On a day like today when it’s about 5 degrees in New Jersey, it’s hard to believe they’re still playing football in the NFL. Both Conference Championship Games will be played on Sunday, of course, and if I had my druthers (I usually don’t), I’d be headed to Phoenix.
It’ll be nice in Phoenix, of course. The Sunday forecast is sunny with temperatures ranging from 44 to 77 degrees. That probably favors Arizona, although it’s hard to imagine that good weather would hurt the guys used to playing in bad. The Eagles are favored by 2 ½ in Vegas at the moment and the over/under stands at a whopping 50 ½. Although I’m not betting, based on this data, the score figures to be sumthin’ like 26-24 Philadelphia.
I’m not going to make the same mistake 3 times in a row. I had bet against Phoenix in both Weeks 1 and 2 of the playoffs and of course lost twice. Not only did I lose but the second game was over early as the Cards absolutely pounded Carolina, making Jake Delhomme look ridiculous while scoring again and again in the first quarter and half.
And Carolina’s game plan, if you could call it that, was stupid! Really, there’s no better way to characterize it. They seemed to be covering Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona’s absolutely stellar wide receiver, with one man (when he was covered at all) all afternoon. On the other side of the ball, they tried to play catch up way too early, passing instead of running, and just played right into the Cards’ hands when Delhomme did his best impersonation of the worst quarterback to ever play the game.
Their first playoff game win, against Atlanta, was more indicative of their team performance. And yet, even in that game, Michael Turner, Atlanta’s ballyhooed running back, looked as if he could never get started, and wound up going east and west all day.
Still though, they did stop the run even if Atlanta looked remarkably bad in their execution of it. They only won by a score of 30-24 in that one and the usual suspects were instrumental in the win, Warner and Fitzgerald and Boldin, but there were also at least some vestiges of a running game with Edgerrin James, and even more surprising was their game toughness, as they forced their way ahead in the third and fourth quarters, scoring on a fumble recovery and runback from Antrel Rolle and then sacking Matt Ryan for a safety.
Toughness was the last thing anyone ever could have expected from the same team that basically just lay down on national TV versus the Pats (the snow angel game). Even in their last game of the year, while they picked up their level of play to beat Seattle, it wasn’t really extraordinary.
Philadelphia, though, knows what to expect. They’ve seen that defensive front, and have already expressed an admiration for Antonio Smith and his friends. When you really take a look at that defense, it’s got some real talent.
Their leading tackler by far is relatively unsung linebacker Karlos Danby while they get pressure on the QB from both linemen and linebackers. The secondary is strong too, and Antrel Rolle seems especially to have come alive in these playoff games. But they’re all playing well, Rogers-Cromartie and Adrian Wilson and Antonio Smith.
Knowing what to expect might be half the battle. The Cards surprised Atlanta and the Panthers too. I don’t think they’ll surprise Philly’s gigantic offensive line, especially in the passing game. McNabb will find targets among his ample bevy of receivers while their running game and junk dumpoffs to Westbrook will continue to work. Arizona will stop the run, but unless they can get to McNabb, it’ll be a long afternoon for the Cards defense.
The Eagles secondary is a good one, featuring Asante Samuel and the headstrong Brian Dawkins, and I’d expect them to have some success, but not as much as in their first game, won by the Eagles 48-20. In that game, the Cards had already wrapped the division. That makes a huge difference.
Expect a slugfest, but Eagles pressure on Warner will make the difference. I don’t believe the Cards will be able to pressure McNabb. He’ll still put up 3TD’s and figure another 2 or 3 field goals from Akers. That’s 30. Even if the Cards play better than they did the first time, I can’t see them being very efficient with Eagles in Warner’s face all day.
It’ll be close, but I’d expect Philly to pull ahead and then shutdown a closing Arizona flurry to make things respectable. The Eagles have taken the measure of Minnesota and the G-Men to get this far, a tougher road than Atlanta/Carolina and they won’t play second-fiddle to the upstart Cards. Make it 30-26 in the Eagles favor. For you gamblers, that’s the Eagles and the “over.”
The Pittsburgh weather will be distinctly worse than Arizona’s, with light snow forecasted and temperatures ranging from 15 to 28 degrees. That won’t bother either team though and it’ll be another defensive gem. This is the third meeting between the two and the Steelers have won both. I expect them to have success a third time, as difficult as that may seem.
The Ravens won’t be able to run against that Steelers defense while I think Willie Parker will do some damage on the other end. The Ravens have come a long way with a rookie quarterback, and they’re bound for a letdown after their big wins over Miami and especially over Tennessee.
I think Roethlisberger will prove the difference between a veteran in a big game and a rookie. Joe Flacco has been great so far, and, as a Jersey guy, it’s hard not to root for him, but this will be his first Conference Championship game.
It’s the year of Pennsylvania. Expect the Steelers to emerge victorious once again over the Ravens by 23-13. (Pitt and “over”).
