The first weekend of the NCAA tournament is in the books. Here are some thoughts:
- Well, it seems odd to me, but my Syracuse Orange are in the Sweet 16. I don't see us getting past a solid and deep Indiana squad, but making it this far was nice.
- Georgetown might win the "Biggest Disappointment" award. They didn't show up at all, and got sent packing. This could hurt Otto Porter's draft stock, recruiting, and maybe even effect JTIII's job security if they continue to struggle so much in the NCAAs.
- The team that beat the Hoyas, of course, was Florida Gulf Coast. They have the honor of being this year's Cinderella. Sure, La Salle is still there, and Wichita State beat Gonzaga. Yet a 15-seed has never advanced to the Sweet 16. Add in that this is the team's second year playing in Division 1-A, and first NCAA Tournament appearance, and you have one of the better Cinderella stories in recent memory.
- The Big 10 (12, soon to be 14) is representing itself very well, with four of their top teams making the second weekend. These four (Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State) have looked very good so far, but not unbeatable. It will be interesting to see if one or all of them is able to make it to Atlanta and the Final Four.
- There's been a ton of talk on ESPN about how questionable some of the officiating has been. I think that the officials have been fine, but the rules (like the Flagrant 1 rule) are a bit iffy. Its not worth yelling that much about.
- Not as many buzzer beaters and close games as I would want. Also, not as many dominating performances from the big stars we have gotten to learn about over the season. Its a bit odd.
Looking ahead to Weekend #2, have have some solid matchups. The East regional is the only one where all 4 top seeds advanced. I'll be at the Verizon Center here in DC to watch Miami/Marquette and Indiana vs my Orange.
The West regional is total chaos, and should be Ohio State's for the taking. The Wichita State/La Salle game should be a lot of fun, and knowing one of those teams will be in the Elite Eight is nice.
Kanasa/Michigan highlights the South region, though all eyes will be on the FGCU Eagles against the Gators.
Then, the blue blood matchup in the Midwest of Michigan State vs Duke reminds us all that the traditional powers are still playing. Louisville's ugly new uniforms will take on Oregon, who have had very nice traditional unis so far... which is fairly amazing.
Enjoy the basketball!
Monday, March 25, 2013
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Feeling More Blue than Orange
So, I haven't written in a while because I have been angry at sports. Not all sports, mind you. Just college basketball. My Syracuse Orange have been the worst 20+ win team I have ever seen play. There is no leadership, no hustle, no consistency and no organization whatsoever. It is difficult to watch. Today, they were thwomped by Georgetown in the last ever meeting of the two teams as Big East rivals. True, my Alma Mater still wins the all-time series, 48-41. But it is a shame that we ended the rivalry with such an unworthy group of players. Honestly, aside from CJ Fair, I would like to see them all leave.
We have seniors that jack up 3s they can't make. We have a point guard who turns the ball over constantly. We have an injured center, and one with stone hands. I am unsure how this season, which appeared to have some promise early on with wins over SDSU/Arkansas/Louisville and a long home undefeated streak, came to such a catastrophic end. This makes last year's Fab-less team look like All-Americans. I guess Dion Waiters really was that good (my boy is doing things for Cleveland. Watch him sometime).
So, what is the solution? If we magically win the Big East tournament, I suppose all is forgiven. If we make it to the Sweet 16, I'd say we overachieved. I am expecting to be a 5-seed, and lose in a classic 5-12 matchup to Davidson or La Salle or a bubble team like UVA. Bring in our solid recruiting class and start over in the ACC next season. That's the only course of action. We will lose early in the tournament. It will be awful to watch, but it'll be nice to know that this group of guys will never get to wear the Orange again.
Thank God it's almost baseball season.
We have seniors that jack up 3s they can't make. We have a point guard who turns the ball over constantly. We have an injured center, and one with stone hands. I am unsure how this season, which appeared to have some promise early on with wins over SDSU/Arkansas/Louisville and a long home undefeated streak, came to such a catastrophic end. This makes last year's Fab-less team look like All-Americans. I guess Dion Waiters really was that good (my boy is doing things for Cleveland. Watch him sometime).
