Are You Ready for Some Football

[ixnay]

I feel so bad for the Chargers and for Marty. They should have won this and they did everything they could to outplay the patriots.

Seeing the Patriots lose big next week will help a bit, but they shouldn't have won this week.

[Zopperoni]

I just came home from the bar after watching both games there. Those were two of the better games I saw this year in terms of excitement and intensity

The Patriots had some of the ugliest drives in football history, but the dynasty rolls on into Indianapolis. I'm not too worried about the running game, Belichick will find a way to loosen up Bob Sanders for some nice gains on the ground.
It will be an interesting showdown between two QBs who haven't been that sharp in the post-season.

Sean Payton takes a top offense into Chicago where some vulnerabilities have risen in the past few games. If the Bears are to win, then Grossman needs to work on his pocket presence, because he was awful on some of the Seahawks' blitz plays.

[Wycoff]

Originally posted by Ben Kenobi
I don't see how the Pats will beat Indy at home.

Because they're the Patriots, and Manning is Manning. The Colts will lose.

[mrmitchell]

So what are the new standings?

I'm not cocky enough to do it but I would have predicted the Pats playing like a sack of turds but still making their way through. I left after the first half but the touchdown drive at the end of that abysmal two quarters was all I needed to know.

[-Jrabbit]

It's shaping up to be an interesting playoff year. The AFC championship will feature two wildcard teams, while the top two seeds will compete in the NFC.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Jaguar
That was so clutch how Brady made the defensive back fumble the interception.

Though, really, this had to happen. For Manning to get the monkey off his back, he has to beat his biggest nemesis. Steve Young had to beat the Cowboys on the way to his SuperBowl ring.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Oh, and speaking of the pick 'em game, I'm not sold on who's going to win the NFC Championship (I may wait until Saturday to pick that), but put me down for:

Indianapolis

for the AFC Champ Game. Manning beats his biggest nemesis with Vinateri coming to the light side after being a big guy on the dark side.

[reismark]

Originally posted by Wycoff
Because they're the Patriots, and Manning is Manning. The Colts will lose.

Amen, Wycoff.

New England/New Orleans is the only matchup that can really sell for the Super Bowl in terms of storyline. The NFL's modern dynasty, the Patriots - a former underdog story playing to heal the soul of a wounded nation in 2001 - takes on a team that has never played for a championship of any kind, the Saints - arguably the greatest underdog/comeback story in the NFL's history, playing to heal the body and the soul of a gravely wounded city.

That's the matchup that true football fans should be rooting for, and that's the matchup I pick for the pick'em game.

[Imran Siddiqui]

New England/New Orleans is the only matchup that can really sell for the Super Bowl in terms of storyline.

Why, what a biased view of things. Indianapolis/New Orleans will be the big storyline bonanza for the SB. The Saints are the big underdog, trying to heal their city, facing, arguably the league's best player trying to make up for years of failure in the playoffs and get that SB ring that is the one thing he does not have. And, to boot, he's an incredibly likable player and a great face for the NFL.

[-Jrabbit]

You forget to mention that Peyton's QB father, Archie Manning, spent his entire career as the face of the Saints eternally losing franchise.

There's your storyline.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by -Jrabbit
You forget to mention that Peyton's QB father, Archie Manning, spent his entire career as the face of the Saints eternally losing franchise.

There's your storyline.

Totally blanked on that... and yes, ANOTHER thing to add to the storyline.

So you have NO recovering from Katrina, Peyton Manning as one of the best QBs of all time (by the time his career is over) in his quest to get that elusive ring that has eluded him, and Archie Manning with ties to his son who plays for the Colts and the team he spent his playing days with, the Saints.

That's the winner right there... unquestionably.

[reismark]

Fine, I'll admit I'm biased. I don't like Peyton. He's overhyped to the nth degree and I've always perceived an air of arrogance around him despite his continued failures in pressure situations. As correct as he might have been about Vanderjackass, and however much Vanderjackass might have deserved it, Peyton was wrong to hang him out to dry like he did.

Plus, Peyton's done nothing to carry the Colts to this conference championship game. The reason they're here is because the Colts' D pulled two great games out of their asses, and that'll end when the Patriots come to town.

Anyway, though, I'll admit I jumped the gun and agree with you that Indy/New Orleans would sell. It's just not the matchup I'd prefer to see.

[-Jrabbit]

It's just not the matchup I'd prefer to see.

Tell me about it.
I would SO love to see the Bears rain on the New Orleans parade.

[Imran Siddiqui]

I find it interesting to hear that Peyton Manning is overhyped. If anything, I feel that people don't really appreciate how good he really is... especially considering that he runs the offense half (at least) the time.

Once he hangs 'em up, he'll be a pretty damned good Offensive Coordinator, I'd wager.

[Ned]

Bears and Patriots are going to be in the Superbowl. Mark it down.

BTW, one of the guys on the NFL Network noted that Grossman had the best QB stats of the weekend, when everyone was earlier assuring us that Grossman was the worst QB in the playoffs.

Now they are saying that Brees will clean the Bears clock on Sunday and that Grossman and the Bears don't have a chance.

We shall see.