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!)
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.
Does anyone actually believe Donavan McNabb, a several year NFL vet, didn't realize that at the end of an overtime period if the score was tied, that's how the game ended? The Bungles, who flubbed a possible game winning FG, surely knew, so what was McNabb's and Reied's excuse?
Did anyone actually expect (who saw the game, that is, cos I only saw highlights) that the Steelers, who had huge offensive yardage, would win by the improbable 11-10 and that officials regarding that forward lateral are now saying the TD should have stood?
The Packers beating the Bears 37-3??? We are not in the year 1938 are we (well, some say we are in terms of the economy...I'd say 1930 might be more like it)
Amd who doesn't think the Cowboys beat the Redskins ONLY because Romo was back and Portis was out? The two of you, let me know.
Did anyone really think the Jags really would beat the Titans? Does anyone really think the Jets will next weekend? As a fan of the 1972 Dolphins, I'd like to think someone will!
The Cards-Hawks, Niners-Rams, Panthers-Lions, and Colts-Texans games went about as expected. Some games had to!
Well, the Broncos, who would be the Bengals if they were a losing team, did it again! Everyone and his grandmother expected the horses to go down to the Ryan-Flyin' Falcons, plus Turner-Burner! BUT NOOOOOOO! Folks, the Broncos are one of the biggest reasons I don't do the "stupid female" picks anymore...they lose when they should win and win when they should lose, and, what with the Chargers loss, it looks like the Broncos are likley to pull off winning the AFC West. That;s too bad because they don't play like a playoff team consistently enough.
So, that, with Carolina over the Detroit crew and the Bucs over the Vikes, it looks as if the Falcons will now have their work cut out for them. That the Bucs stopped Adrian Peterson, though, is impressive. As for the Saints and Chiefs, all that biz about Thigpen (what a name for a QB!) must have had a lot of folks thinking the KC'ers would win it, despite their bad defense.
Speaking of bad defense, I think the Raiders showed their D isn't so bad after all, getting Mr. Sore Foot down for a safety (serves them right for passing that bull biscuit story along! Sore foot, huh...Chad sure didn't look like he had one out there the way he played, especially that last drive). Now, if the Raiders had a decent offense they probably would have won the game. The Fins had close to 400 yards of offense and only 17 points? Guys, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO BETTER THAN THAT NEXT SUNDAY AGAINST THE PATS!!! And for pity sake, WORK ON THOSE DARNED PUNT-KICKOFF RETURN TEAMS! There is NO WAY Oakland should have gotten a TD! But that was to be expected (?) with the Raiders having one of the better special teams and Miami one of the worst.
Oh well, at least they won, are now 6-4, a game behind the Jets and a game in front of the Bills. Did anyone actually think at this point in the 2008 season the Fins would be anywhere but last, and by that I mean DEAD LAST? And if I read ever again by Marvez or any of the other FOX Sports pundits that the Phins have the worst receiver corps in the league, or that Ted Ginn Jr. can't take a hit...
As for that Ravens-Giants game, I have no sympathy for the plight of the Ravens. Now I'd liek to see how well the Titans would do against the Giants...no, Titans, you will not go undefeaed! Get with the Pats about that for a clue.
And my dad up in heaven is smiling....
Which brings me to the Browns-Bills. Good for the Browns, who I have no opinion over, ever, and barely even acknowledge their existence theyre so mediocre, as usual. Except that it is the Browns who, after all, beat the Giants, and were in some quarters favored to beat the Bills. Weather was no factor as Buffalo and Cleveland are winter weather soul mates with the Lake Effect. It is clear now that Brady Quinn will be THE Browns QB for years to come. It is also clear that the Bills have only a prayer left to make the playoffs...their last four games are Dolphins, Jets, Broncos,and Patriots. Except for the Fins game and the cold weather factor (against the Fins in Buffalo), I expect the Bills to lose the rest and wind up 8-8, assuming they beat the Chiefs and Niners the next two weeks.
Ad for my next trick, I'll show that it is very possible that the Dolphins can win the AFC East...but next time!
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.
