After failing to even post the second edition of The Morning After, I’ve gotten the crazy idea that I should try another weekly piece.
This time, I think I’ll try to rank the top five teams as of this
week. While early in the season this is an easier task, I hope to have
more controversial picks as time goes on.
Hopefully, I’ll find time this weekend to actually watch the Sunday Night game and complete a post for Monday morning.
I don’t care about any of this, “you gotta beat the champs,” none
sense. Do you really believe the Patriots aren’t the best team in the
league? I mean, the Patriots have been clicking on both sides of the
ball and have man handled their opponents almost effortlessly.
While their opponents do have a combined record of 4-12 the Patriots
performance can not be denied. The defense is as stingy as ever and the
offense is more prolific than it every has been. Statistically, this team is second in total offense (having been supplanted by Dallas only this week) and first in total defense.
The Patriots are dominating and could make a serious run at 19-0.
However, that’s highly improbable and I expect they’ll have at least
one bump along the road. That being said, until I see otherwise, the
Patriots are the team to beat.
The defending champs are undefeated and, yet, are still playing
second fiddle to the Patriots. A drubbing of the Patriots (or a grind
out win for that matter) on November 4th would go a long way to putting
them back on top. In fact, if they remain unbeaten through that game
then they’d obviously be the top team in the NFL.
But the Colts aren’t exactly dominating teams like they have in the
past. Their games are tight and they’ve had to come from behind a
couple times this season. In fact, they appear more like the Patriots a
couple years ago in their attempt to control the ball and beat the
team’s with stoic defense.
The Colts are still one of the best teams in the NFL but I can’t
deny what I see when I watch the Patriots. Until I see a chink in the
Pats’ armor, the Colts are still in their shadow.
The Cowboys have been downright prolific. Their offense is the best
in the league and Tony Romo looks like he’s been playing in the league
for years. Terrell Owens is quiet after the game but makes plenty of
noise during it. Jason Witten is also making his way back into the NFL
limelight and Marion Barber is a stud.
The defense, meanwhile, is getting better each week. In fact, they
held the Rams without a touchdown (St. Louis’ lone score coming on a
kick return). While that’s not a great feat the little things the
defense is doing are improving. Greg Ellis is back on the field, as is
Terence Newman, in a reduced role and defensive line is upping its
tempo.
The scary part about the Cowboys is they only promise to get better.
Terry Glenn is aiming for a mid season return and would add a whole new
dimension to the Cowboys stellar offense. Tank Johnson is preparing to
join the defense, with a major chip on his shoulder, and hopefully
provide some help on that d-line.
The Cowboys opponents are a combined 3-13 but they, like the Pats,
have been playing some simply outstanding football. They have the Bills
this week and once they get through that we’ll have a clash of titans
on October 14 when the Pats come to town.
Brett Favre looks like Brett Farve circa 1996. The guy has been
making plays and his young receivers haven’t let him down. He’s now the
touchdown king and more importantly the Packers are 4-0. What’s truly
impressive is that the Packers are the youngest team in the league and
they are winning with virtually no running game.
The Packers defense is proving itself as the new cornerstone of this
team. They stuff the run and play the pass well. They put plenty of
pressure on the QB and play with the fire of youth and smarts of
experience.
The Packers first real test won’t come until October 29 when they
play the Broncos and I wouldn’t be surprised if they go the longest
without a loss. The Packers are much better than we thought and now the
only question is how good are they? The sky appears to be the limit but
I really think their ceiling is lower than the Cowboys’.
Afraid I have to agree with the consensus, the Steelers are one of
the best teams in the league. They lost to Arizona in, what I consider,
a fluke game (they were without Hines Ward) and I think it was one of
the Steelers bumps this year.
Big Ben’s been looking good this year. He’s spreading the ball
around and moving like he did in their Super Bowl year. The offense has
been opened up and Roethlisberger appears to be up for the task. The
defense is still preforming well and are statistically the second best
total defense in the league.
As time goes on, they’ll still be a team to beat. Unless the injury
bug plagues them again they’ll be in this thing near the end. They
still have Seattle, New England, Baltimore, and (dare I say it)
Cleveland on the slate. If they can get by all those opponents, or at
least put on a good showing, they’ll be in this thing deep into the
post-season.
There is pretty strong consensus among the top five. The only real
dissension is whether the Colts or Pats are number one and whether the
Seahawks or Steelers belong in the fifth slot.
Well, there’s always room for debate and I’m hoping that space gets
bigger after next week. Several upsets this past weekend shook things
up some but given time and the disagreements should grow. Thanks for
checking it out and please feel free to leave your own top five.
