Divisional Playoffs Weekend Trash Talk

/in , /by

Last weekend was supposed to be the big great weekend of exciting and wacky wildcard playoff games. With the exception of the Cardinals Packers Roaster in the Toaster game, they were all duds. This Saturday and Sunday we have another full slate of games, let’s hope they are better games that last weekend; I think they will be. Let em roll!

First up is the winner of that last, great, shootout last Sunday the Arizona Cardinals versus Drew Fookin Brees and da Who Dats. Both Kurt Warner and Captain Creole are gunslingers of the highest order. Honestly, Warner has had a better run in the last few games; but that shouldn’t mean much in this game, they will both come to play. The game is going to boil down to Arizona’s offensive line and defensive backfield; if both come up big, they can and will win. If not, the Saints win. The Cards will suck and the Saints will Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez.

The late game Saturday is the Colts and Ravens. After all these years, it is still Ray Lewis versus Peyton Manning and both are among the very best who ever have or ever will play their position. The Ravens look pretty fierce lately and are the sexy pick among many to knock off the well rested Colts. Peyton Manning is going to score some points, you just know that. But without Bob Sanders on the Colts playoff roster, the Ravens should be able to get at least a little scoring done too. It is going to come down to Terrel Suggs getting at Peyton Manning. My heart wants the Ravens to win and take out the the lay down artists; my wallet will go with the dive artists formerly known as the Colts.

The early game Sunday is ‘Boys at Vikes. Tony Romo and the Old Man River Geezer. This game is totally dependent on the ability of the Vikings defense to match the intensity and performance of the Dallas D. If the Vikes come up big on D, they will win in the dome; if not, they won’t. The other factor is the Minnesota offensive line, which was great at the start of the year, but has really fallen off. As quick a release as Favre has, he needs time for the vertical passes they have been relying on lately. This one kills me, but I think the ‘Boys come out with the win.

Last game is the J E T S Jets Jets Jets at the Bolts. You have to take Phil Rivers over Mark Sanchez, and quite frankly the San Diego receivers are better too. LT has been resurgent and Sroules can cause havoc. The Jets defense is better than the Chargers defense by a wide margin though. Even if the Gang Green can keep it close, it just seems like Rivers and the boys can score enough to win. That is if the Jets can even keep it close. Plus RanDiego has been on a roll. Bolts win.

There is your lineup folks, time to work up a Number Six!

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  2. randiego says:

    Curt Warner looks too good. I’m taking Arizona, but my heart wants DREW FOOKIN’ BREES!

    Peyton Manning IS too good, Baltimore isn’t in their league. Colts.

    Cowboys are on a roll, the Minnesota O-line has zero confidence. Cowboys.

    JETS JETS JETS are gonna LOSE LOSE LOSE. Man, they have been talking a lot of trash this week – I guess that’s all they got. The Chargers have been called soft all year – heck they were soft the first 5 games. But during their 11-game win streak, they beat every NFC East team, plus the Titans and the lurking Bengals. Everyone thought they could punch the Bolts in the mouth and they’d back off. They thought wrong.

    Back later for more.

    • CTMET says:

      Ummmm did no one here mention since this post that the Chargers are… soft?

      Defense wins championships. Reevis and the D shuts turns off the power on the bolts. All Sanchez – back at home in southern cal weather – has to do is to not thrown any picks. He exceeds that and has a great passing day.

      They go to Indy. Manning and his crew weren’t exactly crushing they Jets a few weeks back when they laid down. The Colts were exactly great yesterday, but they looked go due to Raven offensive incompetence and some questionable calls.

      After a week of respite while the other teams players are at the pro-bowl, they take out the old man once and for all. J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS!!!

      • randiego says:

        lol… you got a lot of confidence for a team that got gifted into the tournament and then beat a paper bag of a team. You should be in church praying instead of smacking here.

        • CTMET says:

          As I said

          Defense wins championships. Reevis and the D shuts turns off the power on the bolts. All Sanchez – back at home in southern cal weather – has to do is to not thrown any picks. He exceeds that and has a great passing day.

          all the analytical minds here and no one could figure this one out???
          …well Sanchez did throw one pick

        • randiego says:

          Oh yeah, you’re a fucking genius. The Chargers completely lost their composure and allowed the Jets and their incredibly meager offense to hang around long enough to do what they do, play solid defense and capitalize on mistakes.

          You actually think Sanchez or even your defense won that game? They played well, but don’t get ahead of yourself. Kaeding hasn’t missed an FG inside of 40 all year, and now he misses TWO? The penalties, the drops, the false starts, the stupid personal foul penaties, NONE of that happened all year. The Chargers completely, and I mean totally, CHOKED.

