goooo pats (NFL playoffs)

[Bloodline666]

My predictions, and who I'm rooting for, are two separate things in certain games.

Indy/Baltimore - It is interesting to note that this is the first playoff game the Colts have played in the city of Baltimore since relocating to Indianapolis, so I think the fans in Baltimore may be split in this game (since there's the possibility of old-school Colts fans still living in Baltimore who are still loyal to their former NFL team). Indy shocked the world when they beat LJ and the Chiefs last week. Their run defense was ranked 32nd in the league this season (and there's only 32 flavors in the NFL, as I stated earlier), and they were able to stop the run, something they haven't been able to do all season; that was the part that shocked the world, not the mere fact that the Colts won. Stopping the run was their achilles heel on DEFENSE. Now, the Colts have to deal with their achilles heel on OFFENSE this week; the 3-4 defense. During the Regular Season, the Colts were the last undefeated team in the NFL. The first team to beat them this season was the Dallas Cowboys. Guess which type of defense the Cowboys use? The 3-4 defense. The Ravens have the same type of defense. And Joseph Addai will have to deal with Ray Lewis. (by the way, sometimes I keep calling the Ravens the Colts because of the fact that the Colts used to play in Baltimore).

My prediction: Ravens
I'm rooting for: Ravens

New England/San Diego - Tom Brady has been one hell of a quarterback throughout the course of his career. But I doubt he's gonna avoid getting sacked by the likes of "Lights Out" (who I think should never have made the Pro Bowl to begin with; good thing he got snubbed for Defensive Player of the Year). And I don't think New England's defense has what it takes to stop LT 2 (I call LaDainian Tomlinson "LT 2" so I don't get him mixed up with the original LT, Lawrence Taylor). My best guess as the best way for New England to stop LaDainian is to treat him like a scrambling QB, since he is a damn good passer, too.

My prediction: Chargers
I'm rooting for: Chargers (I'd like to see LaDainian vs. Ray Lewis in the AFC Championship Game, so I can see LaDainian try to prove himself against one of the best Linebackers in the league, and see if Ray Lewis and the Ravens D truly are as good as people say they are)

Seattle/Chicago - Personally, I think whoever wins this game will win on a fluke. Chicago's offense sucks, and Seattle's offense was only able to get past Dallas' defense because the Cowboys' secondary had been slacking off the last 5 games (some fellow Dallas fans I talked to said that happened because the D-line and linebackers have not been rushing the passer very much). Also, I think Seattle had help from the zebras on that fumble that was originally ruled a TD, but upon Parcells' challenge flag, was ruled a Safety. See, when Terry Glenn caught that ball, and then put it down on the ground, his knee went down, and I did not notice that until I saw NFL Total Access on NFL Network where the NFL Total Access crew interviewed the chief of NFL officiating. And if I'm not mistaken, the rule is, if a player has control of the ball, and any part of his body other than his hands or feet touches the ground, the player is down. Not to mention the controversial K-ball thing.

Anywho, Seattle/Dallas game aside, I think this game's all gonna come down to special teams and defense. Seattle's secondary was so shorthanded that they had to sign guys from the street to fill in those positions (one of which was attending school to become a border patrol agent in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area), so I doubt those guys are as well educated in the game of football as everyone else on the field (a weakness Dallas failed to exploit, which was another factor that cost them the Wild Card game). Now Rex Grossman is inconsistent, but he does have the defense and special teams (Devin Hester, anyone?) to pick up the slack.

The Seahawks also have 2 curses going against them; the Madden Curse (Shaun Alexander) and the Campbell's Chunky Soup curse (Matt Hasselbeck)

My prediction: Bears
I'm rooting for: Bears (I traditionally root AGAINST teams that eliminate my favorite team from the playoffs, teams that beat my favorite team in regular season games with playoff implications, and rivals of my favorite team; Seattle falls in the category of "teams that eliminated my favorite team from the playoffs", even though my ex-girlfriend, who I'm still friends with, is a Seahawks fan)

Philly/New Orleans - Well, this game looks like it's gonna come down to who performs the best offensively. Both Brees and Garcia have the weapons they need to win this one. And I think this one's gonna be decided by the running game; I think whoever gains the most yards on the ground between Brian Westbrook, and the twin-headed snake that is Deuce McAllister and Reggie "The President" Bush, is going to win this game for the team. This game is going down to the wire, I can tell you that right now.

My prediction: Eagles
I'm rooting for: Saints

[charliepanayi]

Got to say, so far Vinatieri has really been on fire against Baltimore, Indianapolis aren't doing a bad job at the moment *famous last words*

[Crushed Hope]

Got to say, so far Vinatieri has really been on fire against Baltimore, Indianapolis aren't doing a bad job at the moment *famous last words*

Indy and Baltimore both played like on offence.

