PHSports Simulation Series: Super Bowl XLIII [Madden-Style]

Check out previews and predictions before enjoy the Madden Simulation.
Quarter-by-quarter streaming updates and instant analysis (from the entire staff) will begin tomorrow at 6pm. See you then!!!

It worked so well last year…it’s back!!!

It’s not about who’s the BIGGEST.
It’s not about who’s the STRONGEST.
It’s about something MORE.
It’s about WHO WANTS IT MORE!

In a tradition that has gone as far back as…last year…we here at PHSports are ready to do away with computer and metric-based simulations and instead focus on something random, yet incredible entertaining.

Super Bowl XLIII…one day early.
How does it happen? The power of technology!

Enter an XBOX360, the Pittsburgh Steelers versus the Arizona Cardinals, a 26-inch flat-screen television and Microsoft’s willingness to update rosters on a seemingly weekly basis.

The difficulty was boosted to All-Madden, attributes were reset to system levels, ditto for rules/preferences/options. We tried to silence Cris Collinsworth as much as we could, but we had no hope.

Even an MVP was named.

Remember Jet fans. Blame the "Madden-curse" for this year's downfall. Duh.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

Let’s check the highlights…

1st Quarter

Pittsburgh called the toss (heads) and lost. Cardinals receive and the game is underway. Arizona opened running the ball unsuccessfully with Edgerrin James (2 carries for -3 yards) and a short hitch to Edge from Warner that resulted in only 5 yards and a 3 and out. After an average punt and good field position – on their own 44 – Pittsburgh followed with a 3 and out as Santonio Holmes dropped a first down in Arizona territory. The game’s first 1st down came on a 3rd and 3 in which Warner saw the blitz coming and hit Fitzgerald on a 13-yard hitch route. 3 runs from Edge ensued after a key 3rd down to Fitz again and the Cardinals were inside the Steeler 20. Roughing the passer on James Harrison led to a 3 yard TD plunge by Edgerrin James and a 7-0 Arizona lead with 4:43 to play in the 1st quarter. Edge looks very good thus far.

Pittsburgh again 3 and out. Great pressure from Dockett up the middle on 3rd and 6. Hines Ward has not been a factor, being targeted 0 times. After a quick 1st down, a steady diet of Edge leads to 3rd and 15 and a big sack by LaMarr Woodley for a 9-yard loss. Cardinals punt from their own 42. Big Ben fumbles the snap on 2nd and 10 (0-2 with a 39.2 QB rating and the aforementioned fumble) and its recovered on the Pittsburgh 25 by Karlos Dansby. Cardinals in business. Shocking news from the sideline. Kurt Warner’s shoulder is bruised and he is probable (2 quarters) to return. Enter Matt Leinart and on 1st down a second sack for Woodley on an all-out blitz. 35-yard FG by Rackers is GOOD; fortunately, Leinart found Fitz on second down for a much-needed 10 yard completion. 2:49 left in the first.

Steelers go three and out again. Roethlisberger’s first completion to Miller for only 5 yards on 1st down. Pittsburgh’s offense is strug-a-ling. Leinart sacked by Aaron Smith on 3rd and long – too much JJ Arrington this drive – on his own 11. Leinart without a first down in two drives. Steelers have a costly false start penalty and – you guessed it – go 3 and out. Ben has plenty of time, but his receivers aren’t open. His checkdowns aren’t looking well. Ball is punted down inside the 10 yard-line. No Edge or Hightower again, surprising to see so much Arrington. Cardinals 3 and out, punt from their own 11 yard line. Holmes makes the fair catch at mid field. Steelers get their first 1st down on a 12 yard completion on 3rd and 2 from Big Ben to TE Heath Miller. Francisco on a safety blitz gets Big Ben down, no attempt for a 50-yard FG by Jeff Reed. Cardinals begin the 2nd quarter at their own 6 yard line. 10-0 Arizona after 1.

After a great first quarter, Fitzgerald would become a forgotten man.
Credit: EASports

2nd Quarter

4 rushes in 6 plays for Edge for a total of 21 yards. Fitzgerald already has 6 catches for 75 yards. Bad drop by Fitz though inside the Steeler 20 on 3rd and 6 from the 32. No attempted 49-yard FG for Rackers. Punt is a touchback, barely. Great play by Holmes to let it bounce. And just like that, we have a game. 80-yard TD from Roethlisberger to Santonio “Playoffs 2009” Holmes. Rod Hood was beat on a double-move without a safety over the top. Rolle blitzed and Parker picked him up beautifully. 10-7 Arizona leads.

Keisel and Hampton team up for a big sack on 2nd down. Let it be known Edgerrin James has 18 rushes for 66 yards and a TD already. Leinart is 6 of 8 but has been sacked in critical spots. Big Ben with a key 3rd down conversion on a 6-yard rush, shaking of DRC on another Cardinal blitz. Holmes drops a touchdown – after beating Hood again – that forces another Steeler punt in Arizona territory. Cardinals dodge a big bullet with 4:27 left in the 1st half. Leinart sacked again, Woodley’s 3rd on the day, on 3rd down. He isn’t reading blitzes on the outside well at all. Casey Hampton is giving the Arizona interior line fits. Hines Ward with his first two catches – for a total of 28 yards – Big Ben goes 5 for 5 on the drive, including an 11-yard TD toss to Heath Miller on 3rd and 9 on the Arizona 11. Miller beats Dansby to the corner on a beautiful tight end waggle. Pittsburgh leads 14-10. Will Kurt Warner be ready after halftime to return?

Leinart hits his tight ends (Pope for 16 yards on 3rd down & Patrick for 13 yards on 3rd and 7) for big completions downfield. The blitz is being picked up much better with Edge in the backfield on 3rd down. Hightower without a carry thus far. Another Blitzburgh sack, this time Keisel by himself, on 3rd down. Cardinals punt as the 2-minute warning approaches. Pittsburgh doesn’t call a timeout to save 12 seconds. Steelers start on their own 3, but punt by the time they reach their 21. Leinart sacked AGAIN – that’s 7 first-half sacks. 0 for James Harrison though. Odd fake punt call by the Cardinals from the Pittsburgh 41 on 4th down. Ryan Clark with an INT at the 30. Steeler ball. Big Ben is on fire. 4 for 4 on the drive for 59 yards. Holmes is wide open 2 out of every 3 plays. Hines Ward catches his 2nd Super Bowl TD of his career (1st of the night) with 6 seconds left on a 3 yard WR screen from Big Ben. 3 2nd quarter TDs for the Steelers. 21-10 Pittsburgh leads. Halftime.

Remember this run from "Fast" Willie? Get ready for plenty more this second half.
Credit: EASports

3rd Quarter

Steelers fair catch a great kickoff. After a quick first-down by “Fast” Willie, Big Ben is sacked on consecutive downs by Bertrand Berry. Steelers punt. Kurt Warner returns, yet the Cardinals stall out near midfield as Warner is sacked by Polamalu on 3rd down. Anquan Boldin is not starting the second half due to leg cramps. 1 catch all game. Steeler football returns as the rush game comes alive. A methodical drive ensues with manageable 2nd and 3rd downs. Parker plunges over the top for 1 yard for a fourth-consecutive Steelers TD. 28-10. Warner and Wisenhunt look rattled on the sideline. Leinart doesn’t. Wouldn’t you know it, but another Arizona 3 and out. This game is rapidly ending already. This game appears over with another dominant Pittsburgh drive. Willie Parker has been unstoppable this 3rd quarter. He may only have 88 rushing yards, but 79 of them are in this quarter alone. Funny enough, Mewelde Moore tacks on a short TD dive from the goalline to give the Steelers yet another 3rd quarter touchdown. Pittsburgh is now winning 35-10.

Warner’s first throw of the next drive is intercepted by James Farrior down to the Arizona 11. Next play: Roethlisberger’s 4th TD toss and second to Hines Ward. Pittsburgh is beating down the Cardinals in a 3rd quarter that is in the record books now. The quarter ends and the Cardinals have nothing left to play for but pride. 42-10.

You won't be seeing this. The guy played ZERO snaps in the second half.
Credit: Photobucket

4th Quarter

Kurt Warner hits Fitzgerald for a nice 21-yard pass play downfield. However, next pass ends up in Polamalu’s hands at the goalline. After a bad pass interference call on Adrian Wilson, Willie Parker goes 59-yards for his second touchdown. The guy loves dynamic Super Bowl rushes over 50 yards, right? 49-10 Steelers. Is the scoring record of 55 in danger? YES.

Arizona gains 2 meaningless first downs and Warner is picked AGAIN, this time by Ike Taylor. A lazy drive ensues, with Fast Willie still burning it up, before it stalls inside the 5. Jeff Reed, who must be dog tired, kicked a 19-yard FG. 52 unanswered points has it 52-10. No Boldin still. Each team trades 3 and outs. An Arizona QB is sacked for the 10th time. Wow. Jeff Reed ties the Super Bowl record of 55 points with a 48-yard FG. The Steelers might as well give Tomlin the Gatorrade bath now with 4:27 remaining.

Byron Leftwich enters after Warner is unsuccessful on 4th and 2 from the Pittsburgh 41. Fitzgerald is visibly frustrated (obviously!). New scoring mark set at 58. Pittsburgh plays for blood as it keeps Willie Parker in – alongside Doug E Fresh (Leftwich) after sacking Warner on his own 32. Reed’s 28 yarder with 1:22 left is the last score of the game (I pray). Edge pads his stats with 5 useless rushes for 33 yards. Tick tock. Bryant McFadden intercepts Warner who may lose the Hall of Fame bid after this second half. Remember it was once 10-0 Arizona. Leftwich downs it and Super Bowl XLIII is O-V-A. 58-10. Yes, you read that right. Thankfully, this abomination is over for me too.

Tomlin gets the bath as Pittsburgh annihilates Arizona. Sorry Cinderella, go home. Pittsburgh with 714 yards of total offense and 0 turnovers (compared to Arizona’s 5). Pittsburgh was 7 for 7 in the redzone with 5 TDs and 2 FGs. Great day for Jeff Reed, too.

Doug E Fresh took a few snaps after it was 55-10. Now there's a moment.
Seriously, other people besides myself and SVP see it, right?
Credit: Z.About.com

Pittsburgh earns it’s 6th Super Bowl ring in record fashion.
Here are some more specifics…

Final Score: Pittsburgh wins 58-10
MVP: Ben Roethlisberger [30-39, 409 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs]

Scoring Summary

1st Quarter

Cardinals: Edgerrin James 3 yard rush for TOUCHDOWN.
[14 plays, 79 yards, XP Good]
Key Play -- 15-yard personal foul on James Harrison setting up Arizona 1st and goal on the 6.
Arizona leads 7-0.

Cardinals: Neil Rackers 35-yard FIELD GOAL.
[3 plays, 4 yards]
Key Play -- Ben Roethlisberger fumbles the snap on his own 25, recovered by Dansby.
Arizona leads 10-0.

2nd Quarter

Pittsburgh: Ben Roethlisberger 80-yard pass to Santonio Holmes for TOUCHDOWN.
[1 play, 80 yards, XP Good]
Key Play -- Holmes not fait catching a punt at the 8, allowing it to bounce for a touchback.]
Arizona leads 10-7.

Pittsburgh: Ben Roethlisberger 11-yard pass to Heath Miller for TOUCHDOWN.
[8 plays, 60 yards, XP Good]
Key Play -- Hines Ward’s first two catches softened up sideline routes later in the drive.
Pittsburgh leads 14-10.

Pittsburgh: Ben Roethlisberger 3-yard pass to Hines Ward for TOUCHDOWN.
[7 plays, 70 yards, XP Good]
Key Play -- Big Ben avoids a mega-blitz and goes 9 yards to Holmes on the sideline on a key 3rd and long.
Pittsburgh leads 21-10.

3rd Quarter

Pittsburgh: Willie Parker 1-yard rush for TOUCHDOWN.
[13 plays, 89 yards, XP Good]
Key Play -- Arizona commits a stupid 5-yard offsides penalty on a 3rd and 3.
Pittsburgh leads 28-10.

Pittsburgh: Mewelde Moore 3-yard rush for TOUCHDOWN.
[11 plays, 75 yards, XP Good]
Key Play -- Anytime Willie Parker touched the ball, he gained at least 7 yards.
Pittsburgh leads 35-10.

Pittsburgh: Ben Roethlisberger 11-yard pass to Hines Ward for TOUCHDOWN.
[1 play, 11 yards, XP Good]
Key Play -- Farrior’s interception of Warner followed by a stiff arm to Warner on the return.
Pittsburgh leads 42-10.

4th Quarter

Pittsburgh: Willie Parker rush for 59-yard TOUCHDOWN.
[2 plays, 80 yards, XP Good]
Key Play -- Willie Parker shook off Dockett for a potential 5-yard loss and then was untouched.
Pittsburgh leads 49-10.

Pittsburgh: Jeff Reed 19-yard FIELD GOAL is good.

Pittsburgh leads 52-10.

Pittsburgh: Jeff Reed 48-yard FIELD GOAL is good.
[5 plays, 39 yards]
Pittsburgh leads 55-10.

Pittsburgh: Jeff Reed 28-yard FIELD GOAL is good.
[6 plays, 32 yards]
Pittsburgh leads 58-10.

Key Statistics

Arizona Cardinals
Kurt Warner: 17-33, 148 yards, o TDs, 4 INTs
Matt Leinart: 11-16, 120 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT
Edgerrin James: 34 rushes, 140 yds, 1 TD
Tim Hightower: 0 rushes, 0 receptions
Jeremy Urban: 7 catches, 84 yards
Larry Fitzgerald: 9 catches, 81 yards, 2 drops
Anquan Boldin: 1 catch, 18 yards
Gerald Hayes: 19 tackles, 1 sack
Karlos Dansby: 9 tackles, 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery
Bertrand Berry: 4 tackles, 3 sacks
Adrian Wilson: 2 tackles, 1 sack, 3 penalties
Rod Hood: 1 tackle (gave up 3 TD passes in coverage)

Pittsburgh Steelers
Ben Roethlisberger: 30-39, 409 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs
Willie Parker: 31 rushes, 198 yards, 2 TDs
Mewelde Moore: 15 attempts, 79 yards, 1 TD
Santonio Holmes: 9 receptions, 183 yards, TD
Hines Ward: 7 catches, 96 yards, 2 TDs
Heath Miller: 4 catches, 37 yards, 1 TD
Casey Hampton: 11 tackles, 3 sacks
LaMarr Woodley: 5 tackles, 3 sacks
Brett Keisel: 7 tackles, 2 sacks
Ryan Clark: 6 tackles, 1 INT
Troy Polamalu: 5 tackles, 1 INT
Ike Taylor: 3 tackles, 1 INT

PHSports Play of the Game: Santonio Holmes' 80-yard touchdown pass was the moment in which the game officially slipped away from Arizona. Up 10 with the Steelers on their own 20, Holmes burned Hood down the sideline and ran with open field for 65 yards. It might've been 10-7, but Pittsburgh clearly had seized control.

Art Monk Award: Casey Hampton, DT [Pittsburgh]
-Despite not as much barking as Foote and Farrior, Hampton led the Steeler D with 11 tackles and 3 sacks. He was unstoppable from start to finish. Unreal performance from the DT.

Defining Moment: Kurt Warner’s injury with the Cardinals leading 10-0 allowed the Steeler D time to relax (with Leinart in) and their offense enough time to start the motors running. Remember that it was 10-0 after the 1st quarter in Arizona’s favor, 58-0 the final 3 for Pittsburgh.

In case this worried you about tomorrow. Check this out for a smile!
God bless you, YouTube.



I hope you enjoyed it, it was horrific to watch. But kinda fine to write.

Until next Super Bowl…

Super Bowl XLIII: Final Thoughts and Predictions from the PHSports Football Experts

The Steel crew are 7 point favorites ... but will any of the PHSports crew pick the Cards to peck away at victory?

Armin:

I used the perfect analogy last year. Mike Bibby and the 1997 Arizona Wildcats, playing the role of giant killers and the team of destiny, all the way to the National Championship. The Arizona Cardinals would be a better fit, if for nothing else than the fact that they play in the same state as the Wildcats. While this year is not as big of a giant killing situation, as the Patriots went into the game 18-0, the signs still point to Pittsburgh winning this game. Last year, I should have followed my gut and predicted a Giants win. This year, I'm not going against my gut (except maybe going on a diet). I pick the Cards (which might be bad news for the Cards). My home-away-from-home team will win the championship and bring credibility to the franchise. Most importantly, they will do it as partial payback to the legacy of Pat Tillman. Somewhere he will be smiling down on the Cards as they celebrate as World Champs.

Cardinals 31

Steelers 27

MVP: Kurt Warner, QB

Clement:

I’d be lying if I said I was a supporter of either of these two teams. While I used to be quite anti-Pittsburgh, I respect Mike Tomlin (aka Omar Epps), root for Big Ben when he's crazy in the pocket, and like guys like Farrior/"Fast" Willie/Ike Taylor. Meanwhile, Arizona has always been a bit of a joke; nevertheless, I’ve enjoyed their ride through the playoffs this season. Watching Fitzgerald is pure fun and I hope Boldin has a big play or two in him on Sunday evening. I’ll be rooting for Arizona, but suspect the Pittsburgh (or Blitzburgh) defense will be a little too much for Warner, Fitz, and Edge. A large part of me wants to see Edge with a ring in the desert; especially with all the good he has done for rookie Tim Hightower. After last year’s epic affair, what we all should be rooting for (those of us not with specific rooting interests, of course) is a fun, competitive game. It won’t happen. Polamalu will make his mark (and earn an MVP award, even as a safety) and Hines Ward will be game enough to catch his second Super Bowl TD (this time from Big Ben). I just don't think Arizona will be able to convert on 3rd and less than 5 as often as they need to. Steelers win 21-10, in a game odd reminiscent of the 2006 Super Bowl. Or is it eerily reminiscent…

Steelers 21
Cardinals 14
MVP: Troy Polamalu, S

Paymon:

I contemplated completely boycotting this farce of a Super Bowl, as my Eagles were on the business end of two horrendous calls in the final minutes. The first was a block in the back by Reggie Wells on Darren Howard at the 10-yard line (I have DVR'd the play and it's obvious), which opened the pathway for rookie running back Tim Hightower to fight his way to paydirt. The second was a blatant pass interference in which Rod Hood (on an island, no less) pushed off against Kevin Curtis. To many, this is ancient history. To the vigilant, it is one more instance of officials deciding games. Seriously, who cares about the game other than Steelers fans? Pittsburgh wins it because they are the tougher team on both lines and Arizona will actually get flagged for holds and blocks in the back, because referees always call it tight during the Super Bowl. Don't worry, Big Ben will turn the ball over once or twice to keep it mildly exciting.

