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Then there were two: Championship Weekend Recap

So it has been a long, and surprising season, but we are finally down to the final two teams who will battle for the Lombardi Trophy. Championship Sunday was quite a memorable one, with both games coming down to the final plays. It has been a while since we have a blowout in the Conference Championship, as you would have to go back to the Bears beating the Saints 39-14 back in January of ‘07. This really is a credit to the talent in each league, and shows no game is really in the bag come playoff time.

Lets take a look at the two games now:

Tom Brady sold his soul to the devil back in 2000, or something like that. How else do you explain a guy who was 4th on the depth chart when he started in New England becoming one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. You go back to Drew Bledsoe getting injured, and the miracle season the Patriots had and it all makes sense. TOM BRADY IS THE ANTI-CHRIST!!!

The Patriots escaped again, and it was thanks to a game saving defensive play that kept the Ravens from the game winning score. Then we have a new issue, scoreboardgate, (Just made it up, clever huh) that the Ravens ‘claim’ a issue with the down marker on the scoreboard caused a scramble on the sideline and rushed kicker Billy Cundiff into missing a chip shot that would have sent the game into overtime.

But when it comes down to it, Baltimore had a timeout and did not use it. Someone should let John Harbaugh know that he doesn’t get an extra timeout week 1 of next year, and there is no reason for him not to call one there. The Patriots escaped, and Tom Brady gets his chance to avenge the 18-1 season. 

Kyle Williams was the MVP for the Giants, and bless his heart has to be the sickest man in America.The 49ers played sloppy ball, but the defense did everything they needed to in the loss. It started with a mistake by Kyle Williams in the 4th quarter where a punt deflected off his knee on the bounce, where Eli took that short field and scored to give the Giants a late 17-14 lead. The 49ers scored and sent the game to OT, and it became a defensive battle. I for one am a fan of defense, so watching these two teams play was pretty awesome. No one could get anything going, but Kyle Williams made his second huge mistake of the evening.

Williams failed to protect the ball, and he was stripped deep in his own territory which gave the Giants a chip shot and for the second time in four years Lawrence Tymes kicked the Giants into the Super Bowl. The fumbled caused Twitter to crash, and sent 49er nation as a whole into shock. For how great the game was, it was horrible to see it end like this. As a side note, if you sent a death threat to Kyle Williams on twitter do us all a favor and check your priorities. Football is a passionate game, but there is NEVER a reason to send death threats to anyone. It’s a game, not life or death.

Final Thought

I for one I am not looking forward to the next week of a Boston/New York love fest all over the media, and I truly might have to avoid the evil 4 letter until after the game. They do it to us every season with baseball, and I was just hoping we would get another few months without Boston/New York media love fest. Well two of the most annoying fan bases are in the Super Bowl. Woo freakin hoo.

I’ll be back next week with a preview of the big game, and a look back at the top stories of the 2011 NFL Season.

Championship Sunday: Wait I thought the Pats and Giants got a bye

Everybody is so hyped on the Super Bowl 42 rematch, which has seemed to sway a lot of people are picking. Don’t get me wrong, the Pats demolished the Broncos and the Giants did handle the 15-1 Packers. But these are going to be two hard fought games, and nothing looks for certain. I expect some close low scoring games, and the winners will truly be worthy of a trip to Indy.

Ravens @ Patriots

The key to stopping the Pats offense is to rattle Tom Brady early. Easy enough, but not against the way the Patriots operate on offense. The Ravens have a chance, but they will need to rely on the run game. They have tried putting the game in Flacco’s hands, but Ray Rice is the ticket. The Patriots defense will not have as much success as they did in last weeks win, and will definitely be tested. 

Prediction:  I think the Ravens will have success in slowing down Tom Brady, and turnovers will be the difference. Baltimore will run the ball to a 23-21 win.

Giants @ 49ers

It is going to be a sloppy field at Candlestick today, and dont expect to much offense. This game will be won by the defenses, and these two squads come off impressive showings against two of the top offenses in the league. The Giants are favored, but I still believe the 49ers are the better team. The matchup to watch will be the Giants receivers against the Niners secondary.

