The fix is in this weekend

It’s the NFL playoffs, and the fix is in. Each of the remaining eight teams is under repair to some degree, with coaches scrambling to make the adjustments, patch the leaks, shore up the shortcomings that might have arisen earlier this season. Because all

four games this weekend are rematches, the teams involved have a very good idea of where they need to improve -- regardless of whether they won or lost in Round 1

of the matchup. Times NFL writer Sam Farmer examines what the divisional

playoff teams did right and wrong the first time around:

Baltimore at Tennessee

Saturday, 1:30 .m. PST, Channel 2

FIRST GAME: Tennessee won at Baltimore, 13-10, in Week 5.

BALTIMORE: If it ain’t broke . . . With Michael Phelps watching his favorite team from the sideline -- and wearing a No. 8 Ravens jersey to match his Olympic medal count -- the Baltimore defense played, well, swimmingly. It intercepted two Kerry Collins passes and extended to 23 its streak of consecutive games without allowing a 100-yard rusher.

Fix it: Coming off a solid Monday night performance against Pittsburgh a week earlier, quarterback Joe Flacco let his inexperience show, something he seldom did this season. He telegraphed his passes and had a pair of interceptions, including one in the fourth quarter that sealed Baltimore’s fate.

TENNESSEE: If it ain’t broke . . . No matter how he played over the course of the game, any quarterback has to feel good about orchestrating a winning drive against the Ravens’ defense on the road. So Tennessee’s Collins can smile about this one -- even though one of the pivotal plays on the winning drive was a questionable roughing-the-passer call.

Fix it: Written on a dry-erase board in the Titans’ locker room were the words: “Nothing for free. Offsides, personal fouls.” The writing on the wall after this whistle-palooza: Both teams needed to show more self-control. The Titans and Ravens combined for 21 flags and 169 yards in penalties.

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San Diego at Pittsburgh

Sunday, 1:45 p.m. PST, Channel 2

FIRST GAME: Pittsburgh won at home, 11-10, in Week 11.

SAN DIEGO: If it ain’t broke . . . San Diego’s Mike Scifres, who this week is coming off one of the greatest punting performances in NFL history (six for six inside the 20), had a good game at Pittsburgh too. He boomed a 75-yard free kick, and had two punts downed inside the 20 with a robust 43.5-yard net average on those. It’s as if he has magnetic control of the football.

Fix it: In what was otherwise a brilliant season for Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers, the Pittsburgh game was a rare stinker. He suffered through two interceptions -- one coming deep in Steelers territory -- and was stripped of the football in the end zone for a safety. Rivers came into the game with a league-high passer rating of 106.3 but notched only a 44.4 in that loss.

PITTSBURGH: If it ain’t broke . . . What an offensive display! Ben Roethlisberger dinked and dunked his way to 308 yards passing, spreading the ball to seven receivers. Hines Ward caught 11 passes for 124 yards. Willie Parker ran for 115 yards in 25 carries. And the Steelers controlled the ball for a staggering 13 minutes longer than the Chargers.

Fix it: All that, and no touchdowns! Actually, the first 11-10 game in NFL history shouldn’t have ended with that score. Pittsburgh safety Troy Polamalu scooped up a loose ball and scored on the game’s final play, but the apparent touchdown was mistakenly waved off by officials. After reviewing the play, the NFL conceded the error.

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Arizona at Carolina

Saturday, 5:15 p.m. PST, Channel 11

FIRST GAME: Carolina won at home, 27-23, in Week 8.

ARIZONA: If it ain’t broke . . . Receiver Anquan Boldin returned to action four weeks after a brutal hit in the Jets game crushed the bones in his face. It was the type of helmet-to-helmet collision that ends careers. Not only did Boldin return, but he also caught two touchdown passes against the Panthers and tore off a 30-yard run. Talk about tough.

Fix it: Impressive as Boldin’s run was, it’s seldom a good sign when a receiver is your leading rusher. Edgerrin James had seven for 17 yards, and Tim Hightower had six carries for three. The Cardinals -- who live and die by Kurt Warner’s passing -- were on their way to finishing the season as the league’s worst rushing offense.

CAROLINA: If it ain’t broke . . . The combination of Jake Delhomme to Steve Smith was alive and well, with Smith scoring twice in a 21-point third quarter. For the fourth time in five games, Delhomme had a triple-digit passer rating, and that’s excluding a likely touchdown that was dropped by wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad.

Fix it: Winning cures a lot, but it doesn’t make up for the holes that Warner was able to expose in the Carolina secondary. He completed 35 of 49 for 381 yards, with two touchdowns and an interception. The Panthers just didn’t have enough quality defenders to deal with Arizona’s multi-receiver sets.

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Philadelphia at New York

Sunday, 10 a.m., Channel 11

FIRST GAME: Giants won at Philadelphia, 36-31, in Week 10.

SECOND: Eagles won at Giants, 20-14, in Week 14.

PHILADELPHIA: If it ain’t broke . . . Despite a tendency to abandon the run, the Eagles stuck with it on a cold and windy day for the rematch at Giants Stadium. Despite gaining three yards in four carries in the opening quarter, Brian Westbrook kept getting handoffs, a wise move considering he had a 30-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and hoarded the clock with 21 carries in the second half.

Fix it: In the first game, it was no wonder the Giants held the ball for nearly two-thirds of the time -- Philadelphia was three for 11 on third down. Down five in the final two minutes, Westbrook ran twice near midfield and failed to convert a third-and-three and fourth-and-one. Game over.

N.Y. GIANTS: If it ain’t broke . . . Eli Manning, who threw an interception early, recovered nicely by directing three consecutive scoring drives. The most memorable play was a converted third down when Manning appeared to cross the line of scrimmage on a 17-yard pass. Replays showed the play was legal, and the Giants scored a touchdown.

Fix it: The Giants had plenty go wrong in the rematch. The two glaring problems: Manning, who didn’t have receiver Plaxico Burress, couldn’t stretch the field, and New York’s defensive front got very little pressure on McNabb (only sacked when he slipped and fell). Philadelphia’s offensive line basically manhandled the Giants up front, pushing open all sorts of holes for Westbrook. If that happens Sunday, the Giants are doomed.