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.

Round 2 of the NFL Playoffs

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know I didn't write anything about the first round, but whatever. The second round match ups should prove to be good.

First off we have what I consider the game of the day; Colts vs. Ravens. This boils down to who is better, the Colts offense or the Ravens defense? Peyton sucks in the playoffs and this years Ravens defense is even more stifling than their 2000 defense. I predict 4 interceptions and 2 touchdowns for Peyton and less than 50 yards rushing for the team. The Ravens offense, which isn't quite as anemic as their offense in 2000, still needs some work. The Lewis's (Ray and Jamal) will lead the Ravens to victory over the combination of Manning and Harrison. Ravens 27-17.


The second game, Eagles vs. Saints, should show whether the Saints are for real and if the Eagles can keep the magic they have had since McNabb was injured. Drew Brees has had an amazing year, much better than I thought he would have, and is the leader of a young but talented Saints offense. Reggie Bush starting playing like Reggie Bush in the latter part of the year and rookie phenom Marques Colston should be completely healed for today's game. Devery Henderson should make up for Joe Horn's limitations due to injury and there is always Deuce McAllister. So the Saint's should be able to move the ball fairly easily with their high-powered offense. The Eagle's offense with Brian Westbrook, Jeff Garcia, Donte Stallworth, LJ Smith, and Reggie Brown should also be able to move the ball fairly easily. The question of the day for this game is which defense is going to rise to the occasion and keep the other offense from scoring more than their own. Saints 45-38.

On Sunday we have the Seahawks vs. Bears. This game boils down to which defense can score more points off turnovers than the other. Hasselback and Grossman are both terrible this year, although Grossman tends to make more mistakes (when he makes them). Then of course there is the Devin Hester factor. Hester will return one punt/kickoff for a touchdown and the Bears defense will keep the Seahawks out of the endzone. Urlacher and company will also score two touchdowns off interceptions or fumbles as well. Bears 30-6.

The other Sunday matchup pits the Patriots vs. Chargers. Can Martyball come through in the playoffs finally? Yes, the Chargers have more offense than the Patriots defense can handle and the Charger defense is actually really good. Brady will have the worst game of his playoff career as he will be hounded all day by Merriman and Co. Three interceptions and 7 sacks are in store for Brady and Tomlinson will run for 150+ yards and 3 scores. San Diego 34-20.