So, what is the solution? If we magically win the Big East tournament, I suppose all is forgiven. If we make it to the Sweet 16, I'd say we overachieved. I am expecting to be a 5-seed, and lose in a classic 5-12 matchup to Davidson or La Salle or a bubble team like UVA. Bring in our solid recruiting class and start over in the ACC next season. That's the only course of action. We will lose early in the tournament. It will be awful to watch, but it'll be nice to know that this group of guys will never get to wear the Orange again.
Thank God it's almost baseball season.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Official JFLANland Super Bowl Pick!
My pick to win this year's Super Bowl? The Baltimore Ravens, 20-17, over the 49ers.
Why, you ask?
Well, for one, I want them to win. They are a local team. They have Syracuse players (Go Arthur Jones!). I like Joe Flacco and Ray Rice. Next, they seem to be that "team of destiny" due to Ray Lewis' upcoming retirement. Finally, I'll feel very bad for John Harbaugh if Jim wins in his second year. He hasn't faced any real adversity in his coaching yet. John Harbaugh had to live an entire year knowing that he was a Lee Evans catch away from the Super Bowl last season.
Also, I don't want the 49ers to win because of what their idiot CB Chris Culliver said about homosexual players. That is just ignorance on a staggering level at this point in history.
The only way I would be truly happy with a 49ers win is if Colin Kaepernick gets hurt, and Alex Smith comes in and saves the day. He has been all class as a backup, much like Drew Bledsoe was when he got hurt and Tom Brady replaced him. I just hope he gets a chance to shine outside of his backup role. He had made such big strides last year and in the early part of this season.
So, there is it. I pick the Ravens... which means the 49ers will probably win. Sorry.
Why, you ask?
Well, for one, I want them to win. They are a local team. They have Syracuse players (Go Arthur Jones!). I like Joe Flacco and Ray Rice. Next, they seem to be that "team of destiny" due to Ray Lewis' upcoming retirement. Finally, I'll feel very bad for John Harbaugh if Jim wins in his second year. He hasn't faced any real adversity in his coaching yet. John Harbaugh had to live an entire year knowing that he was a Lee Evans catch away from the Super Bowl last season.
Also, I don't want the 49ers to win because of what their idiot CB Chris Culliver said about homosexual players. That is just ignorance on a staggering level at this point in history.
The only way I would be truly happy with a 49ers win is if Colin Kaepernick gets hurt, and Alex Smith comes in and saves the day. He has been all class as a backup, much like Drew Bledsoe was when he got hurt and Tom Brady replaced him. I just hope he gets a chance to shine outside of his backup role. He had made such big strides last year and in the early part of this season.
So, there is it. I pick the Ravens... which means the 49ers will probably win. Sorry.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
My 2013 Pro Football Hall of Fame Ballot
The Football HoF announcement is today. There are 17 finalists, 15 modern era and 2 Veteran committee. Here is my ballot for the 2013 Pro Football Hall of Fame:
1. Larry Allen, OT, Dallas Cowboys/ San Francisco 49ers
2. Curley Culp, DT, Kansas City Chiefs/ Houston Oilers/ Detroit Lions
3. Jonathan Ogden, OT, Baltimore Ravens
4. Dave Robinson, LB, Green Bay Packers/ Washington Redskins
5. Warren Sapp, DT, Tampa Bay Buccaneers/ Oakland Raiders
6. Will Shields, OG, Kansas City Chiefs
7. Michael Strahan, DE, New York Giants
Yes, an almost-entire lineman class. Why? Because they all deserve it. Culp and Robinson are the Vet committee nominees, so I assume they will get in. Allen, Ogden, Sapp and Strahan are all first ballot HoF worthy players in their first year of eligibility. Shields is the best guard of the past 2 decades. These are no-brainers.
The problem, of course, is that some of the big Hall of Fame logjams aren't fixed. I don't have Cris Carter in because there is a class size limit of 7 people. If that didn't happen, he might have gotten in by now. Bill Parcells still wouldn't be in, but he hasn't really been retired for enough years so I am fine keeping him out. Jerome Bettis will get in eventually, because there isn't another great running back coming up until Tomlinson in 4 years.
