Smash Mouth

Its that time again folks. The playoffs resume tomorrow and continue on Sunday with some great old school, smash mouth match ups. If you like defense and you like running game this is the weekend for you. Lets take a look at the matchups.


Saturday

Ravens vs Titans

Cardinals vs Panthers.


Sunday

Eagles vs Giants

Chargers vs Steelers

My Picks

Saturday

Ravens: Their defense is on a whole other level right now. I think they will bottle up the running game and force Kerry Collins into making bad decisions. Offensively the Ravens have come a long way also. Heap has a big game.

Panthers: The Cardinals showed life last week but with Anquan Boldin iffy and them facing a very physical and athletic Panthers Defense I have to give the edge to the Panthers. I would look for Steve Smith to have a big day. X

Sunday

Giants: Too much Brandon Jacobs this week. He is going to set the tone for the day and I think he will have the Eagles on their heels on defense. Also playing outdoors in the Meadowlands will not be conducive to McNabb throwing the ball all over the stadium.

Chargers: Because the Steelers have gone away from their running game I believe the elements will work in the Charger's favor. I also think that having to face a blitzing 3-4 defense every day in practice will help the Chargers handle the Steeler blitzes. Other than when they have Palomalu on him I don't think anyone else on the Steelers' team stands a chance of hanging with Antonio Gates.

Although nobody probably cares who I pick after my piss poor showing last week, I will once again be releasing them around midnight tonight.

Update I: Well I am starting out with a win so I feel a little better. The Ravens' D was definitely the key to that win. The turnovers they forced took points off the board for the Titans. And Chris Johnson getting hurt also was a gift from God for them. He was gashing them all over the place in the first half. Flacco showed up and Heap made a HUGE play on the game winning drive. The Titans D was balling too though and you couldn't have asked for a better game to watch.

Update II: I am writing this update early because this game is already over. Jake Dellhome just pissed away any chance the Panthers had of winning the game. To say he was an EPIC FAIL tonight would be an insult to EPIC FAIL. Don't get me wrong, the defense didn't exactly set the world on fire either but the interceptions Delhomme threw weren't even close. Double coverage every single time. It makes no sense in the world that he would just keep forcing the ball in those situations nor that the Panthers coaches never sat his ass down. So the Cardinals will be one game from the Superbowl. How do you love that lol?

Update III: Yes I still fucking suck. Talk about an EPIC FAIL on both sides of the ball for the Giants. Throwing into the wind leads to an int. Running twice on 4th down once with the season on the line and not getting it, blitzing from the edge and not getting there. Not playing zone even though the Eagles passed the ball twice as many times as running it. I don't know who but somebody did a piss poor job of game planning and if I was Coughlin I might consider giving Spagnulo the boot BEFORE he gets another job. To repeat again, I fucking suck at picking winning teams. Meh

Update IV: I don't know what the hell that was that the Chargers just did. Even the Panthers last night aside from Delhomme at least LOOKED like they gave a shit. Kudos to the Steelers. They got back to what they do best which is running the ball and Rothlesberger was HUGE on third down. But really the Chargers just laid down all over the field. I couldn't even begin to point out one guy because there were so many cats that were sleepwalking. But I will point out that #11's effort on the Santonio punt return for a TD was cowardly. I have seen kids in pop warner try harder to make a tackle than his bullshit drop and roll routine. Anyway I am just about ready to hang it up when it comes to making predictions. I am hereby firing myself. Have a good one and see you again next week.

Time To Strap It Up

With the playoffs starting tomorrow its time to make my picks for the weekend. First lets look at the match-ups.

Saturday

Falcons vs Cardinals

Colts vs Chargers


Sunday

Ravens vs Dolphins

Eagles vs Vikings



I will be posting my picks around midnight. Don't forget to go to the New York Times sight and log your picks for the playoffs.

Update: My picks are as follows

Cardinals: Too much offensive fire power and they are way over due

Colts: Hottest team and QB in the NFL and they won't cool off tomorrow X

Dolphins: I think home field advantage will be huge in success starved South Florida and Flacco finally looks like a rookie X

Vikings: Andy Reid reverts to his pass happy true self and the Vikings D Line gets after McNabb but good. X

Update II: One down. Anquan Boldin going down stopped the Cardinals from blowing Atlanta out in my opinion but a win is a win and their defense showed up big time. And of course with two ints Ryan came back down to earth.They don't call them rookies for nothing.

Updates III: All I can say is WOW about the Colts/Chargers game. The refs were way to big of a factor in overtime. I doubt if anybody in that crew will ever work a playoff game again in life. Holding on a Defensive Lineman? Like I said, WOW.

