The End Zone (Championship Edition)

Here's the Conference Championship Edition of the End Zone!!

1. Did the Ravens lose the game or did the Steelers win it?
KDC: I can’t imagine any playoff team will have a longer off-season than Baltimore, not even New England. Not to take anything away from the Steelers who came out in the second half as if they hadn’t done everything in their power to give this game away, because they played like champs, but . . . How many different ways did Baltimore lose this thing? Two big receivers drop balls to their chests, Flacco threw an awful rookie interception, the play-calling on the last drive was atrocious (a bomb on 2nd-and-10? Really? Why not make 6-8 yards on 2nd down and keep the initiative? Instead, they blew the bomb and the Steelers went into super blitzes for the last 2 downs.), the list goes on.

New England was outplayed. Baltimore wasn’t—they just played like a wild card team and everyone thought they were better than that.

Momo: The Ravens lost that game. So many dropped balls and missed opportunities b the Ravens. I found it interesting that Ravens gave the Rams Mark Clayton, who did get injured, for T.J Housmanzadeh, who dropped a ton of passes, including the critical on the failed final drive. The Ravens cannot blame Flacco for this year’s failure.

2. Jets backed up their talk with a huge win against the Pats. Surprised?
KDC: Shocked actually. New England had won 8 in a row (granted some weren’t all that impressive, but they were still wins), it was at home and usually the guys who mouth off the most don’t live through the game. Not this time. Rex Ryan is a force to be reckoned with.

Plus, Tom Brady was exposed as not quite the instant HOFer he’s been made out to be. Turns out if you can create a 4-man rush on him, he just can’t produce (again). The Giants did it to him in the Super Bowl and the Jets proved it true again. Champions create plays. He didn’t.

Momo: I’m surprised on how the Pats have manhandled the Pats in Foxborough, not surprised that they won. The Pats had receivers that were 5’8 and shorter. That past formula is not going to work today. The Jets were tougher and played harder than the Pats. Belicheck has a problem because his teams last three playoff losses have shown how vulnerable his team really is. Small and soft.

3. Your picks for the Super Bowl are and why:
Green Bay vs. Chicago—
KDC: So the Packers are my team, so I’ve got to pick them. Aaron Rodgers got all the press, but the Packer D is becoming something special. They do everything right, not because they’re all Pro Bowlers, but because they trust each other and rarely blow assignments. Seriously, who’s their defensive MVP—Clay Matthews? Charles Woodson? A. J. Hawk? Tramon Williams? All I’ll say is Chicago is good enough to beat them, but probably won’t. Starks needs to be more impressive than he was against Atlanta to keep Bears defense honest.

Momo: I want to go with the Packers because of how well they are playing on both sides of the ball. The Packers have found somewhat of a running game with Starks in the backfield, and Aaron Rodgers is on fire in the passing game. The one X-factor is Devin Hester. If the Pack kick to him, they will be in trouble. Hester has burned them numerous times. Robbie Gould is a solid kicker in Soldier field. My gut says to go with the Pack because in the end Jay Cutler will probably throw an untimely interception. Packers by 6

New York Jets vs. Pittsburgh—
KDC: As unlikely as it sounds, I’m going to pick the Jets. Frankly, my logic believes it’ll be the Steelers, but the Jets have a wily toughness that can’t be underestimated. The comparisons to the 76 Raiders is apt and accurate. Not sure how they’ll do it, but I think they will.

Momo: This game is a pure pick’em. All the love these two teams are showing each other is ridiculous. I know there is mutual respect but at least pick some of the trash talking up. The Jets barely escaped the Steelers a few weeks ago. I don’t think they can go into Pittsburgh and beat them twice. Polamula is back as well as Heath Miller. I think the Jets used up all their emotion the past two weeks. Plus I don’t trust the Jets kicker, Nick Folk in the swirling winds of Heinz field. Special teams will play a big role in both of these games. Steelers by 3.

