Divisional playoffs
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Johnnyrebb
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Id say Packers Giants in the NFC championship and Colts Pats for the AFC
Bart:
I feel very confident in both the Patriots and Packers winning and also covering the respective point spreads for their games.
1) New England: NFL playoff games are all about which team has the superior quarterback. Tom Brady is far better than Garrard, as we all know. In watching film of Jackonsonville, it is obvious to me that the Jags defensive line will be stymied by the superior offensive line of New England. Jacksonville's secondary does not have the ability to contain the Patriots passing game (Welker, Moss, Stallworth, and even backs such as Faulk coming out of the backfield).
The Patriots defense will force Garrard to beat them. Expect New England to stack the line, with Rodney Harrison making a lot of tackles on the Jags running back duo. Even a quarterback adept at throwing (which we all know Garrard is not) would have trouble completing passes against the Patriots secondary due to the very below average receivers the Jaguars have combined with the cornerback play of Asante Samuel. Ellis Hobbs is a corner who has weaknesses which can be exploited, but Jacksonville does not have the personnel at QB and receiver to successfully attack Hobbs.
I expect the Patriots to win this game by at least 14 points.
2) Green Bay: Matt Hasselback is one of the top QBs in the NFL, yet he has struggled recently and is hurting (thigh and wrist). This warrior will do all he can to lead his team to a win. But, Seattle will fall short. Green Bay has two shutdown corners who are very physical and a league above Seattle's below average receivers. Furthermore, Seattle's running game has been in shambles ever since Steve Hutchinson left. Green Bay's defense is one of the league's best, and is very balanced, with stars at defensive line (Kampman), linebacker (Hawk and Barnett), and defensive back (Woodson, Harris). Seattle's offense will have trouble scoring points.
Offensively, Green Bay's offensive line is superior to Seattle's defensive line (especially with Kerney hurting) and the Packers will be successful in running the football with Ryan Clark. This will in turn, open up the passing game for Brett Favre. As long as Favre plays a smart game, and doesn't attempt foolish passes (as he has done in the past in regular season and playoff games alike) the Packers will easily win this game.
I expect Green Bay to win by at least 10 points.
I feel very confident in both the Patriots and Packers winning and also covering the respective point spreads for their games.
1) New England: NFL playoff games are all about which team has the superior quarterback. Tom Brady is far better than Garrard, as we all know. In watching film of Jackonsonville, it is obvious to me that the Jags defensive line will be stymied by the superior offensive line of New England. Jacksonville's secondary does not have the ability to contain the Patriots passing game (Welker, Moss, Stallworth, and even backs such as Faulk coming out of the backfield).
The Patriots defense will force Garrard to beat them. Expect New England to stack the line, with Rodney Harrison making a lot of tackles on the Jags running back duo. Even a quarterback adept at throwing (which we all know Garrard is not) would have trouble completing passes against the Patriots secondary due to the very below average receivers the Jaguars have combined with the cornerback play of Asante Samuel. Ellis Hobbs is a corner who has weaknesses which can be exploited, but Jacksonville does not have the personnel at QB and receiver to successfully attack Hobbs.
I expect the Patriots to win this game by at least 14 points.
2) Green Bay: Matt Hasselback is one of the top QBs in the NFL, yet he has struggled recently and is hurting (thigh and wrist). This warrior will do all he can to lead his team to a win. But, Seattle will fall short. Green Bay has two shutdown corners who are very physical and a league above Seattle's below average receivers. Furthermore, Seattle's running game has been in shambles ever since Steve Hutchinson left. Green Bay's defense is one of the league's best, and is very balanced, with stars at defensive line (Kampman), linebacker (Hawk and Barnett), and defensive back (Woodson, Harris). Seattle's offense will have trouble scoring points.