Prediction:  The 49ers may be the underdog, but they have a lot going in their favor. The crowd will be loud, and Eli will throw a pick late. Frank Gore has a big game, and the 49ers win 20-13.

HAR-BOWL will be a viewing hit, especially with the angle of brother v brother. It may get more annoying then Tebowmania for the next two weeks. Enjoy the games!

Divisional Round Wrap up: an early 90’s NFC Title Game

What a weekend of football in the NFC. Saturday brought us one of the more memorable games in playoff history when the Niners outscored the Saints, and Sunday brought an end to the defending champs hope at repeating. After week 1, it was all about the hype for a Saints/Packers rematch in the playoffs and it was all but certain one of these teams would represent the NFC in Indy. But someone forgot to send the script to the Giants and 49ers. The Giants were expected to at least contend in the NFC this year, but no one predicted the 49ers doing what they have done this year.

Jim Harbaugh is a miracle worker, and his head coaching road that started at the University of San Diego has brought him within one game of the Super Bowl. San Francisco has not played for the Lombardi Trophy since the 1994 season, and a win Sunday against the Giants would give them a chance to get ring number 6 for the organization. Harbaugh has already cemented his bay area standing with what he did on the farm at Stanford, and if he makes it happen for the Niners he could be placed next to Bill Walsh as the greats in bay area coaching.

Lets take a look at the top stories from the weekend:

• Tom Brady is not a fan of religion, so it may seem.The Patriots did not give Denver the chance to compete. It was 14-0 quick, and things only got out of hand from there. The Broncos had no answer for Brady who threw for 6 touchdowns and seemed on a mission to end Tebowmania. The final was 45-10, but the story can be told with 35-7 halftime lead. Tim Tebow will get a lot of crap for the loss, but a lot of the blame has to be put on some drops by his wide receivers in the first half. There were at least 3 different situations where Tebow made the throw on third down, and his receivers dropped the ball. It most likely would have not made a difference, but maybe the scoreline would not have been as brutal.
• Alex Smith is clutch, at least for this week. What a game we witnessed at Candlestick. The two teams scored 4 times in the final 4 minutes with the 49ers getting the last laugh. San Francisco jumped out to a 17-0 lead thanks to some big turnovers by the Saints, but a lack of offense for most of the second half gave Drew Brees more then enough time to get his team back into it. Alex Smith made the plays when it mattered, and the 49ers answered the bell when it was time. The bootleg call on 3rd and short that led to Alex Smith sneaking out and finding the end zone was an absolute brilliant call, then Alex Smith and Vernon Davis connected twice on the final drive. The touchdown catch was a thing of beauty from both ends, as it was a perfect throw from Smith into tight coverage and Davis held onto the rock while taking a shot. It is being called the Catch 3, and will probably go down as another Candlestick memory for years to come.
• The Ravens won, and that’s about all I have to say about that game. Baltimore advanced to the AFC Title game for the second time in four years, which is a credit to John Harbaugh and the consistency in the defensive play. This game was a snoozer, so much so I fell asleep for half of it. Ed Reed sealed it with a late pick, and the final score was 20-13.
• The Giants have won two straight playoff games at Lambeau, and they do not care WHO plays quarterback for Green Bay. Last time New York played a playoff game in Green Bay, they ended the Brett Favre era. This time they shut down the hot Packers and Aaron Rodgers. Turnovers made the difference, as the Packers fumbled the ball three times. Everything went the Giants way, including a lob into the  that was caught by Nicks that put Packer nation into silence that continued for most of the second half. The Giants are no stranger to winning road playoff games, and will look to do it on the West Coast again on Sunday.

I will post the predictions for Championship weekend later this week, looking forward to a great Sunday of football. Its just sad another season is coming to an end!!

Divisional Playoff Preview/Wild Card Recap!!!