So the playoffs are set. There will be some good games in the AFC and some interesting ones in the NFC. I'll be truly shocked if the AFC teams doesn't win the Super Bowl and I think the NFC can only win if there's a perfect storm of poor play on the AFC team's part.
On to the Picks!
Kansas City Chiefs 38
Indianapolis 34
This should be a high scoring bout. Both teams have, shall we say, an emphasis on offense. But I think the determining factor will be Indianapolis' rush defense against Kansas City's rushing offense. I think the Kansas passing offense can stack up against the Colts' Defense. In the end though I think what will seal the game will be a key defensive play. That play will be Ty Law picking off Peyton Manning and returning it for a touchdown.
Seattle Seahawks 34
Dallas Cowboys 17
The Cowboys utter lack o####ame plan plus having absolutely no-desire minus pressure on Matt Hasselback equals a big Seattle win. The Seahawks aren't looking beautiful heading in the playoffs but I don't think anybody's looking worse than the Cowgirls.
The Seahawks are superior to the Cowboys in every aspect of the game and this one's over by halftime.
New England Patriots 14
New York Jets 10
The Patriots and Jets split the season series, winning on the others turf. The Patriots won't lose to the Jets twice at Foxboro. They'll be looking to hurt somebody and their defense will come up big. The Jets surprised everybody this season but the Patriots are still the better team. This one will be close though and should be an intense and fun game to watch.
Philadelphia Eagles 24
New York Giants 14
The Eagles are possibly the hottest team in football right now. The Giants showed some fight against the Redskins and won the game. But there were still several times in the game when it just felt like the Giants were going to lose. I think they've lost confidence in themselves while the Eagles have a new found swagger with Jeff Garcia.
So there's the quick picks so far. No real surprises except for KC over Indy, which I also expect to be the best game to watch. Pats-Jets could be entertaining and you never know if Tiki Barber will show up and pound on the Eagles to avoid retirement.
This season nine different NFL teams have switched Quarterbacks. Some have been struck by the ever virulent injury bug and have been forced to substitute their number two until further notice. Many others, however, have willingly benched their field general in favor of a different leader. The results have been mixed and the trend appears to be continuing, here are the results thus far and a few other QB’s who may be warming the bench before the season is over.
Dallas Cowboys
Out: Drew Bledsoe
In: Tony Romo
This is probably the most talked about switch. There was speculation this would happen before the season began. Romo started the Cowboys first preseason game and was never taken out. He performed well against the Seahawks but that was, after all, against a vanilla defense. Bill Parcells also openly stated he hoped to get Romo in during the regular season.
Drew Bledsoe continued to prove he is, in fact, a living statue. He also threw those classic “Bledsoe Interceptions” which ended games and killed hope. He also failed to make reads and missed many open receivers. He never got on the same page as the rest of the offense and seemed a step slower than usual (which is really saying something). And so, after one of those “Bledsoe Interceptions” on the goal line, just before half time of the Giants game Bledsoe was benched in favor of the unproven Tony Romo.
”Big mistake,” Bledsoe was quoted as saying about the move. He seemed to be right as Romo threw three interceptions during the rest of that Giants game. He appeared to be the classic “rookie QB” (though this is his fourth year in the league). Instead, he’s thrown one interception since and managed the Cowboys offense efficiently. He has shown poise and escapability and has slightly tempered his compulsiveness.
In the end the switch to Romo may not only be the most talked about one but the most successful one. Romo has a QB rating (101.2) second only to the great Peyton Manning (104.5). His only loss was decidedly not his fault and he should be undefeated at this point. So far Romo has proven Parcells right and all the critics wrong.
Arizona Cardinals
Out: Kurt Warner
In: Matt Leinart
This is the second time Kurt Warner has been shoved aside for an untested, first-round draft pick. The first time it was for Eli Manning while the Giants were doing fairly well. The switch was criticized at the time but I think the Giants are happy they did it today. This time it’s for the untested Matt Leinart.
The jury is still out on Leinart. He has the tools at wide receiver but the offensive line is more than questionable. With Edgerinn James at running back the Cardinals should have a prolific offense. They don’t. Instead they look completely lost on offense and struggle to punch it into the end zone.
