The Love Of The Game Revisited
Filed under: baseball, basketball, college basketball, football, hockey, sports
Dear @tat2dsteelergal, @Tailgate365, @Pigsknlvnglady, @MDBirdLover, @steelergurl, @carolinaware and @thenflchick:
So What Do We Do Now?
Ladies and gentlemen, the 2009 NFL season has ended. The New Orleans Saints brought one home for NOLA and its thirsty for a championship fans, beating the favored Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV by a score of 31-17. With the final gun of the final game of the season, we are all left to football withdrawal for the next few months. Oh sure, the scouting combine is coming up shortly, the NFL Draft in a couple months and training camp a couple months after that.
But no games.
No Sunday afternoon communals in front of the tube or in the stands, or with friends or via internet meeting places. Sundays (and Monday nights) will be a lot quieter without NFL football.
No smack talk. No great hits, great plays and great laughs and sorrows to share.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure we all will be entertained in the months to come until the NFL ramps up again. Some of us will follow hockey, some college and NBA hoops, some with baseball, and some with all of those. And oh yeah, there’s the Winter Olympics about to begin too, if you’re interested. Life goes on for all of us outside of the sport we love; and we got to deal with that as well.
But the gridiron quiets down just a bit. The sporting passion of fans like yourself and many others recedes ever so slightly, only to build again as we inch ever closer to the beginning of another NFL season. As we move on to the next one, the sport faces an uncertain future: labor questions in the distance with the possibility of an uncapped year next season and a possible lockout for the season after that. Let’s not dwell on that; there will be time to focus on and discuss the possibility that after next season a football season won’t start on time, or at all.
For me, personally: I just want to thank you all again for making this season extremely enjoyable. First with your participation in my original Love Of The Game post, and throughout the season as we commiserated about the greatest game on the planet: NFL Football.
P.S. To so many others on Twitter that I shared Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays and even Saturdays with over the past NFL season, thank you as well. I’ll try to name as many of you as I can, but if you think you should’ve been mentioned and you weren’t: hey, you know what I say-charge it to my head and not my heart.
@SidelinePass, @asportsscribe, @dfolkens, @cosadulce, @Inkognegro, @MkRob, @ltma, @brownsugar63, @ninerchick05, @cowboychick, @mrsFAB, @12kyle, @jeffw171, @GelaTrish, @edthesportsfan, @ay52, @stephsherman, @snwann, @khaijg, @Hail_Mary_Jane, @MDSteelerGal, @JUS_chillin, @BigDubz, @julythirteenth, @sbolen, @BMoreGoHard and @lovejonz618 (her Saints are champs at last!), thank you all.
522 Games Down, 1 To Go…
Filed under: AFC, NFC, NFL, football, playoffs, sports
There have been 522 games played in the 2009 NFL season. Those games have all been a prelude to the one game that means everything in the NFL: the Super Bowl. The 44th edition of the ultimate game (though if it is the ultimate game, how come they play it every year?) will feature the two teams that were the last to lose in the regular season: the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts. At some point, both of these teams were expected to be here, particularly when they both were undefeated. Both limped home in the regular season though: the Saints lost three of their last four, and the Colts lost their last two, though how hard they were trying to win those two is up for debate. Both were the top seeds in their respective conferences, and both won two games at home to get to Miami for the right to play for the Lombardi trophy.
The Colts sliced and diced their way through two formidable defenses, while playing stellar defense of their own in their wins over the Baltimore Ravens and the New York Jets. There are those who would say the Colts had an easy road, having to play the AFC’s fifth- and sixth-seeded teams at home while avoiding the supposedly formidable San Diego Chargers and New England Patriots. Despite that, Peyton Manning did what he usually does, which is make plays no matter who is on defense or what kind of opposition he faces. In other words, they beat who was in front of them, all the while making the last two weeks of the regular season look absolutely meaningless.
The Saints on the other hand, set off a city-wide party with their two playoff wins over the Cardinals and Vikings. While the Saints destroyed the Cardinals with their offensive firepower, the Vikings held the Saints offense relatively in check. In fact, the Vikings overwhelmingly dominated the offensive statistics in the game, but came up short because of five turnovers. If the Vikings don’t give the ball to the Saints, it very well could’ve been Brett Favre, and not Drew Brees, opposing Manning in Super Bowl 44. But the Saints kept taking the ball away, and did what was necessary in overtime to set off the biggest non-Mardi Gras party the Crescent City has ever seen.
