NFL Playoffs, Day Four

Julius Peppers needs to manhandle the Seahawks line to
win this week. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Bears claw into NFC Championship game


The Seattle Seahawks aren't exactly a feel-good story because quite honestly I don't think there were many people excited when they saw a 7-9 team hosting a playoff game. The Saints were the feel-good story last year and they were riding that into the playoffs this year. Most probably wrote off the Seahawks coming into last week and not many were rooting for them. It was a feel-good story in the Saints against a team nobody thought deserved to make the playoffs. However, the Seahawks showed up to play and didn't get knocked flat as many expected them to. They knocked off the defending Super Bowl champions and now they are one win away from hosting the NFC Championship.

This week the underdog Seahawks head to Chicago to take on Jay Cutler and the Bears. Like last week, I have a lot of trouble making the "easy" pick in Chicago. I said in one of last week's posts that "some little part of me says that Seattle will sneak up and surprise everybody by winning this game," and yet I stuck to my guns with the Saints. This week I could pick the Seahawks, they could win, and I could look like I know a bit what I'm talking about. Or if they lose I look like I got caught up in the hype like a lot of other people who are picking Seattle this week.

It seems as if I am in a bit of a pickle. However, I feel confident going with the Bears in this one. Julius Peppers is no doubt one of the best defenders in the game; he is a game-changer. Putting him in with Brian Urlacher and the rest of that Bears defense adds fuel to the fire. Their defense is hard-nosed and I feel they will have their way with the Seahawks as long as they get to Matt Hasselbeck. All Cutler has to do in this game is lead the offense to a couple scores and then manage the game the rest of the way. It seems clear to me that Cutler is going to want to make some big plays in this one to throw it in the face of his "haters," but that is exactly what will get him into trouble. He needs to let the plays come naturally and not try to force a big play. If he does that, the Bears are golden.

Bears 30 - Seahawks 17


*Game is on FOX at 1 PM EST

We'll be seeing a lot of this today from Tom Brady.
(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Pats take out the trash


Did you know that the Jets and Patriots are actually going to play football this week? That's right. They are playing football today. This football game has been lost amongst the trash talk thrown into the pot by various Jets and Patriots players. As much as I love a good rivalry, this is just ridiculous. Rivals don't like each other, that's a given. But what real rivals do is respect the other side and let their play do the talking. The Steelers and Ravens always crank out a good game like yesterday's because they allow the battle to speak for itself. It got chippy on the field with some pushing and jawing, especially between Hines Ward and Ed Reed. They played a great game yesterday and the Steelers came out on top because they were the better team.

I want to see that happen today with the Pats and Jets. I want to see two great football teams play great football. This shows the difference, however, in the two rivalries. The Steelers and Ravens hash it out on the field; they push and they shove and they jaw. The Pats and Jets talk trash from afar, afraid to settle it on the field.

With all of the verbal pollution clouding up the air around the game, I don't see this being a very interesting contest. I see the Jets getting bowled over in this game because they don't live up to their attitude. They talk smack and carry around the Hard Knocks reputation, but all in all the Jets have not had the best season. They have skated by with a low margin of victory (around four points per game) and just don't play up to the hype. Did I mention that the Patriots also have this guy named Tom Brady? He's an alright quarterback. I see him having his way today with the Jets' defense much like he did in their last matchup in which the Patriots won 45-3. With all of the "excitement" leading up to this one, we'll be watching a dud blowout today.

Patriots 52 - Jets 14


*Game is on CBS at 4:30 PM EST


p.s. Yes, I said 52 points.

p.p.s. With two wins yesterday, my playoff record sits at 4-2.

p.p.p.s. Today I'll be working on my new fashion blog. My first post will be up by Tuesday. fashioninthepaint.wordpress.com

p.p.p.p.s. For more senseless babble, follow me on Twitter @Bradley_W_Parks.

NFL Playoffs, Day Three

Big Ben Roethlisberger continues to own the Ravens.
(Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images)

STEEL the better team


Much like I said they would, the Ravens controlled last Sunday's game against Kansas City by playing strong defense as they do and also scoring on the offensive end. The defense forced five turnovers with three interceptions and two fumble recoveries. The Ravens simply did what they needed to do on offense with a couple of touchdown passes from Joe Flacco and a 25-yard capper of a run by Willis McGahee late in the fourth quarter to finish the game. Billy Cundiff also added three field goals in the effort.

