In case you didn't know, it's the best time of the year for football fans: the draft may be fun but ends up boring, opening night is exciting if you're a fan of one of the two teams playing, and the first Sunday of the year just makes you feel good! All that pales in comparison to football in January/February. The NFL Playoffs gets your heart pounding, your stomach in knots (as my mom so eloquently told me this morning), and can create unreal drama between friends, coworkers, and even family members. This past weekend was no exception. We had every kind of game: shocker, blowout, massacre, meltdown, comeback, collapse and much more. Let's review the NFC games first...
Arizona 51 Green Bay 45 in OT. What a game! Holy impressive offense Batman! Or perhaps we should say 'Holy nonexistant defenses Batman!' Either way the Cards and Packers put on quite a show Sunday night. I thoroughly enjoyed watching all the TD passes. I mean that is what the NFL's become: pass happy (at least that's what we thought until we get to the AFC playoffs). Kurt Warner threw 5 touchdowns, Aaron Rodgers had four of his own. Kind of iron though that the game was won by an amazing defensive play by two Cards players. GB fans cry foul that Rodgers had his facemask touched but let's be realistic: this game is in the desert, not the cornfield. The Pack would never get that call at a crucial moment of the game, such as this one in overtime. Just imagine if the latest hunk of beef on 'The Bachelor' committed an illegal act such as call one of his lovlies the wrong name towards the end of the series. Unbelievable? yes. Wrong? absolutely! Forgivable? HELL NO! But will anything happen to him - definitely NOT. The show's all about him and heaven forbid he be shown in a negative light. Again, that's why they call it homefield advantage. I picked Arizona to win this game, but never imagined they would put up an NFL postseason record 96 points! I still believe AZ is the better team, even though their kicker tried to ruin my chance of winning our $80 playoff pool! I'm standing in my cousin's living room watching this play, thinking to myself - "ok, the Pats may have gotten spanked earlier but at least all my final four teams are still alive" and then he missed the potential game winning field goal. Good thing Brendan was standing nearby otherwise I might have taken a step back in my New Year's Resolution of eliminating ugly words from my vocabulary.
To conclude discussion on this game let's remember: Aaron Rodgers may have started rough with an INT that led to immediate points for the Cards, but he finished the game throwing over 400 yards, a Packers postseason record. Yes that means he passed Brett Favre's best postseason game, whatever that was. Although Rodgers and the Pack came up short this year, they show much promise for the future. This is a young team with lots of weapons on offense, a decent defensive group (they just chose to nap during the game) and a bright future ahead of them. The only reason I wish GB would have won would be a chance for them to meet up with Favre and the Vikings with a SuperBowl berth on the line, talk about sports drama. That would be a media dream! But the Packers are out and the Cardinals will move on to the Bayou. 'Down by the bayou' - DMB, great song by the way. Saints will definitely have their hands full this week preparing for the experience road warriors the Cards have become over the last year and half.
The other NFC game was about crossing the point of no return, getting past a huge hurdle, achieving a long saught after goal: the Dallas Cowboys winning a playoff game for the first time since 1995, Boys head coach Wade Phillips winning his first playoff game ever, Tony Romo playing big in a huge game, we could go on forever. How bout them Cowboys?! What a dominant performance this weekend in big D. Philly limped into this contest after being blown out and shut out the previous week, which resulted in the loss of a bye and division crown. Many people said it's too hard to beat a division rival 3 times in one year. Other said Romo, Philips and the rest of the team would crumble under the pressure of a 14 year playoff win drought. None of the above happened. Dallas dominated from the beginning, pushing the Eagles around and showing them the exit door much earlier than Philly fans expected. I found myself just amazed at how Dallas dictated everything in every facet of the game. The only time the Boys looked vulnerable was when the infamous Michael Vick came in and caught the defense off guard to tie the game with a quick 76 yard score. The next series would prove to be the biggest of the night.
Romo overthrew a pass and it was picked off by Philly. The Eagles returned it to the Dallas 10 yard line, instantly every Cowboys fan felt sick to their stomach. It's happening again they said, as McNabb trotted out on the field, looking to give Philadelphia its first lead of the day. However, there was something on the field: laundry. Red to be exact. Wade Phillips made probably the most important decision of his Dallas career - he challenged the previous play. After a long review the referee came out and shot the city of Philly right in the heart worse than Cole Hamels did in the 2009 World Series (my cousins are seriously cursing at me somewhere). He overturned the call. No interception, no change of possession, no first and goal for the Eagles. Just a incomplete pass and it was 2nd & 10 for the Cowboys. Romo went on to lead the Boys to 17 straight points and the Eagles were finished. I picked Dallas to win but never expected the blowout we witnessed Saturday night. McNabb was pressured, bullied, harrassed, beaten and bruised all night long. The Cowboys defense played inspired football and Jerry Jones was all smiles. Who would have ever thought at the start of the year, with no Terrell Owens, that this team would be playing the Vikings in Minn and actually have a fighting chance? In my opinion they have more than a fighting chance but we'll get to that later in the week.
Next article will be on the AFC games... still trying to gather myself to breakdown that game in Foxboro on Sunday... yep, I need more time...
Monday, January 11, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
Wild Card Wknd part 2
We tackled the NFC games earlier in the week, now it's on the AFC! New England, Cincinnati, Baltimore and the NY Jets comprise the four teams competing to get a crack at Indy and San Diego. Let me first go on the record and say: The New York Jets should not be in the playoffs. They have an overrated defense, an ignorant big-mouthed head coach, and a quarterback is so inaccurate with the football he couldn't hit the ocean if he fell out of a boat. Fortunately for the Jets, they played the Colts when they decided to step away from the challenge of going 16-0, and if that wasn't enough in their next game they hosted the Bengals in a game that meant absolutely nothing to Cincy (as evidenced by the fact that they held a large number of players out and followed a vanilla gameplan for the entire game). Now I've told you all before that I try to be very unbiased when I discuss sports but I'm sorry, sometimes my personal feelings win out and it just so happens that I'm right on the mark, and NY fans the truth does indeed hurt. Don't worry I'll explain my position later on, let's start breaking down the matchups...
Baltimore Ravens vs. New England Patriots: What a matchup! Baltimore comes in fresh off a win in Oakland, a closely played game that they needed to have to get into the playoffs. NE limps into this game after losing more than just their last game in Houston. The NFL 2009 leader in receptions, Wes Welker, suffered a torn ACL and MCL and has been put on season ending IR. This is a HUGE blow to the Patriots. Anyone who doesn't admit this is a liar. Welker is one of the toughest, grittiest players in the league and demands constant attention of opponent's defense every snap of the game. The connection between Brady and Welker was evident throughout the entire season as both players could almost anticipate what the other would do next. Many sports analysts and reporters have proclaimed this loss will cripple not only the New England offense but also the heart and soul of the team. However, don't buy into it. Don't count them out. Anyone that believes the Patriots are out obviously doesn't watch enough football or sports period.
Does anyone remember the 2001 NFL season? The Patriots had their "greatest quarterback ever" (at the time) Drew Bledsoe freshly signed to a new 10yr contract the previous year, and things were on the up and up in New England. Then came their 2nd game of the season. Ironically, it was against their arch-rival, the Jets, and a severe hit by Mo Lewis on Bledsoe knocked him out of the game. After the game we would find out that Bledsoe would be out indefinitely with internal bleeding. Enter Tom Brady. A late round draft pick out of Michigan. No one knew much about him at all. After experiencing some regular season success, the Patriots entered the playoffs and beat the Raiders, Steelers, and Rams to claim their first NFL Championship. My point behind this little history lesson is this: injuries don't always cripple a team, many times they open doors for the next great players to be discovered. What if Bledsoe never got hurt? Brady never discovered? Patriots never 3-time champs? Perhaps. Understand me right, I'm not trying to tell you that Julian Edelman is the next great wide receiver that will be better than Jerry Rice. No not all, probably not even close. What I am trying to get across is this simple point: When adversity strikes that's when you find out the true character of a person, team, etc. I have strong faith that they will handle this adversity with great mental toughness, move forward as a team, and put their best foot forward on Sunday afternoon.
