2011 Week 15 Recap

Eagles v. Jets, Sunday, December 18, 2011

This weekend, Chef Spouse and I celebrated our 19th anniversary. I think, on some level, the Eagles knew and engineered a win as a gift for us. And they even managed to win at home! Thanks, guys! We really appreciate it! Although a winning SEASON would've been an even better gift. Next year's 20. Super Bowl? Just sayin'.

Yeah, I know, if things fall JUST right, the Eagles could still win the division. I'm afraid to start hoping, though, since that really hasn't gone well for Bleeding Green Nation so far this season. You know, hope.

Stud of the week: I know you're tired of hearing this, but how could it NOT be Shady? My secret running back boyfriend tied and then broke Steve Van Buren's SIXTY-SIX year old franchise records for most rushing TDs and most total TDs in a season. Shady also has the most TDs this season in the entire NFL. And he has a shot at Wilbert Montgomery's franchise single season rushing record, too. Y'all, seriously, go vote for him for the pro bowl, because if he doesn't get a bid, I may have to stop believing that people are fundamentally good.

Shout-outs also go to Jason Babin, sack leader of the NFL, and to Brent Celek, who  had a big day with 150+ yards and a TD of his own.

This is the team I expected to see, if not in September, then certainly by the time the guys came back from the bye.

Is the defense finally coming together? The Dolphins and Jets aren't exactly known for tearing it up offensively - both teams have banked on excellent defense this year - but still, both teams were thoroughly shut down. I've been calling for Juan Castillo's head, along with, well, EVERYONE, but if the D can hold up like this against the Cowboys and Redskins and help the team win out, I might have to revise that judgement.

The offense was on fire. Again, these are the guys we all expected to see 8 weeks ago. Vick got hit less. DJax actually held on to passes. So did Maclin.

Special teams is still an issue. Curtis Marsh probably needs to be sent to timeout to think about his actions until he's ready to apologize. And I miss Akers. You miss Akers. We all miss Akers.

It's the final two weeks. Wildcard's not a possibility, but the NFC East title still is. Hold on to your hats.

Around the rest of the NFL...

Once again, I got KILLED on my picks. Then again, I suspect a lot of people did.

Falcons over Jaguars: Got this one. Told you the Jags wouldn't be able to run wild against the #4 run defense in the NFL.

Cowboys over Bucs: It wouldve really helped the Eagles playoff chances if the Bucs had managed to upset the Cowboys, but let's get serious.  Then again...

Chiefs over Packers: OK, a perfect season is a REALLY REALLY LONG long shot. But the Chiefs? The CHIEFS? Who just fired their head coach? C'mon man! And, of course, now there's a script for beating the Packers. Which, if the Eagles can manage to squeak into the playoffs, might come in handy.

Dolphins over Bills: Maybe the Bills CAN lose all the rest of their games.

Seahawks over Bears: Stick a fork in the Bears. They're done.

Panthers over Texans: Come on, former Team of Destiny! Don't let that divisional title go to your heads! You need to go into the playoffs hot if you hope to win any games!

Colts over Titans: Ending their anti-perfect season, of course, but they're still strong for the #1 pick. I think they should throw the final two games to Luck it up. And the Titans really needed that game to stay in the wildcard hunt. Damn, the NFL is a hot mess this year!

Saints over Vikings: OK, the Saints are one of the few teams that actually are consistently good this year. And the Vikes are consistently bad. I suspect Leslie Frazier may not make it another season. Of course, Breesus might not, either, if they can't get his contract worked out.

Redskins over Giants: Huh. Looks like the annual Giants season-ending collapse has arrived right on time. If y'all do have one more win in you, could you please save it for the final game? Thx!

Bengals over Rams: Speaking of staying in the playoff hunt...wouldn't it be fun if both the AFC wildcards came from the north? It could happen.

Lions over Raiders: That was a nail-biter. And the Raiders really needed this game. But if Tebow time really is over, then the Raiders could take the division back, even without this win.

Cardinals over Browns: Is Kevin Kolb done? Is John Skelton the QB of the Cards future? Well, he's started or played significant portions of 6 games, of which the Cards have won 5. And their record is 7-7. You do the math.

Pats over Broncos: Apparently, God doesn't care about football, but the devil does.  Chef Spouse observed that, seeing as it's hard to beat a team twice, if the apocalypse does show up, it's probably good that Satan's team won this one.

Chargers over Ravens: And it wasn't even close. I would've put the Ravens in the "consistently good" category and the Chargers in "consistently inconsistent" prior to last night. I could see a Ravens-Packers Super Bowl. But after last night, who knows?

