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| | | | NFL fans saw no real surprises last weekend, even though a pair of teams lost at home.
We here at the Vinyl Dorm thought the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would at least put up a better fight then they did against the New York Giants.
Unlike the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers, we supposed Jeff Garcia must have gone through an electric shock and thought he was playing for the Detroit Lions, a team he never brought to the playoffs and failed in regular season games.
Despite the fact the Bucs may have been playing in the worst division in the NFL, he wasn't leading the Lions, and the NFC South was still as bad as we noticed all season long, obviously hurting Tampa Bay.
Seattle vs Green Bay
Not too much to say about this game, that Matt Hasselbeck didn't say already a few years ago.
In case you forgot, the Seahawks starting quarterback declared his team wanted the ball in overtime because his team would score.
This is a tough one to pick, or maybe not. Green Bay has been on a roll the entire year, but their lack of playoff experience might hurt them. Let's not forget, Brett Favre has been at the helm for the Packers for the past 17 years and definitely knows what it takes to win a playoff game at Lambeau.
As much as we dislike Favre and the Packers, we must admit we're pulling for Favre and company to pull this one out. Mainly because we hate Mike Holmgren even more.
Green Bay 27, Seattle 20
Jacksonville vs New England
As much as we'd like to see the Jags represent the AFC South with a win in Foxboro over the undefeated Patriots, they really didn't impress us very much in the second half of the Pittsburgh game.
Quite frankly (sorry Stephen A. Smith) we don't honestly believe anymore can pull of an upset over the Patriots, at least until the Super Bowl.
With that being said, if the Jags can somehow manage to limit turnovers against the impeccable Patriots defense, then we believe they may have a slim chance to win the game.
If the weather becomes a factor, which all reports says will not be the case, the Jags will no doubt have a better chance to win.
The Jags are aided by the 1-2 punch of Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor. The Jags pass defense isn't as good as we think it is, so we expect the golden boy Tom Brady and the one and only Randy Moss to take advantage of these misfortunes.
New England 38, Jacksonville 23
San Diego vs Indianapolis
Let's not forget the Chargers have already defeated the Colts this season, even if future Hall Of Famer Adam Vinatieri choked on a two field goal attempts late in the second half.
Not to mention the Chargers have also beaten the Colts the last two times they've played one another. A few seasons ago, the Chargers halted Indy's 13-0 start. The next season, Peyton Manning won his first Super Bowl and the Chargers were ousted by New England in the playoffs.
Also, the Colts most recent loss to the Chargers was due in large part to Manning's trying to win the game all by himself coupled with backup receivers dropping wide-open passes. Those mistakes won't happen again, and we'd expect a 1-2 INT game at most from Manning.
Even with Manning mistakes, it still will not be enough to lose the game. The returns of Mathis and especially Harrison will be huge for Indy.
For the Chargers to win, they will definitely need to play better than they showed last week against the Titans or the game will be over by halftime.
Indianapolis 30 San Diego 16
Giants vs Dallas
Obviously, it still remains very difficult to for one NFL team to beat another three times in a single season, no matter how many times they play.
ESPN would like to believe that the Pittsburgh Steelers would never lose to the Jacksonville Jaguars twice at home. The network is soon to forget that it's extremely difficult for a team to play another twice on the road, unless both are in the same division and make the playoffs.
Well . . . the ESPN experts were wrong, and we believe they will be wrong again.
Without Terrell Owens, the Dallas Cowboys will no doubt be in a really tough position. Plus, if the Giants keep playing like they have been in the last two weeks, we're pretty sure they may be able to squeak out one more road win.
They are currently 8-1 on the road this season, including the playoffs. Forget what you've seen from them throughout most of the season, the Giants appear to be a completely different team.
It's really too bad, we strongly believe Eli Manning and the New York Giants will never win a Super Bowl together, but at the very least they should beat the Cowboys this weekend.
Giants 30 Cowboys 27
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| | | | Are you ready for some FOOTBALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!
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| | | | Whoa , What a good game between Jags and Pats!!
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| | | | It was a very good game
another one bites the dust
17-0
I'm hoping for a chargers win today
Go Pats |
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| | | | San Diego Super Chargers!!!!!!!!
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| | | | Now i'll be looking at a dallas win
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| | | | Well 3 out of 4 again! Now for the lurkers who like to wait until the end to make predictions, here is your chance.
San Diego Chargers @ New England = San Diego Chargers(Is this their year?)
NY Giants @ Green Bay Packers = NY Giants
I think I am going to be 0-2 next week but so what.
lol
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| | | | Satire: How to Fix the NFL Playoffs
Written by Abel Keogh
Published January 17, 2008
Those cries of despair you heard after last Sunday’s NFL Divisional Playoff games weren’t from distraught Dallas Cowboys and Indianapolis Colts fans mourning the upsets of their highly touted teams. Rather, it was from professional football fans around the world that now have to settle for a low quality AFC and NFC championship matchups.
