Well, it has taken me three days to recover from Miami's loss to the Baltimore Ravens...sorry folks, but that has perhaps had some of you think that:
Snorky had a heart attack around the 4th quarter or Snorky collapsed when she realized her Fins would lose the game or Snorky didn't get to watch the game but when she saw the final score, she got into her car and wrapped it around a tree!
None of these are true, except I didn't watch the game (I never get to watch 1 pm games on Sundays, because after Church we go visiting relatives...like they did in the old days before televised NFL football! My husband is not a football fan anyway, and neither is my daughter, much. When our college Aggie son was here over the holidays he watched enough Bowl Games to make her never want to watch football again! And anyway, the team she likes didn't make the playoffs this year. Would you believe she likes (dum dum dum) the PATRIOTS?!?
So, I am fine, and said after I found out they lost, "Oh well, better luck next year. Lets the Ravens get creamed by the Steelers!"
Only, of course, they are playing the Titans. So I say, "Let the stupid Ravens get creamed by the Titans!"
But just in case you think Snorky is completely out of it now that the Fins are out, forget it, because now I get to commune football spirituality with Bolt Backer 21 and channel all sorts of tough love onto the Chargers, who will have to play the Steelers instead!
Soooooo....
Chargers over Steelers. No I'm not kidding! You all do realize that the Steelers only beat the San Diegans by 1 point last time, 11-10. So don't tell me or Bolt that the Chargers can't win.
Titans over Ravens. Because just as they said the
Ravens are a better team over Fins, the Titans are a better team,
period. Besides, I am in no mood to root for Poe's pusillanimous
poppycocks.Quoth the Titan, "Nevermore!"
Panthers over Cardinals: Because there is no way the Cards are going to get lucky again, beating a rookie QB. Delhomme has all kinds of weapons, and it's at home in Charlotte.
Giants over Eagles: Because I just can't see the Eagles beating the Giants again this football season-post season. And Brandon Jacobs should be well this time.
And, BTW, I was 3-1 with my wildcard picks...unfortunately, that one loss was my Fins! (on the other hand, my BTD picks are all wins!)
I picked the Cardinals and Chargers to beat the Falcons and Colts, respectively, and I was right for a change! I knew the Cards had it in them despite the lack of respect over their rather poor showing three of the last four weeks...I also knew that Warner could outplay a rookie. I told you doubters that it is very hard for a rookie, historically, to win his first playoff game, and I still believe that the same fate will befall Flacco tomorrow, especially against a cool, collected, and icy-veined QB in Pennington.
Further, I also knew that the Phillip Rivers Band had Peyton Manning's number. Kuddos to the inspired performance by the Bolts Defense, Antonio Gates who played injured, LT, and especially Sprouls, who was amazing! I switched back and forth between the game and the Sci-Fi movie "Serenity", and when I saw the Colts offense there was nothing "awarding" so to speak about Manning's play.
And especially congratulations to Bolt Backer 21! Bolt, you may not remember that back after Miami beat 'em in week 5 that I thought the Chargers would make the playoffs even though they were 2-3 at the time (check back in the archives, but I did say this! Somewhere, maybe on a comment on your site, if not on mine). You did say once "Snorky knows best" and I was right again! You gotta have faith! Your Bolts will probably play the Titans, and the way they played tonight (except for Sproul's goal line fumble), they will beat the Titans. But the same goes if they play Steelers...
...Which I hope not because that will mean Ravens beat my Fins!
Bolt, I rooted for your Chargers, now you root for the Dolphins tomorrow! If they win, they play Steelers (and if they can beat Ravens they can beat Steelers, who are the same defense-oriented team, but without an offensive line to keep Big Ben out of trouble, and you know former Steeler Joey Porter will be trouble!)
Then, if your team beat Titans and mine beats Steelers, it means you and me get to have a keyboard "duel" so to speak!
But the best thing?
Those #### "experts" who said all the visiting teams would win because they were "better" teams...Cards wouldn't win because they had become flat lately, and Bolts wouldn't win because they were only 8-8 from a weak division...WERE WRONG! AND THEY'LL BE WRONG TOMORROW TOO!