Steelers 28
Cardinals 16
MVP: Ben Roethslisberger, QB

Sum:

There have been three constants in the NFL Playoffs and their coverage in PHSports. 1) I have analyzed the Arizona Cardinals game each week. 2) I have predicted the Cards to lose each week. 3) The Cards have shat on my prediction each week. (A fourth could by my mentioning of Kurt Warner + Depends each week ... but nah). Each week I have suggested that Arizona's opponent would learn from the mistakes of the team(s) in the week(s) before. That the opposing team would stay true to its running attack and would also beat the snot out of Kurt Warner with an intense pass rush. And it seems that those teams have steadily avoided my advice as if I was Dave Shula. But there's really no way that Dick LeBeau doesn't rush a QB. And there's no way that a Pittsburgh football team goes pass-happy. Right? It just wouldn't make sense ... it'd be like the Cardinals winning three straight playoff games ...

Steelers 31
Cardinals 23
MVP: Willie Parker, RB

Super Bowl XLIII Pre-Game Analysis: Pittsburgh vs. Arizona

Pittsburgh Do’s and Don’t’s - Clement:

Do your best to jam Larry Fitzgerald at the line of scrimmage. If Fitzgerald is given too much space, he's going to cause havoc in the worst ways possible. Before you know it, a trick player will be opening up – even with Polamalu's savvy – and Breaston/Boldin will be running deep sideline routes. While Fitzgerald is murder in the redzone, the crossing route allows him plenty of space to rumble. Beware.

Do your best to allow Woodley and Harrison to go 1 on 1 with the Arizona tackles. The Arizona tackles have been the weakest link on the Cardinal line. Harrison, the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year, is a sack machine and Woodley may, in fact, be the more talented overall pass rusher. Both are strong and sturdy throughout the game. Arizona will need to mix up protection schemes and their backs – especially the rookie Hightower – better be more than ready to chip. Effective runs to the outside and screens against the blitz are perfect remedies.

Do your best to get Santonio Holmes in open space. If you didn't see his punt return against the Chargers or his YAC-scamper against the Ravens, you missed out. With Ward "dinged" up and Limas Sweed being a PUNK, Holmes may be asked to make 2 or 3 big downfield catches. The best way to free him up isn't with the deep ball though, it's within the 10-15 yard range with space to run. That means Big Ben better be ready to withstand plenty of hits within the pocket.

Don't forget about Anquan Boldin. Larry Fitzgerald may be the best wideout in the NFL; however, Boldin isn't far behind. Sure he's been unhealthy and too much of a primadonna in recent weeks, but Boldin is also a redzone B-E-A-S-T and lethal on the edges. He'll play his heart out and has seen far more bad than good with this franchise. Don't forget just how deadly this duo is.

If the Steelers worry too much about Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin may give them nightmares they won't recover from.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

Don't underestimate the talent in the middle of the Cardinal defense. Darnell Dockett, Karlos Dansby, and Adrian Wilson are flat out studs. While there are other playmakers on that side of the ball – see Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie – these three have to seize control of the line of scrimmage, the center of the field, and the deep ball. While Wilson's run stopping abilities aren't too shabby, his ability to lock into a quarterback is highly underrated. Each will need to help their defense for 2-3 Big Ben miscues for the Cardinals to pull off the upset.

Don't forget about "Fast" Willie Parker. The rush game is vital to the Steelers opening up their playbook and putting real pressure on the Cardinals. If Warner struggles early, the Steelers would be wise to pound the Cardinals into submission with the speedy, yet stealthy Parker. Just ask the Seahawks of 2006 how quickly Parker can hit the corner and rush to paydirt. If Parker has 20+ carries, the Steelers should win by two touchdowns.

Don't underestimate the importance of special teams. I don't want to elaborate too much. However, if you can pin the Cardinals inside the 10, you better. Free yardage is the LAST thing you want to give Warner, Fitz, Boldin and company. If Rackers struggles with his kickoffs, burn the Cardinals early and often.

Arizona Do’s and Don’t’s - Sum:

Do make use of the plethora of bulletin board material out there. You've been underdogs EVERY WEEK of this postseason, and the Super Bowl is no exception with the Steelers as 7 point favorites. Heck, even President Obama wants Pittsburgh to win. That's gotta sting ... now turn that sting into solid play on the field. If Barack won't be bipartisan on Super Sunday, you shouldn't be either.

Do keep on executing your playoff game plan. I know I've used that one before, but it's working. The shift away from your pass heavy offense (15 more rushes than passes against Carolina; 29 rushes to 28 passes against Philly) gives one playoff veteran (Warner) time to breathe, while another playoff veteran (Edge) gets to prove his worth again. The D has been stout against the run, and it will need to be again this week since Pittsburgh likes to grind it out.

Do go to Steve Breaston early and often. I expect Pittsburgh's heavy hitters to come out hard early, whacking whoever has the ball. The last thing the Cards need is for Larry Fitzgerald or Anquan Boldin to be laid-out by Polamalu and Co. Breaston is a quality receiver, so he can make the catches ... and as evil as this sounds, it's better for him to get upended than Fitz. Plus, with Boldin already hobbling around the field, he'll be an easy target early in the game.

Don’t expect Kurt Warner to have the same time to throw the ball as he has had in 11 of 12 quarters this postseason (the 3rd quarter of the NFC Championship being the exception). Dick LeBeau has himself a mighty fine defense with an exceptional front seven. They will look to smack Warner around early and often. This is why it will be key to keep running the ball, even if it's with limited success. If you don't, then pack some extra Depends for Kurt.

The Cards had better hope Warner doesn't wear this uniform on Sunday ...

Don't think that an injury to Roethlisberger will be good for you. Byron Leftwich has proven himself more than capable in his relief appearances this year, particularly in the Monday Night game at Washington. But if Big Ben does go down to an injury, CHANGE YOUR DEFENSIVE SCHEME. Byron is a different quarterback who won't be rattled in the same ways that Ben will be. Still keep the heat on him, but rushing only one extra guy at a time. You WILL need your secondary beefed up if Leftwich comes in the game.

Don’t buy into this crap comparing Whisenhunt to Jon Gruden of the 2003 Super Bowl. Yes, both took their new teams to face their old teams in the Super Bowl, but there are key differences. First, Oakland promoted Gruden's successor, Bill Callahan, from within and kept Gruden's system intact. Pittsburgh brought a new head coach altogether into the fold and immediately began adapting some of the offense, giving Ben Roethlisberger more responsibilities. Second, Gruden faced his old team the very same year he left them. The Steelers have had 2 seasons to change their Whisenhunt-isms on offense. If the Cards win this game, it will not be due to Pittsburgh using the same signals and playcalls that they used 2 years ago.

Matchups - Armin:

When the Pittsburgh has the Ball:

Hines Ward vs. Roderick Hood & Santonio Holmes vs. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie ("DRC")

Hood and DRC have been playing their best football in the playoffs, while Roethlisburger, Ward and Holmes have nothing to prove. The questions remain: Can Hood play that physical game with Ward, and can DRC keep in stride with Holmes. If Ward starts making those tough catches down the stretch, and Holmes gets open for a couple of big plays, Arizona faces a steep uphill battle.

When Arizona has the Ball:

Mike Gandy and Levi Jones vs. James Harrison and Lamarr Woodley

How do you beat Kurt Warner? It's simple. You hit him. Gandy and Jones are up for their toughest task of the season. They must keep NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Harrison, off Kurt Warner. At the same time, they're dealing with Harrison's bookend, Woodley, who is surging during the playoffs. If Gandy and Jones don't step their game up a notch and keep Warner off his back, the Steelers defense will make short work of the Cardinals offense.

Intangibles - Armin:

Super Bowl Experience

Both 2nd year head coaches are in their first Super Bowl in that role. However, Whisenhunt won a Super Bowl as the offensive coordinator for the Steelers and Tomlin won one as the DB coach for the Buccaneers. Which coach will do a better job pulling from his Super Bowl experience? Tomlin also has a bit of an advantage here. He has many players that were on the team during Pittsburgh's triumph in Super Bowl XL. Whisenhunt, on the other hand, has very few who draw upon that experience. Kurt Warner is about all he has. There is no question that Whisenhunt is at an intangible disadvantage. However, the Cards seem to have destiny on their side.

... and the Steelers had better hope Coach Tomlin quits his day job alongside Gregory House

Win It For Pat

Last time around, the Steelers wanted to win it for Jerome. Now, it's the Cards who are the Team of Destiny. Can they muster up enough intestinal fortitude to play like Pat Tillman is standing behind them? Can they win it for Pat? While some don't like cliche's like "Win one for the Gipper", this situation screams for Tillman to be the reason for a franchise he proudly played for to win the Lombardi. Here's hoping that if the Cards are holding that trophy after the game, that they point their fingers to the sky and pay homage to a man who may have been the first in the NFL to say, I WANT to play football for the Arizona Cardinals.

Predictions

Come back tomorrow for final predictions from the PHSports crew...

2009 NFL Mock Draft: Take-Two (Top 15 Edition)

It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to realize Armin is the brains of our NFL Draft operation here at PHSports. Ditto for Pay and the NBA’s version of the annual draft selection show.

Nevertheless, I just L-O- V-E interjecting my opinion and “expertise”. Shocker, right?
At least for the top 15 picks (this time).

Sure I wanted to do 10, but Pay warned me that “any Joe Six-Pack can do a Top Ten.”
You would’ve enjoyed my top 10 more I bet…
Credit: BostonHerald.com

So I’m going to play the ULTIMATE devil’s advocate (mock draft-wise, at least) with Armin’s well-researched, in-depth, much more realistic mock draft. Again, just the top 15.

Let’s venture a different route and see how things might shake up just a little differently.
While I’m not disagreeing just to disagree, I do enjoy being a pain in Armin’s Redskin-loving butt.

Missing in action: Jeremy Maclin. My explanation? Lunacy.
Credit: Photobucket

1st Round [Top 15 picks]

1. Detroit: Matt Stafford, QB - Georgia
It’s obvious that Armin is correct in declaring the tangible advantages and glaring needs for a stud offensive tackle in Detroit. 0-16 teams aren’t fixed by rookie quarterbacks typically. Then again, nobody has ever gone 0-16, so do we really know exactly where to start? Jim Schwartz is the latest “new man on the job” and often that means a new QB is coming to town as well. With Matt Cassell already being franchised and the QB market a real unknown right now, I’m going to try my best not to speculate too much on Lion plans at QB outside of the draft. There clearly isn’t a solution on the current roster and while Stafford would’ve potentially graded below Bradford and McCoy, a quarterback at #1 – even if it’s too early – is never an unsafe bet come draft day. By the way, with Millen gone, any Crabtree-related jokes should never even start. Seriously.
Armin’s Selection: Andre Smith, OT - Alabama

2. St. Louis: Andre Smith, OT - Alabama
Tit for tat, tackle for tackle. I know. Nevertheless, Andre Smith – despite the mess before the Sugar Bowl – consistently grades out as BOTH the top offensive linemen and the top player in this entire draft field. The recent successes of early 1st round picks in recent years on the O-Line (Joe Thomas, Jake Long, Ryan Clady, etc.) should only further solidify the Rams’ need to draft early for help on an aging (Orlando Pace) and still suspect (Alex Barron, I’m talkin’ about YOU) o-line. Don’t underestimate their desperate need for defensive playmakers though, despite recent 1st-round selections of Adam Carriker and Chris Long. All this potential leads to two words: trade down (especially if somewhat legitimately fears what KC might do).
Armin’s Selection: Eugene Monroe, OT - Virginia

3. Kansas City: Mark Sanchez, QB – USC
Call this the Jay Cutler-factor (who I know didn’t go top 5 and was the 3rd QB taken), but I think the “next-best, but definitely not top” QB is gonna go higher than anyone expected. Tyler Thigpen isn’t the future of this franchise. Problem is: who will be their coach? I’ve questioned Pioli in the past – mainly due to the Belichick’s greatness – but now hes’ got an early draft pick which should show the direction of this team rather swiftly.
Armin’s Selection: Matt Stafford, QB - Georgia

4. Seattle: Malcolm Jenkins, CB – Ohio State
The Crabtree-selection makes way too much sense. However, there is still a lot of money in that position already in Seattle and this team is teetering on rebuilding mode. Despite spending a recent early-round pick on Kelly Jennings, depth at the CB position in Seattle has been hot/cold at best; especially since the departure of the uber-talented punching-bag for Steve Smith known as Ken Lucas. Jenkins may be considered this year’s Terrance Newman - #1 overall potential at the corner position – with a good combine. Arizona has a few good wideouts you might want to cover, too.
Armin’s Selection: Michael Crabtree, WR - Texas Tech

5. Cleveland: Chris “Beanie” Wells, RB – Cleveland
I’m going pure cheeseball pairing up Brady Quinn with Buckeye and fellow Ohioan Chris “Beanie” Wells. Can we just decide if it’s Chris or Beanie? Jamal Lewis is on the wrong side of 30 and may not be on this team’s opening day roster (just wait and see). While the Browns still need to solidify depth in their secondary and offensive line, a playmaking back will excite the franchise and can be a workhorse for Eric Mangini and company. Again, Armin was wise to tap a LB with 3-4 potential, Mangini’s preferred defensive scheme.
Armin’s Selection: Aaron Curry, LB - Wake Forest

6. Cincinnati: Michael Crabtree, WR – Texas Tech
Ocho Cinco isn’t long for Cincy and TJ Houshamzzilli will need a new counterpart once Carson Palmer returns healthy. Cedric Benson clearly isn’t “the man”, but I feel the Bengals can address that need in free agency (Darren Sproles perhaps?). Crabtree seems like a classy kid – the exact opposite of Chad “Johnson” – and this team sure needs something exciting after their return to shame in recent seasons. Let’s just say I‘ve already written off Jerome Simpson, for better or worse. Sorry bro.
Armin’s Selection: Chris "Beanie" Wells, RB - Ohio State

7. Oakland: Eugene Monroe, OT – Virginia
I hate leaving such a talented tackle lingering this long, but it’s far from the end of the world. I like Monroe’s talent, but am not ready to declare him a top 5 lock just yet. Although if a team is sold on him and is rebuilding, he could go much earlier. MUCH earlier. As for the Raiders, JaMarcus Russell will continue to be this team’s QB and protecting him has got to become more of a priority. The Robert Gallery-debacle needs to end NOW with a mercy-killing. It’s nearly impossible to gauge who the Raiders will truly target though, not until Al Davis rewards 2 or 3 “Javon Walkers” with ridiculous free agent contracts.
Armin’s Selection: Malcolm Jenkins, CB - Ohio State

Wondering where Mr. Moreno is??? Look no further.

Credit: Sundaypaper.com

8. Jacksonville: Knowshon Moreno, RB - Georgia
Again, Maclin and the Jags seem a perfect fit. Solid work again, bastard. However, Fred Taylor is leaving and MJD can’t do it alone. True they can go fishing for a talented #2 in the later rounds, yet I feel that Moreno’s talent will be too much to pass up. Despite his lack of beef, Moreno’s pass catching skills downfield are underrated and a new 1-2 combo can be rejuvenating to a stale Jags offense. The wideout position is a MESS and the offensive line was gutted last year from injury; nevertheless, I think the skill position wins out with the most talented RB on the entire draft board going here. I also see the Jags signing a free agent or two on the line, instead of relying on a rookie.
Armin’s Selection: Jeremy Maclin, WR - Missouri

9. Green Bay: Michael Johnson, DE – Georgia Tech
This is where Armin, a few other experts, and I disagree. While I don’t consider him to be Mario Williams, I do prefer to label Johnson as a Gaines Adams-type. I think his freakish athleticism will be a site to see at the combine and for personal workouts. If the Giants were to get their hands on him, it’d be the coup of the draft. Instead, I have the Packers stocking up on a talented defensive end who will help their defensive put more direct pressure on the QB and force more turnovers. While Armin was correct to challenge his every-down ability, the Packers need talent on the other side of Kampman. Especially in the NFC North with the “risky” QB-play (at best).
Armin’s Selection: Brian Orakpo, DE - Texas

10. San Francisco: Rey Maualuga, LB - USC
Sanchez is going to be a really interesting pick in the 1st round; especially since Oakland won’t be in the mix (I think). A lot of teams before San Fran – save the top three – appear to have QBs for the realistic-future. Meanwhile, San Francisco isn’t likely to turn the franchise over to Shaun Hill. Alex Smith, on the other hand, is likely done in San Fran and that mess has been pushed into the shadows just enough to draft another quarterback in the first round. I can’t slot Freeman here (just yet); however, it’s a coin flip as I’ve allowed an extremely talented LB to slip out of the top 10 (Curry). With Willis a perennial Pro Bowler in the middle, Singletary will decide between linebackers from Wake Forest and USC. Guess which one wins out in San Fran?
Armin’s Selection: Mark Sanchez, QB - USC

11. Buffalo: Brian Orakpo, DE - Texas
While it’s almost criminal I keep allowing Curry to slip, Buffalo needs an edge rusher like it needs to avoid games in Toronto in December. Funny, right? Orakpo is a monster on the edge and should prove to be a solid almost-everydown player on a young defense. James Hardy's seleciton last season further plummets the stock of Maclain.
Armin’s Selection: Everette Brown, DE – Florida State

12. Denver: Aaron Curry, LB – Wake Forest
This would easily be the steal of the draft, so you know it’s not happening. Nevertheless, Denver needs an entire defensive makeover (outside of the CBs and D.J. Williams) and the scrap heap of LBs they picked up last season were almost as embarrassing as the roulette shuffle they had at the RB-position.
Armin’s Selection: B.J. Raji, DT – Boston College

Guess who Washington shouldn't be drafting??? Yep, Percy Harvin.