Having said that, the Colts gave them that chance by allowing the Chargers to move the ball at will at the end of regulation and getting the field goal to tie it up. Gotta give big ups to the punter for the Chargers as well. Ole boy made sure they won the field position game and set the Charger up Defensively to hold Peyton down. I still say Peyton should have gone hurry up a lot more than he did. The one time he tried it he caught them and got a long TD pass. The longer he waited the more the Chargers were able to move around and confuse his linemen.

Oh well, tomorrow is another day! In the meantime congratulations go out to the Chargers and all of their fans.


Update IV: Hot Damn that was an awesome display of defense by the Ravens. I swear I damn near got wood more than once! I will happily concede defeat on this prediction because that performance was more than worth the price of admission. And it wasn't because the Dolphins folded. Hell I don't think any offense could have moved the ball against the Ravens team that played today. And next week is going to get ignant when they face the Titans. I spoke a week or two ago about hoping that match up happened because I still have visions of that game some years back when Ray Lewis blasted Eddie George, took the ball from him and took it to the house. Eddie George was never the same after that IMHO. Lendale White better eat his Wheaties!!!

Final Update: I don't know who got their ass kicked worse this weekend, the Dolphins or me with my picks. I really have no excuse for it so I won't go there. It still was a very exciting week of football and there are going to be some hellafied matchups next week. As I mentioned before, the Titans/Ravens game would be enough to fill a weekend but ad to that the Chargers/Steelers which is shure to be smash mouth also, Giants/Eagles ditto, and the Panthers/Cardinals with their contrast in styles. Good times Good times.

Don't Talk About It, Be About It

Its NFL Playoff time baby and I think its time for many of us to put our knowledge to the test. I found this NFL playoff challenge in the New York Times and I invite everyone to submit your picks and then in the end we can tally up all the points and decide who is the REAL NFL guru. If you scared say you scared!


This is the best in game football song in the history of the NFL

Let's Get Ready To Rumble!!!

The big day is here. By the end of the night we will know who is in and who is out of the NFL playoffs. A reminder of the big games today.

Update: Gruden should be fired IMMEDIATELY! And pour out a little something for the winless Lions.

Update II: That fucking does it. Wade Phillips and ever single assistant coach including and maybe most of all Jason Garrett needs to be handed their damn pink slip. That performance was totally unacceptable and utterly ridiculous. Not only that its time to jettison all of the self centered assholes on the team. TO of course, Tank Williams, and Pacman don't let the door hit you in the ass. Its time to bring in guys who actually WANT to win as a team. Guys who are more concerned with Ws than stats. In the 90s the Cowboys were talented but they were also a family on Sundays. They didn't have to love each other to come together for the common good. This group of prima donas are all about self. Its time for major changes with the Cowboys and Jerry Jones needs to step up to the plate! It should totally humble his egotistical ass to see Sparano and Parcells going to the playoffs while he has to stay at home checking on his billion dollar stadium. I am so disgusted after seeing that game that I can hardly see straight.

Update III: Chargers put the wood to the Broncos to set up a very interesting matchup with the Colts next week.

Big Game Season Finales


Patriots vs Bills

Giants vs Vikings

Panthers vs Saints

Raiders vs Bucs

Titans vs Colts

Jaguars vs Ravens

Jets vs Dolphins

Cowboys vs Eagles

Broncos vs Chargers


My Big Game Picks

Patriots: Lamont Jordan and Sammy Morris have big days running the ball.

Vikings: Tavaris Jackson throws for more than 300 yds.

Panthers: The Panthers D is going to smother Brees who will step off the bus throwing.

Bucs: The Bucs D shows up after a couple of weeks of shame. X

Colts: Colts win convincingly and many will question Titans frontrunner status

Ravens: Deee Feeeence

Dolphins: Its karma baby.

Cowboys: Ware falls a sack short of the record but Romo shows up big time. X

Chargers: In a game dominated by trash talk from the QBs LT steals the show.


Also Rans

Falcons, Chiefs X, Bears X, Steelers, Lions X, Seahawks X, 49ers

Win And Get In

There is a lot of drama surrounding the games to be played this last weekend of the NFL regular season. Will Chad Pennington find redemption by beating the and getting the Dolphins into the playoffs by knocking off his successor Brett Favre and the New York Jets? Will my Cowboys live up to their preseason hype and defeat the Eagles to get in the playoffs? Or will Donavan McNabb cap off a very rocky season with an upset in what might be his last game in an Eagles uniform? Can the Chargers with Phillip Rivers get revenge over the Broncos and Jay Cutler from the infamous Hoculi call earlier this season to get into the playoffs? Will the Patriots without Tom Brady be able to beat the odds and get back into the playoffs to make another Superbowl run? Will the Panthers beat the Saints to garner the 2 seed in the NFC and get that always important first round bye? Will Tavaris Jackson shake all of his haters off and lead the Vikings into the playoffs with a win over the Giants? How will the Titans approach their game against the streaking Colts in light of the Giants/Patriots finale last year? These and many other questions will be answered at the end of Sunday night. Are you ready for some football?

