pigskin: NFL Divisional Playoffs

considering the craptastic predictions i made last week, i have no qualms making another post on the matter. of the four games, i only got the Jets winning, and that's because of homerism, and not even the right margin. in my defense, in the other three games i was going conservative and probably leaned more towards convention (well, except Dallas). am sure more than half of so-called sports journalists also got it all wrong. at the end of the day, its my blog and i'll crap if i want to.

Cardinals at Saints
this is the first i'm-kinda-torn-here-situation in the divisional round, where i have my Madden 10 team versus the team i pick to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. apparently, Mister Grocery Bag Boy isn't ready to hang up his cleats yet, and barring an early injury (hey there, Colt McCoy), the Cardinals look to be in their second shootout in 7 days. the Saints took some heat for their three losses after teasing us with an unbeaten season, and now the fire in their belly should be back. let's say their offenses cancel each other out. now its up to the defenses and who can cause and capitalize on turnovers. which again, doesn't really give us anything definite. ay-yah!
stupid projection: Saints 40, Cardinals 37

Ravens at Colts
with one Manning brother left alone in the playoffs, its time for the plucky Ravens, fresh off their demolition of the Belichick Patriots, to knock off another of last decade's powerhouses. plus you can say they have to win this for their marching band, left behind in Baltimore when the original Colts packed up and moved to Indianapolis. if you watched that ESPN 30 for 30 episode, you'd know what i'm talking about.
stupid projection: Ravens 35, Colts 33

Jets at Chargers
and here's the second of my who-do-i-root-for dilemmas, as i will be wearing my Jets onfield knit hat all week, but when at home, i have those warm fluffy Chargers slipons for my feet. Chargers better be warned though - the Jets are primed to KILL. well, at least in accordance to the world of KSK.
stupid projection: Chargers 24, Jets 20

Cowboys at Vikings
the old gunslinger versus the new one. Peter King will spontaneously combust, especially when these two hug each other before and/or after the game. that's all i'm gonna say. ok, maybe not. it's time for the new gunslinger to send the old one off into the sunset, or else am still calling him Tony Homo.
stupid projection: Cowboys 34, Vikings 31

pigskin: NFL wild card weekend

that 17 weeks just blew by us, didn't they? now a cold snap has taken hold of the whole US of A, and that's totally depressing except for the part that it's time for the best football of the season.

Jets at Bengals
the Jets should exercise caution, despite Rex Ryan's claiming the mantle of favorites. Cincy is favored by 3 based on current lines, and that may as well be the final difference. they kept their cards close to the vest in the final game of the season, roll out a solid D, and have the home crowd on their side, which will no doubt be fired up in memory of Chris Henry. on the Jets' side, its a bit scary to rely on shaky rookie QB Mark Sanchez to win a road game in January. they can run, but you can't be one-dimensional in the playoffs. i'll be a homer of course, but i won't be stunned if they get mauled by the Bengals.
stupid projection: Jets 20, Cincinnati 17

Eagles at Cowboys
i sure hope the Eagles faked out the 'Boys last week, because this is a rematch and it would be humiliating to fall again to their hated NFC East rival. i prefer a knockdown, drag out fight, or a high-scoring can-you-top-this affair. Philly certainly has the horses for that. wait, what i really want is another Romo meltdown. oh please, please, please, football gods.
stupid projection: Eagles 28, Cowboys 27

Ravens at Patriots
the Patriots' luster has faded over recent years - Spygate, Bill Belichick's off-field shenanigans, 18-1, 4th and 2 - and their success arc this decade sort of mirrors the national leadership in the same timeline. consider: they rose to prominence after 9/11, winning three Super Bowls as the Republicans consolidated their power and started a couple of wars and named their playbook to control the American public - what else - the Patriot Act, then nosedived to Earth with allegations of cheating, and culminated with a humiliating loss in Super Bowl XLII that ruined their perfect season. wait, it actually culminated when golden boy Tom Brady blew his knee the season thereafter. okay, maybe it hasn't culminated yet, but the Pats have not been back to the Promised Land since Obama took office and the USA rehabbed its image to the world. will this year be different and buck the trend? (note: reliable slot receiver and All-American white boy Wes Welker is currently preparing to sue Bernard Pollard) not if the Ravens and Stabby McStabby say different. Joe Flacco needs to dial back to his 2008-09 playoff self. but to whom is he gonna throw to? Vegas says the Pats are favored by 3.5. oh well.
stupid projection: Patriots 33, Ravens 24

Packers at Cardinals
i've been playing the Cardinals for so long on Madden 10, that its automatic i'll be rooting for them here. their 10-6 finish isn't that impressive and they've been mostly average statistically. certainly a far cry from the rampaging team i guided in Madden. anyhoo, the Packers have quietly begun to come together and won 7 out of their last 8 heading to this weekend. it would certainly be exciting to watch them exact revenge on Brett Favre later down the line for the two losses he inflicted on them in the regular season. which means they need to survive an indoor battle. that shouldn't be a problem for the Lambeau gang. and oh, since the 'Madden curse' already knocked Troy Polamalu (and the Steelers) out of the playoffs, Larry Fitzgerald got lucky so far, but who knows?
stupid projection: Packers 31, Cardinals 28

this should be the last SuperBowl i'll be watching ...

... in my 6-year old, 27-inch, past-its-warranty, already-has-a-humming-sound, non-HDTV.


the foolish prediction: Arizona 24, Pittsburgh 20

red tide

congratulations, Kurt Warner, God's Quarterback, for getting to your 3rd SuperBowl!

now, c'mon Steelers, git yo ass over here!

who ya got?

Bazooka Joe or Big Ben?


God's Quarterback or X-Chunky Soup?



idiot predictions (barring injuries to key players):

Pittsburgh 20, Baltimore 16
Arizona 24, Philadelphia 17

home disadvantage

three Carolina turnovers lead to 27 unanswered Arizona points. and we still have a half to go. gambling man now reaches for the gun.

update:
that's it. Panthers can't overcome a 26-point deficit. Jake Delhomme's 5 interceptions is damning. i hope it doesn't cost John Fox his job.