Well here we are. It seems like yesterday when most of us believed that the 49ers were a chic pick to make it to the playoffs, along with countless other underdog teams like the Lions, Cardinals and Texans. Most figured that the Saints were ready for the next step. Others gushed that Brett Favre was too old, the Patriots were stupid for bringing in a cancer like Randy Moss, and that Norv Turner couldn't succeed in the playoffs. And the Giants? Seriously?
Throw it all out the window. Because here we are. Giants/Packers. Chargers/Patriots. Every story line that was going to be, can now be discarded. We are down to the final four because these are the four teams that chose to play well at the right time. Here is a look into one man's preview of Championship Sunday
AFC: 3pm, Chargers @ Patriots:
- Just looking at the two words, Chargers and Patriots, it reeks of a mismatch. But lets hold on here. The Chargers are playing fierce, and it showed that they are one of the deepest teams in the league. When LT and Rivers went down, Turner and Volek came in to seal the deal for San Diego against the defending Super Bowl Champion Colts. And if there is one thing that scares Patriot fans, it's their shaky linebacker core which is a combined 224 years old. If LT can do damage, assuming he is he healthy enough, he can make the LB's pay. But on the other hand, lets be serious. The Patriots have stopped everything coming there way, at least enough so that the offense can jump back on the field and bail them out. I'm sorry, but I just do not trust Philip Rivers, even if he does play. He may not with a bum knee. But it might not matter anyway. He's incredibly overrated and there is no way that Bill Belichick under-prepares for this one. Welcome to the SB Pats.
New England, 35, San Diego 24
NFC: 630pm, Giants @ Packers:
- Cold is the word that comes to mind. Sunday will be six degrees with wind and possibly some snow (thank you weather.com). Can the G-Men deal with that? Can the Packers even deal with that? I picked the Giants to be here after they beat on Tampa (who I previously picked). However, I just don't believe they can keep up with the balance of the Packers. The Packers looked like toast after falling behind 14-0 early to the Seahawks. But their D settled in, and the offense got on track, most notably Ryan Grant, who ran for over 200 yards. It seems like a cinderella story waiting to happen with Brett Favre in the NFC Championship game after planning to retire. The Giants will beat you up with the defense they have, and they have shown that they are for real with making it this far. But Eli Manning still hasn't had to win a game himself. Granted they are 9-1 on the road this season. But they have not seen negative temperatures. I believe the Packers win this one because of the arm of Brett Favre. Should be a fun one.
Green Bay 28, NY Giants 23
Be back tomorrow with some steroids talk. And our first look at Erick Weinstein.
Showing posts with label chargers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chargers. Show all posts
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Divisional Games on Sunday, and a Little McNabb
Let's start today off with Sunday Playoff predictions.
Sun 1pm: San Diego @ Indianapolis:
- Last week, San Diego looked very beatable against a suspect Tennessee team. That wont work with tried and tested Colts team that is still the defending champs. San Diego's D put the clamps down on Vince Young, but I don't see it working as well on Peyton Manning, who has seen it all. Ladainian should have some more room to run in this one against a less effective front four, but i'm afraid it wont mean too much. I see Philip Rivers unraveling, especially if Antonio Gates is out. The Colts secondary is led by Bob Sanders, who just recently won the Defensive POY in the NFL. Look for a good matchup, but the champs coming out with a victory, and on their way to meet up with the New England. Doesn't everyone want to see that anyway?
Indianapolis 28, San Diego 20
Sun 430: NY Giants @ Dallas:
- Eli Manning finally got his Giants team over the hump after years of waiting. Well the time is now for the Giants, and this game is going to oh so close. However, I still think Tony Romo and the Cowboys are too much. Now, this depends very much on the availability of Terrell Owens, who is a game time decision with a bad ankle. I know I can only make one choice, but I believe it depends on whether or not T.O. plays. I don't think he plays and as of this writing it is not looking good. In the upset special of the playoffs, I think the Giants squeek this one out (especially if T.O. is out). Eli brings them to the brink of the Super Bowl. If T.O. plays, though, throw this out the window.
NY Giants 23, Dallas 21 (If T.O. doesn't play) Reverse this score if he does.
D-Mac Back?
