NFC playoff preview: 'Skins could turn it upside down

5. Tampa Bay Bucs

Key stat: Over half the players on the Bucs' 53-man roster have experience in at least one playoff game, including seven that remain from Super Bowl XXXVII.

Player on the spot: Quarterback Jeff Garcia. The bigger the stakes the better he plays, and no need to remind the New York Giants. Garcia beat them in the 2002 playoffs while he was with San Francisco, and he beat them again in the 2006 playoffs while quarterbacking the Philadelphia Eagles. Garcia is capable of elevating teammates to unexpected results, and last season's Eagles and this season's Bucs are the evidence.

Area of concern: The right ankle of rookie guard Arron Sears. Sears, whom coach Jon Gruden once said played as well as any rookie offensive linemen he'd witnessed, sprained the ankle on the third play of last weekend's win over Carolina. All signs point to him playing this weekend against the Giants.

Team strength: Monte Kiffin, come on down. The Bucs' defensive coordinator did another marvelous job; the Bucs ranked first in overall defense, second against the pass and third in scoring. Tampa Bay wins as it has for years, by suffocating opponents with an aggressive defense that produces lots of mistakes and few points. The Bucs' 35 takeaways ranked third in the league, behind only San Diego and Indianapolis.

Will go to the Super Bowl if ... Nobody solves this defense. Look, the Bucs aren't going to score much. So the heat is on Kiffin to keep his unit making critical plays. Eight times Tampa Bay held opponents to 14 or fewer points, and they won all eight. Garcia doesn't make big mistakes, but the Bucs don't score a whole lot, either.

The skinny: There may be nobody respected less in these playoffs. The Bucs don't have anyone on the Pro Bowl roster -- heck, the entire NFC South was shut out -- and they were 4-6 outside their division. Nobody picked them to win the division, and nobody is picking them to win the conference. Unless Garcia catches fire, and the defense plays like the 2002 Bucs, they're doomed for an early exit.

6. Washington Redskins

Key stat: Won their last four games in a repeat performance of the 2005 season when they won their last five to reach the playoffs.

Player on the spot: Quarterback Todd Collins. He shook off 10 years of rust to lead the Redskins into the playoffs but now makes his first postseason appearance as a starter ... at 37. Collins doesn't make mistakes, but he will be asked to make big plays in unfamiliar stadiums. That's OK. Two of his last three wins were on the road.

Area of concern: Fatigue. This will be Washington's third road game in four weeks, and it is no ordinary trip: The Redskins must travel 3,000 miles to Seattle to play the next day. The best evidence of how difficult cross-country tours are on football teams is the Seahawks' record when they fly coast to coast: They were 1-4 in the Eastern Time Zone.

Team strength: Defense. Coordinator Gregg Williams pulled the Redskins out of last year's funk and had them ranked eighth in the NFL by season's end. But that's not the story of their finish: They produced seven takeaways in the last four games -- all of them victories -- and allowed an average of 13.3 points in each of those starts.

Will go to the Super Bowl if ... They can keep playing inspired football and minimize their turnovers. Washington hasn't been the same since Sean Taylor's death, and the addition of Collins has been a real plus. Since taking over he has five touchdowns, no interceptions and a 106.4 passer rating. The passing game is rejuvenated. The rushing attack is solid. And the defense is tough and relentless. Sounds like the Redskins of 20 years ago.

The skinny: This is the team I wouldn't want to face. It has the momentum you like at this time of year, and it's no stretch to imagine it in the conference championship game. So it won't be easy beating Seattle. Let's say the Redskins do. Can they win in Dallas? Sure. How about Green Bay? They should've beaten the Packers earlier this season. You want a long shot? You're looking at it.