Wildcard Weekend Trash

bmaz was going to put Trash together, but got distracted by the tragic craziness happening in his state. So until he does something more substantive, here’s what I’ve picked in this weekend’s games:

NO-SEA: I’m gonna be stupid and pick the home team, the worst playoff team ever. Just a feeling I’m already beginning to regret watching the opening drive.

NYJ-Indy: Peyton Manning. Home game. Gotta go Peyton. (Grumble grumble.)

Baltimore-KC: KC is a surprisingly good team, but not consistent. So I gotta go with the Ravens.

GB-Philly: I have a gut feel that Vick is not 100%, maybe not even 90%. And Green Bay’s D has been looking pretty damned good of late. So I pick the Packers.

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  1. lawordisorder says:

    Packers and manning ay?…..

    i can go with that…..

    Anyway hows life been treating you girl? hanging in there….got my own FDL blog now…might give you a few pointer along the way..if you all keep in mind im a little dislectic and im writting in NOT my native tung…and been quite busy since last time…but you know that girl..from twitter

    anyway just my five cents worth

    Here at the coffeemaker the bit about something stronger than plain water and coffee have been lets say lacking……

    …have a nice day t004r

  2. randiego says:

    Craziness in Arizona ruining what was projected to be a great day in sports… I’m so fucking mad I could spit. Motherfuckers.

    … so then

    I hope the Jets lose. But, if they win, the 3rd-round pick the Chargers got for Antonio Cromartie will turn into a 2nd-rounder. So there’s that.

    Very disappointed that my team didn’t make the tournament, with what appears to be a somewhat weak field, where the strongest team is a team that the Chargers dominated back in October.

    Sea-eagles staying in this… 17-17!

  3. Mauimom says:

    Seattle -31, NO – 20 at this moment. This game is surprising.

    I want the Jets to win because I’m in love with Mark Sanchez. Add him to the list that includes Jesse L. Martin, Matthew Morrison and a few others.

    • croghan27 says:

      As usual, emptywheel ….. you hit the clown on the nose ….. it looks like Seattke has returned to the form that squeeked them into the playoffs, and Na’lines to the form that won them a Superbowl.

      Even if Bush is off taking a pee break – they are dropping Hasselbeck’s passes like they contain a toxin.

  4. phred says:

    I know I’ve been away for awhile and not entirely keeping up with current events, but can anyone explain to me how the team with the worst record in NFL playoff history is winning this game?

    I’m dead last in my football pool this year, so clearly I am cursed, but fwiw I went with the Aints, Jets, KC, and the Pack.

    • ackack says:

      You’ve heard of On Any Given Sunday?

      Well, it’s Saturday, but it’s still as sweet to this Seattle homeboy

      • phred says:

        You mean the Al Pacino movie??? ; )

        Seriously, good luck to your hometown team. There is nothing sweeter than watching your team win a big upset in the playoffs!

    • emptywheel says:

      You now that whole “D wins championships” thing?

      Seattle had theirs actually playing, NOLA did not.

      And Hasselback had a great game.

      And I think Carroll’s getting back into the swing of pro coaching.

      • phred says:

        You now that whole “D wins championships” thing?

        Yep. And so does Baltimore ; )

        KC on the other hand is still learning…

  5. randiego says:

    I’ve always admired the stadium they have in Seattle… fans right on top of the field – very loud, very hard for the road team. But this is pretty surprising.

  6. bobschacht says:

    Anyone notice the large selection of hand gestures Peyton Manning uses before calling the snap? Just wondering if any of them have any actual semantic content, or whether, y’know, he’s just expressing himself or something.

    Bob in AZ

    • croghan27 says:

      Saw an rticle that asked him if all the things hw says at the line mean anything. He said most of them are just junk …. often the first thing he says will indicate to ignore everything until the third thing he says. So belizabub, green 47-A indicate only 47-A …. he makes up terms and stops to point at some member of the opposition to make them think he is communicating something.

