Sixth seeds aren't as frail as they appear

This is going to sting a little, but here goes:

Since the NFL expanded its playoff format to 12 teams in 1990, your very own Minnesota Vikings became the first team to lose to a sixth seed three times. They did it as a No. 3 seed in 1992, 1994 and again Sunday.

Sorry.

But on a positive note, sixth seeds are no longer what we thought they were.

Since 2005, they're 7-5 with one shiny Super Bowl trophy. On Sunday, they went 2-0 in the first round for the second time in four years when the Eagles beat the Vikings 26-14 in the NFC and the Ravens spanked the Dolphins 27-9 in the AFC.

"I think the Eagles are the hottest team in the NFL right now," said Giants defensive end Justin Tuck, whose team plays host to Philadelphia on Sunday. "They may be the sixth seed, but they sure aren't playing like it."

Ditto for the Ravens.

The Eagles also have something in common with the 2005 Steelers. They were the last team to qualify for the playoffs. Philadelphia now heads to New York having won five of its past six games, including a 20-14 victory at Giants Stadium on Dec. 7.

The Giants beat the Eagles 36-31 in Philadelphia on Nov. 9. But the more recent outcome at Giants Stadium gives the Eagles a sense of confidence as they attempt to beat a Giants team that is 12-4 and seeded No. 1.

"We do understand that it can be done, and not too long ago we did it," Eagles safety Brian Dawkins said. "We feel good right now."

In the AFC, No. 1 seed Tennessee (13-3) has the added advantage of playing the Ravens on Saturday. That's only six days after Baltimore's victory over Miami.

It's the second meeting of the year between Baltimore and Tennessee. The Titans won 13-10 at Baltimore on Oct. 5. Their powerful running game was held to 47 yards and a 2.1-yard average, but quarterback Kerry Collins capped the winning 80-yard touchdown drive with an 11-yard pass to tight end Alge Crumpler with 1 minute, 56 seconds left in the game.

"It's hard to forget that one," Collins said back in October. "Sure, I wanted to beat them."

The Ravens have won six of their past seven games. The Titans, meanwhile, are 3-3 since starting 10-0. That includes a 23-0 regular season-ending loss in which Tennessee rested several starters at Indianapolis.

Meanwhile, the reigning Super Bowl champion Giants led the NFL in rushing (157.4 yards per game) and yards per carry (5.0), but they also are 1-3 since receiver Plaxico Burress accidently shot himself in the leg Nov. 29. That includes a regular season-ending loss in which the Giants rested starters at the Metrodome.

Since their creation 19 years ago, sixth seeds are 16-35. They are 13-25 in the first round and 1-10 in the second round.

This is only the second time both sixth seeds advanced to the second round. The other time came in 2005. The NFC has never had a sixth seed make it past the second round.

A year ago, the Giants were able to play the no-respect card that is painfully cliché, but still motivates a lot of these blockheads. New York rallied around the fifth seed, winning three road playoff games en route to upsetting a Patriots team that was 18-0 heading into the Super Bowl.

This year, the Giants are expected to win. After all, they're home throughout the length of their playoff run.

"All it means is we don't have to get on a plane until we go to Tampa," said Tuck, referring to the site of this year's Super Bowl.

Be careful, Justin. Those sixth seeds can be scary.