I will be surprised if the actual class is what I projected. If Ogden and Shields get in, I will be happy. Enjoy the announcement!
1. Larry Allen, OT, Dallas Cowboys/ San Francisco 49ers
2. Curley Culp, DT, Kansas City Chiefs/ Houston Oilers/ Detroit Lions
3. Jonathan Ogden, OT, Baltimore Ravens
4. Dave Robinson, LB, Green Bay Packers/ Washington Redskins
5. Warren Sapp, DT, Tampa Bay Buccaneers/ Oakland Raiders
6. Will Shields, OG, Kansas City Chiefs
7. Michael Strahan, DE, New York Giants
Yes, an almost-entire lineman class. Why? Because they all deserve it. Culp and Robinson are the Vet committee nominees, so I assume they will get in. Allen, Ogden, Sapp and Strahan are all first ballot HoF worthy players in their first year of eligibility. Shields is the best guard of the past 2 decades. These are no-brainers.
The problem, of course, is that some of the big Hall of Fame logjams aren't fixed. I don't have Cris Carter in because there is a class size limit of 7 people. If that didn't happen, he might have gotten in by now. Bill Parcells still wouldn't be in, but he hasn't really been retired for enough years so I am fine keeping him out. Jerome Bettis will get in eventually, because there isn't another great running back coming up until Tomlinson in 4 years.
I will be surprised if the actual class is what I projected. If Ogden and Shields get in, I will be happy. Enjoy the announcement!
A Missing Month of Sports
The problem with having a job is that I seem to have less time to blog. I apologize. I have missed a good amount of fairly important sports stories. Here's a quick look at some of them.
- The NFL playoffs happened. Part of my brief vacation from blogging was because of my depression over Robert Griffin III and the idiocy of the Redskins coaching staff, doctors, and practically everyone involved with the organization. I wrote on here before last year's draft that I liked RG3 so much that I hoped he wouldn't go to the Skins, because we would ruin him. Well, he is now recovering from torn knee ligaments because our coaches kept him in (or allowed him to keep himself in) for too long on one of the NFL's worst fields. You could see he was visibly in pain after that 2nd touchdown pass. With the Skins up on Seattle 14-0 at the end of the first quarter, the answer should have been to stick to the amazingly effective run game and put in the able-bodied Kirk Cousins to guide the team home. That way, you do not risk hurting RG3 even more. Shanahan and his son refused to do that, refused to give Alfred Morris the ball even though he was averaging 5 yards per carry. The 2nd-leading rusher in the NFL should never have less than 20 carries. He had 16. The Skins lost the game, the season, and (depending on how RG3 comes back from injury) possibly the future.
- My Super Bowl picks both lost on the same day. The Packers were run over by Colin Kaepernick and the Broncos fell victim to the Flacco Fling in the NFL's first Double OT game (IT WAS AWESOME). Still, those teams can hold their heads high knowing that they lost to the eventual Super Bowl representative from their conference.
- I will be writing my Super Bowl picks in another column later today.
- I will also be writing my Hall of Fame picks next, because the announcement is in an hour.
- The NHL is back. I am not that enthused because the Caps haven't looked great. I think that lockouts have a negative impact on the product, and so far the hockey I have watched has shown that.
- The NBA has become all about the Lakers, which makes it very boring considering they aren't that great of a team. The Wizards started winning again, which is nice. At least they are showing solid effort.
- The entire Manti Te'o situation is insane. But if he goes out next season and wins defensive rookie of the year, everyone will forget about it. That's all I have to say about that.
- Cuse basketball was great, but has now lost two straight. James Southerland is suspended and we don't know why. DaJuan Coleman missed today's game also, a loss at Pitt. Just get us to the tournament, and then we can see what happens.
- A snowmobiler died at the X-Games. It was a terrifying crash. I guess I understand the rush these people get from their extreme sport, but is it really worth the risk?
- Baseball is almost here. I am excited.