      • emptywheel says:

        He used to use verbal signals, but does more hand signals now. That may be because Tony Dungy revealed what some of them meant on NBC.

        But yes, from a linguistic standpoint, the semantics are fascinating.

    • croghan27 says:

      Just chant to yourself:

      “December 8: 45 – 3,

      December 8; 45 – 3”

      as you drop off to sleep.

      • bmaz says:

        And then remember Sanchez has grown a lot since then and the Jets have Jim Leonard, who is the glue and general of their whole defense, back and healthy now.

    • randiego says:

      Hah hah, no way. NO WAY the Jets beat the Pats. The Jets could barely beat Peyton and his cast of unknowns.

      The good news is the Bolts just upgraded the Cromartie compensatory pick from 3rd to 2nd. Sweet.

  7. cregan says:

    I loved the Seattle game. The run at the end topped it off. Brees made a lot of passes, but the rest of Saints weren’t on their game today.

  8. emptywheel says:

    Btw, I shouldn’t complain. Yeah! Peyton is gone, Peyton is gone!!

    (When was the last year that both Manning boys were done this early in the year?)

  9. emptywheel says:

    Btw, if my math is correct, the last time a Manning brother was not in the divisional round was 02-03, when the Jets eliminated the Colts in the Wild Card round.

  10. readerOfTeaLeaves says:

    I’d like to say something about the SeaSquawks, but just learned of today’s news in Arizona.
    Honestly, I’ve dreaded something like this event, given the corrosiveness of some of the filth fest on media (not that Murdock will ever take any responsibility…)

    Condolences to bmaz and AZers; listening to the sheriff’s comments about the dangers of hate radio and its effects on the wider society. Eloquent.
    So very, very sorry.

  11. Petrocelli says:

    GO COLTS !

    From up here, it looked like the Refs blew a coupla interference calls on the Colts’ last drive …

    I’ll take the Pack & Iggles on Sunday’s dance card.

  12. Linnaeus says:

    Who dat??!!!??? Who dat??!!!??? That’s the airport taxi taking Nawlins home….with a loss!

    Woo!!!!!

  13. Oskie says:

    If the Seahawks had played that well during the regular season they might have made the playoffs. Oh. Wait… never mind.

  14. rosalind says:

    sorry to go grim in trash talk, but: Daughter of Dodgers scout killed in Tucson shooting

    “The 9-year-old daughter of Dodgers scout John Green was among the six people killed in the Saturday shooting in which Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was critically injured…She was the granddaughter of Dallas Green, who managed the Philadelphia Phillies to the 1980 World Series championship…She was a second baseman on her Little League team — the only girl on the team, according to the Star.”

        • phred says:

          I loved those years, too, and had the old man had the good sense to know when to hang up his cleats, perhaps I would be better about respecting my elders ; )

          Er, “elder” in football years ; )

        • john in sacramento says:

          Sure he did

          I’m not Carnac the Magnificent, and I didn’t stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. But I didn’t think he planned to come back this year until the guys went to pick him up. The indicator to me was the fact that he only threw passes to the HS kids once or twice. He did come back, but it was for the team

          That said. I’m temporary playoff Packer fan. Go Pack Go

        • phred says:

          There is a case to be made that the multi-year waffle-fest did not burnish the Geezer’s legacy (clearly, that case is hotly debated), but I will concede that this past season he came back for Chilly.

        • bmaz says:

          He tried this year, but it went bad. I think far less of the total fault is with Favre than is commonly let on, but seriously had had a fair amount. He did not play the same lights out as last year, and without the receivers and – nobody ever talks about this – even the same quality of totally shitty offensive line as he suffered through last year, he was just ineffective. a young in his prime Favre might could have overcome that, he often did just that with the Packers, but not a 41 year old version. So be it. He tried. And the Vikings sure did not have a better option.

        • phred says:

          I thought Chilly was the one that personally persuaded him, but I could easily have that all wrong…

        • Mary says:

          “I’m temporary playoff Packer fan”

          Me too – and I promise no “Go Pack!” given my gogo track record.