BTD, besides the Dolphins, that is. Since I am a Fins fan do not expect me not to pick them to beat Ravens. I wouldn't pick against them if they were playing the Steelers. Or the Titans. Or anyone. But that's me, and, who knows, this might be the only wrong pick of the weekend. But I'm gonna back my team anyway! Checking the yearly stats, the Ravens are better in every category except turnover-takeaway, with Miami at + 17. The Ravens are no slouches either. And, wouldn't you know it, the primary reason Baltimore won the Oct. 17 game, 27-13, was because Chad Pennington did something he has rarely done this season: Chad threw an interception at the score of 3-3, and the Ravens didn't look back from that. And other miscues from the home team, especially on special teams. The Ravens also have more talent but I usually don't count what's "on paper." So that, all else being equal, provided Miami does not turn over the ball (they have had lots of practice at that) to a team that can easily capitalize on turnovers, and provided Chad is his usual calm, poised, leadership self...and Porter and Co. can say "hello" to rookie phenom Flacco a few times, and Bess and Ginn and Fasano can overcome the awesome Ed Reed just enough to score, then the Fins will win. And then there is the "Rodney Dangerfield" factor...the Ravens claim no one respects them, but they have nothing on the lack of respect the Fins have had to put up with all year. CB Andre Goodman, who was on that 2007 joke, has repeatedly said other teams' players have looked at this 2008 team with the same jaundiced eye as they looked at the 2007 team. Further, as the season was coming to a close, most everyone said that the Jets would win this past Sunday because the Patriots "deserved" the AFC East title over the Fins because the Pats "are better" and are "more respected, thus teams won't want to play them" (as to infer everyone wants to play "weakest link" Miami!!! I bet you the Chargers don't!!! Chargers haven't beaten Fins in Miami since the 1981 overtime thriller won by Bernichke FG in OT. Sorry Bolt but I had to say it). I've said it before and I'll say it again, loud and clear: THE DOLPHINS THRIVE ON LACK OF RESPECT!!! Keep disrespecting them! PLEASE!
That is why, in case you couldn't figure out my last post, I want every blogger who is not a Fins fan to pick the Ravens!!!
And another final thing: Revenge. Not necessarily on the Ravens because of that Oct. 17 game. No. The holdovers from that 2007 team want to beat Cam "1-15" Cameron in the worst way. Those holdovers include Porter, Holliday, Roth, Tim Allen, Jason Allen, Reinaldo Hill, Yeremiah Bell, Andre Goodman from the defense and Ronnie Brown, Ted Ginn, Dave Martin, Vernon Carey, Samson Satele, and others on offense. Nothing motivates like motivation, and if Miami wins you can chalk it up to a greater motivation.
On to the rest.
Cards over Falcons. No I'm not kidding. Again, the Falcons are a better and certainly more balanced offensively...basically, the Cards are the only playoff team with a paultry running game. One can assume that the Cards will have some difficulty stopping Michael Turner. But one can, if Atlanta's defense stats bear things out, expect Warner and the Boldin-Fitzgerald duo to do very well, well enough to overcome any kind of Atlanta lead should they not turn the ball over. Falcons are -3 in the giveaway department. But yes, it'll be close.
Eagles over Vikings. I was gonna pick the Vikes out of past love (I was a Vikes fan in the Joe Kapp era), but good golly miss molly, who in the blue blazes will their QB be? Neither Frerotte nor Jackson are likely to be effective playoff QBs, and the Adrian Peterson show is going to get old if the Vikes can't figure out another way to effectively move the ball. So based on the fact that McNabb has been effective in past palyoff games, I have to go with the Eagles...but the Vikes will win if either QB is effective and their outstanding defense makes Philly turn over the ball.
Chargers over Colts. By all rights, the Colts should win with Manning, but this is the Chargers we're talking about. I agree with Bolt Backer 21...the noise in SD will drive Manning crazy, the Chargers seem to have the Colts number, and the Philip Rivers Band appears to be peaking exactly as a playoff team should at the right time, 8-8 be damned.
And a final note to Pats and Jets fans:
Stop your whining!
So the almighty "dyansty" Patriots needed the Jets to win Sunday in order to back into the playoffs? YOU CALL YOURSELVES A DYNASTY??!!?? STOP YOUR STUPID WHINING and admit the Fins are a better TEAM (with the accent on TEAM. The "i' in the Patriots was more pronounced than the "i' in Dolphins).