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2011 Week 15 Picks

Remember the last time the Eagles put together what amounted to their longest winning streak (2 games) this season? For three weeks - week 6, the bye and week 8 - it felt like maybe the Eagles were finding their way, putting their season together, pulling out the tailspin. It felt like, maybe, the team was 3-4 on their way to 11-5 or maybe even 12-4, and a glorious march deep into the playoffs, maybe even the Super Bowl.

That was fun, wasn't it? When we all still had hope?

Which, of course, the proceeded to crush by dropping the next two games to the Bears and, humiliatingly, the Cardinals.

Since then, the Birds have dropped two more on their way to a 5-8 record. And even though they aren't technically out of the running for the playoffs, they will be after this weekend, when I'm picking them to lose at home to the Jets. Because, aside from the fact that the Jets are a better team, home games have been poison for the Eagles in the past two years.

Jets.

In the rest of the matchups:

Jaguars at Falcons: The Falcons have the #5 ranked rushing defense. MJD is not going to have another four touchdown week. Falcons.

Cowboys at Buccaneers: The Cowboys might be entering a late-season slide (you should hear the wailing over at Blogging the Boys), but they aren't sliding that far. Cowboys.

Dolphins at Bills: Tough one to call. If Sparano were still there, I would be totally Team Fins, but with an interim and the upheaval, I'm not so sure. And after starting so well, the Bills can't possibly lose ALL the rest of their game, right? Right? Bills. Maybe.

Seahawks at Bears: The Bears are reeling and the Seahawks have won 4 of their last 5. Still, they aren't great on the road, and Tavaris Jackson is likely to have a tough day against the still very scary Bears defense. Beast Mode, sure, but it's not easy to get yards on the ground against the Bears either. Bears. Even if Devin Hester has to score all their points off punt returns.

Panthers at Texans: Cam Newton scores a ton of points, but the Panthers' D is weaker than wet tissue paper, and the Texans can score points, too. Go Texans! A first round bye is still in reach!

Titans at Colts: Titans. Moving on...

Packer at Chiefs: Packers. Again, moving on...

Saints at Vikings: Saints. Wow, these are easy this week. Well, until some team pulls off some huge upset win, of course. But I don't think it's going to be the Vikings.

Redskins at Giants: This is an interesting matchup. The Redskins played great against the Pats last week and, speaking of upset wins, almost pulled one off. The Giants did upset the Cowboys at home. I really want to call the Redskins to pull off the upset win. Still, they did beat the Giants at home in week 1, and it's really hard to sweep a team in your own division. I talked myself into it - Giants.

Bengals at Rams: Bengals. Who need every game from here on out to have a shot at the wildcard.

Lions at Raiders: The Lions are looking good for wildcard, too, but they can't drop too many more games, either. Suh's back, and the Raiders seem to have lost their mojo - maybe Tim Tebow stole it. Lions.

Browns at Cardinals: Who's under center for the Cards this week? If it's Skelton, I'm going Cards.

Patriots at Broncos: Irresistible force, meet immovable object. I always get pwned when I pick against the Pats, but I can't deny the Tebow magic. I don't know how the Broncos will manage to hold the Pats to, like, 10 points, but I'm sure that somehow, it will happen. Broncos. Oh, and there's a good chance I watch this rather than the Eagles game (kidding - maybe).

Ravens at Chargers: Ravens. Who need this to stay ahead of the Steelers. And the Chargers are kind of a mess this year. Not as big a mess as the Eagles, of course, but still.

Steelers at 49ers: This is going to be a good game. I'm going Steelers, but really, this one could go either way.

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Sunday Schedule: Sunday, September 11, 2011

After months of fear and uncertainty about whether we'd even HAVE a 2011 season, it's FINALLY here! Hallelujah!

The season kicks off with Saints at Packers on Thursday night, and I CAN HARDLY WAIT!

OK, for Sunday:

1 pm: Eagles at Rams

4 pm: Giants at Redskins

8 pm: Cowboys at Jets

Menu: Chef Spouse is going traditional with fajitas and 'ritas (and of course guacamole). If you're coming PLEASE let us know by Saturday so we buy enough food and please bring something to share (food or beverage).

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More Thoughts on the Preseason

Part of the reason I don't write much in the preseason is clearly demonstrated by the response to our first two pre-season games:

Game 1, August 11, in which a victory over the Ravens includes Riley Cooper going up over Ed Reed to snag a 40 yard pass: "We're totally going to win the Super Bowl this year! Why even bother with the season? Just give us the Lombardi trophy right now and save everyone a lot of trouble!"

