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Category Archives: San Francisco 49ers

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

 

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

 

UnLUCKy Horseshoe

18 Jan

WHOA NELLY!!! Did anyone see this one coming? Of course we did. I actually saw this coming the second the Indianapolis Colts hired Jim Caldwell. Jim Caldwell was a Barry Switzer-like hire, just without all of the championship rings from coaching college. Let’s take the Delorean back to 1994…

Jimmy Johnson had just stepped down from winning back-to-back championships with the Dallas Cowboys. Mr. Plastic Jerry Jones as Owner, President, GM, Emporer, Pharoah, Caesar, etc. wanted a puppet. He wanted a man that he could control, a man that would go with the flow and do it Jerry’s way. Jimmy Johnson was too much of a free-thinker and rattled too many of Jones’ cages. Now, I think the same applies to Mr. Bill Polian circa 2009. Tony Dungy, who didn’t rattle cages like Johnson but did have success, had just retired and Polian needed his own Pinochio. In comes poor Jim Caldwell. Caldwell would go with the flow and just drive the Manning-hini. Now, when the Colts hired Caldwell I was flabbergasted. Why in the world would the Colts want Mr. Wake Forest-fail to come in and coach what was the 2nd most successful franchise in the 2000′s? Well, Mr. Polian wanted a puppet to go along with his master plan.

Let’s get back to the Twin Lone Pine Mall. Exit Bill Polian and son, enter Ryan Grigson as GM and exit Jim Caldwell. Caldwell never should have been the head coach of the Colts in the first place but there is more to the story of the epic Peyton Manning-less colapse of the 2011 Indianapolis Colts.

Now, I have never been a real big believer in conspiracy theories (although the movie is very underrated). I don’t believe the NBA is rigged to have the biggest star always win. I don’t believe that Curt Schilling used ketchup on his sock. I don’t believe the NBA fixed Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals to have the Lakers beat the Kings. I don’t believe the Home Run Kings in baseball in the late 80′s to early 00′s used steroids…oh, wait…I guess that one was true, but I digress. I have to say after watching the crash and burn that was the Colts this year it leaves one to wonder what was going on behind closed doors.

I do believe there probably was a little something extra going on behind the scenes. Did the Colts tank to get the 1st pick and be able to draft Andrew Luck? Let’s remember this is a team to get wiped out by the Saints 62-7. Would Polian have his team put it on cruise control to just get through the season guaranteed of being able to draft Luck? The better question might be would he not consider it? Maybe this is all pure speculation and the Colts just sucked that bad. But is one man, even a QB and even a QB as great as Peyton Manning, able to turn a team that was extremely lucky to not lose every game into a consistent 10+ win team and not only win a Super Bowl but to also get to another one? I do think Polian was horrible at drafting over the past 3 or so years but this bad? I also don’t believe that Peyton would be able to take a team that showed this much lack of talent to the playoffs, let alone the Super Bowl. So this just leads me to think something fishy/dirty was going on.

We’ll probably never know a true answer. But, it does look like this franchise is in the re-making phase. With a new GM and soon a new coach, the Colts will almost likely be picking up Andrew Luck and not looking to add a bunch of extra picks to stock up for one or so last runs at a Super Bowl with Peyton Manning. If this happens, could we be seeing the reverse of the 1980′s-90′s 49ers? Remember Montana brought them 4 titles while Young brought them a 5th. Could it be Manning brings them 1 while Luck brings them 4 more? Only time will tell. Maybe, they just stick with Peyton Manning and trade out to the Washington Redskins…we all could only hope this true.

 
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Posted by on January 18, 2012 in Andrew Luck, Barry Switzer, Bill Polian, Curt Schilling, Indianapolis Colts, Jerry Jones, Jim Caldwell, Jimmy Johnson, Joe Montana, NBA, Ryan Grigson, Sacramento Kings, San Francisco 49ers, Steve Young, Tony Dungy, Wake Forest

 

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

 

NFL Playoffs Divisional Round, Day 2

15 Jan

2012 NFL Playoff Bracket

Wow. It was the Vernon Davis Show in San Francisco yesterday and The Bum was out in full force last night in Foxboro. The 49ers-Saints game was a classic. The score was 20-14 and within a matter of 5 minutes there was a see-saw battle until the Niners came out victorious 36-32. Great game. Not so for the night cap. Tebow wasn’t around all night but the bigger story was the Patriots defense trading uniforms and playing as Denver. New England busted out of the gates and never looked back, on their way to a 45-10 blowout. Hopefully, both of today’s games resemble more of the first than the latter of last night’s games. Here are the match-ups.