So the Bretts...according to NFL GameDay..."expected" Pennington to go to the Packers in exchange for Favre and "did not want him going to Miami because Miami was so bad last year" and thus they "felt bad" for Chad after the Fins picked him up AFTER THE JETS THREW HIM AWAY...
You take the cake, Jettsies!! No wonder they call you "the Wets" in Miami! You people have excuses for everything, you CHOKERS! Imagine! Blaming Miami for their own success this year! Only from the Jets!!!
And don't get me started on the Pokes...I could write a week's worth of posts on this subject, but that would drive Hanahan crazy and we need him ready to root for the Dolphins Sunday, so I won't.
Now that I've covered the AFC East, what about the rest?
Don' t take my word for it because I generally don't follow the other divisions, but...
I really like underdogs, and, BTD (besides the Dolphins), who is a better underdog this year to make the playoffs than the Falcons?
Thus, I want to Falcons to make the playoffs. That means I DON"T WANT THE COWBOYS! Heck, I'm a resident of Texas and I don't want the Cowboys???? No, because in honor of my late dad I also root for the Giants, who before he died finally had some satisfaction from this bunch, what in the Lawrence Taylor years and now.
Besides, I've always thought the Pokes were overrated. America's Team? Gimme a Break! It is funny (sarcastic) how owner Jerry Jones is belly-aching about Barber and using that as an excuse for his team's giving up that game to Pittsburgh last Sunday. It is always excuses with this bunch! The Dallas Cowboys always seem to think the NFL "owes" them a playoff birth, and then when they get one they tend to screw up early in the playoffs.
Then, who do I like--Bucs or Panthers? I said in an earlier post that if I was just starting out watching NFL games and (being in a non-team market) had to pick a team to root for, it would be the Panthers. I like their balance between offense and defense--not overwhelming offense and not overwhelming defense (too bad the Steelers can't say that, especially now, but the Steelers have always, since 1972, been defense oriented, good offense or not. Now, I think their offense is mediocre at best). I do not dislike the Bucs, however. My relatives live in the Tampa Bay area and thus are Bucs fans. Thus, having to choose, I chose the Panthers not because of Monday night but because the Panthers would be a change.
I tend to want to root for the Bears, but way back in the late 60s under Bud Grant and with Joe Kapp I was a Vikes fan as well. I say the Vikes win out. Something has been eating at the Bears this season...they have not been consistent or effective the way they have been. I have a warm spot in my heart also for Gus Frerotte who played in Miami in their mediocre-before-the-2007-fall year (2005, leading them to 8-8 with a big finale over the Pats). and even if Frerotte doesn't play, Adrian Peterson is amazing and I don't see many remaining teams stopping him including the Bears. Third, I don't trust Kyle Orton, who is better than Bobby Douglass but worse than what's his name (you know who I mean, the guy who won the Super Bowl).
In the AFC North, I don't like the Steelers (because of their playoff rivalry with Miami and Oakland in the 70s...I mean, how can I possibly root for them???), but I have always respected them, don't have much against them now, letting by-gones be by-gones, for one thing because they have the goat of the Cowboys. Yet I still don't really like them, because as I said before they are all defense, and, as I said in another post, they are on TV just about every week and it would be nice to see someone else besides the Steelers on TV (you know, like the Dolphins?). As for the Ravens...I don't see why the Ravens can't overcome the Steelers to win the division and I hope they do. Their win over Miami has to count for something! But the Ravens have good offense and defense, both, I like the rookie Flacco, and the Ravens (who LOST to the Fins last year) are another "resurgent" "underdog", so goooooo Ravens!
In the AFC South which is already decided with the Titans, it would really be cool if the Texans could find their way to overcome the Colts. I don't like the Colts either. No running game..okay, no consistent running game and it's all Peyton Manning, who I am sick of hearing about. But I do like the Texans! Schaub, had he been healthy all year and they didn't have to rely on that god-awful Sage Rosenfels (gosh I wish Miami would have played the Texans with Rosenfels--they would have won easily), would have the Texans in the running and the run-less and often defense-less Colts on the run. NEXT YEAR, TEXANS! Peyton Manning will be wishing he'd stayed in bed Sundays!
