Playoffs: 1-3 (1-0)
SAINTS 9-7 (0-2) -7 over Cardinals 8-9 (5-3)
Shockey TDs +1.5 over Warner TDs
While they certainly have shown they know how to win this season, the New Orleans Saints haven’t won a football game in over a month. The first drive will set the pace of the game. I’d love for the Saints to open the game up with a play action pass looking deep. Arizona’s defense faces a difficult opponent in Drew Brees and would love for the Saints to help them out with some penalties early on. Jeremy Shockey returns to the field for the Saints- who are 13-0 with Shockey. The Saints have one on the highest scoring defenses in football. The Cardinals showed that they are vulnerable with a lead, and I think they will let this game get out of hand too fast. I’m expecting a collection of Sports Center catches for Shockey and a decisive New Orleans victory. The NFC Coach of the Year is the winner of this game, in my opinion.
Ravens 11-5 (5-3) +6.5 over COLTS 5-11 (2-3)
Manning TDs -1.5 over Flacco TDs
The Ravens are the more physical team and have the advantage on both lines of scrimmage. They have the best remaining running game in the playoffs and should not be receiving 6.5 points to a team that’s won only 7 of their 16 games by a margin of 4.5 all season without playing a team that ranked higher than Baltimore in my end of season power rankings. The Ravens will get the help from the defense they need to allow the offense to pound away. I like Baltimore with the money line that can be found at anything up to 9/4 but feel that Peyton Manning is always a threat to win a game late.
It’s worth mentioning that while Favre and Romo have been criticized for many of their late season performances, the biggest drop in performance I’ve seen this season has been from Peyton Manning. Through the first half of the season, Manning quarterbacked eight games and had zero multi-interception performances. In the second half of the season, Manning played six full games and had four multi-interception performances. Admittedly, he made up for the interceptions in all four of those games, but Baltimore is less forgiving. As this great article by The Onion did, just ask Tom Brady.
VIKINGS 5-11 (2-3) -2.5 over Cowboys 9-8 (5-2)
Favre TDs -2.5 over Romo TDs
This game features the two most balanced offenses in the remaining field of the playoffs squaring off against two very worthy defenses. The Cowboys have regained their swagger after finally becoming a run-first offense. They bring their running game into a dome one day away from having three months without allowing 10 points allowed a defense, led by the two best run-stuffing defensive tackles in football. It’s a bad matchup for Dallas’s offense. On the other side of the ball, the Vikings will do to the Cowboys what both teams have done to opponents. A successful ground game will open up the field for Brett Favre who will finally get his first win over Dallas. The Vikings haven’t won a home game by anything less than 20 over the past two months. If only they could play Arizona…
CHARGERS 10-6 (3-1) -7.5 over Jets 7-10 (1-1)
Mark Sanchez: INTs +1.5 over TDs
Rex Ryan has done a remarkable job making the New York Jets into the most successful team in the AFC East. That said, he takes their top ranked defense across the country into San Diego against the only team with a longer winning streak than the Cleveland Browns. Sanchez and Greene were remarkable against Cincinnati but face significantly more pressure from a San Diego offense loaded with many more weapons on offense than the Bengals. The Chargers will put up at least 30 points and win this game by double digits.
Finally, I’d like to make a quick note on the Rooney Rule. I’m not a fan of the Rooney Rule because it rewards the worst people involved with it, on the owner’s end. Look at the following table:
| Team Needs to fill a Position | With Rooney Rule | Without Rooney Rule |
| Minority best candidate without Question | Hired by first team that wants him | Hired if owner is not prejudiced/ passed over if owner is |
| Minority maybe best candidate for position… not necessarily | Best candidate hired unless owner is prejudiced- stellar Minority candidate risks wasting time with someone | Best candidate hired by non-prejudiced owners; prejudiced owners limited in their candidates |
| Best candidate for position is clearly not a minority | Both parties time is wasted | It is unlikely that the minority will be considered |
I’m not saying that minorities can’t coach or assemble a football team. My two favorite off the field members of the New York Giants football team would have to be General Manager Jerry Reese and new Defensive Coordinator Perry Fewell. The Rooney rule serves only the owners who are too pigheaded to help their team in the best way. If the league is in a position that the rule is necessary- if some owners really would not consider hiring a non-white male, then the rule wastes the time of some qualified individuals who would be better served concentrating on the teams that would consider them.
Final Note- the NFC should be heavily favored in the Super Bowl
No comments:
Post a Comment