And the Super Bowl will be....
Baltimore and Philly
Now I know some of you are jumping up and down and screaming at the screen right now.
Let me explain why.
First, to go deep in the playoffs you usually need 3 things:
1. Good Defense
2. Strong running game
3. Good QB play
AFC
Baltimore. Baltimore has the best defense in the AFC, and with the Bears recent bad outings maybe the best in all of football. With Jamal Lewis and Mike Anderson they can pound the ball and Steve McNair is not going to make dumb mistakes to lose the game. He's been around a while and been to the Super Bowl before. He makes big plays when needed to.
San Diego. Great regular season. Issue #1 is their coach. Name the last big game that Marty Schottenheimer won. You can't. Cause he hasn't. Issue #2. Inexperienced QB. Philip Rivers is in his 3rd year in the league, but his 1st as a starter. His last 2 games, against Seattle and Kansas City have been poor performances. 18 for 53 for 278 yards, 2 TD and 2 INT. A whopping 34% completion percentage. The Chargers only hope is to ride LT into the promised land. If they get behind or teams slow down LT, don't count on Rivers to win the game for you...yet.
Patriots. Yeah they still have Brady and Belichick but what else? Their receiving corps that won the Super Bowl 2 years ago? Deion Branch gone, David Givens gone, David Patten gone. Replaced by guys that have been average receivers their entire career or young players nobody has ever heard of. Their defense is not getting any younger either. Junior Seau is out with a broken arm and Bruschi, Rodney Harrison and Mike Vrabel are not turning the clock back anytime soon.
Colts. Please. Unless they win each game 50-40 they aren't going anywhere. How ironic that Tony Dungy, who in Tampa had a great defense on a team that couldn't score, now has a great offense on a team that can't stop anybody. Any team with a running game beats them. The Broncos in Round 1 would be a terrible matchup for them with Mike and Tatum Bell. When will Bill Polian or Dungy be fired for building this team this way? They are wasting the best offensive team in 20 years with a defense that would let my grandma run for 150 yards and 2 scores.
Wild cards- Probably the Broncos and Jets but they are not going anywhere. Broncos have a rookie QB and the Jets just don't have enough on offense.
NFC
Philly. Jeff Garcia is playing very smart and they offensive play calling has been changed from McNabb to fit what he can do. As long as Brian Westbrook is healthy and gets his touches they will score points. Question is their defense, which has played better the past month. In their first game without McNabb, at Indy, they were terrible. Jim Johnson figured out what it took to get that side of the ball going.
Bears. Well in the first half of the season they were being crowned as the best defense in history. The last 3-4 games they have looked very average. Injuries to Mike Brown, Tommie Harris, and Nathan Vasher, and the criminal behavior of Tank Johnson have hurt that side of the ball. Then there is Rex Grossman. No faith in him. Bears probably win in their 1st playoff game but lose in the championship game.
Saints. Great story. Fun to watch and score a lot of points. Defense is suspect. They followed the Dallas beat down by losing at home to the Redskins. THE REDSKINS.
Seahawks. Defense is terrible. How do you let a guy behind you to catch the winning TD with less then a minute to go in the game? Alexander, Hasselbeck, Ingram, Jackson and Stevens all have been hurt this season on the offensive side of the ball. They won't win on the road.
Cowgirls. Is the "Tuna" really that great of a coach? I would argue that the Cowboys have more talent on their roster then any other team in the NFC. Yet Parcells has yet to win a playoff game in Dallas. Stat of the year: Dallas only has 1 win against a team over a .500 record. 21-14 over Indy. Their defense is their downfall.
Rams, Giants, Falcons, Panthers, Packers- Who cares which of these 5 get in they aren't going anywhere. Can we swap the Bengals or Jaguars in the NFC playoffs to make it interesting?
Now I know some of you are jumping up and down and screaming at the screen right now.
Let me explain why.