          You should STILL be in church, bro!

          The worst thing about this upcoming week: Hearing the Jets and the national media fluff themselves.

          The best thing about this upcoming week: Watching the Colts beat the Jets by 3 touchdowns, which the Chargers should have done today. The Chargers just handed the Colts the easy road to the Super Bowl.

        • emptywheel says:

          Oh Jeebus.

          You’re going to be insufferable for the entire next year, aren’t you?

          But if you guy loses to Peyton in the SUper Bowl I will never forgive you.

        • randiego says:

          I imagine Norv is wondering if he’ll still have his job next week. The extension was locked in stone a week ago, I’m not so sure right now.

        • CTuttle says:

          The Chargers completely, and I mean totally, CHOKED.

          I would agree with that assessment…! ;-)

          The Dolts cost me my shiny new hubcap…!

        • bobschacht says:

          How many FG did Kaeding miss to day? 2? 3? After having scored on 60-some consecutive previous tries?

          That spells CHOKED, as someone else observed…

          Bob in AZ

        • freepatriot says:

          HEY

          I;m the one who has a right to bitch about the Norvals piss poor performance

          them bastaards fucked up my picks

          they was supposed to be the best team in the NFL, what happened to that ???

          now the norvals got NO CHANCE of gittin their asses handed to them by Drew Fookin Brees

          when I call a superbowl in preseason, the teams I pick are supposed to make it to the superbowl, san diego had an open lane to the superbowl. all they had to do was get there, and lose, like I told em

          don’t feel sorry for randiego

          waste yer sympathy on ME

          I’m the victim here

          (wink)

  3. emptywheel says:

    My picks are the same as randiego’s: AZ (wishing for NOLA), Colts, ‘Boys (ouch), and Super Chargers.

    And for the record, a committed Peyton-hatin’ gal like me actually wants the Colts to win this week, bc I’d rather see the Bolts take them out.

    • bmaz says:

      Nobody thought that wild kid from Southern Mississippi would make it in the NFL either. Tom Brady was within a few picks of being Mr. Irrelevant or going undrafted. Kurt Warner had to play in the Arena league and stock frozen foods. Give Tebow a shot.

    • Peterr says:

      I’m wondering what effect Tim’s appearance in a Super Bowl ad paid for by Focus on the Family will have on his draft prospects. With certain owners and in certain markets, this might enhance Tebow’s appeal, but in other places and with other owners, it would make Tebow into a headache they might rather avoid.

  5. LabDancer says:

    Before the serious business at hand, I just want to note having come to this after a couple of hours playing catch-up on the CA Prop 8 liveblog threads, and once again, meaning no disrespect to other contributors, fearless leader once again proves herself the Miz Mozart of the genre. If I had a hubcap for every time I’ve observed to a NAL that counsel table provides the best seat in the house of a trial, well, I’d have a lot of hubcaps; but if the view from where ever ew is doing her soft-tap routine isn’t better, both as to incision and reliability [which undeniably it often is, and I suspect more consistently], then there’s no sense whatsoever to the SCOTUS Fantasy Five ruling against televising the proceedings.

    This is a very different weekend than the last [so says the calendar], and it approaches the impossible to dig myself a deeper foxhole against being hit by a flying hubcap [although Charlie Pierce managed it with his 0-fer], so I’m going with only one snore-fest and three barn-burners. While it’s quite possible bmaz’ maroon motto applies [Cards suck!], some of the actual Cards don’t seem to have received the message.

    Did you know the Saints were #2 league-wide in shutting down the opposition’s #1 receiver this season? So, bad news for Spidey Guy’s prospects today. However, the Saints paid a serious price for this with benefits flowing to the opposition’s #2 and #3 receivers. So, if the Maroons could somehow manage to get themselves quarterbacked by a cool-headed, experienced gunslinger — ooo, lookie there: an instant-Hall of Famer. Also: Boldin’s back, and the Saints are missing Jammal Brown at left tackle and Charles Grant at sack-end. So: there will be points. So long Saints.

    A half century of Viking disorder rendered me defenseless to bmaz’s blankets of Favre fever, but for play-after-play fascination, there’s been nothing in my experience like the Peyton Manning Show. I suspect the Colts approach mediocrity without him, and Lewis is growing old before our very eyes. So: this may be close, but it’s really a foregone conclusion, right? But football’s a game of emotions, and Esquire’s public outing of the horror that is Marvin Harrison is the sort of thing that takes a merely-adequate supporting cast down a critical notch [whereas paradoxically, Lewis’ own history of thuggeries seems to bring the opposite effect; perhaps because he’s present and Harrison is not]. I think it will.