This was another switch that had to be made. Warner’s biggest problems were in his fumbles and inability to effectively read defenses. Leinart stepped in and played fairly well. He appeared ready to hand the Bears their first loss. Instead, Chicago came behind in the most impossible of ways and Leinart is still winless. Ultimately, this was the right decision but the Cardinals problems extend well beyond QB play.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Out: Byron Leftwitch
In: David Garrard
This change has been hinted at for a while now. After last season, when Garrard stepped in for an injured Leftwitch and performed well, some suggested making the change permanent. However, Leftwitch returned for the playoffs and played less than spectacularly. The controversy was denied by coach Jack Del Rio but certainly existed. As an aside, I feel it would’ve been more talked about if the Jaguars were in a bigger market.
One of the knocks on Byron Leftwitch is his immobility. Meanwhile, Garrard can make plays with his feet. The Jaguars offense has been less than prolific this year and Leftwitch’s injury appeared to be exactly the excuse Del Rio needed to make the “neccessary” change.
Garrard’s latest performance left many questioning if the Jaguars should go back to Leftwitch, even if he’s not at 100%. Personally, I think Leftwitch is the better of the two, but the die appears cast for this Jaguars organization. If they have any hope for the playoffs it will have to come from the arm of David Garrard.
Miami Dolphins
Out: Daunte Culpepper
In: Joey Harrington
This team was advertised to be the first to capture home field advantage during the Super Bowl. Why? you may ask. Because they have a solid defense, a potentially potent offense, and they got this guy named Daunte Culpepper from the Vikings. The logic: If Gus Frerotte could make this at least a decent team, then a much more mobile, younger QB like Culpepper should be able to put us over the top!
Now, the Dolphins are sitting on three wins. And Daunte Culpepper is sitting on the bench. He rushed back from a knee injury and played like a rookie in his four games for the Dolphins. He seemed to drop the ball more than throw it and the offense went absolutely no where.
In comes Joey Harrington to continue the Dolphins current course of mediocrity. While they’ve won twice as many games with Harrington than with Culpepper, it has less to do with the QB switch and more with their Defense.
When Joey Harrington said he felt he could compete with Culpepper for the starting position he was laughed at. The media brushed the suggestion aside as a never-was trying to maintain his confidence. However, he’s done at least as well as Daunte and all the experts have egg in their face for their bold prediction.
Oakland Raiders
Out: Aaron Brooks
In: Andrew Walter
The Raiders offense is truly horrendous. In the preseason it was noted that new Quarterback Aaron Brooks was having a hard time moving the ball down the field. It was assumed, however, that players of the caliber of Brooks and Moss would adjust.
In two games they didn’t. Brooks found himself on his back more than scanning the field. After taking a beating he was finally injured and replaced by Andrew Walter (whom some fans were calling for before the season began). Walter has likewise been on his back more than his feet and now those “in the know” are wondering if Brooks should come back.
It seems like it wouldn’t matter. With Randy Moss’ emotions in a tizzy he’s dropping a record number of passes. The defense is performing admirably but the offense seems so broken it’s impossible to fix. Walter or Brooks, this offense is going nowhere.
Seattle Seahawks
Out: Matt Hasselback
In: Seneca Wallace
This change was purely the result of injury. Hasselback is an excellent Quarterback whose contributions to the Seahawks are underrated. With Alexander down his presence was even more important.
Normally, an injury to the starting Quarterback of the former NFC Champions is a death sentence. But Wallace has performed well. While he’s not on par with Hasselback yet, he’s playing efficiently and the offense has adjusted to his strengths (the Raiders could take a tip from the way Holmgren’s calling plays).
Hasselback will be back soon and things will only get better for the Seahawks. They’re still in the thick of the playoff race in the NFC and will come away with another NFC West title. Wallace will keep things warm until Hasselback gets healthy. Will there be a QB controversy in the off season? Probably not, but if Wallace continues to play well it will be interesting when Hasselback’s contract comes up.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Out: Chris Simms
In: Bruce Gradkowski
Coach Jon Gruden has always had a thing for “the other Quarterback.” Now it appears he may finally have his man in Bruce Gradkowski. The Bucs were never totally sold on Simms as their QB. Even though they did offer him a nice long-term extension they always kept their eyes open for the next great QB.
Simms turned down the long-term deal for a shorter one, betting he’d cash in after a great 2006. Then he ruptured his spleen. He’s been placed on Injured Reserve and replaced as the Bucs starting QB. He may be out on the street soon and it appears Gradkowski will be steering the Bucs for the near future.
Chris Simms never seemed fully comfortable in Tampa Bay and this change could be the best for both parties. There will be plenty of teams looking for a young QB next season. If Green Bay’s not convinced about Aaron Rodgers perhaps Simms could wind up there. Or maybe even Oakland or Detroit. However you slice it, I think Gradkowski is a better fit for the Bucs and Simms will land on his feet elsewhere next season.