- A new steroid scandal has emerged, and Gio Gonzalez was named. he quickly and emphatically denied everything. The substances he was apparently linked to are not on the banned substance list, and there is still no corroborating evidence (like sales receipts or a failed test) so we will have to wait and see. The nice thing for Nats fans is that the story has now become entirely about Alex Rodriguez again, so Gio has all but been forgotten.
- The Nats bid farewell to Michael Morse, trading him back to Seattle for prospects. I was and still am very sad about this, as Morse was the heart and soul of this team. I hope that he can come back via free agency at some point, but who knows if that will happen. We love you, Beast.
That's all I got for right now.
- The NFL playoffs happened. Part of my brief vacation from blogging was because of my depression over Robert Griffin III and the idiocy of the Redskins coaching staff, doctors, and practically everyone involved with the organization. I wrote on here before last year's draft that I liked RG3 so much that I hoped he wouldn't go to the Skins, because we would ruin him. Well, he is now recovering from torn knee ligaments because our coaches kept him in (or allowed him to keep himself in) for too long on one of the NFL's worst fields. You could see he was visibly in pain after that 2nd touchdown pass. With the Skins up on Seattle 14-0 at the end of the first quarter, the answer should have been to stick to the amazingly effective run game and put in the able-bodied Kirk Cousins to guide the team home. That way, you do not risk hurting RG3 even more. Shanahan and his son refused to do that, refused to give Alfred Morris the ball even though he was averaging 5 yards per carry. The 2nd-leading rusher in the NFL should never have less than 20 carries. He had 16. The Skins lost the game, the season, and (depending on how RG3 comes back from injury) possibly the future.
- My Super Bowl picks both lost on the same day. The Packers were run over by Colin Kaepernick and the Broncos fell victim to the Flacco Fling in the NFL's first Double OT game (IT WAS AWESOME). Still, those teams can hold their heads high knowing that they lost to the eventual Super Bowl representative from their conference.
- I will be writing my Super Bowl picks in another column later today.
- I will also be writing my Hall of Fame picks next, because the announcement is in an hour.
- The NHL is back. I am not that enthused because the Caps haven't looked great. I think that lockouts have a negative impact on the product, and so far the hockey I have watched has shown that.
- The NBA has become all about the Lakers, which makes it very boring considering they aren't that great of a team. The Wizards started winning again, which is nice. At least they are showing solid effort.
- The entire Manti Te'o situation is insane. But if he goes out next season and wins defensive rookie of the year, everyone will forget about it. That's all I have to say about that.
- Cuse basketball was great, but has now lost two straight. James Southerland is suspended and we don't know why. DaJuan Coleman missed today's game also, a loss at Pitt. Just get us to the tournament, and then we can see what happens.
- A snowmobiler died at the X-Games. It was a terrifying crash. I guess I understand the rush these people get from their extreme sport, but is it really worth the risk?
- Baseball is almost here. I am excited.
- A new steroid scandal has emerged, and Gio Gonzalez was named. he quickly and emphatically denied everything. The substances he was apparently linked to are not on the banned substance list, and there is still no corroborating evidence (like sales receipts or a failed test) so we will have to wait and see. The nice thing for Nats fans is that the story has now become entirely about Alex Rodriguez again, so Gio has all but been forgotten.
- The Nats bid farewell to Michael Morse, trading him back to Seattle for prospects. I was and still am very sad about this, as Morse was the heart and soul of this team. I hope that he can come back via free agency at some point, but who knows if that will happen. We love you, Beast.
That's all I got for right now.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
The End of The Doug Marrone Era
I am sad. It is a sad day for Syracuse football fans. Our head coach, Doug Marrone, has agreed to become the new head coach for the Buffalo Bills. He is leaving. Are we happy for him? Sure. Are we miserable? You bet.
The outsiders don't understand what Marrone has meant to us. They see that he is 25-25 in 4 years at the school and are unimpressed. They see that we haven't produced that many NFL pros in recent years, though Chandler Jones is a star in the making for New England. They see a team that has won the same bowl game twice in 3 years. They don't get it.
