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[dekestone]

Too bad about Palmer being injured on the first offensive play. Would have made it a much better game, I think, had he played, though maybe the outcome wouldn't have been any different. Meanwhile, I was wrong about the Giants. They were so bad they got booed off the field from their own fans!!

[Padkapow Guy]

Dekestone

Carolina is a team that could sneak in the back door, but I think the Bears main concern will be Seattle.
Shame about Palmer, would have made for a better game although I am not sure if my heart could handle a closer game.


The AFC is such a strong conference that any team left has a real legit shot of going all the way.
Not to take anything away from the colts, but the Pats are the team that worry me the most.


I will be cheering for the Bears in the NFC, they are a blue collar  team like the Steelers.

PKG

[patsfangr]

Head Snake, on 2006-01-08 17:01:51, said:

New England in Denver.  Go Broncos!!

Do know how often a team has beaten Belichick the second time in a season after beating him in the first meeting?

I don't know if you've followed the Patriots this season, but, believe me, the team the Broncos beat bears little resemblance to the healthy team we'll be fielding next week.

The Broncos are a good team, and Denver is a tough place to play. But I believe the Pats will take them by at least a TD.

dekestone, on 2006-01-08 00:37:19, said:

Well, all I can say as an NFC man and a Bear's fan, after watching Washington beat the Bucs, the Skins really have me shaking in my boots.....NOT!!! The Bears will trounce them. But, they'll probably have to play the Gnats ...er... I mean the Giants first. Tiki might be a problem.  

I told you those Panthers would be a load for the Giants, Deke. Their D is much better than the Giants, and the Bears will really have a problem moving the ball against them. John Fox is a good coach. He knows what to expect from the Bears this time, after losing to them earlier.

Should be a very good defensive game. Boring to some. But I like well played defensive games.

I see the Panthers beating the Bears, 20-13.

[Head Snake]

patsfangr, on 2006-01-09 08:52:06, said:

Head Snake, on 2006-01-08 17:01:51, said:

New England in Denver.  Go Broncos!!

Do know how often a team has beaten Belichick the second time in a season after beating him in the first meeting?  

no, and I consider that irrelevant.  hehe      It is widely accepted in Denver that the Broncos only played 2-1/2 quarters during that first game.   They went into hibernation once they built a lead and almost lost the game.

I don't know if you've followed the Patriots this season, but, believe me, the team the Broncos beat bears little resemblance to the healthy team we'll be fielding next week.  

I know the national media has really played up the Patriots and for good reason.  They are a good team and a good story.   Sure, injurys play a part of all games.  I think Champ Bailey was injured when we last played you too.    I'd say the Pats have been part of a 3 year media lovefest.  The Broncos are flying under the radar.   I'll take that as the Bronco games I've seen have shown me we Broncos don't fear the Pats.
The Broncos are a good team, and Denver is a tough place to play. But I believe the Pats will take them by at least a TD.  

Disagreed.   The Broncos are a good all around team.  Expect them to play the full game this time.  

Edited by Head Snake, 2006-01-09 09:03:35.

[patsfangr]

Padkapow Guy, on 2006-01-08 17:04:59, said:

Steelers beat the Bengals like a read headed stepchild!


Now the worries start, Peyton Manning and the Colts are a darn good team and playing in that dome makes the noise ruff for the offense.

Patsfangr

Once again I call on your support for the Steelers.

I think the Pats would rather play the Steelers than the colts.


PKG

If we play the Steelers, it would be at New England, PKG. Of course we'd prefer that to "Arena Football" in the pussy Indy dome! Plus, of course, there's Belichick's record against the totally predictable Cowher.

But right now, the Broncos are the concern. The Pats will almost certainly focus on taking away the running game, and forcing Plummer to return to his days as "Jake the Mistake"!

[patsfangr]

Are any of the guys in here living in Pattaya?

As I show in my info, I'm currently in So Cal, but I'll be moving to Pattaya in April.

If there isn't one already, I will be trying to start an "NFL Club" of fans there. The first job will be to locate the best sports bar in the area. Then, it's just a matter of getting everybody together. Could be great fun!

[Head Snake]

There are 3 playoff goals for the Broncos.  And all the players know them.

1:  Get a playoff victory.  Denver has not won a playoff game since Elway left and we had the back to back Super Bowl wins

2:  Beat the Colts.  2 straight years the Broncos got their a$$es kicked in that dome.