Game 2, August 18, in which a loss to the Steelers includes approximately 437 picks by Michael Vick (actual number: 3): "OH MY GOD! Disaster! What's wrong with these guys!?! We're going to go 2-14 this year!"

Me: "Yawn. Andy doesn't even break out the playbook until the regular season. Preseason wins and losses mean nothing."

And I'm sticking by that. I actually like to see the Eagles lose preseason games. That usually means all the guys who may or may not make the team are getting plenty of time to show what they've got. And that our notoriously cagey head coach is keeping ALL the good stuff a secret until the regular season starts. Fine by me.

In other news, Michael Vick just got his long-term contract - $80 million over 5 years, with $36 million guaranteed (in case you somehow missed it - like you've been asleep for the last 24 hours straight). I like it, personally. The Eagles lock him down long term while actually freeing up cap space in the process. Tricky, tricky. I'm guessing it's on to DJax next. Pay the little man already!

Also Howard Mudd has completely remade the Eagles offensive line. I hope it works, because Mike Vick is only worth $80 million if he stays in one piece and ambulatory.

Also, the roster is now down to the requisite 80 guys. Thursday's game against the Jets is a big night for guys contesting roster spots. Which means we're likely not going to recognize anyone on the field. But the roster needs be down to 53 by Saturday, so it's decision time.

Next up: my annual preseason divisional picks, aka The Post That Sets Up My Annual January Walk Of Shame.

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2010 Conference Championship Recap

Packers over Bears: As (I) expected. Two good halves of football were played Sunday. Unfortunately, they weren't by the same team. The Packers looked unstoppable for the first half. And then Jay Cutler went down, Todd Collins played like, well, Todd Collins, and they handed the game over to rookie Caleb Hanie, who had never taken an NFL snap. "OK, kid, here's the situation. It's f-ing freezing. We're in the NFC Championship game, down by 14 points to a division rival. The fans are out of it - we think they may actually have been cryogenically frozen by the stadium conditions at this point - our starting QB is hurt and our backup QB is a mess. Good luck!"  Surprisingly, the kid did pretty well - better than Jay Cutler was doing, at any rate. How hurt was he? I can't say, but it was the NFC Championship game. Moving on, Matt Forte had a good game. And the Bears D came alive in the second half. But with a rookie under center, it just wasn't enough. And the Pack are going to Texas. Think they can win it all? Well, not if they play like they did in the second half yesterday.

Edited Tuesday, January 25 to add: an astute reader pointed out that Hanie's not technically a rookie. I should've come up with the better term for "newbie," but what I was trying to stress was: how many games had he started before Sunday? Answer: zero.  

Steelers over Jets:As (I also) expected. The thing is, if the Jets' receivers could catch a ball or the Jets' defense could've tackled ANYONE, this game could have gone completely differently. It's a different kind of football than Eagles fans are used to - actually, that's the case with both teams here - with a QB managing the game with a strong defense and a strong ground attack, when his main job is to not make any big mistakes. And Mark Sanchez can totally handle that. And the Jets have gone to the AFC Championship game - and lost - both of his first two years in the league. That's something that's quite familiar to Eagles fans. Sigh. Reading Gang Green Nation sounds really familiar - lots of looking on the bright side, lots of "we had a great season," lots of "we're contenders," lots of "other teams fear us now," etc. That's familiar to Eagles fans, too. Whatever. Show me the Lombardis. Oh yeah - that would be the Steelers all over. Sigh again.

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2010 Conference Championship Picks

Packers at Bears: These are well matched teams. The Bears look terrific. Mike Martz has got the Jay Cutler attitude problem AND interception problem under control. Brian Urlacher seems rejuvenated, and Julius Peppers is playing great. He played great in Carolina, too, of course, it's just that the rest of his was a mess. Charles Tillman creates turnovers the way American Idol creates crap one-hit-wonder pop stars. Matt Forte provides a significant ground attack, which helps keep Cutler from trying to do too much. And two words that strike fear in the heart of every special teams coach in the NFL: Devin Hester.

On the other hand, the Packers are heading for their 3rd road game in a row. They're the #6 seed, and they just pulled off the big upset win over the Falcons a week ago. Their issues with injury this season have been well documented, well, everywhere. And they're playing a divisional rival, which is always just that much harder.

But I'm still picking the Packers. And not just because they took out an Andy Reid team in the first round of the playoffs for only the second time in his 12 seasons as head coach. Aaron Rodgers is on FIRE and not only can't you stop Clay Matthews, you really can't even hope to contain him. Donald Driver and Greg Jennings are going to have to play a lot better than they did on January 2, though.