Offensively, Green Bay's offensive line is superior to Seattle's defensive line (especially with Kerney hurting) and the Packers will be successful in running the football with Ryan Clark. This will in turn, open up the passing game for Brett Favre. As long as Favre plays a smart game, and doesn't attempt foolish passes (as he has done in the past in regular season and playoff games alike) the Packers will easily win this game.
I expect Green Bay to win by at least 10 points.
Thrashen
Hall of Famer
DIVISIONAL:
1) Pats over Jags 32-10 (obviously)
2) Giants over the fading Cowboys 30-24
3) SD over the Colts 17-14 in a shocker
4) Packers over Seahwaks 38-21
AFC/NFC CHAMPIONSHIP:
1) NE over SD (blowout win)
2) Packers over Giants (close win)
SUPERBOWL:
Pats over Packers in a close fought battle with Brett Favre the main "storyline," catch my drift?
Edited by: Thrashen
1) Pats over Jags 32-10 (obviously)
2) Giants over the fading Cowboys 30-24
3) SD over the Colts 17-14 in a shocker
4) Packers over Seahwaks 38-21
AFC/NFC CHAMPIONSHIP:
1) NE over SD (blowout win)
2) Packers over Giants (close win)
SUPERBOWL:
Pats over Packers in a close fought battle with Brett Favre the main "storyline," catch my drift?
Edited by: Thrashen
From a caste perspective there are some good matchups:
New England has 9 white starters versus Jax with only 3 whites.
Green Bay starts 10 whites versus 5 for Seattle (including only 2 on offense).
Giants have 7 whites (8 when Dahl starts on D) against the Cowboys with a mere 4.
Indy (8) and San Diego (8 if you include Castillo) are a wash.
That being said, I am hoping for wins by New England, Green Bay, New York and San Diego.
New England has 9 white starters versus Jax with only 3 whites.
Green Bay starts 10 whites versus 5 for Seattle (including only 2 on offense).
Giants have 7 whites (8 when Dahl starts on D) against the Cowboys with a mere 4.
Indy (8) and San Diego (8 if you include Castillo) are a wash.
That being said, I am hoping for wins by New England, Green Bay, New York and San Diego.
Thrashen
Hall of Famer
"That being said, I am hoping for wins by New England, Green Bay, New York and San Diego."
The real toss up is the fact that Indy has a VERY white offense (Utech, Clark, and Gonzo catching passes) along with the amazing Manning at QB and a good white OL. Their defense is 100% black starters, but there are about 7-8 backups who are in the game on many plays throughout.
However, though SD has a good white OL and no white WRs or TEs, they have whites in many positions on defense (Igor, Castillo, Wilhelm, and Weddle).
I'm torn, but I'd really like to see SD win so that Manning won't have to lose to the Pats (again) in the playoffs. I don't especially care for Rivers, so I'd rather see him get blow out by NE (the only NFL team I've cared about in a decade).
The real toss up is the fact that Indy has a VERY white offense (Utech, Clark, and Gonzo catching passes) along with the amazing Manning at QB and a good white OL. Their defense is 100% black starters, but there are about 7-8 backups who are in the game on many plays throughout.
However, though SD has a good white OL and no white WRs or TEs, they have whites in many positions on defense (Igor, Castillo, Wilhelm, and Weddle).
I'm torn, but I'd really like to see SD win so that Manning won't have to lose to the Pats (again) in the playoffs. I don't especially care for Rivers, so I'd rather see him get blow out by NE (the only NFL team I've cared about in a decade).
After reading reports concerning Gates injury, I feel confortable saying that Indy will cover the spread versus San Diego. Losing Gates is huge, and leaves Rivers with only Chris Chambers to throw to. The Colts can focus on stopping Tomlinson, just like the Titans did last week.
It's not even worth taking time to discuss the difference in abilities between Peyton Manning and Vince Young. The Colts will score points on San Diego. I expect Indy to win by at least 10 points.