Houston Texans @ Baltimore Ravens, 1:00 on CBS - We all know the phrase “any given Sunday”. Well, this is the exception to the rule. Houston has a rookie quarterback in TJ Yates who is coming into the lion’s den. You know Ray Lewis and Co. are chomping at the bit to get a hold of him. Yes, Arian Foster and Andre Johnson and Owen Daniels will make life a little easier for the Tar Heel but mark it down, the rookie will struggle big time. This is a big boy defense and might be Ray Lewis’ last chance to get a second ring. Another thing playing against the Texans is that this will be Baltimore’s first home playoff game since 2006. M&T Bank Stadium is going to be rocking with a chance to see their Ravens at home in the post-season. Oh yeah, and then there is history…history is on the side of Baltimore, as the Ravens are 5-0 all-time versus the Texans. This would be a totally different game with Matt Schaub playing but he’s not. Yates has done a really good job filling in for the past 7 weeks but this will be the final stop. Don’t get me wrong, these are two of the top defenses in the league this year (Baltimore 3rd in pts. and yards allowed and Houston in 4th in pts. allowed while 2nd in yards allowed). This will be an all out defensive game…think LSU-Alabama Part I. Well, I think there will be a little more scoring, but is anyone sold on Joe Flacco? I think he’s a good quarterback but I don’t know if his ceiling goes any higher. Baltimore pulls away in the end. Ravens 21 Texans 12

New York Giants @ Green Bay Packers, 4:00 on FOX - Let’s be honest, outside of yesterday’s game in Foxboro-but only because of one man, this is the game everyone has been waiting for. This is old school football….or is it? Sure, we have seen many NY-GB games decide who wins/plays in the championship game. The names that have filled family’s living rooms, from Y.A. Tittle, Don Hutson, Sam Huff, Herb Adderley, Frank Gifford, Bart Starr to Lawrence Taylor, Brett Favre, Harry Carson and Reggie White. Heck, even Vince Lombardi was an offensive coordinator for the New York Football Giants under Jim Lee Howell (Tom Landry was the defensive coordinator…how sick is that?). And since we’re talking about coaches we can’t leave out Bill Parcells and Mike Holmgren. And who can forget legendary New York Giants’ QB Joe Pisarcik…I kid, I kid. These legends add an aura to this game that you just don’t get in many other match-ups. Can you imagine being in a bar watching the Saints-Lions and the dude sitting next to you saying, “Wow, this brings up memories of yore. Remember legends such as Billy Joe Hobert, Bobby Hebert, Scott Mitchell and Rusty Hilger.” I’d spit my beer out…probably all over his vintage 2002 Joey Harrington jersey! We’ve seen many mighty struggles between these two golden franchises. Most recently we saw Brett Favre try to take his Pack to the Super Bowl in what would not only be his last year as a Packer but what would become the Giants epic upset of the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. But let’s get back to this game. This match-up is between Tom Coughlin and Mike McCarthy, Aaron Rodgers and Eli Manning, Jason Pierre-Paul and BJ Raji. I am going to pick the upset here (don’t tell my in-laws). If New York can play man-to-man, bump-and-run defense they should be able to slow Rodgers down. Green Bay is helped out by getting Greg Jennings back. But even if this game turns into a shoot-out, I think Manning can go toe-to-toe with Green Bay. No Discount Double Check for you Mr. Rodgers. Giants 34 Packers 31

So, enjoy the games today and we’ll meet back here tomorrow to talk about what went on.