It wasn't exactly a Patriots-esque domination, but rather just a simple domination. The Ravens didn't go off for seven touchdowns and look seemingly unstoppable every time they got their hands on the ball, but they did score and score efficiently to go along with that great defense.

However, this week poses an entirely different challenge for the Ravens. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger currently holds a six-game winning streak over the Ravens dating back to November 5, 2007. (The Steelers have lost all contests with Baltimore with Charlie Batch and Dennis Dixon at the helm since that date.) So it seems as if Big Ben is the difference in these rivalry games, at least as of late. The Ravens always have their hands full when Roethlisberger is on the field. Even though Roethlisberger is banged up, he said in an interview earlier this week that he isn't making any excuses. Pittsburgh also still has that famous defense playing on full tilt this year allowing only 62.8 yards per game on the ground (1st in the league). Plus, when Troy Polamalu is in the game, the Steelers defensive strength grows exponentially (he is listed as probable for today's game). With all of this taken into account, I think the Steelers are just too much for the Ravens to handle. The defense is going to force Flacco to throw and Pittsburgh controls the ball on offense extremely well. I think through tough defense and bruising offense the Pittsburgh Steelers will slowly but surely finish Baltimore today.

Steelers 21 - Ravens 10


*Game is on CBS at 4:30 PM EST

Aaron Rodgers will help the Packers run past the Falcons.
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The table is being TURNERed


How great have the Packers looked in the past three weeks? Aaron Rodgers has led the team to three wins over three of the NFC's best teams in the Giants and Bears to get into the playoffs and then the Eagles to move on to the next round. Now Rodgers faces the number one seed in the NFC, the Atlanta Falcons.

In their last matchup both teams were neck-and-neck for the length of the game, but the Falcons pulled out a win with a Matt Bryant field goal with nine seconds remaining on the clock. Rodgers was relied on to do it all as he led the Packers in passing and rushing with a touchdown in each. However, now the Pack have a new-found running attack as shown last week against the Eagles. Rookie out of Buffalo James Starks piled on 123 yards on the ground to help the Packers to a 21-16 victory over the Eagles.

If the Packers defense can keep down arguably the most explosive player in the league in Michael Vick, all signs point to them being able to keep the Falcons' offense under wraps today. But let us not forget the great season the Falcons have had. Perhaps the quietest number one seed in NFL history, the Falcons have flown under the radar to gather their 13 wins. Quarterback Matt Ryan has thrown for 3705 yards and 28 touchdowns, Michael Turner 1371 yards with 12 touchdowns, and wide-receiver Roddy White has 1389 yards receiving and ten touchdowns. The Falcons are the best team that nobody has heard of, whereas, the Packers were on a lot of people's radars (including mine) to win the Super Bowl this year. But the Packers had to claw into the playoffs after missing Aaron Rodgers for a couple games after his second concussion of the season. Now with Rodgers back in the lineup and a revamped rushing attack, I think Green Bay has the winning formula to get where a lot of people saw them going at the beginning of the season. So despite the Falcons' terrific season and top ranking, I see the Packers turning the tables on them to move on to the NFC Championship game.

Packers 27 - Falcons 21


*Game is on FOX at 8 PM EST


p.s. My playoff record sits at 2-2.

p.p.s. For the fashionistas reading, I am starting another blog (a fashion blog!) for Ohio University's Thread Magazine. My first post will be up in the coming week.

p.p.p.s. Big win for my Phoenix Suns last night. Let's keep it up, gentlemen.

p.p.p.p.s. For more senseless babble, follow me on Twitter @Bradley_W_Parks.

NFL Playoffs, Day One

SEEhawk you in the next round, Saints

The Saints will have to deal
with a hostile environment.
(Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

I really don't think anyone will be surprised by me, or anyone else for that matter, picking the Saints to win this game. The defending champs did not have the year everybody thought they would, but still finished with an 11-5 record. Quarterback Drew Brees had another incredible season for New Orleans piling up 4620 yards and 33 touchdowns. The running game was where the Saints really had to scrounge this season with Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas both getting injured early in the season. They relied heavily on rookie back out of Tiffin University, Chris Ivory, who actually managed to accumulate 716 yards and five touchdowns on the ground on just 137 attempts.