When I got to Syracuse in 2004, our football team was coached by Paul Pasqualoni, who had coached Donovan McNabb, Dwight Freeney and others. We went 6-6 and lost to Calvin Johnson and Georgia Tech in the Champ Sports Bowl. We had the dubious honor of being the first team in NCAA history to allow 51 points in both their opener (51-0 loss to Kyle Orton and Purdue) and our bowl game (51-14 loss). We decided to replace Coach P after that year with Greg Robinson.
Under Robinson, Cuse promptly went 1-10 in 2005. Our only win came over the University at Buffalo. In '06 we won 4 games and thought, for a brief second, that our program was improving. However we only won 2 games in '07 and 3 games in '08. We were awful. We were the worst team in the Big East. Syracuse University, the school that produced Jim Brown, Art Monk, Floyd Little, Larry Csonka, Marvin Harrison and so many others, was one of the worst programs in the entire NCAA. That's what Doug Marrone, then New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator and a Syracuse alum, inherited in 2009.
So, to come into that atmosphere and culture of losing and to go to bowl games in 2 of 4 seasons is quite remarkable. He rebuilt the program into something fairly respectable. We had a team that could compete with almost any team in the country, even if we didn't win. The job he did this year, when Syracuse had one of the hardest out of conference schedules in the NCAA, was excellent. He was able to turn a 2-4 team into the 8-5 Pinstripe Bowl Champions.
Yes, we will miss Doug Marrone. We now head into a new conference without a leader. We are losing our QB, left tackle, 2 best wideouts, defensive captain, and head coach. The end of the Doug Marrone Era is coming at a terrible time for Syracuse, and a great time for Marrone. We do wish him the best, honestly. But it still stings.
Now, what will Marrone do with the Buffalo Bills? Well, they need a ton of help on both sides of the ball. Let's say that they decide to go defense with the #8 pick in the draft. They could take it on a great middle linebacker like Notre Dame's Manti Te'o. That would give them their best defender since London Fletcher left for DC. Their biggest need on offense is quarterback, and Doug Marrone's college QB may be available at the 41st pick. Could he bring Ryan Nassib in to take over from Ryan Fitzpatrick? He already knows the system, and they have playmakers in place in CJ Spiller, Stevie Johnson and Scott Chandler. To help shore up that offensive line, Marrone could bring in Justin Pugh from Syracuse, who is the #7 tackle according to ESPN. Not a bad pickup. Those are just some ideas.
Best of luck to you Doug Marrone. We wish you nothing but success. Hopefully you can take the Bills back to the promised land and make all of us fellow alumni proud.
Now... who the hell is going to coach our football team?
The outsiders don't understand what Marrone has meant to us. They see that he is 25-25 in 4 years at the school and are unimpressed. They see that we haven't produced that many NFL pros in recent years, though Chandler Jones is a star in the making for New England. They see a team that has won the same bowl game twice in 3 years. They don't get it.
When I got to Syracuse in 2004, our football team was coached by Paul Pasqualoni, who had coached Donovan McNabb, Dwight Freeney and others. We went 6-6 and lost to Calvin Johnson and Georgia Tech in the Champ Sports Bowl. We had the dubious honor of being the first team in NCAA history to allow 51 points in both their opener (51-0 loss to Kyle Orton and Purdue) and our bowl game (51-14 loss). We decided to replace Coach P after that year with Greg Robinson.
Under Robinson, Cuse promptly went 1-10 in 2005. Our only win came over the University at Buffalo. In '06 we won 4 games and thought, for a brief second, that our program was improving. However we only won 2 games in '07 and 3 games in '08. We were awful. We were the worst team in the Big East. Syracuse University, the school that produced Jim Brown, Art Monk, Floyd Little, Larry Csonka, Marvin Harrison and so many others, was one of the worst programs in the entire NCAA. That's what Doug Marrone, then New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator and a Syracuse alum, inherited in 2009.
So, to come into that atmosphere and culture of losing and to go to bowl games in 2 of 4 seasons is quite remarkable. He rebuilt the program into something fairly respectable. We had a team that could compete with almost any team in the country, even if we didn't win. The job he did this year, when Syracuse had one of the hardest out of conference schedules in the NCAA, was excellent. He was able to turn a 2-4 team into the 8-5 Pinstripe Bowl Champions.