 
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Posted by on January 15, 2012 in NFL, NFL Playoffs, Houston Texans, New Orleans Saints, Detroit Lions, New York Giants, Denver Broncos, Tom Coughlin, Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots, LSU, Alabama, Baltimore Ravens, Bill Belichick, Super Bowl, Vernon Davis, TJ Yates, Arian Foster, Andre Johnson, Owen Daniels, North Carolina, Ray Lewis, M&T Bank Stadium, Matt Schaub, Joe Flacco, Y.A. Tittle, Don Hutson, Sam Huff, Herb Adderley, Frank Gifford, Bart Starr, Lawrence Taylor, Brett Favre, Harry Carson, Reggie White, Vince Lombardi, Jim Lee Howell, Tom Landry, Bill Parcells, Mike Holmgren, Joe Pisarcik, Billy Joe Hobert, Bobby Hebert, Scott Mitchell, Rusty Hilger, Joey Harrington, Super Bowl XLII, Mike McCarthy, Aaron Rodgers, Eli Manning, Jason Pierre-Paul, BJ Raji, Greg Jennings

 

NFL Playoffs Divisional Round, Day 1

14 Jan

NFL Playoffs bracket

Day 1 and boy, do we have some match-ups to watch today! You have high powered air attacks, a smash-mouth defense, old-school 80′s style football, a defense that a wet noodle could score on…heck we even have the option for all of you. If you’re not satisfied by that well, than you need to go talk to Mick Jagger! But the story lines don’t stop there. We have a city’s “savior”, the “next-Montana”, an archangel who can’t throw the ball but he still beats you nonetheless and we can’t forget the coach who not only beats you but afterwards slaps the crap out of you and pumps his fist in your face. Yes, and we have it all in one day!! So, let’s take a closer look at these matchups.

New Orleans Saints @ San Francisco 49ers, 4:30 on FOX - Sean Payton and Drew Brees take their air show on the road. Luckily, for them and us we aren’t at the mercy of San Fran generators. On the other side we have Jim Harbaugh who has resurrected the 49ers and their QB Alex Smith. I’m not going to try and fool you into thinking Smith is a great QB. He is not. But, when he has a strong running game and a great defense the man can manage a game. Well, manage is not really giving him enough credit. Alex Smith in any other year had an outstanding year. But 3, yes THREE, QB’s threw for over 5,000 yards this year. Heck, even a rookie threw for over 4,000 yards. The Niners also have one of the best backs out there in Frank Gore. The most shocking stat is that the Saints have rushed for more yards this season than the 49ers. The Niners have more of a grind-it-out, very balanced offensive approach while the Saints are like Air Coryell on steroids. But the Saints have a running game too, they just don’t need to use it that much. On the defensive front, the 49ers are everything you want. They not only shut you down and don’t allow many yards and/or points but they also lead the league, with Green Bay, in takeaways. We all know what the Saints are on defense. Not a lot of great talent but a master-schemer in Greg Williams who loves to put pressure on you and make you turn the ball over. The only thing is, they are one of the worst defenses in takeaways. This game is really going to come down to what the 49ers do in the redzone. They are going to have to score touchdowns not settle for field goals or leave points on the board. I love the 49ers and think this is a game they can definitely win but I have to pick the Saints who I think are on a roll right now. Saints 23, 49ers 21

Denver Broncos @ New England Patriots, 8:00 on CBS - In the AFC we have…well, I really don’t know what we have. Seriously, can anyone please tell me what in the world is happening in the city “high in the sky” this year? I thought the Steelers, even with all of their injuries, would never let the Broncos beat them in the playoffs (well, according to some only one man…nay, one demigod beat the Steelers). I can throw all of the stats I want at you and in the end what will it mean? Absolutely zilch! If the Patriots defense (yes, that one I said a wet noodle could score on) allows Thor Tebow to keep his team in the game late, you can guarantee we just might see another magic show happen in the end. I have to say that I would absolutely love to see the whole Broncos team Tebowing literally on top of Belicheat but I really don’t think they will win. I think this is where the T-train ends and Brady and the Patriots move on to the AFC Championship Game. The Patriots defense, well…the 11 men that just so happen to be on the field when we say “the Patriots defense” will allow the Broncos to keep up but I think the Pats are too powerful and have been here too many times to allow the Broncos to steel (ha, like that one?) this one away. But, I said that last week about the Steelers and look where we are right now! So, I will stop running my mouth (better yet, typing with my fingers) and predict the score. Patriots 24, Broncos 17

On another note, we have one of the weirdest things to come around in some time. I mean, this was pretty weird and so was this, this, this and this. But 12 years ago, did anyone ever even think that they would see this happen? I have to say I didn’t but hey, if you can’t beat them… I wonder if Fisher will get to the Super Bowl in a few years and have to give one of those “They’re celebrating right now! Look at them!” speeches to pump his team up, only to have them fall 1/2 a yard short this time. I think Jeff Fisher is a great coach and is bound to win one someday. The Rams finally have a coach that can lead them back to the promise land. But a word of the wise to you St. Louis…don’t dump Sam Bradford and go with a knucklehead like this guy. It might not work out too well.