Jets at Steelers: The Jets are looking surprisingly good at this stage, too. Mark Sanchez seems to be over his sophomore slump from earlier in the season. The secondary combo of Revis and Cromartie is as good as it's supposed to be. Santonio Holmes has his playoff face on, making "Did I just see that?" catches every time you turn around. LaDanian Tomlinson is playing like he's 21, not 31. Jason Taylor, too.

Wait - is Troy Polamalu playing? Yes? Steelers.

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Sunday Schedule: Sunday, January 23, 2011

Can you believe it's Conference Championship Sunday already? Where did the 2010 season go? Seems like just yesterday I was at checking out the talent at training camp and getting ready to kick into high gear here at StN.  Now? Only 4 more games and we close the book on 2010. And with the NFL labor situation looking increasingly bleak, we might be seeing our last football for quite a while. Too bad the Iggles couldn't pull out the miracle run this year - they might've gotten to reign as Super Bowl champs for two years.

Anyway, the games this weekend are:

3 pm: Packers at Bears
6:30 pm: Jets at Steelers

Menu? Chef Spouse is pulling out all the stops - ribs, mac-n-cheese, and collards. Soul food heaven, baby. Bring something that will go with, and we'll see you Sunday!

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2010 Divisional Weekend Picks

The Eagles may be out of it at this point, but I'm still soldiering on with the blog. And the picks. 

Ravens at Steelers: These two teams are really evenly matched. Both 12-4, both similar style - grind it out on the ground, tough defense, Great Big White Guy quarterbacks, from tough, blue collar cities that are passionate about their teams. This could finish 7-6. Every inch will be contested, every point hard fought...oh wait. Is Troy Polamalu playing? Yes? Steelers.

Packers at Falcons: I'm only picking one road team this week, and despite Mattie Ice's success in the Georgia Dome, it's the smokin' hot Packers. So now you know how the rest of the picks are going to turn out.

Seahawks at Bears: The Seahakws won't be able to bring 65,000 home fans with them to Chicago. And I don't think Jay Culter's going to throw 5 picks. And even if he does, it might not be enough anyway. Bears.

Jets at Patriots: Rex? I don't like Tom Brady and Bill Belichick either, so I'm feeling you, but that payday loan's come due. Pats.

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Sunday Schedule: Sunday, January 16, 2011

Well, the Eagles are out of is, but that means we can all relax and enjoy the games without having a coronary every 10 minutes. Hey, I'm trying to look on the bright side here, people!

Anyway, as usual for playoffs, there are games both days, but we'll plan to do the big party and cooking on Sunday.

Saturday games:

4:30 - Ravens at Steelers
8:00 - Packers at Falcons

Sunday games:

1:00 - Seahawks at Bears
4:30 - Jets at Patriots

Chef Spouse is going to make gumbo. He was planning to make it in honor of the Saints' 2011 playoff run. Since that came to an early and abrupt end, he's making it in honor of the fact that it's carnival season. Also, Biker Nick and his gf are planning to join us! And if I gt inspired, I might make us beignet for dessert. Anyone have an Abita connection?

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2010 Wildcard Weekend Picks

Saints at Seahawks: Unfortunately, the Saints are down to their last running back. Fortunately, it's Reggie Bush. Unfortunately, he hasn't exactly been having a brilliant season.  There's no time like the present to turn that around, Reg. Saints. Not least of which because then we can all put the shame of having a 7-9 team in the NFC playoffs behind us.

Jets at Colts: Rex Ryan's mouth may be writing checks his team can't cash, but I'm pretty sure he'll be able to swing a payday loan at least for this week with "17 Colts on IR" as collateral. Jets.

Ravens at Chiefs: Lots of sports commentator talk about how well the Chiefs match up with the Ravens and home field advantage and Todd Haley this and Matt Cassel that and what a great season Jamaal Charles has had and the Chiefs' great offensive line and rookie safety Eric Berry (who, you might remember, I wanted the Eagles to draft). Whatever. Ravens.

Packers at Eagles: I don't see the Birds going deep into the playoffs this year - not that I wouldn't love to be proved wrong - but (stop me if you've heard this one before), the Eagles are overly dependent on quarterbacking pizazz, and that's not exactly an on demand kind of thing. It's also a highly vulnerable asset. And, with a collective age (other than Akers and Vick) of about 12, they're prone to rookie mistakes. I do see them clearing the Packers at home, not least of which because the starters have had two weeks to prepare, but I think that might be as far as it goes this year. The team has the youth and the talent to remain a strong contender for several years. I'm pretty sure this just ain't our year, but it IS our week. Eagles

Wait - I've picked 3 road teams. Clearly I'm wrong about at least one of those picks. Then again, on the NFL Network earlier this week, Kurt Warner picked all 4 road teams. Which doesn't mean we're not both wrong, but at least I'm in good company.

