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Category Archives: NFC Championship Game

The Road to Super Bowl XLVI

23 Jan

AFC Championship Game Recap – Patriots 23, Ravens 20

What a game! I thought for a minute that it would be extended into overtime. How does a kicker miss a 32 yard chip shot? Even though he blew it for the Ravens to head into overtime, they had 3 straight drives at the end of that game. Three chances to get into the endzone, or at the very least get a field goal to tie it up. The Ravens have no one to blame but themselves. You pick Tom Brady off 2 times in 1 game and can’t win? The defense didn’t play great, but played well enough to have won.

My analysis on Joe Flacco is pretty positive. He started off horribly but turned it around quickly and it looked like a man growing into an elite QB in this league. Outside of a really bad interception, he really played well. 22/36 306 yds. 2 td 1 int. A solid day for Flacco, but there’s one problem. They did not finish the way a championship level team does. This is the difference between the Ravens and the upper-crust of the NFL. The Patriots, though playing very subpar, showed why they are going to their 5th Super Bowl in 11 years. Just think about that…5 Super Bowls in just 11 years. Only the ’70′s Dallas Cowboys went to as many in fewer years, going to 5 in 9 years. Of course, the Patriots have already won more than those Cowboys did. The Patriots have, so far, won 3 Super Bowls (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX) while losing 1 (XLII), while the Cowboys won 2 (VI, XII) and lost 3 (V, X, XIII). So, even if you’re rooting against the Patriots on Sunday, February 5th, at least respect what they have done for the past decade and a year. Tom Brady will have a chance to tie both Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana at the top with 4 Super Bowl titles each as starting QB’s. But, back to Joe Flacco. I think Baltimore will go into next year pretty solidly behind Joe Flacco. He showed that, while he does have some more room to grow, he is very capable of becoming an elite QB. I really think Tom Brady dodged a bullet, here. If the Ravens had taken care of business, I think it would diminish (very slightly) his resume. It wouldn’t take away from his Hall-of-Fame career but it would definitely get the media (basically ESPN) to stop acting like he’s invincible.

The Patriots will now move on to their 7th Super Bowl overall (only 1 short of a tie for most Super Bowl appearances by a team at 8 with Dallas and Pittsburgh). The Patriots, in addition to those mentioned above, lost in 1985 – Super Bowl XX to the Chicago Bears and in 1996 – Super Bowl XXXI to the Green Bay Packers. And now to wrap up this recap. Since, the school year is back in session I will give out my grades for each team. First the losing side. The Ravens offense receives a C+, defense receives a B+ (graded up for the 3 turnovers they caused) and the special teams a D. And now for the victors. The Patriots offense receives a B-, the defense receives a B- and the special teams an A+.

NFC Championship Game Recap – Giants 20, 49ers 17 OT

Just when you thought things couldn’t get any better, in comes the NFC Championship Game. A game that was so good it just had to go into extra time. What was even better was that, just like Baltimore had a 32 yard field goal to send it into overtime, the Giants had a 31 yard field goal to win the game in OT. The difference? The Giants made their kick. But,this game was a defensive struggle throughout. I have to say, as big as Eli Manning came through, he had many passes that should have been picked off. Many of those passes where you thought Eli was trying too hard to make something happen. But, I guess that’s what happens when you throw the ball 58 times (which is one thing that disgusts me about pro football these days). On the other side of the field Alex Smith didn’t have the numbers and definitely looks like the lesser of the two quarterbacks, but he had a nice game too. He did have way too many throws at the feet of his receivers, but most of those were when he was rolling out (which is not the type of QB he is). But you definitely felt that these two teams deserved to be here and deserved a shot at the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. But it was the Giants who took advantage of it and will be playing in a rematch of Super Bowl XLII.

The real stars of this game were the defenses. Both defenses were in the faces of each quarterback all night long. The Giants didn’t shut the run game down like the 49ers did, but they definitely managed it. Outside of Vernon Davis’ 2 TD’s, the Giants D really showed up and has had a nice hot streak now. They made Alex Smith do what he just cannot do and that is throw on the run. A great game with a great ending.

I mentioned the defenses as the stars of the night, but there was one player that towered over everybody (including everyone in the AFC Championship Game too) and that was Victor Cruz. WOW! He had 115 yards before halftime. He ended with 142 yards on 10 receptions. The only thing the man didn’t do was score a touchdown, but in this defensive game it can’t be that big of a negative. I have to admit, with every Victor Cruz catch while Carlos Rogers “tried” to cover him (while looking like he truly wanted/needed help). After seeing Rogers finally learn how to catch a ball (seriously, why couldn’t he had caught JUST ONE FREAKING INT in DC?) it was with great pleasure I saw him get carved up.