3: Super Bowl win.   That goes without saying.  

Of note: the Browns Dline that we acquired in the offseason are  looking forward to all the challenges for some REDEMPTION.

Leaders on the Bronco defensive team:  Champ Bailey, John Lynch, and Al Wilson.    

Leaders on the Broncos Offensive team: Jake " The mistake" Plummer, Rod Smith (UFA with HOF numbers), the O line with "The Marine" at running back.

Both NE and Denver have strong team leadership.  I think Denver is more hungry though this year.

Light reading for AFC fans.

Sloppy play didn't hurt the Patriots ... this timeBy Michael Smith
ESPN.com
Archive

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- With a 28-3 wild-card win over Jacksonville on Saturday night, Tom Brady (surely he would much prefer we say "the Patriots") improved his playoff record to 10-0, best ever. New England has won its last 10 postseason games, also an NFL record. That's 5-0 at home, 3-0 at neutral sites (also known as the Super Bowl), and 2-0 on the road (both at Pittsburgh in AFC title games, which, as Steelers fans know all to well, can be just like playing at home for visitors). Wherever, against whomever, however, you can't do anything else but respect (here you go, Tommy boy) what the Patriots have done over the past four years.

And yet after they were done dispatching the Jaguars -- whom most sane observers felt had little shot to end the run of dominance, anyway -- the Patriots expressed great respect for the task at hand. If the Bengals were to beat the Steelers on Sunday, then fourth-seeded New England would travel to Indianapolis for the divisional round. Should Pittsburgh knock off Cincinnati, the Patriots would head to Denver. Playoff history with the Colts aside, you're talking six one way and half a dozen the other. At 14-2 the Colts were the best team in football for the regular season, and at 13-3 the Broncos weren't far behind. The Patriots couldn't keep up with either the last time they played; Denver beat New England, 28-20 -- and it wasn't that close -- at Invesco Field at Mile High in Week 6, and three weeks later, Indianapolis reversed its Foxborough curse, 40-21, dropping the Patriots to 4-4.

A different kind of 4-and-4 marked the Patriots' win Saturday night. Try four sacks of Brady and four fumbles, two of which, had the Jags managed to recover, may have changed the complexion of the game. First, Jacksonville defensive end Reggie Hayward strip-sacked Brady in Patriots territory in the final minute of the first half. Had it actually been a turnover, perhaps the Jags could have turned it into points. Instead, New England went into the locker room ahead 7-3. On the Patriots' first possession of the second half, Mike Peterson forced a Ben Watson fumble inside Jacksonville's 10-yard line, and the ball got kicked around until Patriots wideout Andre' Davis fell on it at the 3 for a gain of 9 on what easily could have been a drive-killing turnover. Instead, the Patriots went ahead 14-3 on the next play on David Givens's touchdown catch.

Watson dropped what would have been a touchdown catch in the first quarter. Brady dropped a low shotgun snap in the first. In the third, Deion Branch broke free behind the Jags' last line but couldn't come up with the over-the-shoulder catch just short of the goal line.

The Patriots gained 118 yards on the ground, but their primary running back, Corey Dillon, was more a problem for the local media during the week than he was for the Jags on Saturday night -- 40 yards on 17 carries.

Here's the point: The margin of victory was wide, but the win was not impressive, particularly from an offensive standpoint. Frankly, the Patriots won this one thanks to a little luck; a tremendous individual effort by Watson on a third-quarter, 63-yard touchdown catch-and-run that, in the words of Bill Belichick, "really should have been probably a third-down stop"; and a great call by defensive coordinator Eric Mangini in the fourth quarter that put Asante Samuel in perfect position to pick off a Byron Leftwich pass and take it 73 yards for a touchdown.

Belichick told his team after the win that, now, they're even with the best teams in the league, Denver and Indy, as in they're with them in the second round. But a performance like Saturday night's, which was more than good enough against Jacksonville, won't cut it against either the Broncos or Colts. Play like that again, sloppy, and that record's going to be 10-1 after next week. And the Patriots know it.

"I don't think history matters a whole lot. I really don't," said Brady, who with three touchdown passes and no interceptions raised his career postseason TD-to-INT ratio to 14-3. "As a team we're going to need to play our best. We just can't afford some of the mistakes we had [Saturday night]. If we don't play our most consistent brand of football, I don't care whether it's on the road or at home, we're not going to win."

