NFL Footballderdash/Divisional Playoffs
Love the playoffs in the NFL! We are a week into it and things are shaping up just about how most people thought they would. Except for my nemesis, who picked the Steelers over the Jaguars last week. Let’s get to the divisional round. While your here, go ahead and hit the polls over there in the side bar for these games! —>
Good Guy (Lee)
Regular Season 30-23/Playoffs 4-0
Bad Guy (Kelloggs23)
Regular Season 30-23/Playoffs 3-1
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Story lines! Brett Favre making another run, Will it be his last? His former backup, Matt Hasselbeck, returns to Green Bay. The Big Show, Mike Holmgren returns to where he brought a Lombardi home. The thing that catches me eye about this game is how different the seasons ended up in the running game. The Seahawks were supposed to have one of the top running backs in the NFL in Shaun Alexander. The Packers were not supposed to have a running game. Oh, what a difference 16 games can make. This one for me comes down to simple math. Over the season it has worked fairly well for me. Passing game+Running game+Defense beats having a Passing game+Defense-running game. The Seahawks sound as if they are content in coming in with Hasselbeck’s (a hurt Hassellbeck) arm a blazing and get the job done. Don’t see it happening.
Lee: Green Bay Packers
Favre’s swan call. The Seattle D showed just how menacing they can be this last week and will keep it going against the Pack @ Lambeau. I think Alexander will come around this game and play with more authority. I’m not saying 200 yards and 3 TDs, but I think he breaks the century mark and finds the end zone a couple times. Hasslebeck has been quietly putting up great numbers all year and will keep it going. The GB D is overrated IMO and will be exposed for who they are this game. Favre will be playing catchup and you know that means he will be forcing some balls which will get him into trouble. Holmgren comes back to GB and shows them what they missed out on by letting him go. Hasslebeck is gonna take the ball cuz they are gonna score!
Kelloggs23: Seattle Seahawks
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The Jaguars have been hot for weeks now. They almost let that one get away last weekend and tey can’t afford giving up a lead if they can get it against the Patriots. You may not hear this often, but I’m gonna tell ya…the Pats are pretty good! I have fought it all season but after the 16-0 finish I cannot deny them any longer. I have said earlier in the season not to pick against them until they lose a game…then I proceeded to pick a couple games against them. Likewise, I lost some games by picking the Jags (read:Colts games). I had high expectations for them way back in the preseason. To be honest I don’t know that I would have picked them over the Patriots a few weeks ago. Sometimes we never learn.
Lee: Jacksonville Jaguars
I was surprised Jacksonville was able to pull out the victory last week, at Pittsburgh much less. They are a very efficient team and play well within their system. With that said, so is NE and they have much more big play ability. This will be a good game, but I don’t think it will be anywhere near the last minute heroics of last week for Jacksonville. The Jaguars just don’t have the skill to match-up with NE at every position. The Pats roll.
Kelloggs23: New England Patriots
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The first time these two teams met this season Peyton Manning threw for six picks. They still almost won the game. Marvin Harrison may be back. Not that they really need him but sure would make at the least a very nice decoy. Reggie Wayne has quietly become on of the top WR’s in the game. The Colts defense is playing top notch. Look what more time on the field does for Bob Sanders. Staying for the most part healthy in 2007 has made Sanders one of te top defensive players in te league (ask those guys that give out awards). The Chargers are coming in high on that elusive playoff victory. Something that the Chargers do not have going for them this week that they had last week was that they were playing the Tennessee offense, not the Indy offense. Yeah, the Colts can run the ball too. Doesn’t look good for the Chargers for me in this one. Congrats on the playoff win guys, see ya in 2008.
Lee: Indianapolis Colts
San Diego has been the hottest team as of late and they have really come around to Norv Turner’s style of coaching after starting out slow. Philip Rivers has played like he did last year and it is really helping the team. That said, Indy is too strong of a team to lose this game. Especially at home. Peyton will be a lot smarter than he was in their previous meeting and getting Harrison back only adds to Indy’s prowess. The Colts D shuts down LT and forces Rivers to beat them, but he won’t have the same game as he had last week.
Kelloggs23: Indianapolis Colts
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Terrel Owens is going to be a game time decision for this game. Looking at some games when T.O. didn’t play real well, weeks 4,5,14,and 15 (not counting week 17 when he didn’t play because, well, it was week 17), the Cowboys were 3-1. Not shown in that number is that two of them were one point wins over Buffalo and Detroit…ouch. tony Romo had 7 TD’s in those games despite Owens not putting up numbers. The Giants have been playing well but did anyone really expect them to go past the Wild Card round? The Cowboys have been waiting 11 years for a playoff win. I’m thinking they get it here, with or without Owens.
Lee: Dallas Cowboys
Eli’s coming out party? Ha! Eli won a playoff game, finally, but I don’t think he’s ready for the big time yet. Romo and company will put up the points and the Gmen won’t be able to keep up. TO is a gametime decision, but Witten will be all they need. Eli just seems to be in awe when he gets in the big games and doesn’t quite have the psyche yet to handle pressure. The Giants D will keep it close, but I think the New York offense will be the one to lose it for them.
Kelloggs23: Dallas Cowboys
tag: NFL, Football, Sports, Playoffs, Cowboys, Giants, Colts, Chargers, Patriots, Jaguars, Babes, Cheerleaders, Picks
It’ll be nice to get back in the lead after this week.
Remember, I am legend. (And I bring all the hits)
Nice work, guys, again. But Lee, c’mon. You really wanna put your perfect playoff record on the line against 16-0? 16-and-Oh, man. I mean, the Jags looked good last week, but Pittsburgh has been stumbling for the past two months like a drunken sailor in search of a nap after a night on the town with his buddies who had to leave the bar early. The Jags beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh, but that ain’t saying a lot, simply because they match up very well against the Steelers and have for a while now. It was the fourth time in the past five meetings in Steeltown that the Jags have won, but they have their number. I don’t know if the Jags can even dial up the ladies bathroom at Gillette Stadium. Then again, you are 4-0 in the playoffs and I am not:-) If you are right, it should be a great game for the AFC Championship in Indy. That would be good to see.
Lee,
Picking AGAINST New England? I can’t believe it especially giving Belichick two weeks to come up with new things for a team that executes near flawlessly. Going to be ugly for Jaguars in Foxborough on Saturday!!!
Dale
I know guys, I know. It’s a couple things, really. We only have a couple weeks of this left so I have to throw some to Kelloggs here and there. The other is, The Jaguars are my Obi Wan only hope. Maybe it’s because I want to pick the game tey lose, I don’t know. I’m thinking the Pats are going all the way but I’m in the corner of the Jags this week.
I can probably get you some medication for that problem, Lee. Might not wanna mail it, though.
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