SCOTT SIMON, host:
And it's time now for sports.
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SIMON: Sorry we had to jog the band awake. The pro football playoffs continue this weekend. And tonight, as it was almost a decade ago, the spotlight will be on Kurt Warner. The man who used to be a stock boy at an Iowa grocery store and played football over in Europe, where they think footballs are round, would sure like to get back to another Super Bowl, this time with the Arizona Cardinals. The resurgence of Mr. Warner is just one of the storylines running throughout the four divisional playoffs this weekend. We're joined now by our man Tom Goldman. Tom, thanks very much for being with us.
TOM GOLDMAN: Good morning. And you don't have to jog me awake, Scott. I'm ready.
SIMON: Thank you. Thank you very much for speaking with us so early from the West Coast. Look, I'm sorry to sound like Chris Matthews, but I get a chill running up and down my leg every time I think about Kurt Warner. What a great story this is.
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SIMON: Ten years after he was in the spotlight, he's back. What can we expect to see from him in this game tonight against the Panthers?
GOLDMAN: Well, you can expect to see him probably to throw the ball a heck of a lot. That's what Kurt Warner does so well. It's what he's been doing since the late 1990s when he led the high-flying offense in St. Louis, the St. Louis Rams, called the greatest show on turf. And so he'll be doing that again. And of course he's got the best receiving tandem in the NFL - Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Bolden - although Bolden is a game-time decision. He's got a sore hamstring. So that could hurt the Arizona Cardinals as they try and do a very, very tough thing beating a very strong Carolina team, undefeated at home this year. One other interesting factoid here, Scott.
SIMON: Yeah.
GOLDMAN: The Cardinals are 0 and 5 in the East this year. They just don't play well when they go back East. They just don't like to set their clocks ahead, I guess, or something. And so a lot is against them. But you know, you can dream. And that's certainly what a lot of people who are 37 and older are doing with Kurt Warner.
SIMON: Tennessee Titans play at home against the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens have a new quarterback and a new coach. And it's safe to say that's made a real difference, hasn't it?
GOLDMAN: It really has. I mean, the term rookie doesn't really apply in Baltimore. Joe Flacco, the rookie quarterback out of University of Delaware, has played like a veteran. And he hasn't been great statistically, but the one statistic that is important is he just doesn't throw a lot of interceptions. At least he hasn't thrown them in the latter part of this season and in the playoff victory over Miami last week.
And then you've also got a rookie coach, as you mentioned, John Harbaugh, who - you know, I don't know how great he is, but one of the things he's done it seems is he has reinvigorated this great Baltimore defense. You know, they've got the veteran Ray Lewis, who's playing well, but he's playing like a maniac again. They've got the cornerback Ed Reed, a very tough defense, and going against a very good Tennessee Titans team as well.
SIMON: Tomorrow, the New York Giants, defending Super Bowl champion, play the Philadelphia Eagles. Let me ask you a couple questions in sequence. First, with the Eagles. Did Donovan McNabb, their quarterback, have a better season by being benched at one point?
GOLDMAN: He sure did. And that's a lesson to all of us, Scott. Beware or maybe get benched.
SIMON: When you get benched next week, Tom, remember.
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GOLDMAN: And I'll be back even better.
SIMON: For your own good, yeah.
GOLDMAN: You know, since he was benched in the game on November 23rd, he roared back, led the Eagles to five wins out of six games. And they are like the Giants were last year. They come into this game with a tremendous amount of momentum. And even though they're playing in New York, you know, some people say they can win this game.
SIMON: Did the Giants miss Plaxico Burris, even if the criminal justice system doesn't?
GOLDMAN: Yes, they do. Plaxico wasn't having the greatest season before he was suspended for the year because of what happened to him. But he is that homerun weapon, to mix sports metaphors here.
SIMON: Oh, weapon.
GOLDMAN: Yeah, and he's the one guy. And since he's been gone, Eli Manning has only thrown two touchdown passes in about four weeks. So, you know, they need him.
SIMON: San Diego Chargers, late in the afternoon, play the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers have been tough to beat at home this year.
GOLDMAN: They have been tough to beat, but watch out for these crazy San Diego Chargers and especially five-foot-six-inch Darren Sprawls, this running back dynamo.
SIMON: Yeah.
GOLDMAN: And some people think, how does he do it? Well, one of the ways he does it is the defense can't see him. He's so little, and he darts, and he runs...
SIMON: You mean when all those guys who are 400 pounds and six foot seven, they can't see a guy who's five foot...
GOLDMAN: Exactly. And San Diego is on a tear. They've won five straight. So, watch out for them.
SIMON: We have an extra 25 seconds, Tom.
GOLDMAN: All right.
SIMON: Who do you pick to go all the way?
GOLDMAN: That's why I defer to you, Scott. The exciting thing about these final eight teams is you could make a case for any of them. And the NFL is so unpredictable. All the things I've said will be in reverse. So, who do you like?
SIMON: Well, I know I should say San Diego, but I like in all ways Arizona.
GOLDMAN: Well, good luck to you.
SIMON: Thanks very much. All right, a minority once again. NPR's Tom Goldman, thanks so much for being with us.
GOLDMAN: You're welcome.
SIMON: And you can follow the football playoffs all through the weekend. You're listening to Weekend Edition from NPR News.