        • phred says:

          Given EW’s reminder earlier about D, perhaps it isn’t the Geezer/Rodgers impact on the game that should be getting our attention… Dom Capers and Clay Matthews may be more important in the end.

        • emptywheel says:

          Yeah, that’s why I picked them. Dom Capers as much as anything else.

          Tho Philly made some key adjustments at the half. The second series of his half had Rogers looking mighty confused.

        • bobschacht says:

          Yes, they can. The Pack is now a legitimate playoff team; the Iggles aren’t, yet. Vick has to learn to read the pass rush quicker– he’s holding on to the ball too long. But he showed his unbelievable quickness a few times in the first half. His health is not the issue; the Iggles’ defense, and their offensive turpitude in the red zone are the real problems.

          I think GB is ready for The Dance but the Iggles need another year to be ready. We’ll see if the second half bears me out.

          Bob in AZ

    • phred says:

      I don’t know about that — the Iggles’ defense and offense are sure keeping the game interesting…

    • phred says:

      You genuinely have my condolences, I’ve watched that happen to the Pack both with and without the Geezer.

      • joanneleon says:

        Thanks.

        We’re used to it. If you can ever really get used to it.

        But you just never know with this team. Sometimes they work miracles.

        Never a dull moment (especially when we’re playing the Giants.)

        P.S. I’m not rooting for the Packs :)

        • phred says:

          P.S. I’m not rooting for the Packs :)

          LOL : ) Gee, I wonder why not…

          Trash talk would be absolutely no fun at all without opposition, so see you next week maybe cheering on the Falcons? ; )

  15. emptywheel says:

    Gotta say, I’m not sure the Packers showed enough to get by the Bears today, much less Matty Ice.

    But I’m glad they won.

    Next week:

    Seattle gets beat by Chicago
    GB v. ATL
    J-E-T-S v. Bieber
    AFC North championship, part 22

    Gotta say the AFC is mighty mighty interesting.

  16. emptywheel says:

    FWIW, since I picked the INdy winner wrong, I got the brackets wrong for the AFC E and N rematches.

    If I had to do it over again, I’d pick the Ravens for the win in Pittsburgh.

    • bmaz says:

      Damn Czechoslovakian literary revisionists! Plus, yer just egging on Scribe. Dunno though, I am not going to bet any real money, but am rooting for the Squawks to put Da Bears in hibernation.

    • bmaz says:

      By the way folks, potentially excellent bowl game on right now. Boston college versus the exciting Nevada Wolf Pack that beat Boise State in the exciting game a while back.

  17. bobschacht says:

    On the Ducks second interception: the QB read the blitz, but the receiver didn’t. To break the blitz, both have to make the read and react appropriately. If they do, the defense gets shredded.

    So, the Day-glo sox and helmet monograph barrier has been broken?

    Bob in AZ

    • bmaz says:

      Alright. Credit where due. It may be on the back of an ineligible player, but Newton is really, really good and Auburn is a better team. Tigers earned and deserve the win.

      • Petrocelli says:

        Kudos to the Coaching staff as well ! They did a great job of preparing for this game and outplayed the Ducks for 3 Quarters.

        But I feel the same way you do … Reggie Bush had to give back his Heisman but Newton gets two big Prizes …

  18. radiofreewill says:

    Great game!

    Here we are with 2 seconds left, 19-19, and Auburn lining-up for a chip shot field goal to win it…here’s the snap…it’s good! Auburn wins!

    That’s five straight for the SEC…

    Thanks, bmaz, for a Great Season of College Football Trash!

  19. bobschacht says:

    One of the momentos of this game that will live in infamy is the Duck’s non-tackle on that last-minute run that set up the winning score. I suspect that clip will be on training films used for the next decade.

    I agree with bmaz– Auburn demonstrated that it was the superior team.
    That said, I think their monster thug Feiney(?), who shredded the Duck’s O-line, deserved a few more unsportsman-like penalty calls than he got.

    Bob in AZ