How great are the NFL playoffs?\u00a0 Fantastic!\u00a0 Actually, I was thinking of what my favorite sports weekends of the year are (sounds like a nice topic for Tuesday’s Top Twelve), and I am not exactly sure where this one falls, but it could be as high as #3.\u00a0 For me, number 1 is obviously the first two round of the NCAA Tournament, and #2 is next weekend with the Divisional Round, but after those two there are a handul (including this one) that are in the mix.\u00a0 Either way, this is great.\u00a0 And, with an Eagles game (as the nightcap), it makes it that much more intriguing (and nerve-racking).\u00a0 Anyway, here are a couple observations about the “other 3” games.<\/p>\n
New Orleans at Seattle<\/em> Jets at Colts Ravens at Chiefs Let’s recap:\u00a0 All four losses were 5 points or less.\u00a0 In all four losses, the Ravens led with less than 5 minutes to go.\u00a0 In three of them, they led in the FINAL MINUTE.\u00a0 Three of the losses were to playoff teams, including one each to the top two seeds in the AFC.\u00a0 Three of the losses were on the road, including one on a Thursday night in Atlanta.\u00a0 In other words, it is not a stretch to say that this team was a play or two away from the #1 seed in the AFC.\u00a0 Plus, they have three road playoff wins in the past two years.\u00a0 My Pick:\u00a0 Baltimore 20 – Kansas City 10.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" How great are the NFL playoffs?\u00a0 Fantastic!\u00a0 Actually, I was thinking of what my favorite sports weekends of the year are (sounds like a nice topic for Tuesday’s Top Twelve), and I am not exactly sure where this one falls, … Continue reading
\n<\/strong><\/span>It is interesting to listen to public opinion about games like this swing so strongly back and forth.\u00a0 At first, everyone was saying that this won’t even be a game.\u00a0 Then, people starting trying to talk themselves into thinking that the Seahawks have a chance here.\u00a0 “The 12th man is so good in Seattle.”\u00a0 “The Saints have been struggling recently.”\u00a0 “Chris Ivory and Malcolm Jenkins are big losses for New Orleans.”\u00a0 “Hasselbeck is back and he is a very experienced quarterback.”\u00a0 Yes, all of those thing are true.\u00a0 Do you know what else is true?\u00a0 The Seahawks stink<\/em>.\u00a0 Like, honestly, this isn’t just a 7-9 team…this is a BAD 7-9 team.\u00a0 They went 7-9 against a really bad schedule.\u00a0 They lost all nine games by AT LEAST 15 points.\u00a0 They’ve been outscored by almost 100 points this year.\u00a0 They have one of the worst offenses and one of the worst defenses in the NFL.\u00a0 If they had lost to St. Louis on Sunday night (a close win at home against another bad team), they would have had the #6 pick in the draft.\u00a0 NUMBER SIX!\u00a0 They stink.\u00a0 My Pick:\u00a0\u00a0New Orleans 31 – Seattle 10<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n<\/em><\/strong><\/span>This is a \u00a0pretty juicy primetime matchup on Saturday night.\u00a0 I am not really all that sold on the Jets D this year, but I think the Colts are completely banged up.\u00a0 It is so hard to pick against\u00a0Peyton Manning, but it it not hard to\u00a0pick for\u00a0any Ryan.\u00a0 I think the Colts are probably just too banged up.\u00a0 Let us not forget that the Jets had a tough schedule and won 11 games.\u00a0 The Colts, on the other hand, were in a surprisingly disappointing division, and had to fight and claw to 10 wins.\u00a0 Plus, I don’t think this Jets team is intimidated by anyone.\u00a0 I am not a Sanchez fan, but I like the\u00a0Jets to win tonight.\u00a0 My Pick:\u00a0\u00a0N.Y.Jets 20 – Indianapolis 17<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n<\/span><\/em><\/strong>No matter what happens on Sunday, Chiefs fans have to be really happy with their team’s 2010 season.\u00a0 To come back from back-to-back top 5\u00a0draft spots to win a\u00a0pretty decent\u00a0AFC West and get a home\u00a0playoff game is\u00a0quite an accomplishment.\u00a0 This might be tough for the Ravens to swallow, though, as they finished 12-4 and have to settle for a\u00a0road playoff game in a brutally tough place to win.\u00a0 And, let us take a quick look at the Ravens season and\u00a0see how close they were\u00a0to putting themselves in a much different\u00a0position.\u00a0 They won twelve games, including\u00a0the Jets and Steelers on the road and the Saints at home.\u00a0\u00a0And, here were\u00a0their four losses:<\/p>\n\n