Credit: HarvinZone.com

13. Washington: Michael Oher, OT – Mississippi
I disagree about the third (and maybe second) most talented tackle in this draft with a lot of the experts. While Armin has Oher in the low teens (19, to be exact), I think the guy has legit top 10-talent. Of course, that doesn’t mean he’ll even go in the first round if his combine is lazy or his attitude doesn’t win people over. Either way, this team better not draft a skill position player. Even if Maclin is an enticing prospect.
Armin’s Selection: Jason Smith, OT - Baylor

14. New Orleans: William Moore, S – Missouri
Obviously, Armin has the right guy. However, I wouldn’t sleep on the middle of the field getting some attention as well. The ‘Aints need a field marshal and Moore clearly is the top talent at the safety position. Don’t be surprised – even after bringing in Vilma last season – if one of the talented middle linebackers goes here; especially if one slips one too many spots.
Armin’s Selection: Vontae Davis, CB - Illinois

15: Houston: BJ Raji, DT – Boston College
Houston has the talent on offense (duh), but clearly are devoid of overall team talent on the defensive-side. Okoye hasn’t made much noise in the past two seasons and “Super” Mario Williams and DeMeco Ryans deserve some legit help. While the cornerback position could always use a young playmaker, I feel that safety (see the above pick) or the interior line has the best shot. Raji fits well as a run stuffer, as the outside pass rush needs to be let loose as often as possible.
Armin’s Selection: Aaron Maybin, OLB – Penn State

While it’s far from perfect, it’s just a different thought or two. I do have to admit I hate agreeing with a lot of Kiper Jr.’s out there with Sanchez soaring to the #3 and Kansas City.

Although I still want to plug that last year, when most everyone else jumped off the bandwagon weeks before, I had DeSean Jackson as top 10 talent at this point. He would be drafted behind 6 other wideouts (including the aformentioned Jerome Simpson) and ended up being a MAJOR factor on a team playing in the NFC Championship game.

Let’s not talk about my “real” mistakes though.
Why you gotta go and do that?

NCAA Tournament Bracket Projections - January 26, 2009

Talking Points …

In Saturday night’s post, I teased putting UConn at top of the scrap heap, and upon further study of their resume - which trumps all – I have no choice but to put them at the overall #1 seed. Their most recent triumph ended Notre Dame’s 45-game home winning streak. The Huskies have now defeated Miami-FL, Wisconsin, Buffalo, Gonzaga, West Virginia, Cincinnati and now Notre Dame away from home. That’s a feat.

Among the high risers this week are Missouri and Virginia Tech, who were not in the last eight out of our last bracket (Missouri due to admitted oversight) a fortnight ago. For the most part, the Tigers are playing strong basketball at both ends of the court. Virginia Tech has come out of nowhere with five straight wins behind the three-headed monster of Malcolm Delaney, AD Vassallo and Jeff Allen. Tech proved that their win on Wednesday night at Wake Forest was not a fluke by withstanding many punches and eventually knocking out the Miami Hurricanes.

Choosing the 34th at-large team is always a pain. This week was not any easier. And I know what Joe Bracket will be thinking when Penn State and/or Providence is not in. Penn State is 5-3 in conference and have wins against Purdue and Michigan; however, they have a 7-game stretch that I’m not optimistic about with contests versus Wisconsin and Minnesota and trips to East Lansing, Ann Arbor, Lafayette, Champaign, and Columbus. 5-3 can easily become 7-8. As for my dear Friars, they are 5-2 in the Big East yet all five wins have come against the six weakest teams. If they split their next four against Syracuse, @ UConn, Villanova, and @ West Virginia, then they have an argument. That said, PC lost second half leads to Georgetown and Marquette in their league losses. A bad omen.

The Switches
* Switched Michigan State and Wake Forest to avoid 2 ACC teams as 1 and 2 seeds in the same region.
* Switched Notre Dame and Memphis due to a seeding conflict.
* Tennessee slips to the 10th seed line resulting from having already played Kansas.

If you have any questions, comments, or just wish to send a shout, shoot me a line at phashemi@gmail.com.

The Seedings
1: UConn (Big East), North Carolina, Duke (ACC), Pittsburgh
2: Oklahoma (Big XII), Louisville, Michigan State (Big Ten), Wake Forest
3: Texas, Gonzaga (WCC), Butler (Horizon), Clemson
4: Purdue, Syracuse, Illinois, Arizona State (PAC-10)
5: Minnesota, Marquette, Xavier (A-10), Memphis (C-USA)
6: Notre Dame, UCLA, Georgetown, West Virginia
7: Ohio State, Davidson (Southern), Kentucky (SEC), California
8: Florida, Villanova, Kansas, UNLV (MWC)
9: Miami-FL, St. Mary’s, Missouri, Virginia Tech
10: Michigan, Baylor, Washington, Tennessee
11: Dayton, Florida State, Utah State (WAC), Illinois State (MVC)
12: Siena (Metro Atlantic), Wisconsin, South Carolina, VCU (CAA)
13: Boston College, USC, Portland State (Big Sky), Western Kentucky (Sun Belt)
14: Miami-Ohio (MAC), Stephen F. Austin (Southland), VMI (Big South), Vermont (America East)
15: North Dakota State (Summit), Austin Peay (Ohio Valley), American (Patriot), Belmont (Atlantic Sun)
16: Long Beach State (Big West), Morgan State (MEAC), Cornell (Ivy), Robert Morris (Northeast), Prairie View A&M (SWAC)

Last Four In: Wisconsin, South Carolina, Boston College, USC
Last Four Out: BYU, Penn State, Providence, Texas A&M
Next Four Out: Mississippi State, Arizona, Utah, Oklahoma State

Seeding Summary (Multi-Bid Conferences Only in Order of Percentage)
Big Ten: 7/11
ACC: 8/12
Big East: 9/16
Pac-10: 5/10
Big XII: 5/12
SEC: 4/12
West Coast: 2/8
A-10: 2/14

Updated on 1/26 at 725pm ET

Saturday Night Musings - College Basketball Edition

As we begin to turn the page into February, this Saturday's theme was separating the men from the boys. This was evident in ESPN's showcase matchup between UConn and Notre Dame. That said, here are ten points from today's action.

1. As I alluded to earlier this season, Notre Dame will not figure into real national championship until they decide to play defense on a full-time basis. According to the Pomeroy rankings, the Irish are 165th in adjusted defensive efficiency and 14th in the Big East.
2. Meanwhile, UConn wins ugly and this is the mark of a championship-caliber team. They only shot 41% from the field and missed 15 free throws, but they manhandled the Irish despite a strong Joyce Center crowd.
3. With a win at the Joyce Center preceded by an impressive win over Villanova (and a killer resume), do the Huskies hop the Blue Devils in the rankings? Who cares?! It's January.
4. Greivis Vasquez should not be allowed to provide interviews. Prior to Maryland's game against Duke, he referred to Cameron Indoor as "my house". If you watched the game, I am sorry that you will never get those two hours back in your life. Also, there's no doubt that Gary Williams sweat through at least two suits. He'll be sweating for his job soon if the Terrapins continue to falter.
5. With Cal's home loss to Oregon State (not a typo) on Thursday and UCLA's annual defeat in Seattle, the PAC-10 really is up for grabs. For those who are thinking, "Hey, why don't you think Washington will win the PAC-10 now?", I have reservations about the Huskies' ability to win on the road. If they split the next two weekends in visits to Arizona and Northern California, then we may be in for a surprise. As for Arizona State, their schedule will get serious in mid-February. I just don't know how many games they can continue to win with 1 scorer, 1 rebounder, and a bunch of wild cards whilst shooting 29% from the field.
6. As pointed out several times on the family of networks, Marquette is now 6-0 in the Big East, the nation's deepest conference. In this weird age of 16-team conferences and unbalanced scheduling, let's do a little bit of data mining before we crown Marquette. Before the haters hate, let me point out that Marquette is a good team. HOWEVER, and this is a big however, only two of their six wins are against teams that are in everyone's projected bracket (Villanova, West Virginia) and both were at home. With a schedule that ends with @ Georgetown, v. UConn, @ Louisville, @ Pitt and v. Syracuse, it should be noted and reinforced that they are supposed to win these games. All of that said, they are 14th in adjusted offensive efficiency and 48th in adjusted defensive efficiency. Both are strong markers.
7. When Monday arrives, MANY (if not all) bracketologists will change the CAA Champion to VCU. Not this bracketologist. Though this is not the VCU team of last year which was 28th in adjusted defensive efficiency, we are starting to see the pieces gel. Eric Maynor is a constant in the backcourt and Larry Sanders (no, not this Larry Sanders) is his ace in the frontcourt. But, we are seeing steadier contributions from players like Rodriguez, Burgess, Pischalnikov (with hideous headband) and Rozell. The team they defeated today, George Mason (my alma mater), fought hard, but made too many turnovers and could have used the services of John Vaughan, who missed the game due to a concussion suffered on Wednesday at Northeastern.
8. After my last Bracket Projections, I received some criticism from Missouri. For those of you who know me, it's hard for me to admit when I am wrong about college basketball. However, I ... am ... wrong (so far). Here's why. Though Missouri has seemingly won three games they were supposed to win along with a decent win in Stillwater, it is how they have won. As a result, Missouri is top 14 in adjusted efficiency for offense and defense. When a team does that, they have Final Four potential ... the stats do lie sometimes.
9. I have no idea what to make of the Illinois Fighting Illini. Coming into the season, all signs pointed to a lackluster year and perhaps the end of Bruce Weber's tenure as head coach (which would have been a big mistake). All signs were wrong and the Illini have defeated teams in several ways, the most stifling being the defense that Weber brought from Southern Illinois days. Today, it was the Demetri McCamey show. He had a direct hand in 13 of 21 made field goals against Wisconsin and accounted 13 of the team's 22 trips to the free throw line.
10. How good is Butler? How good is Xavier? How good is Memphis? All three won today, with Memphis taking one in Knoxville behind a strong second-half effort from Tyreke Evans. I asked the questions in this order, because Butler won at Xavier, who won against Memphis on a neutral court. Though many bracketologists (including me) disagree with the incorporation of the transitive property into seedings (instead, favoring the entire body of work), the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee has not been shy about using it as a talking point. It's something to chew on.
    

2009 NFL Mock Draft: Pre-Super Bowl Version

The Super Bowl is around the corner, and things are about to pick up for me, as it's NFL Draft Season. Look forward to NFL Draft coverage and rookie scouting PHSports style. The Pre-Super Bowl Version of our Mock Drafts will be one round without trades. Subsequent Mock Drafts will grow to 2 and maybe 3 rounds, and include trades. Looking forward to the comments.

1st Round

1. Detroit: Andre Smith, OT - Alabama
An offensive tackle goes #1 again. With Joe Thomas in 2007, and a bevy of rookie OTs helping their teams in 2008, it's clear that the focus of the draft has shifted positions. Smith is a clone of former Tide OT Chris Samuels. Smith is a great cornerstone to start rebuilding a franchise on.

2. St. Louis: Eugene Monroe, OT - Virginia
Here's a first. Offensive linemen go 1 & 2 overall. Monroe is no consolation prize. Virginia keeps churning out left tackles for the league.

3. Kansas City: Matt Stafford, QB - Georgia
Pioli nabs the top QB off the board in hopes of landing another Matt Ryan or Joe Flacco. What about Tyler Thigpen? Maybe he can play the role of Kurt Warner to Matt Leinart.

4. Seattle: Michael Crabtree, WR - Texas Tech
The Seahawks couldn't stay healthy on offense, especially at WR. Crabtree should more than fill in, and bring the game breaking ability that the franchise has sorely missed at the WR position over the years. Crabtree reminds me of Fitzgerald on some plays.

5. Cleveland: Aaron Curry, LB - Wake Forest
Curry is a monster who could come in, replace Willie McGinnest, give Wimbley a bookend OLB in the 3-4, and allow Alex Hall to team with the two bookends to force mis-matches in an all-out pass rush. He could play inside or outside in Mangini's defense.

6. Cincinnati: Chris "Beanie" Wells, RB - Ohio State
Forget all the hype about Cedric Benson being a priority to bring back. He averaged 3.5 YPC, and didn't actually do much for the team. With the team's apparent commitment to the run in 2009, they will need a platoon of starting backs. Beanie Wells could end up staying close to his college roots, in hopes of being another Chris Johnson.

7. Oakland: Malcolm Jenkins, CB - Ohio State
The Raiders should probably take an offensive lineman, but the front office there is in such disarray that they can't make good decisions. If Asomugha returns, the Raiders should have a nice tandem with him and Malcolm Jenkins.

8. Jacksonville: Jeremy Maclin, WR - Missouri
Another team that should go with an offensive lineman, however they have such woes at WR, they can't pass on Maclin. Unlike current Jaguars receivers, Maclin can stretch the field and is a home run threat.

9. Green Bay: Brian Orakpo, DE - Texas
The Packers defense should switch to the 3-4 under Capers, and it sorely needs a pass rush. Orakpo was a beast sack artist for the Longhorns and can be converted to an OLB. He has a great size, strength and speed combination and could find himself in the top 5 before too long.

10. San Francisco: Mark Sanchez, QB - Southern Cal
The 9ers are crossing their fingers that they have the same luck that Atlanta and Baltimore had last year when drafting a rookie QB. If Sanchez can continue his hot play at the end of the season, getting the 9ers to the playoffs might not be such a tough feat.

11. Buffalo: Everette Brown, DE - Florida State
Expect the Bills to trade down and amass picks, as they have plenty of routes they can take. If they stay put, Brown could easily be an option. They need pass rushing and Brown is a pass rushing specialist.

12. Denver: B.J. Raji, DT - Boston College
Raji should thank the likes of Kris Jenkins and Shaun Rogers for the fact that a team will reach for him early. The Broncos will switch to the 3-4 defense with Nolan in town. The 3-4 cannot thrive without a monster NT. Tyson Jackson or Aaron Maybin would make sense here too.

13. Washington: Jason Smith, OT - Baylor
Jason Smith should not drop this far. Oakland or Jacksonville would be smart to take him at 7 or 8. If he drops to this pick, however, he is a good enough pass blocker that he could have Samuels moved to the right side.

14. New Orleans: Vontae Davis, CB - Illinois
Mike McKenzie's health is fading and Randall Gay didn't prove to be the answer. The Saints should look into a future with Davis teaming up with Tracy Porter at CB, shutting down opposing WRs.

15. Houston: Aaron Maybin, OLB - Penn State
The Texans need a bookend pass rusher for Mario Williams. Weaver isn't the answer. Maybin came out after his sophomore year and could add about 15 lbs, but his pass rush skills are right up there with Orakpo and Brown.

16. San Diego: Rey Maualuga, ILB - Southern Cal
The Chargers land another MLB out of USC with a mean streak that is unmatched. Hopefully he can have a similar impact to Seau.

17. New York Jets: Tyson Jackson, DE - Louisiana State
If there is a 3rd QB (Josh Freeman?) that rises up the charts, expect the Jets to be players. If not, Jackson fits in nicely as a 3-4 DE. Jackson has the potential to be a Richard Seymour or Ty Warren type.

18. Chicago: D.J. Moore, CB - Vanderbilt
As of this moment, it is a toss up between Moore and Davis as the #2 CB in this draft. Moore can also offer a change of pace on returns to Devin Hester, who rarely found his groove last season.

19. Tampa Bay: Michael Oher, OT - Mississippi
The Bucs would be very lucky for Oher to drop this far. He could step in and replace Jeremy Trueblood, who has the opposite of Pacman Jones's problem and can't seem to keep himself out of trouble ON the field.

20. Detroit (from Dallas): Jim Laurinaitis, ILB - Ohio State
On paper, this doesn't make a lot of sense with Ernie Sims and Jordan Dizon around. However, a pick like this brings something else to the franchise that it sorely lacks. Laurinaitis is a natural leader and brings the right attitude to a franchise that needs a makeover. He can either step into the middle or play the weak side.

21. Philadelphia: William Moore, S - Missouri
With Dawkins nearing the end of his career, the Eagles need to start thinking about the safety position. With Taylor Mays returning to USC, Moore is the top safety in this draft. He has a linebacker's size, but can roam the field like a DB.

22. Minnesota: Josh Freeman, QB - Kansas State
Josh Freeman has a lot to prove, but there is always that 3rd QB that complements the top 2 QBs in a lot of these drafts. On draft day, Freeman could have Joe Flacco written all over him.

23. New England: Brandon Pettigrew, TE - Oklahoma State
Pettigrew fills a couple of needs here. He's a nice size target around the end zone, but he also blocks like an offensive lineman. Could he be another Daniel Graham around the end zone for the Pats? Maroney would appreciate the extra blocking.

24. Atlanta: Peria Jerry, DT - Mississippi
While they could probably use a beefier DT, Jerry can still come in and make his impact. The trio of Curtis Lofton, Jonathan Babineaux and Jerry would cause a lot of match up issues for other teams. Sen'Derrick Marks could also fit here.

