Sunday, January 06, 2008
NFL Wild Card Weekend, part II
At 14-13 Redskins yesterday, the Clarion was feeling pretty confident about our predictions. When the Redskins recovered the muffed kickoff deep in Seahawks territory it looked like everything was breaking their way. Then a colossal turnaround, a missed field goal, a couple of pick sixes and it was a blowout, game over, season over. Seattle's defense looked very quick.
Jacksonville allowed Pittsburgh to creep back into the game late in the fourth quarter last night, but Pittsburgh never looked confident. Coach Mike Tomlin panicked and went for two points way too early (and from the 12 yard line.) They had no running game. For Jacksonville, when all the chips were stacked on the table, they turned to ECU alum David Garrard. On 4th down and the season, he took off on the QB draw, sneaking through holes, breaking tackles and landing on the Pittsburgh 11 yard line, setting up Josh Scobee to kick the game winning field goal. It is not often a team wins a playoff game when their quarterback only hits nine of twenty-one pass attempts, but Jacksonville did.
So the Clarion was one and one.
We knew picking two road teams was risky. Today we are going with the home favorites. Though like the rest of the sports universe, we were very pleased that the Giants elected not to roll over and play dead against the Patriots last week, they suffered the injuries that they had feared. They lost starting center Shaun O'Hara. This can only hurt turnover machine Eli Manning. He had lost seven fumbles this year with his starting center healthy. Manning not only is a fumbler, but tied for the league lead in interceptions with 20. The other two quarterbacks who through 20 INTs this season are sitting at home this week. Manning, though still a kid, has come up small in the playoffs twice already. Across the way in Tampa Bay, veteran signal caller Jeff Garcia has a history of playoff success. He beat these same Giants in the playoffs last year with the Eagles.
The Bucs also have a significant edge in the coaching department. At the Clarion we like and respect Tom Coughlin. He seems like a guy who wants to do things the right way. He has been handed a team and locker room filled with ego and self promoters, yet led the Giants to the playoffs three straight years. Coughlin lost Hall of Fame running back Tiki Barber, who was constantly undermining his authority, and still took this squad to the playoffs. But the bottom line is, he is no John Gruden. Gruden is one of, if not the best X and O mind in the NFL. Two weeks of resting his starters to prepare and scheme is a ton for Gruden. We all remember how he destroyed the Raiders in the Super Bowl, simply because he knew their offense even better than they did. This may be a low scoring, close to the vest game, but the Clarion likes the Bucs.
In the late game, the Clarion would love to pick Tennessee. Everyone and their mother, thinks Norv Turner is an awful coach. The Clarion thinks he hasn't been in a good situation yet. We are willing to concede that Jeff Fisher is a far better coach. But it appears that the Titans spent all of their energy making the playoffs. They enter this game awfully beat up. There are questions whether starting running back, USC alum, and former Reggie Bush backfield mate, LenDale White can play. Even if he does play, he will not be 100%, neither will quarterback Vince Young.
The rational pick is the Chargers. LD is an MVP calibre running back. Philip Rivers is an efficient signal caller, and a coach's son. Chargers tight end Antonio Gates may be the best athlete on the field. (Remember Vince Young is limping on a bad quad.) Although, we like the Tennessee defense and think Keith Bullock is a superb linebacker, the Chargers still have more athletes on the defensive side of the ball, too. They have a defensive player of the year, knock out specialist, Shawn Merriman. They have the league leader in interceptions, Antonio Cromartie. They have excellent talent on the defensive line, too, led by defensive ends Igor Olshanksy and Luis Castillo.
The bottom line is the Chargers are healthier and have too much talent. Just like the Clarion thought, despite all the reservations folks had about Norv Turner, there was no way the Chargers wouldn't win the AFC West, the same holds for this playoff game. They have too much for the banged up Titans today. They will outlast them. All that said, we still would lay down any of our hard earned Benjamin's to bet against Vince Young.
Jacksonville allowed Pittsburgh to creep back into the game late in the fourth quarter last night, but Pittsburgh never looked confident. Coach Mike Tomlin panicked and went for two points way too early (and from the 12 yard line.) They had no running game. For Jacksonville, when all the chips were stacked on the table, they turned to ECU alum David Garrard. On 4th down and the season, he took off on the QB draw, sneaking through holes, breaking tackles and landing on the Pittsburgh 11 yard line, setting up Josh Scobee to kick the game winning field goal. It is not often a team wins a playoff game when their quarterback only hits nine of twenty-one pass attempts, but Jacksonville did.
So the Clarion was one and one.
We knew picking two road teams was risky. Today we are going with the home favorites. Though like the rest of the sports universe, we were very pleased that the Giants elected not to roll over and play dead against the Patriots last week, they suffered the injuries that they had feared. They lost starting center Shaun O'Hara. This can only hurt turnover machine Eli Manning. He had lost seven fumbles this year with his starting center healthy. Manning not only is a fumbler, but tied for the league lead in interceptions with 20. The other two quarterbacks who through 20 INTs this season are sitting at home this week. Manning, though still a kid, has come up small in the playoffs twice already. Across the way in Tampa Bay, veteran signal caller Jeff Garcia has a history of playoff success. He beat these same Giants in the playoffs last year with the Eagles.
The Bucs also have a significant edge in the coaching department. At the Clarion we like and respect Tom Coughlin. He seems like a guy who wants to do things the right way. He has been handed a team and locker room filled with ego and self promoters, yet led the Giants to the playoffs three straight years. Coughlin lost Hall of Fame running back Tiki Barber, who was constantly undermining his authority, and still took this squad to the playoffs. But the bottom line is, he is no John Gruden. Gruden is one of, if not the best X and O mind in the NFL. Two weeks of resting his starters to prepare and scheme is a ton for Gruden. We all remember how he destroyed the Raiders in the Super Bowl, simply because he knew their offense even better than they did. This may be a low scoring, close to the vest game, but the Clarion likes the Bucs.
In the late game, the Clarion would love to pick Tennessee. Everyone and their mother, thinks Norv Turner is an awful coach. The Clarion thinks he hasn't been in a good situation yet. We are willing to concede that Jeff Fisher is a far better coach. But it appears that the Titans spent all of their energy making the playoffs. They enter this game awfully beat up. There are questions whether starting running back, USC alum, and former Reggie Bush backfield mate, LenDale White can play. Even if he does play, he will not be 100%, neither will quarterback Vince Young.
The rational pick is the Chargers. LD is an MVP calibre running back. Philip Rivers is an efficient signal caller, and a coach's son. Chargers tight end Antonio Gates may be the best athlete on the field. (Remember Vince Young is limping on a bad quad.) Although, we like the Tennessee defense and think Keith Bullock is a superb linebacker, the Chargers still have more athletes on the defensive side of the ball, too. They have a defensive player of the year, knock out specialist, Shawn Merriman. They have the league leader in interceptions, Antonio Cromartie. They have excellent talent on the defensive line, too, led by defensive ends Igor Olshanksy and Luis Castillo.
The bottom line is the Chargers are healthier and have too much talent. Just like the Clarion thought, despite all the reservations folks had about Norv Turner, there was no way the Chargers wouldn't win the AFC West, the same holds for this playoff game. They have too much for the banged up Titans today. They will outlast them. All that said, we still would lay down any of our hard earned Benjamin's to bet against Vince Young.
Labels: NFL, Predictions, sports
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