Pigskin Playoff Prognostications: Part 2

Gisele? Where?
(sports.espn.go.com)

That was just crushing, humiliating, devastating, and I'm not even talking about the Pats yet. I'm talking about the goose egg I laid on my playoff picks last week, which has me having second thoughts on any future Vegas trips. I mean who else predicted that a rookie QB would perform better than a QB who is considered 'elite' (Carson Palmer, who I think is completely overrated.)? Who would have thought a Philly team would be outplayed in the first round by a coach who hadn't won a playoff game in his career? Most significantly, who would have thought that a Raven team would beat a Patriot team so badly with a QB who had a passer rating of 10, prompting to me to tweet, "Never seen a game end so early" within 20 minutes of start time? It was a wacky Wild Card weekend, which like the Angel sweep on the Sox 3 months ago, was a shock, but not totally surprising in the grand scheme of things. The loss makes it the 7th consecutive playoff loss by the 4 major New England professional sports teams (Sox, Celts, Bruins, Pats) dating back to mid-May of 2009. Most importantly, the loss really exposed that this Patriots team needs to be rebuilt, 'This Old House' style. Regardless, I think the mystique that the Pats garnered throughout the past decade is running on its last drop. I don't know about you, but I'm a bit concerned about the future. Bill Belichick still may know more about football in his big toe than we will all ever know, but he will be 58 next year, an age where many are thinking about sailboat relaxation and Florida skies (Just ask my step dad.). I kind of of wonder what truly motivates him to keep doing the early morning film sessions after all that he has accomplished. Also, Brady and Moss aren't spring chickens, Welker will be gone for most of next year and the team may be on the verge of letting go of Wilfork, who is the last member with a mixture of leadership and talent we have on defense. I'm not saying that we are not fired from the playoff-contention company, but it's fair to say that we are going to be demoted to middle management, a juggernaut no longer. Well, that's off my chest. Now let's go and try to improve my stinker of a performance from last week!

The Cardinal = The Official Bird of the Bowl?
(espn.go.com)

(4) Arizona Cardinals vs. (1) New Orleans Saints

I'm sensing another one of those arena football-type games. It's as good a guess as any, for it's probably the most schizophrenic matchup in the Divisional Round. Even without Anquan Boldin and the rumors of a farewell tour in the air, Kurt Warner was able to toss another playoff gem, going 29/33 with 5 TDs in a 51-45 OT gun show. It was another performance that has me considering Warner's place in NFL history as one of the greats. Can't argue with 2 NFL MVPs and 3 Super Bowl appearances, while being the motor with these playoff teams that were once considered laughing stocks. With all that said however, I don't see the D helping him out in the Superdome this weekend. Beanie Wells has to be that one for the Cardinals to go that extra mile if they are to triumph, considering that the Saints run defense has been non-existent over the past month. That however, maybe asking a lot, as Arizona is placing expectations on a guy who ran 100 yards in a game only once this year, and against Detroit. Saying that New Orleans was rusty at the end of the season was an understatement. In fact, the way they torched the Pats on that Monday nighter might have been the worst thing to happen to them, for it masked many of their inconsistencies on both ends of the ball that made them a much weaker team than advertised. However, the Swiss cheese defense of Arizona (allowed 403 yards in the air against GB last week) plus the extra week of rest could be the WD-40 for the Saints and their late season corrosion, a team that scored 30 or more points in 9 games this year but have only mustered 44 in the last 3 contests. In the end of it all, I'm expecting a Cajun flavor to be added to the NFC Championship game.

Final Score: Saints 38, Cardinals 27

The pressure is truly on for 'The Mississippi Waffle'.
(examiner.com)

(3) Dallas Cowboys vs. (2) Minnesota Vikings

Nothing like a dominant performance against a divisional rival to get that 13-year old playoff monkey off your back. The Cowboys have emerged from the downtrodden chokers' list to the trendy pick to be the team cruisin' to Miami next month. This version of the 'Boys seem much more at ease with the expectations that seemed to have crush them in previous campaigns. Tony Romo has been no exception, completing almost 67% of his passes in the 4 game streak while leading a well-balanced offensive attack. Like the Saints, the Vikings could benefit from a bye-week as they have short circuited down the stretch a bit. The intermission will especially help their 40-year old QB (errrr) re-juice for the final stretch after some recent late-season meltdowns. Going on a 'trendy' limb by going with the Cowboys, simply because everyone on that offense is contributing from Austin to third down back Tashard Choice, which will make them a tough team to size up consistently throughout the game. Plus, if Wade Phillips will have any coaching advantage laid out for him, it's definitely on the defensive side of the ball where he will hopefully create a game plan to have the 'Waffle' scrambling (31 points allowed in last 4 games). I'm predicting Stars and Saints to duke it out for the senior conference.

Final Score: Cowboys 28, Vikings 20

Lights out for the Sanchize?