Washington Redskins
Out: Mark Brunell
In: Jason Campbell
The latest of the switches. Joe Gibbs finally sat Mark Brunell. This is a move fans have been clamoring for since before the season began. Jason Campbell is certainly quicker than Brunell but not much else is known. Brunell wasn’t doing a horrible job but the Redskins are looking for a spark.
Around the league many young Quarterbacks are helping teams become competitive again. Joe Gibbs hopes the same thing will happen in Washington. Last season the Redskins looked dead in the water. This season is the same. Last season they went on a 5 game winning streak. We shall see how the Redskins respond to Campbell and if they can again finish strong and sneak into the playoffs.
Kansas City Chiefs
Out: Trent Green
In: Damon Huard
Just like the Seahawks, the Chiefs were forced into this switch. Trent Green took a nasty hit in the first game of the season and Huard, in his tenth season, took over as the Chiefs starter.
Now that Green is healing up there has been some conversation about leaving Huard in and letting Green warm the bench. As well as Huard has played, Green will play better. Huard’s done a nice job but as soon as Green’s ready to go, Herm Edwards should put him back on the field.
Trent Green was poised to lead the Rams to the Super Bowl. Then he got hurt and in stepped Kurt Warner. We all know the Cinderella Story from there, how only months before winning the title Warner was staking grocery shelves. Green is an excellent QB who shouldn’t be replaced because Huard is doing well. The guy did good things this season but the job is Green’s unless he physically can’t play.
On the Hot Seat?
Jake Plummer
The Broncos were able to scoop up Jay Cutler (the player the “experts” called the most “NFL ready” of the QB’s) in this year’s draft. And immediately, speculation began about him replacing Plummer as the starter.
Every week, Plummer seems to make just enough mistakes to merit putting Cutler in. Then he’ll somehow redeem himself and the Broncos will come away with a “W,” quieting the Cutler calls for a little while.
If there’s a time to switch it’s now. Plummer threw three picks last week and made some other poor decisions. However, the Broncos won the game, and he responded with a beautiful drive to a touchdown. The Broncos are still very much in the playoff conversation and if they hold pace will win the AFC West. With that being the case continuity is of the utmost importance. The Broncos post season hopes rest on the shoulders of Plummer.
Tom Brady
That’s right. Tom “Montana” Brady could be benched. I wouldn’t have believed it either until I read this. I know, just because they signed Testaverde doesn’t mean he’s going to replace Brady. But it does confirm some of the su####ion that Brady is hurt. And if that’s the case then it may mean the Patriots are preparing to bench him.
I highly doubt the Patriots would ever sit Brady unless he was seriously hurt, I’m talking near death here. The ever tightlipped Belichick camp hasn’t let on to their star QB’s condition but signing Testaverde provides security in case they have to sit Brady.
Ben Roethlisberger
Big Ben has struggled this year. The Super Bowl champ has been asked to do a lot more this year than he has in his previous two years. Whereas in the past he would throw occasionally to supplement the run, the air attack has become the primary weapon on offense this season. And Ben’s pitched several balls to the other team.
In his three games, backup Charile Batch has thrown for 5 touchdowns and no interceptions. In comparison, Ben has 10 TD’s to 14 INT’s in 8 games, that’s 1.25 TD’s per game and 1.75 INT’s per game. While Batch has played well, I question his ability over the long haul. And I don’t think Batch is the future of the Steelers franchise so even if they are completely out of the playoff hunt I see no reason to sit Ben unless he’s hurt.
Michael Vick
This past week Falcons fans booed Michael Vick. After everybody and their half-sister declared him a changed man, Vick stumbled the past two weeks. He reverted to the running back with an arm and coughed up the ball to kill the team’s chances. You love his ability, but he has to be more judicious about it. I think it’s where Vince Young will ultimately top Vick as the “Rushing QB,” because Young will look to pass much more frequently than Vick.
This sounds crazy but how long have the Falcons given Vick? He’s been their starter for six seasons and is still the same guy he’s always been. And just like he does every season he teases us with a few games where he appears to have finally “gotten it” and throws more than he runs.
But inevitably he starts to run again. And even though it’s dazzling it will cost them important games. As the Falcons fail to score and get behind Vick gets nervous and puts the onus on himself to score, with his feet. Their backup, who I think will be a very good starter, is on the last year of his contract. Now’s the time for Atlanta to decide what they’re going to do. Go with a pocket passer, who has decent mobility, like Matt Schaub or stick with Michael Vick and hope that he doesn’t get himself seriously hurt during one of those crazy runs and finally, really does “get it.”
