Guest Still Fly Report post Posted January 6, 2003 My picks for this weekends NFL matchups Oakland vs. NYJ This game has the makings of a classic playoff matchup. The Jets are coming off big emotional wins over the Packers and Colts. The Raiders finished their season 7-1 with convincing defensive wins over KC and Denver. However the Raiders have beat the Jets 2 out of the last 3 times they have played each other and Oakland is not easy place to play. I give the Raiders the slight advantage only because this is a veteran team that has experienced playoff heartbreak. Score 35-34 Raiders. Tampa Bay vs SF SF looked very vunerable against an improving Giants team and it took a 4th quarter comback to beat them. Tampa Bay is not the Giants. Look for the Bucs to put the hurt on TO. SF defense looked spotty as well. Tampas O is not as good as the Giants but they will eat up the clock. Score 21-7 Tampa Bay Pittsburg vs. Titans Another makings of a classic matchup. Two former division rivals competing for a chance for a spot in the Championship game. The Titans have been on a roll lately winning their last 10 of 11. The Steelers are coming off an emotional win over the hated Browns. Look for this game to be hard hitting, physical and downright ugly. Ill go for the upset victory fot the Steelers because of theur abilty to stop Eddie George. Im really concerned about the secondary so itll be a close one. 21-20 Steelers Philly vs. ATL Mike Vick has done the impossible beating the Pack on their home field in January. However the Dirty Birds will get a rude awaking over at the Vet. Phillys defense is just too tough and will control Vick and the running game. If Atlanta has any hopes of winning they will have to pound and pound a rusty Donovan McNabb. Philly 35-17 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest LaParkaMarka Report post Posted January 6, 2003 My picks are really boring this week, since I think I'm going with the obvious choices here. Actually, screw it, I'm going with the sentimental choice in one of the games. Expect it to be a blowout for the other team in that game. Oakland over the Jets: Should be a great game. The Raiders are not the Colts though, and won't roll over and die after a TD or two. The Raiders have (IMO) the best offense in the league, and can easily keep up with the Jets in a shootout. It seems like it'll be close, but I take the vets over the green Jets. Titans over Steelers: McNair was amazing during the regular season. Kelly Holcomb ripped the Steelers secondary apart, and I can't McNair not doing the same. I think the Steeler's luck runs out here. Niners over Bucs: Here's my upset special of the week. We all know the Bucs offense isn't too great, but the defense is so good that it doesn't really matter. Well, I think the Niners will get lucky, either with a quick drive at the beginning of the game for a TD or some sort of defensive TD, which will be the difference. I have to cheer for the Niners here, just because Tony Dungy looked so sad while the Colts were being annihilated. Eagles over Falcons: Vick is good, but so is McNabb. Eagles have an amazing defense + McNabb, while Atlanta does not. Eagles, convincingly. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Kahran Ramsus Report post Posted January 6, 2003 The Jets will clobber Oakland. New York is the hottest team in the league right now, and Oakland isn't good enough to stop them. Maybe Tennessee can. WINNERS - New York Jets Speaking of which, the Steelers were lucky to get by Cleveland. No chance here. WINNERS - Tennessee Titans Bucs/Niners is the same story with the Niners clearly outmatched. WINNERS - Tampa Bay Buccaneers Which leaves us with the one good game this week. Philadelphia is clearly the better team, but the Falcons won't go down without a fight. Philly will win (they are my pick for the Super Bowl champions), but it won't be a cakewalk. WINNERS - Philadelphia Eagles Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Flyboy Report post Posted January 6, 2003 Jets Bucs Titans Falcons. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest midnight_burn Report post Posted January 7, 2003 The Bucs stomp will all over the 49'ers. Philadelphia will be too strong for Vick and the Falcons. Pittsburgh barely got by the Browns, the Titans should be too good for the Steelers in this one, especialy being in Tennessee. I'll go with the Jets over Oakland, just because it gives the Titans an easier road to the Superbowl, i'd certainly rather have the AFC Championship game in Tennessee instead of having to go into Oakland and pull it out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest BobbyWhioux Report post Posted January 7, 2003 I think the Eagles will defeat the Falcons. A big part of this is that I think this is the Eagles' year, primarily because of how well the team performed in McNabb's absence. Vick is a phenom, and he should probably keep the Falcons close for a while, but I just don't think his supporting cast will quite be enough. Plus, the Eagles will be rested and at