Enjoy the games today and we will be back tomorrow to have me gloat about just how smart I am at picking NFL playoff games to preview Sunday’s match-ups.

 
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Posted by on January 14, 2012 in AFC, Alex Smith, Bill Belichick, Denver Broncos, Drew Brees, Frank Gore, Green Bay Packers, Greg Williams, Jeff Fisher, Jim Harbaugh, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, NFL, NFL Playoffs, Pittsburgh Steelers, Sam Bradford, San Francisco 49ers, Sean Payton, St. Louis Rams, Super Bowl, Tennessee Titans, Tim Tebow, Tom Brady

 

Revisiting the 2007 NFL Draft, Part Deux

13 Jan

Ok, ok so Tom Brady wasn’t in the 2007 draft. But, I just couldn’t resist. I mean seriously…who would have ever looked at that and said, “Franchise QB! This is gonna be the next great one!” I mean, even Michigan was happy to see him go. But props to Brady for allowing his coach to cheat with a video camera to win 3 Super Bowls using his low pick to motivate him into becoming probably the best QB of the past decade. So with all of this inside information I am giving you here, let’s move along to the 2nd half of the 2007 NFL Draft. (If you didn’t catch the first part you can scroll down to the post before this one or click here)

  1. Denver Broncos - Jarvis Moss, DE, Florida – A lot of talent and a lot of waste of said talent. Moss has not only struggled at DE but also when Mike Nolan, then DC for the Broncos, moved him to Outside Linebacker. He has struggled so much that he himself even contemplated retiring. So who picks him up after being released…you guessed it: Oakland, the last stop for busts in the NFL. F-
  2. Cincinnati Bengals - Leon Hall, CB, Michigan – A solid pick for an unstable franchise. Leon Hall gets absolutely no press but he is a solid starting corner in this league. Is he worth the #17 pick? Probably a little high but a good pick nonetheless. B
  3. Tennessee Titans - Michael Griffin, S, Texas – I would say that this was a good pick. I think Griffin is a really good safety in this league. Some would say he’s overrated but I would disagree. The man makes plays and was a 2nd team All-Pro in 2010. There are a lot of great safeties in this league and I think Griffin qualifies to be in the discussion. A
  4. New York Giants - Aaron Ross, CB, Texas – Another Longhorn DB being picked in the 1st round. Ross at times has been good but has definitely not been good enough to qualify a 1st round pick. C-
  5. Jacksonville Jaguars - Reggie Nelson, S, Florida – This makes 4, count them 4 straight DB picks in this draft. It kind of feels like these teams were in a fantasy draft…once a position starts coming off the board, everybody’s got to jump in and take that position so they won’t be left behind. I have to say I liked this pick when the Jags made it, but boy were they wrong on this guy. Whew! D
  6. Cleveland Browns - Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame – Remember when Quinn was in free-fall? The NFL Network and ESPN were freaking out!! The Browns had already picked up OT Joe Thomas and traded up to pick the QB of their future. I thought this was a good pick. I thought Quinn falling was the best thing for him. But…all you have to know about this pick is Quinn is now sitting behind Tim Tebow. Yeah! D-
  7. Kansas City Chiefs - Dwayne Bowe, WR, LSU – Absolute stud! Bowe started out his career as a talented yet lazy player. Bowe was the biggest benefactor to Todd Haley being in KC. Haley pushed Bowe into being a star WR with a great work ethic. Bowe has been one of the best WR in the league and maybe one of the most underrated. A+
  8. New England Patriots - Brandon Meriweather, S, Miami – What is it with Bill Belicheat taking problem childs and thinking he can turn them around in his system? Meriweather was nothing but trouble at “The U” and has been nothing but a waste of talent. D-
  9.  Carolina Panthers - Jon Beason, LB, Miami – The Pats should have taken Beason with this pick. Maybe their D would look a little better right now. Beason has been a great linebacker for Carolina. This is another underrated player but at least he is getting a nod in the Pro Bowl. A
  10. Dallas Cowboys - Anthony Spencer, LB, Purdue – Spencer has been an average linebacker for the Cowboys. I don’t think he is worth a 1st round pick but it is a lower pick in the round. Spencer also plays on a D that is nothing much outside of DeMarcus Ware (who is probably the best defensive lineman in the NFL). C-
  11. New Orleans Saints - Robert Meachem, WR, Tennessee – I can’t stand Meacham!!!! It never seems to fail that I get stuck with him on my fantasy team. One of these days I will have a WR group that won’t suffer injuries and I can laugh at the tool that ends up with him. Ok, I am going to put away my bias now and say Meachem is a good WR in a great passing system. He is a very up and down receiver. He’ll have 3 quiet games and then break out with 150 yds. and 2 TD’s. Not a great pick but could have been worse. C+
  12. San Francisco 49ers - Joe Staley, OT, Central Michigan – Now here is a great Chippewa! Staley is finally getting some credit on a really good Niner offensive line. Staley is a very solid lineman who anchors a line that helps the 49ers running game go. A
  13. Baltimore Ravens - Ben Grubbs, G, Auburn – Grubbs is a solid pro and a pretty good pick in the 1st round. A
  14. San Diego Chargers - Craig “Buster” Douglas Davis, WR, LSU – Yeah, all you have to know is he isn’t playing in the NFL right now. F
  15. Chicago Bears - Greg Olsen, TE, Miami – I don’t know why the Bears didn’t want him and traded Olsen away to the Panthers. This was a really good pick by the Bears who never seemed to realize what they had. Hey Chicago, not every good TE is just a receiver the best of them block too. Olsen does it all…in Carolina now and that’s why the grade isn’t as high (not because of what Olsen is) C+
  16. Indianapolis Colts - Anthony Gonzalez, WR, Ohio St. – I’m not buying it. Gonzalez is the biggest benefactor of Peyton Manning. He is a very average #3 WR that is in the best passing system in the league…maybe ever! D-