Tight end Christian Fauria agreed, saying, "We need to play our best game of the year for either one of those teams. Both of them beat us up pretty good when we played them last time. I definitely think our best game is still out there. I don't think we've seen it yet. We've seen glimpses of it."

You won't see many efforts such as the one Willie McGinest put forth: a league-record 4½ sacks, giving him 16 career postseason sacks, also a record (sacks became an official statistic in 1982). McGinest led a defense that, despite playing without linebacker and leader Tedy Bruschi, kept Jacksonville out of the end zone, stopped 11 of 12 third-down conversions, and held Leftwich to a 61.1 passer rating in his return from a six-week layoff. New England's defense, we've got no problems with it. "Defense played terrific, as usual," Brady said.

When the Patriots play the Broncos, Denver usually gets the better of the matchup, having won three of the past four meetings, losing only a thriller with Danny Kanell at quarterback. And while New England has ended the Colts' season the past two years, there's a big difference between those Colts and this year's team -- specifically a defense, plus Indy will be at home this year. Based on Saturday night's uneven performance, if we had to rate New England's chances next week, we'd be inclined to say "no" to a win in Denver and "probably not" to a victory at Indianapolis.

But the Patriots are a better team than the one that went to Denver and fell behind 28-6 and the one the Colts trounced at Gillette Stadium two months ago.

"From a distance," Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said of the Patriots' early-season struggles, "it appeared that several of their leaders stepped forward and just basically let it be known that it wasn't going to be the way it was going, that they were going to pull together and get it done. You could just see it kind of galvanize.

"They're playing good football now."

Yeah. Except that good won't be good enough in Denver or Indianapolis. The Patriots need to be great if they're going to make it 11 straight.

[Chiuey]

patsfangr, on 2006-01-09 09:03:11, said:

If we play the Steelers, it would be at New England, PKG. Of course we'd prefer that to "Arena Football" in the pussy Indy dome! Plus, of course, there's Belichick's record against the totally predictable Cowher.

But right now, the Broncos are the concern. The Pats will almost certainly focus on taking away the running game, and forcing Plummer to return to his days as "Jake the Mistake"!

As a Colts fan I'm well aware of our record against the Pats. Honestly, it's ###### appalling. But this hasn't been the typical year for either team, both teams will be healthy when they play each other. And let's face it, Pit and Den are both good teams, but this yr both the Colts and Pats got bragging rights to settle on the field. So it's fair to say the AFC championship will be between the Colts and the Pats. But back to what I was going to say. It's easy to talk big before the actual game, and Pat's fan do do that very well (and rightly so, 3 super bowls, I know). So we'll just have to see come Sunday, who's laughing at the end of the game! In the mean time, save your breath, we've heard it all before.  

[Padkapow Guy]

[quote name='patsfangr' date='2006-01-09 09:15:24' post='606150']
Are any of the guys in here living in Pattaya?

I am a part time expat! usaually get to los once a year for @ 30 days since 1995. I am sad to say I have another 19 years before I can retire early. Unless Lord Buddha blesses me with the winning lottery ticket.


PKG

[Padkapow Guy]

[quote name='Chiuey' date='2006-01-09 10:58:01' post='606222']
So it's fair to say the AFC championship will be between the Colts and the Pats.






Whooa, hang on there Chiuey. You can't dismiss the Steelers that easy. I hope Manning takes the Steelers that lightly. It going to be a good game, not like the last game.
Big Ben is healthy now. The Steelers are getting hot right now. We have to wait until Sunday to see who hangs up the spikes for the season.

PKG

[Head Snake]

[quote name='Padkapow Guy' date='2006-01-09 11:42:26' post='606261']
[quote name='Chiuey' date='2006-01-09 10:58:01' post='606222']
So it's fair to say the AFC championship will be between the Colts and the Pats.



[/quote]

In that case, let me inform my Broncos they need not bother to show up or maybe they just show up in sweats and scrimmage the Pats.



I truly hope the Pats aren't looking too far past the Broncos.  Perhaps they should be arranging tee times if they are.