Breaking down the actual game I look at many interesting stats that favor NE. First of all, did you know that the Ravens have never EVER beaten the Patriots??? Balt is 0-5 lifetime against the Pats. Another glaring bit of information: Bill Belichick and Tom Brady have never lost a home playoff game, 8-0 in the playoffs in the great state of Massachusetts. Tom Brady's playoff record: 14-3, not bad, not bad at all. The Ravens have a very strong ground game that I expect them to put to work early and often. However, with Vince Wilfork and Ty Warren starting for the defense I believe yards will be hard to come by. The biggest concern for the Patriots has to be pressuring the quarterback. Their inability to sack the opponent's QB has been the achilles heel of the defense all year long. In games against Jax and Buffalo they did improve, however they'll need to put together a strong showing if they want to rattle Flacco. Brady made a rather interesting comment this week concerning their offense. "It may actually be an advantage to us, not having Wes. Now they won't have any idea where we're going with the ball," Brady said. Welker received so much attention not only from the defense but also from Brady every game he played. Now the Patriots will have to look elsewhere to move the chains. I think that with Fred Taylor healthy they will try to run him, along with Sammy Morris, regularly to balance the pass and run. The key matchup for this game will Benjamin Watson/Kevin Faulk vs. Ray Lewis/Balt linebackers. I believe at some point in this game Faulk or Watson will be called upon by Brady to make a play - a big play. If they can complete it, New England will march on to SD looking to eliminate the Chargers for the 3rd time in four years. Ultimately, I see the Patriots winning by a final score of 34-24.
The Cincinnati Bengals host the NY Jets. The Bengals looked like the dark horse SuperBowl contender earlier in the season but the whieels started to come off their bus in the later part of the year. Yes they won the AFC North but I don't see them making it to the big dance. I absolutely believe they will beat the Jets on Saturday afternoon, quite handily too, for a few simple reasons: 1) Carson Palmer has been waiting for this moment. Ever since he went down with the knee injury in the 2005 playoffs, he's been itching to get back to the postseason. This is his chance, his opportunity to shine. 2) The week 17 meeting means absolutely nothing. The Bengals went into that game knowing exactly what they controlled: their opponent for the playoffs. If they would have beat NY, they would be playing the Houston Texans and their explosive offense. Therefore they chose to rest some starters, bow out against NY thus setting up a rematch against the inexperienced young Jets. 3) Mark Sanchez was 2nd in the NFL this year for most interceptions. The only person to throw more INTs than Sanchez was Jay Cutler, sorry Al. The NFL used to be a run the ball, play tough defense league. Key words in that sentence - "used to be". Thanks to the crying of Bill Polian and the rest of the Colts' organization in 2004 after they lost to the Patriots for the 2nd year in a row, the NFL changed around rules and created this passing joyland that we now know and I guess love. It is a quarterbacks league. If you don't have a high profile effiicent quarterback that knows how to win you will not be successful. Why do you think the Rams won 1 game this year? The Jets rookie QB may have a strong arm, a convincing smile and a sweet resume from USC but that doesn't translate into immediate NFL success. I have watched Sanchez quite a few times this year and I saw a quarterback that was inexperienced, unintelligent, and ill-prepared to win. For all these reasons I do not see the Jets winning this weekend. But remember, the best thing about the NFL is on any given Sunday (or Saturday for this example) any team can win if they play better than their opponent. I still don't buy it for the Jets. Sanchez will turn the ball over at least 2 times and it will lead to Cincy points. At some point in this game, their will be a crucial moment, Sanchez will need to make a decision. Now whether that decision is to throw the ball away, throw a checkdown pass, take a shot down field, or run with the ball, that I don't know. But I can guarantee you that he will make the wrong choice and his team will suffer for it. Again, understand, I'm not saying Mark Sanchez will never be a good player, he might go on to have great success next season, in 3 years, who knows, but we are talking about right here, right now. At this point in time he just doesn't have what it takes, and this will be New York's undoing.
Let me just take one minute to explain to you why Rex Ryan, head coach of the Jets, is an idiot. This guy loves his team, he's emotional, he's cocky, loves to win, and will back his players no matter what. However, when you make a statement to the world that "your team should be favored to win the SuperBowl" I take serious umbrage. C'MONNNN MAN!!!!!!!! Give me a break! I understand being confident, I understand liking your matchup, hell I know you beat the crap outta Cincy less than a week ago but this is different. This is... the playoffs. The game speeds up, everything gets more intense, each play matters that much more, and the time quarterbacks have to break down a defense shrinks in half. Yes, the Jets have 2 great running backs. Yes they have one of the best shutdown corners in the NFL (Revis really has put together a remarkable season). Yes their defense is tough, attacking, relentless, and intimidating. However, without an experienced, mentally tough quarterback you can't advance in the NFL Playoffs. You just can't. Those are the rules I didn't write 'em!
To conclude this discussion on the Cincy/NY matchup, I see the game starting off very competitive and close. Once the game gets into the 2nd quarter and beyond I do believe the Jets will start imploding and the Bengals will pull away, setting up a date with the Colts in the divisional round. Cincinnati 24, New York 13.
Can't wait for Saturday. I love the NFL Playoffs, best and worst time of the year. Best because its the best football of the year with the best teams fighting for ultimate glory. Worst because it also signals the season is coming to an end and football will soon be gone for a long, long time. No more talk of that. Let's enjoy the games while they last!
Baltimore Ravens vs. New England Patriots: What a matchup! Baltimore comes in fresh off a win in Oakland, a closely played game that they needed to have to get into the playoffs. NE limps into this game after losing more than just their last game in Houston. The NFL 2009 leader in receptions, Wes Welker, suffered a torn ACL and MCL and has been put on season ending IR. This is a HUGE blow to the Patriots. Anyone who doesn't admit this is a liar. Welker is one of the toughest, grittiest players in the league and demands constant attention of opponent's defense every snap of the game. The connection between Brady and Welker was evident throughout the entire season as both players could almost anticipate what the other would do next. Many sports analysts and reporters have proclaimed this loss will cripple not only the New England offense but also the heart and soul of the team. However, don't buy into it. Don't count them out. Anyone that believes the Patriots are out obviously doesn't watch enough football or sports period.
Does anyone remember the 2001 NFL season? The Patriots had their "greatest quarterback ever" (at the time) Drew Bledsoe freshly signed to a new 10yr contract the previous year, and things were on the up and up in New England. Then came their 2nd game of the season. Ironically, it was against their arch-rival, the Jets, and a severe hit by Mo Lewis on Bledsoe knocked him out of the game. After the game we would find out that Bledsoe would be out indefinitely with internal bleeding. Enter Tom Brady. A late round draft pick out of Michigan. No one knew much about him at all. After experiencing some regular season success, the Patriots entered the playoffs and beat the Raiders, Steelers, and Rams to claim their first NFL Championship. My point behind this little history lesson is this: injuries don't always cripple a team, many times they open doors for the next great players to be discovered. What if Bledsoe never got hurt? Brady never discovered? Patriots never 3-time champs? Perhaps. Understand me right, I'm not trying to tell you that Julian Edelman is the next great wide receiver that will be better than Jerry Rice. No not all, probably not even close. What I am trying to get across is this simple point: When adversity strikes that's when you find out the true character of a person, team, etc. I have strong faith that they will handle this adversity with great mental toughness, move forward as a team, and put their best foot forward on Sunday afternoon.