So, that does it for the ’07 Draft. Let me know where I was right and/or right wrong. Tomorrow is ALL NFL baby! You have New Orleans @ San Fran (you can’t get a better contrast of styles than this game) and Denver @ New England (can Jesus, er…Tebow upset Brady and the Patriots?). I’ll have more coverage of these games tomorrow.

 
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Posted by on January 13, 2012 in Aaron Ross, Anthony Gonzalez, Anthony Spencer, Auburn, Baltimore Ravens, Ben Grubbs, Bill Belichick, Brady Quinn, Brandon Meriweather, Carolina Panthers, Central Michigan, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Craig "Buster" Douglas, Dallas Cowboys, DeMarcus Ware, Denver Broncos, Dwayne Bowe, ESPN, Florida, Greg Olsen, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Jarvis Moss, Joe Staley, Joe Thomas, Jon Beason, Kansas City Chiefs, Leon Hall, LSU, Miami, Michael Griffin, Michigan, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, NFL, NFL Draft, Notre Dame, Oakland Raiders, Ohio St., Peyton Manning, Purdue, Reggie Nelson, Robert Meachem, San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, Tennessee, Tennessee Titans, Texas, Tim Tebow, Todd Haley, Tom Brady, Uncategorized

 

Revisiting the 2007 NFL Draft

12 Jan

Yesterday, I was perusing around some sports websites when I stumbled upon ESPN’s own Mel Kiper, Jr.’s piece re-grading every NFL team on the 2011 NFL Draft. First, let me say how absolutely stupid this is. How in the world are you going to judge any player on just 1 season? Especially, when all rookies didn’t even have a full training camp and pre-season. I know why they did this, it’s a little slow right now in the sports world…yes, it will pick up this weekend but how many times are you going to analyze the Divisional Round of the playoffs? So, I will spare you all from critiquing Kiper’s grades but it got me thinking…how about looking back 5 years and critiquing each team’s 1st round picks. So, let’s go back to the 2007 NFL Draft and look at how these players are doing after finishing their 5th season in the league. I’ll post the 1st 16 picks today and the other 1/2 of the 1st Round tomorrow. Here we go…