25. Miami: Brian Cushing, OLB - Southern Cal
Cushing would be a textbook Parcels guy. He has a nasty mean streak while keeping his head on his shoulders. Michael Johnson could be a nice fit here too.

26. Indianapolis: Sen'Derrick Marks, DT - Auburn
Using a LB-sized DT last season didn't do the Colts well. They need a DT more than anything right now, and Marks could easily be available at this pick. Don't rule out a trade-down.

27. Baltimore: Clint Sintim, OLB - Virginia
With Ray Lewis rumored to be headed to Dallas once free agency opens, along with Bart Scott and Terrell Suggs also hitting the market, linebacker suddenly becomes a shaky position for the Ravens. Sintim can do it all. He can rush the passer, he can stop the run and he can cover against the pass. He could play inside or outside in Baltimore.

28. Philadelphia (from Carolina): Knowshon Moreno, RB - Georgia
Regardless of who fills in for Westbrook when he gets hurt every season, they never fill the void. Time for the Eagles to start looking at another option. Maybe with a RB of Moreno's caliber around, Westbrook can share the duties a little more and stay fresher as the season goes on. An offensive tackle would be a nice pick too.

29. New York Giants: Michael Johnson, DE - Georgia Tech
The Giants can select the best player available, and have the luxury of giving that player some time. Johnson is a monster pass rusher who is too light to play DE on every down. He can step in and play his spots and cause mismatches for opposing offenses.

30. Tennessee: Percy Harvin, WR - Florida
The Titans can't expect to win a Super Bowl without their receivers taking some of the pressure off the run game. Harvin can also help out in the return game.

31. Arizona: LeSean McCoy, RB - Pittsburgh
With Edgerrin James seemingly pulling the plug on his Arizona career, and Tim Hightower unable to prove that he can lead the Cards on the ground, McCoy makes a lot of sense. McCoy could easily take the reigns from Hightower, and cause a resurgence in the running game in Arizona.

32. Pittsburgh: Duke Robinson, OG - Oklahoma
The Steelers offensive line somehow got the team into the Super Bowl, but they are the weakest unit on the team. Robinson would fill a huge hole at right guard.

InClement Weather: Wednesday Night College Basketball Thoughts...

Ten Thoughts on a Wednesday night...stretched out just a bit.
Yes, even while watching Lost and being more confused than ever before...and still LOVING it.

Don't let the face fool you, I firmly believe Tech walked into their matchup tonight expecting to win. Funny how often you do win with an attitude like that.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

1) Jeff Teague and Wake Forest will no longer remain #1. Not unless about six or seven teams fall too a crazy string of upsets this week(end). It should come as no surprise though, as the life of a college basketball #1 is always week-by-week at best.

2) Virginia Tech, winners of their last 4 of 5 against the Deacs, went into Winston-Salem and walked out 78-71 victors.

3) Jumping out to an early lead, the Hokies combined timely three-point shooting with an aggresive temperment on the boards to lead by as many as 13 in the first half. What had to surprise Wake most was the depths the Hokies went to allow them to come back into the game; especially during three or four stretches in the second half. Missing free throws left and right and not cleaning up on the defensive glass, the Hokies allowed Wake an opportunity to have the ball down only 2. An inability to box out on poor Tech shots and, on their own poor possessions, kick out before driving to the hoop with a little too much steam cost Wake dearly down the stretch. Len "Troy Bell Sr." Elmore might've noticed the most disturbing trend too: Jeff Teague was passive and far too quiet, due to his own inability to demand the ball, in the closing ten minutes.

4) Perhaps the Naismith frontrunner at this point, Teague appeared a little "pouty" according to Elmore. While his teammates were quite frustrating at times with silly fouls and a lack of control (especially with those aforementioned drives to the hoop), Teague passed up several shots late and almost seemed unwanting of the ball in the final possessions. Not a good trend to say the least for one of the nation's most talented playmakers at any position.

5) While that reason can't be divulged as without Teague's input, it did question my faith in Wake Forest in the following:
A) Close games
B) After slow starts
C) Without an inside presence to depend on
The same could be asked of all top tier teams; however, Wake's first blemish - especially at home - did open up some important questions.

6) As for the Hokie-side of things, it goes without saying how HUGE this W is; especially for a 5-loss team. While they have some iffy non-conference losses, the ACC will offer up plenty of opportunities for big time Ws. Let me also state a clear-cut fact: Tech won this game MUCH more than "Mistake" Forest lost it.

7) Unfortunately for the Hokies, due to the strength at the top of the ACC, their worst-case scenario isn't tough to decipher. See Maryland last year after their front-page news upset (on the road, unranked, against an undefeated UNC team) and then see how they faltered late time and time again and even when possessing the most impressive single-win of the year, it wasn't impressive enough come March Madness. In fact, it wasn't close. I have to wonder how much that home loss to Georgia might hurt the Hokies too. Just something to think about, raining on the parade of a team's top effort of the year. My bad.

...after seeing Sayid toss a guy off of a two-story balcony to imminent death (with the amazingly viscous back-breaking sound effects on the side), I'll note three other "affairs" of importance to me...

Outside of Jack Bauer, this is TV's most badassed man.
Credit: Wikipedia.org

8) Believe it or not, there are "mid-major stories" out there that don't involve Stephen Curry and Davidson. SHOCK and GASP! While this website has an obvious bias towards the CAA-side of things, it doesn't go without reason. Tonight was an important night for the conference:
A) George Mason fell from the top perch with a 58-57 loss at Northeastern.
B) Both are joined at 7-1 with red hot VCU, who after a rough loss at Delaware two weeks ago, has reeled off six impressive conference victories, although tonight's 5-12 Georgia State team doesn't exactly scream "road test".
C) The true test for Anthony Grant, Eric Maynor, and the Rams will come when the Patriots - who play notoriously well in Richmond (both the Siegel Center and the Collesium) - come marching in Saturday afternoon at 4pm.
Some advice: buy tickets and go if you are affiliated in any way with either school OR figure out when it's on television and watch a truly stellar conference rivalry play out. Sadly, they don't double dip each year like they SHOULD.

9) Northwestern upset Michigan State on the road, South Carolina likely took Florida back out of the rankings on some last-second hoopla, UCONN held off a feisty Villanova team in their hideous gray jerseys, UNC will one day be 100-0 against Clemson at home, and Memphis is going to steamroll through Conference USA and really confuse "bracketeers" come March.

10) Watch college basketball. I can try and inspire you. But I deleted that diatribe. Just watch it. It's awesome.

Tonight's victory will (likely) overshadow their early season's top highlight.

If You Care About Top-Notch Mid-Major Coverage ...

... then you should read this piece by Kyle Whelliston at the Mid-Majority. If you think that sports is safe from the economic decline, then you have another thing coming.

Per the article, ESPN is planning 50% percent cuts to its college sports coverage (across the board), which immediately affects Whelliston, who provides some of the finest pearls of wisdom on the path less traveled [to mid-major arenas].

If you have read the Mid-Majority, used obscure statistics from Basketball State to win an argument, checked out his work on ESPN, or seen others citing him, then you should consider donating in order to keep this engine steaming. You can donate by clicking here.

InClement Weather: Super Bowl XLIII Approaches...

While I admittedly was in and out of much of the Steelers/Ravens game (it's not like they pay me to do this), I did decide to collect a few thoughts on the two championship games. Luck you, right???

Arizona defeated 32-25 to win the NFC Championship

Darnell Dockett and the Cardinals have to plant Big Ben every time they get the slightest of grips on him. Otherwise, he will make them pay.

Credit: Yahoo! Sports

1) If anyone had Arizona in the Super Bowl at the following points, you are either crazy or a mad genius. Funny how the two intersect so easily.
A) Pre-season
B) After their Thanksgiving meltdown out east in the Linc
C) After the "snow-bowl" BEATDOWN (even with nothing to play for) against the Patsies
D) Before the Atlanta game
E) Before the Carolina game
F) When Philly took the lead 25-24 on that insane TD pass to DeSean Jackson.

2) Kurt Warner proved that even though Peyton Manning won the NFL, there is no more important quarterback to his team than Warner is to his Cardinals. 21-28, 279 yards, and 4 TDs in the franchise's biggest game (and then some) in Arizona. Not to mention the poise on that last drive. Wow.

3) Tim Hightower, a 5th round pick, couldn't handle being "the man" in Arizona down the stretch. Nevertheless, thanks to guys like Edgerrin James (more on him later), he's a rookie making major contributions on a Super Bowl team.

4) Edgerrin James had to leave Peyton Manning and Indianapolis and go out west - to the desert of Arizona - to get his Super Bowl trip. Funny, eh?

5) Larry Fitzgerald is worth the price of admission. I hope Anquan prays he's both healthy and Todd Haley wants him heavily involved in two weeks.

6) Donovan F. McNabb showed a lot of class, poise, and even a smile or two Sunday afternoon. Philly fans still don't deserve him.

7) Andy Reid is 1-4 in NFC Title games. Question is: how many of those "should" his teams have won?

8) DeSean Jackson is electric. I hope he's not a flash-in-the-pan wideout/returner.

9) Assante Samuel wasn't himself Sunday afternoon. Neither was Brian Dawkins.

10) That was a pass interference call the refs missed. You know the play. However, Curtis knows he had to somehow still catch that ball and the Eagles know they left that game on the field. They didn't lose because of the refs.


Pittsburgh defeated Baltimore 24-13 to win the AFC Championship

Joe Flacco didn't lay the biggest turd on the field Sunday. Instead, this guy was the biggest turd. And it wasn't even close. Nice job faking an injury.

Credit: Yahoo! Sports

1) Two Super Bowls in five years for Big Ben. Not too shabby.

2) Troy Polamalu doesn't care who anyone considers the best safety in the NFL, he just delivers when it matters most.

3) Hines Ward's health will be a major factor come two weeks.

4) Don't automatically assume Pittsburgh will cakewalk their way to Super Bowl XLIII. They won't.

5) LaMarr Woodley looked a lot more today like the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year.

6) Props to Terrell Suggs on a gritty effort.

7) Ray Lewis deserves better quarterbacks. Plain and simple.

8) Joe Flacco was exposed for what he truly is: a nice kid who is not going to be a very productive NFL quarterback in crunch time.

9) Prayers out to Willis McGahee.

10) Ryan Clark led with his helmet and may have broken a man's neck. Of course, he didn't mean to hurt someone. Nevertheless, that was helmet to helmet and a devastating illegal hit. He's lucky his own neck didn't break. The only realistic, sensible, and fair punishment is a suspension for the Super Bowl. However, the NFL is gutless - especially when dealing with top-tier organizations - and won't lift a finger to even fine Clark. Roger Goodell is a sham and probably a crook for not dealing with situations just like these. It makes his organization cower to the owners and the franchises. Pathetic. Speaking of which, Walt Coleman's crew should be ashamed of themselves for allowing such a hit to go unpenalized. Ashamed.

Congrats to both teams. Except Limas Sweed. Who clearly faked an injury after dropping a crucial potential touchdown pass. I hurt too when I blow easy touchdowns. Everyone in the room (in houses across the nation) knew he was gonna fake an injury too. Even Nantz (an idiot altogether) knew his pride was hurt and nothing more. He will forever be a yellow-bellied coward. And a faker. And butterfingers. Loser.

By the way, please don't be that Steelers fan who thinks his team is 100% class and Sweed was genuinley hurt. Don't be so naieve.

Think I'm angry? Not at all. But seriously, how did this movie make over $30-million on opening weekend? Aren't we in a recession???

Credit: IMDB.com

5 NFL Questions - Championship Weekend

Philadelphia Eagles @ Arizona Cardinals [3:00 pm on FOX]

Can 5th-round pick Tim Hightower be effective rushing the ball in the redzone today?
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

1) What protection schemes will Wisenhunt and Grimm come up with to protect Kurt Warner from the machinations of Jim Johnson's exotic blitz packages?
2) What are the respective health statuses of Anquan Boldin and Brian Westbrook?
3) Is Karlos Dansby prepared to play the game of his life?
4) Which rookie will have a greater impact: DeSean Jackson or Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie?
5) Will Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb finally come full circle from the "benching incident" against Baltimore?


Baltimore Ravens @ Pittsburgh Steelers [6:30 pm on CBS]

Can Big Ben expose a hole or two - if only for a second - in the Raven secondary with tight end Heath Miller in the "check-down" spot?
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

1) Will Joe Flacco be the first rookie QB to guide his team to the Super Bowl with 3 straight road victories in the playoffs?
2) Will the Steelers sweep the Ravens (and their defense) 3-0?
3) Which ballhawking safety will seal the game: Ed Reed or Troy Polamalu?
4) Is Terrell Suggs going to play or be a factor whatsoever?
5) Which team will establish their running game earliest and most often in each half?

Just in case you're bored at any time today with either game, hit up Blockbuster for this unforgettable Disney classic...



Enjoy the games...

NFL Championship Weekend Pre-Game Analysis: Baltimore at Pittsburgh

Expect the defenses to get UGLY (courtesy of nytimes)

Pittsburgh Do’s and Don’t’s

Do let Willie Parker do his best Chris Johnson impersonation…except for the part where Johnson didn’t play the 2nd half. If Chris Johnson had played the 2nd half of the game, the Titans would probably have been the opponent here.

Do put 8 to 9 men in the box and stifle the Ravens run game. Jim Schartz did it last week, holding Ravens RBs to 50 yards on 30 carries. The Titans nearly shut down the Ravens offense, if not for a non-call on a big play. If McGahee and/or McClain get going, the Ravens offense will open up for business.

Do attack the banged up secondary of the Ravens. All DB starters, including S Ed Reed (knee, hamstring), S Jim Leonhard (concussion), CB Samari Rolle (groin) and CB Fabian Washington (neck) are nicked up. This is also a group that isn’t boasting much depth.

Don’t let the refs give the Ravens any cheap plays. The Flacco to Heap play on what should have been a Delay of Game penalty gave the Ravens the leg-up they needed to beat the Titans. It is hard enough to beat the Ravens. Playing against the Ravens and the Refs could make the mission impossible. Then again, do hope that the refs take your side and allow another controversial catch (ala the Santonio Holmes’s TD in Week 15).

Don’t let the Ravens’ 1-7 record at Heinz field fool you. They marched into Tennessee and walked away with a W. In a match up like this one, the Ravens may be forced to push the envelope and try to make some aggressive plays. Be patient, and wait for them to make mistakes.

Baltimore Do’s and Don’t’s

Do what is necessary to get Flacco hot early. Against a defense like the Steelers, it takes one to set up the other, either pass to set up the run or run to set up the pass. The Steelers should be hell-bent on stopping the run, so the Flacco will be key in getting the offense running on all cylinders.

Do put Ed Reed in position to get 2+ turnovers. This sounds oddly familiar. Oh yeah, I said this last week. The Ravens are undefeated when Reed gets 2 or more turnovers. Redundant? Yes. Dismissible? No.

Do take some chances. The Ravens are the underdogs, and winning the momentum game is a requirement. How do you get momentum? Big plays. Time to get Mark Clayton and Derrick Mason into their track shoes, as some long-balls should be coming.

Don’t expect the defense to do 100% of the work. The Ravens offense cannot put up another 211 yard, 9 first down, offensive performance again. It worked against the Titans, but it will not work against the Steelers. While it’s tougher against a defense like the Steelers, it is an imperative if you want to make it to Super Bowl Sunday.

Don’t let the regular season sweep by the Steelers make you think you have no chance here. Since 1970 teams who swept their division rival in the regular season have gone 11-7 against that team when they’ve met in that season’s playoffs. There is some light at the end of the tunnel for the Ravens.

Key Match ups:

When either team has the Ball
Defense vs. Defense
These are the top two defenses in the league. One of these teams will be playing for the championship against an NFC team that shouldn’t stand a chance against them. Could we see the game go into overtime, knotted up at 0-0? Improbable, yet not impossible, and awe-inspiring.

When either team has the Ball
Offensive QB vs. Defensive QB
It’ll be a match up of Flacco vs. Polamalu and Roethlisburger vs. Reed. Which QB can cut down on the mistakes, and which safety can cause the opposing offense to make mistakes?

Intangibles

Keep It Clean
With the rivalry (hatred?) between these teams, we’ve seen a lot of hard hits and cheap shots in past games. Both teams received warnings this year. The Ravens in particular are scrutinized as Terrell Suggs and Co. were called out for their bounty hunting Hines Ward and Rashard Mendelhall. It would be unfortunate for this game to be decided on stupid penalties resulting from immature behavior. No death threats from Bart Scott either.

Escaping Logic
As much as I’ve been talking up the defenses, this match up actually comes down to Cam Cameron and Bruce Arians. Which offensive coordinator comes in and calls the right play at the right time that determines this game? Can either of their offenses put up 20+ on the best defenses in the league?

Final Score Prediction
In a battle for the ages, the Steelers edge the Ravens 16-13 in Overtime.

NFL Championship Weekend Pre-Game Analysis: Philadelphia at Arizona

Philadelphia Do’s and Don’t’s:

Do knock the stuffing out of Kurt Warner. Yes ... I'm repeating myself ... AGAIN. Neither Atlanta nor Carolina listened to me and see what happened to them. Props go to Mike Florio at PFT who reminded the world of 12/01/2002 ... the day the Eagles showed the world how to stop Kurt Warner.

Do pay close attention to the common mistakes that Atlanta and Carolina made on offense against the Cardinals. Atlanta ran 24 times and threw the ball 40 times. Carolina ran the ball 15 times and went to the air 35 times. That equates to 2 key mistakes made by each of Arizona's postseason opponents thus far: 1) Forfeiting any chance at winning the time of possession battle; 2) Stepping away from what they did best (which was running the football). Don't go all pass happy (HINT ... that message is for Andy Reid), but at the same time, don't give up what you do best. So incorporate those screens to Westbrook and Buckhalter ... but let them run it up the gut too.

