Wild card round
Some quick thoughts on the NFL playoffs:
Didn't get a chance to post before watching the outcomes of today's games, but my initial feelings were that both road teams were getting too much credit in their respective games. Both Washington and Jacksonville have been getting a lot of praise for their recent play. I thought Jacksonville was somewhat deserving of being labeled a solid team, but thought that winning in Pittsburgh was going to be a pretty tough task and I expected the game to be close. I was skeptical of Washington's playoff chances given that they were working with a backup QB on the road, but I really had no idea what to expect from their matchup with Seattle.
Watching the games today, I took away a few things:
-Neither Washington nor Seattle deserved to advance deep into the playoffs. Both are decent teams, but both seem flawed. Seattle looks very good on defense, but too inconsistent (not to mention one-dimensional) on offense.
-It's possible Jacksonville could be the third best team in the AFC. They're a tough team, don't have any significant weaknesses, and seem to be playing pretty well. But there's little chance they could beat the Colts or Patriots on the road with that pass rush. Though it got the job done against Roethlisberger (and a decimated O-line), I feel confident in saying that it won't be enough to slow down either Brady or Manning. Oh, and that Jaguars offense wasn't impressive tonight.
-Some backup safety for the Steelers (Carter?) played a terrible game, according to my Steelers fan buddy whose house I watched the game at. One line summed up his frustration--on the pivotal play of the game, my exasperated host screamed at the TV, "Dammit, why do you play safety if you don't know how to tackle?!?" I have to admit, it was a really good question.
As for tomorrow's games:
-Everyone loves how the Giants played the Pats last week. But other than that game, the Giants haven't looked particularly sharp. Now they're on the road, have 3 injured starters, and face a defense that will get more pressure than the Pats did...I don't think the Giants are going to look that great.
-But I can't say that it won't be enough to overcome a thoroughly mediocre Tampa team either. One thing I do expect is a low scoring game.
-If the Chargers lose, it will only vindicate everyone's opinion that Norv Turner is a terrible coach. However, it's hard to see Tennessee scoring more than 10 points on offense, so I'll go out on a limb and say the Chargers win handily.
-In my dream scenario, the Chargers advance and somehow pull out a lucky victory in Indy, thus eliminating the team with the best chance of unseating New England. The Pats handle the Jags in the divisonal round, beat the Chargers in the AFC Championship game, and advance to the Super Bowl, where they beat the tar out of whatever the NFC has to offer.
-In the worst-case scenario, the Pats lose to the Colts in the AFC championship game, thus allowing Indy to claim the Lombardi trophy for the second year in a row. Oh, how painful it would be to let it happen two years in a row...I can't even bear to think about it.
Though I've thought a lot about these playoff games, I can't say I've been excited to watch any of them. I don't know if I'm getting bored of the NFL, or if I just have no respect for any of the teams who aren't the Patriots or Colts.
Didn't get a chance to post before watching the outcomes of today's games, but my initial feelings were that both road teams were getting too much credit in their respective games. Both Washington and Jacksonville have been getting a lot of praise for their recent play. I thought Jacksonville was somewhat deserving of being labeled a solid team, but thought that winning in Pittsburgh was going to be a pretty tough task and I expected the game to be close. I was skeptical of Washington's playoff chances given that they were working with a backup QB on the road, but I really had no idea what to expect from their matchup with Seattle.
Watching the games today, I took away a few things:
-Neither Washington nor Seattle deserved to advance deep into the playoffs. Both are decent teams, but both seem flawed. Seattle looks very good on defense, but too inconsistent (not to mention one-dimensional) on offense.
-It's possible Jacksonville could be the third best team in the AFC. They're a tough team, don't have any significant weaknesses, and seem to be playing pretty well. But there's little chance they could beat the Colts or Patriots on the road with that pass rush. Though it got the job done against Roethlisberger (and a decimated O-line), I feel confident in saying that it won't be enough to slow down either Brady or Manning. Oh, and that Jaguars offense wasn't impressive tonight.
-Some backup safety for the Steelers (Carter?) played a terrible game, according to my Steelers fan buddy whose house I watched the game at. One line summed up his frustration--on the pivotal play of the game, my exasperated host screamed at the TV, "Dammit, why do you play safety if you don't know how to tackle?!?" I have to admit, it was a really good question.
As for tomorrow's games:
-Everyone loves how the Giants played the Pats last week. But other than that game, the Giants haven't looked particularly sharp. Now they're on the road, have 3 injured starters, and face a defense that will get more pressure than the Pats did...I don't think the Giants are going to look that great.
-But I can't say that it won't be enough to overcome a thoroughly mediocre Tampa team either. One thing I do expect is a low scoring game.
-If the Chargers lose, it will only vindicate everyone's opinion that Norv Turner is a terrible coach. However, it's hard to see Tennessee scoring more than 10 points on offense, so I'll go out on a limb and say the Chargers win handily.
-In my dream scenario, the Chargers advance and somehow pull out a lucky victory in Indy, thus eliminating the team with the best chance of unseating New England. The Pats handle the Jags in the divisonal round, beat the Chargers in the AFC Championship game, and advance to the Super Bowl, where they beat the tar out of whatever the NFC has to offer.
-In the worst-case scenario, the Pats lose to the Colts in the AFC championship game, thus allowing Indy to claim the Lombardi trophy for the second year in a row. Oh, how painful it would be to let it happen two years in a row...I can't even bear to think about it.
Though I've thought a lot about these playoff games, I can't say I've been excited to watch any of them. I don't know if I'm getting bored of the NFL, or if I just have no respect for any of the teams who aren't the Patriots or Colts.
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