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Final Thoughts on the 2010 Preseason

I have come to an important realization:  it's damn hard to see preseason games. I pay a zillion dollars a year for the top-tier DirecTV Sunday Ticket package. Why can't I see my team's preseason games without having to try to catch them whenever they happen to air on NFL Replay? This year?  Caught the preseason opener against the Jaguars (recorded), caught part of the debacle against the Bengals (live), and missed the win over the Chiefs (which must've felt vaguely familiar to K2), and the loss to the Jets. Less than 50%.  Did I mention I pay an ass-load of money to DirecTV?

Moving on, OJ Simpson didn't get his Heisman yanked. Reggie Bush will. That's a travesty. At least they aren't going to post-award it to someone else.

Speaking of, the Matt Leinart (another Heisman contender in 2005) experiment seems to be officially over. He's been shipped off to the Texans to maybe not even make the 53 man roster. In other news, the Cardinals are screwed. Good luck on Dancing with the Stars, Kurt!

On to the possibility of an 18 game season:  I'm sure the owners and players love it. More money for everyone! Hooray!  The coaches must be freaking out - not only will they now have only 2 games to evaluate the rookies (not a problem for teams like the Skins that regularly trade away all their draft picks, but we had so many rookies this year, I'm pretty sure Andy Reid needed training camp AND all 4 preseason games just to learn their names), but it's hard enough to keep the key starters ambulatory through 16 games. Andy was quoted on philly.com as wishing they'd go back to 14 games (not that I can find it right now, of course).  Given the problems we've had staying healthy, I'm definitely feeling him.

Speaking of injury, Shoegal shot me a great link about the effects of injury on players over the long term.  It is sobering stuff.

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2010 Preseason Schedule and the (total absence of) Trade Rumors

The 2010 Preseason schedules are out.

Eagles games include:

Date TBA versus the Jaguars
(Edited 4/9/2010 to add: date now set for August 13)
August 20 at the Bengals
Date TBD at the Chiefs
(Edited 4/9/2010 to add: date now set for August 27)
Date TBD versus the Jets
(Edited 4/9/2010 to add: date now set for September 2)

What does this tell us? Diddly. Also, we'll probably lose all the games, since if the past 11 preseasons have told us anything, it's the Big Red doesn't give a damn about winning preseason games.

Also, do you notice the complete lack of offseason trade rumors circulating on this blog? That's intentional. Know why? They're RUMORS. That change about every 10 seconds. And 99.758% of them are wrong.

Want a rumor? Here's one: Brian Dawkins will be hired as the new head coach of the Eagles next week. Also, Brian Westbrook will be color commentary on Sunday Night Football. Trent Cole's going to be playing for the Texans (Team of Destiny!). And Mike Vick will be the starting QB of the Indianapolis Colts. In the aftermath of his Dancing with the Stars experience, Ocho Cinco's quitting football to try to make it as a Vegas showgirl. You heard it here first.

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2009 Conference Championships Recap

Conference Championships, Sunday, January 24, 2010

In attendance: Chef Spouse, Shoegal, Chef Shorty (who was here to learn about football for his cub scout patches - really!), and his mom, The Beekeeper

Menu: Soul food extravaganza! Ribs, mac-n-cheese, collards, chipotle squash, corn bread, sazeracs, brownies. URP!

Colts over Jets.

Well, yes. Philly.com did a fun "10 things about the..." for each of the games. I still think that the thing that was the most amazing about this game was that the Jets managed to hang in there for the first half. Hell, they were leading at halftime. Of course, they didn't score another point. But still, rookie QB? Not bad.

Loved the self-possession of Sanchez, who rushed everyone to the LOS and QB sneaked after the big did-he-or-didn't-he? catch by Jericho Cotchery in the first quarter. That is some heads-up playing by the rookie. I also loved the fact that Rex Ryan got [this] close to punching one of the zebras on the non-roughing call Sanchez totally deserved. Buddy Ryan was a wild ride for Philly. Hope NYC is ready for and enjoys what's coming.

Did you notice that the Peytonator goes down if anyone even gets near him (which is rare to begin with)? Yeah, it's probably smart because it keeps him healthy. But if any Philly QB ever tried it, he'd be tarred, feathered, and run out of town in a hurry. Can you imagine the pissing and moaning if McNabb EVER dared to go down without at least 3 guys hanging off him and 2 broken bones?

Saints over Vikings.

WHO DAT?

The Saints are going to their first Super Bowl ever. The Times Picayune is running a "what excuse did you use to get out of work today?" poll. LOVE!