  1. Oakland Raiders - JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU – Wow! What can we say about Mr. Russell?!?! To think a lot of pundits raved about Russell because of one game where he carved up one of the worst defenses to play in South Bend on his way to winning the Sugar Bowl against Notre Dame. Notre Dame shouldn’t have been anywhere near a BCS bowl game that year. Hey, at least the man got paid…which he has already devoured (pun intended). F-
  2. Detroit Lions - Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech – Matt Millen can thank Oakland for this one. Millen had a thing for picking WR’s in the 1st round but this one was the only one to pan out. Megatron has been a BEAST for Motown. Great pick for Millen. A+
  3. Cleveland Browns - Joe Thomas, OT, Wisconsin – Another great pick! Joe Thomas has been/will be the cornerstone in Cleveland for more than a decade. If he isn’t the top Offensive Tackle in the NFL he is right up there. A+
  4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Gaines Adams, DE, Clemson –  Really sad story. The late Adams had tons of talent that never got much of a chance to show it. He only played 2 1/2 seasons for the Bucs before being traded to the Bears in October of 2009. Unfortunately, his life was cut short in January of 2010. I can’t give out a grade on this one. N/A
  5. Arizona Cardinals - Levi Brown, OT, Penn State – While Levi Brown has not been a bad offensive lineman for the Cards, he certainly does not deserve a Top 5 pick. This was a huge reach for the Cardinals, but hey…it’s the Cardinals and they are who they are because they continue to reach. C-
  6. Washington Redskins - LaRon Landry, S, LSU – If this piece was done 2 or so years ago I would have graded this pick pretty low. Since, I am a Skins fan I have seen every game LaRon Landry has played in the pros. Landry has plenty of talent but got absolutely scorched time-after-time in his first few seasons. Since Haslett has come to town he moved Landry to SS where he belongs and Landry has been an absolute stud on the football field. The only problem is he hasn’t been on there much the past couple of seasons. C+
  7. Minnesota Vikings - Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma – I wish my Skins had made this pick. Peterson was a BEAST in college but prone to injuries (which shied me away from him in ’07). But from his first game on he has been nothing short of the Best Runningback in football! A+
  8. Atlanta Falcons - Jamaal Anderson, DE, Arkansas – Eh. Not that good of a pick by the Falcons. Maybe they thought they we re-picking the “Dirty Birds” Jamaal Anderson??They released him before this season and he has been an integral part of the Indianapolis Colts’ 2-14 season this year….I kid, I kid. F
  9. Miami Dolphins - Ted Ginn, Jr, WR, Ohio State – What were they thinking?? At least the Fins only kept Ginn around for 3 years. I think the Dolphins look back at this pick and think “we should have taken Dwayne Bowe”. D
  10. Houston Texans - Amobi Okoye, DT, Louisville – Okoye has been a pretty good Defensive Tackle but worth a 10th pick? Let’s just say this: Houston let him walk to Chicago before this season started. Nice player, a reach of a pick. C-
  11. San Francisco 49ers - Patrick Willis, LB, Ole Miss – The BEST Linebacker in the game today. Have you seen this machine play? He will end his career as one of the best Linebackers to play the game. San Fran absolutely hit it out-of-the-park with this pick. A+
  12. Buffalo Bills - Marshawn Lynch, RB, California – After shooting of the gates and posting back-to-back 1,000 yd. seasons his first 2 years. Skittles then got into various off the field problems and had a couple of injuries before being traded to Seattle. Since then he has kind of rejuvenated his career. New Orleans might be able to tell you a little more about that! B
  13. St. Louis Rams - Adam Carriker, DE/DT, Nebraska – I don’t know what St. Louis saw in Carriker by moving him to Defensive Tackle but it didn’t work. He was then traded to Washington where he was switched back to Defensive End and has been a pleasant surprise. He definitely is not a Top 15 pick though he does show flashes of that from time to time. D+ (this low because they used him as a DT)
  14. New York Jets - Darelle Revis, CB, Pittsburgh – Does anyone not know about Revis Island? He is the best shutdown corner in the league. Really doesn’t need anymore explaining. A+
  15. Pittsburgh Steelers - Lawrence Timmons, LB, Florida State – Until 2011, Timmons had been getting better and better. Was it the contract or the short pre-season that resulted in a decent but not great season? Timmons has shown to be a very good Linebacker but I don’t know if a Top 15 pick is where he should have been drafted. Only time will tell which way this one goes. I think he’ll be a pretty good starter for another 5-10 years but nothing too special. C+
  16. Green Bay Packers – Justin Harrell, DT, Tennessee – This is a very hard pick to evaluate. Harrell, who is a Free Agent right now, has been constantly hampered by injuries. This last one in 2010 was a major knee injury that looks like it might have ended his pro career. I have to give a low grade on this pick since he was coming off of a pretty big biceps tear at Tennessee but to be fair the Packers couldn’t have totally seen this coming. D-