This week, the theme of the divisional playoffs is defense. Can the Broncos slow down Tom Brady enough to keep it close? Can the 49ers shut down the insanely on fire Drew Brees? How about the Giants, can they figure out a way to knock out the defending champions? Then we have the Ravens and Texans, a game that is getting little hype but should be a defensive slug fest. I am looking forward to this weekends game, and a lot of it has to do with the fact that I finally have cable so I can watch the games from the comfort of my own couch.

But before we jump into this weeks games, lets take a look at last weeks top stories:

• Tim Tebow’s tears can cure cancer. If you have watched the morning Sportscenter in the past few weeks, you would think there is nothing that Tim Tebow can’t do. I am confident if you were to wander the Bristol campus you would find some sort of statue being erected in his honor. I watched Sportscenter Friday morning, and the first 18 minutes of the 11am show was all Tim Tebow. The worst part was they asked Lebron his thoughts on Timmy, WHY?! Tebow performs in the fourth quarter, while Queen James checks out like he thinks he is playing hockey. (Only three periods people.) But yea, back to the game. For all the crap Tebow takes, he played his best game in the thrilling overtime victory against the Steelers. He looked comfortable in the pocket and made the throws he had to. The defense did their part, and the Broncos advanced with the 29-23 overtime victory in one of the better playoff games I can remember in recent years.
• Apparently, someone forgot to remind the Falcons to show up in the playoffs…AGAIN. Not sure what to say about Atlanta, but credit goes to the Giants for doing their part. For the second year in a row the Falcons were embarrassed in the postseason and sent packing without a playoff win. Eli Manning looks in his playoff form, while questions have to arise about Matt Ryan now. With an 0-3 playoff record, Mike Smith and Matt Ryan will have a lot to think about this offseason.
• Houston, we have a playoff win. Finally, congratulations to the Houston Texans for winning the franchises first playoff game in convincing fashion over the Cincinnati Bengals 31-10. When Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart went down so did the hype on the Texans, but they held it together and rookie QB TJ Yates has been great when needed. This is a run first team right now, and Arian Foster did his part rushing for over 150 yards and two touchdowns. The defense got it done as well, and even without Mario Williams has been great all year. Credit goes to Wade Phillips, who falls into the “horrible head coach but great coordinator” category.
• Matt Stafford may be good, but Drew Brees is great. The Lions walked into the locker room with a surprising 14-10 lead, but Brees came out like a man possessed in the second half. The Saints put up 35 points in the second half, and Drew Brees ended his day with 466 passing yards. Detroit made its first playoff trip in quite a long time, and looked to just run out of answers for the Saints high scoring offense in the second half. The teams combined for over 1000 yards of offense, which made it an extremely fun game to watch.

Ok, now that we are caught up lets take a look at the divisional match ups:

