So in the same year, the Arizona Cardinals make the Super Bowl and the Tampa Bay Rays make the World Series. Really? This isn't some dream or something? No? Ok, wow. Who's ready for the Bobcats and the Clippers to meet in the Finals?
Also, the NFL must be hating this matchup. This is not the type of matchup that will bring in the casual fan. It's almost as bad as the Steelers/Seahawaks Super Bowl a few years back (I'm noticing a trend here and looking at you Pittsburgh). Sure, not every SUper Bowl can be between New York and the most despised team in the NFL with a chance of immortality, but Pittsburgh and Arizona? Yikes. At least the NFL has the Boss at halftime to bring in some more fans.
The Pick:
Cats in 6
Emeka Okafor, Finals MVP... I wish...
Monday, January 19, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
Witness
After watching the Cavaliers/Hornets game tonight, I have very little doubt in my mind that the Cleveland Cavaliers will win the NBA Championship. LeBron is simply unstoppable. During the Olympics, he made claim to being the best player in the world. Over the first half of this season, he has grabbed that title with a larger fury then one of his dunks.
The Cavaliers were the only team that really came close to beating the Celtics last season, and they are only better this year. Talk all you want about Baron Davis, Elton Brand, or Marcus Camby, the biggest player movement of the offseason was the Cavs trading for Mo Williams. Williams gives the Cavs a legitimate point guard and another outside shooter to take the burden off of and spread the floor for LeBron.
Also, mark down the fact that the Cavs will probably get some more talent through trade (Wally Szczerbiak and his expiring deal) or bought out veterans looking for a rig (like Cassell and PJ Brown with the Celtics last year) and look out. Cleveland is already 20-0 at home and has the best record in the East, meaning home court advantage until the Finals. On top of that, the Cavs have a point differential of almost 12 ppg.
Call me crazy, but the best player in the world, combined with an incredible home court advantage and the leagues best defense, yeah, that sounds title worthty to me. Exactly how the Celtics win #17 last season (maybe not the best player in the world, but the best trio in the league). LeBron is an unstoppable force and this year begins year one of the Cleveland CavaBrons dominance in the NBA.
The Cavaliers were the only team that really came close to beating the Celtics last season, and they are only better this year. Talk all you want about Baron Davis, Elton Brand, or Marcus Camby, the biggest player movement of the offseason was the Cavs trading for Mo Williams. Williams gives the Cavs a legitimate point guard and another outside shooter to take the burden off of and spread the floor for LeBron.
Also, mark down the fact that the Cavs will probably get some more talent through trade (Wally Szczerbiak and his expiring deal) or bought out veterans looking for a rig (like Cassell and PJ Brown with the Celtics last year) and look out. Cleveland is already 20-0 at home and has the best record in the East, meaning home court advantage until the Finals. On top of that, the Cavs have a point differential of almost 12 ppg.
Call me crazy, but the best player in the world, combined with an incredible home court advantage and the leagues best defense, yeah, that sounds title worthty to me. Exactly how the Celtics win #17 last season (maybe not the best player in the world, but the best trio in the league). LeBron is an unstoppable force and this year begins year one of the Cleveland CavaBrons dominance in the NBA.
The sun never sets on Red Sox Nation
Back when I was in high school, one of my history teachers once, for the sake of argument, said that the American Revolution was the greatest victory for the British Empire. His argument was that, while the United States broke away from British rule, every British colony rebelled since they thought the British would be stretched too thin and they could also break away. Only the USA succeeded in their revolution however, so the British basically dominated a world war by themselves, losing on only one front. That was my history teacher's argument, though I'm not entirely sure I buy it.
However, using that logic, the Boston Red Sox have had the best offseason. Sure they lost out on the large free agent they were seeking in Mark Teixeira (America) but they won all the smaller battles. They signed AL MVP Dustin Pedroia to a six-year extension. They signed MVP candidate Kevin Youkilis to a four-year extension. They signed Brad Penny, Takasi Saito, Mark Kotsay, Rocco Baldelli, and John Smoltz, all to one year deals for a base salary of $14 million combined.
While there is some injury risk associated with all of them, the deals are for minimal baseball money, and if the players can stay healthy in the reduced roles they will have in Boston, the Red Sox became incredibly deep and dangerous for very cheap. The Red Sox also have one more move coming to solve the hole they have at catcher. Buchholz is probably the most likely candidate to be moved because, while he has the talent, he doesn't seem to have the mental make up to pitch in Boston.