Do make use of DeSean Jackson in every aspect of the passing game. That means, let him run quick slants, let him run some out patterns, and definitely let him just sprint downfield a few times. Arizona has some talented DBs (read: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie), and moving your most talented WR to different spots throughout the game will enable him to keep the secondary guessing.

Don’t let Larry Fitzgerald get you down. He WILL make some phenomenal catches throughout the game, even if you have 5 guys covering him. So WHEN he makes those catches, pat him on the ass and compliment him ... but only after you've tackled him HARD. The other key is to force all of his catches to be tough grabs ... do NOT leave him wide open (like Carolina did all day long).

Don’t let Donovan McNabb forget the benching. Dude has been playing with a massive chip on his shoulder since the Baltimore game. He should have carried that chip since the T.O. drama unfolded in Philly ... but he didn't. Now that he is carrying it, don't let him forget it ... as long as it's there, McNabb will remember that he has something to prove ... and it can only be proven with a victory on February 1, 2009.

Arizona Do’s and Don’t’s:

Do keep the motivation up. Nobody expected you to win against Atlanta 2 weeks ago, let alone be hosting the NFC Championship game. You were underdogs at home to Atlanta and were 9.5 point underdogs to the Panthers. After two impressive wins, you are at home again, and AGAIN are underdogs to the Eagles (by 3.5 points). If that's not locker room board material, I don't know what is.

Do keep on executing your playoff game plan. On offense you have mixed it up quite a bit, and actually ran the ball 15 more times than you passed it last week! The shift away from a pass-heavy offense has befuddled opponents thus far. On defense, the incredible showing thus far has everyone drawing comparison's to the transformation that the 2006 Colts defense went through between the regular and post seasons. Stick to the game plan this week ... it's worked so far, why shouldn't it work again?

Do watch the Redskins/Eagles game from December 21. Washington played a very effective scheme against the Eagles. Even if the receivers hadn't dropped a half-dozen of McNabb's passes, the Skins were the only team to effectively contain McNabb and his offense after Week 12.

Don’t expect Larry Fitzgerald to have the same game this week as he did last week, especially if Anquan Boldin isn't back in the lineup. Philly has one of the best (if not the best) secondaries in the NFL. There will not be many (or potentially any) wide gaps for Warner to find Fitz through this week. The only way to create the mismatches is to spread the ball around early.

Don’t ignore either Edge or Tim Hightower. Last week Edge had 3 more carries than Timmy, but finished with 19-yards less. That's OK. The youth/experience 1-2 punch will serve you well in trying to wear down Philadelphia's front seven. If each back runs at least 15 times at the Philly D, those guys will be dead tired in the 4th quarter.

Key Matchups:

When Philadelphia has the ball
Rookie WR DeSean Jackson vs. Rookie CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
Both young men were highlighted by Armin in his Rookie Year End Report, although Jackson didn't make the top-10 for his side of the ball. Cromartie, on the other hand, was the #3 defensive rookie, by Armin's standards. These two young stars will definitely go head-to-head at least a few times on Sunday, and the outcome could very well hinge on whether Jackson beats Cromartie for a TD, or whether Dominique out-leaps DeSean for an INT.

When Arizona has the ball
QB Kurt Warner vs. DEs Trent Cole and Darren Howard
This was actually a tough call, because the WR/DB matchups will be solid as well when the Cards have the rock. However, in order for the receivers and the secondary to have a chance to battle it out, Kurt Warner will have to be able to get the ball downfield. Trent Cole and Darren Howard, however, have other plans for the future spokesperson for Depends. The two DEs combined for 19 sacks on the season, and they have a coordinator in Jim Johnson who has a PhD in bringing the pressure on opposing QBs. If Warner can avoid the pressure, it will be a tiring day for the Eagles secondary. If, however, Warner is reminded of that cold Philly day in December 2002 when he was sacked 8 times and picked off twice ... well then I guess the Eagles will be going to Tampa.

The product endorsements will never end ...

Intangibles:

Start Time
So I made a mistake last week. Okay, I made many mistakes last week. However, the one I'm thinking about is when I focused so much attention on Arizona's poor performances on the East Coast. What made it a mistake was that I ignored the fact that all of the Cardinals games out east in the regular season had 1 PM start times, whereas last week's game was in primetime. As one of the Fox commentators noted (sorry, can't remember which one), Kurt Warner has a fairly elaborate and intricate routine on gamedays, which involves studying game film, going over the playbook, time for personal reflection, as well as other components. A 1 PM game on the East Coast translates to a 10 AM game out west, thus compressing the time that Warner has to prepare for kickoff. So, the question for this week becomes: will a 12 Noon kickoff time give Warner enough time to go through his normal routine?

Injuries
Yes, this is a cliché intangible. However, I'm only using it in reference to two players: Anquan Boldin and Brian Westbrook. The extent to which each athlete, and therefore able to perform to the best of his ability, will determine how effective his offense will be. At the same time, both teams have proved themselves capable to win without these star players. But this is no ordinary game, this is the Conference Championship ... and both defensive units will be out for blood. Arizona needs Boldin to play at full strength and Philadelphia needs a solid showing by Westbrook.

Sum Picking Arizona Playoff Games
I have now picked the Cardinals to lose each playoff game, and have been wrong twice. Will the opposite of my prediction occur again? Look down to see what I say ... and you may want to place money on the exact opposite result.

Final Score Prediction:
Philadelphia's defense powers the way to another attempt at the Super Bowl: 27-13.

Hey Redskins Fans ...

Sum guy decided to create a site dedicated to a certain owner being likened to a "stream of water, often containing medicinal or cleansing agents, that is applied to a body part or cavity for hygienic or therapeutic purposes."

For our other fans of the site, did anyone see Jody Meeks's performance last night? Not only did he score 54 points on just 22 field goals, he played lockdown defense all game long en route to a bludgeoning of presumed SEC frontrunner Tennessee in Knoxville.

Also, due to time constraints, I am not able to provide the full talking points for this week's bracket projection. Here are some take-away thoughts ...

• Despite starting 0-2 in conference play, I anticipate UNC losing a maximum of two games from now until the NCAA Tournament. I also anticipate that no other team who is in the hunt for a #1 or #2 will lose less than three games between that same time period.
• As stated on comments at B101, we see a 2nd team from the ACC or Big East earning a #1 before seeing the top team from the Big XII or Big East earn a #1 seed. Our reason: high-profile road wins.
  
• There is little margin for error between the 5th and 9th seed lines. Many of these teams have a fragile identity that can be made and broken in the matter of four hours within a week.
• Mid-majors excluding a select few who are always in the hunt are taking the year off.
  

2008 NFL Rookie Year End Report

January is here again, and like last year, we present you with the PHSports Rookie Year End Report. This also signals our shift to the 2009 NFL draft. Look for our Mock Drafts that will be coming soon.


Top 10 Offensive Rookies:

Matt Ryan (courtesy of emqb)

1. Matt Ryan, QB – Atlanta Falcons
2. Joe Flacco, QB – Baltimore Ravens
3. (tie) Matt Forte, RB – Chicago Bears
3. (tie) Chris Johnson, RB – Tennessee Titans
3. (tie) Steve Slaton, RB – Houston Texans
6. Ryan Clady, OT – Denver Broncos
7. Jake Long, OT – Miami Dolphins
8. Eddie Royal, WR – Denver Broncos
9. Kevin Smith, RB – Detroit Lions
10. Jonathan Stewart, RB – Carolina Panthers


Top 10 Defensive Rookies:

Jerod Mayo (courtesy of daylife)

1. Jerod Mayo, LB – New England Patriots
2. Chris Horton, S – Washington Redskins
3. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB – Arizona Cardinals
4. Curtis Lofton, LB – Atlanta Falcons
5. Brandon Carr, CB – Kansas City Chiefs
6. Brandon Flowers, CB – Kansas City Chiefs
7. Antoine Cason, CB – San Diego Chargers
8. Cliff Avril, DE – Detroit Lions
9. Aqib Talib, CB – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
10. Jason Jones, DT – Tennessee Titans


Top 3 Rookie Squads (By Team):

1) Atlanta Falcons: QB Matt Ryan, OT Sam Baker, LB Curtis Lofton, CB Chevis Jackson, WR Harry Douglas
2) Denver Broncos: OT Ryan Clady, WR Eddie Royal, RB Ryan Torain, FB Spencer Larson, S Josh Barrett, RB Peyton Hillis, LB Wesley Woodard, P Brett Kern
3) Kansas City Chiefs: DT Glenn Dorsey, OT Branden Albert, CB Brandon Flowers, RB Jamaal Charles, CB Brandon Carr, CB Maurice Leggett


2008 PHSports NFL All-Rookie Team:

QB: Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons – Offensive Rookie of the Year Matt Ryan finished the season with 3440 yards 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He also had a 61.1 completion percentage and an 87.7 passer rating. All great numbers for a rookie QB. But, most impressive was his ability to lead a team, decimated by debacles surrounding Bobby Petrino and Michael Vick, to the playoffs. Joe Flacco also deserves mention as he did similar things with the Ravens. (Backup: Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens)

RB: Matt Forte, Chicago Bears & Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans & Steve Slaton, Houston Texans – Many, including Chris Johnson, feel that Johnson was the top RB in this year’s draft. Actually Johnson thought he was the top player in the draft. I put Matt Forte and Steve Slaton right up there with him as the top RB. All three rushed for similar yardage (1200+). Slaton had 9 TDs, while Forte and Johnson had 8. All had good receiving numbers. Forte had 63 catches for 4 TDs, Slaton had 50 for 1 TD and Johnson had 43 for 1 TD. All three were solid contributors to their teams in positions where the teams needed help. (Backups: Kevin Smith, Detroit Lions; Jonathan Stewart, Carolina Panthers)

WR: Eddie Royal, Denver Broncos & DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles – Eddie Royal came out of nowhere on the first Monday Night Football game of the season, nabbing 9 passes for 146 yards and a TD. He continued to be productive all season as Brandon Marshall’s running mate, finishing with 91 catches 980 yards and 5 TDs, leading all rookies in those receiving categories. DeSean Jackson caught 62 passes for 912 yards for 2 scores. Both receivers were also cogs in the return game, with Jackson adding a TD on a punt return. (Backups: Donnie Avery, St. Louis Rams; Davone Bess, Miami Dolphins)

TE: John Carlson, Seattle Seahawks – It was a tight race for the top rookie TE. Receiving numbers were comparable with Carlson nabbing 55 passes for 617 yards and 4 TDs. However, the caveat that must be taken into consideration was that Carlson had to shoulder more of a load with all the injuries at WR in Seattle. (Backup: Dustin Keller, New York Jets)

C: Jamey Richard, Indianapolis Colts – There wasn’t much playing time given to rookie centers this year, however Jamey Richard is definitely deserved of this spot. In the seven games that he filled in for Jeff Saturday, the Colts didn’t skip a beat, going 5-2.

G: Mike Pollak, Indianapolis Colts & Carl Nicks, New Orleans Saints – Both rookie guards started the last 13 games of the season for their teams. Mike Pollak brought a run blocking presence to the Colts that they haven’t had at guard in a few years. He will be a mainstay on that line for years. Carl Nicks was forced into starting when Jamar Nesbit went down. He did such a great job that when Nesbit returned, Nicks held the starting spot. (Backup: Jeremy Zuttah, Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

T: Ryan Clady, Denver Broncos & Jake Long, Miami Dolphins – Both Clady and Long started all 16 games for their teams. Clady was especially dominant all season, and should have garnered Pro Bowl attention. He gave up on a ½ sack all season and was only flagged 3 times. Long lived up to his status as the #1 overall pick, helping a 1-15 team improve by solidifying the offensive front and protecting his QB who received some MVP votes. (Backups: Jeff Otah, Carolina Panthers; Duane Brown, Houston Texans)

DT: Sedrick Ellis, New Orleans Saints & Jason Jones, Tennessee Titans – This wasn’t the best year for DTs, but there were a couple that stood out. Sedrick Ellis was thrust into the starting role from day one, holding his own and finishing with 30 tackles and 4 sacks. Jones, on the other hand, didn’t play much early, but his impact later in the season could not be overlooked. He finished with 5 sacks (with 3.5 coming in a dominant game against Pittsburgh). Jones is also versatile enough to move over to DE. (Backups: Glenn Dorsey, Kansas City Chiefs; Marcus Harrison, Chicago Bears)

DE: Cliff Avril, Detroit Lions & Trevor Scott, Oakland Raiders – Like DT, the pickings at DE were somewhat slim this year. Many big names failed to step up. Avril didn’t start until the last month of the season, but proved his worth on the hapless Lions team by registering 4 of his 5 sacks in the last 6 games. Trevor Scott was a pass rushing specialist for the Raiders. While he never started, he put together 5 sacks in his limited play and should be a bigger part of the defense next season. (Backups: Chris Long, St. Louis Rams; Kendall Langford, Miami Dolphins)

LB: Jerod Mayo, New England Patriots & Curtis Lofton, Atlanta Falcons & Keith Rivers, Cincinnati Bengals – Defensive Rookie of the Year Jarod Mayo leads a deep set of rookie LBs that contributed to their teams this season. He finished the season with 128 tackles and solidified himself as a starter in the middle of the Patriots 3-4 defense for a long time. Curtis Lofton might have won the DROY honors if it wasn’t for Mayo’s great year. Lofton was a key part of a defense (94 tackles) that reversed the fortune of the Falcons and got them to the playoffs. Keith Rivers didn’t play the entire year as he had a season-ending injury, however, he started off strong enough to garner a spot on this team. His impact went beyond the numbers as well, as he showed great coverage skills in his short time. (Backups: Wesley Woodard, Denver Broncos; Xavier Adibi, Houston Texans)

CB: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Arizona Cardinals & Brandon Carr, Kansas City Chiefs – While the Arizona Cardinals had teams passing all over them, DRC held his own while being thrown into the fire as a rookie. DRC picked 4 passes on the season, including a 99 yarder for a TD. He also batted down 23 passes, which is the reason I rate him as highly as I did. It won’t be long before he’s a shutdown corner in this league. Carr, a 5th rounder, stepped up from Day 1 for the Chiefs. He amassed 73 tackles and played as the Chiefs’ top corner all season. (Backups: Brandon Flowers, Kansas City Chiefs; Antoine Cason, San Diego Chargers; Aqib Talib, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Dwight Lowery, New York Jets)

S: Chris Horton, Washington Redskins & Kenny Phillips, New York Giants – Horton started the year off as the early favorite for Defensive Rookie of the Year. Much of his ball-hawking hype came off a 3 turnover (2 INT, 1 Fumble Recover) game against New Orleans in Week 2. However, his play the rest of the season still landed him on this squad, as he was all over the field as a safety making tackles (76) and coming up big in run support. Kenny Phillips didn’t start many games for the Giants, but was a key contributor to the defending Super Bowl Champs’ defensive backfield. He registered 67 tackles and an interception. In a full-time role next season, he could end up doing a lot more damage to offenses. (Backup: Charles Godfrey, Carolina Panthers)

Special Teams: K Dan Carpenter, Miami Dolphins & P Brett Kern, Denver Broncos & KR/PR Clifton Smith, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Carpenter looked pretty good in his rookie season, going 21 for 25 on field goals, including a 50 yarder. Brett Kern had a nice year in the Mile High air, by booting 46 punts for a 46.7 yard average. Clifton Smith, undrafted out of Fresno State, caused teams to start kicking away from him. He returned both a kickoff and a punt for TDs this season.

NCAA Tournament Bracket Projections - January 12, 2008

Talking points coming soon ...

The Seedings
1: Pittsburgh (Big East), Duke (ACC), North Carolina, UConn
2: Wake Forest, Michigan State (Big Ten), Oklahoma (Big XII), Texas
3: Louisville, Notre Dame, UCLA (PAC-10), Syracuse
4: Gonzaga (WCC), Tennessee (SEC), Georgetown, Clemson
5: Minnesota, Butler (Horizon), Xavier (A-10), Michigan
6: Memphis (C-USA), Marquette, Purdue, Arizona State
7: Davidson (Southern), Miami-FL, California, West Virginia
8: Ohio State, Villanova, UNLV (Mountain West), Baylor
9: Arkansas, Wisconsin, Illinois, St. Mary’s
10: Kansas, Boston College, Kentucky, Florida
11: BYU, Dayton, Maryland, Arizona
12: Creighton (MVC), Florida State, South Carolina, San Diego State
13: Siena (Metro Atlantic), Utah State (WAC), VCU (CAA), Portland State (Big Sky)
14: Miami-Ohio (MAC), Middle Tennessee State (Sun Belt), Stephen F. Austin (Southland), VMI (Big South)
15: Vermont (America East), North Dakota State (Summit), Austin Peay (Ohio Valley), American (Patriot), Belmont (Atlantic Sun)
16: Long Beach State (Big West), Hampton (MEAC), Cornell (Ivy), Robert Morris (Northeast), Prairie View A&M (SWAC)

Last Four In: Arizona, Florida State, South Carolina, San Diego State
Last Four Out: USC, Providence, Texas A&M, Washington
Next Four Out: Illinois State, Penn State, George Mason, Cleveland State

Seeding Summary (Multi-Bid Conferences Only in Order of Percentage)
Big Ten: 7/11
ACC: 8/12
Big East: 9/16
SEC: 5/12
Pac-10: 4/10
Big XII: 4/12
Mountain West: 3/9
West Coast: 2/8
A-10: 2/14

5 NFL Questions - Divisional Round Sunday

After yesterday's subpar effort, you still get 5 Questions for EACH game. Lucky you, right?

