As I did with the BCS bowls, I'll just be going through the NFL playoff matchups and picking a winner and against the spread. The odds are found here. Amazingly, all four road teams are favored by oddsmakers (aka the betting public). How often does that happen in the playoffs?
Game 1 (Saturday, January 3rd, 3:30 CST):
Atlanta Falcons (-1.5) at Arizona Cardinals
The Take: The Falcons look like a dangerous team in the playoffs this year, with the kind of solid ball-control offense and strong defense we saw out of last year's Giants. The Cardinals looked like they got back on track a bit last weekend against a poor Seattle team. For Arizona to win this one, Kurt Warner is going to have to play like he did early in the season when the Cards still had something to play for. The Falcons need to control the ball and the clock and keep Warner and company on the sideline. This is a very tough game to pick because of how good the Cards can be when they're on, and how bad they can be when they're not.
The Pick: I'm going Falcons to win and cover. Rookie QB Matt Ryan and crew have been counted out time and time again, and they always show up big. Look for a huge day from Atlanta RB Michael Turner.
Game 2 (Saturday, January 3rd, 7:00 CST):
Indianapolis Colts (-1) at San Diego Chargers
The Take: The Chargers are playing great ball offensively right now as they demonstrated last weekend in a rout of the Broncos. The Colts are on a 9-game winning streak and could be the hottest team playing this weekend. Here's the catch: the Chargers seem to be Peyton Manning's Krytonite. He never seems to be able to play well against San Diego in the playoffs, but then he's always had to face Shawn Merriman on that defense, and Merriman is out for the season. Plus, Manning is coming in knowing that he's won his third NFL MVP (announced Friday). One thing I know is that the atmosphere in San Diego will be electric Saturday night.
The Pick: I know I'm probably going to regret this, but I think the Colts pull this one out in a tight, tight game. It may even come down to a late Adam Vinatieri field goal, but I think the Colts win and cover.
Game 3 (Sunday, January 4th, 12:00 CST):
Baltimore Ravens (-3.5) at Miami Dolphins
The Take: The Ravens have a great defense and a running game that few teams have been able to contain. The Dolphins have a great defense and a running game that few teams have been able to contain. The Ravens have a rookie QB (Joe Flacco). The Dolphins have a veteran QB that has played in the playoffs multiple times, winning several playoff games and winning comeback player of the year twice. If this game comes down to it, as much as I like the Ravens defense, I think Chad Pennington is the difference here (I never thought I'd write a sentence like that). Assuming this is a close, low-scoring game, I think the Dolphins to have just enough offense to win it.
The Pick: I'm sure both teams will have some more high school inspired offensive plays to unveil, which should make it fun to watch. I'm taking the Dolphins to win and cover in an upset here.
Game 4 (Sunday, January 4th, 3:30 CST):
Philadelphia Eagles (-3) at Minnesota Vikings
The Take: This is an all-time battle of coaches that have a tendency to not know what's going on. If this one comes down to clock management, it will be a nightmare for the viewing public. Both Andy Reid (Eagles) and Brad Childress (Vikings) are well known for their failings in clock management and basic in-game decision-making, so this may like watching a chess match between two five-year-olds. Looking at the rosters, Philly appears to have the edge in experience, especially at the quarterback position with Donovan McNabb against Tarvaris Jackson. In terms of talent, I believe these teams are very much comparable, and this is a match of two of the league's top five running backs (Philly's Brian Westbrook and Minnesota's Adrian Peterson) who have two very different styles. Given the coach and QB situations in this one, if it comes down to one team needing a long drive late to win or tie, I don't have much faith that either offense will pull it off.
The Pick: This was another difficult choice, but I think I have to side with the betting public here and take the more experienced Eagles to pull off the win and cover on the road. I just can't ever see betting on the Brad Childress/Tarvaris Jackson combo.
If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for the blog, please post below or I can be reached at chrisf884@gmail.com. Thanks for reading.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Reaction: Shanahan Fired
In my weekend review two days ago, I mentioned that the Broncos and owner Pat Bowlen might need to take a look at the way the organization was being and run and the direction that has been taken over recent years. Little did I know, Bowlen was doing just that and dropped the stunning news yesterday that Mike Shanahan, the Broncos' coach for the last 14 years, was fired. The news was not stunning in the sense that it was uncalled for, of course, but in the sense that no owner and coach seemed to have a better relationship than Bowlen and Shanahan. In the end, it appears that Bowlen decided that Shanahan was not doing the job he would like, and most seem to agree that it was Shanahan's failings as a general manager that cost him the job.
It's hard to argue that there are many better coaching minds, especially offensive minds, in the NFL today than that of Mike Shanahan. Unfortunately, Shanahan was also in charge of virtually all personnel decisions in the Broncos' organization and the past several years have seen a multitude of poor choices in free agency, the draft and coach hirings. This is ultimately what cost Shanahan his job, as the team seemed to treading water defensively with a revolving door of has-beens and failed draft picks.