Thus far the Replacements report card is about what you’d expect. Huard and Romo are shinning. Garrard and Harrington are struggling. Leinart is proving he’s still a rookie and Wallace is keeping the offense rolling. We’ll see how Campbell performs and if Cutler makes his first NFL appearance this season.
Here’s to The Replacements!
*Note: This post was originally supposed to have tables breaking down each QB's rating, completion percentage, total yards, and TD-INT ratio with their replacement's. However, Fox Blog's in all their glory do not allow you to insert tables (at least using HTML) nor do they allow you to center text using HTML. I apologize for the decrease in quality of this post but hopefully in the future Fox Blogs will have the wisdom to allow for more freedom's in their posts. ~rusirious13
We've all seen the NFL films where they make every Super Bowl out to be the most dramatic occurance in the history of the country. They also like to name the Super Bowls in order to describe the game. So I ask. What will they name Super Bowl XL? To satisfy my curiosity, please state up front your favorite team (not neccessarily between Seattle and Pittsburgh but your favorite team in the league).
Come on Pittsburgh fans. You can Feel Seattle's pain. Imagine if the Colts had won that game? How would you feel?
"I know they wanted Indy to win this game," Porter told The New York Times. "The whole world loves Peyton Manning, but come on man, don't take the game away from us.
"I felt they were cheating us. When the interception happened, everybody in the world knew that was an interception. Don't cheat us that bad. When they did that, they really want Peyton Manning and these guys to win the Super Bowl. They are just going to straight take it for them. I felt that they were like 'We don't even care if you know we're cheating. We're cheating for them.' "
I watched yesterday as the Pittsburgh Steelers became only the third team in NFL history to win 5 Super Bowls. The game itself I thought was pretty good except for the lapses by Seattle at the end of the halves. The game was tight and seemed like it would go back and forth but the Steelers maintained control throughout (except the first quarter).
Then the refs just had to get involved. First, there was the "push." This is the type of push that wide receivers give to DB's throughout the entire season and get called one-in-ten maybe one-in-twenty times. But this was the Super Bowl, the refs were trying to be right not consistent. Then there was Ben's "touchdown." From everything I saw the ball literally stopped moving forward just before the goal line. The next play should've been from about a milimeter back. But it was ruled a TD, even after review. Then there was the out-of-bounds call on that first catch. I remeber thinking this wasn't a touchdown but the rule states if any part of a player's body touches or crosses the pylon before they go out of bounds while maintaining control of the ball it's a TD. But last night I was pretty sure it wasn't. Then there was that holding call which took away yet another Seattle touchdown and resulted in an interception. There was no hold, no question there was no hold. Then there was that penalty on Matt Hasselback. I guess you can't tackle the guy with the ball anymore, kind of takes the fun out of the game doesn't it? I don't care if they "thought" he was going for the blocker he was tackling the ball-carrier.
Even with all of that the Seahawks did not deserve to win the game. Did the Steelers? Apparently more so than the Seahawks. The refs didn't lose this game, the Birds did. I do think the officiating was beyond horrendous. And I think it's curious that the conspiracy theorists after the Colts game have remained mysteriously silent. But I don't think the refs were bought off and I don't think they were trying to hand the game to the Steelers (remember they picked up the flag on that uneccessary roughness call early in the game which would've been a major penalty).
The Seahawks lost the Steelers won and now everyone's 0-0. Here's to next season and Super Bowl XLI, Cowboys crush anybody!
Every Super Bowl has a story line that comes up in the NFL films a few years later. It's that play or series or individual that appears on every highlight film. It's not neccessarily always the MVP, a la Super Bowl XXXIV when every one talked about Mike Jones' tackle of Kevin Dyson at the 1-yard line. Sometimes it is, like Super Bowl XXX when unheard-of Larry Brown intercepted Neil O'Donnell twice.
So now, everyone's making picks but I was wondering what will the story of this Super Bowl be? Will it be the Bus' triumphant return to Detriot, accruing 100, 150+ yards? Or Shaun Alexander becoming the MVP of the Super Bowl on top of being the MVP of the league? Will it be Troy Polamalu's two interceptions, one returned for a Touchdown? Or rookie Lofa Tatupu engineering his defense and shutting down the Steelers offense?