Oh, yeah before I get to the grades I just have one observation. I know most of you guys won’t care about this and will probably laugh, but I thought it was kind of weird. I don’t have any photo showing it, but I noticed that what was supposed to be the NFC Championship logo (click here to see what it’s supposed to look like) became the NFL Championship. Instead of the NFC logo in the middle, they put the NFL logo. So, are they saying the true NFL Championship is between San Fran and New York? Are we going back to pre-merger days? Maybe, New England should have put the old AFL logo (or this one) in the middle of their Championship logo. Just an observation. Now for the grades. For the losing side, San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers offense receives a B, defense receives an A- and special teams a C (sorry, but I have to grade them down for that last fumble that set up the game winning field goal). For the victors, the New York Giants offense receives a B+, the defense receives an A and the special teams receive an A.

The New York Football Giants will be going back to the Super Bowl for the 2nd time in 5 years. The Giants will be making their 5th trip to the Super Bowl in franchise history. They have won 3 times (XXI, XXV, XLII) and have lost once (XXXV). Oh, and one last word to all of you Giants fans. You don’t deserve a great head coach that is Tom Coughlin but feel lucky you have him. Are you going to try and get him fired next year if you begin the season 0-3? Congrats Coughlin, if you win one more I think it’s a slam dunk into Canton for you! And you do deserve that trip, sir.

Yesterday, I posted a little request at the end of the post to pray for Joe Paterno and his family. Well, just hours after that posted we all got word that Joe Paterno had passed away. Please, continue to keep his family in your thoughts and prayers and (I should have mentioned this yesterday, too) keep those boys who Jerry Sandusky preyed upon and their families in your thoughts and prayers as they have to continue to live with the evil that happened to them.

 
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Posted by on January 23, 2012 in AFC, AFC Championship Game, AFL, Alex Smith, Baltimore Ravens, Carlos Rogers, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Eli Manning, Green Bay Packers, Joe Flacco, Joe Montana, Joe Paterno, New England Patriots, New York Giants, NFC, NFC Championship Game, NFL, NFL Playoffs, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Super Bowl, Terry Bradshaw, Tom Brady, Tom Coughlin, Vernon Davis, Victor Cruz

 

Conference Championships Day!

22 Jan

Playoffs Bracket

The Final Four…NFL-style. We have finally gotten to the conference championships. The AFC Championship Game is on first and then we have the NFC Championship Game. Let’s jump right in to what promises to be a great day of some pigskin!

AFC Championship Game - Baltimore Ravens @ New England Patriots, 3pm on CBS

This should be a great game. You have the Ravens with the #3 defense versus the Patriots and their #2 offense (#3 in pts.). Then on the other side you have the Ravens struggling #15 (#12 pts.) offense versus the Patriots atrocious #31 (#15 pts.) defense. It’s going to be a treat to see if Tom Brady can out play the Ravens suffocating defense or if Ray Lewis & Co. will shut down Brady and their prolific offense. The Ravens have to be physical on the line with the Patriots’ two TE’s. They cannot let Gronkowski and Hernandez beat them like they did the Broncos. For obvious reasons, Joe Flacco’s time is now. He has to have a big game. He has to come up big in the end. Mark this down, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Ravens pick up a QB in the draft if Flacco struggles again. I just don’t know where I sit with Flacco. I like him and see a lot of talent in him, but I also think, for some reason, he has reached a wall. Will he bust through it today or will he jeopardize Baltimore’s best chance at winning a Super Bowl in years? Ray Rice and the offensive lineman are going to have to get the running game going to take the pressure off of Flacco. Another matchup some are talking about is John Harbaugh coaching against Bill Belicheat. I think it’s funny that Belicheat is viewed as a defensive genius and since 2007 that has been the achilles heel of this team. I do believe that Belicheat is a great defensive coordinator, but he is a Tom Brady, video camera and the tuck rule away from being a failed head coach and seen as just a defensive mind. Harbaugh, on the other hand, has been a solid coach in Baltimore. I don’t think he’s been great, but it’s hard to get more out of another head coach, short of a Hall of Famer. I am going with the away team, but have extreme hesitance with this pick. Ravens 31 Patriots 28