The Jags? No comment!
I will say this for the AFC West: Dear Al Davis: PLEASE SELL THE RAIDERS! When I wasn't rooting for the Fins in the AFC back in the 70s and 80s I was rooting for the black and silver. It has pained me, since that Supe appearance fairly recently, for you, Mr. Davis, to have completely let this team go to pot. And, Dear Chargers: The past is prologue, and you need to start rebuilding that team. LT is a nice guy but he needs help. Antonio Gates? Who? Dear Broncos: Do you enjoy forcing people who bet on you to lose hundreds or thousands because you can't seem to get your act together, losing when you should win and winning when you should lose? Keep that up, and you just might win the Super Bowl! and, Dear Chiefs: I don't care what you say, do you really think the future is with a guy named Thigpen??
NFC West? Because they're another "resurgent" team (if you can call "resurgent" a team that hasn't been in the playoffs in 33 years!), GO CARDS! A few weeks ago on NFL Network Anquan Boldin gave an interview and was a real gentleman. But look out next year for the Niners, who are "talking spoiler" according to NFL.com. Actually, the 49ers have a history of playing spoiler when they weren't in the playoffs themselves. But it would seem Singletary has them going in the right direction at least and should challenge next year. The Seahawks might also challenge. If nothing else I am impressed by the play of Seneca Wallace.
NFC East: The Gaints have clinched, but can they get past that Plax BS? I mean I have fully expected them to win another Supe, but now I am not sure. If another NFC East team had to make the playoffs I'd go with the Eagles. The Skins are finished, and I wish the Cowboys were--stop hyping these turkeys! Romo isn't Aikens, or even Staubach, and their coach is no Tom Landry. They were lucky to have Bill Parcells when they had him. and yet, I have to thank the Cowboys for four things:
Tony Sparano, Jason Ferguson, Akin Ayodele and Tony Fasano. And, oh yeah, Bill Parcells. Go Dolphins!
Should that be the Sports Page Headline in the Miami Herald this morning?...Not really, because, well, some here might think it's "the curse" but I beg to differ...Houston's not-so-unlikely last minute win over Miami was not only not simply a curse but just a bit better football for just a bit longer. I would like to have seen the face of Ronnie "slinging arrows" Brown when Matt Schaub ran that ball into the endzone--the same way the Fins D refused to let LT run it in last week!
So the Texans--as I said a few days ago who are NOT the 0-4 team their record indicates--and, as some other blogger said (who picked the Texans) that the Dolphins and Texans were like mirror images of each other--young, aggressive teams which tend to do well against the run (which, Brown's stats being noted on the game...I don't recall the Texans leading rusher...were not thast great)--won by just being a little more aggressive yesterday, 29-28...a win not unlike the other three times the Texans beat the Fins...three points or less! And because Matt Schaub, unlike Matt Cassel and Phil Rivers, exposed the weaknesses of the Dolphins defense backfield for a huge amount of yardage.
I am sad the Fins lost after such stellar efforts against Pats and Chargers...but I am also glad the Texans, a fairly decent team after all (but for the stupid play of Rosenfels--get rid of him, Texans!), are no longer winless because they shouldn't have been in the first place! Good for you all, Texans! Now go out next week and whoop it up against the hopeless Lions. Just don't get smug the way the Fins did!
THAT'S RIGHT, DOLPHINS...YOU GOT SMUG! STUPID, STUPID...YOU BEAT THE PATS AND CHARGERS, KNOWN TO BE GOOD TEAMS, AND NOW YOU THINK BECAUSE YOU'RE AHEAD LATE IN THE FOURTH QUARTER (AGAINST A QB THAT APPARENTLY TOOK YOUR PASS DEFENSE APART ALL DAY, NO LESS) YOU CAN GO OUT AND CELEBRATE AT 28-23??? AND NOW YOU HAVE PAID FOR IT! WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT???