The Seahawks, on the other hand, have stumbled into the playoffs by default. I would say that they didn't win the most, but rather lost the least out of teams in the NFC West. However, despite their 7-9 record, the Seattle Seahawks are the NFC West champions and are now hosting the Saints in first week of the playoffs. Quarterback questions have plagued Seattle this season, mostly as of late, as they have had to switch between Matt Hasselbeck and Charlie Whitehurst. Whitehurst was the man to bring home the divisional banner last week against the Rams on NBC's Sunday Night Football with Hasselbeck out due to injuries. However, this week the Seahawks have decided to go with the slightly ailing Hasselbeck over Whitehurst to take on the Saints.

Dan Patrick said on his radio show this week that Seattle will either win this in a close game or get blown out and I must agree with him. Some little part of me says maybe Seattle will sneak up and surprise everybody by winning this game, but I am still going to choose the Saints. The Seahawks showed some small sparks this season and they are playing with the "12th Man" at Qwest Field, but I just don't think that is enough to take down such a dangerous Saints team. As much as I want to go with the demon on my shoulder saying "pick the Seahawks" I cannot give in to that temptation. The Saints are just too good and the Seahawks are just too bad. I'll stick with the defending champions in this one.

Saints 42 - Seahawks 17


*Game at 4:30 P.M. EST on NBC


Peyton still the MANning

Colts fans don't want to see interceptions.
(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

The Colts haven't exactly been the Colts of old this season. After 12 games it seemed that Indianapolis may have been missing out on the playoffs for the 2010-2011 season with a record of 6-6. But with the help of four straight wins by them and three straight losses by Jacksonville, the Colts wound up with yet another AFC South title. Quarterback Peyton Manning had back-to-back four-interception games during the 6-6 stretch, but was able to turn it around by only throwing two in the final four games of the season. The Colts' defense has been what we have come to expect them to be, in the middle of the pack in passing defense (13th in passing yards allowed) and very poor at stopping the run (25th in rushing yards allowed). The Colts have next to no rushing game as they are 29th in the league in rushing yards per game. Basically, the Colts live and die by how Peyton Manning plays as he has averaged 2.3 interceptions in their losses compared to just 0.3 in their wins.

On the other sideline, the Jets have not exactly lived up to their expectations put on them by the media but also by themselves. I discussed how their record is deceiving this season in my Week Fourteen post. I mentioned at the end that they needed to be careful in the final stretch of the season in which they had a big win against the Steelers, but almost missed out on the playoffs with losses to Miami and Chicago. The truth is, the Jets aren't the Jets that everyone wants them to be. Quarterback Mark Sanchez has not played well, only throwing for 3291 yards and 17 touchdowns with 13 interceptions and is still nursing a shoulder injury. The Jets have snuck by this season with a strong two-headed rushing attack in Shonn Greene and LaDanian Tomlinson and also their stellar defense (6th in passing yards allowed, 3rd in rushing yards allowed).

In this game, it is somewhat difficult to choose a winner. Both teams have been streaky this season. In the final five games, the Colts finished 4-1 while the Jets finished 2-3. In the middle of the season it looked as if the Jets were locked into the playoffs and the Colts were on the outside looking in. However, now with those final five-game records it seems that the tables have turned. The Colts are the ones riding the hot streak while the Jets are beginning to dip. I think that as long as Peyton Manning plays like Peyton Manning today, the Colts win this one. I do not think, however, that the Jets will go away quietly. This will be a close game, but in the end it is too difficult to go against Manning.

Colts 24 - Jets 20


*Game at 8:00 P.M. EST on NBC


p.s. Last week my record was 12-4 which left my regular season record at 130-86 (.602 winning percentage). Not bad. But much like in the NFL, my record is now 0-0. A new season begins today.

p.p.s. Tomorrow I will preview the Ravens-Chiefs and Packers-Eagles games.

p.p.p.s. I will remind you of my Super Bowl prediction from my first ever B+ Sports post. I still believe we will be seeing the Packers defeat the Colts on February 6.

p.p.p.p.s. I am going to try to write another post later today on my Phoenix Suns and their struggles and how to fix them.

p.p.p.p.p.s. Tomorrow I will be at the Ohio v. Miami basketball game, so I will try to write another post for that game along with my second round of playoff coverage tomorrow.

p.p.p.p.p.p.s. For more senseless babble, follow me on Twitter @Bradley_W_Parks.