Yes, we will miss Doug Marrone. We now head into a new conference without a leader. We are losing our QB, left tackle, 2 best wideouts, defensive captain, and head coach. The end of the Doug Marrone Era is coming at a terrible time for Syracuse, and a great time for Marrone. We do wish him the best, honestly. But it still stings.
Now, what will Marrone do with the Buffalo Bills? Well, they need a ton of help on both sides of the ball. Let's say that they decide to go defense with the #8 pick in the draft. They could take it on a great middle linebacker like Notre Dame's Manti Te'o. That would give them their best defender since London Fletcher left for DC. Their biggest need on offense is quarterback, and Doug Marrone's college QB may be available at the 41st pick. Could he bring Ryan Nassib in to take over from Ryan Fitzpatrick? He already knows the system, and they have playmakers in place in CJ Spiller, Stevie Johnson and Scott Chandler. To help shore up that offensive line, Marrone could bring in Justin Pugh from Syracuse, who is the #7 tackle according to ESPN. Not a bad pickup. Those are just some ideas.
Best of luck to you Doug Marrone. We wish you nothing but success. Hopefully you can take the Bills back to the promised land and make all of us fellow alumni proud.
Now... who the hell is going to coach our football team?
Saturday, January 5, 2013
NFL Playoffs- Wild Card Predictions
Here are my quick predictions for NFL Wild Card weekend.
Saturday:
4:30- Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans
You may remember that last year, the Bengals went into and got trounced by the Texans. Not only were they able to dominate them physically and force Andy Dalton to throw 3 interceptions, but they also allowed TJ Yates and Arian Foster to control the game tempo. There isn't any reason to think the Bengals will fair better today. First, the Texans are on a bit of a losing streak, just like they were last year. That should make them even hungrier to win. Next, we have the fact that the Bengals have never won a playoff game under coach Marvin Lewis. He could buck the trend this year, but I just don't see that happening. JJ Watt had his coming out party in this game last year, and I don't think the Bengals can stop him any better this season. If the Texans are able to come out and once again establish Foster and that running game as a consistent threat, they should be able to win. Of course, if they try to sling it all over the field and ignore the running game, everything could change. Still, give me Houston at home, 24-21.
8:30- Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers
The Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field will be just that tonight- frozen. The forecast has Green Bay at a chilly 26 degrees at kickoff, with flurries and a windchill that makes it feel like 15. Not exactly the best weather for a dome team to play in. Still, the Vikings have Adrian Peterson, who seems to be able to dominate an opponents defense in any conditions. The real key to this game is if the Packers D can stop AD, and if Christian Ponder can take advantage of 8 or 9 men in the box defensive fronts. This one could be another squeaker, just like last week in the MetroDome. But I think the home field advantage, the inexperience of Ponder, and the pure QB awesomeness that is Aaron Rodgers will be a little too much for Minnesota. The Pack are 7-1 at home, and the Vikings only 3-5 on the road. I think Peterson will get over 150 yards rushing, but the Packers will win in fairly dominant fashion, 31-17.
Sunday:
1:30- Indianapolis Colts at Baltimore Ravens
I like the Ravens a lot. They are close to where I live, a model franchise that I wish the Redskins would try to emulate a little more, and they draft Syracuse players. But there is something about these Colts that is impossible not to root for. Andrew Luck has been an amazing leader, and is one of the best late game QBs in the league already. They entire Chuck Pagano situation makes them the best story in the league. Also, because everything has to be about Cuse, they have my boy Dwight Freeney. The Ravens limped into the playoffs, while the Colts dominated the Texans in their last game. What will be the difference? Ray Lewis. Not even his play in the game, but his presence. This week, Lewis announced that this playoff run will be his last, retiring at the end of the season. I can't see the rest of his teammates, much less the city of Baltimore, allowing him to lose in his last home game. Give me the Ravens in a close one, 17-14.