[patsfangr]

[quote name='Head Snake' date='2006-01-08 21:09:06' post='606287']
[quote name='Padkapow Guy' date='2006-01-09 11:42:26' post='606261']
[quote name='Chiuey' date='2006-01-09 10:58:01' post='606222']
So it's fair to say the AFC championship will be between the Colts and the Pats.



[/quote]

In that case, let me inform my Broncos they need not bother to show up or maybe they just show up in sweats and scrimmage the Pats.



I truly hope the Pats aren't looking too far past the Broncos.  Perhaps they should be arranging tee times if they are.
[/quote]

I guarantee that Belichick's team will not be looking ahead. This team has the mentality of it's coach. Every team in the NFL can beat any other unless preparation and focus are maximum for every game. Denver is clearly not a team that can be walked over. They are good. Very good. The Patriots will come into that game very well aware of that fact. Nothing is important right now but preparation for the Broncos.

[dekestone]

Quote

I told you those Panthers would be a load for the Giants, Deke. Their D is much better than the Giants, and the Bears will really have a problem moving the ball against them. John Fox is a good coach. He knows what to expect from the Bears this time, after losing to them earlier.

Should be a very good defensive game. Boring to some. But I like well played defensive games.

I see the Panthers beating the Bears, 20-13.

Pat, Point taken about John Fox but Lovie Smith was Coach of the Year for a reason! When the Bears played them during the reg season they came into Chicago with a seven game winning streak and averaging something like 28 pts. a game. They got three against the Bears. Delhome was sacked eight times and intercepted 2 or 3. Bears offence with Orton as QB did pretty good, over 100 yds rushing and some big passes to Mohammed. They are much better offensively with Grossman. At home the Bears should win.


(OK You guys can go back to arguing about the AFC. )

[Chiuey]

Padkapow Guy, on 2006-01-09 11:42:26, said:

Whooa, hang on there Chiuey. You can't dismiss the Steelers that easy. I hope Manning takes the Steelers that lightly. It going to be a good game, not like the last game.
Big Ben is healthy now. The Steelers are getting hot right now. We have to wait until Sunday to see who hangs up the spikes for the season.

PKG

The Steelers aren't being dismissed, it'll be a real tough game, I just think the Colts will edge the steelers at home coz they've got a score to settle witht he Pats. My predictions, Colts win by a field goal.

[danbkk1]

Seahawks hasn't won a playoff game since 1984 and I think,alomst every Seahawks fan will say this, the win against Washington is the only thing that matter.  Any thing beyond that is extra special

[dekestone]

danbkk1, on 2006-01-09 18:46:43, said:

Seahawks hasn't won a playoff game since 1984 and I think,alomst every Seahawks fan will say this, the win against Washington is the only thing that matter.  Any thing beyond that is extra special

'Skins did not impress me, as I said earlier. Don't think it will be a problem for the 'Hawks at home. Here are the point spreads at the moment:

At Seattle -9 Washington
At Denver -3.5 New England
At Indianapolis -9.5 Pittsburgh
At Chicago -3 Carolina

I would be very tempted to take Pitttsburgh and the 9.5 points!! The Bears of course will beat the spread. The other two games I would stay well away from, if I were betting.  

[patsfangr]

Chiuey, on 2006-01-08 23:37:04, said:

Padkapow Guy, on 2006-01-09 11:42:26, said:

Whooa, hang on there Chiuey. You can't dismiss the Steelers that easy. I hope Manning takes the Steelers that lightly. It going to be a good game, not like the last game.
Big Ben is healthy now. The Steelers are getting hot right now. We have to wait until Sunday to see who hangs up the spikes for the season.

PKG

The Steelers aren't being dismissed, it'll be a real tough game, I just think the Colts will edge the steelers at home coz they've got a score to settle witht he Pats. My predictions, Colts win by a field goal.

Chiuey, if the Colts are thinking as you are, the Steelers will beat them. There can be no game, or no team on your mind other than the game and team you're playing in the NFL. The Colts had better be focussed 100% on the Steelers, and not even giving a thought to the Patriots on Sunday. I can assure you that the Pats will have nothing but the Denver Broncos on their minds this week!

[lomatopo]

Does anybody have a handle on the local (Thailand) broadcast schedule for the next round of (Divisional) playoffs?