So who will win the game? As much as I would love for the Saints to win-if for no other reason than to see the month-long party that will ensue with a Super Bowl win and Mardi Gras-I think the Colts will take it. Both offenses will put up points, but the key will be which defense can make enough stops. If the Saints can force Manning into mistakes and the Colts into turnovers, they definitely can win, but will they? I’m thinking not nearly enough to pull off the upset. Most of all, I’m hoping for an exciting game…there have been few of them in this year’s postseason.
Enjoy the game, no matter who you are rooting for.
Ravens Review: The End
Filed under: AFC, Loser's Lounge, NFL, following the locals, football, ravens review, sports
A basic assumption of most sporting events is that you have to score to win. Basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer…just about any game you can name, you have to put points on the board. In sports, we keep score. So given that assumption, you would have to figure that the Baltimore Ravens offense would need to score points, particularly when the opposition has Peyton Manning at quarterback. In 60 minutes of football last night at Lucas Oil Stadium, the Ravens could only come up with three points. Three points means that the defense would need to play lights out and pitch a shutout of the Colts to win the game. While the defense did what it could, it couldn’t shut down the Colt offense nearly enough; and so the Ravens’ season comes to a close on the heels of a 20-3 defeat to Baltimore’s old team. This defeat marks the eighth straight time the Colts have beaten the Ravens. And with that defeat, comes the realization that my ticket has been punched to head for the Loser’s Lounge for this NFL season.
In a season where expectations were high for a Ravens team coming off a AFC Championship game appearance, this may ultimately be seen as a step back. The Ravens’ season ended one week shorter than it did the season before with a worse won-loss record. Yet in some ways, there was growth. Ray Rice in particular, had a great season that even his late fumble in this game didn’t diminish. Joe Flacco, while not exactly great in the latter stages of the season, did improve across the board in his second season; if the brain trust can find him some additional playmakers, particularly at wide receiver, those numbers figure to improve. The offensive line did a good job for most of the season. While the defense started the season shaky, they improved as the season wore on. Last night’s performance wasn’t bad by any stretch. The Ravens couldn’t generate much pass rush on Manning, but coverage was tight all game long and didn’t allow much in the way of a running game. The Colts scored twenty points, but they dinked and dunked their way down the field as the Ravens didn’t give up the big play. And still the Colts won the game easily, as 20 points were more than enough on this night.
Ravens fans could really tell it wasn’t going to be their team’s night during one series in the third quarter. After Manning lofted a pass that was intercepted by Ed Reed, Reed fumbled the ball on the interception return after being hit by Pierre Garcon. The ball bounced perfectly on one hop to the Colts’ Dallas Clark. As if that wasn’t enough, five plays later Manning was again intercepted by Reed, but the 54-yard return was called back on a pass interference call by Corey Ivy. That pretty much ended the competitive portion of the game, particularly with the Ravens’ offense not offering any kind of a response. Also, as it had in times all season, untimely penalties helped to doom the Ravens. Ivy’s pass interefence call was one, as was the personal foul call on Ray Lewis. Mistakes and penalties have haunted the Ravens in many a game this season and have been their downfall time after time.
When all is said and done, this season will be looked at as a success overall, but there are some issues that will have to be solved if the Ravens figure to go further in a conference as competitive as the AFC. Ozzie Newsome will have some decisions to make. He’s got to find some more depth on the defense, but even more importantly he cannot let another offseason go by without getting a #1 wide receiver. It was a need last offseason and was not addressed. This offseason he has got to find a receiver who can make plays and stretch the field. What good is having a quarterback who can throw the deep ball if none of his recievers can get open downfield? Derrick Mason isn’t that guy, Mark Clayton isn’t that guy and it appears by the way the coaching staff has played him, Demetrius Williams isn’t that guy. And with the defense aging and Ed Reed thinking about retirement, there have got to be some concerns about positions on defense, particularly in the secondary. Even though the play on the back end improved towards the end of the season, there was concern at cornerback all season long. The aforementioned mistakes and penalties will have to be corrected and cleaned up if this franchise expects to make a run at a Super Bowl.
Thank you, Baltimore Ravens for another good year. I’m hoping that the front office continues on the path to make the organization consistent contenders and keep climbing towards yet another championship for the city, the team and its fans.
PS-R.I.P. Gaines Adams. Prayers go out to his family and friends.