    Unless something happens in the opening quarter to take the home crowd out of the game, Flozell Adams will be in need of an urgent consultation with a hearing specialist for what he’ll go through during and after the early Sunday game. Jared Allen will start each defensive down by working the Dome like Toscanini worked La Scala, then work over Tony Romo like they do the dough at your favorite neighborhood pizzeria. The Legend of Grizzly Brett will live on, for at least another week.

    Finally, Jets Jets Jets, having soared over the breadth of the nation to challenge against the Bolts, should seriously consider extending their life-spans by opting for a return trip by Greyhound, because they’re about to be flayed and fricasee’d by the Big Apple press. This is the blow-out.

      • LabDancer says:

        You have to go to the deductive method: bmaroons, ravens, norske, bolts.
        At 49 points so far, with more than a half to go, we’ve entered the Leinart Era; mais, je ne regrette rien.

        • bmaz says:

          But I’m not ready to enter the Leinart era; I fear is is a dark and dim time. Much like most all of known history on Planet Cardinal.

        • freepatriot says:

          But I’m not ready to enter the Leinart era; I fear is is a dark and dim time. Much like most all of known history on Planet Cardinal

          except when they burst into flames

          ain’t that what Phoenixs are famous for ???

          jes sayin, is all

          btw

          DREW FOOKIN BREES

          welcome to NAWLINS folks

          go birdmen (who’d I pick ???)

        • bmaz says:

          These ain’t the Suns that rise from the flames to be interesting, fun and often quite competitive. These are the fucking Cardinals. The most losing pro sports franchise in history. The ones that make Donald Sterling and the Clippers look impressive for their post season accomplishments historically.

        • LabDancer says:

          [It would have been “je ne regrette pas”, but down 21 you’re kind of forced into pas-sing. Try and duck under THAT, freep.]

  6. Peterr says:

    And my picks, such as they are:

    Ain’ts
    Ravens
    Old Man River
    Bolts

    [The name “Ravens” is one of the best nicknames that match up a city and a sports team that I’ve seen. The only one that tops it is/was the New Orleans Jazz of the NBA. At the other end of that list . . . the Utah Jazz.]

  8. phred says:

    I’m going with the Cards, Bolts, Boyz, & Birds (so a pony trotted up to the raven and said, “when can I get back to the big dance”? Quoth the raven, “never more — awwkkk” ; )

    Now lets see if I can do better than 1 for 4 like last week…

  10. freepatriot says:

    Drew Fookin Brees

    New Orleans fookin Saints

    Da baltimore Flackos

    the dallas “how bout dem Cowbows” (so Drew Fookin Brees gits a shot at revenge)

    and finally, after much distress, I’ll stick with the norval chargers (but I’m thinkin that Sanchez kid still knows how to win in SoCal)

  11. sluggahjells says:

    And what a start to this game, Tim Hightower getting his Ray Rice on right there……shocking start that Saints fans don’t need…..but Cardinals fans will be in heaven there…7-0 start.

  12. freepatriot says:

    hey, I plum forgot about Jeremy Fookin Shockey

    TOUCHDOWN HAMILTON !!!

    an my fends don even know who da fook dat is …

  14. Petrocelli says:

    The thing that has impressed the heck out of me all season is, Drew Brees’ mental preparation. It puts him at the level of a QB with much more playoff experience. Kudos to all who contribute.

    What a pleasure it must be, to play in front of those fans.

  15. Jim White says:

    I was 2 and 2 last weekend, but my picks for this week’s action and beyond are still viable:

    Then Bolts and Colts, Saints and Vikes.

    Colts vs Saints

    Peyton gets another ring.

    Dang, I sure hope CBS refuses the ad so Tebow doesn’t stink things up on the political front. I think if he can stop holding the ball so low, he might just have a future as a passer…

    WhoDat’s are tearin’ it up already. They’re going to Miami, I tell ya.

  18. bobschacht says:

    Well, the Cards look about as bad as a playoff team can look. Fumbles on 2 of the first three plays on offense, missed tackles on defense, and now they’ve lost their best corner. Looks bad.

    Well, Kurt Warner got one TD back. But the Defense has to figure out how to stop the Nawlin’s offense.

    Bob in AZ

  19. bobschacht says:

    It’s bad enough when you give up touchdowns on almost every possession, but when you also give up the ball and then a touchdown twice in the half, you can’t win by just trading touchdowns.

    Bob in AZ

  20. dakine01 says:

    We interrupt this Trash talk thread for this important announcement:

    Whew. Cats survive another road conference game. Go Big Blue!