You are going to go out next Sunday and beat the Ravens at home, that's what! And you don't even need an Peyton Manning to do it. Neither the Texans, nor the Bolts nor Pats, really stopped the Wildcat, so use it, and since "everybody knows" you can't run on the Ravens, do it anyway, because they can't stop the pass. And you pass rushers (Porter had another good day in Reliant Stadium) and especially you secondary folks, Flacco is a rookie, okay? A pretty good rookie (or else he wouldn't be starting) but a rookie nevertheless who couldn't do squat against a Colts defense that IMHO is outshined by the Fins anyway. You know what you have to do.
And the Sunday after that, you are going to beat the Bills at home.
And onto my other stupid picks...
Good golly Miss Molly! the Rams beat the Redskins--in Washington! Only one or two of the bolder bloggers picked the "hapless" Rams, and they did it by doing something no one else has been able to do to the Skins--force turnovers, and they--like 4 or 5 other teams--did it in the closing seconds (in fact time had expired). HOORAY FOR THE RAMS!
Thus the Rams and Texans have won their first games this year, and good for them. Don't like to see winless teams.
Well, my pick of the Falcons paid off. Another last second win, and this one makes the NFC North bolluxed up with no one who clearly standout (except the Lions, who just might do what the Fins couldn't and wouldn't do last year, go winless!). So the Bears, who looked at one point like they would easily take this division, are now 3-3. The Vikes, who looked like they really needed more than Frerotte to win with, are now 3-3. The Packers, who have looked either good or bad with Rodgers, are also 3-3. Sorta mediocre, these three, wouldn't you say? Now, look at the NFC South: the Panthers (wha-happen?), the Bucs (thanks you, Mr. Garcia!), and the Falcons (holder of the best rookie QB out there this year) are all 4-2 and the Saints are 3-3. Statistically the NFC East is the strongest division but I'm not buying it.
Panthers! Whaa haapen? Two words: Jeff Garcia. Okay, three more words: home field advantage...the Bucs haven't lost there in a long time. And, oh yeah, you guys were buying into that "the Panthers are playoff bound this year" stuff. As with the Fins, you folks got smug and you paid the price for it. But unlike the Fins you looked bad in losing!
And the Vikes eke out the Lions. And the Saints raid the Raiders. And the Jets buck the Bungles. And Cards clip the Cowboys (and apologies to that Cards fan who walloped my Pokes pick--see comments on previous post--you were right after all about the Cards). And Eagles fly over the Niners, who are apparently sinking fast. And the Packers drown the Seahawks.
Finally, three incredible wins that will reverberate around the league for at least this week.
I had picked the Broncos (I have to keep reminding myself never to pick this height of inconsistency!) over the Jaguars because it was at Mile High. Well, at the end of the day, it was the Cutler kids who needed air. Nice going, Jags! You needed the win with the Colts winning as well as Texans, and you did it! Have a nice week off.
I had picked the Colts, but figured it'll go either way anyway. WRONG! Peyton is back. The Colts D appears to be back. That momentum they built up against Texans in the last quarter last week carried through...what happened to the Ravens, another team that looked promising at the beginning of the year, have lost three straight now and have not looked too bad doing it (looked okay vs. Steelers and didn't look too bad vs. Titans, but what happened to that highly ranked defense??). Seems the Colts have rediscovered they are a good team after all.
And now we come to Chargers-Patriots, with the Bolts belting Bellichick's crew in a 30-10 win that took some of the sting off the Texans win over my aqua-orange boys. This puts the Chargers only one game behind the feckless horses...and they go to Buffalo next week (good luck...or will the Bills be looking ahead to Fins?) while Pats have the Broncs. Meanwhile, the Jets (who seem to have the easiest schedule in the NFL...why is it they always seem to have teams they can beat...Brett Favre, maybe?) and Pats are both at 3-2! the Bills are 4-1 and the Fins are 2-3, which means this now "not least" division is still up for grabs as only two games separate top from bottom. That is not something that happens too often. And kuddos to the Bolts, who clearly got the revenge they wanted...but what's gonna happen if they meet the Pats in the playoffs?
Remember bakc to the 70s and the Steelers-Raiders? This matchup seems similar.
Yeah, I know...I must be a complete #### for picking the Dolphins over the Chargers because as we all know the Chargers are a better team and they have LT and Rivers and that Fins win over the Pats was a fluke and well they were 1-15 last year, so!