Mind Pinball’s Thoughts Bounce Around A New Site
It wasn’t supposed to show up until tomorrow…but I will be contributing to the new Baltimore Sports Report. My first post is a Baltimore Ravens offense vs. Indianapolis Colts defense preview for Saturday’s game. You can look at that here, if you are interested.
Just want to thank the guys for the offer, hopefully I can contribute some posts worthy of the site. That said, I’ll still be here doing what I always do. You’ll just see my writing in another place.
Ravens Review: A Somewhat Unexpected Result
Filed under: AFC, NFL, following the locals, football, ravens review, sports
Who am I kidding? I’m sure there were a few football pundits, and some cock-eyed optimists out there, not to mention two somewhat well known Gridiron Gals who stepped out on faith and called a Ravens victory over the mighty, mighty New England Patriots. Truth to be told, I was not one of them (yes, shame on me). That said, I thought the Ravens had the game to beat the Patriots, but I didn’t see anything in the previous seventeen weeks of football to think that game would make it to Foxborough on Sunday afternoon. Well lo and behold, the game traveled and a beatdown-yes I said it-a beatdown was administered as the Ravens beat the Patriots 33-14. The win sets up another stop on the Ravens Redemption Tour as a Saturday date with the Indianapolis Colts awaits in the next round of the playoffs.
This game is the game I’ve been waiting to see, particularly on defense. While the Ravens struck quickly on the very first offensive play of the game with Ray Rice’s 83-yard touchdown run, it was the defense that kept the Patriots from mounting any sort of serious challenge. The defense played it’s best game of the season yesterday, especially given the stakes and the opponent. Now these might not have been the dynasty version of the Patriots, but it was still the PATRIOTS-with the three-time Super Bowl winning quarterback and the “genius” head coach, and the mystique and aura that being the best franchise of the last decade brings. Yet the Ravens defense forced four turnovers, held Randy Moss to five meaningless receptions and forced Tom Brady into mistakes he normally doesn’t make. Thanks to the defense’s early play and the power of the Ravens’ running game, the Patriots were in a deep hole that they could not dig out of on this day.
It looked for a moment as if the Ravens turned back the clock on the way that we were used to seeing them win games-a steady dose of the run game, a minimization of mistakes and penalties, and a suffocating, hard-hitting, ferocious defense. If the defense wanted to prove a point yesterday, consider it done. Ray Lewis looked at least five years younger; he was all over the field making plays. Huge credit must go to Domonique Foxworth, who had his best day as a Raven. The defense as a whole tackled better in this game than I have seen all season, not allowing many yards after receptions or in the run game. Even players that have been roasted before (Frank Walker, this means you) made plays. Throw in the fact that there were only three penalties THE ENTIRE GAME against the Ravens-who saw that much discipline in this bunch?
Of course it isn’t all good in Ravenstown. Joe Flacco is indeed hurt, perhaps much more so than even anyone outside the club knew prior to the game. What could have been looked at as a dismal performance (4-10, 34 yards, 1 interception and one critical rush for a first down) looks a bit better because the Ravens won the game with ease. Had the game been a bit closer, fans may have blamed Flacco for not coming through with the plays necessary to win the game. The next game may require Joe to do more, so here’s hoping he gets if not completely well, then better. There’s no guarantee that the three- or two-headed monster will dominate the game the way it did against the Patriots. The defense may have to come up with another lights-out performance against a quarterback that has had their number since the first time he played against the Baltimore defense. In other words, the degree of difficulty just increased for this Ravens team to continue its run through the AFC in these playoffs.
For now though, we should savor this victory-the first over the Patriots in franchise history. While others will proclaim the New England dynasty has fallen, I won’t rush to that judgement. They aren’t what they once were, surely. But with Belichick and Brady, they can never truly be counted out. They just need some more and better players to surround their stars. It is a fate that may become the Ravens in the not too distant future; the old veterans aren’t getting any younger, and replacements will need to be found. Those decisions will be made down the road; for now the road the Ravens are on leads to Indianapolis to yet another matchup with the Baltimore team of old.
NFL Picks-Week 17
Filed under: AFC, Loser's Lounge, NFC, NFL, NFL Picks, football, playoffs, sports
Here we are at the last week of the NFL regular season, with teams fighting for spots in the playoffs, teams positioning for seeding in the playoffs, and those who are headed for the Loser’s Lounge. After today, twelve teams will move on to compete for the Vince Lombardi trophy and twenty teams head for the offseason.