    We now return you to your regularly scheduled Trash Talk.

  21. randiego says:

    Hey, I got a question. Can someone please explain Marvin Lewis for coach of the year? Seriously, his team folded like a paper plate in the last quarter of the season, and he’s the Coach of The Year?

      • randiego says:

        Norv was second or third in the voting… if not him, then Payton should have been the choice. It shouldn’t be overlooked that Norv turned a 2-3 team that has just lost both their offensive and defensive Pro-bowl centers, into a winner.

        I seriously don’t get that choice.

    • LabDancer says:

      But look at the competition: the genius-formerly-known-as-Belichuck; Chilly; Son of Bum; your own inimitable Norv … okay, Sean Payton would make more sense.

      And Reggie Bush is making the argument as I type.

  22. LabDancer says:

    Despite an all time playoff record for a half, it looks like last week’s record for a full is safe, what with each side giving into temptation: the bmaroons to exiting in a graceless but respectable display of dinkydunk and groundchuck, and the homers about one more score from ennui.

    • Peterr says:

      If I were a TSA supervisor, I’d pin that up in the break room with a colorfully worded caption.

      “If I see this here, you are &$^%%@ gone. Any questions?”

      • Fenestrate says:

        lol For sure. On a related note a terminal at JFK had to be evacuated today. Someone took a short cut through a restricted door. Must be more solitaire playing going on than we think, or minesweeper.

      • qweryous says:

        Assumes facts not yet in evidence:

        “If I were a TSA supervisor, I’d pin that up in the break room with a colorfully worded caption.

        “If I see this here, you are &$^%%@ gone. Any questions?””

        There is no reason to suspect the employees; could well have been the supervisor playing the game.

        There may be a reason that you probably aren’t a TSA supervisor.

        • qweryous says:

          Poorly worded on my part.

          Glad you didn’t take it as an insult, it was not intended to read the way it does.

          Better wording: hang out here ( capable of logic and reasoning, associates with other similar folks) = overqualified and won’t be hired for that job.

        • Peterr says:

          Having been a supervisor myself in various jobs, I am deeply offended at the notion that a supervisor might have been behind that computer screen.

          On the other hand, having *had* supervisors of my own in even earlier jobs, there’s a part of me that says you might be absolutely right.

          ;)

          No offense taken at all.

        • emptywheel says:

          LOL

          The only time I ever played fantasy football (sort of) was when I was a manager in the mid-90s. The boys who ran the league very smartly made sure I was part of the league and it did indeed do wonders for them at avoiding trouble for what was otherwise distracting noisiness in the middle of the department at some hours.

        • qweryous says:

          Me years ago: Back from a couple of days vacation and the office March Madness pool is out of hand. Not personally participating, but realizing that members of the general public are!
          THERE IS A LINE AT THE DESK WHERE THE MONEY IS BEING TAKEN!

          The prize is already really large, and smiling projections are given that in a few days it will be HUGE!,if it keeps up at this pace.

          It’s already felony bookmaking huge!

          ” LIKE $4K or $5K in another day or two!”
          “Maybe even bigger if we are surprised. We don’t even know a lot of these people” they tell me!
          “Better get your picks in now!”

          Report fiasco to my superiors, hasty staff meeting takes place.

          ME: Whats the difference between an office March Madness pool and felony bookmaking?

          THEM: Crickets.

          MY BOSS: Got those names and money amounts written down in that book?

          THEM: YES

          BOSS’s BOSS: Unwind this ALL before tomorrow!

          ME: Glad I hadn’t taken a whole week off.

        • scribe says:

          IIRC, a state or two has now redefined their laws to exclude Super Bowl pools and March Madness bracketology from the definition of illegal gambling.

          OTOH, every year it seems that the feds put out the word in NYC that some stock firm or another got raided for gambling b/c of the office pool.

          A few years ago, my then-partner and I used to reach into the form books and cook up a bogus grand jury subpoena, then address it to and have it land in the lap of the guy at the atrium desk of our office building, who was keeping a Super Bowl grid where the boxes were like $50 each. Just for yuks – to watch him read the subpoena and do the hot potato with it.

        • qweryous says:

          Sorry for all the OT going else where now.

          I kinda knew that something was going be done about this right away.

          The implications that this: had gotten out of control/hadn’t been thought through/ might end badly/WE COULD GET ROBBED FOR THAT KIND OF CASH! were instantly clear.

          Fortunately higher ups also saw the reasons to put a stop to this.
          Their response: They’re doing WHAT!?! LOL(later)

        • PJEvans says:

          My thought was more like ‘how do you know none of them are undercover law enforcement?’

          But I’m one of those people who quit playing the lottery because I never got more than one number.