So, while the Red Sox may have lost their top free agent, they kept the rest of their empire. And who knows, for the lengths of the deals, the Yankees may have handcuffed themselves down the road. As a Yankee friend of mine said to me, "Yeah, the Yankees might be reducing payroll this season, but that's just a one year thing. Just wait until next offseason when they add two more giant contracts." Either way, this should be a great three-team race for the AL East this coming season.
However, using that logic, the Boston Red Sox have had the best offseason. Sure they lost out on the large free agent they were seeking in Mark Teixeira (America) but they won all the smaller battles. They signed AL MVP Dustin Pedroia to a six-year extension. They signed MVP candidate Kevin Youkilis to a four-year extension. They signed Brad Penny, Takasi Saito, Mark Kotsay, Rocco Baldelli, and John Smoltz, all to one year deals for a base salary of $14 million combined.
While there is some injury risk associated with all of them, the deals are for minimal baseball money, and if the players can stay healthy in the reduced roles they will have in Boston, the Red Sox became incredibly deep and dangerous for very cheap. The Red Sox also have one more move coming to solve the hole they have at catcher. Buchholz is probably the most likely candidate to be moved because, while he has the talent, he doesn't seem to have the mental make up to pitch in Boston.
So, while the Red Sox may have lost their top free agent, they kept the rest of their empire. And who knows, for the lengths of the deals, the Yankees may have handcuffed themselves down the road. As a Yankee friend of mine said to me, "Yeah, the Yankees might be reducing payroll this season, but that's just a one year thing. Just wait until next offseason when they add two more giant contracts." Either way, this should be a great three-team race for the AL East this coming season.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Lions Get Their Coach
The Detroit Lions finally lured someone to become their head coach as the Tennessee Titans defensive co-ordinator Jim Schwartz signed a four year deal. One nice thing for Schwartz is expectations will be incredibly low. Hey, going 1-15 would be an improvement. But the Lions probably did as god as they were going to get. They weren't going to get any of the hot names this offseason, not with Calvin Johnson being the only player on the team with any sense of star quality. The Lions have the 1st and 20th pick in the first round, and lead off the second round with the 33rd overall pick.
Detroit should be able get three plus-starters from these picks, and I hope for their sake they actually do and don't blow like they have in the past. Thank god they have new management otherwise Michael Crabtree would be the top pick in this years draft. If the Lions are smart, they might want to wait to get their quarterback of the future until next year (unless someone by incredible luck drops to them) because they will still be terrible this year despite having three top 33 picks, and one of Tebow, Bradford, or McCoy should all be on the board when they pick next year. Plus, I still feel like Dan Orlovsky can be a decent NFL quarterback given the chance and any talent around him. I'd take one more year evaluating him before pulling the trigger on Matt Stafford, who seems to be lucking out based on it being a weak quarterback class this year.
But congratulations to the Lions none the less for tricking, er, um, coming to terms with someone to coach in Detroit.
Detroit should be able get three plus-starters from these picks, and I hope for their sake they actually do and don't blow like they have in the past. Thank god they have new management otherwise Michael Crabtree would be the top pick in this years draft. If the Lions are smart, they might want to wait to get their quarterback of the future until next year (unless someone by incredible luck drops to them) because they will still be terrible this year despite having three top 33 picks, and one of Tebow, Bradford, or McCoy should all be on the board when they pick next year. Plus, I still feel like Dan Orlovsky can be a decent NFL quarterback given the chance and any talent around him. I'd take one more year evaluating him before pulling the trigger on Matt Stafford, who seems to be lucking out based on it being a weak quarterback class this year.
But congratulations to the Lions none the less for tricking, er, um, coming to terms with someone to coach in Detroit.
Bartolo Colon
I just noticed that Bartolo Colon signed for this season for $1 million (plus a possible $2 million more based on innings pitched) with the Chicago White Sox. I would be a fan of this signing since he is 35, has won a Cy Young, has won 20-games twice, and if he gets healthy, he could be a decent back-end of the rotation guy. I am quite confident he can do this, if he can stay healthy (big if), because he did the same thing for the Red Sox last season, and I applauded that signing last year.