Breaking down the actual game I look at many interesting stats that favor NE. First of all, did you know that the Ravens have never EVER beaten the Patriots??? Balt is 0-5 lifetime against the Pats. Another glaring bit of information: Bill Belichick and Tom Brady have never lost a home playoff game, 8-0 in the playoffs in the great state of Massachusetts. Tom Brady's playoff record: 14-3, not bad, not bad at all. The Ravens have a very strong ground game that I expect them to put to work early and often. However, with Vince Wilfork and Ty Warren starting for the defense I believe yards will be hard to come by. The biggest concern for the Patriots has to be pressuring the quarterback. Their inability to sack the opponent's QB has been the achilles heel of the defense all year long. In games against Jax and Buffalo they did improve, however they'll need to put together a strong showing if they want to rattle Flacco. Brady made a rather interesting comment this week concerning their offense. "It may actually be an advantage to us, not having Wes. Now they won't have any idea where we're going with the ball," Brady said. Welker received so much attention not only from the defense but also from Brady every game he played. Now the Patriots will have to look elsewhere to move the chains. I think that with Fred Taylor healthy they will try to run him, along with Sammy Morris, regularly to balance the pass and run. The key matchup for this game will Benjamin Watson/Kevin Faulk vs. Ray Lewis/Balt linebackers. I believe at some point in this game Faulk or Watson will be called upon by Brady to make a play - a big play. If they can complete it, New England will march on to SD looking to eliminate the Chargers for the 3rd time in four years. Ultimately, I see the Patriots winning by a final score of 34-24.
The Cincinnati Bengals host the NY Jets. The Bengals looked like the dark horse SuperBowl contender earlier in the season but the whieels started to come off their bus in the later part of the year. Yes they won the AFC North but I don't see them making it to the big dance. I absolutely believe they will beat the Jets on Saturday afternoon, quite handily too, for a few simple reasons: 1) Carson Palmer has been waiting for this moment. Ever since he went down with the knee injury in the 2005 playoffs, he's been itching to get back to the postseason. This is his chance, his opportunity to shine. 2) The week 17 meeting means absolutely nothing. The Bengals went into that game knowing exactly what they controlled: their opponent for the playoffs. If they would have beat NY, they would be playing the Houston Texans and their explosive offense. Therefore they chose to rest some starters, bow out against NY thus setting up a rematch against the inexperienced young Jets. 3) Mark Sanchez was 2nd in the NFL this year for most interceptions. The only person to throw more INTs than Sanchez was Jay Cutler, sorry Al. The NFL used to be a run the ball, play tough defense league. Key words in that sentence - "used to be". Thanks to the crying of Bill Polian and the rest of the Colts' organization in 2004 after they lost to the Patriots for the 2nd year in a row, the NFL changed around rules and created this passing joyland that we now know and I guess love. It is a quarterbacks league. If you don't have a high profile effiicent quarterback that knows how to win you will not be successful. Why do you think the Rams won 1 game this year? The Jets rookie QB may have a strong arm, a convincing smile and a sweet resume from USC but that doesn't translate into immediate NFL success. I have watched Sanchez quite a few times this year and I saw a quarterback that was inexperienced, unintelligent, and ill-prepared to win. For all these reasons I do not see the Jets winning this weekend. But remember, the best thing about the NFL is on any given Sunday (or Saturday for this example) any team can win if they play better than their opponent. I still don't buy it for the Jets. Sanchez will turn the ball over at least 2 times and it will lead to Cincy points. At some point in this game, their will be a crucial moment, Sanchez will need to make a decision. Now whether that decision is to throw the ball away, throw a checkdown pass, take a shot down field, or run with the ball, that I don't know. But I can guarantee you that he will make the wrong choice and his team will suffer for it. Again, understand, I'm not saying Mark Sanchez will never be a good player, he might go on to have great success next season, in 3 years, who knows, but we are talking about right here, right now. At this point in time he just doesn't have what it takes, and this will be New York's undoing.
Let me just take one minute to explain to you why Rex Ryan, head coach of the Jets, is an idiot. This guy loves his team, he's emotional, he's cocky, loves to win, and will back his players no matter what. However, when you make a statement to the world that "your team should be favored to win the SuperBowl" I take serious umbrage. C'MONNNN MAN!!!!!!!! Give me a break! I understand being confident, I understand liking your matchup, hell I know you beat the crap outta Cincy less than a week ago but this is different. This is... the playoffs. The game speeds up, everything gets more intense, each play matters that much more, and the time quarterbacks have to break down a defense shrinks in half. Yes, the Jets have 2 great running backs. Yes they have one of the best shutdown corners in the NFL (Revis really has put together a remarkable season). Yes their defense is tough, attacking, relentless, and intimidating. However, without an experienced, mentally tough quarterback you can't advance in the NFL Playoffs. You just can't. Those are the rules I didn't write 'em!
To conclude this discussion on the Cincy/NY matchup, I see the game starting off very competitive and close. Once the game gets into the 2nd quarter and beyond I do believe the Jets will start imploding and the Bengals will pull away, setting up a date with the Colts in the divisional round. Cincinnati 24, New York 13.
Can't wait for Saturday. I love the NFL Playoffs, best and worst time of the year. Best because its the best football of the year with the best teams fighting for ultimate glory. Worst because it also signals the season is coming to an end and football will soon be gone for a long, long time. No more talk of that. Let's enjoy the games while they last!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
NFL Playoffs are on the horizon - looking ahead to a Willlld wild card wknd
It seems like August was just yesterday. Every NFL fan in the country had that special feeling deep inside... "Could this be the year?" Ok, maybe Rams and Bucs supporters were thinking more about the 1st pick in the draft but that's besides the point. You could smell it in the air in late August, as the final preseason game wound down the countdown was officially on for the season opener. I can still see Troy Polamalu jumping towards the stars in that first game, intercepting a Kerry Collins pass with one hand deep in Pitt territory, sending the Steelers fans into a state of pandamonium. Well, we found out just how valuable Troy was to Pitt because as he fell hard and off the field of play for the majority of the season, so too did the Steelers from the list of contenders for this year's grand prize. They will not get a chance to defend their title in this year's gauntlet known as: THE NFL PLAYOFFS!
I love those words together! Literally sends chills down my spine. I can hear Chris Berman now... "(in a deep voice) the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field"...."Marshalllllll Marrrsshhhalll Marshallllll!"...."daaaaaah Raaaaaiiiiddddeeeerrrrrrssss!" "TD pass makes the score 10 nothing GGGggggggggmennnnn!!!!!!!!!!".... and here ya go panther fans, you haven't had much to cheer about this year- "daylight come n ya gotta Delllhome!!"