No One Is Perfect

Aaron Rodgers has been catching a lot of heat for his apparent snub of a cancer patient over the weekend. The video that was posted on Sunday shows Rodgers walking past a woman, in pink who is a cancer survivor, and not signing her hat that she is holding. Mike Florio of Profootballtalk.com has been hammering Rodgers, and basically assassinating his character over this mishap. Florio is entitled to his opinion but I think that saying Rodgers is not appreciative of the fans is just wrong without knowing the whole story. By all accounts, Rodgers has done a lot of work with cancer patients in the past in Wisconsin and has received numerous praise for the work he has done with children in this area. The video is damaging but Rodgers offers his explanation of what transpired with Dan Patrick this morning. To his credit he owned up to it and I believe it was an honest mistake. How many times are we walking, sitting, or talking to someone else and not notice everything in our surroundings? To unfairly judge Rodgers and jump to conclusions before knowing the whole story is shoddy reporting. Aaron Rodgers has done nothing to bring a black eye to the league unlike Roethlisberger or Vick. Rodgers was trying to catch a plane and who has not been in a hurry to catch a plane and is rushing to get to the gate? I have done that and Lord knows I don't have to sign any autographs. The cancer survivor has stated that Aaron has signed things for her before and she does not want people to keep coming after him after the Saturday incident. Its true some guys can be jerks to fans and not sign, this is a case where more information was needed before people started rushing to judgement on one of the few good guys in sports.

The End Zone (Divisional Playoff Edition)

1. Your picks for the weekend are and why.

Seattle v. Bears
KDC:The Bears are vulnerable, but underrated. If they lose to Seattle, at home, they’re a punchline for another year of jokes. I just don’t see the defense and special teams allowing that to happen. I see this as an ugly, low-scoring affair, even if Seattle QB Hasselback is red hot again.
Momo: I’m taking the Bears because Pete Carroll said he is going to kick to Devin Hester. Hester is going to flip the field and provide the Bears with great field position. The Seahawks magic ends this weekend.

Baltimore v. Pittsburgh

KDC: Do either of these teams deserve to lose? What a great rivalry! Pittsburgh at home is impossible to bet against though. Which is a shame, because the Ravens match up really well against the Patriots. That said, I think the difference is the QB, and Flacco just hasn’t been consistent enough to gain my confidence. Pittsburgh by a TD.
Momo: In a perfect world these two teams would be playing in the Super Bowl. Talk about a compelling game. For some reason Big Ben has owned the Ravens the last 6 games. To me, the x-factor will be Steelers receiver Mike Wallace. If he gets free he can stretch the field and make life difficult for the Ravens. However, that Pittsburgh line is banged up and Suggs and Lewis will get after Ben. I’m going with the Ravens by a field goal. It kills me to say it because I love Polamula

Green Bay v. Atlanta

KDC: In the justly lauded hubbub about the Falcon’s home record, many forget Green Bay lost their last encounter in Atlanta due to a turnover at the goal line & a wrong call on a 4th down catch to Tony Gonzales that led to a TD. And that was the difference. The Packers couldn’t run then (26 yards), and I’m not sure last week’s triumph over the Eagles proves they can now. But if they can, it’ll be the Packers in a squeaker.
Momo: I’m taking the Packers in an upset. Reason being, Atlanta had a hard time with them a few weeks ago. The Packers are running the ball better and their defense is going to make life difficult for Matt Ryan. The most underrated player in the playoffs is Aaron Rodgers.

New York Jets v. New England

KDC: I hate picking the Patriots, but they’ve played the best football in the second half of the season. That said, they’re vulnerable. Green Bay nearly beat them with a back-up QB, but probably because the coaches didn’t know how to game plan him. They know what to do against the Jets and I expect they’ll drop the hammer, though it won’t be as bad as the last game. It’ll be obvious though.

Momo: If the Jets would just shut up and play ball, I would love to pick them. But the constant talking totally takes away from their play. These two teams do not like each other. The Pats can be stopped and if the Jets blitz enough and trust their corners to cover then they will win. However, special teams will be the decider in this one and the Pats have the edge. Pats by a field goal.

2. Player that surprised you most this season was...
KDC: I’m not sure I have one. Of course you must include Michael Vick. After that, there were a bunch of good stories by hard-working unknowns – Texas RB Arian Foster winning the rushing title after being on the practice squad last year. Dwayne Bowe coming out of nowhere for KC. Brian Urlacher returning to form. This was a season of great stories.
Momo: Mike Williams of the Seattle Seahawks. He is another guy who was out of football because he was overweight. At one point, Williams weighed more than his former teammate Warren Sapp, and as a receiver, you should never weigh as much as a defensive tackle. Williams led the Seahawks in receptions and is almost living up to potential. Being with Pete Carroll, a coach that believes in him, has truly helped Williams.