The one thing is, I can't support Colon having a good season, not because he is on the White Sox, but because of what he did to the Red Sox last year. At the end of the season, the Sox wanted to move Colon into the bullpen when it began apparent the Sox would make the playoffs as either the Wild Card or AL East winner. They wanted to do this because it was the best thing for the Sox come playoff time. Colon instead returned to his native Dominican Republic and refused to pitch. Who knows if the Sox would've beaten the Rays and then the Phillies in the playoffs if they had Colon, but they definitely would have had a better shot.
What Colon did was selfish and the Red Sox suspended him without pay and, for one of the rare times, the Union didn't file a grievance on his behalf. At this point in his career, a player like Colon should be playing for rings and pride. Sure his pride was hurt by being asked to move out of the rotation, a spot he has been in his entire career, but shouldn't a ring fix all that? I would say his legacy was hurt by his selfish actions, but clearly it hasn't been, as the White Sox are setting themselves up for the same thing this season. I just wish they held him accountable for last season and didn't give him another deal. Players should be held accountable for quitting on teams. Why do you think I'm happy Manny still doesn't have a job and will get less then he should?
The one thing is, I can't support Colon having a good season, not because he is on the White Sox, but because of what he did to the Red Sox last year. At the end of the season, the Sox wanted to move Colon into the bullpen when it began apparent the Sox would make the playoffs as either the Wild Card or AL East winner. They wanted to do this because it was the best thing for the Sox come playoff time. Colon instead returned to his native Dominican Republic and refused to pitch. Who knows if the Sox would've beaten the Rays and then the Phillies in the playoffs if they had Colon, but they definitely would have had a better shot.
What Colon did was selfish and the Red Sox suspended him without pay and, for one of the rare times, the Union didn't file a grievance on his behalf. At this point in his career, a player like Colon should be playing for rings and pride. Sure his pride was hurt by being asked to move out of the rotation, a spot he has been in his entire career, but shouldn't a ring fix all that? I would say his legacy was hurt by his selfish actions, but clearly it hasn't been, as the White Sox are setting themselves up for the same thing this season. I just wish they held him accountable for last season and didn't give him another deal. Players should be held accountable for quitting on teams. Why do you think I'm happy Manny still doesn't have a job and will get less then he should?
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
NFL Championship Weekend
Wow, the NFL has gotten really uncreative these past two weeks. All the games have been rematches of games that happened during the regular season. But I'm not complaining because rematches are usually better then the first game, and when you couple that with the fact that this weekend is usually the best of the NFL season, well, let's just say I'm looking forward to Sunday, as should you. So, without further ado, here's a quick look at who will be listening to some Will Smith and will be going to Miami.
Philadelphia Eagles at Arizona Cardinals. Sunday. 3 pm. FOX.
This game being played in Arizona is yet another example of why the NFL playoff structure doesn't make sense. Philly beat the Cardinals in Week 13 by a score of 48-20 and had a slightly better record then the Cards, yet the game is in Arizona. However, it is what it is, and the game is being played in the desert, regardless if I agree with the way the NFL does their playoff structure.
Anyways, onto the game and off of my vendetta against the NFL and their playoff systems and draft order (the loser of this game will select before the Patriots despite the Pats missing the playoffs). The first game wasn't even close as the Eagles won by 28, had 20 more first downs, and almost 200 more total yards of offense. Brian Westbrook had 4 touchdowns (2 each on the ground and 2 in the air), and Donovan McNabb threw for four total touchdowns. On the other hand, Kurt Warner threw three interceptions, but that wasn't the most telling stat. Arizona rushed for only 25 yards in the game. Let me repeat that, 25 yards.
You have to be able to run to win in the playoffs, and the Cards haven't been able to run in years. Philly has also looked pretty incredible since that first game (except against Washington) and should continue to roll. It's amazing that the Eagles will likely make it to the Super Bowl for the city of Philadelphia, a city so long associated with losing in sports, just a few months after the Phillies won the World Series. Is Philly going to be the new Boston, dominating the three major sports? My guess is no, but that might be because 76ers are still terrible.
Eagles 34, Cardinals 17
Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers. Sunday. 6:30. CBS.
As you've probably heard a great deal this week, these two teams played twice this season and the Steelers won both games by a combined 7 points. Like the first two meetings between these teams, I see a close, smash mouth, down to the last second, defense dominated game. However, I do see major difference in this game from the first two; a Ravens win.