        • qweryous says:

          They weren’t thinking at that level.

          There was a percentage ‘skim’ for those running the pool, which in itself made it illegal for that jurisdiction.

          As soon as I was told this detail I saw there was ‘incentive’ for both participants and ‘managers’ of the scheme to make it really big.

          The local papers had actually printed articles on the pool legalities earlier in the week, magnifying my WTF reaction to the whole thing.

          It was like they used the article as a ‘how to’ for getting arrested!

          They probably were unaware though, not regular readers.

        • freepatriot says:

          There was a percentage ’skim’ for those running the pool, which in itself made it illegal for that jurisdiction.

          a few points in defense of my profession:

          “Skim” is an UGLY word. We prefer “Vig”, or “Vigarish”

          an about this “illegal for that jurisdiction” thingy, jurisdiction is a fluid type of thing, is the jurisdiction over here or over there ??? is it up, is it down, pretty soon, where will it end ??? ya got no clue where you’re at. So when it comes to jurisdiction, forgettaboutit

          other than that, I agree that amateurs shouldn’t be fleecing the rubes an gettin robbed by stick up men

          leave that stuff to us trained professionals

          always look for that Union Label, whether you’re bettin on the lotto, ponies, or football

          Loyal member of the Bookmaker’s Union, Local 4393, since 1983

    • qweryous says:

      More OT..But as reported before:

      They are “doin the best they can”.

      See previous comment Link:
      http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2010/01/06/blackwater-at-khost/#comment-211004

      Maybe they were told it is ok, maybe not.
      Maybe the boss saw it, maybe not.
      Maybe it matters, maybe not.

      Edit ( oops forgot what this post was about!)

      Another example of this here: Link:
      http://rawstory.com/2010/01/osama-bin-laden-member-spains-parliament-embarassed-fbi/

      Thanks Raw story!.

  27. scribe says:

    Coming late to this party (I was out, pricing stuff like this), I have to say the Cards are getting their asses kicked.

    FWIW, you’ll all recall that last week, in picking the Cards-Cheesers game my pick was “who cares, because [last] week’s winner will lose to NOLA”. I got a bale of grief over that pick, but it seems I am in the process of being vindicated by events.

    Reggie Bush is puttin’ on a clinic. (Or, as he might say it “bringin’ the wood”.)

    As to the remainder of the games:

    Vikes “Please, please, please”, scribe begged the football gods after knee-walking a mile uphill to the Shrine of Sts. Lambert and Ham.
    Bolts Superior to the J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS, who never play well on the Left Coast, anyway.
    Colts I regrettably feel compelled to choose them over the Blackbirds, even though I want Ray Lewis to play the part of Mjolnir for the Football Gods (…able to strike as firmly as [the Football Gods] wanted, whatever [their] aim, and the hammer would never fail, and if [they] threw it at something, it would never miss and never fly so far from [their] hand that it would not find its way back), aimed at the lay-down artists of Indy. I just think the Peytons will find a way and the Ravens won’t.

  29. sluggahjells says:

    Been in and out because of my birthday today folks.

    Well the Saints showed that their end of the season wing did not affect them. Obviously pressure on Warner and the closely turnovers was the difference, as well as Drew Brees jersey only getting touched on the sidelines.

    And, Reggie brought the wood as evidence.

  31. bobschacht says:

    I think the Cards just set another record for average points allowed in the playoffs. What other team playing more than one game in the playoffs has allowed 45 points per game?

    Either they need a new defensive coach, or they need to focus on defense in the next draft, esp. cornerbacks & safeties.

    Bob in AZ

  32. person1597 says:

    Cougar climbs tree…

    “On the road, you have to play defense, and you’ve got to take care of the ball,” Stanford’s Landry Fields said. “Each game that we’ve lost (on the road), we showed a lack of defense and lack of taking care of the ball.”

    OK, the cougar isn’t quite as foxy as the dévushka …

  33. orionATL says:

    Jesus, Payton manning was throwin the ball with a rhythm I’ve rarely seen in the pros.

    Snap,

    Look 1, look 2, maybe 3,

    Then pass flat, fast, and hard.

    And the receivers? They grab the damn ball and they hold on to it – time after time.

    Amazing.

    (oh, you. Thought pro receivers were actually supposed to hang on to a catchable ball?)

    A

  34. lizard says:

    Hello, Folks. This is completely off-topic, but this is the only political blog I read, so have nowhere else to put it.