As always, picks in bold:
Indianapolis at Buffalo: Only because I think the Colts will do what they did last week and rest the starters.
Jacksonville at Cleveland: Cleveland could win the game, but I think the three game win streak stops here.
Chicago at Detroit: Last week Jay Cutler showed he can be a competent NFL quarterback. He shows he can do it again this week.
San Francisco at St. Louis: Alex Smith needs another good effort to prove he’s the man for next season.
Pittsburgh at Miami: Pittsburgh has won when it had to, Miami hasn’t. The trends continue.
New York Giants at Minnesota: The Giants will play hard, but the Vikings need a win for their confidence.
Atlanta at Tampa Bay: Falcons are playing for consecutive winning seasons-that should be motivation enough.
New Orleans at Carolina: The Saints may give this one away, but recent results suggest a win would do more for them.
New England at Houston: I can only pick one maddening team this week. That team is Jacksonville, so I cannot pick Houston here.
Philadelphia at Dallas: The Eagles can clinch a first round bye with a win. I say they go out and get it, even though Dallas is now confident in late season games.
Green Bay at Arizona: Only because the Cardinals are at home. These two may play again next week.
Washington at San Diego: Even if the Chargers rest, the season can’t end soon enough for the Redskins. Jim Zorn hits the unemployment line immediately after the game.
Tennessee at Seattle: Chris Johnson goes for 2,000 yards today, and the Titans will do everything they can to get him there, including winning the game.
Baltimore at Oakland: To coin a phrase from Al Davis, the Ravens better “Just win, baby.” They should win, they can win, and I think they will win.
Kansas City at Denver: No Brandon Marshall today for the Broncos, but I don’t think they give up a game they can win that might push them into the playoffs. However, since their 6-0 start, the Broncos are 2-7 in their last nine games.
Cincinnati at New York Jets: If the Bengals had something to play for, they could beat the Jets. I think the Jets will get a second late Christmas present in the form of a playoff berth.
Last week 11-5. Season 161-79.
Caldwell’s Difficult Choice
The great debate raging around the NFL this week has to do with the decision made by the coach of the Indianapolis Colts, Jim Caldwell. Caldwell made the decision to remove his starters from this past Sunday’s game against the New York Jets with the Colts holding a 5-point lead. The Colts were 14-0 on the season and had clinched every possible advantage for the upcoming AFC playoffs, while the Jets were fighting to keep their own playoff hopes alive. Once the starters were removed, the Jets rallied to win the game, 29-15. The win moved the Jets from out of the playoffs into the fifth seed going into the final week of the season. Fans of the NFL were upset that the Colts put aside the possibility of an undefeated season, seemingly against the wishes of the players and in a dismissive fashion, just for the chance to be healthy and well-rested for the playoffs.
Despite the fact that the Jets got a late Christmas gift, let’s look at the decision a bit more closely. It has been the Colts’ rationale in seasons past to give up any claim on “immortality” (aka an undefeated season) in order to rest and get ready for the playoffs, particularly when they have sewn up their best possible playoff positioning. But history has shown that isn’t necessarily a guarantee of future success. The only year this decade that the Colts won the Super Bowl was they year they had to keep playing straight through to the title game, without the ability to rest anyone. So this move isn’t a definitive harbinger of a undefeated run through the playoffs. What it is though, is what I would call “big picture” thinking. The big picture, in this instance is to win a championship; going undefeated is not the ultimate goal. To get to the ultimate goal in the Colts’ view of the big picture, they believe resting the starters is the key, if they have the ability to do so, going into the playoffs.
On the other side of the coin, we are taught that in sports, you have to compete each and every time out. If your best effort isn’t good enough, that’s all well and good; because you gave all you had and just came up short. Did the Colts do that on Sunday? I’d say it’s doubtful whether or not they competed to win the game. Fans at the game obviously felt the Colts didn’t compete; the booing of Curtis Painter and the team’s performance left no doubt as to their preference. I don’t agree with the booing of Painter; he only did what he was asked to do, against one of the better defenses in the NFL no less-what could anyone have expected? Herman Edwards, in one of the great quotes, stated that “you play to win the game.”. Did the Colts do that, and if not, were they wrong for not doing so?