The Saints really did not play well. Fortunately, the Vikings turned the ball over five times. FIVE. It's not possible to win if you turn the ball over that often (unless the other team turns it over more). Particularly since Brett Favre pulled a typical and choked, throwing a pick when the Vikings could have won it with a late-game field goal without extra yards. Your kicker's name is Ryan LONGWELL for chrissakes! Although a bunch of people have been all, "Favre should've run!" Um, he wasn't ABLE to run at that point. I think his leg would have fallen off. For realz. By the end of the game, Brett Favre looked like, to quote Keith Olbermann's favorite phrase, a big bag full of mashed up Brett Favre. Now the retirement watch begins. Again. A little tip? GO AWAY.

Also, someone should probably glue some footballs to Adrian Peterson's hands for about, oh, the next month or so. "You can eat when you can learn not to drop the damn ball, donkey!"

$20 says Favre retires, then ends up QBing the Bears next year.

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2009 Conference Playoffs Picks

Saints/Vikings - Everyone's all "Brett Favre's got the experience" and "Jared Allen's a monster" and "Adrian Peterson's occasionally able to hang on to the ball" and whatnot. But they're playing the NFC Championship Game in the Superdome for the first time EVER. And the Saints have in some cases almost single-handedly been holding Crescent City together since Hurricane Katrina. And they are NOT going to let their fans down now.

To quote my friend Joanne:

Our Breesus, who art in N'awlins, hallowed be thy name.Thy bowl will come; it will be won, in Miami as it is in the dome. Give us this Sunday, our weekly win. Give us touchdown passes, but do not let others pass against us. Lead us not into frustration, but deliver us to the Super Bowl, for thine is the MVP....The best... of the NFC,and the glory of the Fleur de Lis ... now and forever. Amen. Go Saints!

Colts/Jets - It's been fun, Rex, but the ride's over now. The Peytonator's going to the Super Bowl and he's taking his team and rookie head coach with him. Resistance is futile (to mix my movie references for a minute).

Edited Saturday, January 23 to add: In this morning's WaPo, Wilbon pointed out another reason the Colts will win - because it's PEYTON, if the Jets D so much as BREATHES on him, they will be penalized the likes of which we have never seen. Ponder that, knuckleheads.

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2009 Divisional Weekend Recap

Damn, it hurts not being able to write about the Eagles this weekend.

So another 4 games - another 3 dull blow outs.

Well, that's not *strictly* true.

I definitely enjoyed the Saints big win over the Cardinals. "Saints are stick-a-fork-in-them done"? WRONG WRONG WRONG. But glad to be wrong. The only bad side was that the Cards couldn't get much going on offense, so I didn't get to see much of my secret NFC wide receiver boyfriend Larry Fitzgerald's cute tushie. Reggie Bush had the kind of game Saints' fans have been expecting but mostly not getting since he was drafted. He quit trying to juke around guys and get fancy and just decided to run them over. Bout damn time. That beauty of an opening rush TD by Tim Hightower was about the only good thing the Cardinals managed to pull off all day. And Kurt? I know you threw a pick - don't try to block. It's totally legal to light you up, and you KNOW it's the secret fantasy of every single defensive player in the NFL to get a clean "Jacked UP!" hit on a QB. But Ben Graham? You need to at least TRY to hit Reggie Bush. That was some weak-ass BS, buddy. I think Kermit's getting his wish....



First NFC Championship Game ever in the Superdome! Geaux Saints!

Chef Spouse was really pulling for the Ravens, but like I said, Flacco would have to complete more than 4 passes for 20 yards to win. And he did. But it wasn't enough. "Resting the starters is going to result in another one-and-done for the Colts"? WRONG WRONG WRONG. How is it that the Colts can get away with 97.38% passing and be successful and we can't? Oh right - the Peytonator never gets hit. Plus if you're +3 in turnovers, as the Colts were Saturday night, there's no way you lose. Could the two #1 teams face each other in the Super Bowl this year? Yep. And when was the last time that happened?

Now seeing the Cowboys get blown out is always a good time, even if it was Brett Favre's Vikings who did it. As I expected, Jared Allen had a big day. Adrian Peterson didn't really, but Sidney Rice sure did. I love the fact that the Cowboys never even scored a TD. Tony Romo didn't cry that I could see, but he sure as hell didn't look happy. Loved the "rub your nose in it" last TD, too. Man, I just have no objectivity when it comes to the Cowboys. And I bet Wade Phillips gets fired, despite having a terrific overall winning percentage. But a 1-5 playoff record? I don't see Jerry Jones putting up with that any longer. And you notice that Andy Reid got his contract extension before the playoffs, and they're still holding on Wade? Mmm-hmm. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

Now the Chargers/Jets game was exciting. Rex Ryan is a blow hard, but it ain't braggin' if you've got the goods to back it up. The Jets seem to have the goods to back it up. Chef Spouse was totally puzzled about the way the game was unfolding until I pointed out that the Jets are the #1 defense in pretty much all categories this year. You know what they say - offense wins game, defense wins championships. Nate Kaeding cost the Chargers 9 points - and the game. And two of the missed field goals were at 36 and 40 yards. Yikes.

