Monday, January 25, 2010

The Super Bowl that could've been


Even though the Patriots aren't in the Super Bowl this year, I'm still very excited.  The two best teams all year are playing in the final game and that is how it should be. I've said all year that if the Pats didn't win I'd want the Saints. Hopefully they can pull out a victory in Miami.  It's safe to say I'm very relieved the Vikings decided to fumble away(literally) the game yesterday.  Now I don't have to avoid SportsCenter for two weeks.

As great as this match up should be it could've been better if both teams were undefeated.  I think it's probably for the best each team lost because the pressure of an undefeated season can wear on you.  But just think of what kind of excitement there would've been if both teams came into that game with no blemishes on their record.

The games itself were up and down yesterday.   Even with the Jets up 17-6 I kind of knew the Colts had that game in hand. As much as I dislike them, they had a hell of a post season run and should be a great rival to the Patriots next year. Peyton Manning is an incredible quarterback. As much as I hate to admit it, he's the best we've ever seen and though I will be rooting hard against him in the Super Bowl it would be hard to bet against a team led by him.

The other game was just plain weird.  Both teams kept trying to give the game away whether it was the Saints with penalties or the Vikings with fumbles.  The Saints had a chance to recover two of those fumbles but the Vikings were able to recover.  Adrian Peterson is going to have a hard time sleeping for awhile.  Without his fumbles the Vikings probably win that game.

As great as Brett Favre has been in his career he's not very clutch.  The last two NFC title games he has lost for his teams with dumb interceptions.  You never throw the ball across the field especially in that situation.  Plus, the fact that he could've scrambled for about 10 yards instead.  I think all the hits he took during the game really influenced the decision.  As much as I've hated on Favre this year for being a sellout I kind of felt bad for the guy afterward.  He's been remarkable in his durability and is very entertaining player to watch.

All in all very satisfied with this match up.  I don't see how any person who isn't a Colts fan would not be cheering for the Saints in this one. This city deserves a champion and what a moment it would be if they were able to win.  I think it will be a close game throughout but in the end destiny prevails and the Saints win.  It's silly to bet against Peyton Manning but I'm going to do it.  Let's go New Orleans!

Monday, January 18, 2010

What in the Jets?


Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Brett Favre, Mark Sanchez. Wait, Mark Sanchez? Yes, somehow the Jets  are in the AFC title game and I'm still trying to piece together how this happened.  I thought this was the only game that would be a blowout all week. As it turns out, the other 3 games, which I thought could go either way, weren't even close.  I guess in retrospect it makes sense. 

The Jets matched up very well with the Chargers, as the Chargers can't run and the Jets have the best pass defense in the league.  Still, I thought Mark Sanchez would find a way to blow it, yet it was the Chargers that choked.  I don't know how their kicker is going to recover from that. Also, LT needs to retire, like right now.  He never runs for more than a 2 yard gain and it is just sad to watch one of the best running backs ever be so plain average.

The Jets win sets up a lose-lose scenario for any Boston fan. Colts-Jets is as bad as it gets, so I guess I'll just root for a tie(just kidding.) Thankfully the Saints are still in it. Everyone who doesn't have a team left in the field should be cheering for New Orleans. The city needs something positive to happen and that team is very likeable across the board.

I loved the Cowboys getting crushed yesterday but I wish it wasn't to such a sellout like Brett Favre.  Anyone who has ever loved a team shouldn't respect a selfish person like Favre no matter how good he is. I'm hoping the Saints blow them out of the water next week in New Orleans.

All in all I guess it could be worse.  With the Cowboys losing, it makes the nightmare of all scenarios, a Cowboys-Colts Super Bowl(which I would not watch) impossible.  The Jets getting to the AFC Title game makes the Patriots loss seem even worse.  There is no way Belichick lets that Jets team beat them in the playoffs. Oh well, I guess maybe the Jets fans deserve something good to come their way.  Hope everyone had a great weekend and go Saints!