Do you hear it? The music in the background, classic Fox n CBS NFL music, nothing beats it! The playoffs are here indeed! As January continues we will start to eliminate teams one by one. We start with 12 teams and by the end of the month there will be two.... vying for NFL supremecy! Who will those two teams be? I could tell you right now, but then you wouldn't continue reading right? haha! ON WE GO! (I love Willy Wonka)
Lets breakdown each conference, NFC first: New Orleans, Minnesota, Dallas, Arizona, Green Bay and Philly. Talk about a crapshoot. You could argue that any of these teams will be playing in Miami on February 7th. Honestly I see three of these teams actually having a realistic shot at the SuperBowl. Let's play contender or pretender... First we examine the Green Bay vs. Arizona matchup: Now the casual sports fan will tell you the Packers are gonna steamroll the Cards just like they did in Week 17 - NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND! Arizona had nothing to play for in week 17, they knew it, they planned for it, and accomplished it. Green Bay absolutely dominated AZ in every way, leading the nation to believe the Packers were the "darkhorse favorite to make a run". Don't be misled. The Cheeseheads are far from favorites. They have many flaws and simply don't have what it takes to run the gauntlet and win 4 games in a row. Could they pull off a win in the desert on Sunday night? maybe, but not likely. Does anyone remember last year's playoffs? Everyone was hailing the Falcons as the next big thing. No one could stop them, oh wait a minute no one except... the Arizona Cardinals. The week after that Kurt Warner was leading the Cards into hostile territory, on the road in Carolina. 5 interceptions later, AZ completed the upset win over the Panthers and they were on their way home to host the NFC Championship game. And with a win over the Eagles the next week, just like that... Arizona was in the Superbowl! Go figure?! It would not shock me in the least if the Warner and his outstanding receivers led their team on a run once again. I think they get it done over the Packers and move on to the divisional round to face.... TBD
Theres a showdown in Texas Saturday night. Eagles and Cowboys... part 3. Bring the big guns boys n girls, this is gonna be an all out war. I believe that the winner of this game could possibly ride the momentum all the way to the big finish. For me, picking this game is excruciatingly painful. On one side of the field is Andy Reid, Donovan McNabb, and quite possibly the most explosive player in the league, DeSean Jackson. On the other side you have "America's Team" led by Wade Phillips, a terrible coach that the Cowboys win in spite of, not because of. Jerry Jones' brand new stadium was simply electrifying last Sunday when the 'Boys won the division, keeping the Eagles off the scoreboard for 60 minutes. The Eagles have been oh so close to the ultimate prize for the last 7 years. Their window of opportunity is closing. Here's a little trivia question: How many appearances have they made in the NFC Championship game since 2002? Anyone??? Four times they have been there, winning once. That was 2004 when they advanced to play New England in Jacksonville. The Patriots would win the game by 3 points and once again the Eagles were left thinking what if? Now they stand as the #6 seed for the second year in a row. Last year they won on the road in Minnesota and then went right into NY and eliminated the defending champion Giants, putting them one step away from the big dance. Can they do it again? Can they win in a hostile environment? The answer - maybe. Their performance in big games is a coin toss, they've won their fair share but also lost some crucial battles as well. McNabb has been Philly's greatest hero occasionally but also their most infamous goat. The Cowboys showed how to beat Philly last week - control lightning-quick Jackson, put pressure on McNabb, protect Romo, and run the ball down with no regard for human life. Philly's number one problem - Dallas is hotter than Megan Fox in Transformers 2 right now, that's ridiculously hot by the way in case you haven't seen it yet. Romo is throwing the ball as well as anyone in the league and Miles Austin has come out of nowhere to be dangerous down the field. Not to mention I really enjoy hearing Joe Buck say... "and Marion the Barbarian is at it again, causing mayhem with every step!" And then we have Jason Witten who catches everything that comes his way, throw in Patrick Crayton playing at his best, combined with the speedy Felix Jones and this is the recipe for success. I expect a very close hard fought battle but in the end I believe the Dallas D is up for the task of stopping Jackson and McNabb. I see Dallas winning this one and moving on to an extremely hostile evironment in Minnesota! (And this sends the Cardinals down to the bayou to play the Saints, very intriguing matchup) Wow that was a tough call! Keep in mind, this game really could go either way and I have very mixed emotions about putting my NFL playoffs bracket life in the hands of the Cowboys. My cousins will kill me for this pick but it's just my gut instinct right here, right now! We'll take a look at the AFC Wild Card games next time...
I love those words together! Literally sends chills down my spine. I can hear Chris Berman now... "(in a deep voice) the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field"...."Marshalllllll Marrrsshhhalll Marshallllll!"...."daaaaaah Raaaaaiiiiddddeeeerrrrrrssss!" "TD pass makes the score 10 nothing GGGggggggggmennnnn!!!!!!!!!!".... and here ya go panther fans, you haven't had much to cheer about this year- "daylight come n ya gotta Delllhome!!"
Do you hear it? The music in the background, classic Fox n CBS NFL music, nothing beats it! The playoffs are here indeed! As January continues we will start to eliminate teams one by one. We start with 12 teams and by the end of the month there will be two.... vying for NFL supremecy! Who will those two teams be? I could tell you right now, but then you wouldn't continue reading right? haha! ON WE GO! (I love Willy Wonka)
Lets breakdown each conference, NFC first: New Orleans, Minnesota, Dallas, Arizona, Green Bay and Philly. Talk about a crapshoot. You could argue that any of these teams will be playing in Miami on February 7th. Honestly I see three of these teams actually having a realistic shot at the SuperBowl. Let's play contender or pretender... First we examine the Green Bay vs. Arizona matchup: Now the casual sports fan will tell you the Packers are gonna steamroll the Cards just like they did in Week 17 - NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND! Arizona had nothing to play for in week 17, they knew it, they planned for it, and accomplished it. Green Bay absolutely dominated AZ in every way, leading the nation to believe the Packers were the "darkhorse favorite to make a run". Don't be misled. The Cheeseheads are far from favorites. They have many flaws and simply don't have what it takes to run the gauntlet and win 4 games in a row. Could they pull off a win in the desert on Sunday night? maybe, but not likely. Does anyone remember last year's playoffs? Everyone was hailing the Falcons as the next big thing. No one could stop them, oh wait a minute no one except... the Arizona Cardinals. The week after that Kurt Warner was leading the Cards into hostile territory, on the road in Carolina. 5 interceptions later, AZ completed the upset win over the Panthers and they were on their way home to host the NFC Championship game. And with a win over the Eagles the next week, just like that... Arizona was in the Superbowl! Go figure?! It would not shock me in the least if the Warner and his outstanding receivers led their team on a run once again. I think they get it done over the Packers and move on to the divisional round to face.... TBD
Theres a showdown in Texas Saturday night. Eagles and Cowboys... part 3. Bring the big guns boys n girls, this is gonna be an all out war. I believe that the winner of this game could possibly ride the momentum all the way to the big finish. For me, picking this game is excruciatingly painful. On one side of the field is Andy Reid, Donovan McNabb, and quite possibly the most explosive player in the league, DeSean Jackson. On the other side you have "America's Team" led by Wade Phillips, a terrible coach that the Cowboys win in spite of, not because of. Jerry Jones' brand new stadium was simply electrifying last Sunday when the 'Boys won the division, keeping the Eagles off the scoreboard for 60 minutes. The Eagles have been oh so close to the ultimate prize for the last 7 years. Their window of opportunity is closing. Here's a little trivia question: How many appearances have they made in the NFC Championship game since 2002? Anyone??? Four times they have been there, winning once. That was 2004 when they advanced to play New England in Jacksonville. The Patriots would win the game by 3 points and once again the Eagles were left thinking what if? Now they stand as the #6 seed for the second year in a row. Last year they won on the road in Minnesota and then went right into NY and eliminated the defending champion Giants, putting them one step away from the big dance. Can they do it again? Can they win in a hostile environment? The answer - maybe. Their performance in big games is a coin toss, they've won their fair share but also lost some crucial battles as well. McNabb has been Philly's greatest hero occasionally but also their most infamous goat. The Cowboys showed how to beat Philly last week - control lightning-quick Jackson, put pressure on McNabb, protect Romo, and run the ball down with no regard for human life. Philly's number one problem - Dallas is hotter than Megan Fox in Transformers 2 right now, that's ridiculously hot by the way in case you haven't seen it yet. Romo is throwing the ball as well as anyone in the league and Miles Austin has come out of nowhere to be dangerous down the field. Not to mention I really enjoy hearing Joe Buck say... "and Marion the Barbarian is at it again, causing mayhem with every step!" And then we have Jason Witten who catches everything that comes his way, throw in Patrick Crayton playing at his best, combined with the speedy Felix Jones and this is the recipe for success. I expect a very close hard fought battle but in the end I believe the Dallas D is up for the task of stopping Jackson and McNabb. I see Dallas winning this one and moving on to an extremely hostile evironment in Minnesota! (And this sends the Cardinals down to the bayou to play the Saints, very intriguing matchup) Wow that was a tough call! Keep in mind, this game really could go either way and I have very mixed emotions about putting my NFL playoffs bracket life in the hands of the Cowboys. My cousins will kill me for this pick but it's just my gut instinct right here, right now! We'll take a look at the AFC Wild Card games next time...