Personally I look for Shaun Alexander to assert himself by surprising everyone and running to the right (still mostly to the left but maybe the first play of the second half he cuts right for a big one). But the real story will be the Seahawks defense making life hard for Big Ben Roethelisburger and intercepting him late in the fourth to cap the game. Seahawks 31, Steelers 28
Disagree? Alright what do you think will be the story of the game?
I was talking to my friend last night about doing something for the Superbowl. Then he mentioned to me he didn't even know who was in it. I'd consider him your average casual fan. He knows the teams but doesn't follow all season. He'll watch games some weekends then pays attention to the playoffs and Superbowl. This year he didn't do any of that but he was going to watch the Big Game.
No biggy, lots of people are like that. So I told him, "it's the Steelers and Seahawks." Then he told me he had never even heard of the Seahawks. WHAT!?! Like I said he doesn't pay attention to the league but around playoff time he starts tunning in. He didn't even know who the Seattle Seahawks are. I was baffled. Granted we live in New England but this East Coast Bias stuff was bunk right? I guess not. People up here are rooting for the Steelers simply cause they don't know anything about the Seahawks. I think that's similar in the greater Northeast. Seattle isolation has cause it to be hated on by most media sources. Most sports writers laugh off their chances, like we're collectively saying: "The Seahawks are cute but the Steelers are good."
So I'm looking forward to Sunday's game but I was kind of on the fence as to who to root for. I like elements of both these teams. I was wondering what plays I'd get excited for next week and which ones I'd groan about. Now I've decided. This Cowboys fan will be cheering for the Seahawks!
The criticism of the Superbowl (from those who enjoy football) is that the game is usually not as good as one or both of the Conference Championships. Recently it's been the AFC title game but during the 90's it was the NFC title game. Now I think they were wrong two years ago as the Pats vs Panthers Superbowl was great but I think most years they're right. Seems like one conference is normally dominant and the real gamce comes between rivals. And normally rivals are in the same conference.
This year, however, I think the Superbowl will be a good one. Especially considering the conference games were dominated by one team. I think the Seahawks and Steelers are fairly evenly matched and are very similar teams. The defenses are both good and will force the offenses to improvise to succeed. That combined with the fact that all those concerned seem so pumped to be playing in the big should make for a great game. Not to mention two of the best coaches of the past decade are matching wits. Smash-mouth Steelers football versus more finesse oriented Seahawks football.
I think finally we can get excited about this game and go into it knowing it'll be a good game. The Steelers and Seahawks both have some history to play for. The Steelers have the added incentive of playing for Jerome Bettis, especially in his home town. It seems the stars have aligned for Bettis and the Steelers. But therein lies the rub. It seems to be a pattern that most teams that simply "expect" to win tend to lose. They wait for others to turn the game, for that big play that will just "happen." So rather than making it happen, they wait. And then lose. See New England, Denver, Carolina, and especially Indianapolis.
All in all I'm looking forward to next Sunday. Let others around the world watch the World Cup, as for me and my house we shall watch the Superbowl!!!
I've read some posts stating that this year's Superbowl will suck. Granted the two I've read are from a Patriots fan and someone who "hates American sports" but I digress. Why do people think this year's Superbowl will be bad? I'm actually looking forward to it.
NO PATRIOTS
Why does this matter? I don't think I'm the only one who's tired of seeing the Patriots trot out into the Superbowl every year. I don't think I'm the only who's tired of the pre-game press conferences in which Tom Brady and the other guys talked about how no one respected them. Thankfully, the Patriots got knocked off this season and some new will win the game. Now, I understand why all you guys hated my Cowboys back in the day.
WILD CARD WINNER
It's great to see a team go to the big one as a Wild Card Team. That's an underdog story. True the Steelers were probably only a Wild Card team cause of some unfortunate circumstances but they were. So it's fun to see someone win all those games on the road. Especially when they knock off the top three seeds in their conference.
SEATTLE
I actually really like this team. I mean I like the players on it. After last season I thought Alexander was an #### but he's won my over this season. I thought it was great when he went down the Seahawks won anyway. I loved watching Hasselback run in a touchdown, basically saying if Shaun isn't here to run I will. This is a young team and I like they're attitude. It's fun to watch a team make the Superbowl for the first time and it'll be exciting to watch how they react.
THE BUS/ALEXANDER THE GREAT
These two teams are dominated by their running attacks. The Bus was going to retire after last year but came back cause he thought the Steelers had a chance. Now he's playing in his first Superbowl. It's great, Jerome Bettis is a great guy and it'll be fun watching him run in front of his home town. Meanwhile, Shaun Alexander has just embarassed opposing defenses this season. Alexander's another good guy who's fought hard to get into the big dance. These two should be a lot of fun to watch.