Talking to a friend of mine yesterday (a Raiders fan, no less), he argued that Shanahan's firing was unneccesary and that Shanahan did not deserve the blame for the team's collapse this season. He cited injuries that hit all three of the Broncos' starting linebackers are various times, forced them to place seven running backs on injured reserve, and cost them star corner Champ Bailey for significant time this year. He also argued that, all-in-all, few coaches actually have much impact on a team's success or failure, and that ultimately the players are responsible for whether a team wins or loses. In other words, coaches only get fired as sacrificial lambs for owners who can't just fire all the players. I think this is an intriguing point and it's worth examining more.
Basically, my friend's point was that, regarding coaches, owners take the approach that "since I'm paying him all this money, he better produce a winner." Well, since the coach doesn't really make that great a difference when it comes to team success, he argued, then maybe the owners shouldn't be paying the guy that much to begin with. I would argue that this may be true, but that there are coaches that make a big difference for their teams (guys like Bill Belichick, Shanahan himself and Tony Dungy) and because guys like these exist, that is the standard that all coaches are held to. The problem is that it is also the standard that all coaches are paid by, meaning many (if not most) coaches are, in fact, overpaid.
So back to the topic at hand and the question of whether Shanahan was deserving of the blame for the Broncos' collapse. I certainly understand my friend's argument that the coach isn't the one making the tackles, he isn't the one throwing the passes or running the ball, etc. But when it comes to the Broncos, the coach was the one choosing the guys to do those things, and that's why Shanahan was let go. Call it a pride thing that Bowlen didn't just ask Shanahan to hand over general manager duties, and only Bowlen truly knows if that was ever an option, but it seems unlikely that Shanahan would have accepted such an offer (essentially a demotion).
In the end, it's sad to see the Shanahan era end. As tough as the last several years have been to swallow as a Broncos fan, Shanahan is still the only coach to win a Super Bowl for the franchise and he still kept the team successful for virtually his entire tenure. I won't pretend to know where the Broncos will look for a replacement (of course everyone will wonder about Bill Cowher, but I think he's happy with his situation for now). All I know is that there is a lot of talent on the Broncos offense and the right defensive mind (and a little more defensive talent) might be all Denver needs to move into the NFL's upper echelon.
Did Pat Bowlen make the right decision? Are the Broncos better off with Shanahan gone? Share your thoughts with a comment below.
If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for the blog, please post below or I can be reached at chrisf884@gmail.com. Thanks for reading.
It's hard to argue that there are many better coaching minds, especially offensive minds, in the NFL today than that of Mike Shanahan. Unfortunately, Shanahan was also in charge of virtually all personnel decisions in the Broncos' organization and the past several years have seen a multitude of poor choices in free agency, the draft and coach hirings. This is ultimately what cost Shanahan his job, as the team seemed to treading water defensively with a revolving door of has-beens and failed draft picks.
Talking to a friend of mine yesterday (a Raiders fan, no less), he argued that Shanahan's firing was unneccesary and that Shanahan did not deserve the blame for the team's collapse this season. He cited injuries that hit all three of the Broncos' starting linebackers are various times, forced them to place seven running backs on injured reserve, and cost them star corner Champ Bailey for significant time this year. He also argued that, all-in-all, few coaches actually have much impact on a team's success or failure, and that ultimately the players are responsible for whether a team wins or loses. In other words, coaches only get fired as sacrificial lambs for owners who can't just fire all the players. I think this is an intriguing point and it's worth examining more.
Basically, my friend's point was that, regarding coaches, owners take the approach that "since I'm paying him all this money, he better produce a winner." Well, since the coach doesn't really make that great a difference when it comes to team success, he argued, then maybe the owners shouldn't be paying the guy that much to begin with. I would argue that this may be true, but that there are coaches that make a big difference for their teams (guys like Bill Belichick, Shanahan himself and Tony Dungy) and because guys like these exist, that is the standard that all coaches are held to. The problem is that it is also the standard that all coaches are paid by, meaning many (if not most) coaches are, in fact, overpaid.
So back to the topic at hand and the question of whether Shanahan was deserving of the blame for the Broncos' collapse. I certainly understand my friend's argument that the coach isn't the one making the tackles, he isn't the one throwing the passes or running the ball, etc. But when it comes to the Broncos, the coach was the one choosing the guys to do those things, and that's why Shanahan was let go. Call it a pride thing that Bowlen didn't just ask Shanahan to hand over general manager duties, and only Bowlen truly knows if that was ever an option, but it seems unlikely that Shanahan would have accepted such an offer (essentially a demotion).
In the end, it's sad to see the Shanahan era end. As tough as the last several years have been to swallow as a Broncos fan, Shanahan is still the only coach to win a Super Bowl for the franchise and he still kept the team successful for virtually his entire tenure. I won't pretend to know where the Broncos will look for a replacement (of course everyone will wonder about Bill Cowher, but I think he's happy with his situation for now). All I know is that there is a lot of talent on the Broncos offense and the right defensive mind (and a little more defensive talent) might be all Denver needs to move into the NFL's upper echelon.