[escobert]

That was a good game tonight. Good job Saints! See you next week

[Bloodline666]

Okay, this season, quarterback controversies have erupted in Dallas, Denver, Minnesota, and Washington, D.C., and quite possibly Chicago, New York (with the Giants, not the Jets), Cleveland, Carolina, and Kansas City.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I heard Steve Mariucci say on NFL GameDay that Jeff Garcia probably signed a 1-year contract when he signed with the Eagles. If that is not true, or if it is true and Garcia decides to re-sign with the Eagles, then the Eagles are GUARANTEED to start off next season with QUARTERBACK CONTROVERSY written all over it. Donovan McNabb makes WAY too much money to be a back-up, and if Andy Reid decides to employ the 1971 Tom Landry QB strategy that was used at the start of the Cowboys' 1971 season, it will only make the QB Controversy worse, as was the case with the Cowboys' Craig Morton/Roger Staubach controversy, and like Landry, who ended up naming Staubach the starting QB for the rest of that season, Reid will be forced to pick the starting QB between Garcia and McNabb. And rest assured, one of the two will get the starting job, while the other will end up on the trading block, because having McNabb as the back-up is a waste of money for the Eagles. And I'm pretty certain that the Philly fans, who, by the way, have a reputation of being among the absolute most outspoken (and historically most volatile) fans in the NFL, will be split on the controversy, as will the Philly locker room. Should this quarterback controversy erupt in Philly, I'm almost certain that there will be infighting in the locker room, as well as in the stands at Lincoln Financial Field, not to mention become a major distraction, a la the Terrell Owens circus from last season. That being said, the Eagles organization is better off answering the respective questions of McNabb's future and Garcia's future in Philly as early in the off-season as humanly possible.

[escobert]

and it's not like either of them is a young quarter back so who knows how much longer they really have until they either bog down or get hurt.

[Bloodline666]

Now as for Andy Reid...what I fail to understand is this; he went for it on 4th and 10, like, right after the 2-minute warning, or something like that, and converted, only for that to be negated by a False Start penalty that pushed them back 5 yards. Why the HELL did he not go for it on 4th and 15, when he just happens to be the EXACT SAME COACH who, only 3 years ago went for it on 4TH AND 26...DOWN BY A FIELD GOAL, ON HIS OWN 25 YARD LINE WITH 1:12 LEFT, and ZERO TIME-OUTS LEFT, FOR THAT MATTER, against the Cheeseheads and CONVERTED SUCCESSFULLY?! Reid had more time remaining, better field position, less yardage to go, 2 time-outs, and the same deficit with which to work with, and yet, he chose NOT to go for it, when he succeeded years earlier under worse conditions. It was after the 2-minute warning, so all the Saints had to do was waste Philly's remaining time-outs, convert for the 1st down, and take the knee every 35-40 seconds, regardless of their field position.

On the other hand, however, being a fan of a rival team, I am happy Philadelphia lost. I will be standing by the New Orleans Saints, who last season played 3 home games in my hometown due to Hurricane Katrina, for the next round, as well as Super Bowl XLI, should they win next week. It's weird that, for many, many seasons, Saints fans at the Superdome had been wearing paper grocery bags over their heads with the word "Aints" on it because they've come to accept their own favorite team losing, because that's all they were accustomed to, and now, the Saints have their FIRST first-round bye in franchise history, SECOND post-season win in franchise history, and are in the NFC Championship Game for the FIRST time in franchise history...on the doorstep to their FIRST Super Bowl in franchise history!

WHO DAT?! WHO DAT?! WHO DAT SAY DEY GONNA BEAT DEM SAINTS?!

EDIT: Just when you thought I would shut the hell up about the damn K-Ball controversy...I hate to break it to you, but we have ANOTHER ONE! This time, it's centered around a kicker who complained about the damn K-balls last week with regards to the Romo bobble. It's David Akers, and according to him, the extra point he kicked after the 2nd Eagles touchdown was much heavier than normal. We had a complaint about it because of what happened LAST WEEK! Now that's TWO consecutive weeks of K-Ball bull! My question is, if the competition committee does make any rule changes regarding the K-ball, who do you think is gonna get the naming rights: Tony Romo, or David Akers? (translation: do you think it'll be called the Tony Romo Rule, or the David Akers Rule?)

[escobert]

YES!!!!! Gould for a 49 yarder!!!! YESS! Grossman played good and the defense played well for most of the game but did appear to be tired towards the end. YES!!!!!!! !!!!!

[I Took the Red Pill]

Sexy Rexy actually played like a winner for once.

[Bloodline666]

Had it not been for an "illegal block in the back" penalty on the Bears during a punt return, that game would not have gone into Overtime; whoever committed that penalty caused Devin Hester a punt return for a touchdown to be nullified, but at least the Bears executed when it mattered most.

Next week, it looks like either the Colts/Pats rivalry will continue (with the latest development so far being Vinatieri defecting from the Pats to the Colts), or Peyton Manning will have to avoid Shawne Merriman's sacks, and the Indy run defense will have to step up their game even further than they have the last two games (I highly doubt they can stop LT).

And should the Pats advance, it'll be interesting to see if Vinatieri can beat his old team, given yesterday's Field Goal Bowl.

