Things Are Getting Pretty Serious

Just a quick note: I’m writing this post as I watch the national championship game between Oklahoma and Florida (trust me I’m struggling through it, but the Office is a repeat and there is nothing else worth watching on). You know, college football already has enough working against it as it is. Every year, the question of is the BCS champion the real national champion? is always pondered, and lots of years a “split” national championship is settled upon. That’s absolute crap, and that is why college football sucks. I feel like this is what would happen if Donovan McNabb was in charge of college football, but alas he is not, and it still happens. Whatever, I’m past it. PIIIICKS

The first game of the divisional round is going to be an absolute slugfest. They’ll be more hitting and fighting than actual football playing when Baltimore takes on Tennessee, but then again, isn’t that what football is really all about? I expect a similar game to their matchup from the regular season which the Titans won 13-10.
It makes me nervous to take Kerry Collins against the Ravens in the playoffs (see Super Bowl XXXV), but I think I’d be more nervous taking the rookie Joe Flacco against the Titans defense. Both teams are awesome on defense, both teams can pound the running game, but I say the gray beard (Collins) wins a squeaker at home with the crowd behind him. The X-Factor however, is Ed Reed. He’s the man. I really just can’t use words to describe how incredible he is, but I’ll just leave it at that. Also, when I see him have returns like this one last week, I wonder why they don’t use him on special teams more, or on offense. Regardless, he’s the reason why I’m taking Baltimore (+3) to cover.

On the flipside, I don’t see a repeat game of the Cardinals-Panthers regular season game happening tonight. Carolina was 8-0 at home this year, and Arizona was 3-5 on the road. Carolina will shove the ball down the Cardinals throat with Williams and Stewart, who will probably have about a buck-fifty each, and when the Cardinals put eight men in the box? Well then Steve Smith will be there to burn them. I think the Panthers win big, so I’m going with Carolina (-10). Don’t underestimate the combo of Smith-Muhammed in the playoffs. It’s deadly.

I still think that the Giants are the team to beat in the NFC, and the entire league as well, and I don’t trust Philly; not one bit. I think Philly could go 16-0 and tear up the league, but if Andy Reid was still their coach and McNabb was still their QB I would continue to bet against them. Because the Giants lost three of their last four (even though none of them mattered except the game they won against Carolina) and the Eagles beat the Giants at the Meadowlands a few weeks ago, I’ll pick Philadelphia (+4) to cover. But I still have a feeling the G-men will pull it out.

I’m not buying the whole “San Diego is hot” thing (even though they are). The Chargers always play the Steelers tough, Big Ben is banged up, and…Mike Scifres is perhaps the greatest punter ever. I am confident in saying he will be the very first kicker elected into the Hall of Fame. I would bet a moderate amount of money on it (maybe like $20). He will give the Chargers a huge edge in the field position battle. But if I know one thing it’s that you don’t bet against the league’s #1 defense at home in the playoffs…straight up at least. I’ll take San Diego (+6) to cover. I missed the cover on this game in the regular season when Pitt won 11-10 and Polamalu’s return for TD as time expired didn’t count when it should have. This game will be pretty similar, and I will have my redemption.

So I’m taking three underdogs with the spread, but not to win straight up. That is some very risky business, but hey, all that matters is the spread anyways. If one of them wins outright, I still win. Beautiful.

Oh, yeah, and that all-disappointment team is still in the workings and on its way soon. I’m really building the suspense with that one. You people can’t even sit still waiting for it. I can feel it.

Wild Card Weekend

Okay so just disregard the regular season. As any respectable coach would tell you, playoffs are a new season. Everyone is 0-0, and if you lose, you’re going home. I’d like to take that same approach here. After a regular season which I would like to forget, I’m going to use the playoffs as my rebound. Granted I did so poorly because I missed several weeks, but I’m not one for excuses. I was going to refuse to make playoff picks as a “f--- you” to the league for their extremely questionable rules regarding which teams make the postseason. I mean I am livid. The Patriots win their last four games and finish 11-5, and miss out. Yet, the Chargers, who won their last four games to finish just 8-8, not only get in but get to host a wild card game. Not to mention that none of their four victories were over playoff teams, and included was a one point victory over 2-14 Kansas City. But you know what, I’m passed all that for two reasons: 1) I love the NFL, and 2) I am a strong believer in karma. The Pats will get theirs when the perfect storm that I discussed a few posts ago is unleashed.