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2009 Divisional Weekend Preview

It's hard to be as excited about the games now that we're out of it. On the other hand, I'll experience far fewer yelling-induced headaches this weekend. So that's good. Anyway, on to the picks....

Ravens/Colts - I think the Ravens left it all on field last week. And it was totally worth it. But the Peytonator takes no prisoners. Well, until the Colts play the Chargers. But that's not happening this week, so, much as I wish it was otherwise, I think the Colts are going to win this one.

Jets/Chargers - Speaking of the Chargers, it's been nice seeing you, Jets. Hope you enjoyed that playoff win last week, because your season is now O-V-E-R. Shame, because Rex Ryan's one entertaining mo-fo. Norv makes funnier faces, but Rex gives better press conference than anyone since Dennis Green. Anyway, Chargers.

Cowboys/Vikings - It PAINS me to be rooting for Brett Favre. I'll just concentrate on Adrian Peterson and Jared Allen. Who will hopefully make Tony Romo cry. I'm worried that the damn Cowboys are going to win ANOTHER playoff game, but I'm hoping the Vikings can accomplish what we couldn't last week and END THIS TRAVESTY. C'mon Vikings! I'm wearing every purple thing I own on Sunday for you!

Cardinals/Saints - Remember how I said in the Wildcard Weekend recap that I think the Saints are stick-a-fork-in-them done? And how I'm rooting for them anyway? GEAUX SAINTS!

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2009 Wildcard Weekend Picks

I think this is the first time in NFL history that the first weekend of the playoffs will feature 3 repeat matchups from the last weekend of the regular season. I'm not sure what that means, but there you have it.

Edited Friday, January 8 at 12:13 pm to add: Reader Mike Fearon shared the following link/information with me: http://www.bookofodds.com/Daily-Life-Activities/Sports/Articles/A0526-Wildcard-Rematch-es-What-are-the-odds. It's a fascinating article that actually gives the odds of this situation and compares it to the odds of other real-life occurrences to give some context. You should definitely check it out! Thanks, Mike!

Eagles/Cowboys - Well, there's been the usual Philly sports media tempest in a teapot about McNabb's recent comments. What did he say that was so horrible? Quoting Philly.com:

"On Sunday, McNabb was asked whether the Eagles showed their youth. He answered in part that he felt they did, "in situations where everyone began to look around to see who was going to make the play, rather than stepping up and making that play. That's something that comes with the territory, when you have a young group . . . all throughout the year, we've had guys step up and make big plays for us when their name's called, and today it just didn't happen."

The way I see it, the Eagles *did* look like a bunch of young guys who were playing in their first really big game last Sunday. Sure, Don needs to make a play, but somebody has to catch the damn ball, and the coaches need to call plays that put us in a position to be successful.

And, once again quoting Philly.com:

"It all starts with me," McNabb said yesterday.

"I have to raise my level of play," he said yesterday, but then he kept going with this:

"And everyone else has to, as well."

Followed by the editorial comment: "Ugh."

Really? Big5 saying that everyone needs to step it up Saturday if we hope to walk away with a win merits an "Ugh" from Sam Donnellon? I guess he thinks everyone else played great Sunday and Don was the only one doing anything wrong. I also guess he must've watched a different game than I watched.

Moral of the story? Don't read the Philly sports media.

I did promise blog fan Chris that I'd give some hope.

Here's hope point 1: it's damn near IMpossible (Freudian slip? I hope not!) to beat any team 3 times in the same season. Particularly a division opponent. Particularly two weeks in a row.

Here's hope point 2: Andy Reid has never lost his first game in the playoffs. Nor has Donovan McNabb.

Here's hope point 3: the Cowboys haven't won a playoff game since before I lived in DC. Wade Phillips and Tony Romo have never won a playoff game together.

Here's hope point 4: we don't have to worry that they've totally scoped our game plan because we didn't show them anything on Sunday.

Here's hope point 5: the entire NFL Total Access team called us to win. As I believe Marshall Faulk said, "The Eagles play best when their backs are against the wall. Which is why I picked them to lose last week, and why I'm picking them to win this week."