Yes, I know that no starting rookie QB has ever made the Super Bowl, but at the same time, no rookie had ever won two playoff games in a season. Going into last season, no team had ever gone 16-0 in a regular season, and no NFC 5-seed had ever won the Super Bowl and BOTH things happened last year. It may not have happened before, but that doesn't mean it can't happen in the future.
The main difference in this game as I see it from the first two games is what happened in Week 17 in the Steelers-Browns game. I'm sure Browns fans don't want to hear they helped the city that stole their franchise, but they did. Ben Roethlisberger suffered his third concussion in that game, and I see that having some effect on this game. In a game that will be close, I don't like the team with the recently concussed quarterback, especially when the other team has the best safety in the game in Ed Reed, who will probably have a pick-6 in this game since he always seems to have one.
Ravens 17, Steelers 13
Philadelphia Eagles at Arizona Cardinals. Sunday. 3 pm. FOX.
This game being played in Arizona is yet another example of why the NFL playoff structure doesn't make sense. Philly beat the Cardinals in Week 13 by a score of 48-20 and had a slightly better record then the Cards, yet the game is in Arizona. However, it is what it is, and the game is being played in the desert, regardless if I agree with the way the NFL does their playoff structure.
Anyways, onto the game and off of my vendetta against the NFL and their playoff systems and draft order (the loser of this game will select before the Patriots despite the Pats missing the playoffs). The first game wasn't even close as the Eagles won by 28, had 20 more first downs, and almost 200 more total yards of offense. Brian Westbrook had 4 touchdowns (2 each on the ground and 2 in the air), and Donovan McNabb threw for four total touchdowns. On the other hand, Kurt Warner threw three interceptions, but that wasn't the most telling stat. Arizona rushed for only 25 yards in the game. Let me repeat that, 25 yards.
You have to be able to run to win in the playoffs, and the Cards haven't been able to run in years. Philly has also looked pretty incredible since that first game (except against Washington) and should continue to roll. It's amazing that the Eagles will likely make it to the Super Bowl for the city of Philadelphia, a city so long associated with losing in sports, just a few months after the Phillies won the World Series. Is Philly going to be the new Boston, dominating the three major sports? My guess is no, but that might be because 76ers are still terrible.
Eagles 34, Cardinals 17
Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers. Sunday. 6:30. CBS.
As you've probably heard a great deal this week, these two teams played twice this season and the Steelers won both games by a combined 7 points. Like the first two meetings between these teams, I see a close, smash mouth, down to the last second, defense dominated game. However, I do see major difference in this game from the first two; a Ravens win.
Yes, I know that no starting rookie QB has ever made the Super Bowl, but at the same time, no rookie had ever won two playoff games in a season. Going into last season, no team had ever gone 16-0 in a regular season, and no NFC 5-seed had ever won the Super Bowl and BOTH things happened last year. It may not have happened before, but that doesn't mean it can't happen in the future.
The main difference in this game as I see it from the first two games is what happened in Week 17 in the Steelers-Browns game. I'm sure Browns fans don't want to hear they helped the city that stole their franchise, but they did. Ben Roethlisberger suffered his third concussion in that game, and I see that having some effect on this game. In a game that will be close, I don't like the team with the recently concussed quarterback, especially when the other team has the best safety in the game in Ed Reed, who will probably have a pick-6 in this game since he always seems to have one.
Ravens 17, Steelers 13
Friday, January 2, 2009
2009 NFL WildCard Weekend
The 2009 NFL Wild Card weekend is upon us, and all the games, at least on paper, should be close games that come down to the wire. Without further ado, here's a look at the games and who should live on to play in two Sundays.
Atlanta Falcons at Arizona Cardinals. Saturday. 4:30. NBC.
The end of this game should be very interesting assuming it's still close, which I feel it will be. Arizona has a dominant passing attack with the best 1-2 wide receiver punch in the playoffs with Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Bouldin, and possibly the entire NFL (tough call between them and Moss/Welker in New England), but they don't have any rushing game to speak of. Atlanta on the other hand averaged more then twice as many rushing yards as Arizona over the course of the season.