Philadelphia Eagles @ NY Giants [1pm, FOX]

When will Asante Samuel get his pick-six?
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

1) Who will do a better job with ball security today: Donovan McNabb or Eli Manning?
2) Who will have the greater deep-ball/special teams impact: DeSean Jackson or Domenik Hixon?
3) Which platoon-back will have more touches: Correll Buckhalter or Derrick Ward?
4) Which kicker may be asked to nail a game-winning in blistery winds in the final moments of the game: David Akers or John Carney?
5) Will the Eagles suffer with a lack of a redzone rush offense?

San Diego Chargers @ Pittsburgh Steelers [4:45 pm, CBS]

Last week it was AP MVP Peyton Manning. How about AP Defensive Player of the Year next?
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

1) Is Darren Sproles officially ready for playoff immortality?
2) What type of magic does Troy Polamalu have up his "playoff" sleeve?
3) Is Antonio Gates back to elite TE (aka "you better double cover me every play") status.
4) Which team will lose BOTH the turnover and the penalty battle?
5) What affect will the weather have on the West Coast Bolts?

Enjoy the games...

Saturday Night Live Blog: InClement Weather's Two Snapshots & 1 Video

One of these is courtesy of yours truly. The other has to go to Yahoo! Sports. The final props goes to YouTube.

Arizona Cardinals defeat (SHOCK!!!) Carolina Panthers 33-7. Seriously. Those Arizona Cardinals. Seriously. See? See? See? See?

I could choose to do the popular thing and chew out Steve Smith. Who I despise and have always called out for being the antithesis of a team leader . Don't you dare cite that useless touchdown in the final 50 seconds either. Or better yet, Jake Delhomme. Happy 34th birthday!!! Who for some reason I love to watch F-A-I-L. He looked ready to turn the ball over ten times. Or maybe Jon Beason (who I highlighted in the 5 Questions column this morning) for being irrelevant outside of a nice INT when the team was down 20 in the 3rd quarter. Or how about Julius Peppers? Remember him? Me neither after today. I could just chew out an overrated NFC South, right? Nah.

Instead, fellow staff writer Sum inspired this...

Boy will I miss hearing about how the Cardinals are 0-5 on the East Coast. So so much.
Source: ME!

One final thought on this game. Did it look like the Cardinals missed Anquan Boldin? Not so much. Rest up 'Quan. Get healthy for the NFC Championship. The game in which the Cardinals are playing. Seriously.

Baltimore Ravens defeat (outlast) Tennessee Titans, 13-10.
I can honestly admit I didn't watch a single snap of the game. Family obligations take 1 of 4 Divisional Round Playoff games every year. However, Yahoo Sports! had this to say...

(Chris Chase) Another game, another officiating error in the NFL. On a key 3rd and 2 with 2:52 remaining in today's divisional playoff game between the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans, the play clock clearly expired well before Joe Flacco received the snap, but no delay of game call came from the officials.

See the picture yourself (below). I'm more than certain this video is coming to your next Sportscenter. And no, we're not talking about a split-second delay between 0 and snap either. Drop that excuse. Props to typical Raven offensive MVP Matt Stover though. And no, I don't think Baltimore won because of this play alone.

Credit: Yahoo! Sports

My "analysis" says if you turn the ball over 3 times in the redzone, you're never likely to win. Nevertheless, this was a major miscue from the zebras.

As for the video...now THIS is a playoff h-i-t. Whomever Baltimore travels to next weekend, don't focus too much on Ed Reed (as hard as that is) or a hit like THIS (see video below) might happen to you and your fullback. Although what we really want is more of this.

One word: OUCH.




See you Sunday morning...

5 NFL Questions - Divisional Round Saturday

5 Questions for EACH game. Lucky you, right?

Baltimore Ravens @ Tennessee Titans [4:30 pm, CBS]

If Albert Haynesworth is the BEAST of this defense, it only makes its leader (above) that much more lethal.

Credit: Yahoo! Sports

1) What type of impact will the Raven wideouts (Mason & Clayton) have against the suddenly-vaunted duo of Finnegan & Harper?
2) How will the Titans handle the impact of missing All Pro C Kevin Mawae; specifically, with Ravens monster DT Haloti Ngata?
3) Which duo will see more carries today: McClain/McGahee or White/Johnson?
4) Which team will be able to convert redzone possessions into TDs rather than FG attempts?
5) Over/under for Ed Reed INTs is 2. Over/under for Ed Reed pick-sixes is 1. Your calls?

Arizona Cardinals @ Carolina Panthers [8:15 pm, FOX]

If you don't know who Jon Beason is yet...be prepared to after Saturday night.
Credit: MM.news-record

1) Can Anquan Boldin again defy the doctor's expectations and be a factor - or suit up at all - Saturday night?
2) Does Arizona stand any reasonable chance of stopping the duo of DeAngelo Williams and "The Daily Show"?
3) Who's the better deepball, downfield threat in this game: Larry Fitzgerald or Steve Smith?
4) Will Jake Delhomme take care of the ball like a playoff quarterback must?
5) Will Julius Peppers reign havoc on a statue-esque Kurt Warner?

Enjoy the games. Feel free to comment with some of your own questions, answers to mine, or score predictions.

NFL Divisional Playoffs Pre-Game Analysis: San Diego at Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Do’s and Don’t’s

Do take advantage of the renewed health on the league’s most dominant defense. NFL Defensive MVP James Harrison, safety Ryan Clark, and corner Bryant McFadden are all ready to go. Somewhere, Norv Turner is wondering why his prayers went unanswered.

Do get Big Ben and the receivers in rhythm early. The Chargers defense is not the best against the pass, and gives up a lot of yardage. Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes, Nate Washington and Heath Miller all need to step up to take the pressure off Roethlisburger and Parker who are playing this game below 100%.

Do pray for the worst weather. The Chargers will be out of their cozy southern California element. If the weather is cold and rainy at Heinz Field, the Steelers will have a big advantage.

Don’t get 13 penalties for 115 yards like the last time against the Bolts. With Roethlisburger passing for 300+ and Parker rushing for 100+, it was still an 11-10 game. Discipline will go a long way in helping the Steelers move to the AFC Championship.

Don’t hesitate to bring in Leftwich if Roethlisburger is struggling. Big Ben suffered a nasty concussion in week 17 (where both of his arms went numb). Apparently Tomlin has dismissed the notion of pulling Big Ben, but that could be a mistake. Leftwich isn’t your run-of-the-mill backup. He has a lot of valuable experience as a starter, and should be ready to step up.

San Diego Do’s and Don’t’s

Do get Darren Sproles heavily involved. In their first meeting of the clubs, Sproles only handled the ball three times. Obviously, if Tomlinson is out for this game, Sproles will get the lion’s share of touches.

Do attack through the air and let Phillip Rivers’s hot hand do the damage. In the Colts game, we saw Gates, Jackson, Chambers and Sproles get looks. That should continue. Hopefully Vincent Jackson isn’t held out of the game for the DUI.

Do let your front seven control the game. Feeding off the nasty play from the defensive line (Williams, Castillo & Olshansky) over the last 5 games, this defense blossomed, giving opposing QBs fits as they don’t have much time to make their throws.

Don’t let this turn into the 11-10 knock-down drag-out match earlier in the season. The Steelers will take the close game. They have the more seasoned team. And another Polamalu invisible TD could send fans over the edge, and the media trolling for hours to figure out what the final score should have been.

Don’t count on Kaeding with the game on the line. He has a history of choking in the playoffs. However, don’t fret when punting. If Mike Scifres punts like he did against the Colts, the field position battle heavily favors the Bolts. Any offense with their back against the end-zone plays a much more conservative offense, and the Bolts defense could capitalize.

Key Matchups:

When Pittsburgh has the Ball
C Justin Hartwig vs. NT Jamal Williams
Jamal Williams has been straight-up NASTY lately. He has as much to do with the success of the San Diego defense late in the season as anyone. Hartwig is one of the most underrated centers in the league. Steelers FB Carey Davis might need to step up and help out.

When San Diego has the Ball
TE Antonio Gates vs. Troy Polamalu
Antonio Gates has recently looked like the Gates of old, who was one of the most prolific pass receiving TEs in the game. Polamalu will probably draw this assignment on most pass plays. This is one of those classic battles where you have two of the best players at their respective positions facing off. Definitely keep this match up in your periphery when the Chargers are in the Red Zone.

Intangibles

Game Day Interview
Like Rex Ryan of the Ravens and Jim Schwartz of the Titans, this is also the case-study portion of Ron Rivera’s job interview on the sidelines. Expect more of the same stuff you saw in the Wild Card Playoff game against the Colts.

Ride the Streak
The streak is at 5 games, and coming off a win against a very hot Colts team, the Bolts are on a high. The question is: What team is going to show up? The Bolts who are on a rampage, tearing through any team in their path, or a team with an inflated ego facing a dominant Steelers defense who’s ready to burst their bubble?

Final Score Prediction
Steelers edge the Bolts 23-21

NFL Divisional Playoffs Pre-Game Analysis: Philadelphia at NY Giants

Philadelphia Do's and Don't's:

Do your best to pack extra ice in the cooler. Brandon Jacobs is going to run, run, and run some more against the Eagles defense. The Giants should be wise enough to know you can't "save" a back for future games he's not guaranteed to see. A steady diet of Jacobs must be expected by Jim Johnson's defense, no matter how successful or unsuccessful the bruising back is on the Giants' opening few drives. All it takes is one brutal run downfield to inflict physical and psychological damage on an opposing defense.

Do whatever it takes to isolate Brian Westbrook on Antonio Pierce. Pierce is talented, but no linebacker in the NFL can keep up with Westbrook in the open field. Memories of Westbrook's TD against the G-Men last month have to be ringing through defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's head. As they should.

Do your best to involve Kevin Curtis early. While Troy Aikman went a bit overboard in calling Curtis a potential "great player", Curtis has plenty of downfield speed to spare and can run a sharp corner route against soft coverage. He's Philly's top wideout-option (not named Westbrook, of course) and has proven that he is capable of going nucking futs if he starts going early.

Don't allow Kevin Boss to go unchecked in the secondary. Plaxico is going to be TERRIBLY missed. Duh. Nevertheless, Hixon deep and Steve Smith in the slot on third down can't be the only two objectives for Dawkins, Samuel, and company in the secondary. Boss often goes weeks without catches; yet, has just enough playoff experience and is sneaky-good in the redzone with Eli.

Don't let Darren Howard underperform. I'm not sure exactly how you do that; nevertheless, Howard needs to be in the backfield - among several other talented Iggle defensive lineman - and all over Eli Manning (get ready for it now...early and often). Rattling a Super Bowl MVP won't occur easily. However, I do believe Eli can be frustrated and the rush game can stall out at times. Not without a consistent in-your-face pass rush though.

New York Do's and Don't's:

Do use the Meadowlands to your advantage. The wind is one a kind and Donovan McNabb - despite tremendous poise last weekend - has been frustrated before in this stadium. Nothing will help your team (and the crowd) more then a strong start on offense and a 7-0 lead up on the scoreboard. Put the pressure on McNabb to throw the ball to keep up with your offense, especially if the elements are willing to help your defense.

Do your best to pop Hixon deep early. His drop several weeks ago still has to sting a bit, despite a solid performance after Plaxico went down from the emerging wideout talent. While Burress is obviously a noted absence, Eli seems to have developed a strong chemistry with Hixon. Use that to your advantage, especially since Assante Samuel (perhaps the top postseason NFL CB since a younger Ty Law) owns the flats and sidelines.

Don't allow Donovan McNabb to feel comfortable in the pocket. McNabb proved last week that despite a rush game that doesn't click immediately, if he has time he's going to beat you down the field. While Philly doesn't have an electric offense, they'll dink and dunk their way downfield very effectively; especially with their talented RBs in the screen game. If only LJ Smith didn't stink so much. If the Giant front four - particularly Fred Robbins up the middle and Justin Tuck on the edge - stall early, big problems may ensue downfield for their secondary.

Don't keep your eyes off of DeSean Jackson. He's one-of-a-kind on punt returns, reverses, and (yes, even) as a wide receiver. Any space and Jackson has the ability to take it to the house. It's tough enough gameplanning for the speed of Westbrook in the open field; however, Philly has a rookie wideout just begging for a playoff touchdown for the ages.

Don't forget about field position. John Carney has been nothing short of a godsend this season and has plenty of leg for this stadium, despite being on the wrong side of 40 years old. If the field goal isn't available, wise punting has to be practiced with the dangerous aformentioned Jackson waiting. The Giants' ability to both sack the quarterback and force costly turnovers is one of their greatest assetts. Nothing will help this team more than frustrating McNabb and Andy Reid deep inside their own territory.

Key Matchups:

When Philadelphia has the ball...
OTs Tra Thomas & John Runyan vs. DE Justin Tuck
I already took plenty of time to talk about the obvious: Brian Westbrook vs. Antonio Pierce. Instead, I'm going to take a chapter out of Sum and Armin's previews and talk about the play of offensive tackles and defensive ends. While previous matchups focused on names like Terrell Suggs and Julius Peppers on the defensive side, there might not be a more talented young, stud defensive end than Justin Tuck. Enter into the equation the play of two recognized Eagle tackles (Tra Thomas & John Runyan). If they bully and stymie Tuck early on the pass rush, it's the rush game that wins out most. Funny how that works, huh?

When New York has the ball...
RBs Brandon Jacobs & Derrick Ward vs. Philadelphia LBs (who remain nameless)
With all due-respect to Ahmad Bradshaw, I'll be surprised if the Giants gameplan more than 4-5 touches for him. Meanwhile, I already talked about the likely tremendous impact Jacobs will have on this game. Second half-stud Derrick Ward can't be forgotten either. Lethal in the late stages of several key games down the stretch this season, surprisingly in the short passing game as well as rushing the ball, Ward offers a surprising "breath of fresh air" for opposing defenses. Enter the somewhat unknown Eagle LBs. Not only will they have a runaway bulldozer coming at them; but also a talented fleet-footed back who will seem oddly fresh early in the second half. Good luck, gentlemen.

Intangibles

Haven't I Seen You Before???
I'm not going to rant about this, yet it matters a TON. This teams have seen each two times a year since the Bronze Age (didn't I use that reference last week?). In fact, in years past they've seen each other three times. Something tells me neither team will be too surprised at what the other throws at them. That usually means the bread-and-butter wins out. I gotta favor the G-Men's to the Eagles, despite being sans-Plaxico.

Legacies for Quarterbacks
Don't look now, but if Eli has two Super Bowl rings to brother Peyton's one, a legitimate conversation may arise as to who will have the greater legacy. Meanwhile, McNabb might not be Philly-bound for much longer. I can't help but wonder if his legacy may be far too clouded in the puking-incident against the Patriots in the Super Bowl. Both quarterbacks know that a win puts them in the driver's seat for the Super Bowl. Not a shabby place to cement your legacy...on your own terms.

Final Score Prediction
NY Giants win, 33-24

NFL Divisional Playoffs Pre-Game Analysis: Arizona at Carolina

Arizona Do’s and Don’t’s:

Do follow Edge's hot hand. He and Kurt Warner have legit playoff experience, and Edge proved that he is still a force to be reckoned with last week. Carolina's run D may be better than Atlanta's, but a committment to the run helps out the aged Warner.

Do stack 7 men in the box on defense. Yes, this is a repeat from last week, but it worked against Michael "Burner" Turner, and the Panthers have an incredible two-headed beast in the running game. If both DeAngelo and The Daily Show are stymied early, John Fox may panic and become too reliant on Jake Delhomme.

Do pray for Anquan Boldin's health. Yes, Steve Breaston is a capabable WR2 ... but he's no Quan. Plus, Boldin was a bright spot in the regular season matchup against the Panthers, where he caught 9 passes for 63 yards and 2 TDs and had a 30 yard scamper on his sole rushing attempt. And that was just his first game back from his earlier injuries.

Don’t be afraid to use Kurt Warner's arm this week. Warner torched the Carolina secondary for 381 yards in the first game, and probably can get near that total again if Boldin plays. I may dog Warner from time to time, but he does have the playoff wisdom and experience, and it would be smart to rely on him here ... just as he relies on his Depends.

Don’t let Jake Delhomme get comfortable. Remember, this is the guy that only managed 72 passing yards against Oakland and only 102 yards against Detroit. He only threw 3 more TDs than INTs on the season. In other words, his mistakes are your keys to winning ... period.

Carolina Do’s and Don’t’s:

Do knock the stuffing out of Kurt Warner. Atlanta didn't listen to me and see what happened to them. Put grandpa on his derrier early and often, or at least hurry him before Fitzgerald and Co. have time to break free in the secondary.

Do what you do best ... run the damn ball. Yes, it's a simplistic point, but a key one. Atlanta only ran the ball 24 times (including 4 rushes by Matt Ryan) compared with 40 passing attempts. You will lose 7/10 playoff games if you stick to that math. Even if the run sputters early, stay committed to it. If you can achieve the same 29-rush/28-pass balance that you had in the regular season, you'll be in the NFC Championship Game next weekend.

Do get the crowd involved early. Arizona thrived off its fans cheers last week ... at least that's what Cris Collinsworth kept telling me. So if fan cheers can motivate Arizona's D to play above its potential, logic dictates that negative fan reactions (read: BOOO's) should make them play like the team that gave up 56 points to the Jets.

Don’t forget to feed DE Charles Johnson his Wheaties before the game. The relatively quiet lineman notched 2 sacks and a forced fumble in the Week 8 contest. It will take efforts from all members of the defense to stop the potentially high-powered Cardinals offense, just like it did 11 weeks ago.

Don’t be too afraid to rely on Jake Delhomme. He may not be the same QB who took you to the Super Bowl where you got to see Janet Jackson's boobie, and he may have struggled against teams like the Lions (the LIONS!?!?!?) this season, but he can put on a show when necessary. Just build up his confidence early with a few simple passes, and he'll remember that he's kind of a big deal.