NFC Championship Game – New York Giants @ San Francisco 49ers, 6:30pm on FOX

Hello, 1990…where have you been? Does this game feel like this or what? I can remember that game like it was yesterday. I remember being in our side room in the house I grew up in during the first half of my childhood. I remember hoping Matt Bahr would make that field goal. You see, the 49ers the week before beat my beloved Redskins 28-10 the week before to knock them out of the playoffs. So, in turn I had to root for the Giants to exact revenge on them for what they did. And it happened! Believe me when I say that a certain 8 going on 9 yr. old was very happy that day. And for you Niners fans, maybe we’ll get to see another game like the one we saw here. Outside of the infamous heads-tails miscall, this has got to be the worse officiating ever! But it’s 2012 and we have a hard-nosed 49ers squad against a very hot Giants squad. Will Eli Manning continue his great play? Will Alex Smith continue his magical season? Both teams love to run the ball and both teams have great passers (as long as Alex Smith continues to look like he has all season). This one is going to come down to the defenses. Believe the old adage “defenses win championships” because it will come true today in this game. If the Giants can continue their hot run I believe they will rattle Alex Smith into being the old Alex Smith. Either way you know you are going to get great play from the Niners D. The only question for them will be: is Patrick Willis playing or not? I like Eli better than Alex. I like Frank Gore but the combo of Bradshaw and Jacobs is bruising…believe me, as a fan on an NFC East team, I know!! I love the Giants wideouts more. I like the Niners defense more, but the Giants are playing like their D of old. I say that continues and Eli shows why he’s one of the games’ best. Giants 15 49ers 13 (that’s right…a little 1990 for you)

So, that does it. Enjoy the games today but I do ask you for one thing. No matter where you come down on the (horribly & disgusting) child sex abuse scandal at Penn St…I ask for all to say a prayer for Joe Paterno who is in failing health and might be seeing his last days here on earth. Pray for his family to have strength in this difficult time. Thanks and enjoy the pigskin! I’ll see you guys back here tomorrow for recaps on the day’s games.

 
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Posted by on January 22, 2012 in Aaron Hernandez, AFC, AFC Championship Game, Ahmad Bradshaw, Alex Smith, Baltimore Ravens, Bill Belicheck, Brandon Jacobs, Eli Manning, Frank Gore, Joe Flacco, Joe Paterno, John Harbaugh, Matt Bahr, New England Patiots, New York Giants, NFC, NFC Championship Game, Patrick Willis, Ray Lewis, Ray Rice, Rob Gronkowski, San Francisco 49ers, Super Bowl, Tom Brady, Washington Redskins

 

A disturbing trend, Part 1.

20 Jan

We all want our teams to win and we want them to win now! Is that so hard for our teams to get? Is it a bad thing to demand this? Well, there is a disturbing trend that is creeping up right now and it’s time to expose it and hopefully end it. There are two sides to this story. Each side is as much alike as they are different. Let’s look at the first one today and the second tomorrow.

First, let’s tackle what has taken place up in the Big Apple. Tom Coughlin came into New York,or should we say New Jersey, in 2004. Jim Fassel had just finished his franchise-killing 7th year. Coughlin turned a 4-win team in 2003 to an 11-win playoff team in 2005. He took the G-men to the playoffs in 4 straight years from 2005 to 2008. And yet, the whole time all we heard was “is this Coughlin’s last year?” “Coughlin has to be fired”. In 2007, Coughlin led the Giants through a remarkable playoff run and capped it off with a 17-14 Super Bowl XLII win over the 18-0 New England Patriots. Even with all of that, even with 65 wins in the 7 years leading up to this year there was nothing but talk about firing Coughlin. It was like New York had no clue as to what they had. Thankfully, the Giants made the playoffs this year despite the massive list of injuries they had all year long, despite the constant call for his firing and despite waiting until the last couple of weeks to start turning into what they could have been all year. I never doubted Tom Coughlin’s skill. Since the day they won Super Bowl XLII, I said that Coughlin was a Hall-of-Famer. The one I doubted was Eli Manning and I think the up and down play of the past few years could be contributed to Manning. Enter 2011 and Eli had his coming out party. He is the reason the Giants had 9 wins instead of 9+ losses. He put this injury-riddled team on his back all year long. But what has bothered me is the lack of respect given to a man that has made your team a consistent winner. Like I said the other day, I was watching the Giants and Packers in their playoff game last week and thought how nice it must be to have your team in the playoffs (or fighting for it) every year. Do Giants fans now get what they have? Or will the call for blood the next time they go on a 3-4 game losing streak? No one can win the Super Bowl every year, no one can win the division every year and no one can make the playoffs every year. Coughlin has done nothing but win since the beginning, he immediately transformed the Jacksonville Jaguars from start-up franchise to 2-time AFC Championship runners-up. What was his reward? Fired after their window ended without a Super Bowl. Coughlin turns a Giants franchise that had been ridden into the ground and has turned them into the 2007 World Campions, 2-time NFC East champions and now have another chance for a 2nd NFC title and maybe another world title. What is his reward? Well, I hope it’s the respect and credit that is due. New York…sit down, shut up and enjoy a Hall-of-Fame coach that walks your sidelines. It took your team 14 years to go find another one…it might be awhile before you have it this good again!