Instead of watching Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts defend their Super Bowl title against the undefeated New England Patriots, we’ll be forced to watch a bunch of nobodies try to stop Tom Brady.
Zzzzzzz.
And we won’t be wondering if Jessica Simpson will curse Tony Romo into playing poorly against the Green Bay Packers. Instead the other, unheralded Manning (What’s his name? Oh yeah, Eli.) slide around on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field.
Boring.
The NFL owes it to its fans to deliver high quality postseason matchups – one with overhyped stories and intriguing rematches that professional football fans live for. To avoid even the possibility of letting down their fans next year, the NFL needs a system where only the best teams are selected to play in the AFC and NFC Championship Games. You know, one where sports writers, coaches, and computers decide what teams are truly worthy to advance to the Super Bowl.
And no one knows better how to pick champions than college football.
Since 1998 college football has used the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) to pick teams to play for the national title with wild success. If the BCS has taught us anything, it’s that many schools simply don’t deserve a shot at upsetting, more highly respected football programs. This year Hawaii got a shot at BCS glory and they were pounded by Georgia 41-10.
Face it: The AFC West was this year’s equivalent of college football’s Western Athletic Conference. Even letting the Chargers play the Colts was an insult to the defending Super Bowl champions. Instead of holding Wild Card and Divisional playoff games, the NFL should have simply let the sports writers take a poll and runs some stats through a computer program or two to determine the best teams.
The results would have undoubtedly put the Colts against the Patriots and the Packers against the Cowboys. These matchups are what every real NFL fan wanted to see this Sunday and the Chargers and Giants would be where they really belong — at home watching the game on TV instead of being anywhere in the vicinity of a football field. Instead, football fans have to settle for games without the hype and interest that computers and sports writers could have given us.
A BCS-type system for the NFL's postseason would have other advantages too. Pitting the two best teams in each conference would guarantee a quality Super Bowl. The way the system is set up right now we could be watching the Giants play the Chargers on February 3.
Please. Not even a glitzy ad with a naked supermodel could get me to watch that game.
And with no Wild Card or Divisional Playoff games to watch we’ll get weeks of incredible, important hype in the papers, television, and online about intriguing quarterback matchups, which athlete is dating which supermodel, and the latest allegations against Randy Moss. The NFL owes its fans high-quality postseason matchups.
Going to a BCS-like system and eliminating the Wild Card and Divisional Playoffs is the only way to ensure exciting, memorable postseason games every year.
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| | | | | Please explain to me what would possess you to pick the chargers |
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| | | | AFC, NFC title game picks
Weather could make huge difference in both contests
Posted: Thursday January 17, 2008 11:36AM; Updated: Thursday January 17, 2008 1:05PM
Giants at Packers
Michael Strahan and the Giants' defensive line could be the key to Sunday's game at Lambeau Field.
Rich Kane/Icon SMI
One of the toughest games to pick in a long time. A long, long time. I'm torn.
First, forget the weather. Just tell me about the field conditions. When I talked with the Seahawks last Friday, they were very confident they'd get to Brett Favre. And we all know what happened in snowy Green Bay last Saturday -- no sacks, two quarterback pressures from a Seattle front four on a team that finished second in the league in sacks.
The Giants are first in sacks.
Will we see the real Michael Strahan going around the edge on right tackle Mark Tauscher, and the legit Osi Umenyiora winning a few battles with speed against Chad Clifton on the left side? Or will the field conditions negate all of that?
It's supposed to be around minus-5 wind chill, and breezy, with flurries. Last week, snow was not in the forecast, and the game ended up being played in a nor'easter. That's why I put so much emphasis on the condition of the field.
"Pass-rushers need torque,'' Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said last week. So I'm playing this one down the middle, with a nod to Favre's big-game ability, especially against a New York secondary that could be without two starting-quality corners if Aaron Ross can't make it through the game.
Green Bay 20, New York Giants 17
Chargers at Patriots
Wrong place, wrong time for the Chargers. It's going to be about 18 degrees at kickoff, 40 degrees colder than what they practice in before they fly east. No Antonio Gates, unless he visits Lourdes on Saturday. PhilipRivers will try to play without practicing all week. LaDainian Tomlinson will play, but how healthy and effective will he be? That's not a recipe for success against New England's changeup defenses.
The Patriots are 13-0 at Gillette since mid-2006. I'd argue Tom Brady has never been better in a two-game stretch in his walk-in Hall of Fame career (last two games: 58-70, .829, 618 yards, five touchdowns, no picks, two sacks).
But football is such a great game because who could see the Jags winning twice at Heinz Field in a month and the Chargers defeating the Colts with Tomlinson and Rivers on the sideline? So I would never say San Diego doesn't have a chance -- especially after giving up 12 points a game over the last eight games. They'll send the house at Brady and hope to force some turnovers. But we've read that script throughout this season, and it always ends the same way.
New England 30, San Diego 13
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