All I can find so far (searched ESPN, StarSports and UBC SuperSport) is:

15 Jan UBC SuperSport (Ch. 35)
04:30 National Football League 2005 037: DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF : WASHINGTON @ SEATTLE (15-JAN-2006)


16 Jan UBC SuperSport (Ch. 35)
04:30 National Football League 2005 038: DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF : CAROLINA @ CHICAGO (16-JAN-2006)


The NFL schedule (EDT, BKK = +12 hours)) is:

Saturday, Jan. 14
Washington at Seattle                 4:30 p.m. FOX
New England at Denver 8:00 p.m. CBS

Sunday, Jan. 15
Pittsburgh at Indianapolis 1:00 p.m. CBS
Carolina at Chicago                 4:30 p.m. FOX

[patsfangr]

***** I am confident of another step toward Super Bowl XL this Saturday.

***** I believe that Tedy will be back at full speed. IMO, he could have played against Jax, if BB had seen evidence that we couldn't hold the Jags without him. But the extra rest ensures a stronger performance this week.

***** The continuing stellar play of the other rest of the front 7 fills me with confidence that we can limit even the vaunted Broncos running game enough to force more Plummer passing that they want ... and a resulting return to his "Jake The Mistake" mode. My prediction is that the big INT in this game will come from Wilson on a frustrated "heave" by Plummer, in an effort to make something happen. This will come late in the 2nd quarter, with the Pats leading by 7. At least one more INT in the 2nd half, as Plummer forces the ball into coverage.

***** On offense, I look for the return of a well-rested Corey Dillon, and the launching of the Dynamic Duo of TE's, Watson and Graham, in receiving mode together on several plays. Lots of both of them in 2-TE sets to also help Corey's running game.

***** A quick start by Brady in this one, throwing the ball to all receivers, keeping the Broncos D guessing. Screens to Faulk and Dillon will reappear to take advantage of the Broncos over zealous pass rush early. When the rush becomes controllable, we open up to the intermediate and deep routes to TEs and WRs. Huge game for Branch!

***** PREDICTION: PATRIOTS 27 - BRONCOS 20 (Not that close. Last TD for Broncos with under 2 minutes to play.)

[Head Snake]

I found this article humorous.   Enjoy - only for humor.

Taken from:
http://sports.espn.g...ge=gallo/060109

Please Kneel before Tom Brady

This column will start and end with the New England Patriots because it's the only respectful thing to do.

As you might have heard, Tom Brady claims the Patriots don't get enough respect. And I wholeheartedly agree. I mean, come on -- all the magazine covers, TV commercials, awards and constant media love the team has received over the past four years have been woefully inadequate.

That's why I want to share with you 12 simple steps I take each and every day to make sure I adequately show respect to Tom Brady and the Patriots. I hope you will incorporate them into your own daily schedule. (And it's 12 steps, of course, out of respect for Mr. Brady's uniform number.)

Twelve Ways You Can Better Respect Tom Brady and the Patriots
1. Genuflect whenever you say, read or hear the number 12. (That's four genuflections already this column. So do it. Do it! You don't want to disrespect Tom Brady, do you?! That's better.)

Tom Brady
All hail our hero, Tom Brady.
2. Refer to the current year as "Year 47," not 2006, as history did not truly begin until the Patriots organization was founded in 1960.

3. Take a life-size cardboard cutout of a New England Patriots player with you wherever you go. And be sure to include it in all of your conversations so it doesn't feel left out. It will speak back to you when you are worthy.

4. Shave clean every day. It is disrespectful of you to think you can pull off the sexy stubble look as well as Tom Brady.

5. After lovemaking, apologize to your partner for not being Tom Brady.

6. Boycott network television until every commercial features at least one member of the Patriots.

7. Petition the NFL to have all of Tom Brady's fumbles over his career stricken from the official league record book because of the tuck rule.

8. Never call it a "butt chin." It's a cleft chin. And know that gazing deep into Tom Brady's reveals the secrets of life.

9. Refuse to attend religious services until your local church/synagogue/mosque acknowledges the Patriots' playbook as a holy book on par with any other.

10. Have all of Bridget Moynahan's movies playing on a continuous loop on every television in your home. But never ever gawk or leer at her in a lustful manner. Tom Brady knows and sees all, and you will pay for such a transgression.