 
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Posted by on January 20, 2012 in Eli Manning, Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, New York Giants, NFC Championship Game, NFL, NFL Playoffs, Super Bowl XLII, Tom Coughlin

 

You have to risk it all, to win it all.

19 Jan

I was looking for some information on my Redskins, when I came across this article. Now, I could go on and on about what I think about the Redskins and the quarterback situation, but I think this brings up a whole other subject. That being that the NFL is a one position league. Take some time to at least scan through that article (believe me, it’s good for fans of any team). Let’s take a look at what the NFL has become.

I never really thought about writing about this subject until today when I read Jason Reid’s article on the QB situation for Washington and the whole league. It just reinforced my position that I have come to over the past 2-3 years. That being, the NFL is a one position (QB) league. You have to have a great QB to win the Super Bowl these days. Just go ahead and look at the QB’s that have made and won the past 11 Super Bowls (in reverse order):

That’s right, you have to go all the way back to 2000 to see an average/good QB match-up. And that was really before a lot of the rules have made it to a QB league. Gone are the days of a Jim McMahon, Jeff Hostetler, Doug Williams, Mark Rypien winning the Super Bowl. Sure, you see Rex Grossman in Super Bowl XLI in 2006. He was surrounded by an outstanding defense and a great running game (why did Lovie Smith stop running the ball in the 2nd half?). But this is the exception. If you want consistent winning, which is the best way to make 1 or multiple trips to the Super Bowl, you have to have a great QB. This league is the haves and the have-nots. Sure, you can have your team jump up and have a great year winning 10 or 11 games and making the playoffs. There’s 5 new teams making the playoffs every year. But if you want to turn that into consistency, you have to have an elite QB. For the fans of the teams that don’t have an elite QB? You’re screwed. You want to know why the 49ers are back in the NFC Championship Game? Look no further than Alex Smith and before you start laughing, go look up his numbers this year. He has been more than a game manager. I wouldn’t put him in the elite catagory, but for at least this year he is a very good to great QB. For all of the flack (no pun intended) toward Joe Flacco (and I have my doubts, too) he has been a good to very good QB most of the time and has a ceiling in the elite level.

All we have to look at is this: NEVER, NEVER, NEVER have I ever even agreed with the notion to root for your team to lose games to get a higher draft pick. Well….that is until this year, of course. Sure, it was foreign to me and very hard. I even caught myself pulling for the Skins to win games that they were close in and ones at the end of the season. I reveled in the fact they swept the New York Football Giants for the first time since 1999!!!! I could finally call my brother and act like a complete idiot, pumping my fists in his face Harbaugh-style and singing Hail To The Redskins at the top of my lungs. Then, I remembered where our franchises currently stand and I cried like a baby…but enough about that.

Why did I pull for the Skins to Suck For Luck? Even though they had no shot at him because the Colts were purposely throwing their season. What other choice do you have? If you want your team to have a chance to win a Super Bowl you better believe this is your only shot nowadays. Plus, I think you would too if your team hadn’t had a franchise QB since 1985 when Joe Theismann went down to a nasty, career-ending injury at the hands of LT. And if you look at it, the Skins haven’t had a legit Hall-of-Famer at the QB position since Sonny Jurgensen was throwing it around from 1964-74. THAT’S A FULL 8 YEARS BEFORE I WAS BORN!!! Sorry to yell, but COME ON! I realize that their only shot at being a legitimate franchise again is to get that elusive franchise QB. More than ever this is imperative. And it is to your team, too. I mean, think about it…the Colts aren’t stupid (well….) they are risking alienating the face of the franchise, since it moved to Indy in 1984, to draft the next elite QB. They now for them to maintain a level of excellence, this is their only way.

So, thank you Roger freaking Goodell. You have messed this league up, in the name of safety and trying to grab the casual fans’ eyeball. Thank you for giving my team (and many other fans’ teams) the chances of “when Hell freezes over” to not only win a Super Bowl but to compete for it for a full decade!