Monday, January 4, 2010
Sports characters and their "character"
First off let me apologize for the disappearance of my writing. Life is very busy, especially when you have a 3yr old and it's the holiday season. We did some great business at the Truff and I was even able to sneak away to the frozen tundra of Massachusetts for a vacation before Christmas. What a great holiday season! And now we move forward into 2010, a new year, a new decade, no better way to start it than with a thought provoking sports article!
So often in sports we hear the word "character" thrown around. "He's a great player, amazing athleticism but his character isn't quite where it should be". What's more imporant skill or character? A person's performance in their form of occupation or what they do outside of work? Interesting questions, right? If a person excells beyond all others in the their profession should that be given special rules? Should they be examined under a microscope because "America's youth" look up to them? I want to go on the record and say character is extremely important in life. Hopefully after thinking long and hard on this subject with me you'll see where I'm coming from when I ask everyone to: STOP being so pushy when it comes to knowing every little detail about your favorite athlete, celebrity, performer! Enjoy what they get paid to do and dont' try to clean out their closet until you've cleaned your own.
Perhaps you've heard about this athlete in our country, he doesn't play one of the major sports (football, baseball, basketball), he prefers golf. Tiger Woods is probably one of the most heralded sports players of all time. He reminds me of Madonna, Jordan, Brady, Vick (don't worry we'll get to him eventually). Why? Well, what do they have in common? Their celebrity status is overwhelming to the point that it's almost sickening. At one point or another, they truly excelled in their specific field beyond all expectations. The recent news of Tiger Woods' off field activities have caused a great stir throughout our country. Suddenly the media's focus on Tiger's winnings has faded away, instead they are now pointing their cameras at his residence, his wife, his mother-in-law, and pictures from the ill-fated night. Now understand, I am in no way shape or form condoning what Tiger Woods did. What I would like to discuss is how disgustingly obsessed the media has become with this whole ordeal. Is it me or does it seem like every day a new woman comes forward to share her "night with Tiger"? Magazines with headlines "Exclusive photos of Tiger's mistress". Breaking news every other day on Sportscenter to inform Woods he's lost another endorsement deal. Why do they focus so intently on his personal life?
Unfortunately I know the answer... us. The general public. Sports fans and non-fans of sports alike. We have become disturbingly attracted to the personal lives of celebrities, be it athletes, performers, etc. Why is it that we care sooo much about what Tom Brady does when he's not on the field tossing touchdown passes? (honestly this doesn't apply to me, I could care more or less what he does and doesn't do with Gisele, what a lucky guy).
Wouldn't it make more sense for us to be so curious about the personal life of our physican? maybe the cook at our favorite restaurant? better yet, your local "trustworthy" auto doctor? Understand my logic here: I have never met Tiger Woods one on one. Most people never will. This man will never have a personal impact on your day to day life. Yet many of us are so very curious as to what happened the night he got into a car accident on his own property. We are enamored with the notion of him having extra marital affairs and want pictures of these women so that men can say "damn she's fine, I woulda got with her too" and women can say "what a whore". I think knowing how honest your mechanic is outside the job would be much more helpful. If you knew he was a lying, cheating p.o.s. then you probably wouldn't trust him with your car, right? Let's face it, the only thing that matters to you is if he fixes your car and makes the problem go away. All I'm trying to say is that we need to back off the personal lives of our beloved heroes and let them be exactly what you and are whey they aren't showcasing their talent: human.
At the end of the day, Michael Jordan is just another man, Madonna is just another woman (yes, I agree that's debatable). They sit down on their couch, curl up in sweats, grab a bowl of ice cream and watch the Kardashians just like the rest of us. Focus on Brady throwing TDs to Randy Moss, track Tiger on his chase for his next major tournament win, hit up youtube and watch Miley Cirus sing Party in the USA: whatever floats your boat! Discuss those things, argue who's the best golfer ever, the most clutch quarterback of alltime, the most captivating performer. Enough with the damn drama! I guess being the sports enthusiast that I am, I hate when people lose focus of the matter at hand: THE GAMES!
Tiger made mistakes in his life, haven't you? Michael Vick took part in some dispicable acts, was held accountable by the law, given punishment for his actions, and served his sentence in prison. Vick appears to sincerely regret his poor judgement and merely seeks a second chance, have you ever asked for a second chance? Tom Brady dated someone, had a child out of wedlock with her, and went on to marry someone else. People then look at him as a bad father without even knowing all the information of the situation. Again, please understand, I'm not defending Brady! I'm asking you to stop pursuing the details of his personal life because you know what it doesn't have anything to do with you or me. Grade his performance on the field. Compare his play in the postseason with any other quarterback's playoff record. That's what we should be talking about, breaking down, and trying to understand.
The point of this article is to get you thinking about how misconstrued the thought process of the media has become. I often get a kick out of these celebrity magazines: US, Star, In Touch, etc. They dig so deep beyond the point of no return that it's almost comical to read some of the headlines - "Reese Witherspoon is high... on caffeine! Her 2nd visit to starbucks in one day has us thinking she's got an addiction problem!" Unbelieveable. But we have no one to blame but ourselves, we always want more. We're never content.
Maybe we can start something, a movement. Change some things, better yet, stop some things. Turn the focus back to the field, oh wait... I think they just announced Tiger's latest vice... gotta go check this out, it's gonna be one hell of a story! Gotta be ready to spread the news!
So often in sports we hear the word "character" thrown around. "He's a great player, amazing athleticism but his character isn't quite where it should be". What's more imporant skill or character? A person's performance in their form of occupation or what they do outside of work? Interesting questions, right? If a person excells beyond all others in the their profession should that be given special rules? Should they be examined under a microscope because "America's youth" look up to them? I want to go on the record and say character is extremely important in life. Hopefully after thinking long and hard on this subject with me you'll see where I'm coming from when I ask everyone to: STOP being so pushy when it comes to knowing every little detail about your favorite athlete, celebrity, performer! Enjoy what they get paid to do and dont' try to clean out their closet until you've cleaned your own.
Perhaps you've heard about this athlete in our country, he doesn't play one of the major sports (football, baseball, basketball), he prefers golf. Tiger Woods is probably one of the most heralded sports players of all time. He reminds me of Madonna, Jordan, Brady, Vick (don't worry we'll get to him eventually). Why? Well, what do they have in common? Their celebrity status is overwhelming to the point that it's almost sickening. At one point or another, they truly excelled in their specific field beyond all expectations. The recent news of Tiger Woods' off field activities have caused a great stir throughout our country. Suddenly the media's focus on Tiger's winnings has faded away, instead they are now pointing their cameras at his residence, his wife, his mother-in-law, and pictures from the ill-fated night. Now understand, I am in no way shape or form condoning what Tiger Woods did. What I would like to discuss is how disgustingly obsessed the media has become with this whole ordeal. Is it me or does it seem like every day a new woman comes forward to share her "night with Tiger"? Magazines with headlines "Exclusive photos of Tiger's mistress". Breaking news every other day on Sportscenter to inform Woods he's lost another endorsement deal. Why do they focus so intently on his personal life?