    On Facebook, moments ago, William Forstchen posted this:

    Recall the mockery Bush Jr. endured from media when he visited our hurricane sites, that he was merely seeking a photo op. The logistics of a Sec. of State going into a dangerous area are staggering. In contrast, that same flight, could have hauled tons of food, water, medicine where it is needed now! If I was Hait…ian, I’d prefer a bottle of water than a handshake from Hillary! Hmmm feel the same as an American.

    The only reason this is in any way significant is that William Forstchen is Newt Gingerich’s co-author on several books, and is a personal friend of his (and is also, somewhat embarrassingly, now, a personal friend of mine)

    If anybody can think of any way to use these callous and unbelievably insensitive remarks to any effect, let me know on facebook, or at lizardpriest at gmail dot com

    My response to these words on facebook were as follows:

    “The response to this crisis has so completely, thoroughly and demonstrably outperformed the culpably negligent response to Katrina by the Bush administration, it is embarrassing to read such a facile and openly manipulative and partisan opinion expressed in the event of the loss of tens of thousands of lives.”

    Please return to your trash-talking and forgive the off-topic interruption.

    • neworleanslady says:

      This is a very late response, but the mockery Bush endured was that he did his infamous flyover of New Orleans, rather than actually coming into the city to evaluate the destruction and see the needs of the people. He was further mocked because of the late respopnse of FEMA. When FEMA said it could not travel into devastated areas, the Canadian Mounties were already there. Prompt aid to the New Orleans area was destroyed by the political games that the Bush administration insisted on playing with the govenor (who was a Democrat). My personal opinion is that New Orleans was a Democratic stronghold, and the Bush administration wanted to let us twist in the wind. Yeah, Karl Rove was around.

        • lizard says:

          Yes, that’s the guy. Before he became a Newt Gingerich shill and a fairly good science fiction author, he was my history teacher in high school and friend for long after. It is a shame to see a good mind gone rot….um, I mean conservative.

        • PJEvans says:

          Not sure about the ‘fairly good science fiction author’ – I’ve seen the reviews of his stuff. I tend to put it in the same class as Stirling: not to my taste.

        • qweryous says:

          “I don’t have fb myself,”

          Same here!

          Screen grabs are good, in case there is a realization that the post was in some way… needing to be taken down or altered.

          Someone else can use the link I hope.

  36. john in sacramento says:

    Since I’m gonna be at a bar tomorrow watching the game

    For any Viking doubters. Behold …

    –Minnesota was 8-0 at home this year.
    -Dallas was 5-3 on the road.

    […]

    -Minnesota’s offense scores in 64.5% of their redzone appearances at home.
    -Dallas scores in 43.5% of theirs on the road

    -Minnesota’s defense gets slightly worse at home, letting their opponents score from the redzone 50% of the time
    –Dallas’s defense let’s their opponents score from the redzone 75% of the time (worst in the league)

    […]

    -Dallas is #14 in the league in points scored, averaging 22.6 points per game
    –Minnesota is #2 in the league with 29.4 points per game

    -Dallas has a redzone scoring percentage of 51.8%. They finished #15 in the league
    –Minnesota finished at #4 with 62.3%

    -Both teams gave up 34 sacks this year
    -However, 7 of the sacks given up by Minnesota came in the first 2 weeks of the season, when they were learning a new QB’s counts and dealing with 2 first time starters on their o-line. Dallas gave up 1 sack in those 2 games.

    -The Cowboys defense was ranked #9 overall in yards per game giving up 315.9
    –Minnesota was #6, giving up 305.5

    -The Dallas defense only gives up 35% of 3rd down conversions to their opponents (#5 in the league)
    –Minnesota gives up 34% (#3 in the league)

    -Dallas sacked the opposing QB 42 times this year. That put them #7 in the league
    –Minnesota was #1 with 48 sacks

    -Tony Romo had a good year, throwing for 26 touchdowns (tied for 10th in the league)
    –Brett Favre threw for 33 (2nd in the league, 1 TD behind the leader)

    -Tony Romo had an excellent year, throwing only 9 interceptions. (1 in every 61 passes)
    –Brett Favre only threw 7 (1 in every 75 passes)

    -Tony Romo was #8 in the NFL with a passer rating of 97.6
    –Brett Favre was #2 with a rating of 107.2

    -Dallas has a feared pass rushing duo of Anthony Spencer and DeMarcus Ware
    . They have 17 sacks total.
    –Jared Allen and Ray Edwards have 23 sacks total.

    Although, I’ve been vocal about the Vikings weaknesses – I do it because I care, and am positive that they’ll do well. To quote Bill Parcells, “You are what your record says you are.” They are 12-4 because they are that good

    Knock on wood

  37. scribe says:

    Did CBS just bail on showing the Peytons kicking a field goal in favor of showing us a Coors commercial? Or are my eyes and connection to TV reality slipping a bit?