(faniq.com)

(5) New York Jets vs. (2) San Diego Chargers
It's lookin' like the Jets are emerging as this year's belle of the ball, looking to see if the slipper fits in Miami. Rex Ryan is on an all-time high with his 24-14 road victory against the Bengals with a performance that eerily validated his bold statements he previously made, while pulling a semi-Kanye and calling out the Defensive Player of the Year voters for not picking his cornerback stud Darrelle Revis. But unlike the Bengals, this Charger team is no paper tiger. Winners of 11 straight, the Bolts are riding the hot hand of Phillip Rivers, who is overlooked when it comes to the best quarterbacks in the league (28 TDs, 9 INTs). The Chargers have carried out a solid game in the air even while possessing one of the worst running games in the league. The running defense is the weak link for the Chargers however, which may fall right into Shonn Greene's arms. However, the Chargers have been known to be that team to win the battle in the trenches against the Jets in recent history, and I'm still not liking the Jets chances if the game comes down to the Sanchize. As good as Revis is, he can only cover ONE guy, and I think the Chargers will be able to balance their offensive attack just enough to swing by the top defense in the NFL. It won't be easy, but I'm predicting the lights to be going out on New York's playoff hopes in SoCal on Sunday.

Final Score: Chargers 24, Jets 16

Apparently, blinking doesn't top his priorities.
(scoresreport.com)

(6) Baltimore Ravens vs. (1) Indianapolis Colts

It'd be interesting to get into the minds of those old-timers in Baltimore who remember their beloved team getting hijacked and brought to the city that they are playing in this playoff matchup. However, I can tell honestly you that was the furthest thing on their minds last weekend when they flattened Brady and the Patriots, making them arguably the trendy Super Bowl pick in the AFC, and rightfully so. If Ray Rice keeps running like he has, the receivers hold onto footballs and if the defense keeps their cool late in games, this team could be unbeatable. They go up against a Colts team that has had their priorities questioned with their self-halting of their quest for an undefeated season in front of their fans, while permitting Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark to achieve personal milestones the following week. The fact that they are 0-3 after playoff byes since the '99 season also doesn't bode well for them historically. But the Colts only possess a 4-time MVP in Peyton Manning, who is known for dissecting even the best defenses, and should pick up on the weak secondary of the Ravens more effectively than Brady did. Plus, I'm sensing that the Colts defense knows the Rice/McGahee combo will get some significant carries, especially with Joe Flacco carrying a nagging hip injury with him. And if hexes from cities that steal your team even matter in this context, Baltimore is 0-4 in Indy. Look for the Colts to squash recent criticism with a stellar performance on Saturday night. I'm feeling it's gonna be Colts-Bolts for the AFC title!

Final Score: Colts 30, Ravens 20

Before I Peace: Let's Talk About The Past!

(nbcsportsmedia2.msnbc.com)

Finally, oh finally! Embattled slugger Mark McGwire has come out to the media and admitted his steroid use, an admission which in my opinion was as surprising as the current late night shake-up on NBC. My feelings are still a little hazy on his admission. For example, how am I supposed to believe that you took steroids only for health issues and that you think it didn't help your numbers in any way? I'm very well aware that the highly difficult skill of hitting a baseball is largely hand-eye. You have to understand Big Mac, that your artificial bandaging in itself did contribute to you getting a huge bulk of those 583 homers. Plus, a toothpick like me knows that the 'roids not only help you heal, but can make strained effort easier to manage. Why do you think you saw all the needles in the gym in the first place? It's hard for me to believe that a fairly articulate guy like McGwire was that naive. With all that said, I do praise him for coming clean and he did seem contrite in his admission, especially in that Bob Costas interview on Monday. His admission was more of an apology (closer to Pettitte) compared to the the statements of A-Rod, Clemens, Ortiz, Sosa and Palmeiro, which felt like a competition of who could insult the public's intelligence the most. You could tell he was carrying the disappointment of thousands for his wrongdoing and I even understood his reasoning for his non-descript testimony in front of Congress in 2005. If you say that you wouldn't have said the words that would give you protection from prosecution by the federal government, you are simply just lying to yourself. Maybe the aftermath of this admission will facilitate an ingenuous response from players like Bonds and Sosa as to the whats and whys of their PED use. Hopefully, McGwire's confession can become another step in achieving an honest dialogue that can only help the game move on from this performance enhancing plague. Granted, his admission may not have been pristine, but better late than never. Baby steps, people!

May Our Thoughts Be With Haiti

(news.yahoo.com)

Please send out a big prayer to those in Haiti, who are suffering the after-effects of a 7.0 magnitude earthquake. If you can, provide support to those you know who may have been affected by this disaster and/or donate anything you can to any relief effort or charitable organization. Haiti will sure have a huge spot in my heart and in my mind for many days to come.