Ok, obviously it's never better to be trailing in a game, but if I had to be trailing in this game, I'd much rather be Arizona. With a passing attack like the Cards have, they should be able to run an effective 2 minute offense to come back, but their clock killing abilities are suspect. Atlanta on the other hand can run the ball well, but how will Matt Ryan fare as a rookie in the playoffs? He's been solid all season, rightfully earning the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, but can he keep it going? I feel like Ryan plays great for the first three quarters before the Falcons turn the game over to Michael Turner to run out the clock before the nerves can overcome Ryan.
Also, I called it around Week 10 when I was congratulating a Giants fan on a win, told him to enjoy the win because the Falcons were going to upset New York in the playoffs. After calling around Week 10 that the Giants were the only team capable of beating the Patriots (thought it would be in Week 17, not the Super Bowl, but...) based solely on gut, so I can't have the Falcons being knocked out of the playoffs before they get a shot at the Giants. Plus, Atlanta deserves something good after they lost Michael Vick due to his poor personal decisions, especially due to his physical talents, Vick should've been the most dominant quarterback of our generation, if not of all time.
Falcons 27
Cardinals 23
Indianapolis Colts at San Diego Chargers. Saturday. 8. NBC.
Peyton Manning just won the MVP award, but that might be the last good thing that happens for the Colts this season. I actually think Chad Pennington deserved the MVP (did I actually just write that? Wow) but that's not the point of this post. The Colts were incredibly lucky this season and probably should've finished closer to the Chargers 8-8 record then the 12-4 mark they had. When they played the Patriots, they were one Jabbar Gaffney drop on a touchdown (Pats settled for 3) or one David Thomas penalty away from losing that game, which would've put the New England at 13-3 on the season and depending on the tie-breakers, the top seed, and dropped the Colts out of the playoffs, again depending on tie-breakers.
Both teams are hot, with the Colts and Chargers winning 9 and 4 games respectively to end the season. I just feel that the Chargers are the better team in this game. Throw in the fact that Manning has struggled against San Diego in the past, and that the Chargers just seem to look better, and I like San Diego. I also have a feeling as well that Tomlinson will have the best game of anybody this weekend, somewhere over 120 yards and 3 TD (one passing) and the fact that the game is in San Diego, Chargers win in a game that isn't as close as the final score would tell you.
Colts 24
Chargers 34
Baltimore Ravens at Miami Dolphins. Sunday. 1. CBS.
Just like in the early game on Saturday, this game features a rookie quarterback leading a team with a bird as a mascot in a road playoff game. And, just like the Saturday game, I see the rookie quarterback leading his team to victory.
I know people have trouble trusting rookies or players starting for the first time in their career, but I feel that given the right player and team, that shouldn't be an issue. Yeah, it's hard, but if a player can do it all season, shouldn't they be able to maintain that level of success in the playoffs? Didn't Tom Brady win the Super Bowl MVP in his first year as a starter? Sure, you'ld like a guy who's been there before and won't be rattled, but that doesn't always work out well. Brett Favre has won a Super Bowl, and last season if he doesn't throw a terrible pick against the Giants, maybe the Packers drive and win the NFC Championship, then the Patriots win the Super Bowl and go 19-0.
Anyways, the reason I like the Ravens most is because the Wild Cat offense that has worked so well for the Dolphins is not nearly as effective the second time a team goes against it. The Dolphins killed New England because of the Wild Cat in their first game, but in game two, the Patriots shut the formation in check and won the game. Not only will the Ravens do the same thing, but they shut the defense down the first time as well. No Wild Cat, no victory. Miami should be incredibly proud even with a first round playoff loss, going from 1-15 to 11-5 and division champ. Baltimore's defense is scary good, getting close to the level they were at when they won the Super Bowl. Baltimore will shut down Miami, and will go on to play next week.
Baltimore 20
Miami 13
Philadelphia Eagles at Minnesota Vikings. Sunday. 4:30. FOX.
I honestly don't like either team to win this game. Since I don't see either team winning, I would generally go for a tie, but that can't happen in the playoffs. This game proves to be a very confusing game for Donovan McNabb if it stays tied through the extra 15 minutes, as his concept of overtime would have been shattered twice in a single season.