So, there we have the first 1/2 of the 1st Round of the 2007 NFL Draft. A lot of reaches, a HUGE bust and a few future Hall-of-Famers. I hear JaMarcus Russell has been signed to a huge deal for a starring role in one of TV’s biggest shows. Good for him!

 
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Posted by on January 12, 2012 in NFL, Houston Texans, New Orleans Saints, Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers, BCS, Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers, LSU, Sugar Bowl, JaMarcus Russell, Oakland Raiders, NFL Draft, Calvin Johnson, Cleveland Browns, Joe Thomas, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Gaines Adams, Arizona Cardinals, Levi Brown, Washington Redskins, LaRon Landry, Minnesota Vikings, Adrian Peterson, Jamaal Anderson, Miami Dolphins, Jr., Amobi Okoye, Buffalo Bills, Patrick Willis, Marshawn Lynch, St. Louis Rams, Adam Carriker, New York Jets, Darelle Revis, Lawrence Timmons, Justin Harrell, Tennessee, Florida St., Pittsburgh, Revis Island, Nebraska, Skittles, California, Ole Miss, Seattle Seahawks, Louisville, Chicago Bears, Ohio St., Dwayne Bowe, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Jim Haslett, Penn St., Clemson, Wisconsin, Georgia Tech, Matt Millen, Megatron, Notre Dame

 

Football, more football and…baseball??

09 Jan

We just had the second day of NFL playoffs and we have the BCS Championship Game coming up tonight. So you ask why is this guy posting about baseball in January. Well, you will just have to wait and see. On to the pigskin we go…

Well, Pittsburgh…God doesn’t much care for your Steelers. In fact he just…ok, so I kid. Really, the yolk is on me. Not even 24 hours after I ripped the Denver Tebows Broncos for no offense and slammed Tim Tebow for not being able to throw a football, the Broncos beat the Steelers 29-23. This is one week after they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 7-3. A whopping total of three points, people! Now, I know the Steelers were missing Ryan Clark, Reshard Mendenhall, Mewelde Moore and Maurkice Pouncey but come on, Tebow just had a game where he went 6-22 for 60 yards. Do you know how hard that is to do? I think I can get in there and…ok, maybe not but it takes a lot of sucking to get that bad. Tebow was 10-21 for 316 yards and 2 TD’s passing and 1 TD running. But the biggest stat is 0 interceptions. I have to say when I saw Tebow hit Demaryius Thomas across the middle for an 80 yard touchdown I said to myself, “I bet they miss Ryan Clark now.” But it should have never gotten to that point. But hey, hats off to Denver for winning and to Tim Tebow for making me look like an idiot. (For the record, I still don’t buy him as a good enough QB in this league)

In the earlier game we got to see the New York Gints rip another one into the Atlanta Falcons 24-2. This is now 3 straight years where they have disappointed and lost in the 1st round. I think fate is playing a huge role with the Falcons. I mean…when you have looked like this but wear this now??? You do the math. It wouldn’t surprise me to start seeing Mike Smith’s seat getting a little warm. This has to make Tom Coughlin, who is burnt red from his seat being hot every year now, happy and probably feeling a little safer now. The game was a great one through 2 1/2 quarters but we saw again where going for it on 4th and short instead of kicking the field goal, to at least keep up, just kills a team. From there, Atlanta’s defense just couldn’t keep pace and Eli Manning, who is having his best season, and the running game of Jacobs and Bradshaw was a buzz saw on their way to a classic match-up with the Green Bay Packers. To be honest, I can see the Giants beating the Pack…heck, they almost did it back in Week 13.