I can understand Caldwell’s line of reasoning-going undefeated is not the goal, winning a championship is. And the thinking goes, the best way to win a championship is to have the team’s best players healthy and able to play when the games matter most. Going undefeated is nice, but winning the title is better. However, is it wrong to at least attempt to accomplish something that’s only been done once in modern NFL history? Shouldn’t athletes want to strive for greatness, and as fans shouldn’t we want them to? Or is trying to go undefeated more something that’s nice if you can accomplish it on the way to a title, but not of greater importance than the final destination.
Let me know what you think in the comments.
NFL Picks-Week 16
Filed under: AFC, AFC East, AFC North, NFC, NFL, NFL Picks, football, sports
First, a bit of housekeeping: Week 15’s Picking & Winning was a casualty of the holiday rush. To quickly recap: 9 up, 7 down. Not one of my better weeks. 150-75 for the season.
The time for teams to make the playoff push is rapidly dwindling. While the NFC picture is pretty clear, the AFC is extremely muddled. Seven teams remain in the hunt for what amounts to the two wild-card spots (the AFC North and AFC East divisions are still in doubt, but I doubt Baltimore and Miami can win and get enough help to overtake Cincinnati and New England, respectively). In the NFC, Green Bay and Dallas hold the keys to playoff destiny, with the New York Giants on the outside looking in. In the AFC, the Ravens and Denver need only win their games and playoff spots are locked up. But if they lose-then Jacksonville, the Dolphins, the New York Jets, Pittsburgh and even Houston still have a shot. That makes for quite a few games with playoff implications on the schedule for Sunday.
So here’s what I think will happen in this week’s games (picks in bold; I picked the Chargers to win Friday night so I am 1-0 for the week so far):
Buffalo at Atlanta: The Falcons are on a mission to have consecutive winning seasons, and this game offers them the opportunity to get to 8 wins, with one game remaining. Matt Ryan will play, and Michael Turner may not; regardless, I see an Atlanta victory over the Bills.
Kansas City at Cincinnati: Cincinnati gave a great effort with heavy hearts last week in their loss to the Chargers. I don’t think they will be so far down that a loss to the Chiefs is on the horizon. The added motivation: a win gives them the AFC North title.
Oakland at Cleveland: I’m picking the Browns, who have played better football of late. If JaMarcus Russell gets the start, I’ll definitely feel better about this pick. Yes I know the Raiders upset the Broncos with Russell at quarterback in the 4th quarter, but nothing prior to that suggests he can consistently quarterback this team to victory.
Seattle at Green Bay: There is nothing that suggests that the Seahawks will beat the Packers at Lambeau. Green Bay will shake off the last second loss to the Steelers and go out and inch closer to a playoff berth, or secure one if Dallas or the Giants lose.
Baltimore at Pittsburgh: These teams usually split the season series, which makes it the Steelers’ turn to win. A win by the Ravens would just about end Pittsburgh’s playoff hopes, but with Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback for this one, you can bet the Steelers would love nothing more than to put a dent in Baltimore’s playoff dreams. I hope I’m wrong with this one of course, but it doesn’t look good.
Houston at Miami: Last week’s loss to Tennessee really hurt the Dolphins; this week they face another team with slim playoff hopes. I’ve been trying to pick Houston over the hump week after week, I just can’t do it this time. Dolphins will be a bit more desperate, so I give them the nod.
Jacksonville at New England: Two weeks ago, with Jacksonville sitting on a playoff spot and the Patriots reeling, I would have taken the Jaguars in an upset. But this Jaguars team is inconsistent and New England is playing for a division title. Plus they are at home, where they are tough to beat.
Tampa Bay at New Orleans: Saints should bounce back after suffering a defeat at the hands of the Cowboys last week. Tampa Bay got a win against Seattle last week, but I don’t see them getting a two game winning streak in New Orleans.
Carolina at New York Giants: Using the desperate team theory, taking the Giants. I think it will be a tough test for them though; Carolina is coming off its best win of the season-a beatdown of the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football. If Julius Peppers continues to play inspired football, he could make life miserable for Eli Manning; the Giants front line could give Matt Moore problems as well.
St. Louis at Arizona: Arizona should have no problems with the Rams at home. With the division wrapped up, the Cardinals are just waiting for the playoffs. When was the last time the Cardinals had back-to-back playoff seasons? I’m not even sure that has happened in my lifetime.
Detroit at San Francisco: The 49ers’ defense should control this game, while the offense should make enough plays to beat the Lions. Alex Smith has to play well to be considered in the mix for the quarterback’s job next year.
