelers, who emerged from a brawl against the Cincinnati Bengals with a one-point win.

ALSO: Take a peek at George Washington-Dayton men’s college basketball on Friday night. The UD Flyers don’t get the marquee players but they work so well as a team. In their last outing, they beat Davidson 80-74 on the strength of a 19-0 run. GWU is 14-3, UD 13-3. … On Sunday, there’s Big Ten hoops with Michigan, fresh from an upset of No. 3 Maryland, playing No. 16 Iowa.

That’s your six-pack!
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman