P-A-T-S… Pats… Pats…. Pats?
January 5, 2007 by alex
The Wild Card round of the playoffs start this weekend and the past two years were filled with road teams upsetting the home teams. I’m not so sure that trend will carry through this year. Check out some picks below. (HOME team in caps)
COLTS(-7) vs. Chiefs
The last time a Herm Edwards-coached team met Dungy’s Colts in the playoffs, the Jets torched the Colts to the tune of 41-0. People can talk about the crappy Colts defense (and boy is it crappy) and how Herm is going to run Larry Johnson 40 times at them (and this is true) but I think that ultimately I have more confidence in Indy making a key stop late in the game at home to seal the victory. Add to that the fact that Manning is coming into the playoffs scorching hot (maybe he could heat up the rest of his team a bit, eh?) and I just don’t see him spitting the bit (yet). Maybe it’s also just an instinctual reaction as a Jets fan to seeing Herm on the opposite sideline, managing the clock, in a big game.
Colts win 42-34
Cowboys (+3) vs. SEAHAWKS (reluctantly)
This was the hardest of the games to pick for me - probably because of the unpredictability of the two teams involved and the extent to which a “care” about these two teams. In the end, I have to go with my confidence in Parcells getting his team up to win the big game even though they started limping into the playoffs a few weeks ago. The Cowboys also have some good playmakers in Owens and Glenn that I could see taking advantage of the weak Seattle secondary.
Doesn’t it seem like yesterday that people were crowning Tony Romo the next Tom Brady? He also went from “dating” Jessica Simpson to Carrie Underwood - which sort of sums up the last five weeks for him, doesn’t it?
Cowboys win 31-28
Jets (+8.5) vs. PATS
As much as this season has been an incredible surprise for all Jets fans out there (I’ll admit that I had written it off as a rebuilding year in the beginning of the season), Gang Green has somehow managed to get themselves an important game in January and gotten a legion of Jets fans to dread the dissapointment if they were to lose this weekend.
This is not just any playoff game either. The Jets and their 1st year manager drew what was probably their worst possible matchup - this is Luke vs. Obi Wan, part 2. As great as it was that the Jets won in Foxboro earlier in the year, I think you can attribute some of that to the rain equalizing the playing field a bit and the Jets capitalizing on 2 uncharacteristic New England turnovers during the Brady “dark weeks” this season.
As much as I’d love to be proven wrong on this one, I think this week will be the end of the road for the Jets and people (including me) will have to step back and realize how much Mangini and Co. accomplished in what was a tough AFC field this season. Unfortunately, I think the drama and familiarity with the Pats will make it a bit harder to do than if we were playing, say, the Colts. Whether it ends Sunday or not, I think the Jets franchise is, for the first time in a long time, in very capable hands and fans shouldn’t take that for granted.
In the end for me, the reasons they shouldn’t win just outweigh the reasons they might win. I don’t see Mangini beating Belichik twice at Foxboro in the same season. Apart from that one game this season, the Pats have has great success against the Jets in recent memory. That being said, I think the Jets will keep it closer than the 8.5 points theyre being given so quit disrespectin’!
Pats win 24-21
EAGLES (-7) vs. Giants
Didn’t the Giants season end 6 weeks ago? The Eagles are just too hot (Jeff Garcia, you are HOT HOT XXX!!) right now and Andy Reid is just that much better of a coach than Tom Coughlin that I think the Eagles get to Manning early and then you can watch the Giants hem and haw at each other and their coach for 40 minutes until their season mercifully comes to and end and Tiki Barber can head straight to the broadcast booth and start dissecting next week’s matchups.
Eagles win 35-21
Anyone else wnat to throw their hat in the ring?
Tags: football, predictions
Posted in Uncategorized
January 5th, 2007 at 12:57 pm
Very nice breakdown, dude. I like your style, always have. This forum is where alex arranges his most brilliant of jinxes, which Manlio and I walk right into every time. There is no reversal, so I will just speak freely and let the chips fall where they may.
Colts/Chiefs - Guess what, Colts are going down, and this isn’t just wishful thinking (this is the first year i definitely do not feel confident the pats have a shot against them). Great running game vs crap run defense trumps great passing game against relatively crappy all-around defense. The Chiefs can control the ball on the ground, eat the clock and keep it out of manning’s hands, which means they will probably control the ball most of the way (which is only good if it’s not close at the end given Herm’s wonderfully idiotic clock mgmt). My prediciton is that the chiefs will score at will forcing manning to play error free football, which isn’t as likely in a do-or-die playoff scenario for him. He’ll have at least one costly pick.
Chiefs do it: 35-31
Cowboys/Hawks
Also couldn’t care less about this game, but I will admit I was all over Tony Romo over Thanksgiving during his 5 TD performance, which reminds of this blog dedicated to Drew Bledsoe’s hate blog of Romo, called Tony Homo - http://tonyhomo.blogspot.com/.
Anyway, Matt Hassaelback has barely had one decent game since he returned from injury. i’m even getting the feeling he’ll have such a crappy first half, we may see an appearence from Seneca Wallace. Seneca will lead a comeback after being down two TDs in the 1st half, and almost be a hero, but the Cowboys hold on by a field goal. All in all, I just find the seahawks really boring to watch, there never seems to be any real fire on that team. Maybe it’s a Seattle thing, I always feel the same way watching the Mariners. Whaveter…
Cowboys win: 24-21
Jets/Pats
Oh man, I’m not looking forward to this game. I think it’s probably going to be a defensive battle again, and I only hope we can figure out a way to fluster Pennington. No Rodney Harrison is a really big deal b/c he scares the hell out of receivers and always leads the defensive squad emotionally. Some would say “he got his” against Tennesee, but he’s on my team, so go f yourself.