Did Pat Bowlen make the right decision? Are the Broncos better off with Shanahan gone? Share your thoughts with a comment below.
If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for the blog, please post below or I can be reached at chrisf884@gmail.com. Thanks for reading.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
BCS Bowl Rundown
Check the odds to all the remaining bowl games here. Below are my predictions for the five BCS bowls. I'm not one of those writers that's foolish enough to think I can predict actual final scores, so I'll just give you the pick against the spread (for entertainment purposes only, of course).
The Rose Bowl Game (3:30 CST, January 1st)
USC (-9) vs. Penn State
The Take: Huge surprise, USC is back in the Rose Bowl. Again. This game is rather tough to pick because USC under Pete Carroll is beginning to be know as a team that will fail to show up in one or two meaningless games a year and accidentally lose. Is the Rose Bowl a meaningless game? Well, if you're the Trojans, a team that has played in this game for something like 12 years straight, maybe you start to wonder. Both of these teams had national championship aspirations this year and fell one win short of reaching that mark. Penn State's strength this year has been it's defense, but no defense has been better than USC's in all of college football. When it comes down to it, I just don't think the Nittany Lions can hang with the Trojans in this one.
The Pick: Trojans win and cover.
The Orange Bowl (7:00 CST, January 1st)
Cincinnati (-2.5) vs. Virginia Tech
The Take: This game alone demonstrates why the automatic bid system in the BCS is flawed. Neither of these teams would come close to qualifying for a BCS bowl under normal circumstances, but because they won weak BCS conferences, and because of the order of selection options* for the BCS bowls, this is what we get. I've only seen each of these teams play a couple of times, and neither really stood out. Both have solid defenses and offenses that can get on a roll, but aren't going to dominate from start to finish. This game has the feel of a 24-21 contest that comes down to a late field goal or a late turnover that decides it.
The Pick: Virginia Tech to win and cover in an "upset."
*Each BCS bowl has certain conference tie-ins that they may automatically choose from. After these choices, all bowls are given the option to choose whichever qualifying teams they wish. The Orange Bowl has a tie-in with the ACC (and thus took Virginia Tech). Each year the selection process for choosing at large participants rotates among the bowls, so no bowl gets first pick all the time. This year, the Orange Bowl was at the bottom of the list, and because of the way circumstances worked out, the Big East champion Cincinnati was left as an "at large," although they were guaranteed a spot. So when the Orange Bowl's selection occurred, they had no choice but to take the Bearcats because Cincinnati was assured a spot.
The Sugar Bowl (7:00 CST, January 2nd)
Alabama (-9.5) vs. Utah
The Take: Alabama could make an argument, however fruitless, that they deserve to play for the national title, but they didn't even win their conference. For the past 4+ years, the Mountain West has been the cream of the non-BCS crop and this is their second BCS buster in the last 4 seasons (Utah both times). The Utes could certainly make an argument, possibly even more compelling than Alabama's, that THEY should be playing for the title. Either way, both teams have a chip on their shoulder and a lot to prove. The weight of this game on Utah (they, more than anyone before them, are playing for all non-BCS schools' right to a shot at a title) could be too much to bare. While the Utes are a solid, even great, team (I still think Alex Smith's/Urban Meyer's Utah team four years ago was much better), they are physically overmatched and facing one of the top coaches in all of college football. I love the Mountain West (I graduated from a Mountain West school), but I just don't think the Utes have what it takes to pull it off.
The Pick: Alabama to win, Utah to cover (barely).
The Fiesta Bowl (7:00 CST, January 5th)
Texas (-8.5) vs. Ohio State
The Pick: The biggest question in this game is what will the Longhorns attitude be? Will they come in frustrated that they didn't get a title shot and feeling like they should be playing in an even better bowl (aka the BCS National Championship Game)? Or will they come in feeling that if they win and win BIG, maybe they can sway enough AP voters to pull off the first split national championship since USC took home the AP vote in 2003 (LSU won the BCS title that year). From the Buckeyes' standpoint, this has been a "down" year for them, with "just" 10 wins and "just" an at large BCS bid. That said, they still have one of the top coaches in the country (Texas' Mack Brown has the advantage in recruiting, I think Ohio State's Jim Tressel has the edge in x's and o's) and a lot of talent. Just not as much talent as Texas. Ohio State's best shot is to run, run, run with Chris "Beanie" Wells and try to keep Colt McCoy and that dazzling Texas offense off the field. Unfortunately, I really don't see that happening.
The Pick: Texas to win and cover (and then some).