• New Orleans @ San Francisco- The Saints are riding the hot arm of Drew Brees, but now have to leave the fast turf of the Superdome and head to the city by the bay to face the 49ers. The Niners have not had a home playoff game since Steve Young was at the helm, and that stadium will be loud and hostile. These two teams met in SF last year in Week 2, and it took a late 30 yard strike by Brees to set up a Hartley field goal to pull out the 25-22 victory. The most interesting stat about that game is that Alex Smith actually threw for more yards then Drew Brees (275-254). The theme of the week is defense, and the 49ers defense is going to have to keep Brees and the Saints out of the endzone to have a chance. The 49ers were my pick to come out of the NFC coming into the playoffs, so I am going to stick with them. Final Score 49ers win 24-20.
• Denver @ New England-  GOOD vs EVIL. Denver comes in playing with house money, as a blowout would not surprise anyone. But I hope the Patriots are not taking the Broncos lightly, because Denver has to be feeling pretty confident after knocking off the defending AFC champs last week. Last time these two teams met turnovers were the difference, and even with those turnovers Denver had life in the 4^th quarter. I expect a good amount of points in this game, but anything over 30 might spell the end for Denver. If the Broncos can put pressure on Brady early they might be able to force Brady into a mistake or two. I picked the Broncos last week because of all the injuries the Steelers had, but that will not be the case for New England. This is going to be a close one, and don’t be surprised if another overtime game is in store. All logic says go with the Pats, but I just go against Tebow after seeing his vastly improved play. Final score Broncos win 27-24.
• Houston @ Baltimore- The Ravens have struggled with Joe Flacco in the past when it comes to first round byes, and will be facing the Texans in what should be a slugfest. Both teams will rely on strong defense and heavy dose of rushing, so it will come down to who is able to get the run game going. Expect a low scoring game, and the field position game could be the difference in this one. The other thing to watch out for is Andre Johnson against the secondary of the Ravens. The way the Texans offense is right now all they need is one big play from Johnson, and in a run game battle it could be the difference. While I like the Texans, I just think the Ravens will made the big plays when needed. Final Score Ravens 16-12.
• New York @ Green Bay- The defending champs get their road to repeat started against a familiar opponent the Giants. Not only did they play this year, a game that the Packers pulled out in the last minute, but they also met in the last playoff game in Green Bay. It was ages ago, but it was the end of the Favre era when the Giants beat the Packers and eventually went on to win the Super Bowl. So Eli has been here before, and the Giants seem to play their best ball in the playoffs. The Packers are dealing with tragedy within the organization, but once they hit the field they will be all business. While Eli has pulled off some shockers in the playoff career, I just don’t see it happening to this Packers team. It may be close, but the Packers will win this one and continue their march to Indy. Final Score Packers win 35-20.

Playoff record: 1-0 (Only game documented that I picked last week was the Broncos)

That is all for this week. Now that I finally have access to internet at the new apartment I will get the chance to write more frequently. Enjoy the games this week, only a few weeks left of meaningful football before the long offseason. But hey, at least there wont be a lockout this year!

Week 15 Recap: AFC North Powers ran into lighting and power surges in defeats

The week ended in the city by the bay, and AFC North powers Pittsburgh and Baltimore managed to take a beating on national television. It started Sunday night in San Diego, where the Chargers scored on their first five possessions of the game en route to a 34-14 win on Sunday night. The Ravens offense could not get out of their own way, and Flacco did not look good in the loss for a team that was battling for the #1 seed and home field throughout the playoffs. 

The following night after a few delays with the lights, which turned off twice to create delays for this game, the 49ers got back to their winning ways and completely dominated the Steelers in a 20-3 win. Ben Roethlisberger came out on one good ankle and struggled throughout, and you have to wonder why Coach Mike Tomlin let him play even when the game was out of reach. You could tell from the point he walked out on the field the ankle was a wreck, and this man has to be healthy for the Steelers to have a chance in the playoffs.

So on a weekend the AFC North looked to take control of the chase for home field advantage and a first round bye both teams crapped the bed. The Steelers and Ravens now sit at 10-4, and with the Patriots win now may have to travel to New England to win the AFC. I just hope both teams got some vacation time in, because that would have been the only thing enjoyable about their trips.

Lets look at the rest of the weeks top stories:

• The Packers finally fall, and we all knew it would be to Romeo Crennel. Green Bay could not handle the defense the Chiefs had in store, and the Packers winning streak has ended at 19 with a 19-14 loss at Kansas City. Green Bay had chances late but ran out of steam at the end. 
• Indy finally rises from the ashes of this season and get win number one. It was close until the third quarter, then a Reggie Wayne TD reception followed by a pick 6 helped clinched the Colts first victory in almost a year. Donald Brown had a career high in rushing, and put the final nail in the coffin of the Titans with an 80 yard touchdown run to make it a 27-13 game. You hate seeing teams have a goose egg for the full season, so I am glad the Colts finally got that victory.
• Tom Brady is not a fan of Tebowmania, or just made it seem that way Sunday. It started out great for the Broncos as they scored early for a change, but costly turnovers by Denver was all Brady needed in a 41-23 victory for New England.  It wasn’t the usual cast for the Patriots scoring, as Ochocinco got his first TD of the season and the “other” TE Aaron Hernandez had a big game in the win. The Patriots now sit atop the AFC with an 11-3 record, and have a great chance to secure home field advantage in the playoffs.