  40. phred says:

    Oh boy, another banner weekend for me: 0-2. From what I can tell though, it looks like I missed another couple of one-sided games. Maybe today’s matchups will be better…

  41. Phoenix Woman says:

    Heh. When I was in the living room, Romo racked up the first downs. The second I went to the kitchen, he fumbled.

    I have now been banished to the den. (Though that wasn’t enough to keep Favre from going three-and-out and losing ten yards in the process.)

    • Petrocelli says:

      If Sydney Rice can avoid those head shots, he will be a great Receiver like Jerry was.

      Tony Romo is displaying all the weaknesses his critics have been railing about … a shame because he has had a very good year. The Vikes Defence has played very well thus far.

      • sluggahjells says:

        Can only fault him on the second fumble, which didn’t result in a turnover but a drive killer for the Cowboys, and a sack when the Cowboys were in goal situation.

        It has just been a terrific game from Ray Edwards of the Vikings today.

    • Petrocelli says:

      Since Romo’s first fumble, the Dallas players on the sidelines look dejected and demoralized.

      Even after holding the Vikes to a Field Goal, their body language shows that they have already conceded.

  49. Phoenix Woman says:

    17-3 now (Vikings didn’t wanna push their luck, so they settled for the field goal). Dare I hope? The game is still young — anything can happen… still staying in the den…

  50. sluggahjells says:

    Reminder…..the Vikings get the ball first in the 3rd quarter. With the Vikings starting at the 8, important that they keep the Vikings from driving here, as well as possibly getting the ball back.

  53. Fenestrate says:

    OT Gaines Adams, a defensive lineman for the Chicago Bears, died Sunday in South Carolina. He was 26. Heart attack, pending toxicology.

  55. sluggahjells says:

    The play call by Jason Garett to Marion Barber in the backfield was another drive killer.

    Four times in Vikings territory, just three points.

  62. LabDancer says:

    Troy Aikman on my teevee explaining how Chilly and the Vikes coaching staff managed somehow to turn an unfocused schoolboy named Percy Harvin into such a terrific offensive threat in da bigs. This is Fox, right?

    Oops: Randy Moss Sidney Rice rides again.

  64. bobschacht says:

    Well, Da Old Man of the North has it on today. Dallas looks pretty ordinary.

    My sentimental favorites now that the defenseless Cards have been eliminated are Nawlins and the Strikings. That would make a great superbowl matchup.

    Bob in AZ

  68. 4jkb4ia says:

    I am glad that “4jkb4ia’s sports nightmare” was not the way to bet on this game. Maybe Kentucky will not win the national championship, either.

  69. Jim White says:

    I’m starting to think about where to put my hubcap on display. 3-0 so far this weekend, although the Vikes defense might slow the WhoDats down some next week. Looking for the Bolts to give me the perfect weekend. Who knew going with the “rested” teams would work? I thought I was just choosing them to tweak bmaz a bit more about the Colts’ laydown a couple weeks ago…

    • freepatriot says:

      I’m starting to think about where to put my hubcap on display.

      yeah yeah

      you need some help with that ???

      I’m sure the good people on this thread can tell you where to stick it come up with some nice suggestions

      (wink)

      he was askin for it …

  70. emptywheel says:

    Gotta say, I got two picks wrong. But I am so happy to be wrong!!!

    (Assuming, of course, that my hoped SD win in Indy next week comes to fruition, it’s all working out according to plan)

    I’m going to blame my 0fer misery last week on the fact that I didn’t get to watch teh games bc of travel schedule.

  71. 4jkb4ia says:

    Baseball has no penalty for pass interference. (This in itself is almost enough to declare baseball the better game.)

  77. Jim White says:

    It just occurred to me that if the Chargers hold on, the four teams left will all be led by QB’s who have a great shot at the Hall of Fame. Favre and Manning are sure bets already and Brees and Rivers make their cases stronger all the time. I’m not sure I remember a time when the league had this many QB’s who are this good at one time and for them all to have enough supporting cast to make it this far in the playoffs makes this a special year.

  79. freepatriot says:

    Is Marcy still in Cali ???

    if she is, she’s experiencing some of our “drought”

    so she could tell ya, we got the wettest droughts you ever saw …

    rainy and low 50s here, but we got to see the sun for 28 minutes, the day before yesterday

  81. sluggahjells says:

    What a mistake from Rivers there, and this is a testament to Rex Ryan and his coaching.

    The pressure is all on San Diego right now.

  82. sluggahjells says:

    I’ve been in and out, also because the Australian Open is starting at the same time.