The BCS National Championship Game (7:00 CST, January 8th)
Florida (-3) vs. Oklahoma
The Take: Yes, Oklahoma is missing a starter on offense (tailback DeMarco Murray) and defense (tackle DeMarcus Granger). Yes, Heisman Trophy winners are 1-5 in national championship games. Yes, Bob Stoops has shown up small in his last several BCS bowl games. BUT, I still like the Sooners here, and here's why: Oklahoma can score. They can run (their "backup" Chris Brown rushed for over 1,000 yards) and pass (quarterback Sam Bradford won the Heisman, ya know) and Florida's defense, while it's been good this year, hasn't faced an offense like this all year. The Gator's offense is also extremely solid, but when the Sooners defense is motivated (see the Texas Tech game in November), it can cause a lot of problems. I see this game going one of two very similar ways: either the Sooners score early, jump out big and pull away early before the Gators come back and fall just short; or the Gators score early, jump out big and win in a landslide. After all the criticism he's taken in previous years, I'm going to go out on a limb and say Stoops has his guys ready this time, Oklahoma strikes early and often, and the Gators, despite valiant efforts, come up just short.
The Pick: Oklahoma to win in an upset and, of course, cover.
So what's your take?
If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for the blog, please post below or I can be reached at chrisf884@gmail.com. Thanks for reading.
The Rose Bowl Game (3:30 CST, January 1st)
USC (-9) vs. Penn State
The Take: Huge surprise, USC is back in the Rose Bowl. Again. This game is rather tough to pick because USC under Pete Carroll is beginning to be know as a team that will fail to show up in one or two meaningless games a year and accidentally lose. Is the Rose Bowl a meaningless game? Well, if you're the Trojans, a team that has played in this game for something like 12 years straight, maybe you start to wonder. Both of these teams had national championship aspirations this year and fell one win short of reaching that mark. Penn State's strength this year has been it's defense, but no defense has been better than USC's in all of college football. When it comes down to it, I just don't think the Nittany Lions can hang with the Trojans in this one.
The Pick: Trojans win and cover.
The Orange Bowl (7:00 CST, January 1st)
Cincinnati (-2.5) vs. Virginia Tech
The Take: This game alone demonstrates why the automatic bid system in the BCS is flawed. Neither of these teams would come close to qualifying for a BCS bowl under normal circumstances, but because they won weak BCS conferences, and because of the order of selection options* for the BCS bowls, this is what we get. I've only seen each of these teams play a couple of times, and neither really stood out. Both have solid defenses and offenses that can get on a roll, but aren't going to dominate from start to finish. This game has the feel of a 24-21 contest that comes down to a late field goal or a late turnover that decides it.
The Pick: Virginia Tech to win and cover in an "upset."
*Each BCS bowl has certain conference tie-ins that they may automatically choose from. After these choices, all bowls are given the option to choose whichever qualifying teams they wish. The Orange Bowl has a tie-in with the ACC (and thus took Virginia Tech). Each year the selection process for choosing at large participants rotates among the bowls, so no bowl gets first pick all the time. This year, the Orange Bowl was at the bottom of the list, and because of the way circumstances worked out, the Big East champion Cincinnati was left as an "at large," although they were guaranteed a spot. So when the Orange Bowl's selection occurred, they had no choice but to take the Bearcats because Cincinnati was assured a spot.
The Sugar Bowl (7:00 CST, January 2nd)
Alabama (-9.5) vs. Utah
The Take: Alabama could make an argument, however fruitless, that they deserve to play for the national title, but they didn't even win their conference. For the past 4+ years, the Mountain West has been the cream of the non-BCS crop and this is their second BCS buster in the last 4 seasons (Utah both times). The Utes could certainly make an argument, possibly even more compelling than Alabama's, that THEY should be playing for the title. Either way, both teams have a chip on their shoulder and a lot to prove. The weight of this game on Utah (they, more than anyone before them, are playing for all non-BCS schools' right to a shot at a title) could be too much to bare. While the Utes are a solid, even great, team (I still think Alex Smith's/Urban Meyer's Utah team four years ago was much better), they are physically overmatched and facing one of the top coaches in all of college football. I love the Mountain West (I graduated from a Mountain West school), but I just don't think the Utes have what it takes to pull it off.
The Pick: Alabama to win, Utah to cover (barely).
The Fiesta Bowl (7:00 CST, January 5th)
Texas (-8.5) vs. Ohio State
The Pick: The biggest question in this game is what will the Longhorns attitude be? Will they come in frustrated that they didn't get a title shot and feeling like they should be playing in an even better bowl (aka the BCS National Championship Game)? Or will they come in feeling that if they win and win BIG, maybe they can sway enough AP voters to pull off the first split national championship since USC took home the AP vote in 2003 (LSU won the BCS title that year). From the Buckeyes' standpoint, this has been a "down" year for them, with "just" 10 wins and "just" an at large BCS bid. That said, they still have one of the top coaches in the country (Texas' Mack Brown has the advantage in recruiting, I think Ohio State's Jim Tressel has the edge in x's and o's) and a lot of talent. Just not as much talent as Texas. Ohio State's best shot is to run, run, run with Chris "Beanie" Wells and try to keep Colt McCoy and that dazzling Texas offense off the field. Unfortunately, I really don't see that happening.
The Pick: Texas to win and cover (and then some).