4:30- Seattle Seahawks at Washington Redskins
This will be a battle of running games and rookie QBs. Marshawn Lynch vs Alfred Morris. Russel Wilson vs Robert Griffin III. Not the best passing offenses in the league, and both defenses have been playing well recently (though Seattle's has been much better the entire season). The Redskins last two playoff games? Losses to Seattle in Seattle. I am not sure if the home field advantage will help. Last time the Hawks went across the country, they hung 50 in the Bills. I am not sure that the Skins' secondary can keep track of Sidney Rice and Golden Tate all day. I am not sure how healthy RG3 is, and what those huge Seattle defenders might do to him if they catch his blindside. But, since I live in the DC metro area, since I am a Redskins fan, and since I am afraid the Skins hoodie I am wearing might strangle me if I say they will lose, I have to pick them. Third time is a charm, and the Redskins advance 23-20.
Enjoy the games!
Saturday:
4:30- Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans
You may remember that last year, the Bengals went into and got trounced by the Texans. Not only were they able to dominate them physically and force Andy Dalton to throw 3 interceptions, but they also allowed TJ Yates and Arian Foster to control the game tempo. There isn't any reason to think the Bengals will fair better today. First, the Texans are on a bit of a losing streak, just like they were last year. That should make them even hungrier to win. Next, we have the fact that the Bengals have never won a playoff game under coach Marvin Lewis. He could buck the trend this year, but I just don't see that happening. JJ Watt had his coming out party in this game last year, and I don't think the Bengals can stop him any better this season. If the Texans are able to come out and once again establish Foster and that running game as a consistent threat, they should be able to win. Of course, if they try to sling it all over the field and ignore the running game, everything could change. Still, give me Houston at home, 24-21.
8:30- Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers
The Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field will be just that tonight- frozen. The forecast has Green Bay at a chilly 26 degrees at kickoff, with flurries and a windchill that makes it feel like 15. Not exactly the best weather for a dome team to play in. Still, the Vikings have Adrian Peterson, who seems to be able to dominate an opponents defense in any conditions. The real key to this game is if the Packers D can stop AD, and if Christian Ponder can take advantage of 8 or 9 men in the box defensive fronts. This one could be another squeaker, just like last week in the MetroDome. But I think the home field advantage, the inexperience of Ponder, and the pure QB awesomeness that is Aaron Rodgers will be a little too much for Minnesota. The Pack are 7-1 at home, and the Vikings only 3-5 on the road. I think Peterson will get over 150 yards rushing, but the Packers will win in fairly dominant fashion, 31-17.
Sunday:
1:30- Indianapolis Colts at Baltimore Ravens
I like the Ravens a lot. They are close to where I live, a model franchise that I wish the Redskins would try to emulate a little more, and they draft Syracuse players. But there is something about these Colts that is impossible not to root for. Andrew Luck has been an amazing leader, and is one of the best late game QBs in the league already. They entire Chuck Pagano situation makes them the best story in the league. Also, because everything has to be about Cuse, they have my boy Dwight Freeney. The Ravens limped into the playoffs, while the Colts dominated the Texans in their last game. What will be the difference? Ray Lewis. Not even his play in the game, but his presence. This week, Lewis announced that this playoff run will be his last, retiring at the end of the season. I can't see the rest of his teammates, much less the city of Baltimore, allowing him to lose in his last home game. Give me the Ravens in a close one, 17-14.
4:30- Seattle Seahawks at Washington Redskins
This will be a battle of running games and rookie QBs. Marshawn Lynch vs Alfred Morris. Russel Wilson vs Robert Griffin III. Not the best passing offenses in the league, and both defenses have been playing well recently (though Seattle's has been much better the entire season). The Redskins last two playoff games? Losses to Seattle in Seattle. I am not sure if the home field advantage will help. Last time the Hawks went across the country, they hung 50 in the Bills. I am not sure that the Skins' secondary can keep track of Sidney Rice and Golden Tate all day. I am not sure how healthy RG3 is, and what those huge Seattle defenders might do to him if they catch his blindside. But, since I live in the DC metro area, since I am a Redskins fan, and since I am afraid the Skins hoodie I am wearing might strangle me if I say they will lose, I have to pick them. Third time is a charm, and the Redskins advance 23-20.
Enjoy the games!
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