3. What happens when you are in charge of the Cleveland Browns? Why on Earth would Holmgren hire Rams O-coordinator Pat Shurmur?

KDC: Obviously Holmgren is seeking a conservative “I don’t want to lose” man (instead of a “Lets go for the win” guy) who has never been a head coach before. Shurmur almost lost the Rams a couple games (vs the Broncos especially), because he went into the safest playcalling ever and forced so many consecutive 3-and-outs that Josh McDaniel almost kept his job. So I’m not sure how much credit he deserves for Bradford’s maturation.

The weird thing is, Holmgren has to be right or he’s not much of a football czar. It’s a shame, because Cleveland’s fans are among the best in the NFL, but something must be in the water that rots the brains of Browns’ GMs. It’s a mystery.


Momo: I know some no name guys like John Harbaugh and Mike Smith came out of nowhere to coach but Pat Shurmur?!?! You have to be kidding me. The Rams offense under him was stagnant. Shurmur hasn’t been a head coach anywhere. I know he is related to Fritz Shurmur who ran Mike's defense but this is so out of the blue. While leading the Rams offensive, the team ranked at the bottom or near the bottom in every offensive category. Just a mind boggling pick by Holmgren. So I’m thinking one of two things will happen, 1. Holmgren will realize the error of his ways and come down to coach or 2. He will leave the Browns in worse shape than he inherited it and coach somewhere else.

Auburn Tigers Are Your BCS Champs

Congrats...?

So the Auburn Tigers defeated the Oregon Ducks in the BCS Title game last night in Glendale, AZ. The Tigers went undefeated and won the school second ever national title in football. A part of me is happy that Newton and the Tigers got the last laugh over their critics with all of the controversy surrounding the team (most of the controversy was brought on by Newton himself BUT who's counting). Does anyone else get the feeling that the championship should have been split with TCU? No, I'm not saying this because of the playoff system I want. But I'm saying this because it would be a lot easier to give the title if and when the hypocrites at the NCAA investigate the Newton's five years from now and Auburn has to vacate wins. The problem the BCS is having with the 2005 Trojans is that if USC loses their appeal to the NCAA, then and only then will the BCS have to vote on if they are going to strip the title from them. I'm not saying its going to happen but when you have the FBI involved there's more than likely a chance someone will find something damaging against Cecil Newton and Cam. Only time will tell if I am proven wrong.

Some quick thoughts:

Wouldn't you love to see the TCU vs. Auburn match up just to know who's better?

Gene Chizik will be the coach of Auburn for another 3 years or so. My thought is that if Texas comes calling, it will be hard for him to turn it down.

Nick Fairley, Auburn defensive tackle, is being touted as the next Nmdamujong Suh, I am hesitant to go that far. Fairley was good but Suh was great. Using a top pick of Fairley, a guy that has battled weight issues in the past could harm a franchise. But maybe the championship play he has motivates him to be dominant in the NFL.

Everyone is talking about the play at the end of the where Michael Dyer looked like he was down before the game winning field goal, but what about the play in the first half where Newton clearly fumbled the ball but the play was whistled dead? Oregon recovered the fumble and was in the red zone.

Also, when the officials took the pick away from the Ducks and Oregon scored on the next play? Friends of mine sometimes feel the SEC gets special treatment.

That is all for today....

The End Zone: Playoff Picks, Overhyped Players

1. How awful was that Rams-Seahawks game?

KDC: As bad as everyone thought it would be. Sadly, a class act like Stephen Jackson must wait at least one more year before getting into the playoffs.

Momo: That was the worse game to show nationally. The Rams decided not to showcase Jackson, which was the key to winning the game. The Rams coaching staff looked overmatched and confused.

2. Which Wild Card game you looking forward to?

KDC: Colts-Jets wherein I think the Colts will assert themselves against the Jets as they did last year & suddenly everyone will wonder if they'll make it to (at least) the championship game. I'm actually not a huge Colts fan, but they've got Peyton & the running game has reappeared, so I'll be surprised if they don't make a run. That said, the Jets are not 2009's version & are to be feared. They split with the Patriots, so anything's possible.