The BCS National Championship Game (7:00 CST, January 8th)
Florida (-3) vs. Oklahoma
The Take: Yes, Oklahoma is missing a starter on offense (tailback DeMarco Murray) and defense (tackle DeMarcus Granger). Yes, Heisman Trophy winners are 1-5 in national championship games. Yes, Bob Stoops has shown up small in his last several BCS bowl games. BUT, I still like the Sooners here, and here's why: Oklahoma can score. They can run (their "backup" Chris Brown rushed for over 1,000 yards) and pass (quarterback Sam Bradford won the Heisman, ya know) and Florida's defense, while it's been good this year, hasn't faced an offense like this all year. The Gator's offense is also extremely solid, but when the Sooners defense is motivated (see the Texas Tech game in November), it can cause a lot of problems. I see this game going one of two very similar ways: either the Sooners score early, jump out big and pull away early before the Gators come back and fall just short; or the Gators score early, jump out big and win in a landslide. After all the criticism he's taken in previous years, I'm going to go out on a limb and say Stoops has his guys ready this time, Oklahoma strikes early and often, and the Gators, despite valiant efforts, come up just short.
The Pick: Oklahoma to win in an upset and, of course, cover.
So what's your take?
If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for the blog, please post below or I can be reached at chrisf884@gmail.com. Thanks for reading.
Monday, December 29, 2008
NFL Season Ends with a Bang
I was all set to debut my first "Theory" article today, but with all the happenings yesterday in the NFL, I just had to cover some football this morning. First, some breaking news:
As expected, the Browns' Romeo Crennel was the first coach to receive a pink slip this offseason. Also not surprising was the Lions decision to let Rod "0-16" Marinelli go as well. The only semi-surprising move is the Jets firing of Eric "Mangenius" Mangini after a 9-7 season. Mangini had led a middle-of-the-pack Jets team to the playoffs two years ago but fell off dramatically last year. This year, the Jets went on a spending spree in the offseason and even booted Chad Pennington for an aging (read: old) Brett Favre and it became playoffs or bust. With the Giants steamrolling the NFC on their way to the #1 seed, the Jets needed to do something big to keep up with their roommates in a brand-new $1 billion plus stadium set to open next year. Instead, the Jets started 8-3 before collapsing at 1-4 down the stretch and falling to division rival Miami in a must-win home game to end the season.
Now, let's take a look at yesterday's games and what it all means.
Atlanta 31, St. Louis 27 - This was a must-win for the Falcons as they entered the game with a shot at the #2 seed in the NFC. For the Rams, this was a must-be-present game, but to be fair the team has shown for much of the season that they will play for pride, even if they can't play for "victory" or "success." In the end, the Falcons were just too much for the Rams, and this Falcons team is a true NFL Cinderella story (not often you see an 11-5 Cinderella in the NFL playoffs, but this year we get two!), although they'll have to go on the road to win in the playoffs thanks to the next game.
Carolina 33, New Orleans 31 - Dan Marino must have been terrified that Drew Brees would forgo the long-bomb on the final play of regulation and just throw a dump off pass for 15 yards to break his single-season passing yardage record. Instead, Brees threw down the seam to Lance Moore who inexcusably had stopped on his route, and the ball fell incomplete summing up the Saints roller-coaster 8-8 season. Brees finished just 15 yards short of the record, and thanks to late Carolina heroics, the Panthers pulled out the win to finish 12-4 and clinch the #2 seed, a bye and a home game in the second round of the playoffs. That's the bright side if you're a Panthers fan. The glass-half-empty perspective is that they allowed 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter before rallying for the go-ahead field goal.
New England 13, Buffalo 0 - On Must-Win Sunday, this one was a must for the Pats who needed to win to go 11-5 and still needed help to make the playoffs. Matt Cassel and Co. did their job on a nasty, windy day in Buffalo, but the later game results would prove unkind. Cassel may well be the first backup QB in NFL history to receive the franchise tag this offseason as the Pats should be very leery of letting him walk when they don't know if Tom Brady will have that same ability come September. What this likely means is someone is not only going to give Cassel $30-40 million next spring, but they're also going to give up two 1st round draft picks, too. Sorry, Lions fans.
Cincinnati 16, Kansas City 6 - If a football game happens in Cincinnati and no one's there to see it, did it really happen? By the way, looks like more bad (maybe good?) news for Chiefs fans: LJ wants out.
Green Bay 31, Detroit 21 - Speaking of Lions fans, congratulations on one of the worst years in sports history. Unfortunately, you're not the biggest losers of 2008 (see Seattle below), but with the historic 0-16 season cemented at the hands of a 6-10 Packers team, and with your big-payroll Tigers tanking in this year's baseball season, and with the Pistons trading their best "team" guy (Chauncey Billups) for a "me" guy (Allen Iverson) and some cap room next offseason, you certainly could make a case. Too bad your Red Wings had to go and spoil things by winning the Stanley Cup this year.
Indianapolis 23, Tennessee 0 - Who wasn't enthralled by the fantastic Jim Sorgi/Vince Young matchup yesterday!?!