Denver at Philadelphia: Brian Hawkins returns to Philadelphia to face the hottest team in the NFC. It will be interesting to see how the matchups go in this one; I’m taking the Eagles because of the explosive offense, and trusting that the defense can do enough to keep the Broncos off-stride.
New York Jets at Indianapolis: Taking the Colts, but would not be surprised if the Jets won. Particularly if the Colts, in true organizational fashion, start resting the regulars for the playoffs. There truly is nothing for them to play for, having clinched everything needed to head into the playoffs…but if the players want to go for the undefeated season, then I think they can beat the Jets.
Dallas at Washington: Up until last week, the Redskins had been playing better football, and then they got their doors blown off by the Giants. That run of recent good play began with a close loss against the Cowboys. Dallas now has some December confidence, so I don’t see them losing this game.
Minnesota at Chicago: With all the Brett Favre-Brad Childress drama over the last week, you would think the Vikings were imploding. I just don’t see it. They will do enough to bounce back against a toothless Bear team.
Enjoy the games everyone!
NFL Picks-Week 15
Filed under: AFC, NFC, NFL, NFL Picks, football, sports
It has been crazy busy this week, so much so I didn’t even get to write the Picking and Winning Post for Week 14. For the record, I went 13-3, but inexplicably forgot to make my picks at the Ink Twinvitational. My picks have been made for this week though, and I am already 1-1-took the Colts on Thursday to remain undefeated, but my pick of the Saints on Saturday went down as Dallas won a December game by 24-17. So the path to perfection talk for New Orleans may now cease.
And on with the remaining games of the week (picks in bold):
New England at Buffalo: Apparently these aren’t the old New England Patriots-dissension in the ranks, Randy Moss may or may not have quit on the team, but I don’t see them losing against the Bills. It may not be pretty, and they needed a break or two to beat the Bills the last time, but I think they come out with a victory.
Arizona at Detroit: One of these two will not look like they did last week in losing. Guess which one it is?
Miami at Tennessee: The Titans defense should put this in favor of the Titans. Vince Young may play, may be nicked up, may not play, but I think the Titans will win. Both teams will go in wanting to keep playoff hopes alive, however slim (Titans).
Cleveland at Kansas City: Based on the most recent performances, the Browns should get the nod here. They may win. But I don’t think so.
Houston at St. Louis: Now the Texans will string together some wins. Too late for them-when they needed wins to make a run for the playoffs, they couldn’t get them.
Atlanta at New York Jets: Jets all the way. Bad weather and superior defense carry the day.
Cincinnati at San Diego: The Bengals will come to play with heavy hearts after the passing of Chris Henry. In similar circumstances earlier in the season, they played well in a victory against the Ravens after assistant coach Mike Zimmer’s wife had passed during the week before the game. However, I think San Diego has been playing near perfect football for two months, and with the second seed in the playoffs on the line, I think the Chargers will do just enough to win the game.
Oakland at Denver: Chalk this one up for the Broncos. If JaMarcus Russell makes any kind of appearance in this game, it’s a wrap. You can tell how far he has fallen out of favor in Oakland when Charlie Frye is named the starter due to Bruce Gradkowski’s injury. Apparently, Raider management is convinced that Russell is not the answer at quarterback.
San Francisco at Philadelphia: Snow Bowl #1 should see the Eagles and their big-play offense get a test from San Francisco’s defense. The Eagles should win, but their defense could stand a bit of tightening up. No way they should be involved in a shootout with the Giants last week. The weather may make this one a bit more low-scoring than it would ordinarily be, but I think the Eagles will still win.
Green Bay at Pittsburgh: I expect the Steelers to give a great effort in this one. Jacksonville’s loss on Thursday kept Pittsburgh’s slim playoff hopes alive. You have to hope that they come out with a bit more fire than they did against the Browns. However, if the Packers play defense as they have lately, even the Steelers’ offense may have trouble getting points. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Packers lost, but I think they win.
Chicago at Baltimore: Now that the Ravens sit in possession of the last playoff spot, they need to focus on winning each game. Last week was a gift from the schedule maker; so is this week. Snow Bowl #2 should feature a lot of the three-headed monster and just enough Joe Flacco to keep the defense honest. If the Ravens team that showed up last week shows up this week, this will be a Ravens win.