Momo: I'm looking forward to the Packers-Eagles. Love to the cat-mouse game between Michael Vick and Clay Matthews and Charles Woodson. Plus Aaron Rodgers will have his hands full with Asante Samuels.

3. Who's more vulnerable as a 1 seed, the Pats or the Falcons?

KDC: Falcons because they've never done it before while the Patriots (sadly) have done it before, so they have absolute confidence in their system and the home-field advantage. However, they're certainly beatable.

Momo: Its the Falcons. They have always been the hunter and not the hunted. Their advantage is they are playing at home.

4. Who do you think will win the Wild Card games?

KDC:

* Colts over Jets, as stated.

* Saints over Seahawks. (Gasp! Who saw that coming?) - All this bunk about the short week and long travel will probably cost the Saints a field goal at best. The Seahawks couldn't put the Rams away convincingly.

* Ravens over Chiefs - The Ravens seem to have problems getting their offense in high gear early on, but the Chiefs are still at least a year away from being a serious contender (though they certainly deserve to be where they're at). Because it's at Arrowhead, it will be closer than many expect, but the Ravens will prevail by about 10.

* Packers over Eagles - Green Bay's not got a running game, so they're not going to go far, but the Eagles have been troubled by strange inconsistencies that Michael Vick can't always save them from. I see the Packers relentless defense keeping him under ceaseless pressure, so that his magic will run out for the exciting Eagles this year. In the meantime, Aaron Rodgers will be able to put a couple scores up despite the one-dimensional offense.

Momo:

* Colts-Jets, I am taking the Colts to squeak by. I think Sanchez being hurt is significant.
* Ravens-Chiefs, Taking the Ravens in a stunner. Is there a better leader than Ray Lewis?
* Saints-Seahawks, the Hawks upset the defending champs!! Someone has to get upset this weekend.
* Packers-Eagles, this is a tough one but I think the Packers defense will limit the big plays and just eek out a win. This is almost a pick'em game.

5. What player was over-hyped this year?

KDC: Where did Darrelle Revis go? He held out after whining that he deserved the Defensive Player of the Year award, with his East Coast media sycophants agreeing, but he's not been a major presence for the Jets this year. Yes, he was injured, but he's not been a major presence. Sniff. So he goes the way of all whiners with only 1 great year to their name.

Momo: Matt Schaub underachieved. The Texans started out great by beating the Colts, but then Schaub and their season went all downhill after that. Sure, he had good numbers but Matt did not lead his team to a winning record. Also he made critical mistakes at crucial times. For all the preseason hype that this was the Texans year, Matt Schaub and this entire team let everyone down.

13-and Oh No!!

TCU Horned Frogs Co-National Champs?

The unthinkable happened on New Years Day. The Horned Frogs from Texas Christian University beat the Wisconsin Badger in the Rose Bowl. TCU finished the season 13-0 and I believe should be considered Co-National champs with the winner of the BCS National Championship game between Auburn and Oregon. No one will vote for the Horned Frogs in the coaches poll because the consensus is they can't hang with the competition of the "big schools". However TCU proved that on any given Saturday, a team can rise up a beat another team. Wisconsin should have dominated that game. Their offensive line was bigger and made highways for their running backs. But instead of standing there and letting the offensive overpower them, Gary Patterson told his team to go around them and use their speed, which Wisconsin had no answer for. Patterson has built TCU into a power program but mainstream fans don't want them to get recognition. I find it interesting how everyone loves March Madness and the NFL Playoffs and Super Bowl but don't want a playoff in college football. I have friends who are upset that TCU won and Boise St. was ranked in the top 10 most of the year. They can't stand the small school in football but root for them in basketball. The problem is the small school has won five of the last seven games against BCS conferences in bowl games. And for that reason alone the smaller school should be embraced by everyone, and playoff should be enacted to get to a "True and Pure" national champ. Sadly, now TCU will move on to the Big East in 2012 and they will no longer be the little guy on the block. But it was fun while it lasted and hopefully everyone took notice that football is football and it doesn't matter what conference you are in.