I knew the Jets would be good this year if Chad stayed healthy, and he has, and now he’s comeback player of the year. My hope is the Jets will play the “just happy to be here” card emotionally and lack intensity, but the Pats have had a few flat games like that this year, namely Detroit and that last Miami debacle, so I worry (plus I don’t see Mangina letting them relax at all). Leon Washington has been great, and a total playmaker, but Maroney and Dillon have been looking good as of late, so I feel good rushing the ball against the Jets.
The biggest question will be to see if Mangini is able to get as much pressure on Brady as he did last November, that will be the big question. We couldn’t really run the ball agains the Jets in that loss, in part b/c of the rain and tight D, but I think we’ll be a bit more effective this time around. If we can prevent the long freak TD, and keep it close, I think the Pats can pull it out.
I shutter to say this, but Pats in OT: 31-28.
Eagles/Giants:
It boggles my mind to believe anyone can see the Giants winning this game. They are a collection of big mouth losers. I cannot stand watchinig Giants football. Eli has spaz feet in the pocket, he reminds of Tony Eason on the Shitface 1985 Patriots, “argh! pressure! better throw a pick or dive to the ground!”. He has a lot of growing up to do, and Plaxico makes one huge play a game, and then sits the rest out - better hope it’s close at the end and he saves it. Tiki is probably the only one that can save them (as usual), but I don’t see it happening against the hungry Eagles, who are hot right now. Wouldn’t want to play Garcia who definitely has something to prove, and I also hope they play the Cowboys if for anything else, to watch the endless TO “my mama always told me, if it smells like a rat and looks like a rat…” clips.
Eagles in a rout: 38-10.
January 5th, 2007 at 3:17 pm
The expert picks are rolling in and the Jets have yet to get love.
January 5th, 2007 at 3:17 pm
ok, sorry to be late to the party, but here we go:
Colts/Chiefs:
I was pretty high on the Chiefs bandwagon for this entire week, thinking that there’s no way that LJ rushes for less than 150 yds and 2TD’s, and Peyton Manning doesn’t get the ball nearly long enough to do some damage. And then i took pause, and realized that it’s the Colts, who may have become the most underrated team going into the playoffs. No, they can’t stop the run, not even a little bit. But Sanders is back at Safety, and Peyton doesn’t usually fold till the AFC championship, so i think they’re going to eek this out. Remember, the Chiefs are playing Trent Green at QB, and you can’t run on every play.
Colts 24, Chiefs 21
Cowboys/Seahawks
I don’t understand why anyone is picking the Cowboys to win this game, let alone everyone. The Seahawks are great at home, and the Cowboys have about as much momentum going into this game as Matt Damon at the end of the Departed. You know they’re heading for a fall, and i think it happens right here. Hasselback hasn’t looked great, but have you seen the Cowboys secondary?? now that’s bad.
Seahawks 31, Cowboys 17
Jets/Pats
I really didn’t love the idea of facing the jets at home to start the playoffs. I think it’s going to be a really tough game, and i honestly have no idea what’s going to happen. At the end of their regular season loss, i couldn’t figure out why Belichick was running reverses and trick plays against a small Jets D-Line, to the point where i convinced myself that he was throwing the game so that Mangini would be totally confused come playoff time. And that’s a real stretch, so clearly there are some problems here. Plus Harrison is out, which terrifies me. Still, i haven’t bet against NWE all season, and i sure as hell am not starting now.
Patriots: 14, Jets 13
Eagles/Giants
ha! the giants are in the playoffs. this won’t even be close.
Eagles 35, Giants 13
January 5th, 2007 at 8:15 pm
I’m with Manlio on most of these picks.
I think Peyton has a monster game (only to piss himself against the Pats). Trent Green going in only so-so. Match-ups spell big day for LJ but with the colts defense a good running game is a quick score offense in terms of t.o.p.: 42-27 Colts
Seahawks defense totally beaten up, no offensive consistency or rhythm all year, a tough Cowboys d-line. I think Romo puts together a decent game now that he’s back down to earth a little, and with good matchups outside. Cowboys 24-17.
I think the Jets are straight up out-classed. They only really impressed me a couple times this season: the win against the Pats which had all kinds of logical explanations to it; and the loss against the Colts which they were only in b/c of a couple big plays and a kick return; and maybe the Packers game. I’m not a believer. Pats, on the other hand, are a well-rounded offensive team with some holes on defense but the Jets aren’t the team to expose them. Pats 24-7.
Garcia’s hot, Westbrook’s solid, Strahan’s out (we’re like 3-13 in the past 5 years when he doesn’t play), we pretty much don’t have a secondary, and Eli makes Peyton look cool under pressure. Hopefully Rutgers wins. Eagles 31-10.
January 5th, 2007 at 8:36 pm
I don’t know what the f- I did wrong but your love blog won’t let me rant about football. BTW, you see that B.E.T. is showing “The Wire” now? I am officially black.