By Big Jay of Platinum Plays
It’ll be an interesting Wildcard Playoff weekend for fans and handicappers alike as all four road teams are favored in their respective playoff games. Some of this can be explained by the disparity in strength between the divisions this year which was more pronounced in 2008 than any year in modern NFL history. Most notably, the NFC West, the AFC West were incredibly bad and the AFC East and NFC South which were incredibly strong. The NFC West divsion winner, the Arizona Cardinals looked very good at times this year (mostly at home) and won NFC West with a (9-7) record. The Cardinals clinched their spot in the playoffs after week 14 and their dismal late season performance is not as alarming had they needed to finish strongly to qualify for the playoffs. It remains to be seen if the Cardinals can regain their midseason form and prove they are a team who deserves a chance to win the Lomabardi Trophy. The Falcons, coming off one of their worst seasons in the franchise’s history, played very well all year long with a rookie head coach (Mike Smith), a rookie quarterback (Matt Ryan) and a running back (Michael Turner) who’s never had the opportunity to be a fulltime player until this season. They finished with an (11-5) record and laid claim to one of the NFC Wildcard spots over the likes of the Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Buccaneers and Chicago Bears, all who had chances to make the playoffs in the final weekend of the season. Having put the Michael Vick, Bobby Petrino controversies in their rear view mirror, the Falcons made last years (4-12) record seem like a bad dream whereas the Cardinals, finally lived up to many preseason predictions of the last three years by finally qualifying for the playoffs this season.
By Platinum Plays
What a game to finalize the 2008 NFL regular season. Yes, their’s a playoff spot at stake for the winner of the “Inept Game of the Year” and we will be forced to watch one of these “powerhouses” in the first round of the playoffs and that’s about the best anyone can say of this game. If the NFL dropped both the AFC West and NFC West would anyone really care after their perfomances this year? If one could see this is only a short down period for each of these divisions, I might not be as critical but, it looks like it’s going to be at least a couple of years before these divisions rise from the ashes of the 2008 season.
By Platinum Plays
Each of these teams have clinched their respective divisions; the Steelers, the AFC North and the Titans, the AFC South. With homefield advantage at stake throughout the playoffs, this game looms large for both teams. If the Steelers can get a road win over Tennessee, they would gain the advantage over the Titans to play all their playoff games at Heinz Field which would be a distinct advantage. The Steelers are coming off a big (13-9) win over division rival, the Baltimore Ravens, which the outcome was ultimately decided on a controversial replay overturn of an official’s call on the field which was ruled a touchdown to give Pittburgh the lead rather than having 4th and inches inside the Baltimore one yard line with a decision to make of either going for the win or playing for overtime. The Titans are coming off a road loss to the Houston Texans and maybe the bigger story coming from this game was not the one point road loss to Houston but, a late injury to Titans defensive line, DT Albert Haynesworth may have a bigger impact than the result of this game. The Titans disdained a late 49 yard field goal and went for it on a 4th and 3 from the Texans 32 yard line but Kerry Collins pass sailed just over the fingertips Justin McCareins fingertips securing the win for the Texans. The decision to forego the field goal was a curious one by head coach Jeff Fisher considering Tennesee’s kicker, Rob Bironas has a strong leg. Now, homefield advantage throughout the playoffs may be as fleeting as the Collins to McCareins pass but, more importantly for the Titans is to have Haynesworth and DE Kyle Vanden Bosch healthy and up to speed for the playoffs.
By Platinum Plays
Both the Texans and Packers are in the midst of disappointing seasons and though neither team has been officially eliminated from the playoffs, the outlook for playing football after week #17 would be officially listed as bleak for both these teams. Each team has bright spots and reasons for an optimistic future and each team has some gaping holes which need to be addressed. The Texans need to shore up their offensive line, address some weaknesses in their defense, decide on a quarteback and win a game on the road. The Packers decline can be traced to an inconsistent running game, a pourous defense and horrendous special teams play. Not even Brett Favre could cover up those deficiencies. However, in the ever changing landscape of the NFL, teams make moves to fix their problematic areas from the previous year only to find new problems arise in areas which didn’t need addressing earlier. Successful teams have general managers and coaches who anticipate and make moves ahead of time instead of reacting to immediate problems. Eventhough the results haven’t been relayed on the field this year, the Packers combination of Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy are more likely to rise back to prominence in the foreseeable future while the Texans will continue to be a team who just can’t get over the hump.