11. Every time you come across a baby goat, give it a long and passionate hug. Tom Brady would expect nothing less.

12. (Genuflect.) And finally, just to be safe, begin every sentence -- no matter what it's about -- with: "No disrespect to the Patriots intended, but …"

Headlines That Are Probably in Newspapers This Morning …

Pittsburgh: "Steel Curtain defense holds Carson Palmer to just one completion"

New York: "Distraught Tagliabue promises Giants 16 home games next season"

Tampa: "Laissez-faire upbringing likely to blame for Chris Simms' loss-clinching interception"

Seattle: "Seahawks shocked, overjoyed to escape first round"

Indianapolis: "Manning's miscues prove deadly in playoff loss … but it's not our Manning this time!"

Ten Things I Thought I Thought While Bathing in a Tub of Hot Coffee …
1. What an absolutely terrible break for Carson Palmer to go down like that. And I mean for me personally, because just last week I had retained him for next season in my fantasy football keeper league. Yes, yes -- it was also kind of bad for the Bengals, too. But at least they have a backup quarterback. I have nothing. And that's simply not fair.

2. After Bengals rookie receiver Chris Henry was told by the team's training staff Sunday that his injury would keep him out of the game, I wonder how long it took for him to ask someone: "So if we win and I end up being out for the rest of the season … uh, how do I ask this … does the league still test, you know, for drugs and stuff … like, for instance … marijuana, if you're on injured reserve? Not that it matters or anything. I'm just curious."

3. I am intrigued by all of the Eli Manning apologists saying: "Hey, don't forget, his brother Peyton lost his first playoff game, too." As though that's somehow supposed to make the guy feel better. It would make him feel better, perhaps, if Peyton's disappointing playoff debut had been followed by years of postseason dominance. But, if I remember correctly, that hasn't exactly happened. In fact -- and again, I might not be recalling this correctly -- but I believe Peyton has developed a bit of a reputation for the exact opposite of postseason dominance.

4. How many Giants players do you think were trying to persuade Lawrence Taylor to run from the sideline onto the field during the second half Sunday and take Eli out Theismann-style? I'll set the over-under at 12. (Genuflect.) And how much do you want to bet that Taylor came to the game only because he thought the Panthers' cheerleaders traveled with the team?

5. Regardless, if you're a Giants fan and a Madden Football gamer, you might want to look into purchasing a 60-inch HD plasma screen if you have any hope of seeing Eli's passing cone when Madden '07 comes out.

Jerome Bettis
Look at the big guy go!
6. Speaking of HD, that technology was made for moments such as the up-close, slow-motion replay of Jerome Bettis' 25-yard run down the right sideline in the fourth quarter yesterday. With regular TV, you could see his stomach fat jiggling. But in HD, you could actually see each fiber of his jersey screaming out and begging for mercy. It was stunning.

7. You have to wonder whether Pittsburgh's game plan prep for the Colts will be hurt by assistants Russ Grimm and Ken Whisenhunt interviewing this week for some open head coaching jobs. And you also have to wonder why any teams are even considering the clean-shaven Whisenhunt when Grimm already has the requisite head coach porn 'stache.

8. Fantastic new commercial for the NFL Network, the one about "getting your story straight" for the playoffs in which a fan in the preseason says: "Man, that Drew Rosenhaus … that guy knows how to manage his athletes." I can only hope that commercial aired while Terrell Owens and Rosenhaus were watching a game together this weekend. It would have been the greatest awkward silence of all time -- broken finally after a few minutes by Rosenhaus' screams from Owens beating him to death with his cell phone.

9. In all seriousness, I don't actually think Tom Brady believes the Patriots aren't respected. He's not stupid. But he uses the "no respect" line all the time because it still -- somehow -- fires up his teammates. Which makes me wonder -- if the Patriots actually believe they aren't respected by the media, they might be the dumbest collection of human beings known to man. Good football players, yes. But quite lacking in the intelligence and awareness department. That said, I might even root for them to win another ring because I know how important shiny, sparkly things are to those with lower IQs.

10. Just because I feel as though it has been a bit too long since I paid my respects: 12. (Genuflect.)

Divisional Round Previews …
Last week in this space, I not only predicted the winners of all four wild-card games correctly but nailed each of them against the spread. So, I thought I might as well try to luck out again.

Washington at Seattle
The Seahawks go up early, 17-3, and can extend their lead with a fourth-and-1 on the final play of the first half, but Shaun Alexander is stopped short of the goal line by a huge Sean Taylor loogie. Joe Gibbs' halftime decision to turn play-calling duties over to Coach Janky Spanky gets Washington's offense rolling again in the second half, but it's too little, too late: Seattle 24, Washington 20.