Tampa Bay at Seattle: Will anyone be watching this game? I won’t. But still gotta make a pick, and the Seahawks get the call.
Minnesota at Carolina: The Vikings suffered their second loss the last time they were on Sunday Night Football. Look for them to get a win tomorrow night, particularly since now a win brings them within a game of the Saints for home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.
New York Giants at Washington: The Redskins have looked like the better team over the last few weeks, but they don’t have the victories to show for it. I don’t think the removal of Vinny Cerrato will translate down to the playing field, and with the Giants in desperation mode, I’m going with them to hang on to their fading playoff hopes. The game will be much closer than the opening day beatdown they gave the ‘Skins in the Meadowlands.
Enjoy the games everyone!
Ravens Review: A Laugher In The Rain
Filed under: AFC, NFC North, NFL, football, ravens review, sports
After last week’s dismal performance against the Green Bay Packers, the Baltimore Ravens and their fans needed a game to remove the horrible residue of that terrible loss. Thankfully, another team in the NFC North, the Detroit Lions, were next up on the schedule. In monsoon-like conditions, the Ravens played an almost perfect game in routing the Lions 48-3. While the win over the hapless Lions proves very little other than showing that when the Ravens can put it all together, they can play with anyone in the NFL. That said, it was Detroit. That this game was easier than most means very little; the Ravens did what they were supposed to do-beat an inferior team and not give them reason to hope for the upset. Looking ahead, the Ravens need to have the same mindset when the Chicago Bears come to M&T Bank Stadium for the final home game of the year.
The Ravens were fortunate that the two teams ahead of them and in possession of the last two wild-card spots in the AFC both suffered defeats yesterday. With the Denver’s loss to Indianapolis and Jacksonville’s loss to Miami, the Ravens inched ever closer to claiming a playoff spot. However, the wins have to keep coming for Baltimore, and losses have to appear for Jacksonville and Denver if the Ravens are to make the playoffs. Baltimore helped themselves immensely with the win over Detroit, but the mission is not over.
As for the game, Ray Rice again proved he is one of the most versatile running backs in the league. Rice racked up over two hundred all-purpose yards in a little over one half of playing time. His 166 rushing yards pushed him over 1,000 for the season; hopefully there will be more seasons like this in his career and that they come in the purple and black. In fact, it was great to see Willis McGahee (2 TDs) and LeRon McClain (1 TD) also get carries-for one game at least, the three-headed monster made an appearance and did damage all day to the tune of over 300 yards rushing. Joe Flacco did not make any major mistakes while spreading the ball around. Demetrius Williams was even seen making plays! And the defense played one of its best games of the year, despite not recording a single sack of Daunte Culpepper. Basically, the Ravens were sound in all three phases of the game; and there haven’t been too many games you could say that of this crew this season.
And while it’s hard to nit-pick after a win like this, I feel I have to say something about Troy Smith’s touchdown dance in the fourth quarter with the game all but decided. I know he doesn’t get much time on the field, because it is a rare day indeed when the Ravens have a game locked up early in the second half, but I thought (and maybe it was just me) that the dancing after his touchdown run was a bit much. Act like you’ve been there before. Yes, I know that the boat has sailed on parading around like peacocks on even the simplest plays in the game, but still, I didn’t think it was necessary. Just do what you are supposed to do and keep it moving. Also, the officials seemed confused and uncertain at times throughout the contest. Perhaps they can blame that on the rain too.
All in all, a good day for the Ravens and their fans…a stress-free afternoon of Sunday football for once. Now to focus on the task at hand, beating the Bears on Sunday in another all-important game.
Twitter: @mindpinball
- @stephsherman323 I agree with you 100%. We both agree that the D isn't getting any younger. Replacements and depth needed ASAP.
- @stephsherman323 he don't rush the passer or play CB. Still it's nice.
- @SidelinePass that it does, that it does. I've been feeling some War lately (this after Santana on Sunday).
- @SidelinePass you've been feeling the Bob Marley this week.
- @carolinaware you got me wanting to hear Everyday Struggle LOL
- @carolinaware Doing well thanks. About to head on in for another busy day at the gig. The Biggie songs will get me going for sure. And now
- @carolinaware good morning brother and happy Biggie Day (I guess that's what you would call it). What's good?
- @MKRob man, with that kind of coverage, something is bound to turn up. Hang in there.
- @lacosadulce oh, well then you got it made I guess :)
- @MKRob Any luck with the new job yet?
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