I actually got my frist request for a blog (sort of, thanks Ivers). It was regarding Donovan McNabb. Now, by no means am I an expert on the situation, but I do believe he will be back, as of now. Barring a great trade offer, possibly from Chicago or Minnesota, Donovan will be back wearing the green. I say this because of a few factors.
One, is money. Donovan McNabb's cap number is just under $10 million for the 2008 season, making it incredibly hard to trade him. He is injury prone, so say the games played numbers, and the number of teams looking to take a chance on a $10 mil, 31 year old (32 in November), possibly injury prone QB, is slim.
Secondly, McNabb gets along great with Andy Reid. Any Philadelphia fan knows what coach Reid went through this season, and I can't help but think next year will be a little bit easier on both Reid and McNabb. Donovan will be healthy physically, and hopefully Reid can be healthy mentally going in to the '08 season. The roster does need some fine tuning to make it playoff-ready, and the Eagles have been one of the best in the business at making something out of nothing. Reid and McNabb will definitely want to prove their worth next season, and prove it together.
Lastly, how many 5-time Pro Bowl quarterbacks are out there? Why give an 8-8 team to a second year player who has limited NFL playing time (you, Kevin Kolb). It's not easy to find a QB that knows the West Coast Offense that Andy Reid has employed. McNabb knows it inside and out, and it will take a few full seasons for Kolb to fully understand the nuances of the way it works. It doesn't make sense to take two steps backward, rather than possibly two steps forward with a healthy McNabb, a better roster, and a fully focused Andy Reid.
The verdict: McNabb stays and should enjoy a better year. Look for a possible playoff run for the Eagles next year with Reid and McNabb together in the nest (not literally).
Sun 1pm: San Diego @ Indianapolis:
- Last week, San Diego looked very beatable against a suspect Tennessee team. That wont work with tried and tested Colts team that is still the defending champs. San Diego's D put the clamps down on Vince Young, but I don't see it working as well on Peyton Manning, who has seen it all. Ladainian should have some more room to run in this one against a less effective front four, but i'm afraid it wont mean too much. I see Philip Rivers unraveling, especially if Antonio Gates is out. The Colts secondary is led by Bob Sanders, who just recently won the Defensive POY in the NFL. Look for a good matchup, but the champs coming out with a victory, and on their way to meet up with the New England. Doesn't everyone want to see that anyway?
Indianapolis 28, San Diego 20
Sun 430: NY Giants @ Dallas:
- Eli Manning finally got his Giants team over the hump after years of waiting. Well the time is now for the Giants, and this game is going to oh so close. However, I still think Tony Romo and the Cowboys are too much. Now, this depends very much on the availability of Terrell Owens, who is a game time decision with a bad ankle. I know I can only make one choice, but I believe it depends on whether or not T.O. plays. I don't think he plays and as of this writing it is not looking good. In the upset special of the playoffs, I think the Giants squeek this one out (especially if T.O. is out). Eli brings them to the brink of the Super Bowl. If T.O. plays, though, throw this out the window.
NY Giants 23, Dallas 21 (If T.O. doesn't play) Reverse this score if he does.
D-Mac Back?
I actually got my frist request for a blog (sort of, thanks Ivers). It was regarding Donovan McNabb. Now, by no means am I an expert on the situation, but I do believe he will be back, as of now. Barring a great trade offer, possibly from Chicago or Minnesota, Donovan will be back wearing the green. I say this because of a few factors.
One, is money. Donovan McNabb's cap number is just under $10 million for the 2008 season, making it incredibly hard to trade him. He is injury prone, so say the games played numbers, and the number of teams looking to take a chance on a $10 mil, 31 year old (32 in November), possibly injury prone QB, is slim.
Secondly, McNabb gets along great with Andy Reid. Any Philadelphia fan knows what coach Reid went through this season, and I can't help but think next year will be a little bit easier on both Reid and McNabb. Donovan will be healthy physically, and hopefully Reid can be healthy mentally going in to the '08 season. The roster does need some fine tuning to make it playoff-ready, and the Eagles have been one of the best in the business at making something out of nothing. Reid and McNabb will definitely want to prove their worth next season, and prove it together.
