2007 NFL Playoffs

[KingPK 0]

NFC Championship

 

New Orleans @ Chicago (3PM ET on FOX)

 

AFC Championship

 

New England @ Indianapolis (6:30PM ET on CBS)

 

As an aside, thank God CBS has the Bowl this year. Part of me wants Gus Johnson calling the game because it's just too fun to hear him lose it on big plays.

Edited January 15, 2007 by KingPK

[Hawk 34 0]

I agree. I'm tired of the CBS A Team. They are far greater then FOX and ESPN's A teams, though.

[Boon 0]

Listening to Buck/Aikman was just painful. My jaw dropped when I heard Buck saying something like, "I wish I knew what the difference between 3/8 and 1/2 and 5/8 was..." talking about cleat size.

[bob_barron 0]

I really enjoy Aikman, wish they'd go back to Moose, Stockton and Aikman.

 

Can't wait for Sunday- should be fun

[naiwf 0]

Nawlins 21-20 on a missed XP by Gould

 

Pats 23-17 in OT

[HarleyQuinn 0]

My predictions...

 

New Orleans over Chicago 27-14 in a surprise blowout. Grossman makes too many mistakes and the Saints playcalling is too tough for the Bears to contain (They gave up 24 to the Seahawks!)

 

New England over Indianapolis 23-20 off a final drive by the Patriots after a key interception by Asante Samuel. Gostkowski splits the uprights on a 44 yard attempt as Phil Simms once again lets the viewers know that the Patriots released Vinatieri and evidently he's the only kicker who could make clutch field goals in the NFL.

[The Robfather 0]

Some of the camera work on the Bears game was HORRIBLE!

 

Hopefully, it will be better next week.

[Guest]

I've got it like this:

 

New Orleans over Chicago 34-31. Grossman comes to play in a classic that doesn't really take anything away from either team. Regardless of my prediction, this looks like a matchup where the last team that has the ball will win.

 

Indianapolis over New England 21-17. Peyton doesn't make the plays that are needed to win, but the Colts get it done with Addai and Rhodes on the ground. That's the only real flaw that I see with the Patriots, is that they seem susceptible to a good running attack. Realistically for the Patriots, this game is there for the taking. Peyton's made quite a few mistakes so far this postseason, but nobody's really been able to get out there on the next possession and hit the Colts in the mouth. If he doesn't beat the Pats this time in the playoffs, he NEVER will.

[Guest Smues]

Chicago & New England win. I lose.

[MFer 0]

I have to look at the game tape first, so I'll have my predictions later on in the week.

[KingPK 0]

......but the Colts get it done with Addai and Rhodes on the ground. That's the only real flaw that I see with the Patriots, is that they seem susceptible to a good running attack.

 

Really? In the regular season, they only allowed 11 rushing TDs (tied for 10th in the league) and 94.2 YPG (4th in the league and best of all the remaining teams). It wasn't the rushing game that led Indy in their matchup during the season (53 yards, 2 rushing first downs, 2.1 average), it was Manning playing out of his mind (301 yards, 17 passing firsts, 7.7 average and finding Harrison for two TDs). THAT is what will be the thing to look for (along with Reggie Wayne and Clark), not Addai. Believe me, Joseph Addai is no Tomlinson.

Edited January 15, 2007 by KingPK

[Just John 0]

Saints/Patriots has to happen. The feel-good team of a lifetime vs. a former feel-good team who has turned to the dark side and is now an evil dynasty. Even the casual fans could get behind the Saints and make for a killer SB atmosphere. And you know it'd be a good game because the Pats would let 'em hang around.

 

There aren't any bad matchups left, imo, but Saints/Patriots seems the most appealing to me. And I know the anti-mainstream sports coverage fans here would love to hate it.

[Guest Vitamin X]

I couldn't agree with Just John more. At one time, the Patriots were a classy franchise who seemed like they had every right in the world to be champions, but with their whole "WE DON'T GET NO RESPECT!" thing after being arguably one of the best franchises, the unnecessary celebrations, their cold, calculating, ruthlessness on offense against bad teams and the asshole coach, they're not the same Pats I rooted for against the Eagles a couple years back. These guys are assholes, and they're great for the NFL, having a team that the rest of the league loves to hate, for one reason or another.

 

The Saints, even without Katrina, is an amazing story considering they were one of the worst teams last year and historically one of the worst and cursed franchises of all time. The only thing comparable would be seeing the Cardinals in an NFC Championship game, and then of course, all that they went through last year, the true rookie head coach, and having the most exciting young team in football.

 

Bears/Colts is the absolute worst possible matchup. I would call for a 17-10, 20-13 type of snoozer if that happened, since the only way the Colts have been winning in these playoffs is with insane defense, and they'd have to keep pace with Chicago in order to win. Plus, there's nothing interesting with the Bears. And I couldn't bear to see Rex Grossman with a super bowl ring.

[Art Sandusky 0]

Saints/Colts Super Bowl. Let's make this happen and have one of the most fun-to-watch Super Bowls ever after the snoozer last year.

[Guest "Go, Mordecai!"]

I have this weird feeling that after week after week after week of "heh, we'll just flip the switch on," the Bears drop the lackadaisical attitude and just come into this game with the Saints with the intensity of a thousand suns and finally notch a decisive victory. I don't think we should just hand this game to the Saints here. It is at Soldier Field in late January, you know. I don't care what the rest of America wants to see. I, a native Illinoisan and resident of the fringes of Chicagoland, want to see Chicago finally win a Super Bowl. I haven't seen my teams win a title since '98. Who cares if it's not a Hollywood ending for the Bears to win? This needs to be the game where we're all reminded that no matter who's coaching and who's been drafted, they're the Same Old Saints.