Big Game Season Finales

Patriots vs Bills

Giants vs Vikings

Panthers vs Saints

Raiders vs Bucs

Titans vs Colts

Jaguars vs Ravens

Jets vs Dolphins

Cowboys vs Eagles

Broncos vs Chargers

NFL Thread-Updated, A Bad Day All Around

If anyone is wondering YES I am still pissed about the game last night. That was the first time I have ever felt like Wade Wilson lost the game. Here are my reasons.


1. He didn't run the ball enough. Tanard Choice was slicing and dicing the Ravens D and he was the only consistent factor throughout the night. For him to carry the ball only 17 times when he was averaging over 5 yards a pop is just ridiculous.

2. Not enough two tight end sets. When you use two tight ends against a 3-4 defense it severely hampers their ability to blitz. Thats something that Wade should know since he has been a 3-4 guru for quite some time. We have a damn good rookie tight end in Bennett and he didn't get much burn at all

3. We use Pacman Jones on punt returns where he is shaky but wait to use him on KO return to the end of the game?! Oh and he only got the ball out to the 50 the one time he touched it on KO return

4. How you don't try an onside kick at the end of the game is beyond me. Yeah I'm pissed about McClain taking it to the house but the truth is the game was already basically over. All the Ravens had to do was make one first down. Even if they had to punt we would have been put in a position of having to score with basically 10 or 15 seconds left

5. Which leads to us run blitzing on first down which takes your safety valve out of play in case a long run breaks which it did.

Now we got physically whupped at the end too. Lo Neal decleated Bradie James and Ken Hamlin is going to have nightmares about being runover by Magahee and stiff armed by McClain. But the truth is the Defense was worn out at that point. We can't keep having all these turnovers by Romo. Times like now show why the Cowboys should have gone out and got a better option at backup QB. I love Brad Johnson for all he has done during his career but he isn't a viable option when Romo is in a rut.

So after last week when I only lost 1 game on the Big Game board I start this week off already wearing a L. Well I am reposting the rest of my picks. I hope today is a much much better day

Update: With both of my teams losing getting slaughtered yesterday and today I am not a happy camper right about now. Here are the updated results.

Update 2: Ouch...Just Ouch.

Sunday

Cardinals vs Patriots

Steelers vs Titans

Falcons vs Vikings

Eagles vs Deadskins

Panthers vs Giants


Monday

Packers vs Bears


My Picks

Cowboys: Defense shows up big time and schools the rookie QB Joe Flacco. X

Patriots: Cards get Mossed and they are horrible on the road.

Steelers: Losing Haynesworth sets the Titan D back, Harrison knocks Collins out of the game. X

Vikings: They win in a squeaker at home, but Turner still has a big day against them. X

Eagles: Donovan has a big day, setting up a huge came next week vs the Cowboys. X

Giants: Having Jacobs back helps to right the ship.

Bears: Green Bay has fallen off and the Bears are still pushing for a playoff spot.


Erybody else

Bengals, Lions X, 49ers , Dolphins, Bucs X, Broncos X, Jets X, and Texans X

Don't Sleep

I keep telling people to watch out for the Colts this year. They started off so bad that a lot of people wrote them off. Well don't look now but they are 11-4 and they just clinched a playoff spot last night. So while everyone is following the Titans, Steelers, and Dolphins don't forget about the Colts because they are the hottest team in the NFL right now and they are just getting healthy. With no Tom Brady to contend with don't be surprised to see the Colts back in the Bowl this year. Yeah, I said it!


And now for a little mood music...

Big Play Sunday

I must admit, going through my first Saturday without major college football has left me fiending. One o'clock Sunday afternoon can't get here fast enough.

As the season winds down the playoff races are heating up. There are several big games this weekend which will have a major effect on who gets in and who goes home. On tap:

Tampa Bay vs Atlanta

San Fran vs Miami

Buffalo vs NY Jets

Minnesota vs Arizona

Pittsburgh vs Baltimore

NY Giants vs Dallas

My picks:

Atlanta Turner has a big game in the Dome but Garcia keeps it close.
Miami in a close game at home. Wildcat strikes again.
NY Jets in a blowout. Brett Favre fools em for another week.
Minnesota AP smokes the Cards D for a buck fitty or more. (Warner might get hurt)
Baltimore at home in a WAR. McClain has a huge game.
Dallas at home in a squeaker, T.O. still blows a gasket .


Throw in picks : Washinton, Tennessee, Green Bay, Seattle, San Diego, Indy, Carolina, and Philly.

Feel free to make your picks. I will be checking in from time to time with informed comments on the Bucs/Falcons game.