By Platinum Plays
No team has been more impressive the last few weeks than Urban Meyer’s Florida Gators. Since dropping a home game to Mississippi (30-31) on September 27th, the Gators have reeled off seven straight decisive wins over the likes of Georgia, LSU, South Carolina and are poised to take on Alabama in the SEC Championship game on December 6th. If the Gators can defeat Florida State and Alabama, it would be hard pressed to keep them from playing in the BCS Championship game while the Big XII sorts out their little mess. The Gators are currently ranked 4th in the BCS and by winning out, they should secure a spot in the top two.
By Platinum Plays
This Sunday we have a “matchup” of divisional leaders in the NFC of which I propose is really a mismatch. The (7-3) NFC West leading Arizona Cardinals will be hosting the current Super Bowl Champions and leader of the NFC East, the (9-1) New York Giants. We’ll give the Cardinals credit, they have finally achieved some of the results on the field which people have been predicting and expecting from them for the last couple of years. They have done so with Kurt Warner, the former NFL MVP and Super Bowl winning quarterback, who turned into a journeyman backup and now once again has been thrust into the starting position due to the failure of former 1st round draft choice and USC product, Matt Leinart. If nothing else, Warner has had one of the most interesting and controversial football careers in the history of the National Football league which at times has even been controversial due to his intense religious convictions and his wife’s big mouth. A roller coaster would be considered a ride in the tea cups when compared to the Warner’s job history and performance. Meanwhile, the Giants have fervently set about defending their Super Bowl Championship much like the team they defeated last February 3rd to win the Vince Lombardi Trophy, the New England Patriots, who won consectutive Super Bowls for the 2003 & 04 seasons. Considering the Giants meteroric ride late last season to win the NFL Championship, a letdown may have been expected but, let’s give coach Tom Coughlin credit for keeping the Giants level of play as high if not higher than last season’s finish despite the retirement of DE Michael Strahan in the offseason and the loss of DE Osi Umenyiora for year in the seasons first game. Umenyiora led the NFC in sacks last season with 13 sacks in the regular season.
By Platinum Plays
This Saturday we have a PAC 10 matchup that will help sort out the “Best of the Rest” in the conference when the Arizona Wildcats (6-3/4-2) make the trip to Eugene to take on the Ducks (7-3/5-2). Autzen Stadium is one of the toughest venues for opposing teams to visit with any kind of success and their will be 54,000 strong rooting for the Ducks. The Ducks have been known for a couple of things under head coach, Mike Belotti; good football teams averaging 8 wins a season and some of the craziest uniforms in college football with a host of combinations.
By Platinum Plays
Both the Colts and Steelers have been perennial contestants in the NFL postseason playoffs and each with a recent Super Bowl victory (Steelers ‘05, Colts ‘06). The (6-2) Steelers currently lead the AFC North by a game over the Baltimore Ravens and should be able to qualify for the postseason with little difficulty. However, how successful the Steelers are in the postseason will depend on the results of QB Ben Roethlisberger MRI of his injured right shoulder. He reinjured the shoulder in Monday night’s win over the Washington Redskins (23-6) where backup QB Byron Leftwich came in a delivered a couple of second half touchdown drives to seal the victory.