Here's hope point 6: after sneaking by us earlier and spanking us on Sunday, the Cowboys HAVE to be overconfident. Right?

OK, in all seriousness, I am very worried about this game. We were so flat last week it was scary. We can't play that badly two weeks in a row, right? Not with so much on the line, right? We can't be the team to end the Cowboys playoff drought, right?

I'm cautiously hopeful right now. And I think we'll know which way this is going to go within the first 10 minutes of the game. If it's not going our way, you might have to talk me down off the 14th Street bridge.

Packers/Cardinals: You know how it's hard to beat a team two weeks in a row? Not for the Packers. I don't think the Cards have the firepower on D to take down the Packers. Of course, I didn't buy the Cardinals hype last year, and look how that turned out. But I'm still calling the Packers.

Ravens/Patriots: The Pats are not looking so untouchable now that their defense is weak-ass and Tom Brady gets knocked down. At this time of the year, it tends to come down to guts, balls, and who's clutch. The Ravens win on two of those, and, I think, win this game.

Bengals/Jets: Have I mentioned how annoyed I am that the Jets got a gimme against the Colts in week 16, which is the only reason they were even in the running for the playoffs? Because I'm still really, really annoyed. I would love to see Ocho Cinco and the Bengals win a playoff game. They've only even *been* to the playoffs three times in the past 20 years. And they lost their first game one of those times. And it was the most recent visit (2005 season). I'm calling Bengals, but it's more hope than confidence. Also, picking all 4 wildcard teams seems nuts.

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Wildcard Weekend Schedule: January 9-10, 2010

Wildcard Weekend schedule:

Saturday, January 9
4:30 pm - Jets/Bengals
8 pm - Eagles/Cowboys

Sunday, January 10
1 pm - Ravens/Patriots
4:30 pm - Packers/Cardinals

Menu: Chef Spouse is feeling ambitious and planning to make big meals for both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday will be Popeye's fried chicken. Sunday, he's thinking about Chinese.

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Final Thoughts on the Preseason

As per usual, I haven't previewed the pre-season games. How many different ways can I come up with to say: "Prepare yourself for 3 hours of watching guys you've never even heard of run around not only looking like they've never PLAYED football, looking like they've never even watched a game. Woo-hoo!"

OK, it's not quite that bad - usually - but you get my point.

And recaps? Well, seeing as I live here in Redskins-ville, the games are played at such odd times it's often days before they're even broadcast locally. By which point you've already read a million recaps.

So, 1 win, 3 losses. But that actually makes me happy. That record says to me that Andy and the rest of the coaching staff gave the rookies and second and third teamers plenty of time to show what they've got, which should - hopefully - result in some solid personnel decisions on cut down day.

Besides, as the Jets announcers on last night's game pointed out, last year, the Lions went 4-0 in the preseason.

Random player observations:

Last night, Vick played a lot. He had more rushing yards than passing yards, ran for on TD and threw a pick. The announcers were acting like this was something unusual. Funny, but that's pretty much how I remember him from Atlanta. Are we sure we don't want to use him as a wideout?

Speaking of Vick, he'll be eligible as of the Chiefs game on September 27. If I were AJ Feeley, I'd be freshening up my resume.

David Akers nailed a 48 yard field goal last night. Somebody appears to be getting better rather than older.

Speaking of kickers, Sav was looking a little, um, inconsistent. Not that I want Akers to have to get used to a new holder, but this is no longer an experiment. Learn the game or get out.

The first team offense never took the field last night. Hank Baskett did. So did Reggie Brown. Draw your own conclusions.

We finally have an actual full back. Dan Klecko might want to glance over his resume, too.

Maclin and McCoy both played a little. Both looked pretty good. But it was against the Jets second and third team, so let's not read too much into it. Yet.

We don't quite seem to have our new O-line figured out. Let's hope that comes together before we're calling the Raiders to see if we can get Jeff Garcia back because we've run out of quarterbacks.

No Wolverine on the roster. It's real. Somehow, now it's real. Particularly since Woodhead, the guy who seems to have arrived in New York via Munchkinland, burned his successor (Quintin Demps, for those who've tried to block it out) every time he got the ball, which was about 1 play out of every 3.

So who's in and who's out? Damned if I know.

Up next: my annual pre-season divisional picks. In which I usually end up making a complete idiot of myself. Go me!

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Brett Favre is a tool

You know how I'm always all like: "Brett Favre is a tool" and everyone else is all like: "No, he's the GREATEST FOOTBALL PLAYER EVER. Bow to the Favre. BOW TO HIM."?

Turns out, I was right.

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