    For the second week in a row, the 4th and final game of the weekend is the compelling game on TV.

      • sluggahjells says:

        With how the game is nowadays, on both sides, you may get more than one upset. Venus Williams could crash out in the first round, and so too can even Maria Sharapova.

        • sluggahjells says:

          Kirilenko has played her tough before, though it was over 4 years ago when they were really young. This though shows how the depth of the women’s game has grown. It may not be to the level of the guys right now, but it is growing.

          Still, Sharapova has clearly lost the ability to win these matches. And this is the third straight Grand Slam where she hasn’t reached the second week. The desire is still there from her, but the pressure to get back to some champion level is getting to her.

  87. sluggahjells says:

    Really thought that it would be something if the Jets face the Colts, the team that allowed this run to happen of course, next week.

    One play award from it happening.

      • scribe says:

        Yes, but back then they didn’t have 4 weeks worth of playoff games. They had 2 when Namath won the Super Bowl – the AFC AFL championship game (AFL East v. AFL West) and then the Super Bowl.

      • sluggahjells says:

        You are very serious because that maybe true. He certainly has had that same total as Testaverde, and Pennington as I recall only won one game. I have to see the archive on Namath with how the AFL did things and just the overall stats. He wasn’t even the playoffs that much, and wasn’t as great as his legendary prediction as the casual fan may think.

        I have to check that.

  89. 4jkb4ia says:

    Jets vs. Colts next week, ladies and gentlemen!

    Should they have called the unnecessary roughness penalty, or what?

  91. scribe says:

    Oh, well. Looks like the Football Gods have something big in store for next week.

    As to my picks, 3 of 4 ain’t bad. Though, to be sure, it isn’t as good as one guy I worked alongside years ago. In the ’85 season, he bet the Bears every week, and rolled the money over every week. He was Not Popular With the bookies.

  92. freepatriot says:

    so, if the J E T S, Jets Jets Jets beat the indy sellouts AGAIN, will bmaz stop whining about it ???

    10 will get ya twenty, either way

    (wink)

  93. randiego says:

    The only way I ever thought the Chargers would ever lose this game is if they came out tight, then never recovered. That’s exactly what happened – they completely shit the bed. Norv abandoned the running game way too early, and the mistakes allowed the Jets to stay in the game. Congrats to the Jets, the Chargers allowed them to play their game and they came away with a win.

    • bobschacht says:

      The only way I ever thought the Chargers would ever lose this game is if they came out tight, then never recovered.

      That seems to me about what happened. They just didn’t seem to play like they’ve been playing for the past half dozen games. They got off to a decent start, but then they just froze up. They finally started to wake up in the last 8? minutes, but by then it was too late, and they kept making drive-killing mistakes.

      Bob in AZ

      • sluggahjells says:

        It was an amazing credit to Sheppard, Lowery, Strickland, and the rest of he nickel and dime defense for the Jets today. Malcolm Floyd did nothing today, and neither did Nyanne as well.

        Just a great job overall.

  94. bmaz says:

    First off, I am relying on CTMET’s jets taking out the dive artists formerly known as the Colts. Secondly, the Bretts have a dome issue; namely that they are gonna be playing in someone else’s. I think the Saints have a pretty solid edge on a lot of fronts.

    • john in sacramento says:

      Sorry, can’t leave it alone. After reading and listening to Cowboy trolls and the sports media give verbal blow jobs to the Cowboys all week last week. And then after the game they can’t even give the Vikings credit for a great game in all aspects of the game, including excellent o-line blocking; secondary coverage; the d-line manhandling the Cowboys and of course Favre to Rice. What they (especially the media) is did is try to rationalize the game as the Cowboys losing – not the Vikings winning.

      I gotta share this

      Romo on the ground

      Romo on the ground

      Lookin like a fool with Romo on the ground

      Helmet turned sideways

      and grass in your mouth

      Lookin like a fool with Romo on the ground

      And, btw, about the last TD. The Cowboys and Keith Brooking have absolutely no room to talk about “class.” Isn’t this the team that had a hole in it’s stadium’s roof in order for God to watch “America’s team”? Isn’t this the team that beat the Buffalo Bills 52-17 and 30-13. And didn’t Leon Lett showboat his way toward the end zone in one of those wins? Isn’t this the team with Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson snort cocaine on the sideline of a Super Bowl? Isn’t this the team and Keith Brooking that beat the Eagles a few weeks ago and mocked the Eagle’s players and fans? Isn’t this the team and Keith Brooking that mocked the Atlanta Falcons earlier in the season?

      And … if I actually thought about it enough, I could probably go on and on with more examples of Cowboys “class”