Lastly, how many 5-time Pro Bowl quarterbacks are out there? Why give an 8-8 team to a second year player who has limited NFL playing time (you, Kevin Kolb). It's not easy to find a QB that knows the West Coast Offense that Andy Reid has employed. McNabb knows it inside and out, and it will take a few full seasons for Kolb to fully understand the nuances of the way it works. It doesn't make sense to take two steps backward, rather than possibly two steps forward with a healthy McNabb, a better roster, and a fully focused Andy Reid.
The verdict: McNabb stays and should enjoy a better year. Look for a possible playoff run for the Eagles next year with Reid and McNabb together in the nest (not literally).
Monday, January 7, 2008
NFL Sunday Games, Next Week, Too
Ny Giants 24, Tampa Bay 14:
What had yet to be seen for the Giants was finally fulfilled on Sunday. Eli Manning won a playoff game. Personally, I didn't think it would come this week, but the G-Men pulled out the victory over Tampa, and did it quite easily. Their defense controlled the final three quarters, making it impossible to move the ball for the Bucs. But more importantly, Eli made people forget about the missteps earlier in his career. Now comes the hardest test of all. The Dallas Cowboys. Good luck next week Eli, good luck.
San Diego 17, Tennessee 6:
This was the ugly game of the weekend; there usually has to be one. San Diego couldnt do much offensively until later in the game, and thank god their defense was on, or the city of San Diego's collective heads would have exploded. Tennessee looked anemic on offense, led by the highly overrated Vince Young. Their D did a great job of shutting down Ladainian Tomlinson, but they caved at the end and San Diego pulled it out. A good game defensively, but that means a rather sloppy game on the other side of the football. Phillip Rivers was the one to save them in this one. And he needed this for morale. Next comes a huge game against the defending champion Colts. A great game indeed.
As for next week, some great matchups are about to take place, and we can start with Saturday
Sat. 430 pm Seattle @ Green Bay:
-This means a trip back to Lambeau for Mike Holmgren, who led the Packers to their last Super Bowl victory. Seattle played a great game, showing up when they needed to against the Redskins. However, Green Bay has Brett Favre, who is aging gracefully. Favre should exploit the secondary all game against Seattle, in what is shaping up as a shootout for two teams who love to sling it. Matt Hasselbeck is a Favre disciple, having been his protoge for a few years in GB. They both throw the ball all over the place, and are the respective leaders of their franchises. Seattle struggles mightily to run the ball, so Green Bay will load up on the secondary trying not to get beaten deep. It should work for the most part, but this will indeed be a shootout. Favre wins, but not easily.
Green Bay 38, Seattle 31
Sat. 8pm Jacksonville @ New England:
- Obviously, this very well could be the matchup of the entire playoffs. The hottest team in the league in Jacksonville against a team that was hot all season in the Patriots. If there was ever a tough matchup for the Pats, this is the one. Boston should be bracing for a possible upset. We know what the Patriots bring to the table, they have been the story of the season. Brady, Moss, Welker, Belichick. We know what they are all about. However, Jacksonville is less than well known in the public eye, but boast two pro-bowl caliber running backs in Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew that will wreak havoc on the linebackers of New England. With that said, it still remains difficult to pick against a team that has not lost yet this season. I say a FG at the end wins it for NE. A close game, and a great one as well.
New England 34, Jacksonville 31
Be back tomorrow with more useless bullshit.
What had yet to be seen for the Giants was finally fulfilled on Sunday. Eli Manning won a playoff game. Personally, I didn't think it would come this week, but the G-Men pulled out the victory over Tampa, and did it quite easily. Their defense controlled the final three quarters, making it impossible to move the ball for the Bucs. But more importantly, Eli made people forget about the missteps earlier in his career. Now comes the hardest test of all. The Dallas Cowboys. Good luck next week Eli, good luck.
San Diego 17, Tennessee 6:
This was the ugly game of the weekend; there usually has to be one. San Diego couldnt do much offensively until later in the game, and thank god their defense was on, or the city of San Diego's collective heads would have exploded. Tennessee looked anemic on offense, led by the highly overrated Vince Young. Their D did a great job of shutting down Ladainian Tomlinson, but they caved at the end and San Diego pulled it out. A good game defensively, but that means a rather sloppy game on the other side of the football. Phillip Rivers was the one to save them in this one. And he needed this for morale. Next comes a huge game against the defending champion Colts. A great game indeed.