home. 31-14 Tampa Bay will beat the 49ers. The week of rest and home field advantage will tip too much in Tampa's favor. Tampa Bay isn't going to be as able to exploit the 49ers' biggest weakness -- cornerback -- as the Giants were. This will keep the game low scoring and close. They will most likely be able to get enough though, especially since a Defense-first team like Tampa Bay is well-suited to games that are low-scoring and close. Also, Warren Sapp is a cheap dirty thug, pure and simple, and he'll most likely do something to Owens, Garcia, or Hearst on par with what he did to Jerry Rice in 1997. The 49ers need all three of those guys healthy and on their game. The person who predicted a score of 21-7 has good vision. I'd imagine the score being something like that, with Tampa's final points coming on an interception return touchdown to finally ice the game and put it safely out of reach. The 49ers, like the Falcons, will hang close for most of the way, but the Bucs, like the Eagles, will pull away at the end. 24-7 The Raiders will beat the Jets. The Jets just aren't that good. The pressure cooker of the New York media has made them out to be more than they are in the wake of a recent hot streak, setting their fan base up for a bitter disappointment. The Raiders are strong on offense and strong on defense. Stronger than the Jets. Home field and a week of rest will give them even more of an edge. 34-20. I believe the Titans will beat the Steelers, partly as a function of the home field/rest advantage, and plus I also think the Titans are that most dangerous of teams: a good team slighted. They are too good to be as far under the hype radar as they have been placed. They deserve the hype the Jets have been getting. And the Steelers are going to suffer for it. 27-13 [Yeah, it's kind of a pussy move to vote for all the rested home teams, I know, but I really do think each of them ARE legitimately better than their wild card opponents. I mean, they did get their perks by performing better during the regular season, after all....] Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MarvinisaLunatic Report post Posted January 7, 2003 You know what? Im convinced that the Super Bowl will be an A Bay Area clash between the Raiders and 49ers, held in San Diego. California rules, the rest of the US surrenders. Titans Raiders Falcons 49ers Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest converge241 Report post Posted January 7, 2003 Jets over Raiders Jets have to win..the 4th time theyve played in Oakland in the last year..It wont be easy though cause Oakland knows this is their last chance before the nightmare cap kicks in (and age). This is the pick i feel least comfortable about. It will be a classic. Steelers over Titans sure im a little biased if you look at my sig, but objectively i really think they will win this one. They will learn what they did wrong from the Titans loss (and no it wasnt just Maddox getting hurt because they were losing bad before then). Steelers better drop back another guy in pass protection though because mcnair can do what Holcomb did all day long. Eagles over Falcons Im probably looking forward to this game the most just because of Mcnabb vs Vick..The Awesome Philly D vs Vick and Atlanta's underated Defense against a recieving corps in Philly that could be handled if played right. Should be a close contest in the beginning but Philly should shut them down Bucs over 49ers should be low scoring with the TB D shutting down TO and Garcia Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Kinetic Report post Posted January 7, 2003 I pick Tampa Bay to win all four games. Don't ask me how. All right, actually, I'll go with the Jets, Bucs, Eagles, and Titans. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest converge241 Report post Posted January 7, 2003 "I pick Tampa Bay to win all four games. Don't ask me how." lol Do you think TB can win in Philly if it comes to that? Im not asking in an anti Bucs way either.. they are 3rd on my fan depth chart behind Steelers and Pats Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest cartman Report post Posted January 7, 2003 the Niners didnt even beat the Giants as far as I am concerned what makes anyone think they can beat Tampa? Well...then again they might use the same officials... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Still Fly Report post Posted January 7, 2003 Well for me I dont just see the Jets beating the Raiders. For one, the Raiders are not the Colts. The Raider offense and defense is much better than the Colts'. As much as I like Chad Pennington (and im a Raider fan!) he has yet to prove he can win a playoff game against a good team on the road in a hostile arena. As far as im concerned the Jets chance of winning lie on his shoulders and if he screws up the whole team falls apart. And I dont know if the hot team can really win a championship. It happens but they tend to fizzle (ie 02 Kings, 98 Lakers). I give the Jets another year before Ill consider them a serious contender. Also the Raider veterans are too savvy and playoff tested I doubt that they'll let the Raiders lose at home. Also everyone is healthy (the conerback situation is shaping up nicely Woodson and James are back) My point is that I dont think people give the Raiders a lot of credit (but they broken my heart before 1991 AFC championship ouch) But I could be wrong.......... