Round 2 Round-up

Round 2 of the NFL playoffs concluded yesterday. There were some surprises mixed in with the expectations. All of the games were good throughout and entertaining to the end. Some teams played like shit and still won (Da Bears) and others pulled enough out of their ass to win (the Colts).

Colts vs. Ravens. The Colts got just enough from playoff choker Peyton Manning and their defense to squeak by the Ravens. Of course the anemic Ravens offense didn't make it too hard on the Colts defense. McNair was worse than Heath Schuler (on a good day) and couldn't hit an elephant in the ass from point blank range. Jamal Lewis should have carried the ball 25+ times instead of 13. Had that happened then the Ravens would have won. Hell, even the Colts ran more than they passed. My prediction was 27-17 Ravens. Final score--Colts 15-6.

Eagles vs. Saints. This game had a lot of offense (790 total yards combined) and some decent defense. The Saints 'D' stopped the Eagles just enough for their offense to score enough points to win. McAllister and Westbrook ran all over the place almost at will and were the difference makers for both teams. Neither quarterback really shined, but Brees made a few more key plays than Garcia. Overall, this was a great game for both the Saints and the city of New Orleans. My prediction was 45-38 Saints. Final score--Saints 27-24.

Seahawks vs. Bears. This game was a joke. There is no way the Seahawks should have been able to take this game into overtime. Da Bears should have put this game away early. Instead they have to rely on Robbie Gould to kick two late field goals (one in regulation and one in OT) to come off the field with a win. The almost loss should be pinned directly on the shoulders of the offensive coordinator. With Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson in the backfield the Bears should have ran the ball down Seattle's throat. Instead the Bears put the ball into Grossman's hands and he couldn't get it done. Too many long pass attempts and poorly thrown balls and not enough pounding let the Seahawks stay in the game and actually take the lead late in the third quarter. Of course, the Bears defense couldn't have stopped my two year old son, Bubba, from running for 100 yards and a couple of scores. A truly pathetic performance by the #1 seed in the NFC. My prediction was Da Bears 30-6. Final score--Bears 27-24.

Patriots vs. Chargers. What can I say, the Patriots are always the team to beat in the playoffs, no matter what their seed. They man-handled the Chargers and didn't let LT beat them. LT had a great game, but it could have been better. The Chargers gave the ball to LT 25 times (including 2 receptions) and passed the ball 32 times. He ran all over the Patriots for 123 yards and 2 scores. He would have easily had at least one more score if he been given the ball 10 more times. Instead Martyball relied too heavily on Rivers and trick plays. Meanwhile the Patriots knew what they had to do to win.....pass, pass, pass. Which Tom Brady did 51 times. They weren't getting anywhere on the ground so they went to the air. Sure Brady was picked off 3 times (like I predicted), but he made good decisions and always seems to bring out the best in his receivers, whoever they are. My prediction was Chargers 34-20. Final score--Patriots 24-21.

Stay tuned for my preview of the conference championships.