In my opinion the New York/Dallas gamecame could go either way. Dallas should be able to throw on New York's weak secondary. Dallas also has a solid running game, so if the Cowboys get an early lead they should be in solid shape. New York can score on the Dallas defense. I believe that Eli will have a solid game, and the Giants offensive line will clear space for Jacobs to gain yards on the ground. Look to Eli to attack Roy Williams and exploit his lack of coverage skills in the secondary.
I believe that New York will cover the point spread for this game, but I wouldn't be comfortable picking them straight up.
It's not even worth taking time to discuss the difference in abilities between Peyton Manning and Vince Young. The Colts will score points on San Diego. I expect Indy to win by at least 10 points.
In my opinion the New York/Dallas gamecame could go either way. Dallas should be able to throw on New York's weak secondary. Dallas also has a solid running game, so if the Cowboys get an early lead they should be in solid shape. New York can score on the Dallas defense. I believe that Eli will have a solid game, and the Giants offensive line will clear space for Jacobs to gain yards on the ground. Look to Eli to attack Roy Williams and exploit his lack of coverage skills in the secondary.
I believe that New York will cover the point spread for this game, but I wouldn't be comfortable picking them straight up.
Liverlips said:
Is it a coincidence that New England, Green Bay, Indianapolis and San Diego are the only four teams in the league that start more than seven whites? I think not.
Don Wassall said:
Purely coincidence of course, Don. How could it be interpeted different?
sport historian
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I hope New England is "On" tonight. Jacksonville is in a situation in which the pressure is on the Patriots, and upsets sometimes happen when the underdog hasn't anything to lose.
New England will win tonight, no question about it. David Garrard will feel the pressure of tonight's game much more than the experienced and always cool under pressure Tom Brady. Garrard is the only "Black Hope" left right now at QB, and I'm sure blacks are letting him now that. The weight of the black community is on Garrard's shoulders, and the man only completed nine passes last week.
Don't worry about New England.
Don't worry about New England.
A large number of talk show callers in my area are hoping for and predicting a defeat of the Patriots by the Jags. They feel that Garrard will not turn the ball over, and the Pats will get steamrolled by their running game. Also the Jags will beat the Pats up physically. Possibly, but I don't think so.The Steelers almost beat the Jags last week in a tough, emotional game. It is hard for a team to reach the same level of intensity the following week. The Pats on the other hand are well rested. If the weather isn't a factor, Brady should carve em up without too much difficulty.
The Packers should beat the Hawks, having an excellent receving corps and home field advantage. Their defense is pretty tough too, but Seattle'shas been playing at a very high level. Favre gets all the attention, but Hasselbeck is better than most people imagine. Check out his lifetime stats. His TD-INT rate is much better than Favre's and he RARELY fumbles. Lambeau field will be a nut house and that is always a big plus for the green and gold. Not just turnovers, but turnovers by the QB's may be the deciding factor. Both of themattempt too many risky throws, especially when the adrenaline gets cranked. Mike McCarthy deserves credit for curbing Favre's adventurism this year.
The Packers should beat the Hawks, having an excellent receving corps and home field advantage. Their defense is pretty tough too, but Seattle'shas been playing at a very high level. Favre gets all the attention, but Hasselbeck is better than most people imagine. Check out his lifetime stats. His TD-INT rate is much better than Favre's and he RARELY fumbles. Lambeau field will be a nut house and that is always a big plus for the green and gold. Not just turnovers, but turnovers by the QB's may be the deciding factor. Both of themattempt too many risky throws, especially when the adrenaline gets cranked. Mike McCarthy deserves credit for curbing Favre's adventurism this year.
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This game means alot in terms of cracking the caste system. I can not wait for this game. There is always the unexpected.
I sure hope the Pats don't do a Ricky Hatton on me. It took almost a week to recover from that fight.
I sure hope the Pats don't do a Ricky Hatton on me. It took almost a week to recover from that fight.