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Edwin MacPhisto Report post Posted January 7, 2003 I haven't seen a team look as dominant as the Jets have these past two weeks in...forever. They ANNIHILATED the Packers and the Colts. Raiders'll give much more of a game, but I don't think anyone can stop the Jets right now. It's not just big plays; it's absolute control of the game. If Oakland gets out to an early lead of maybe two touchdowns, then they can probably hold on, but the Jets have put up 83 points in two games. They're gonna tear it up here. Tennessee's going to win, because the Steelers looked like shit until the end of the game. One great quarter will get you past the Browns, but so would urinating on a cheese sandwich. Tampa's going to win for the same reason. The 49ers looked like shit on Sunday. They just got lucky enough to play like shit the first half, while the Giants played like shit the second half. The Bucs will shut them down. What I'm hoping for most out of this game is a full-on Sapp/Owens brawl at some point. Quoth Gwar: violence has arrived. Eagles/Falcons is the toughest call for me. The Falcons looked slick in Green Bay, but they started to ease off in the end. Can't do that in Philly. Vick's also going to need to get more yardage in the air and make sure he has a good running week as against Green Bay as opposed to the lousy weeks before the end of the regular season. I feel another Falcon upset here, but I think the Eagles will hold on. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Kinetic Report post Posted January 7, 2003 "I pick Tampa Bay to win all four games. Don't ask me how." lol Do you think TB can win in Philly if it comes to that? Im not asking in an anti Bucs way either.. they are 3rd on my fan depth chart behind Steelers and Pats I think they could. That's not to say that they will. Part of me...a part that I've repressed all season...feels like, well, if the Bucs can beat the Eagles at the Vet, why haven't they done it yet? They've had a few chances. But anything can happen in the NFL and on any given Sunday, so on and so forth. Needless to say, though, I'm definitely a huge Atlanta fan this Saturday. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest cabbageboy Report post Posted January 7, 2003 I will take Oakland over the Jets. Jets had a nice run to get to the playoffs, time to go home boys. 10-7 teams have no business being in the AFC title game. Steelers over Tennessee, mostly because I hate the Titans. Tampa Bay over SF. 49ers were very lucky to get past the Giants, and here is where their luck runs out. Atlanta over Philly. I'll take a healthy Vick over an ailing McNabb. In fact I'd take a hurt Vick over a healthy McNabb as well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Still Fly Report post Posted January 7, 2003 The Tennesse-Pittsburgh game is not going to be your typical grind it out game. If Tennesse does anything but pass the ball, they will be remembered as the biggest idiots of all time. The Steeler secondary looked like stinking GARBAGE and Sunday and the loss of safety Mike Logan wont help matters at all. I mean Kelly HOLCOMB passed for over 300 yards and the Browns LOST! Tennesse fans better hope that Fisher did his homework for this game Philly vs Atlanta shouldnt be close but its going to be. If Mike Vick brings his A game hes going to give Philly fits. Losing to the Giants probally deflated the Eagles O a little (cant score on a defense that blew a 38-14 lead) The defense will have to keep Vick in check. But Philly is playoff tested and that savvy should factor in for them. I really hope the Tampa Bay D shuts up Terrell Owens for good this game. I thought TO antics were good clean fun but all that shit talking really turned me off during the Giants game. TO will get his numbers but when it come down to it he will choke Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest TUS_02 Report post Posted January 8, 2003 The thing is that the Raiders already beat the Jets this season. The Raiders were just as hot as the Jets going into the playoffs. After losing to Miami, they won two games they NEEDED to win. As it's been said before... with the week off... they're going to be ripped and roaring to go. Regardless, it's going to be a great friggin game. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest AlwaysPissedOff Report post Posted January 8, 2003 I don't see why everyone banks the Jets beating Oakland on the fact that they scored over 80 points on two horrendously bad defenses. If the Jets had done it against some quality D's of the league, then yeah, I'd agree, but they didn't. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