Key Matchups:

When Arizona has the ball
OTs Levi Brown & Mike Gandy vs. DEs Charles Johnson and Julius Peppers
As I noted above, and as I've noted every time I've spoken about Kurt Warner, if he gets time he's a beast to the other team, but if he's rushed/hurried then he's a beast to his own team. Johnson had solid success against Levi Brown in Week 8, but Peppers was limited to just 3 tackles, no sacks and no passes defensed by Gandy. If the OTs can limit these defensive linemen to a max of 1 sack and only a handful of hurries, the Cardinals should do well.

When Carolina has the ball
RBs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart vs. OLB Karlos Dansby
Maybe I'm slighting the Arizona D-Line a bit (I hereby give you permission to use this as bulletin board material) since that unit did a lot to stop Michael Turner last week. However, Karlos Dansby scored 8 tackles (6 solo), 3 of which were for a loss. Working against Dansby's favor is that the Panthers have two reliable running backs, thereby enabling them to keep their RB fresh while Dansby will grow tired as the game goes on. Working in Dansby's favor is the Week 8 game where he logged 9 tackles (6 solo), a sack and a forced fumble. This should be good.

Intangibles:

Jet Lag
0-5. That's Arizona's record in road games outside the NFC West. This team just does not travel well outside its time zone. I will give Coach Whisenhunt props for trying to be creative this year by opting to stay on the East Coast between his team's games against the Redskins and Jets. Of course, that resulted in giving up 56 points to the Jets and losing Anquan Boldin for a few weeks ... but it was creative. The Cardinals need to get past the mental road block against their East Coast slide, or else this game is already over.

Consistency
Both teams had some impressive wins this season. Carolina can look to its crushing of Denver, the Week 1 squeaker against San Diego, and can even take some pride in its loss in the slobberknocker of a game against the Giants. Arizona takes pride in its demolishing of Buffalo (in the first half of the season when the Bills were still good), its quality early season win against Dallas, and decent performances against the Giants and Panthers. However, each team also had some mind-boggling games as well. Carolina has to deal with the thrashing handed out by Tampa Bay in Week 6, the 17-point loss to Atlanta in Week 12, and the fact that they only beat Detroit by 9-points. Arizona, of course, got "blowed out" by the Jets, the Vikings, and the Patriots. The time for inconsistent play is gone, it's the playoffs.

Final Score Prediction:
Carolina wins, 31-23.

NFL Divisional Playoffs Pre-Game Analysis: Baltimore at Tennessee

Tennessee Do’s and Don’t’s

Do that thing you do. Not trying to break out a lyric from a Tom Hanks movie. Just making it plain and simple. Run the ball. Ram it down their throats. The Ravens Defense is a monster, but like any defense, commitment to the run can wear them out. A heavy dose of LenDale and Johnson is the best way to get that defense on their heels.

Do free up Bulluck and Thornton so they can play all over the field. If Haynesworth is heart of the defense, Bulluck and Thornton are its soul. If the front four and Tulloch can handle their assignments, don’t be surprised if you hear Bulluck’s or Thornton’s name mentioned on a lion’s share of the plays (in a good way).

Do find a way to get Scaife involved. If the running game is churning out 3 YPC against this great Baltimore defense, Scaife needs to show his stuff on third downs as the safety-valve. Though Crumpler’s role has been as a blocking TE for most of the year, he flashed receiving skills in the past, and could offer the team another check-down option in the passing game.

Don’t let Haloti Ngata destroy your offensive line, now that there are reports of Kevin Mawae saying he can’t go. Mawae is the most important cog of that line, especially against a 3-4 defense, where he is usually asked to do more than make the initial line calls and either take on a LB or pull a double or stunt on a DT. Whichever of Leroy Harris, Jake Scott or Eugene Amano move over to center, they will have the beast, Ngata, on them most of the game, not to mention, occasionally Ray Lewis.

Don’t forget to find Justin Gage on occasion. He has four to six inches on any CB he faces on the Ravens. This mismatch should draw a safety’s attention in coverage. If Gage can draw Ed Reed, McCareins and Jones could find themselves in some decent situations in the secondary.

Baltimore Do’s and Don’t’s

Do unleash a Ravens defense, which rivals that of the Super Bowl team. They must shut down Chris Johnson and LenDale White early, forcing Kerry Collins to attempt to beat them. While Collins has a 50/50 shot at throwing 3 TDs or 3 INTs, the odds are much worse for the Ravens if Johnson and White run wild.

Do figure out who has the hot hand (or would that be “hot foot”?) early between Willis McGahee and La’Ron McClain. Will success arise from McGahee’s ability to get outside the tackles, or McClain’s bruising style up the middle? Whichever it is, a successful running game is key for either team winning this game.

Do put Ed Reed in position to get 2+ turnovers. The Ravens are undefeated in games where this ball-hawking great gets 2 or more. Success in sending Reed after Collins early will cause the Titans to change blocking schemes and take their TEs out of the passing game. Without his safety-valves, Collins will be forced to make some throws, and turnovers should ensue.

Don’t force the weight of this game onto Flacco’s shoulders. While he has had a good rookie year, the last time he faced the Titans he was picked off three times (though one was overturned). Let Flacco get his redemption by keeping his attempts around or below 25, which should also mean that other things have fallen into place for the Ravens.

Don’t let the away game have an effect on the team. This is going to be a defensive chess game that should be full of big plays (we’ll toss the offenses a couple). Just remember that the leaders of your defense already have one of those rings that you’re playing for now. There is immense value in knowing how to win when it matters. Lean on Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, and let them lead the team to victory.

Key Match Ups:

When Tennessee has the Ball
LT Michael Roos vs. OLB Terrell Suggs
Will Suggs be the first NFL player this season to score a sack off Roos?

When Baltimore has the Ball
WRs Derrick Mason & Mark Clayton vs. CBs Cortland Finnegan & Nick Harper
This is one should be a great battle. Both CBs have their finesse style, but are also a lot more physical than they look. Finnegan came into his own these last two years and is playing his best football. Lately, Derrick Mason has been making the important catches that fly under the radar, gaining more of Flacco’s trust. Clayton became an occasional X-Factor receiver late in the season.

Intangibles

Head Coaching Interviews
Rex Ryan and Jim Schwartz are doing the case-study portion of their job interviews while on the sidelines. If they plan to land a head coaching job, they need to bring their best as D-Coordinators, and show that they are the right men for the available jobs. With the amount of extra effort these two should be putting into this game, I can see a defensive match up unfolding.

D-Line Health
Haynesworth and Vanden Bosch started practicing this week. They are essential for the Titans run-stopping. They can’t afford for McGahee and McClain to break off long runs, burying their team.

Final Score Prediction
Baltimore takes out the early season juggernaut in a squeaker…17-13

15 Years Ago...Did You LAUGH!?!?!?

It's no surprise to the majority of readers of this blog that its writers are from a similar "time". All of us are currently circling our mid-to-late twenties and may not have the historic/ancient perspectives several look for; however, we know our readers enjoy what we have to share.

While we don't always take a stroll down memory lane, I felt it appropriate considering today's media barrage of, "remember 15 years ago..."

Before I continue, do me a favor and don't remind me of this...

To get right to the point, this may be the only figure skating memory I may ever remember. You too, I bet.



Long story (very) short...15 years ago today, figure skater Nancy Kerrigan was assaulted with a pipe by an (at the time) unknown assailant after finishing practice before the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Detroit.

Side note:
A) What on Earth were the Figure Skating Championships doing in Detroit?
B) Would this have likely happened in let's say, St. Paul or Minneapolis? Uhhh...NO!

The rest of the story ended up being something out a bad Fox Movie of the Week (ala the "Amy Fisher Story").

The visuals still ring true...too true, in fact.

Some things maybe should be kept in the past.
Credit: Guardian.uk

Ironically - now and then - the moment was mainly met with humor. Over-the-top humor at that. Most syndicated television and radio personalities played the clip today at some point on their shows - Tony Reali on PTI may have taken the cake today during the show's climax - infamously known today simply as "Why? Why? Why?" to their seemingly neverending delight.

Just as easily as people bashed Harding, they poured it on Kerrigan as well. Even before the identity and motivation of the attacker was known.

More than a few of my friends responded to me proposing this article to then with more than a slight chuckle and quick entrance into the "karaoke fun" or crying alongside Kerrigan when they replayed the clip courtesy of YouTube.

Honestly though, I never figured out why people seemed to enjoy watching this young woman cry out in pain. It's not as if she slipped on a banana peel, hired somebody to club her so she'd be given sympathy, or was even an extra on the set of Blades of Glory. Well, scratch that last one. While this wasn't Monica Seles being stabbed on the tennis court, it wasn't Bill Gramatica injuring his ACL celebrating a field goal either.

Was it her high pitch? Was it the fact that a figure skater was attacked after practice? Was it the eventual links to the aforementioned (insert your favorite insult) Tonya Harding and her clan of boozehound redneck hillbilly trailer park white trash?

Whatever it was, Kerrigan still became an Olympian - winning a Silver medal only a month later while being ROBBED of a gold medal by a supposed "Russian Swan", who is now known (at least to me) as another infamous DUI mug shot - and has enjoyed as successful a post-figure skating career as seemingly possible. (Okay, there was Skating with Celebrities, but everyone makes one mistake. Especially with FOX involved.)

Yet, I still can't help but wonder why the moment itself - the post attack cries - is so beloved by a majority of American culture? Is it the tears, the crying, her emotions pouring out, or the moment itself? Is it losing an Olympic bid potentially that iced the cake?

Perhaps Kerrigan was seen as another snotty figure skating brat? Perhaps she was a little too smiley for the camera after her routines? Perhaps she should've taken a clubbing to the back of the knee more "like an Olympian"? Perhaps people just didn't like her.

Perhaps we're just a world full of cynics who can't help but laugh to hide any true sympathies or showing of emotion? Perhaps I'm fighting a losing battle? Perhaps people just like to see others at their lowest point: the fall from supposed grace?

Perhaps YOU all could explain it to me???

Or perhaps it's just too a clouded a memory because thoughts of 1994 and sports immediately takes you back to this...

Credit: Time Magazine

Note: Check out the new poll (top right of the page) and let us hear from YOU about 1994.

Joe Lunardi is Sniffing Glue and We're Barely in January

While I have not updated my own bracket projections/predictions, I am taking a few minutes to rip ESPN's resident brackcrack-etologist Joe Lunardi's most recent entry on January 5.

To be fair and balanced, I'll also touch upon the good picks.

The Good
* While I love the inclusion of my alma mater, George Mason, they are not better than VCU and I think Old Dominion would beat us in a one-off. They have a better record, because they have played no one of note.

* The #1 seeds are not horrible, though teams will exploit Duke and Oklahoma later in the season. They always do. Perhaps, you cannot punish them now with a straight projection model.

And onto the ugly ...

* Georgetown as a #2 seed. Despite a great game plan that was executed to perfection in Hartford against UConn, the Hoyas got categorically dominated by Pitt in every facet of the game. They have no real contributors off of the bench and displayed some of the worst weak side rebounding that I have seen from a good Big East team.

* Wake Forest as a #2 seed. If they beat UNC in their own building, I'm putting my foot in my mouth. I see this team as a more talented version of last year's Vanderbilt who burst out of the gate, minus the bevy of loseable games in their schedule. The win at BYU was overrated. Mind you, I think BYU is a tournament team - their home win streak was inflated, because they played absolutely no one excluding a couple of good teams in the Mountain West a few times and maybe one or two good OOC teams.

* Florida as a #8 seed. Who has Florida beaten so far? Are you aware that Jai Lucas transferred and has forced Nick Calathes to shoulder the burden in the backcourt? Michigan has defeated #1 seed Duke at home and edged #3 seed UCLA on a neutral court ... and they're seeded beneath the Gators in a season-ends-today projection format.

* Clemson as a #3 seed. That's a tumble waiting to happen.

* Xavier above Butler? I am no proponent of the transitive property, but this is not last year's Xavier team. Drew Lavender is gone. Josh Duncan is gone. I'm fully cognizant that Mike Green, AJ Graves and ODU killer Campbell are gone, but Butler is a factory and they won on Xavier's homecourt. Their only loss was a 3-point decision at Ohio State when the Buckeyes were running hot.

* Stanford in and UNLV out??? UNLV just defeated your #4 seed on the road and they were not bad before that. Stanford just lost by 30 points at home in its first relevant game all season. You know that the Lopez twins got drafted, right? Also, Johnny Dawkins has no eligibility left.

* Underseeded West Coast Conference teams. Gonzaga is on a slide, but they'll pick it back up. LeBron James is the only thing that travels more than the Zags prior to WCC play. And that has an effect on professionals, so only imagine what it does to college kids when they OOC games. Mind you, they won a competition that included #2 Georgetown, #3 Michigan State, and #7 Tennessee. That matters. Also, St. Mary's has played no real teams of note, but they are a good team who have won loseable games (Providence, Kent State, San Diego State, Oregon, Southern Illinois) if you decide to stay up and watch them. Patrick Mills is one of the finest pure PGs in the land (down under). A #12 seed is an insult.

No Bracket Projection This Week - Enjoy NFL "Rumors" from Yahoo! Sports

One programming note. I was planning to have the latest edition of the NCAA Tournament projections today but it just did not happen. That said, we WILL have projections on January 12 and January 26, followed by every Monday in February and more frequent updates in March.

In the meanwhile, take the time you usually spend on reading our projections to check out one of my favorite forms of comic relief -- Yahoo! Sports's NFL Rumors. Here are some of the "rumor" headlines:

* Chargers will have to make history without Tomlinson

* Minnesota won't be the same Vikings next year

* In Dallas, they wonder if Jerry Jones has lost his nerve (SERIOUSLY, how on earth is Jerry Jones losing his mind a rumor?!?!)

ENJOY.

InClement Weather: Saturday Night Live

No, I'm not talking about the "remember when it was funny" sketch comedy show.

Instead, it's time to rant...late-night style.

Arizona defeats Atlanta 30-24

If Edgerrin James can perform as well next week as he did against the Falcons, the Cardinals - whether at Carolina/New York, will be a tough opponent.
Credit: Yahoo Sports!

1) Kurt Warner may have lost the MVP the last two months of the season; however, he delivered a (home) playoff win to Arizona. No other quarterback has ever done that.
2) Karlos Dansby was highlighted by Sum brilliantly. A+++ analysis, my friend.
3) Matty "Ice" wasn't amazing in his first playoff game, but he showed plenty to prove it won't be his last.
4) Roddy White is an absolute beast.
5) Keith Brooking is going to have nightmares about giving up that 3rd down. Nightmares.

San Diego defeats Indianapolis 23-17 (OT)

Right where he belongs. Yes, he's a Hall of Famer. One of the top RBs ever. But he's also - more than ever - an absolute B-A-B-Y.
Credit: BigMattress.com

1) Sorry hockey fans, but I love me some playoff OT football the best. Oh yeah, hockey sucks.
2) Darren Sproles has earned himself a few extra million in free agency, even if he stays put.
3) The Indianapolis defense yet again let the organization down. Bob Sanders isn't Polamalu, Ed Reed, or Brian Dawkins.
4) I'll still take a healthy Tom Brady any day over Peyton Manning. While Peyton deserved the MVP, his playoff performance year in and year out doesn't amaze me. His only TD-toss tonight was a gimmick. Brady has more poise, patience, and stability. Remember, I HATE THE PATRIOTS. Manning is a stud QB and one of the all-time greats, but there's a reason that he doesn't have 3 Super Bowls like Tom Brady. And it isn't just Belichick.
5) Tony Dungy is a class-act, but he might be done in Indianapolis. Another great season ends in playoff dissapointment. I'm glad he EARNED his ring, but Dungy and Manning won't get another together, especially if the aforementioned Brady returns 100%.

...NFL Rule-Changes...
A) The play clock needs to be shortened. With 2 minutes to go in the game, you shouldn't be able to down the ball three times and run out the clock. Shorten the clock to 30 seconds if need be.
B) I understand why if a player doesn't go down, they blow the whistle. It's to protect the player. However, if you refuse to go down, I say let the play go until you go down. Maybe that's too NFL Blitz-like, but I am tired of "judgment down-by-contact plays" when someone is still fighting for yardage.
C) Intentional grounding is a joke. Rivers flung the ball at Jacob Hester's back foot while being engulfed by Mathis. This rule is far too subjective. If the receiver "in the vicinity" isn't looking for the ball whatsoever, it's intentional grounding.

Hope you enjoyed Sunday. Two home "dogs" took home important Ws for their franchise. So much for the "experts". 8-8 and 9-7 don't look pretty on paper; yet, both of these teams are dangerous. Very very dangerous.

Enjoy tomorrow!!!!

...one final LT-rant...
LT is an absolute baby. If he isn't 100%, he sits out. Or even worse, he tries and then takes himself out. Why? Because he's a baby. It's no surprise though, not anymore at least. I firmly 100% believe he plans out thinking he'll play until it hurts too much. That way he doesn't get chewed out because "he tried". He needs to change into street clothes or take the pads off if he won't return. It's not like an injury will force him back in either. Why else is Michael Bennett given carries in the playoffs for the first time all season???

Now I don't need anyone to explain what was hurting the last two playoff games. I get they were injuries. But I refuse to buy that he didn't demand to be on the field the past two seasons. In fact, he demanded to do just enough to not be active. If you can warm-up and take snaps, play through not being able to make "those cuts" and leave your blood and guts out on the field.

Plenty of other players have played through far more pain. Chad Pennington beat your Chargers (Jets plug!) with a torn rotator cuff. Think that hurt?

People can mock a guy like Emmitt Smith all day long (and they should for some of the ridiculously-idiotic stuff he says on TV), but he played through pain. And I'm not just talking about the seperated shoulder in the Meadowlands. Walter Payton always played through it too. You think an injury would've shut him down in 1985? Nope nope nope. Just like so many of the greats did.

LT, take it from your QB and play through the pain in order to win a championship. Otherwise, the baby stroller stays.