First, to go deep in the playoffs you usually need 3 things:
1. Good Defense
2. Strong running game
3. Good QB play
AFC
Baltimore. Baltimore has the best defense in the AFC, and with the Bears recent bad outings maybe the best in all of football. With Jamal Lewis and Mike Anderson they can pound the ball and Steve McNair is not going to make dumb mistakes to lose the game. He's been around a while and been to the Super Bowl before. He makes big plays when needed to.
San Diego. Great regular season. Issue #1 is their coach. Name the last big game that Marty Schottenheimer won. You can't. Cause he hasn't. Issue #2. Inexperienced QB. Philip Rivers is in his 3rd year in the league, but his 1st as a starter. His last 2 games, against Seattle and Kansas City have been poor performances. 18 for 53 for 278 yards, 2 TD and 2 INT. A whopping 34% completion percentage. The Chargers only hope is to ride LT into the promised land. If they get behind or teams slow down LT, don't count on Rivers to win the game for you...yet.
Patriots. Yeah they still have Brady and Belichick but what else? Their receiving corps that won the Super Bowl 2 years ago? Deion Branch gone, David Givens gone, David Patten gone. Replaced by guys that have been average receivers their entire career or young players nobody has ever heard of. Their defense is not getting any younger either. Junior Seau is out with a broken arm and Bruschi, Rodney Harrison and Mike Vrabel are not turning the clock back anytime soon.
Colts. Please. Unless they win each game 50-40 they aren't going anywhere. How ironic that Tony Dungy, who in Tampa had a great defense on a team that couldn't score, now has a great offense on a team that can't stop anybody. Any team with a running game beats them. The Broncos in Round 1 would be a terrible matchup for them with Mike and Tatum Bell. When will Bill Polian or Dungy be fired for building this team this way? They are wasting the best offensive team in 20 years with a defense that would let my grandma run for 150 yards and 2 scores.
Wild cards- Probably the Broncos and Jets but they are not going anywhere. Broncos have a rookie QB and the Jets just don't have enough on offense.
NFC
Philly. Jeff Garcia is playing very smart and they offensive play calling has been changed from McNabb to fit what he can do. As long as Brian Westbrook is healthy and gets his touches they will score points. Question is their defense, which has played better the past month. In their first game without McNabb, at Indy, they were terrible. Jim Johnson figured out what it took to get that side of the ball going.
Bears. Well in the first half of the season they were being crowned as the best defense in history. The last 3-4 games they have looked very average. Injuries to Mike Brown, Tommie Harris, and Nathan Vasher, and the criminal behavior of Tank Johnson have hurt that side of the ball. Then there is Rex Grossman. No faith in him. Bears probably win in their 1st playoff game but lose in the championship game.
Saints. Great story. Fun to watch and score a lot of points. Defense is suspect. They followed the Dallas beat down by losing at home to the Redskins. THE REDSKINS.
Seahawks. Defense is terrible. How do you let a guy behind you to catch the winning TD with less then a minute to go in the game? Alexander, Hasselbeck, Ingram, Jackson and Stevens all have been hurt this season on the offensive side of the ball. They won't win on the road.
Cowgirls. Is the "Tuna" really that great of a coach? I would argue that the Cowboys have more talent on their roster then any other team in the NFC. Yet Parcells has yet to win a playoff game in Dallas. Stat of the year: Dallas only has 1 win against a team over a .500 record. 21-14 over Indy. Their defense is their downfall.
Rams, Giants, Falcons, Panthers, Packers- Who cares which of these 5 get in they aren't going anywhere. Can we swap the Bengals or Jaguars in the NFC playoffs to make it interesting?
posted by Jamie at 8:52 AM
2 Comments:
the big Tuna should continue has string of years not winning a play-off game. I think that record is pushing 15 years.
So, how's that Superbowl pick matchup of yours working out? And your total dismissal of the Colts?
Since you were so terribly off the mark with your ridiculous observations and predictions, AND you have to approve all comments, I seriously doubt I will see this post appear.
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