Minnesota 20, NY Giants 19 - Congrats Vikings fans, Tarvaris Jackson has officially led you to the playoffs. Maybe now you won't be the team to throw money at Matt Cassel! Seriously, though, this was a great win for the Vikings who avoided the dreaded "backed into the playoffs" moniker and made a case for being a team to watch out for in the postseason (even if it took a last-second 50-yard field goal to beat a David Carr-led Giants team). So, yeah.
Pittsburgh 31, Cleveland 0 - With a dead man walking the sidelines for the Browns, there was little doubt who would win this game. So why in the world was Ben Roethlisberger still in the game late in the second quarter? And will the entire city of Pittsburgh be holding its breath for two straight weeks until Big Ben comes out for that first playoff game?
Oakland 31, Tampa Bay 24 - Listen, I love Chuckie as much as the next guy, and clearly he's a quality coach. But shouldn't he at least be on the hot seat after his team collapsed for the second straight year? Last year they backed into the playoffs only to get beaten at home by the Giants. This year? They backed right out of the playoff picture with a loss, AT HOME, to Al Davis's fighting sea monsters. If this wasn't Gruden's most humiliating loss of his career, I don't know what is.
Houston 31, Chicago 24 - The Texans are in that classic no man's land between being a perennial playoff contender and a perennial doormat. They'll look great in beating a playoff team one week (see this win and win over the Titans two weeks ago) and sandwich that with head-scratching losses to the likes of the Raiders. Interestingly, is there any doubt that if the Texans were in the AFC West, they'd be a division champ right now?
San Francisco 27, Washington 24 - It's the battle of the once and future coaches! Mike Singletary comes in with the ink still drying on his new contract to lead the 49ers, while questions swirl around the Redskins and what will happen to rookie coach Jim Zorn after his team fell apart in the second half of the season. Skins owner Dan Snyder isn't exactly considered the most patient owner in sports.
Baltimore 27, Jacksonville 7 - This result was devastating to two fan bases: the Pats' and the Jets'. By winning this game, the Ravens clinched a wild card and eliminated the Jets from playoff contention. Meanwhile, the Jets were busy letting the Dolphins salt away the AFC East in their own backyard, leaving the Pats the odd man out of the AFC playoffs at 11-5. It's a cruel world, this NFL.
Miami 24, NY Jets 17 - I bring you Cinderella #2! The Dolphins were the worst team in football last year with an atrocious 1-15 mark (sorry if I'm making Lions fans jealous). Now, irony of ironies, the Phins will host the Ravens this weekend in the wild card playoff round in a rematch of the only game Miami won in 2007. Special Cinderella mention to the Ravens, who themselves were just 4-12 last year and made a remarkable 7-game turnaround, but the fanfare surrounding last year for the Ravens was much less, and the turnaround less surprising because of the talent everyone knew that defense had. Meanwhile, is there any team more fun to watch right now than Miami and its high school-inspired offense? Yesterday was my first real glimpse of the Wildcat being run by the team that started it, and it was a beautiful thing.
Arizona 34, Seattle 21 - The NFL breathed a sigh of relief in this one as at least there won't be TWO 8-8 teams hosting playoff games. The Cards ended the season semi-respectably (it would be more respectable if 6 of their 9 wins didn't come against their awful division) and will be 9-7 when they host the Eagles next week. On the other side, no Gatorade showers for Mike "The Original Walrus" Holmgren in his farewell to the Seahawks head gig. It'll be interesting to see if this is in fact his last day coaching (maybe he'll jump to the front office like Bill Parcels has) or if he'll return once again. As for Seattle sports: your 2008 is over!!!!!!!! The worst sports year in recorded history for one city has finally come to a close. For those few who don't know, here's a recap: Seattle Sonics finish 20-62 in their final season in the Great Northwest; the Sonics then get hijacked to Oklahoma City (it was a couple years coming, but there was tiny hope that it could be avoided); the Mariners become the first team in MLB history to lose 100 games with a $100 million payroll; University of Washington football goes 0-12, the first winless team in Pac-10 history; and finally the Seattle Seahawks bid their most successful coach farewell with a 4-12 campaign. Enjoy the champagne on January 1, Seattlites, because 2009 just has to be a better year.
This is the portion of the program where I tell Cowboys and Broncos fans to avert their eyes...
Philadelphia 44, Dallas 6 - This game ended in the second quarter. The Cowboys had shown a penchant for giving up when the chips were down earlier this year, and when the Eagles got hot and got a couple breaks in the second quarter to lead 27-3 at the half, there was no question who would win. The Eagles' defensive TDs in the third were a mere formality; they were a "go ahead and take care of your errands and whatnot" message to Cowboys fans who likely couldn't stand to watch the remainder. Meanwhile, the Eagles bask in the glory of a tie game at Cincinnati to make the playoffs over Chicago, Dallas and Tampa. Look out Vikings, this team is good when it shows up.
