Championship Sunday Beckons
And then there were 4.
4 teams. 2 games. 1 happy Jenster.
So let's get down to it.
Indianapolis versus New England
To say there has been some whining about this match, well, that'd be a bit of understatement. Yes, we've seen this game a bunch of times before. Yes, some of those games have been serious blowouts. But what the weary bloggers here and here can't deny is that Indy versus New England still has some compelling storylines and the games are always entertaining - even if it is in that watching-a-guy-get-kicked-in-the-crotch-repeatedly kind of way. The guy getting kicked? Well, that's our friend Peyton Manning. Regular season demigod. Postseason washout.
Will Manning - who has been less than sharp in his last few outings - totally implode before Belichik, as he has done so often before? Will Brady do just enough to not lose the game and then be heralded as the greatest big-game QB ever, as he has done so often before? Will Gisele Bundchen - Brady's latest rumoured hook-up - be at the game? Will someone explain to her why all the men in tight pants are hitting each other?
This game will in all likelihood come down to - you guessed it - defense. Can the Indy defense keep playing as well as they have the past two weeks, or will they revert to the patsies we saw all season? Does the New England defense still have Manning's number? Ty Law clearly does - as evidenced when the former-Patriot, now-Chiefs cornerback took Manning's lunch money again and again on wildcard weekend. Without standout Law, the Patriots D isn't quite the same. And whether Rodney Harrison will be back in the lineup to torment Manning remains a big question. The Colts lost to the Patriots in the playoffs in 2004 and 2005. Since then, the Colts have actually managed to win a few regular season match-ups in Foxborough. So a home game at the RCA Dome may be just what the Colts need to break the Belichick curse. It'll be no surprise that I'm picking the Colts. It'll also be no surprise when I'm back here on Monday cursing Tom Brady's name. Again. Colts.
New Orleans versus Chicago
Grossman was not total crap last week. How long can that possibly last? The TV guys had all kinds of bizarre Grossman stats that depict young Mr. Grossman as the QB version of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde. When he's good, he's very, very good. When he's bad, he's Ryan Leaf. If Leaf shows up on Sunday, Chicago is totally done, no matter how many people Brian Urlacher crushes into a fine paste. It's hard to beat a team with as much emotion behind them as New Orleans. Add in the fact that they are actually a pretty good football team with an above-average QB and a pretty smart coach - and, well, it's New Orleans' game to lose. New Orleans.
4 teams. 2 games. 1 happy Jenster.
So let's get down to it.
Indianapolis versus New England
To say there has been some whining about this match, well, that'd be a bit of understatement. Yes, we've seen this game a bunch of times before. Yes, some of those games have been serious blowouts. But what the weary bloggers here and here can't deny is that Indy versus New England still has some compelling storylines and the games are always entertaining - even if it is in that watching-a-guy-get-kicked-in-the-crotch-repeatedly kind of way. The guy getting kicked? Well, that's our friend Peyton Manning. Regular season demigod. Postseason washout.
Will Manning - who has been less than sharp in his last few outings - totally implode before Belichik, as he has done so often before? Will Brady do just enough to not lose the game and then be heralded as the greatest big-game QB ever, as he has done so often before? Will Gisele Bundchen - Brady's latest rumoured hook-up - be at the game? Will someone explain to her why all the men in tight pants are hitting each other?
This game will in all likelihood come down to - you guessed it - defense. Can the Indy defense keep playing as well as they have the past two weeks, or will they revert to the patsies we saw all season? Does the New England defense still have Manning's number? Ty Law clearly does - as evidenced when the former-Patriot, now-Chiefs cornerback took Manning's lunch money again and again on wildcard weekend. Without standout Law, the Patriots D isn't quite the same. And whether Rodney Harrison will be back in the lineup to torment Manning remains a big question. The Colts lost to the Patriots in the playoffs in 2004 and 2005. Since then, the Colts have actually managed to win a few regular season match-ups in Foxborough. So a home game at the RCA Dome may be just what the Colts need to break the Belichick curse. It'll be no surprise that I'm picking the Colts. It'll also be no surprise when I'm back here on Monday cursing Tom Brady's name. Again. Colts.
New Orleans versus Chicago
Grossman was not total crap last week. How long can that possibly last? The TV guys had all kinds of bizarre Grossman stats that depict young Mr. Grossman as the QB version of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde. When he's good, he's very, very good. When he's bad, he's Ryan Leaf. If Leaf shows up on Sunday, Chicago is totally done, no matter how many people Brian Urlacher crushes into a fine paste. It's hard to beat a team with as much emotion behind them as New Orleans. Add in the fact that they are actually a pretty good football team with an above-average QB and a pretty smart coach - and, well, it's New Orleans' game to lose. New Orleans.
posted by Jen @ 8:14 a.m.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home