QUATERBACKS
Roethlisberger and Hasselback. The Sophomore and the long time Favre understudy. Both are young and both are good. Both play with their arm, feet, and heads. They control the ball pretty well and make few mistakes. I enjoy watching both these guys because they can both make something out of nothing.
HISTORY IN THE MAKING
We'll either have one team win the Superbowl in its first visit or we'll have a team winning a record fifth Superbowl. The following Monday we'll either finally have to start respecting Seattle or we'll have to elevate the Steelers organization to the top spot in history (with San Francisco and Dallas). History's always fun to watch.
There are other reasons. I think these two teams are similar and evenly matched. Both defenses are good and it will require the offenses to create and improvise and that will be fun to see. The defenses are sure to create some turnovers and be hitting hard. And all the guys in this years game seem so in awe of it and genuinely exicted to be there. I don't know about you but I like this Superbowl matchup and I can't wait till next Sunday!
Since my 'Boys are out of the playoffs I've been wondering what teams I want to see collide in Detroit. Denver, Caronlina, Seattle, and Pittsburgh are the remaing four. While I think the championship games are going to be good I think the Superbowl will be better (which isn't always the case). That being said I can't decide what matchup I like? A rematch between Mike Shanahan and Mike Holmgren? Or a Wildcard Superbowl betwixt the Panthers and Steelers? Or maybe we'll get to see Seattle in the Superbowl for the first time. With that being said, who do you want to see face off on Superbowl Sunday?
As of this morning I've decided who will win in their playoffs this weekend. If they don't then there's clearly something wrong with the multiverse (oh yes, there's more than one). In any case here are my prognostications:
Saturday Afternoon:
Washington is marching into Seattle as quite possibly the hottest team in the NFL. Unfortunately, the driving rain of the Great Northwest can put a chill in the bone. And that's exactly what's going to happen on Shabbat. The rain plus a steady diet of Shaun Alexander the Great and a few throws mixed in there. This Seattle team is very different than they were early in the season. Their defense is playing considerably better and their offense can be prolific.
Seattle Seahawks 28 Washington Redskins 17
Saturday Night's Alright:
Tom Brady is like 10-0 in playoffs. Doesn't really matter cause after Saturday he'll be 10-1. The media's boy will finally lose a playoff game and so will the rest of the team. After the game I'm sure we'll get a good dose of "nobody respected us, but we played game by game, one at a time," from Tom Tom then out of no where Matt Leinart will spring into view and say, "The Patriots were still the better team!" As Brady nods his head in approval. It's funny Jake the Mistake Plummer will beat Tom the Second Coming Brady. Though it'll be less about quarterback play and more about the running games and defense.
Denver Broncos 24 New England 21
Sunday High Noon +1:
The Indianapolis Colts will play their first game in like a month. I know, I know they had some games after they got spanked by the Chargas. But they didn't play in them. By "they" I mean pretty much the offense of the Colts. So we'll see if the rest helps or hurts. The Steelers are playing pretty well and their trick plays can exploit an aggressive, young defense. They have one of my favorite players in the league and one of the best safties in the NFL in Troy Polamalu. However, I think the Colts offense is just too overpowering and their defense is good enough to stop the more traditional parts of the Steelers offense. The Steelers will still run fairly successfully but as the Colts rack up the points the Steelers will have to start passing and the Colts defense is pretty good in pass coverage.
Indianapolis Colts 27 Pittsburgh Steelers 17
Sunday Midafternoon (that's 4:30):
The best game of the weekend, in my opinion. But I really like defense so that's probably why. The quetion everyone's asking is can the Panthers offense score on the Bears defense. But that's the wrong question. And the answer is yes by the way. They won't score a lot but they'll get at least one touchdown and two fieldgoals. The REAL question is can the Bears offense score on the Panthers defense? This one I don't know. Rex Grossman has shown some signs but the Panthers D can make even Pro Bowl quarterbacks (see Tom Brady) look like rookies. And since Grossman in many ways is a rookie they should cause him some problems. They know how to slow down players like Muhsin Muhammed plus at times they lockdown on the underneath stuff (but inconsitently). I think the Panthers will go into Chicago and beat the home team.
Carolina Panthers 13 Chicago Bears 10
So there's what's should happen. I'm most uncomfortable with the picks about the Patriots and Bears. Both those teams scare me and I think could win their games. But this post is about picks so I have to go with my gut. I just don't think the Patriots D will stop the dink-and-dunk offense of the Broncos and I don't think the Bears offense is good enough to beat the Panthers D. So we'll see what happens. Your thoughts? Peace.