No possible final score would surprise me in this game. An Eagles rout, a close or overtime game, or a Vikings rout. I tend to lean towards the Eagles winning this game based on three things. First, they finished the season in a very impressive fashion, crushing the Cowboys to get into the playoffs. It is Week 14 however that makes me like the Eagles a bit more in this game. Both team won by single digits against their opponents. The big difference however was the Eagles beat the #1 NFC seed, defending champion Giants, and the Vikings beat the Lions. Not a good sign that late in the season, especially since the Eagles had a larger margin of victory.
The Eagles also have two more things on their side. They have been there before and should not be rattled. Also, they have Donovan McNabb at quarterback, not Tavaris Jackson. Jackson has ben playing better of late, but he is still Tavaris Jackson.
Eagles 26
Vikings 23 (OT)
One more thing on the playoffs. Ok, it's the rules that New England missed the playoffs. It's unfortunate, especially since they were playing some of, if not the, best football in the AFC in December, but rules are rules. What I don't like is the way that it is decided. Basically, the tie breakers that knocked the Pats out of the playoffs this season for the division title and the last Wild Card berth came down to their record against the rest of the AFC. Here's a look at the combined record of the teams the Patriots, Dolphins, and Ravens played against in the AFC this season (doubling the records of division opponents)
New England - 78-50
Miami - 73-55
Baltimore - 63-63-2
Miami and Baltimore both finished 8-4 against the AFC while New England finished 7-5. Yes, New England had the chance to win many of those games and didn't come through, as their players would attest to, but the strength of competition was not close, especially between the Pats/Dolphins and the Ravens. But, it is what it is, but since the Patriots are forced to watch from their recliners this January, they should also be given an earlier pick in the draft. Bottom line is playoff teams should pick after non-playoff teams, end of story. The NFL needs to fix a their system. Either don't let in 8-8 teams over 11-5 teams, or give the team that missed the playoffs the better pick in the draft. Imagine how much worse this would have been too had Philly lost to the Bengals and been in a 4-way tie for the last wild card spot...
Either way, enjoy the football everybody. Check back next week for Divisional Round picks.
Atlanta Falcons at Arizona Cardinals. Saturday. 4:30. NBC.
The end of this game should be very interesting assuming it's still close, which I feel it will be. Arizona has a dominant passing attack with the best 1-2 wide receiver punch in the playoffs with Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Bouldin, and possibly the entire NFL (tough call between them and Moss/Welker in New England), but they don't have any rushing game to speak of. Atlanta on the other hand averaged more then twice as many rushing yards as Arizona over the course of the season.
Ok, obviously it's never better to be trailing in a game, but if I had to be trailing in this game, I'd much rather be Arizona. With a passing attack like the Cards have, they should be able to run an effective 2 minute offense to come back, but their clock killing abilities are suspect. Atlanta on the other hand can run the ball well, but how will Matt Ryan fare as a rookie in the playoffs? He's been solid all season, rightfully earning the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, but can he keep it going? I feel like Ryan plays great for the first three quarters before the Falcons turn the game over to Michael Turner to run out the clock before the nerves can overcome Ryan.
Also, I called it around Week 10 when I was congratulating a Giants fan on a win, told him to enjoy the win because the Falcons were going to upset New York in the playoffs. After calling around Week 10 that the Giants were the only team capable of beating the Patriots (thought it would be in Week 17, not the Super Bowl, but...) based solely on gut, so I can't have the Falcons being knocked out of the playoffs before they get a shot at the Giants. Plus, Atlanta deserves something good after they lost Michael Vick due to his poor personal decisions, especially due to his physical talents, Vick should've been the most dominant quarterback of our generation, if not of all time.
Falcons 27
Cardinals 23
Indianapolis Colts at San Diego Chargers. Saturday. 8. NBC.
Peyton Manning just won the MVP award, but that might be the last good thing that happens for the Colts this season. I actually think Chad Pennington deserved the MVP (did I actually just write that? Wow) but that's not the point of this post. The Colts were incredibly lucky this season and probably should've finished closer to the Chargers 8-8 record then the 12-4 mark they had. When they played the Patriots, they were one Jabbar Gaffney drop on a touchdown (Pats settled for 3) or one David Thomas penalty away from losing that game, which would've put the New England at 13-3 on the season and depending on the tie-breakers, the top seed, and dropped the Colts out of the playoffs, again depending on tie-breakers.