San Diego 1,234,693, Denver 21 - This might as well have been the final score, because if this game had gone on forever, I can't say I believe the Broncos would force the Chargers to punt more than once. For eternity. If there was any game this weekend that I would have bet my life savings on, it was the Chargers (-9) to cover at home on Sunday Night. This was the most predictable result of the weekend, which as a Broncos fan myself made the result easier to swallow. I think it's finally time for Pat Bowlen to take a look at the man in charge (not himself, obviously) and see if changes need to be made. The Broncos organization is a laughing stock around football today after yet another monumental collapse. At least Mike Shanahan has saved himself the embarrassment of another home blowout playoff loss to the Colts.
Stay tuned later this week for my playoff predictions for this weekend and my BCS Bowl predictions as well.
If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for the blog, please post below or I can be reached at chrisf884@gmail.com. Thanks for reading.
As expected, the Browns' Romeo Crennel was the first coach to receive a pink slip this offseason. Also not surprising was the Lions decision to let Rod "0-16" Marinelli go as well. The only semi-surprising move is the Jets firing of Eric "Mangenius" Mangini after a 9-7 season. Mangini had led a middle-of-the-pack Jets team to the playoffs two years ago but fell off dramatically last year. This year, the Jets went on a spending spree in the offseason and even booted Chad Pennington for an aging (read: old) Brett Favre and it became playoffs or bust. With the Giants steamrolling the NFC on their way to the #1 seed, the Jets needed to do something big to keep up with their roommates in a brand-new $1 billion plus stadium set to open next year. Instead, the Jets started 8-3 before collapsing at 1-4 down the stretch and falling to division rival Miami in a must-win home game to end the season.
Now, let's take a look at yesterday's games and what it all means.
Atlanta 31, St. Louis 27 - This was a must-win for the Falcons as they entered the game with a shot at the #2 seed in the NFC. For the Rams, this was a must-be-present game, but to be fair the team has shown for much of the season that they will play for pride, even if they can't play for "victory" or "success." In the end, the Falcons were just too much for the Rams, and this Falcons team is a true NFL Cinderella story (not often you see an 11-5 Cinderella in the NFL playoffs, but this year we get two!), although they'll have to go on the road to win in the playoffs thanks to the next game.
Carolina 33, New Orleans 31 - Dan Marino must have been terrified that Drew Brees would forgo the long-bomb on the final play of regulation and just throw a dump off pass for 15 yards to break his single-season passing yardage record. Instead, Brees threw down the seam to Lance Moore who inexcusably had stopped on his route, and the ball fell incomplete summing up the Saints roller-coaster 8-8 season. Brees finished just 15 yards short of the record, and thanks to late Carolina heroics, the Panthers pulled out the win to finish 12-4 and clinch the #2 seed, a bye and a home game in the second round of the playoffs. That's the bright side if you're a Panthers fan. The glass-half-empty perspective is that they allowed 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter before rallying for the go-ahead field goal.
New England 13, Buffalo 0 - On Must-Win Sunday, this one was a must for the Pats who needed to win to go 11-5 and still needed help to make the playoffs. Matt Cassel and Co. did their job on a nasty, windy day in Buffalo, but the later game results would prove unkind. Cassel may well be the first backup QB in NFL history to receive the franchise tag this offseason as the Pats should be very leery of letting him walk when they don't know if Tom Brady will have that same ability come September. What this likely means is someone is not only going to give Cassel $30-40 million next spring, but they're also going to give up two 1st round draft picks, too. Sorry, Lions fans.
Cincinnati 16, Kansas City 6 - If a football game happens in Cincinnati and no one's there to see it, did it really happen? By the way, looks like more bad (maybe good?) news for Chiefs fans: LJ wants out.
Green Bay 31, Detroit 21 - Speaking of Lions fans, congratulations on one of the worst years in sports history. Unfortunately, you're not the biggest losers of 2008 (see Seattle below), but with the historic 0-16 season cemented at the hands of a 6-10 Packers team, and with your big-payroll Tigers tanking in this year's baseball season, and with the Pistons trading their best "team" guy (Chauncey Billups) for a "me" guy (Allen Iverson) and some cap room next offseason, you certainly could make a case. Too bad your Red Wings had to go and spoil things by winning the Stanley Cup this year.
Indianapolis 23, Tennessee 0 - Who wasn't enthralled by the fantastic Jim Sorgi/Vince Young matchup yesterday!?!
Minnesota 20, NY Giants 19 - Congrats Vikings fans, Tarvaris Jackson has officially led you to the playoffs. Maybe now you won't be the team to throw money at Matt Cassel! Seriously, though, this was a great win for the Vikings who avoided the dreaded "backed into the playoffs" moniker and made a case for being a team to watch out for in the postseason (even if it took a last-second 50-yard field goal to beat a David Carr-led Giants team). So, yeah.
Pittsburgh 31, Cleveland 0 - With a dead man walking the sidelines for the Browns, there was little doubt who would win this game. So why in the world was Ben Roethlisberger still in the game late in the second quarter? And will the entire city of Pittsburgh be holding its breath for two straight weeks until Big Ben comes out for that first playoff game?