The Chargers are a better team? Maybe. We'll see. But for one thing they haven't been the better team IN MIAMI since that awesome 1981 playoff game where the Chargers FG kicker (I forget his name) kicked the winning points in over time in one of the most exciting playoff games perhaps ever...the one where Don Strock took over for Woodley late in the 2nd quarter and helped put 21 pts. or so on the board in about ten minutes, and put them ahead early in the third quarter. The most recent Fins win was in 2006 during that 6 game winning streak under Nick Saban, where Gus Frerotte pulled out a win in the last minutes or so. In that game, LT was nearly "404".
Well, of course, the Chargers have a better QB now, LT is still going strong, and the Chargers will probably still make the playoffs even if they lose this game. And we all know the Fins pass defense is not the league's best or even close to it. They could not shut down Favre or Warner, and stopping Cassel is no proof that they are any good. Because of that, no one has really run against them so we don't know, statistically, if they can stop LT or not. And I am sure they are running those "Wildcat" films for the players to get a grasp of what "the Sparanos" did to the Pats in week 3, and thus be prepared for it. To sum up, logic says the Fins pass defense won't be able to stop Rivers, and there is no proof that their run defense can stop LT.
But all of you picking the Bolts don't seem to realize that it may not matter if the Fins can control the ball on offense. The biggest surprise this year so far has been their offense--and, after all, isn't "offense" the big whoop-tee-doo this year, what with the rules practically telling DBs they can't so much of anything to stop receivers? Another stat that Bolts pickers may not consider is the fact that other than that Pennington interception by the Jets at the last minute in week one, the Dolphins have had no other turnovers...Porter and company forced a bunch by the Pats which contributed to Miami's blowout. I personally think (in the tradition of Miami-SD matches), turnovers by the Bolts will be a factor.
The biggest reason I am picking Miami though is that they MUST WIN with the Bills 4-0, the Jets 2-2, and the Pats likely to go 3-1 after beating the Niners (which, they too, must win if only so that the Pats can get over that terrible loss to Miami). On the other hand, the Chargers, with only the Broncos as real competition, can sweat another loss early in the season (especially if the Bucs beat the Broncos), which leads me to...
Bucs over Broncos
When Brian Griese beat the Bears I was flabberghasted, doing it in a matter of minutes behind a bunch. But when he beat the Rodgers' Packers I took notice. For one thing, the NFC South is right now competitive because the Panthers are starting to look like a more serious contender, and the Saints (and possibly even the Falcons) are starting to recover their pre-season playoff contender "look." As with the stronger than usual AFC East, the NFC South is not going to allow any team to "look ahead" this early in the season. As for the Broncos, the loss to the Chiefs (as much as I like it) is not indicative of typical Broncos play--still the Broncs defense DOES have the makings of serious problems heading down the line. Which is why Cutler and company, still a game ahead of the Chargers in a weaker division than usual, can afford to let up. The Bucs need it more. Much more.
My other Stupid Picks:
Titans over Ravens: Titans defense, which is even better than Steelers, will stop the Ravens (who are fairly unstoppable otherwise)
Panthers over Chiefs: Panthers, in stronger division, need it more (even though I really want Chiefs to win)
Lions over Bears: Now this pick really is stupid! But I have to have an upset special!
Packers over Falcons
Colts over Texans: Manning needs to get after it, or go down in infamy 9and be considered less than his brother Eli)
Gaints over Seahawks: I have yet to see the Hawks impress, but I am not convinced the Giants are invincible, either (good work, Plax!)
Eagles over Redskins: Because. NFC East, you know...
Cards over Bills: Because the Cards looked a whole lot better against the Jets than the score indicated (the Jets 32-0 lead at half was because of Cards turnovers), and, besides, how much longer can the Bills keep it up?
Cowboys over Bungles: Because they are the BUNGLES!
Patriots over Niners: Because the Pats MUST win this game and get over their collapse against the Fins.
Steelers over Jags: Because the Jags seem to be cursed, and it is very hard to pick a team to win that lost a player to a leg amputation. But I hope the Jags win nevertheless.
Saints over Vikes: Because I am deep down in my heart a Saints fan, as well as a whole slew of my in-laws.