Whats your fantasy?

It has been a long season in the Tumblr Fantasy Football league, but my team Jimmy Johnson Eat World will be playing for the championship this week. It was a tough matchup in the semifinals, but my gut feeling to start the Chargers defense paid off and helped make up some points for Aaron Rodgers on what would be considered a bad point total week for him. AJ Green had another monster game for me, and it was needed in the 98-96 victory. I will be playing Password is Taco in the finals, who has a team that is stacked with players that have been putting up big numbers. We will see what happens, but I expect to end this season with the title and bragging rights.

Top 5

Last week was the first edition, and do I feel good about putting the Niners over the Steelers last week. Lets take a look at this weeks Top 5:

1. Green Bay Packers (13-1) - The Packers stay at the top, because even though they lost every team is bound to have a bad week eventually. That loss may be the blueprint to beat this team in the playoffs, and I know the 49ers have to feel good about that. Last Week: 1
2. New Orleans Saints (11-3) - Drew Brees put on a clinic, and the Saints cruised in their 42-20 victory over the Vikings. The Saints offense is clicking on all cylinders, but a huge challenge faces them as the Falcons look to avenge the overtime loss earlier in the season Monday Night at the Superdome. Last Week: 2
3. New England Patriots (11-3) - The Patriots may have played the best 60 minutes they have all season on Sunday, but this weekend could be a trap game as the Dolphins come to town. This weekend may have shown us the team to beat in the AFC is New England. Last Week: 3
4. San Francisco 49ers (11-3) - San Francisco looked dominating on Monday Night, and you have to be impressed that they were not afraid of the bright light and a team like the Steelers. I have been saying it all season, but I think this is the team that can win a cold weather game in Green Bay. Last Week: 5
5. Baltimore Ravens (10-4) - Even though Baltimore beat the 49ers earlier in the year they have moved behind them in the standings, thanks in part to an embarrassing performance on Sunday Night in San Diego. This team seems to have trouble heading west, but should bounce back. They still own the tiebreaker in the AFC North thanks to their sweep of the Steelers, and winning out could get them a first round bye. Last Week: 4

Best of the Rest: Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Detroit

Final Thought

It has been a depressing season overall, but I had a blast at every Chargers game I went to this year. I set a personal best by attending 7 of the 8 home games, and went to a Chargers bar for the Packers game which was the one I missed. Part of me thinks Sunday night was a reward for the Bolt faithful that have stuck it out through the year, but I think at this point too much needs to go in San Diego’s favor to make the playoffs. Crazier things have happened, especially for this team in recent years. I am looking forward to new management and coaching next year, but I will still hold out a glimmer of hope for a chance. Because as a fan of San Diego, I know that we believe in belief. 

Sunday Night Football in San Diego

Week 14 Recap: Its been a while

It has been too long, and I apologize about that. Between a new job and moving home to San Diego things have been a little hectic so let me catch you up on what you missed in my football adventures:

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Pick 3

Using my iPhone makes it hard to get fancy with this weeks picks, so it will be short and sweet. So here we go:

Lock of the Week
Dallas over Washington
The Cowboys have found their stride, and Washington is a mess at QB. All Romo does is win in November, and that is not about to change.
Cowboys win. 28-13

Upset of the Week
Tampa Bay over Green Bay
The Packers have to deal with the elements, which seems funny that it could be a problem. This is a pass first team, and Tampa has a better ground game. Raheem Morris is on the hot seat, so you know he wants a win bad today.
Tampa Bay wins. 13-10

Game of the Week
Cincinnati over Baltimore
The news broke that Ray Lewis will sit today’s game out, and I am sure that caused people to bust out the happy dance in the ‘Natty.. The Bengals are for real, and should do enough to win. If the Ravens lose, expect the panic button to be hit with San Fran rolling into town Thursday for the brother bowl.
Bengals win 21-17