Unfortunately I know the answer... us. The general public. Sports fans and non-fans of sports alike. We have become disturbingly attracted to the personal lives of celebrities, be it athletes, performers, etc. Why is it that we care sooo much about what Tom Brady does when he's not on the field tossing touchdown passes? (honestly this doesn't apply to me, I could care more or less what he does and doesn't do with Gisele, what a lucky guy).
Wouldn't it make more sense for us to be so curious about the personal life of our physican? maybe the cook at our favorite restaurant? better yet, your local "trustworthy" auto doctor? Understand my logic here: I have never met Tiger Woods one on one. Most people never will. This man will never have a personal impact on your day to day life. Yet many of us are so very curious as to what happened the night he got into a car accident on his own property. We are enamored with the notion of him having extra marital affairs and want pictures of these women so that men can say "damn she's fine, I woulda got with her too" and women can say "what a whore". I think knowing how honest your mechanic is outside the job would be much more helpful. If you knew he was a lying, cheating p.o.s. then you probably wouldn't trust him with your car, right? Let's face it, the only thing that matters to you is if he fixes your car and makes the problem go away. All I'm trying to say is that we need to back off the personal lives of our beloved heroes and let them be exactly what you and are whey they aren't showcasing their talent: human.
At the end of the day, Michael Jordan is just another man, Madonna is just another woman (yes, I agree that's debatable). They sit down on their couch, curl up in sweats, grab a bowl of ice cream and watch the Kardashians just like the rest of us. Focus on Brady throwing TDs to Randy Moss, track Tiger on his chase for his next major tournament win, hit up youtube and watch Miley Cirus sing Party in the USA: whatever floats your boat! Discuss those things, argue who's the best golfer ever, the most clutch quarterback of alltime, the most captivating performer. Enough with the damn drama! I guess being the sports enthusiast that I am, I hate when people lose focus of the matter at hand: THE GAMES!
Tiger made mistakes in his life, haven't you? Michael Vick took part in some dispicable acts, was held accountable by the law, given punishment for his actions, and served his sentence in prison. Vick appears to sincerely regret his poor judgement and merely seeks a second chance, have you ever asked for a second chance? Tom Brady dated someone, had a child out of wedlock with her, and went on to marry someone else. People then look at him as a bad father without even knowing all the information of the situation. Again, please understand, I'm not defending Brady! I'm asking you to stop pursuing the details of his personal life because you know what it doesn't have anything to do with you or me. Grade his performance on the field. Compare his play in the postseason with any other quarterback's playoff record. That's what we should be talking about, breaking down, and trying to understand.
The point of this article is to get you thinking about how misconstrued the thought process of the media has become. I often get a kick out of these celebrity magazines: US, Star, In Touch, etc. They dig so deep beyond the point of no return that it's almost comical to read some of the headlines - "Reese Witherspoon is high... on caffeine! Her 2nd visit to starbucks in one day has us thinking she's got an addiction problem!" Unbelieveable. But we have no one to blame but ourselves, we always want more. We're never content.
Maybe we can start something, a movement. Change some things, better yet, stop some things. Turn the focus back to the field, oh wait... I think they just announced Tiger's latest vice... gotta go check this out, it's gonna be one hell of a story! Gotta be ready to spread the news!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
NFL Week 11 picks
This NFL season is moving right along. Seems like just yesterday we were watching the first games of the year! Time goes by too fast and seasons can change in an instant, every possession every play becomes more intense as we inch closer and closer to the postseason. Last week produced high drama in the epic Patriots-Colts rivalry, now we as move forward some familiar long time rivals meet up: on to the games we go!
- Washington at Dallas: This is an ancient rivalry that holds much hatred. Fortunately I was able to attend one of these games in Washington a few years back. Let me tell you, you could just feel the unbelieveable emotion in the air. The Skins massacred the Cowboys thats day 35-0. I don't believe we'll see the same outcome or a blowout for that matter. I feel like the Redskins defense is the wild card in this game. If their D plays strong, forces Tony Romo into turnovers it could spell upset for DC. But it seems like a longshot and the Cowboys will use that ugly loss last week at GB to come out victorious. Dallas by 7.
- Steelers in KC: Pitt lost a close game at home last week. Let's rephrase that. The Steelers lost a close game to the Bengals and no longer control their own destiny when it comes to winning the division. Very interesting turn of events in the AFC North. I look for Pitt to come out angry and fired up, beating the Chiefs in an ugly game thats over at halftime. Pitt by 17.
- Browns vs. Lions: I don't care to waste much time on this game. The Browns are an embarrassement to the NFL. The Lions are improving and like them to win by 10.
- Seattle at Minnesota: On paper it looks like a mismatch. Vikings only have 1 loss coming into the game. The Seahawks do have a veteran quarterback and the Minnesota secondary is banged up. Ultimately I see the Vikes winning but it could be closer than many think. Minn by 4.
- 49ers at Green Bay: Both teams are coming off huge, season-saving wins. Niners coaxed Jay Cutler into 5 picks last week and Packers held Tony Romo and Dallas to a dismal day on offense. Both defenses are hot and believe this trend will continue. Expect the intensity and focus of Mike Singletary to be the difference here. SF over GB, 14-10.
- Atlanta visiting NY Giants: The bye week couldn't have come at a better time for the Giants. They are limping after their 5-0 start, having lost four straight games. At 5-4 we are no longer talking about this team being one of the best in the league, rather will they make the playoffs. The Falcons have lost three of their last four games, more importantly lost their beast of a running back Michael Turner to a high ankle sprain in Carolina last week. Both teams 5-4, not quite a must win game however there will definitely be a playoff-like, desperate atmosphere today. This one will come down to the wire, and if Turner was healthy I would definitely go with ATL. But I'm gonna go with my gut on this, Giants 28 Falcons 26.
- Buffalo at Jacksonville: Can the Jags build on last week's huge win at NY over the Jets? How will the Bills react to their head coach being fired this past week? Both teams are a disappointment this year. At the very least, the Jaguars have been trying to put things together over the last few weeks. Buffalo is a mess and I don't see things getting any better anytime soon. Jax by 10.
- Colts at Baltimore: We want to think this will be a close game. We want to believe the Colts will get their first loss of the year. Indy is still basking in the glory of their last second upset of New England (yes you read that correctly, last week's win over the Pats was definitely n upset because NE outplayed them for 98% of the game, don't get me started). The issue for the Ravens is their defense. Their offense has put up big numbers this year, however, their D is starting to show its age. They can't get off the field like they used to and more importantly they aren't coming up with the big turnovers to produce great field position or quick points. I see Indy winning by 13, unfortunately.
- Saints at Bucs: This one's over at halftime. Final score: 45-17.
- Cincy at Oakland: This one has letdown game written all over it. The Bengals are coming off their biggest win of the season, at Pitt. They are in the drivers seat for their division title and a possibe #2 seed in the playoffs. No way they lose to the Raiders right?? Well, the Raiders are changing quarterbacks and have upset teams that have come in unprepared this season (ask the Eagles). I do see Marvin Lewis showing tape of that game to his team to shock the hell outta them and make sure they don't take anything for granted. Bengals by 14.
- Cardinals at St. Louis: Looks like a blowout on paper, but everytime you think you have Arizona figured out they throw a curve ball. They are the most unpredictable team in the league. The most impressive stat about the Cards? They are 4-0 on the road. This game is on the road. The Rams only have Steven Jackson as far as offense is concerned and their D is a few years away. Arizona 35, Rams 21.
- SD at Denver: Wow, the Broncos 6-0 start seems forever ago, as does their rout over the Chargers a few weeks ago on MNF. Now both teams are 6-3 and this game will determine first place in the AFC West. Denver will likely be without starting QB Kyle Orton, forcing them to turn to Chris Simms. Advantage San Diego. The Chargers came out of the gate slow, as always, but now appear to be firing on all cylinders. I like SD to keep rolling and Denver to keep reeling. Chargers by 7.