Cardinals (+2.5) over Falcons

Both the NFC games are completely tearing my insides apart. I don’t know who to pick in either matchup. The Cardinals have looked awful lately. I went to the game they played at New England, and it was a complete joke. It was obvious from the opening kickoff they were missing the cozy desert heat, and wanted no part of that Foxboro winter storm. Also, Michael Turner was second in the league with 1,700 rush yards, and the Cardinals rush defense could be gouged by Rashaan Salaam (so pumped I got that reference in there). But still, who’s to say the Cardinals are going to continue the trend they ended the season on? They really had nothing to play for as they had the division wrapped up, so can you blame them for wanting to get the hell out of Massachusetts? (It was absolutely freezing). The Falcons are just 4-4 away from home, and their less-than-stellar pass defense will have trouble stopping the Boldin-Fitzgerald aerial assault. It’s going to be close and high scoring, but I’ll take the home team and the points.

Indianapolis (-3) over San Diego

Yeah…I’m definitely not as worried about the AFC matchups. Indy has won nine in a row, they have the hilarious Peyton Manning (who I guess is pretty good too as he was named MVP), and they are clicking on all cylinders. San Diego has won four straight, but none against playoff teams. And I don’t want to hear this crap about “well they have a lot of talent and they seem to be gelling at the right time.” There is a reason this team started the season 4-8, and LT is still nicked up. To boot, the Chargers are still coached by Norv Turner. Home field advantage will not be enough, and Indy will win by more than just the last second field goal they prevailed by against the Chargers during the regular season. I fully expect this game to reflect the Chargers season- they’ll make stupid mistakes and underachieve to dig themselves into a hole they can’t get out of. Or maybe they’ll self destruct in the fourth quarter. I don’t know. Don’t worry, they’ll lose one way or another.

Baltimore (-2) over Miami

No reason to think that Baltimore won’t see the same result they did when they throttled Miami 27-13 in week 7. Before they lost to Pittsburgh for the second time, I was going to say that the Ravens season was beginning to look eerily similar to their season the year they won the Super Bowl when they quietly won their last seven games with dominating defense to finish 12-4 (minus Trent Dilfer…er, wait, isn’t that a plus?) Still, the Ravens won 5 of their last six and had some impressive performances. Congratulations to Miami on the best turnaround in the history of the NFL (1-15 to 11-5 division champs), but they’ve done that by being efficient, and they really got the most out of their team. Kudos to Pennington, but the Dolphins benefitted from a weak schedule. Also, two point victories over Seattle and Oakland, a four point win over St. Louis, and a five point win over San Francisco make the Dolphins record better than I believe they actually are, in a year where they lost to non-playoff teams in Houston and the NY Jets.

Minnesota (+3) over Philadelphia

I can’t believe I’m actually picking a Tarvaris-Jackson-led team to win a playoff game, but my hands are tied—just look at what the alternative is. I mean there are so many reasons not to pick the Vikings, for instance the fact that Tarvaris Jackson is the quarterback which I just mentioned. Anyone who saw the end of last week’s game against the Giants would cringe at picking a team coached by the clock management wiz Brad Childress. All that being said, I have faith in the Vikings defense and the league’s leading rusher Adrian Peterson, especially at home where they’ve beaten the Panthers, Giants, and Bears. I also have more faith in a team that’s gone 5-1 in their last six games versus Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb. I don’t care what else the Eagles have done; if you watched what they did in consecutive weeks against Baltimore and Cincy you wouldn’t trust them to beat Virginia Tech. I hope it goes into double overtime and McNabb walks off the field thinking the game ended in a tie.

I know the All-Disappointment team has been a disappointment in itself so far, but don’t fret people it’s on its way.