Monday, January 11, 2010

Patriots fans deserve an apology


Yesterday's Patriots loss to the Ravens was embarrassing and unacceptable. Give the Ravens credit for playing a pretty solid game, but the Patriots simply did not show up. It's not the loss that makes me mad, because without Welker the Pats weren't going to win it all anyway. Rather, it is the fact the Patriots were so unprepared and out coached. I've defended Belichick over and over again this year, but I can't this time. I am finally at the point where I think he might have lost his touch. While I still think he's a good coach, he's no genius anymore.

Randy Moss is the laziest player in the NFL. Seriously, for all the great he did in 2007 we don't need players like him on this franchise. I can't remember the last time I saw a player put in so little effort in a game this big. He could be catching 3 touchdowns a game, but chooses when he wants to play. If he had half the heart of Welker he’d be unstoppable. Instead he just jogs around disinterested for most of the game. At this point, I say get rid of him. During our Super Bowl run we had Troy Brown and other role players as receivers and beat teams with our defense and coaching. I don't care if the Patriots don't win as many games. It makes me sick watching a player as talented as Moss play like such a coward.

This "is the Patriots dynasty over" story the media is conjuring up is crap. What is the definition of a dynasty anyway? The Patriots haven't won a Super Bowl since 2004 so if your definition of dynasty is winning titles then they haven't been one for a long time. The NFL is a fickle league, and just because the Patriots played one terrible game doesn't mean the franchise is done. People put way too much stock in one game and don't look at the body of work. Please also remember Brady just came back from knee surgery this year and had about 3 broken ribs for most of the season.

All in all it was a pretty terrible way to end what was an up and down type of season. The Patriots lacked heart and were unprepared; two things I never thought I'd ever say about a Bill Belichick coached team. All I can say now is, go Celtics.

Monday, January 4, 2010

NFL Playoff Preview



It's that time of year again. The holiday season is behind us and it's time for playoff football. Three of the four first round Wild Card match ups will feature rematches from Week 17 games, and the fourth will be a rematch from earlier in the season. I was excited for a possible Patriots run until the news of Wes Welker's season ending injury.

First off, Welker should be a legitimate MVP candidate. He had 123 catches this season, even while missing almost 3 full games. He was by far the MVP of the Patriots, and is one of the toughest players in football. For those people out there saying Belichick was stupid to play his starters, I will say this. It's very easy to say things like that after the fact. But the truth is this was a freak accident and could've happened the first play of the playoffs too. I'd rather have a coach that takes risks and wants to win every game, than someone like Jim Caldwell whose team might as well have not shown up yesterday.

Let's not complain Boston fans because we've still had it pretty damn good the last decade. Even though there have been some really crappy injuries (Brady and now Welker), the fact that we have been consistently a top tier team during the post-free agency NFL is pretty remarkable. Plus, even if the Pats lose, at least we get to root against the Colts, Cowboys, and whoever is playing Brett Favre.

Though the Patriots are going to need a miracle to win the Super Bowl this year, I still think they can beat the Ravens. While they've lost Welker, they have all their running backs back and I'm not sold on the Ravens being that good. The Jets lucked out that they got to play the Bengals to get in the playoffs, and then get to play them again in the first round. The Bengals look to be by far the weakest team in the playoffs, and I expect the Jets to win an incredibly boring and ugly game.

The Dallas-Philly match up is intriguing and could be the best match up of the weekend. Dallas hasn't won a playoff game in 14 years. Let me say that again, Dallas hasn't won one single playoff game for 14 years. I would love if that streak reached 15 Saturday night, but sadly I think this could be Dallas's year to get to a NFC title game. I think Dallas wins a close one 24-20.

In the final game of the weekend I see Green Bay winning an exciting game against Arizona. My reason for this is simply because I have no idea what Arizona team will show up on any given week. Arizona could win the Super Bowl or lose to a JV high school team, you really just never know.

My Super Bowl prediction is Chargers-Saints, though to say I lack confidence in this pick would be the understatement of the decade. My only hope is that it isn't Dallas-Indianapolis. I seriously would not watch the Super Bowl if that happened.

In any case, the football playoffs are bittersweet to me. Though I love watching the games, it also sadly signals the end of football season, and means it's a few months closer to Baseball season. I guess we should all enjoy this last month as much as we can. Thanks for reading everyone!