NFL WildCard Weekend: Saturday's 5 Questions

..5 Questions for EACH Game...

Atlanta @ Arizona [4:30 pm]
1) Can the Cardinals win without any legitimacy to their rush offense?
2) Will Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals be able to overcome an abysmal December and win their first playoff game at home since the Bronze Age?
3) How do the Falcons plan to prepare for the talented three wideouts - Fitzgerald, Boldin, & Breaston - wearing Cardinal uniforms?
4) Will Matt Ryan officially show the world who "Matty Ice" is?
5) How many yards do you have for runner-up for the MVP Michael Turner against a suspect Cardinals rush D?

Colts @ Chargers [8 pm]
1) How much will a healthy combo of Freeney/Mathis impact the Charger offense?
2) What impact will new defensive coordinator Ron Rivera have against Peyton Manning and the Colt offense?
3) What are the prospective injury-statuses of Colt Bob Sanders as well as Chargers superstars LaDanian Tomlinson & Antonio Gates
4) Are the Chargers lethal because they're at home, yet still "playing with house money"?
5) Is Phillip Rivers the most unappreciated guy in recent memory to lead (tied with Brees) the NFL in TD passes?

NFL WildCard Playoffs Pre-Game Analysis: Philadelphia at Minnesota

Minnesota Do's and Don't's:

Speedy Viking wideout Bernard Berrian - with CBs behind - is a view Brad Childress has to hope to see a 1 or 2 times this weekend.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

Do your best to pop big plays downfield early and often for Bernard Berrian. The speedy wideout has started to slowly earn the mammoth-contract he earned this past offseason. The guy is also capable of making the 12-15 yard catch, too. While Philadelphia has the best safety in the NFC (Dawkins, of course), Assante Samuel can be beaten downfield without help. It won't be easy, but Berrian has enough speed to break open a route or two. One of the best luxuries of a stud RB like Adrian Peterson is a defense's relaince on stacking the box with an 8th or even 9th defender.

Do allow Antoine Winfield to play wherever he is most comfortable on the field. As talented a cornerback in the NFL, I no longer consider him to be more hype than hope. Poor analogy aside, Winfield can play the run extrmely well and is the type of guy who could slide into the slot and shadow Brian Westbrook. Tough job, but you know he's more than up to it.

Don't allow Donovan McNabb to get too comfortable in the pocket. If McNabb is rattled early and starts chucking ground balls, the Vikings can turn the pressure on the wideouts and tight ends to get open or for McNabb to force a pass or two; especially if the rush D shuts down Westbrook/Buckhalter.

Don't worry about Adrian Peterson and his recent bout of fumbilitis. I don't need to ellaborate. Except...feed your workhose. Forget about next week. There's no reason APete doesn't demand 30+ carries on Sunday afternoon. Wait, I just ellaborated. Dang.

Don't make any mistakes in the punting game, especially when DeSean Jackson is involved. Avoid allowing punt returns tacking on any unnecessary points in a game that is likely to be decided by one posession or less.


Philadelphia Do's and Don't's:

If McNabb starts well, this game will be over well before halftime. Mark it down.
Credit: CNNSI.com

Do what has been working as of late. Feed Westbrook and Buckhalter until it works, even if it's in the passing game. If the Vikes rush D is up to the task, slip in screens for each back and allow DeSean Jackson a go or two in the Wildcat formation. Open it up...with diversity.

Do your best to put the game on Tavaris Jackson's shoulders. With your secondary playing so well, stack the box and put as much pressure as possible on Adrian Peterson. The fumble "issue" has to be somewhere in the back of his head (I think). Not to mention, a lot of players on this team (especially at the skill positions on offense) haven't seen the NFL Playoffs yet.

Do not target LJ Smith on big plays in the redzone. He sucks. A lot. A whole lot. Now I needed to ellaborate.

Do not push David Akers too far if the game is on the line. He's far from clutchless (especially in the playoffs); yet, I question any kick he has over 45-yards. McNabb is no master of the 2-minute offense, so keep that in mind.
Note: With that in mind, I'm predicting Akers hits a game-winner from 44 yards. Boo ya!

Do not gameplan for McNabb to throw 30+ times. The best case scenario will be a 20-27, 200+, 0 turnover type day for Donovan McNabb. Take care of the ball, control the field, and rely on the experience you have at the QB position.

Key Matchups:

When Minnesota has the ball...
Tavris Jackson vs. Jim Johnson

Tavaris, do your best to be extra prepared for the blitz. Of course, there's no way of knowing when and where Jim Johnson is going to send his defenders. Nevertheless, Jackson better know two words by heart: check down. Whether it's Shiancoe, Chestor Taylor, or (preferably) APete, know exactly who might slip through an open seam and be able to make defenders miss downfield.

When Philadelphia has the ball...
Brian Westbrook vs. Minnesota LBs

All too often in the past few weeks, Brian Westbrook has burned opposing defenses for HUGE plays downfield while be matched up on the outside with a not-so-speedy LB. Memo to the Vikings: do your absolute best to avoid that at all costs. Especially on short and 2nd scenarios.

Intangibles

My Best Friend...
Brad Childress and Andy Reid love each other. They're the bestest of friends. How sweet, right? Not so much. I'm wondering which Kornheiser-esque scenario plays out after Sunday: student outdoes mentor or mentor outdoes student.

1st Quarter Box Score
This is the key to everything. Seriously. Whomever has dictated the pace in the first 15 minutes will win this game. I expect a 14-0/10-3 score one way or another. If the Eagles can't score early, they won't score late. Ditto for the Vikings.

Final Score Prediction
Philadelphia wins 26-24

NFL WildCard Playoffs Pre-Game Analysis: Baltimore at Miami

Miami Do’s and Don’t’s:

It's not Clayton/Duper, but Bess and Ginn have as much speed as any duo in the NFL. Good thing when the Ravens secondary is in town.

Credit: Yahoo! Sports

Do your best to stack the box on obvious running downs. Force the rookie QB – starting his first playoff game on the road, no less – to beat you downfield. It puts a TON of pressure on your relatively young secondary; nevertheless, you have to like your odds more in that scenario.

Do take advantage of a quarterback with legit playoff experience. Pennington has been the gross underdog – home or away – and guided past (Jet) teams to playoff victories against "superior teams and QBs". Don’t be so casual to forget that he’s made the big throws – for better or worse – in scenarios much rougher than at home in Miami this weekend.

Don’t allow Derrick Mason to roam free in the middle of the field. He’s the sneakiest player at that position in the NFL. Far too often he becomes discarded or totally forgotten about, especially in the slot. He’ll take a crushing hit or too as well, whether for 15 yards or 1 ½ on the reception.

Don’t allow the pick-six to burn you. It’s not impossible to plan against this. Open up the playbook – just a bit – but don’t allow their talented secondary to bite on routes. Not to mention, their LBs (as Terrell Suggs proved in Week 7) will gobble up errand balls. Anything out of the zone is property of Ed Reed. Ball security from the QB must be a QB's #1 priority when you see the Ravens on the opposing sideline.

Don’t completely abandon the benefits of the Wildcat Formation. This Ravens team is not a prolific offense (obviously). If it struggles to gain first downs early, try your best to step on their throats. Put the vice on Joe Flacco with Joey Porter barking in his ear every time he hits the corner to sack the CAA-product.


Baltimore Do’s and Don’t’s:

Averaging less than 3 catches for 25 yards a game (with only 3 TDs), the former Pro Bowler remains lost in the shuffle of an improving offense, with a rookie QB at the helm. Will that change come playoff time?

Credit: CNNSI.com

Do your best to platoon McClain and McGahee from start to finish. Why not ride both horses down the stretch, regardless of the score differential. Joe Flacco is still a rookie and there remains a significant lack of chemistry between him and his talented TE Todd Heap.

Do slip in a trick play or two for the uber-talented Mark Clayton. He’s fast and an ever-emerging athlete in the Raven offense. The Miami defenders just faced a QB (last week) with a bum shoulder who underthrew everything. Now it’s time to air out a ball or two downfield early; especially if 1-on-1 coverage is isolated on corner/stop-and-go routes.

Don’t think it's automatic that your team can win without scoring above 20 points. It’s easy to ride your defense while grinding the ball playing field position. While the Dolphin offense and special teams won’t break the bank too often; they do force turnovers. Keep that in mind when you have a rookie QB taking snaps in the 4th quarter of a game much closer than your confident defense might've expected.

Don’t expect the Dolphins to be the least bit intimidated, especially at home. This should go without saying; however, playing with house money – even at home – allows teams to act like snakes lurking in the grass. Bad symbolism, but it still rings true. The Wildcat isn't going anywhere this weekend.

Don’t forget Cam Cameron was the head coach at Miami last season, for better or worse. It’s an X-factor that might go under the rug, yet might play more of a factor than expected. Not to mention, Miami did beat a very different Baltimore (offense) last season when they were winless sans-Pennington. I’m just sayin’…

Key Matchups:

When Miami has the ball…
RB Ronnie Brown vs. LB Ray Lewis

Whether or not the Wildcat formation can work against such a disciplined defense – who has seen it before mind you – is irrelevant. Seriously. What matters is how much confidence the Dolphin coaching staff has in attempting (throughout the game) to see if Ronnie Brown is or isn’t able to take the direct snap and make a play…even if it’s a simple pitch to a dive play for Ricky. Whether it be an end-around to Ginn, a fleaflicker back to Pennington, or potentially a throw from Brown in the redzone, finding holes against this one-of-a-king speedy yet savvy defense may give the Dolphins the big play or two they need to win.

When Baltimore has the ball…
FB Le’Ron McClain vs. LB Channing Crowder

I was one of those who questioned Channing Crowder’s ability to play linebacker – especially inside the 3-4 alignment – in the NFL. While he’s far from a Pro Bowler, his athleticism and tenacity (just ask Matt Light) is ever-improving. McClain, who you’ll see just as often as the primary RB, will have a size/strength vs. speed/agility matchup most FBs either dread or salivate over.

Intangibles

Poise and Patience
You’d think the QB advantage would immediately go to Chad Pennington; yet, I’m not so sure. Flacco seems to play with a (quiet) chip on his shoulder and has arguably the more talented set of wideouts and skilled offensive players. It’ll be interesting to see how Pennington performs in the playoffs, especially in the 1st half when previous (Jet) experiences have been far more positive than his second halves. Pennington won't be nervous at all, yet arm strength may become a factor against a blitzing onslaught from the Ravens D and their coordinator Rex Ryan.

Special Teams
Matt Stover was arguably the “offensive” MVP of the 2000 Super Bowl season for the Ravens. On the other hand, Miami has an unknown kicker (Carpenter) fresh off an impressive weekend in the Meadowlands; however they also have a return unit - in all major categories - ranked in the bottom 5 in the entire NFL. Protecting your half of the field is vital to both teams, who don’t exactly gameplan on lighting the scoreboard up.

The Coaches
Just when you thought I wouldn’t mention “him”…I will. Tony Sporano (gotcha!) is a first-year coach who has seen his fair share of recent playoff disappointments in Dallas. Nevertheless, he also has to realize the tremendous opportunity he has in front of him. Good coaches don’t take these games lightly. We might call it, "playing with house money", but good coaches know it just takes one win to survive and move on. Meanwhile, John Harbaugh has two savvy coordinators in his back pocket and (defensive) players who often play like they don’t need coaching. It’s almost poetic that both these two teams – both buried in last place last season – would be so fortunate to be lifted up by two talented first-year coaches.

Final Score Prediction
Baltimore wins 27-10

NFL WildCard Playoffs Pre-Game Analysis: Indianapolis at San Diego

Indianapolis Do's & Don't's:

Do ride Peyton Manning's hot hand. Manning should be the NFL's MVP, and the way he played over the last four games of the season should carry over. If Manning gets going with a pitch 'n' catch game, it could get ugly.

Do rest assured that the Indy defense is a whole different beast with Bob Sanders in the lineup. The defending defensive player of the year missed a lot of time this year, but even a hurt Bob Sanders brings a lot to that defense, psychologically.

Do use this game to strike fear in the hearts of other teams in the playoffs by making a statement.

Don't let that win over the Chargers on November 23rd fool you. It was a close game, but it was also a team that was 4-6 going into the game. The Chargers have confidence, and football is a sport where mind, at times, can outdo matter.

Don't let the defense sit back and do anything but attack. Regardless of Sanders's presence, the defense cannot match up size-wise against the Chargers. This is one of the speediest front seven's in the league and in the NFL, speed translates to turnovers. Freeney, Brock and Dawson must pitch a tent in San Diego's backfield.

San Diego Do's & Don't's:

Do let Rivers get started early in the passing game. His 11 to 1 TD/INT ratio over the last four games must continue if the Chargers are to have a chance in this game.

Do believe that Tomlinson has something left in the tank. While he had a down season, and showed signs of aging, Tomlinson didn't have to carry the load during the four game win streak. He might have had the rest he needed to come into this game ready to hit the ground running.

Do get the ball in the hands of Darren Sproles. He is the home run threat on this team. With a well-timed 25+ yard run/catch, he could serve as a momentum changer as well.

Don't let this game rest on the defense. It's time to run up the score and expect a shoot out. The Colts are licking their chops ready to take on this defense that did so poorly against the pass all season.

Don't allow Norv to Out-Clever himself. Draw plays on 3rd and long are far from cute when the season is on the line. The Chargers have size on the offense. They have the potential to beat up the smaller Colts defense. A heavy dose of Tomlinson, Tolbert, Jackson, Gates and Chambers should open the door for the aforementioined big play by Sproles.

Key Matchups:

When Either Team has the ball
QBs & WR/TEs vs. DBs
This classic shootout will come down to how much of a dent the DBs for either team can put in the receiving game for either team. The numbers show that this could be a hellacious shootout, but if this turns into a low-scoring game, the DBs deserve tremendous credit.

Intangibles:

Momentum
Both teams are coming off of winning streaks. San Diego won their last four, while Indy won their last nine. One would lean towards Indy in this case, but when does a team become complacent in their winning? Not trying to say Indy thinks they can put it in cruise control, but could San Diego, being on a fresher winning streak, be hitting their stride?

Defense
Not in the sense of which defense can step up and shut the other team down, but moreso which defense will make the big play that puts the ball back in their offense's hands? Don't be surprised if a single defensive play determines the outcome of the game.

Final Score Prediction:
Colts win: 43-31

NFL WildCard Playoffs Pre-Game Analysis: Atlanta at Arizona

Atlanta Do’s and Don’t’s:

Do allow Matt Ryan to tee it up deep to Michael Jenkins and Roddy White a few times. Arizona's pass defense was ranked 22nd in the league and can be picked on within reason.

Do give Jerious Norwood his 10 touches. I don't know if the guy can handle the load of a starter, but he is one of the most explosive backups in the league, and he should be able to break either a run or a screen pass for a long gain if given the opportunity.

Do pressure Kurt Warner early and hard. Kurt fell into the "extended slump" portion of his career via getting rushed and hit hard ... remind him of those hits or else he'll make you pay.

Don’t ignore Tim Hightower. He's like the boogey man ... if you shine the lights on him, he can't hurt you.

Don’t be afraid to play with 5 DBs on occasion. Kurt Warner knows how to find open receivers, even if it's the 3rd Down RB or the backup TE.

Arizona Do’s and Don’t’s:

Do make use of Steve Breaston early. If he becomes a factor in the first half, it'll force Atlanta to divert their attention from Fitzgerald/Boldin or even Hightower onto Breaston, and will open up the field even more.

Do stack 7 men in the box on defense. Atlanta relies heavily on the rushing attack to open up the passing game and allow rookie QB Matt Ryan to ease into his "ice mode." If Arizona can stymie the run game early and force Matty Ryan to go to the air too early, it's their best chance.

Do get fancy on special teams. Maybe let Larry Fitzgerald return a kickoff or punt, or something. This is playoff time ... roll up your sleeves and be creative.

Don’t rely on Kurt Warner's aged arm early in the game. The running game isn't the Cards bread nor their butter, however if they can establish 3.5 ypc early on, it'll keep the Atlanta D on its toes.

Don’t forget that you're an NFC West team playing an NFC South team. The NFC West was arguably the weakest conference in the league this year, so even though Arizona has home field, it hardly has an advantage in this game ... play like you're the lower seed with a chip on your shoulder.

Key Matchups:

When Atlanta has the ball
RB Michael Turner vs. OLB Karlos Dansby
As I noted above, Atlanta must establish it's running attack to ease the transition to playoff mode for Matt Ryan. But Arizona will undoubtedly have Karlos Dansby breathing down Michael Turner's neck from the getgo. Dansby had 119 tackles on the season, leading the Cardinals. If Turner can escape, this game won't be close.

When Arizona has the ball
QB Kurt Warner vs. The Entire Atlanta Defense
It's no secret: Atlanta's defense is not that good. Ranked 24th overall, 21st against the pass and 25th against the run. For an experienced play maker like Kurt Warner, this should be a lot of fun. Atlanta will have to realize that Warner will make a few plays on them, but if Warner cannot lead his offense to TDs on 2 of the Cardinals first 3 possessions, that'll be a victory for Atlanta's D.

Intangibles:

Time Travel
No, not like Uncle Rico and Napoleon. However, Atlanta is traveling from the Eastern Time Zone to the Pacific. No team got screwed as much by jet lag and travel this year as the Arizona Cardinals. This is, perhaps, where home field might actually be an advantage for the Cards as it protects them from traveling east for the game. Maybe it's payback time...

Motivation
As I mentioned in the FourCast this past week, the Falcons have definitely been through the ringer from the Vick through the Petrino fiascos. Yet this year, the team has been on a mission to shake off the bitter past, and that mission has led them into the playoffs. Arizona, on the other hand, is finally back in the playoffs after years of futility. Which head coach will be able to inspire his team prior to the coin-flip?

Final Score Prediction:
Atlanta wins, 24-20.