- NY Jets vs. Patriots: The rivals collide once again Foxboro. For the Patriots, a chance to payback the team that held them without a TD in week 2. And for the Jets, an opportunity to turn the ship in the right direction. NY started off 3-0 and were the talk of the land as the new up and coming team. Not soooo fast my friend. They've lost 5 out of 6 games and are falling apart faster than USC's defense. So many storylines for this game. Last time the week before they played, multiple Jets players said to the media - "We don't want to just beat them, we want to embarrass them." Yep, sounds like a typical NY sports player. However, only problem was, they did just that. Holding the Pats to zero points in the 2nd half and blitzing Brady more than a female in Victoria's Secret on Black Friday. But that game was 9 weeks ago. Much has changed with both teams. The Jets have lost Kris Jenkins for the season. The Patriots have Wes Welker back and active for this game. Brady is starting to look like the Brady of old. After heartbreaking losses for each team last week, each wants to forget about last Sunday and get back on the winning track. I can't see the Jets keeping up with NE in this game. They won't be able to defense the Pats offense with a healthy Welker and Brady throwing with extreme accuracy. Mark Sanchez looks terrible these days and is showing everyone why rookies should spend their first season on the bench and not on the field leading the league in turnovers. Patriots win this one going away in the 2nd half, 38-17.
- Eagles at Chicago: Desperation is setting in for both teams. Cutler gave the game away last week in SF. All of sudden Chicago must be thinking life with Kyle Orton wasn't this bad, was it? The Eagles lost in San Diego and now are tied with the Giants in the standings. Philly will be without Brian Westbrook but I don't see that hurting them. Their rookie running back McCoy is something special. Combine that with the Eagles two young outstanding receivers and a banged up Bears D, I see Philadelphia coming thru with a huge win and leaving Chicago worrying about making the playoffs. Eagles by 13.
- Monday Night Football - Tenn at Houston: The Titans made Vince Young their starter, stopped their six game losing streak and now have won 3 in a row. Some of their players are talking playoffs although that seems a bit far fetched. The Texans at 5-4, desperately need a win to keep up with the very competitive bunch in the AFC. If Houston wants to go to the postseason this is a must win. QB Matt Schaub is quietly having a great year and Andre Johnson is a monster. Although the Titans are playing with a renewed sense of urgency I believe they come up a little bit short. Texans 35, Titans 31.
Parting thoughts: If the Patriots do not beat the Jets by at least 20 points I will be terribly disappointed. We can only pray that Brady and the offense put all the pieces together and score TDs at will, forcing the Jet's coach Rex Ryan into another postgame crying session. GO PATS!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
4th and two: You play to win the game!
Alright everyone, I know it's been a while since I've posted something and after the Patriots awful collapse this past Sunday I must address what we saw. First of all, let's talk about the first 57 minutes of the game: awesome! What a fantastic display from the league's top two teams! Arguably the two best-run franchises in the NFL, New England and Indy treated us to one of the better games we will see played this season. Might this be an AFC Champ game preview? perhaps. But let's get down to the controversial moment of the game. Here's the situation, the Colts have just scored with a little under three minutes remaining in the game. Patriots up by six. Brady leads the offense out on the field. First play a run, no gain. Second down a pass good for 8 yards. Third and 2: incomplete pass, nearly picked off might I add. Now it's 4th and 2, the ball is spotted on the Patriots 28yd line. The Colts defense starts to run off the field, fired up that they had stopped the all-powerful NE offense. But wait a minute, Tom Brady is discussing something with Bill Belichick on the sideline. No way the Pats are gonna go for it? Are they? Yes they did go for it, and Brady threw a pass to Kevin Faulk, however, because Faulk bobbled the ball as he caught he did not get forward progress and the ball was less than a yard short. Colts take the ball, Manning goes down the field, and with 13 seconds left throws a TD pass and the hated Colts get a 35-34 win, leaving every Patriots fan shaking their head in disbelief, wondering how a game that was in our hands managed to slip away in the final minutes.
Well, I will tell you how the game slipped away. And guess what? I AGREE with Bill Belichick's decision to go for it on 4th down. Every sportscaster everywhere on every tv, radio, newspaper, website, etc is ripping Bill for his unconventional decision. The Patriots were 7 inches away from the first down. If they get the first down, Brady takes a couple of knees and all everyone is talking about is how Indy is no longer undefeated. However, that is not the case, the Patriots lost the game and I see the offense as the main reason for the loss. In the 2nd half, Maroney fumbles the ball inside the 2 yard line on his way to score, that cost us 7 points. Also, late in the game with NE up 10pts, Peyton Manning threw an INT, the Patriots had the ball on the Indy 35yd line, primetime scoring position. Yet the Pats settled for a field goal to go up 13pts instead of scoring a touchdown, which would have put them up 17. The defense played very well thru the first three and a half quarters. They started to fade a bit at the end but you can't fault them too much, they are playing against Peyton Manning and the guy is playing at an amazing level.
Many people are trying to say Belichick didn't trust his defense against Manning. I disagree. If he didn't trust the defense he would have told them to let the Colts score immediately when they got the ball so that the offense could have the ball back. Bottom line: Belichick tried to give his team the best possible chance to win even if it meant going against the grain and upsetting people all around the sports world. It didn't upset me at all. I love that my team is willing to take a risk to win a big game. This time it didn't work out. I do believe that we might see these two teams meet again, but for much bigger stakes. One thing is for sure, the Patriots players will remember this game and learn from it. That's one thing New England does better than EVERY team in the National Football League - get over a loss! The last time the Patriots lost 2 games in a row was in 2006. Impressive 3 year run, wouldn't you agree?
Enter the New York Jets week 11. The game is in Foxboro, MA. The Jets won the first time in week 2, 16-9. The Patriots didn't look good, Brady was rusty, Welker was out, the Pats defense was without MLB Jerod Mayo, so many things were not going in the right direction for NE. Well things have changed just a little bit... The Patriots are 6-3, the Jets are 4-5. Two teams going in opposite directions. About the only thing in common the two teams have is that they both blew 4th quarter leads last Sunday and had their hearts broken. The Patriots have been waiting for this game. They didn't like going to New York and losing. They didn't like not scoring a single touchdown. They didn't like watching the Jets celebrate after the game. I have a feeling this game will turn out a little differently. I look for Brady to lead the offense to a multitude of points and the Pats D to feast on a out-of-sync NY offense run by inexperienced rookie Mark Sanchez. What amazes me is how Jets fan still like to talk about how "great" their team is and how "awful" the Patriots' loss to the Colts was. Remember NY, your team is 4-5. You have more losses than wins. Mark Sanchez is tied for the league lead in turnovers. That's not a category you want to lead. Your coach is a crying, winy baby that makes excuses after losses rather than take responsibility for them. This NY Jets team is one that I enjoy hating and really enjoy watching implode. Should be a fun finish to the season with the Patriots rising up and the Jets falling down flat on their face. I look for a blowout in New England on Sunday afternoon: Patriots 38 Jets 17.
P.S. - If you really want some good theater, check out the Giants this week, they host Atlanta and are looking to lose their 5th game in a row! Looks like a great weekend for New York fans!