So, the stage is set for the Divisional Round of this year’s NFL playoffs. On Saturday, we have Saints at 49ers and Broncos at Patriots. On Sunday, we have Texans at Ravens and Giants at Packers. Meanwhile, tonight we get to watch #1 LSU play #2 Alabama in their first meeting of the season…what was that? They’ve already played this year? Ok, we have LSU-Alabama for the second meeting for these two SEC schools this year. I have to say that after the crap we’ve seen in the Rose, Fiesta, Sugar and Orange Bowls this year, it will be refreshing to see some defense. What will be interesting is hearing the LSU and Alabama fans cheer on their teams is that if Alabama wins we might have a split National Champion with Oklahoma St. getting a nod from the AP. (And Auburn fans cry foul again!) I like LSU again in this one and think that they carry the crystal ball home to Baton Rouge, which is like 5 minutes away from the Louisiana Superdome. But, I want to hear what you guys think. Tell me first who you think will win and secondly who you want to win.

And now onto baseball. Yes, the Hall-of-Fame will be calling a few lucky chumps today to tell them they are invited into it’s hallowed halls. The 1st time players list is pretty average but there are some guys back for reconsideration that deserve to get in. All hall voters get to choose a maximum of 10 players each year. I don’t have a vote this year, although I expect to next year, but i think these next 8 guys deserve to go in with Ron Santo (elected by the Veterans Committee back on December 5th). Those lucky 8 guys are: Barry Larkin, Jack Morris, Lee Smith, Tim Raines, Fred McGriff, Alan Trammell, Dale Murphy and Don Mattingly.

There is no way anyone on God’s green Earth can explain to me why Barry Larkin was not in on his first ballot. Look up the numbers, he’s just that good. One of the best Shortstops in history. You can look at the numbers of why I chose the other players here, but I want to highlight just a couple more. Fred McGriff was never near my list until I read this (under the section titled Fred McGriff and Dale Murphy). I’m not normally persuaded by one argument but Jason Stark totally changed my mind with that piece. Alan Trammell was (with Cal Ripken and Ozzie Smith) the best in the game at Shortstop in the 80′s. I think people like to put up his numbers against those in the Steroid Era and say they pale in comparison but if you look at them at the time he put them up, he was simply in the discussion of greatness. Don Mattingly is the most underrated Yankee of all-time. I actually think he’s a better player than “The Captain” Derek Jeter. You can even compare their numbers to each other. Mattingly – .307/.358/.471 (222 HR, 1,099 RBI, .830 OPS, 127 OPS+) / Jeter – .313/.383/.449 (206 HR, 1,002 RBI, .832 OPS, 117 OPS+) *Since Jeter has played 17 and Mattingly only 14 I shaved the last 3 years off of Jeter’s HR and RBI totals. I think that voters have had enough of NY hats in Cooperstown but it is an injustice that Donnie Baseball is being excluded. And for all of you who argue Jeter by saying “he wins” I have news for you: if Jeter played for the Yankees from 1982-95 and Mattingly 1995-present, Jeter would have ZERO rings and Mattingly with 4. Sorry, but Mattingly spent his years on a sorry Yankees baseball club (man I miss those days!).

 
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Posted by on January 9, 2012 in Alabama, Alan Trammell, Atlanta Falcons, Auburn, Baltimore Ravens, Barry Larkin, Baseball, Baseball Hall of Fame, BCS, Cal Ripken, Cooperstown, Dale Murphy, Denver Broncos, Derek Jeter, Don Mattingly, Fiesta Bowl, Fred McGriff, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Jack Morris, Kansas City Chiefs, Lee Smith, LSU, Mike Smith, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, New York Yankees, NFL, NFL Playoffs, Oklahoma St., Orange Bowl, Ozzie Smith, Pittsburgh Steelers, Reshard Mendenhall, Ron Santo, Rose Bowl, Ryan Clark, San Francisco 49ers, SEC, Sugar Bowl, Tim Raines, Tim Tebow, Tom Coughlin

 
 
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