Today the face of the NFC East changed again. The Giants beat the Cowboys to take sole possession of the number one spot. The Redskins also won to sandwitch the Cowboys just behind the G-Men and with the 'Skins nipping at their heels. Meanwhile, the Eagles (last year's NFC Champs) and Seahawks (this year's NFC Champs?) are preparing to play tomorrow night.
I'm sure several months ago the schedule makers thought this would be good game. Tonight, however, to most this looks to be another Monday night stinker. That was my first thought when I saw these two teams matched up. Figured, I'll watch House instead and call it an early night. Then I got to thinking about it.
The Seahawks haven't exactly won a lot of games convincingly. The Eagles are really looking for a rally game. They've developed an "us versus them" attitude and that can be dangerous in a team (especially on the big stage, see Patriot's 2001). The Eagles defense is still more or less intact from last year and can be potent at times. The offense showed some strength two Monday's ago against Dallas (albeit with McNabb). Maybe if the Eagles defense steps up and they run more they'll have a shot....
Nah...the Shaun Alexander is going to run all over this team. McMahon will throw at least two interceptions in the game and one touchdown if he get's really lucky. A missed field goal by Akers late in the first quarter will only be a sign of things to come and this game's over by half time. Big stars shine on the big stage and few are bigger than Shaun Alexander "The Great."
It's pretty much decided (though not quite in the books) that the Colts will represent the AFC in Superbowl XL. The only real challenge they'll face in the playoffs will be the Broncos in the Championship game. But the question on everybody's mind is "who's gonna lose to them?"
Contenders:
Seahawks (9-2): The NFC West champs are getting absolutely no love. They have maybe the number two running back in the league (LT's #1). They have a receiving core that can finally catch the ball. They have a defense that plays adequately and has big play ability. Right now they are the best NFC team but haven't exactly beaten other good teams convincingly.
Bears (8-3): Maybe the only reason the Bears are 8-3 is because they play in the NFC North and their opponents outside of it include the Ravens, Niners, and Saints. But the past two weeks they've beaten the Panthers and Bucs. They may be too one dimensional to win in the playoffs but you can't argue with success.
Falcons (7-4): DVD. Mike Vick has proven in recent weeks he's capable of throwing for good yardage. The Falcons have also been able to maintain a strong running attack. Their defense is underperforming, however, and tomorrow's game against Carolina will go a long way to deciding the division. If their defense can turn things around they could do some things in the NFC.
Pretenders:
Carolina (8-3): Carolina's a good team. Just not one that will win the Championship game. They're far too inconsistent. Yes they've won 8 games but they almost lost to Arizona andDetroit and lost to Miami and New Orleans. They seem to play down to their competition and that kills teams in the playoffs.
Dallas (7-4): As a Cowboys fan it pains me to say this, but they're not good enough to win the Championship game. They beat a reeling Philadelphia and blew out some bad teams (Arizona, Detroit) but they've lost their only game against a true NFC contender (Seattle). The Cowboys are a year away from the big game but next year they may be a monster team.
New York (7-4): The Giants too are at least a year away. They play well and fight hard for games but they're not good enough to win road, playoff games. They've gotten all the parts they just need one more year to get them working together. They may play in the Championship game but they won't win it.
Tampa Bay (7-4): The Bucs are a wildcard team today but they're going in the wrong direction. They "beat" Washington but that's another team in reverse. The season may have been a bit to tumultuous for Chucky and the gang. Consistency is going to kill this team and of all the teams I've mentioned I think they're the most likely to miss the playoffs outright.
The most questionable is putting in the Falcons and Bears as true contenders and leaving the Panthers out. I just think Carolina doesn't have enough of a complete game to be seriously considered as a Super Bowl team. The Falcons have enough power to give themselves a shot and if they're defense plays up to their potential I'm fully confident they can get to Detroit. The Bears are the reverse. If they're offense heats up and their defense keeps playing as it is they will be formidable team. As of right now you have to say Seattle will be in it but you can't really tell in this close race. I picked Atlanta at the beginning of the season and if they heat up I still think they can get there.
I am a FOX sports blogger because I like to talk and have opinions about pretty much anything and everything. I like pretty much any sport but I love football (basketball's a close second). The NFL is the only major sport I watch all season but I watch the others sporadically. My favorite teams are the Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Detroit Red Wings, Atlanta Braves, and Boston Red Sox.