Showing posts with label Pittsburgh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pittsburgh. Show all posts
Friday, January 16, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Wednesday Odds and Ends
So what can you expect on a Wednesday morning in New Jersey when it’s just Philly and Pittsburgh on the NFL horizon. (Yeah, sure, I know, it could be Arizona and/or Baltimore but a reasonable person shouldn’t expect it). Odds and ends is what I’m serving today.
By Wednesday morning, you’ve heard all you ever wanted to hear if you’re a Giants fan. How bad Eli was and how he can’t throw in the wind, and what if we had Plaxico, and how bad was it throwing to Hixon and Toomer, and why didn’t they let Jacobs run more, and what about the defense?
Yeah, I’ve had it with that. They lost. Get over it. They were lucky to have gotten that number 1 seed. They actually played their hearts out on Sunday but there are at least two factors in any football game. There is “heart” and the G-Men had plenty of that. But there is also talent and there wasn’t nearly enough of that.
So it’s up to Jerry Reese now, and I’m already hearing whines from the do-gooders that Plaxico shouldn’t be allowed to come back. Well, good luck with the union, fellas. And good luck finding somebody with those nice physical attributes combined with a knowledge of that somewhat-difficult offense. Good luck with Hixon and Toomer and Smith and Moss and Manningham too.
The Giants are kind of predictable in situations such as this one actually. They really hate over-paying for talent. So I wouldn’t count on Jacobs returning, unless the big fella is okay with taking less than another team might offer. Ward will probably come back, because, let’s face facts, he gained his thousand by following blocks for the most part.
As a third-down back, he failed in my eyes on Sunday, and probably for anybody who was really watching. (I understand G.M.’s really do watch the games). So, expect some changes in the running backs department. If both return, that’d be okay, better than okay maybe, but it still won’t get them to that brass ring (or the gold one encrusted with diamonds either).
On defense, they’ll need some help in the secondary, I suppose. Sam Madison, James Butler and a couple of others will be out there in one way or another. I’d love to see them draft a linebacker or two. This group doesn’t thrill me. The defensive line is signed except for Fred Robbins so they’re in great shape with Umenyiora, Tuck, Kiwanuka and Alford, the kid from East Orange. But I wouldn’t mind having one more.
Eli needs a backup too, and David Carr isn’t too bad in that department. It’s at running back where they are most vulnerable. Jacobs did entirely too much running east and west in that Eagles game. It seems he’s hell on wheels once he gets some steam up, but, alas, not before. So a team that recognizes his weakness can make sure he never really gets started, which is exactly what the Eagles did on Sunday.
So, I’d welcome another running back for sure. I’d like to see Ahmad Bradshaw get a real live opportunity. Then, if there’s another Adrian Peterson out there somewhere, I’d be happy to draft him.
But Jerry Reese has proven he’s some kind of personnel guy. In the NFL, that’s more than half the battle. What might hurt the Giants more than any of these player changes would be the loss of Spagnola as the defensive coordinator. At the very least, we can expect them to lose the first couple of games just learning the new defense.
Okay, enough about the Giants. The Jets are still pretending to interview candidates for their vacant head coaching position. I fully expect them to go with the biggest butt-kisser, that is, whoever can jump the highest when Woody says boo. Through Tannenbaum of course. That’s enough about the Jets, unless you want to hear some more about Bret Favre. I certainly don’t.
If you’re a reasonable gambling man, you’ve already lost your shirt on the friggin’ Arizona Cardinals. The other games were predictable, at least to a certain degree. There was Baltimore’s ridiculously strong and manic defense, and there was Donovan McNabb and a whole boatload of receivers. But Arizona winning against a strong playoffs team two weeks in a row was sumthin’ friggin’ inexplicable (and inexcusable too).
You had to feel somewhat for the Titans. They lost on some big turnovers, which is a tough way to lose. That Crumpler fumble as he neared the goal line was a real killer. Losing their best running back for the second half didn’t help much either. Jeff Fischer deserved better.
The upcoming Sunday games should be great ones though. Kurt Warner against Donovan McNabb, and those two great defenses going after each other in Pittsburgh. You’re pretty much guaranteed to see everything on Sunday, from heavy hitting to bone-crushing sacks to beautifully floated passes to diving catches in the endzone.
My guess is you’ll be seeing some pretty fancy field goal kicking too, in Pittsburgh because neither team can even get to the red zone half the time, and in Arizona because the Eagles are so bad at scoring from in close. The Eagles secondary is too good to expect many TD’s from that feared Cards receiving corps.
Had enough of the NFL? The Knicks are playing pretty well lately, and, speaking of odds and ends, you have to really start wondering about Eddie Curry (apparently). Other than that, though, they’re doing pretty well for a team that just shucked two of its best players. And Harrington’s from Jersey!
The Nets too are a very interesting team. It looks as if Brook Lopez is working out just fine at center, especially if Vince keeps busting his horns. If there’s anything wrong with the Nets, it’s that they can’t seem to find the right rotation.