Colonel_Reb
Hall of Famer
Bart said:
Same thing here in Utah Bart. The only national guys I've heard talk about it echo that same refrain. "The Pats haven't been that good against good RBs this year." So, they still won! They went 16-0 bee hatch!
Colonel_Reb
Hall of Famer
Kukulcan said:
I know what you mean Kukulcan, as it took me a couple of days to put that one behind me as well. I turn 30 today and as a present, I look forward to the Pats, Giants, Packers, and Colts all winning this weekend!
Thrashen
Hall of Famer
"Something that hasn't been talked about too much is that Big Ben threw for 340 yards last week and completed 29-42 passes. That should bode well."
This is the best point made in this thread thus far.
I'm sure we all saw Ben literally carve up the Jags secondary with relatively slow WR targets like Nate Washington and Hines Ward (and hands-of-stone Holmes). Can those media clowns actually make the case that Tom Brady won't be able to find the best WR tandem (Moss and Welker) in the league this season early and often?
It would be a horrible tragedy for the Pats to lose to the African National Team tonight. But if they do win (about a 5% chance), at least tonight we'll finally know for sure if the NFL is fixed or not.
If the idiotic refs become a factor in this game the way they were in Pittsburg last week through their mysterious holding calls on Pittsburg and missing constant holding by Jacksonville sumos...the Pats might be in trouble.
I really hope the Pats expose the Jags as the frauds they truely are.
This is the best point made in this thread thus far.
I'm sure we all saw Ben literally carve up the Jags secondary with relatively slow WR targets like Nate Washington and Hines Ward (and hands-of-stone Holmes). Can those media clowns actually make the case that Tom Brady won't be able to find the best WR tandem (Moss and Welker) in the league this season early and often?
It would be a horrible tragedy for the Pats to lose to the African National Team tonight. But if they do win (about a 5% chance), at least tonight we'll finally know for sure if the NFL is fixed or not.
If the idiotic refs become a factor in this game the way they were in Pittsburg last week through their mysterious holding calls on Pittsburg and missing constant holding by Jacksonville sumos...the Pats might be in trouble.
I really hope the Pats expose the Jags as the frauds they truely are.
New England's offensive line is very physical. They will be beating up on the Jaguars front seven. The Pats defense is also very physical. The only "beating up" the Jaguars can focus on is New England's receivers. Physical DBs can beat up on Moss and Stallworth. I'm expecting to see Brady go to his tight ends and even Maroney. Heath Evans also should be utilized in the receiving game.
I expect Belichick to be well prepared to face a Jaguar defense that will attempt to be very physical.
I expect Belichick to be well prepared to face a Jaguar defense that will attempt to be very physical.
White Shogun
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I haven't been able to pinpoint why, but watching the Packers-Seahawks game I find myself rooting for the Seahawks. And this despite all I know about them and my dislike of Holmgren.
Maybe it's rooting for Hasselbeck, who is stuck on a team with a crappy cadre of receivers and a weak running game. Maybe it's the media love affair with Brett Favre (will he retire next year? blah blah blah).
I'll probably change my mind again before the game is over anyway.
Anyone else besides me and bigunreal wondering about conspiracy theories when Grant fumbled twice in four carries, after having fumbled only once in over 400 carries prior to this game?
Maybe it's rooting for Hasselbeck, who is stuck on a team with a crappy cadre of receivers and a weak running game. Maybe it's the media love affair with Brett Favre (will he retire next year? blah blah blah).
I'll probably change my mind again before the game is over anyway.
Anyone else besides me and bigunreal wondering about conspiracy theories when Grant fumbled twice in four carries, after having fumbled only once in over 400 carries prior to this game?
Grant's been running awful hard since the fumbles. It's been an entertaining first half, two topnotch quarterbacks playing well.
Colonel_Reb said:
Happy Birthday, Col. Reb! The big 3-0. How's it feel old man?
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Guest
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Alexander with 6 runs for 6 yards at the half. Yikes.