New England at Denver
Before kickoff, Tom Brady accuses God of disrespecting the Patriots by not adequately oxygenating the thin Denver air to the level New England has grown accustomed to. When the final gun sounds, the poor Patriots are disrespected yet again. By the scoreboard. Broncos 30, Patriots 20. (That's right, I'm sticking with the Patriots/disrespect stuff. Hey, it's no more lame than Tom Brady doing it.)

Pittsburgh at Indianapolis
On the Colts' second play from scrimmage, Steelers defensive lineman Kimo von Oelhoffen hits Peyton Manning flush across his left knee with a metal chair. The move backfires for Pittsburgh, however, as knocking Peyton Manning out of a playoff game is about the last thing an opponent should want to do. Bill Cowher's decision to go for an onside kick after every touchdown doesn't help Pittsburgh's cause either. Colts 30, Steelers 23.

Carolina at Chicago
In a contest between two evenly matched teams, the Bears have the advantage because their style is better suited to cold conditions. But more so because they can nestle deep within Kyle Orton's neck beard for warmth between series. Bears 17, Panthers 16.

And finally, God bless the New England Patriots.

DJ Gallo is a regular contributor to ESPN The Magazine, as well as the founder and sole writer of the award-winning sports satire site SportsPickle.com. He also contributes headlines to "The Onion."

[TokyoT]

Been away from Thaivisa for too long.

I am a Skins fan, and while the win against the Bucs was anything but pretty it is still a playoff win (something the Skins have been without for far too long – welcome back Mr. Gibbs).

Also something of note the Skins have aready beat Da’ Bears, and the Seahawks in regular season so there is certainly hope for the Skins - granted the regular season is not the playoffs, and both of those games were in DC and the playoff games all on the road for the Skins.  

While I would prefer to play Da’ Bears (over the Seahawks) - Da’ Bears can wait until next week.  Skins have given up far too many big rushing TD’s and Mr. Alexander is my main concern going into this weekend.  Here’s hope’n for another big stand by the Skins defense and a trip to Chicago next weekend (I can still remember Darrell Greens TD punt return in the last Bears/Skins playoff game back in ’88).  

In the AFC – It is hard to see anyone but Indy coming out alive - stranger things have happened.  The AFC is a pretty good blend of teams winning on talent (Indy), on grit (Steelers) and on system (Denver, Pats).  So for this weekend I have to go with Indy as they have more talent than the Steelers have grit (would like to see the Bus go out in different fashion), and the Pats over the Broncos as the Pats system is a proven winner and the team is about as healthy as they have been all year.

Hail to the Redskins.

[dekestone]

TokyoT, on 2006-01-10 13:37:06, said:

Also something of note the Skins have aready beat Da’ Bears, and the Seahawks in regular season so there is certainly hope for the Skins - granted the regular season is not the playoffs, and both of those games were in DC and the playoff games all on the road for the Skins.

Tokyo, my friend that was the first game of the season and the Bears were forced to start a QB who was just a few months out of college. And if I remember correctly the Bears were driving for a winning TD at the end of the game when he was intercepted. The Bears have come along way since then but of course so have the Skins. And yes I used basically the same argument to say the Bears would beat Carolina. (Although their reg season match up was much later in the season. ) Anyway Gibbs is certainly a coach to be reckoned with.

Quote

(I can still remember Darrell Greens TD punt return in the last Bears/Skins playoff game back in ’88).

Unfortunately so do I.

But you don't really want to get into a discussion of Bears-Skins history, do you? You don't want to go there!  

[danbkk1]

TokyoT,  You should be really concern with Alexandar.  (He is an MVP afterall )  While the Seahawks don't have the best defense in the world, we will get several of our secondary back as well as a healthy WRs in Jackson and Engram (spelling?). and a 12th man or homefiled advantage.  Plus this is probably the most important game for this franchise since 1984.  For the Seahawks nation it does not get better than this.

[patsfangr]

And, TT, don't make the mistake of believing that the Colts are going to walk over the Patriots because they beat them earlier in the season. See my earlier comments in this thread about that.

The Threepeat for my Patriots is very much alive!

[Head Snake]