 
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Posted by on January 19, 2012 in Aaron Rodgers, Alex Smith, Andrew Luck, Ben Roethlisberger, Brad Johnson, Donovan McNabb, Doug Williams, Drew Brees, Eli Manning, Indianapolis Colts, Jake Delhomme, Jeff Hostetler, Jim McMahon, Joe Flacco, Joe Theismann, Kerry Collins, Kurt Warner, Mark Rypien, Matt Hasselbeck, New York Giants, NFC Championship Game, NFL, Peyton Manning, Rex Grossman, Rich Gannon, Roger Goodell, San Francisco 49ers, Sonny Jurgensen, Super Bowl, Tom Brady, Trent Dilfer, Washington Redskins

 

NFL Playoff Recovery

16 Jan

2012 Playoff Bracket

So, the Australian Open started yesterday. Tennis season has officially started and we have so much to cover. First things first, Rafael Nadal called Roger Federer…. Have I lost anyone yet? Yeah, I feel the same way. Ok, so let me be serious. On to football…

What a day, what a day! I told you it would blow your mind away!!! So much to get to, where do we begin? First off, we have a team in the Baltimore Ravens that beat an inferior team in the Houston Texans. And when I say inferior, I mean a rookie quarterback going up against a great defense. When it came down to it, TJ Yates just couldn’t make the plays. On 4th and 1 at the Bal. 43 with :11 sec. left, Yates decided to air it out deep for the touchdown. Seriously?? No out pattern? Get the 1st down and get out of bounds? This was his 3rd pick of the day and ultimately the end of the season for him and his Texans. I told you it would come down to him and Baltimore’s defense and I was right (just in case you forgot I said that, tic). After watching this game yesterday I couldn’t help but think if Matt Schaub had been in there as the QB the Texans would have won this thing. Not to pour on Baltimore’s parade but if they want to get further than the AFC Championship Game, they are going to have to get a little more out of their offense. I still have questions as to whether or not Joe Flacco is an elite QB in this league and this game didn’t answer them. Sure, his numbers looked pretty good but if you watched the game you could tell he was not anywhere near the level he will need to be to advance any further.

Next up for the Ravens, they will head into Foxboro to face the #1 New England Patriots. Luckily for the Ravens, Bill Belicheat will not be able to tape their walk-throughs. Another plus on Baltimore’s side is that they will be playing against the 2nd worst defense in the league. Never, since the beginning of the Super Bowl-era in 1966 has a defense that has ranked that low go on to play in/win a Super Bowl. After all of the records that are falling by the wayside this playoff season, we will see if that is another one that does. Both Baltimore’s offense and New England’s defense will need to step up. Which one will? Which one won’t?

The second game yesterday was the Giants walking into Lambeau Field and embarrassing the Green Bay Packers. I have never seen a team come into Lambeau and just take it to a Green Bay team like this, well at least when Green Bay is as talented and good as this 15-1 team was. Green Bay becomes the first 15-1 team in NFL history, since they started playing 16 games in 1978, to lose in it’s first playoff game. Green Bay really never showed up. Rodgers, though he had a decent game, was never the Aaron Rodgers in the regular season. It felt like everybody on the offense had a fumble. And the defense showed why it was the worst defense in the league this year. Eli Manning showed again how great of a QB he has been this year. Here is another QB I never thought would reach the elite status but it seems that he has, especially if they so happen to win another title. Green Bay was in it because of some of the worst officiating I have ever seen until the Giants pulled away in the 4th quarter, but it never really felt like they had a chance at winning it. New York came in hot and ready to play and Green Bay was as cold and lifeless as the Lambeau turf was some 44 years ago in the Ice Bowl. I thought New York had a really good chance at winning this game but I never thought Green Bay would come out like this. Disappointing. I was hoping for another classic like we got 4 years ago in the 2007 NFC Championship Game.

Next up for the Giants, they will head to San Francisco to face the #2 San Francisco 49ers. This feels like it did 21 years ago in the 1990 NFC Championship Game. The difference, other than team talent being greater before free agency, is this time the Giants come in with an elite, Super Bowl champion quarterback and the 49ers bring in a quarterback that has done well but isn’t thought of as a great QB. We’ll see if the same fate awaits these two teams. They’ll be playing just 2 days later than exactly 21 years ago in January of 1991. Good news for me is that the Redskins won the Super Bowl the following year. Bad news is that unfortunately, I don’t believe history will repeat itself.

 
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Posted by on January 16, 2012 in Aaron Rodgers, AFC Championship Game, Baltimore Ravens, Bill Belichick, Eli Manning, Houston Texans, Ice Bowl, Joe Flacco, Lambeau Field, New England Patriots, NFC Championship, NFC Championship Game, NFL, San Francisco 49ers, Super Bowl, TJ Yates, Uncategorized

 
 
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