Both teams are hot, with the Colts and Chargers winning 9 and 4 games respectively to end the season. I just feel that the Chargers are the better team in this game. Throw in the fact that Manning has struggled against San Diego in the past, and that the Chargers just seem to look better, and I like San Diego. I also have a feeling as well that Tomlinson will have the best game of anybody this weekend, somewhere over 120 yards and 3 TD (one passing) and the fact that the game is in San Diego, Chargers win in a game that isn't as close as the final score would tell you.
Colts 24
Chargers 34
Baltimore Ravens at Miami Dolphins. Sunday. 1. CBS.
Just like in the early game on Saturday, this game features a rookie quarterback leading a team with a bird as a mascot in a road playoff game. And, just like the Saturday game, I see the rookie quarterback leading his team to victory.
I know people have trouble trusting rookies or players starting for the first time in their career, but I feel that given the right player and team, that shouldn't be an issue. Yeah, it's hard, but if a player can do it all season, shouldn't they be able to maintain that level of success in the playoffs? Didn't Tom Brady win the Super Bowl MVP in his first year as a starter? Sure, you'ld like a guy who's been there before and won't be rattled, but that doesn't always work out well. Brett Favre has won a Super Bowl, and last season if he doesn't throw a terrible pick against the Giants, maybe the Packers drive and win the NFC Championship, then the Patriots win the Super Bowl and go 19-0.
Anyways, the reason I like the Ravens most is because the Wild Cat offense that has worked so well for the Dolphins is not nearly as effective the second time a team goes against it. The Dolphins killed New England because of the Wild Cat in their first game, but in game two, the Patriots shut the formation in check and won the game. Not only will the Ravens do the same thing, but they shut the defense down the first time as well. No Wild Cat, no victory. Miami should be incredibly proud even with a first round playoff loss, going from 1-15 to 11-5 and division champ. Baltimore's defense is scary good, getting close to the level they were at when they won the Super Bowl. Baltimore will shut down Miami, and will go on to play next week.
Baltimore 20
Miami 13
Philadelphia Eagles at Minnesota Vikings. Sunday. 4:30. FOX.
I honestly don't like either team to win this game. Since I don't see either team winning, I would generally go for a tie, but that can't happen in the playoffs. This game proves to be a very confusing game for Donovan McNabb if it stays tied through the extra 15 minutes, as his concept of overtime would have been shattered twice in a single season.
No possible final score would surprise me in this game. An Eagles rout, a close or overtime game, or a Vikings rout. I tend to lean towards the Eagles winning this game based on three things. First, they finished the season in a very impressive fashion, crushing the Cowboys to get into the playoffs. It is Week 14 however that makes me like the Eagles a bit more in this game. Both team won by single digits against their opponents. The big difference however was the Eagles beat the #1 NFC seed, defending champion Giants, and the Vikings beat the Lions. Not a good sign that late in the season, especially since the Eagles had a larger margin of victory.
The Eagles also have two more things on their side. They have been there before and should not be rattled. Also, they have Donovan McNabb at quarterback, not Tavaris Jackson. Jackson has ben playing better of late, but he is still Tavaris Jackson.
Eagles 26
Vikings 23 (OT)
One more thing on the playoffs. Ok, it's the rules that New England missed the playoffs. It's unfortunate, especially since they were playing some of, if not the, best football in the AFC in December, but rules are rules. What I don't like is the way that it is decided. Basically, the tie breakers that knocked the Pats out of the playoffs this season for the division title and the last Wild Card berth came down to their record against the rest of the AFC. Here's a look at the combined record of the teams the Patriots, Dolphins, and Ravens played against in the AFC this season (doubling the records of division opponents)
New England - 78-50
Miami - 73-55
Baltimore - 63-63-2
Miami and Baltimore both finished 8-4 against the AFC while New England finished 7-5. Yes, New England had the chance to win many of those games and didn't come through, as their players would attest to, but the strength of competition was not close, especially between the Pats/Dolphins and the Ravens. But, it is what it is, but since the Patriots are forced to watch from their recliners this January, they should also be given an earlier pick in the draft. Bottom line is playoff teams should pick after non-playoff teams, end of story. The NFL needs to fix a their system. Either don't let in 8-8 teams over 11-5 teams, or give the team that missed the playoffs the better pick in the draft. Imagine how much worse this would have been too had Philly lost to the Bengals and been in a 4-way tie for the last wild card spot...
Either way, enjoy the football everybody. Check back next week for Divisional Round picks.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)