As for next week, some great matchups are about to take place, and we can start with Saturday
Sat. 430 pm Seattle @ Green Bay:
-This means a trip back to Lambeau for Mike Holmgren, who led the Packers to their last Super Bowl victory. Seattle played a great game, showing up when they needed to against the Redskins. However, Green Bay has Brett Favre, who is aging gracefully. Favre should exploit the secondary all game against Seattle, in what is shaping up as a shootout for two teams who love to sling it. Matt Hasselbeck is a Favre disciple, having been his protoge for a few years in GB. They both throw the ball all over the place, and are the respective leaders of their franchises. Seattle struggles mightily to run the ball, so Green Bay will load up on the secondary trying not to get beaten deep. It should work for the most part, but this will indeed be a shootout. Favre wins, but not easily.
Green Bay 38, Seattle 31
Sat. 8pm Jacksonville @ New England:
- Obviously, this very well could be the matchup of the entire playoffs. The hottest team in the league in Jacksonville against a team that was hot all season in the Patriots. If there was ever a tough matchup for the Pats, this is the one. Boston should be bracing for a possible upset. We know what the Patriots bring to the table, they have been the story of the season. Brady, Moss, Welker, Belichick. We know what they are all about. However, Jacksonville is less than well known in the public eye, but boast two pro-bowl caliber running backs in Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew that will wreak havoc on the linebackers of New England. With that said, it still remains difficult to pick against a team that has not lost yet this season. I say a FG at the end wins it for NE. A close game, and a great one as well.
New England 34, Jacksonville 31
Be back tomorrow with more useless bullshit.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
NFL Weekend Picks, part II
Here are the Sunday picks, if anyone is reading.
Sunday 1pm: NY Giants @ Tampa Bay
- The Giants are the Giant enigma. One week they are keeping pace with the undefeated Patriots, and the next it's a blowout loss to the Vikings. It all falls on the slight shoulders of Peyton's bro, something that he has not handled with care. This is another example of it. Against a great Cover 2 D, the Giants, I believe, will suffer. On the offense for Tampa, Jeff Garcia makes no mistakes and can run with the ball if he feels he is about to. His instincts are beautiful, and he should show them against a powerful front four of NY. Look for a deep bomb at some point to Joey Galloway, but Garcia will also be using his feet against a depleted LB core of the G-men. Tampa wins this one, but hopefully Eli can show some playoff spirit.
Tampa Bay 27, NY Giants 21
Sunday 430pm Tennessee @ San Diego
- This one might be a laugher. Even though the Titans have a stoudt front four, the Chargers have LT. And that's really all that needs to be said. If Phil Rivers can minimize the mistakes by looking at short routes for Gates and the like, the Chargers should blowout. The Titans don't have a stellar offense, especially, or maybe not especially, since Kerry Collins is the man now, without VY. Look out below, thats the Chargers stomping the Titans.
San Deigo 37, Tennesee 17
Hope i'm right. Have a good NFL weekend.
Sunday 1pm: NY Giants @ Tampa Bay
- The Giants are the Giant enigma. One week they are keeping pace with the undefeated Patriots, and the next it's a blowout loss to the Vikings. It all falls on the slight shoulders of Peyton's bro, something that he has not handled with care. This is another example of it. Against a great Cover 2 D, the Giants, I believe, will suffer. On the offense for Tampa, Jeff Garcia makes no mistakes and can run with the ball if he feels he is about to. His instincts are beautiful, and he should show them against a powerful front four of NY. Look for a deep bomb at some point to Joey Galloway, but Garcia will also be using his feet against a depleted LB core of the G-men. Tampa wins this one, but hopefully Eli can show some playoff spirit.
Tampa Bay 27, NY Giants 21
Sunday 430pm Tennessee @ San Diego
- This one might be a laugher. Even though the Titans have a stoudt front four, the Chargers have LT. And that's really all that needs to be said. If Phil Rivers can minimize the mistakes by looking at short routes for Gates and the like, the Chargers should blowout. The Titans don't have a stellar offense, especially, or maybe not especially, since Kerry Collins is the man now, without VY. Look out below, thats the Chargers stomping the Titans.
San Deigo 37, Tennesee 17
Hope i'm right. Have a good NFL weekend.
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