Well, I will tell you how the game slipped away. And guess what? I AGREE with Bill Belichick's decision to go for it on 4th down. Every sportscaster everywhere on every tv, radio, newspaper, website, etc is ripping Bill for his unconventional decision. The Patriots were 7 inches away from the first down. If they get the first down, Brady takes a couple of knees and all everyone is talking about is how Indy is no longer undefeated. However, that is not the case, the Patriots lost the game and I see the offense as the main reason for the loss. In the 2nd half, Maroney fumbles the ball inside the 2 yard line on his way to score, that cost us 7 points. Also, late in the game with NE up 10pts, Peyton Manning threw an INT, the Patriots had the ball on the Indy 35yd line, primetime scoring position. Yet the Pats settled for a field goal to go up 13pts instead of scoring a touchdown, which would have put them up 17. The defense played very well thru the first three and a half quarters. They started to fade a bit at the end but you can't fault them too much, they are playing against Peyton Manning and the guy is playing at an amazing level.
Many people are trying to say Belichick didn't trust his defense against Manning. I disagree. If he didn't trust the defense he would have told them to let the Colts score immediately when they got the ball so that the offense could have the ball back. Bottom line: Belichick tried to give his team the best possible chance to win even if it meant going against the grain and upsetting people all around the sports world. It didn't upset me at all. I love that my team is willing to take a risk to win a big game. This time it didn't work out. I do believe that we might see these two teams meet again, but for much bigger stakes. One thing is for sure, the Patriots players will remember this game and learn from it. That's one thing New England does better than EVERY team in the National Football League - get over a loss! The last time the Patriots lost 2 games in a row was in 2006. Impressive 3 year run, wouldn't you agree?
Enter the New York Jets week 11. The game is in Foxboro, MA. The Jets won the first time in week 2, 16-9. The Patriots didn't look good, Brady was rusty, Welker was out, the Pats defense was without MLB Jerod Mayo, so many things were not going in the right direction for NE. Well things have changed just a little bit... The Patriots are 6-3, the Jets are 4-5. Two teams going in opposite directions. About the only thing in common the two teams have is that they both blew 4th quarter leads last Sunday and had their hearts broken. The Patriots have been waiting for this game. They didn't like going to New York and losing. They didn't like not scoring a single touchdown. They didn't like watching the Jets celebrate after the game. I have a feeling this game will turn out a little differently. I look for Brady to lead the offense to a multitude of points and the Pats D to feast on a out-of-sync NY offense run by inexperienced rookie Mark Sanchez. What amazes me is how Jets fan still like to talk about how "great" their team is and how "awful" the Patriots' loss to the Colts was. Remember NY, your team is 4-5. You have more losses than wins. Mark Sanchez is tied for the league lead in turnovers. That's not a category you want to lead. Your coach is a crying, winy baby that makes excuses after losses rather than take responsibility for them. This NY Jets team is one that I enjoy hating and really enjoy watching implode. Should be a fun finish to the season with the Patriots rising up and the Jets falling down flat on their face. I look for a blowout in New England on Sunday afternoon: Patriots 38 Jets 17.
P.S. - If you really want some good theater, check out the Giants this week, they host Atlanta and are looking to lose their 5th game in a row! Looks like a great weekend for New York fans!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
The Evil Empire Strikes Back!
We knew it was coming. Sooner or later it was bound to happen. It had been 9 glorious years since the last time we saw Yankee players celebrating in late October into November. The New York Yankees are 2009 World Series Champs. That sentence leaves such a bitter taste in my mouth. So many emotions come to mind. Anger, shock, frustration, rage, resentment, sadness. I could go on forever. Truth of the matter is, we shouldn't be suprised. George Steinbrenner has been trying to buy NY a championship for 9 years now and the result was inevitable. The addition of C.C. Sabathia and Mark Teixeira proved to be exactly what the Yanks needed to return to the top spot. What's worse news? I don't see the Yankees getting any worse next year. I would imagine Andy Pettite is done, but what a way to go. Think about this... Pettite was the winning pitcher for NY in all 3 series-clincher games. Pretty impressive. Mariano Rivera will be a year older, but I think anyone who watched the playoffs would agree he is still better than any other closer in the game. It's amazing that every single person knows exactly what he's going to throw, including the batter, yet there's absolutely nothing they can do about it. The Yanks offense will remain just as deadly with all the heavy hitters returning. Godzilla sure was a monster in the finale. Six RBI!?!?! Matsui drove in more runs than all the Phillies coan mbined! Great series between the Phils and Yanks. In the end, Yankees proved to be too strong on both sides of the ball which unfortunately leads to their 27th championship (Mike dry-heaving).
As you know I am a diehard, ridiculously loyal Red Sox fan. Watching the team I HATE more than any other in any sport celebrate as world champs is not a fun sight. In fact it's downright painful. The worst part is dealing with all the Yankee fans now. From family to friends to coworkers to strangers on facebook, everywhere and anywhere NY fans will be coming out of hibernation to rub it in my face that Boston's sworn enemy has achieved the ultimate prize. It's like watching your favorite character on your reality show of choice (Rock of Love Bus Tour anyone?) get eliminated, only to see the person you disliked from the moment you saw them win the whole damn thing. Annoying, aggravating, irritating, and just a pain in the... well you get the picture. I just want to reiterate I have such a passionate hatred for every team from New York it's kind of a problem I think. The only good thing is baseball is over. It's done. It's finished. Now we can focus on football. We can focus on Tom Brady and the New England Patriots march toward another berth in the Superbowl. We can dissect why the Jets are falling apart and how the Giants are slowly imploding. Ah, now we're talking, NY teams taking steps back. I don't know how or why but all I can offer is that I was wired this way. It's almost as if I had a traumatic experience as a child and the result is an intense, dedicated hatred towards this city. Except there's just one problem, nothing ever happened.
To finish this one off, I leave you with one final note about baseball: Congratulations to all Yankee fans everywhere. Your team finished #1. Enjoy it, relish in it because it won't last (I hope and pray). 2009 may have belonged to your beloved Yankees but in less than 2 months we will begin a new year and Red Sox Nation is ready for a fresh start in 2010. We will reload and be ready for you at Fenway Park to open the season in April. Remember, what goes up, must go down. My hatred for New York and the Yankees is at an all-time high. With that let's focus on football - I truly will enjoy watching the Giants and Jets choke the rest of the year!
As you know I am a diehard, ridiculously loyal Red Sox fan. Watching the team I HATE more than any other in any sport celebrate as world champs is not a fun sight. In fact it's downright painful. The worst part is dealing with all the Yankee fans now. From family to friends to coworkers to strangers on facebook, everywhere and anywhere NY fans will be coming out of hibernation to rub it in my face that Boston's sworn enemy has achieved the ultimate prize. It's like watching your favorite character on your reality show of choice (Rock of Love Bus Tour anyone?) get eliminated, only to see the person you disliked from the moment you saw them win the whole damn thing. Annoying, aggravating, irritating, and just a pain in the... well you get the picture. I just want to reiterate I have such a passionate hatred for every team from New York it's kind of a problem I think. The only good thing is baseball is over. It's done. It's finished. Now we can focus on football. We can focus on Tom Brady and the New England Patriots march toward another berth in the Superbowl. We can dissect why the Jets are falling apart and how the Giants are slowly imploding. Ah, now we're talking, NY teams taking steps back. I don't know how or why but all I can offer is that I was wired this way. It's almost as if I had a traumatic experience as a child and the result is an intense, dedicated hatred towards this city. Except there's just one problem, nothing ever happened.
To finish this one off, I leave you with one final note about baseball: Congratulations to all Yankee fans everywhere. Your team finished #1. Enjoy it, relish in it because it won't last (I hope and pray). 2009 may have belonged to your beloved Yankees but in less than 2 months we will begin a new year and Red Sox Nation is ready for a fresh start in 2010. We will reload and be ready for you at Fenway Park to open the season in April. Remember, what goes up, must go down. My hatred for New York and the Yankees is at an all-time high. With that let's focus on football - I truly will enjoy watching the Giants and Jets choke the rest of the year!
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