[JangoFett4Hire 0]

These guys are assholes, and they're great for the NFL, having a team that the rest of the league loves to hate, for one reason or another.

 

After all the garbage that SD loudmouths like Merriman tossed in the week leading up to the game, I was glad to see the Pats rub it in the Chargers' collective face. Don't wanna see a team come into your home and celebrate on your field? Simple solution: don't lose the fucking game. Lights out, indeed. The party is OVAH! Can CBS please PLEASE get another half time prediction from Mr. Banned Sustance next week?

 

Anyways I'm rooting for a rematch of Super Bowl XX. That loss still hurts to this day, mainly because William Perry had a

rushing TD, yet Sweetness did not.

Pats over Indy 23-20. Da Bears over NO 10-7.

[Slayer 0]

Fun Fact: The Patriots are undefeated in the AFC title game (5-0).

 

Fun Fact #2: The Patriots won three of those AFC title games (including two this decade) on the road.

[Boon 0]

I have this weird feeling that after week after week after week of "heh, we'll just flip the switch on," the Bears drop the lackadaisical attitude and just come into this game with the Saints with the intensity of a thousand suns and finally notch a decisive victory. I don't think we should just hand this game to the Saints here. It is at Soldier Field in late January, you know. I don't care what the rest of America wants to see. I, a native Illinoisan and resident of the fringes of Chicagoland, want to see Chicago finally win a Super Bowl. I haven't seen my teams win a title since '98. Who cares if it's not a Hollywood ending for the Bears to win? This needs to be the game where we're all reminded that no matter who's coaching and who's been drafted, they're the Same Old Saints.

That must be so awful for you. Almost an entire decade?

[Guest "Go, Mordecai!"]

I'm a Cubs fan. Don't tell me things are easy.

[Slayer 0]

Hey, there's still a chance for Joe Suck to break out the Bartman footage during the next Bears game

[bob_barron 0]

I also can't wait for the video of how the Saints have been so terrible through the years! Going to be great!

[Slayer 0]

Get ready for historic shots of paper-bag masks

[bob_barron 0]

I wonder if they'll show the missed extra point!

[Slayer 0]

They also need to show Mora's classic rants from his time there (as noted in the NFL Discussion thread)

[HarleyQuinn 0]

They busted out the paper bag clips on either the CBS or ESPN pre-game show. Had my parents laughing anyway.

[Art Sandusky 0]

And that's what makes the Saints a great story, natural disaster or not. How many teams whose fans became notable for wearing paper bags over their heads go from same old, same old to being one game from their sport's championship? As much as the new age cynical fuckwad sports fan rails against teams for being too dominant and getting tired of seeing certain squads win, now they're pissed that there's a new team in the mix. Of course, any kind of coverage that (rightfully) talks about the city's troubles and the distraction the team's performance provides is the excuse. Not a single person is saying that the Saints even going on to the Super Bowl and winning would prompt the entire town to magically morph into Emerald City. Can't people be satisfied with the simple "historically awful team excites its rebuilding city?" I guess not, because this is perverted somehow into their opponents being touted as worthless and an afterthought. Is it a crime to have the most compelling backstory? It's not like Drew Brees is throwing passes to journalists.

[Special K 0]

Heh. Emerald City. Seattle rules.

[Guest "Go, Mordecai!"]

As much as the new age cynical fuckwad sports fan

Oh, come on. Don't do this. This is like when vivalaultra and Banky will be music snobs like the rest of us until someone rips on Justin Timberlake or the Arcade Fire or whoever-the-fuck and they go right to "you're all such elitists! Have some fun! Listen with your balls!" and all that laughably transparent populist bullshit. We're all cynical fuckwads here, don't kid yourself.

 

Of course, any kind of coverage that (rightfully) talks about the city's troubles and the distraction the team's performance provides is the excuse. Not a single person is saying that the Saints even going on to the Super Bowl and winning would prompt the entire town to magically morph into Emerald City.

Are you sure about this? I don't know if they're being THAT hyperbolic, but I think we've all gotten the sense from them that this is supposed to do great things for New Orleans, when in reality it's not doing a thing, and if anything, it's actually getting in the way of the things that really matter. As someone who really seems to care about the Katrina damage--you've said that it makes you cry to see the footage--I'd think you were smart enough and liberal enough to see through all the nonsense, that this is a case of government bending over backwards for one private interest instead of focusing on the greater good, and unless giving your fans a 10-win football team is what passes for the greater good, I don't see why getting the Superdome in NFL shape was such a high priority amidst everything else. I'm doing a lot of talk about "the greater good" for someone so averse to socialism, I know, but you've gotta agree that pro sports should've been promptly designated as a thing of the past on the way to frying the bigger fish. I'm happy for the players and staff for making such a huge turnaround, because it's undeniably a huge achievement, but I'm just opposed to the extracurriculars here, which in this case, are not such ancillary concerns at all.

 

Can't people be satisfied with the simple "historically awful team excites its rebuilding city?" I guess not, because this is perverted somehow into their opponents being touted as worthless and an afterthought.

Well, when you're following the team that is now the designated afterthought, it is pretty frustrating to put up with this. All that said, I think this has all the makings of one hell of a game.

[Guest Princess Leena]

I'm a Cubs fan. Don't tell me things are easy.

At least they won a championship. And your home city has won a championship.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

I'm a Cubs fan. Don't tell me things are easy.

At least they won a championship. And your home city has won a championship.

 

You have a point. As bad as things have been for the Cubs, I'd rather be them than the Texas Rangers.