Oakland 31, Tampa Bay 24 - Listen, I love Chuckie as much as the next guy, and clearly he's a quality coach. But shouldn't he at least be on the hot seat after his team collapsed for the second straight year? Last year they backed into the playoffs only to get beaten at home by the Giants. This year? They backed right out of the playoff picture with a loss, AT HOME, to Al Davis's fighting sea monsters. If this wasn't Gruden's most humiliating loss of his career, I don't know what is.
Houston 31, Chicago 24 - The Texans are in that classic no man's land between being a perennial playoff contender and a perennial doormat. They'll look great in beating a playoff team one week (see this win and win over the Titans two weeks ago) and sandwich that with head-scratching losses to the likes of the Raiders. Interestingly, is there any doubt that if the Texans were in the AFC West, they'd be a division champ right now?
San Francisco 27, Washington 24 - It's the battle of the once and future coaches! Mike Singletary comes in with the ink still drying on his new contract to lead the 49ers, while questions swirl around the Redskins and what will happen to rookie coach Jim Zorn after his team fell apart in the second half of the season. Skins owner Dan Snyder isn't exactly considered the most patient owner in sports.
Baltimore 27, Jacksonville 7 - This result was devastating to two fan bases: the Pats' and the Jets'. By winning this game, the Ravens clinched a wild card and eliminated the Jets from playoff contention. Meanwhile, the Jets were busy letting the Dolphins salt away the AFC East in their own backyard, leaving the Pats the odd man out of the AFC playoffs at 11-5. It's a cruel world, this NFL.
Miami 24, NY Jets 17 - I bring you Cinderella #2! The Dolphins were the worst team in football last year with an atrocious 1-15 mark (sorry if I'm making Lions fans jealous). Now, irony of ironies, the Phins will host the Ravens this weekend in the wild card playoff round in a rematch of the only game Miami won in 2007. Special Cinderella mention to the Ravens, who themselves were just 4-12 last year and made a remarkable 7-game turnaround, but the fanfare surrounding last year for the Ravens was much less, and the turnaround less surprising because of the talent everyone knew that defense had. Meanwhile, is there any team more fun to watch right now than Miami and its high school-inspired offense? Yesterday was my first real glimpse of the Wildcat being run by the team that started it, and it was a beautiful thing.
Arizona 34, Seattle 21 - The NFL breathed a sigh of relief in this one as at least there won't be TWO 8-8 teams hosting playoff games. The Cards ended the season semi-respectably (it would be more respectable if 6 of their 9 wins didn't come against their awful division) and will be 9-7 when they host the Eagles next week. On the other side, no Gatorade showers for Mike "The Original Walrus" Holmgren in his farewell to the Seahawks head gig. It'll be interesting to see if this is in fact his last day coaching (maybe he'll jump to the front office like Bill Parcels has) or if he'll return once again. As for Seattle sports: your 2008 is over!!!!!!!! The worst sports year in recorded history for one city has finally come to a close. For those few who don't know, here's a recap: Seattle Sonics finish 20-62 in their final season in the Great Northwest; the Sonics then get hijacked to Oklahoma City (it was a couple years coming, but there was tiny hope that it could be avoided); the Mariners become the first team in MLB history to lose 100 games with a $100 million payroll; University of Washington football goes 0-12, the first winless team in Pac-10 history; and finally the Seattle Seahawks bid their most successful coach farewell with a 4-12 campaign. Enjoy the champagne on January 1, Seattlites, because 2009 just has to be a better year.
This is the portion of the program where I tell Cowboys and Broncos fans to avert their eyes...
Philadelphia 44, Dallas 6 - This game ended in the second quarter. The Cowboys had shown a penchant for giving up when the chips were down earlier this year, and when the Eagles got hot and got a couple breaks in the second quarter to lead 27-3 at the half, there was no question who would win. The Eagles' defensive TDs in the third were a mere formality; they were a "go ahead and take care of your errands and whatnot" message to Cowboys fans who likely couldn't stand to watch the remainder. Meanwhile, the Eagles bask in the glory of a tie game at Cincinnati to make the playoffs over Chicago, Dallas and Tampa. Look out Vikings, this team is good when it shows up.
San Diego 1,234,693, Denver 21 - This might as well have been the final score, because if this game had gone on forever, I can't say I believe the Broncos would force the Chargers to punt more than once. For eternity. If there was any game this weekend that I would have bet my life savings on, it was the Chargers (-9) to cover at home on Sunday Night. This was the most predictable result of the weekend, which as a Broncos fan myself made the result easier to swallow. I think it's finally time for Pat Bowlen to take a look at the man in charge (not himself, obviously) and see if changes need to be made. The Broncos organization is a laughing stock around football today after yet another monumental collapse. At least Mike Shanahan has saved himself the embarrassment of another home blowout playoff loss to the Colts.
Stay tuned later this week for my playoff predictions for this weekend and my BCS Bowl predictions as well.
If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for the blog, please post below or I can be reached at chrisf884@gmail.com. Thanks for reading.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