[El Bandito]

Why the HELL did he not go for it on 4th and 15, when he just happens to be the EXACT SAME COACH who, only 3 years ago went for it on 4TH AND 26...DOWN BY A FIELD GOAL, ON HIS OWN 25 YARD LINE WITH 1:12 LEFT, and ZERO TIME-OUTS LEFT, FOR THAT MATTER, against the Cheeseheads and CONVERTED SUCCESSFULLY?! Reid had more time remaining, better field position, less yardage to go, 2 time-outs, and the same deficit with which to work with, and yet, he chose NOT to go for it, when he succeeded years earlier under worse conditions. It was after the 2-minute warning, so all the Saints had to do was waste Philly's remaining time-outs, convert for the 1st down, and take the knee every 35-40 seconds, regardless of their field position.

Um, he was forced into that situation of going for it on 4th and 26. If you ask any recent Cheesehead, "4th and 26" is like a swear word to them. Is is so ludicrous to think that your defense (and the Eagles have a good D) can stop a team from getting a first down when you know they'll run it every time? If the defense had stopped them, then they would get the ball back with enough time to have a really good chance to get a field goal. Any coach with any confidence in his D would've punted.

Had it not been for an "illegal block in the back" penalty on the Bears during a punt return, that game would not have gone into Overtime; whoever committed that penalty caused Devin Hester a punt return for a touchdown to be nullified, but at least the Bears executed when it mattered most.

Without that block in the back, Hester would've been hit and tackled or at least slowed down by the first man coming at him. He's amazing, but that guy was coming straight at him and would've been there right before he caught it.

And dammit I almost threw my chair through my TV during the Pats - Chargers game. There were a ton of boneheaded plays by the Bolts that added up cost them the game. Oh well, I'm hoping for a Saints - Colts Superbowl.

[edczxcvbnm]

smurf THE GOD DAMN PATRIOTS! I hope they all die in a horrible plane crash on the way to where ever they are going. Assholes.

[ljkkjlcm9]

What can I say, the pats are a damn good team!

Well I got one wrong, Indy won, when I thought they'd lose... actually no I didn't, I just hoped they'd lose.

Next round,
New Orleans over Chicago
New England over Indy

the superbowl will be "The Battle of the New" haha

THE JACKEL

[Bloodline666]

smurf THE GOD DAMN PATRIOTS! I hope they all die in a horrible plane crash on the way to where ever they are going. Assholes.

Woah, hold your horses there, buddy! I want New England to lose this next game, too. They are getting dangerously close to breaking the record for most Super Bowl wins, AND most Super Bowl appearances, both of which are held by my favorite team (one of which is tied with two others). And frankly, I have the '72 Dolphins attitude about it! That's exactly why I rooted against the Steelers last year!

Anywho, I'm pulling for a Saints-Colts Super Bowl, and I'm hoping the Vince Lombardi Trophy goes straight to the hurricane-ravaged town!

And as for Shawne Merriman...well, I just found this out on SportsCenter. Right now, negotiations between NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL Player's Union is pending for the enactment of the Shawne Merriman Rule. Under this rule, any player who gets suspended for violating the league's substance abuse policy during the course of the season shall be declared ineligible for that season's Pro Bowl. In addition to that, there is also a possibility that random drug testing will be increased. This after Shawne Merriman was selected for the Pro Bowl, as well as being considered for Defensive Player of the Year, despite the fact that he was suspended for 4 games for testing positive for steroids, which incurred the wrath of many players around the league, including the eventual Defensive Player of the Year, Jason Taylor of the Miami Dolphins. I have another source right here, but it makes no mention of the post season awards stuff. My source for the post season awards stuff was SportsCenter.

The steroid Merriman tested positive for was nandrolone, a natually-occurring substance in the human body in very low amounts. He claimed that it was the result of an over-the-counter tainted nutritional suppliment he had been taking for a year and a half, but he failed to name it. The league has a list of approved nutritional suppliments. I do find a few things wrong with Merriman's claim, though. First, you won't be able to find tainted suppliments at legit places like GNC, because the store could get in big trouble for selling that stuff. Secondly, the fact that he failed to name the suppliment raises obvious questions. And third, if nandrolone is taken orally, it's immediately broken up by the digestive system. The only sure-fire way that nandrolone can enter the bloodstream by outside means is through the needle. I'm most certainly hoping Jason Taylor lobbies the Player's Union to approve the Shawne Merriman Rule in its entirety. I'm counting on him.

[Tavrobel]

WHO DAT?! WHO DAT?! WHO DAT SAY DEY GONNA BEAT DEM SAINTS?!

(translation: do you think it'll be called the Tony Romo Rule, or the David Akers Rule?)

You totally did not deserve to get that second touchdown. The Saints would've been out at the 1 Yard line, but it was possible we could have made the stop for 3, making the score 24/23 at end, or much, much different.

I say Romo. No government ever makes a law until someone else screws up.

Had it not been for an "illegal block in the back" penalty on the Bears during a punt return, that game would not have gone into Overtime; whoever committed that penalty caused Devin Hester a punt return for a touchdown to be nullified, but at least the Bears executed when it mattered most.

Based on the replay (and commentary, since I left the captions on, so I heard/read everything), they say it was number 24. It didn't seem intentional, but they called him out on it. Good thing the refs didn't say anything.