And the Mets lost the Derek Lowe sweepstakes. Go Tim Redding!! And what about Ollie?
By Wednesday morning, you’ve heard all you ever wanted to hear if you’re a Giants fan. How bad Eli was and how he can’t throw in the wind, and what if we had Plaxico, and how bad was it throwing to Hixon and Toomer, and why didn’t they let Jacobs run more, and what about the defense?
Yeah, I’ve had it with that. They lost. Get over it. They were lucky to have gotten that number 1 seed. They actually played their hearts out on Sunday but there are at least two factors in any football game. There is “heart” and the G-Men had plenty of that. But there is also talent and there wasn’t nearly enough of that.
So it’s up to Jerry Reese now, and I’m already hearing whines from the do-gooders that Plaxico shouldn’t be allowed to come back. Well, good luck with the union, fellas. And good luck finding somebody with those nice physical attributes combined with a knowledge of that somewhat-difficult offense. Good luck with Hixon and Toomer and Smith and Moss and Manningham too.
The Giants are kind of predictable in situations such as this one actually. They really hate over-paying for talent. So I wouldn’t count on Jacobs returning, unless the big fella is okay with taking less than another team might offer. Ward will probably come back, because, let’s face facts, he gained his thousand by following blocks for the most part.
As a third-down back, he failed in my eyes on Sunday, and probably for anybody who was really watching. (I understand G.M.’s really do watch the games). So, expect some changes in the running backs department. If both return, that’d be okay, better than okay maybe, but it still won’t get them to that brass ring (or the gold one encrusted with diamonds either).
On defense, they’ll need some help in the secondary, I suppose. Sam Madison, James Butler and a couple of others will be out there in one way or another. I’d love to see them draft a linebacker or two. This group doesn’t thrill me. The defensive line is signed except for Fred Robbins so they’re in great shape with Umenyiora, Tuck, Kiwanuka and Alford, the kid from East Orange. But I wouldn’t mind having one more.
Eli needs a backup too, and David Carr isn’t too bad in that department. It’s at running back where they are most vulnerable. Jacobs did entirely too much running east and west in that Eagles game. It seems he’s hell on wheels once he gets some steam up, but, alas, not before. So a team that recognizes his weakness can make sure he never really gets started, which is exactly what the Eagles did on Sunday.
So, I’d welcome another running back for sure. I’d like to see Ahmad Bradshaw get a real live opportunity. Then, if there’s another Adrian Peterson out there somewhere, I’d be happy to draft him.
But Jerry Reese has proven he’s some kind of personnel guy. In the NFL, that’s more than half the battle. What might hurt the Giants more than any of these player changes would be the loss of Spagnola as the defensive coordinator. At the very least, we can expect them to lose the first couple of games just learning the new defense.
Okay, enough about the Giants. The Jets are still pretending to interview candidates for their vacant head coaching position. I fully expect them to go with the biggest butt-kisser, that is, whoever can jump the highest when Woody says boo. Through Tannenbaum of course. That’s enough about the Jets, unless you want to hear some more about Bret Favre. I certainly don’t.
If you’re a reasonable gambling man, you’ve already lost your shirt on the friggin’ Arizona Cardinals. The other games were predictable, at least to a certain degree. There was Baltimore’s ridiculously strong and manic defense, and there was Donovan McNabb and a whole boatload of receivers. But Arizona winning against a strong playoffs team two weeks in a row was sumthin’ friggin’ inexplicable (and inexcusable too).
You had to feel somewhat for the Titans. They lost on some big turnovers, which is a tough way to lose. That Crumpler fumble as he neared the goal line was a real killer. Losing their best running back for the second half didn’t help much either. Jeff Fischer deserved better.
The upcoming Sunday games should be great ones though. Kurt Warner against Donovan McNabb, and those two great defenses going after each other in Pittsburgh. You’re pretty much guaranteed to see everything on Sunday, from heavy hitting to bone-crushing sacks to beautifully floated passes to diving catches in the endzone.
My guess is you’ll be seeing some pretty fancy field goal kicking too, in Pittsburgh because neither team can even get to the red zone half the time, and in Arizona because the Eagles are so bad at scoring from in close. The Eagles secondary is too good to expect many TD’s from that feared Cards receiving corps.
Had enough of the NFL? The Knicks are playing pretty well lately, and, speaking of odds and ends, you have to really start wondering about Eddie Curry (apparently). Other than that, though, they’re doing pretty well for a team that just shucked two of its best players. And Harrington’s from Jersey!
The Nets too are a very interesting team. It looks as if Brook Lopez is working out just fine at center, especially if Vince keeps busting his horns. If there’s anything wrong with the Nets, it’s that they can’t seem to find the right rotation.
And the Mets lost the Derek Lowe sweepstakes. Go Tim Redding!! And what about Ollie?
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