By Platinum Plays
The general consensus says the SEC is having a down year pertaining to the overall strength of the teams in the conference and this argument has some merit. Auburn, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennesse are all having down years and one wonders if these programs are suffering or just reloading for the future. However, this weekend’s matchup between the # 8 ranked Georgia Bulldogs and #5 ranked Florida Gators is one of the premier matchups in college football and should determine one of the teams who will represent the SEC East and play for the SEC Championship in the Georgia Dome on December 6th. Saturday’s game will take place at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville and was previously known as the “World’s largest outdoor cocktail party” but, in this age of political correctness, is now just a huge showdown between the Bulldogs and the Gators.
In the premier matchup in Week #8 of the NFL, the (5-1) Steelers host the (5-1) reigning Super Bowl champion Giants in a late game this Sunday. The Steelers sit on top of the weak AFC North with the (3-3) Ravens their closest competition. It goes without saying, Pittsburgh is pretty much a shoe-in to win their division and make the playoffs as Baltimore, Cleveland and Cincinnati are unlikely to finish the year with records over .500. However, the Steelers have had their share of injuries already this season and need to minimize this aspect for the rest of the season if they hope to make a serious run at the Super Bowl. With all the other injuries and the demise of teams considered AFC powers (Indianapolis, New England, San Diego), the Steelers would have to be considered the top team in the conference.
The Giants made an amazing run in the playoffs last season and were the suprise winner of the Super Bowl and picked up right where they left off this season and are poised to defend their championship. They’ve also suffered from injuries (DE Osi Umenyiora out for the season) and distractions (Plaxico Burress) but, head coach Tom Coughlin has not allowed his team to lose focus after their Super Bowl victory. The NFC East was touted as the “SEC” of the NFL and all the teams in it are serious playoff contenders but, the recent poor play of the Dallas Cowboys, injuries and tough early losses sustained by Philadelphia and leveling off of play by the Washington Redskins has taken some of the luster off of these earlier high praises of the division. With that being said, the Giants can ill afford any prolonged letdown if they want to defend their title.
With running back Willie Parker sidelined and the loss of backup, Rashard Mendenhall, the Steeler have had to rely more on QB Ben Roethlisberger and the passing game to carry the load for the Steelers the last couple of games. Big Ben is not a bad option to fall back on but, he been dinged up pretty much all season long and the Steelers offensive line hasn’t done a stellar job in protecting him from the pass rush. The departure of LG Alan Faneca (free agent) created more questions about the offensive line which used to be one of the Steeler’s strengths. RB Mewelde Moore has ably filled in for the injured Parker however, is considered more of a third down back and questions remain if he can hold up for the entire season if needed. The defense is led by the once again healthy, S Troy Polamalu, who is one of the premier defensive players in the league. The Steelers defense currently ranks second in the league giving up a stingy 14.8 ppg. Whether they can keep that level of play up against top level competition remains to be seen.
The Giants are a big, physical, smashmouth team that will run over you with Brandon Jacobs (6′4″ 264 lbs) and then run around you with change of pace back Derrick Ward (7.2 yards per carry). The improved play of QB Eli Manning carried this team to the championship last year and he’s picked up right where he left off and is playing with much more confidence than he showed in his first couple of years in the league. The jettisoning of Jeremy Shockey removed a constant distraction on offense but, WR Plaxico Burress has done his best to take up the slack to be an annoyance. Despite the retirement of DE Michael Strahan and the loss of Umenyoria, the Giants defense still is playing at a high level giving up 16.8 ppg, which ranks sixth overall in the league.
Despite these two top defenses, Vegas has put up a line of Pittsburgh - 3 with the total being 42. I don’t think they are giving these defenses enough credit and my opinion is to take this game under the total in a real physical game.
By Platinum Plays
New Michigan head coach Rich Rodgriguez and this year’s football program making a name for themselves in the history of Wolverine football. Unfortunately, this team is being recognized for it’s futility and the task of restoring Michigan to a premier football program in the Big Ten and nationally is not going to get any easier this weekend whent they travel to University Park Pennsylvania to take on the #3 ranked Nittany Lions. The (2-4) Wolverines are off to their worst start since 1967 and lost last Saturday for the first time ever to a team from the MAC (10-13) when K.C. Lopata missed a game tying 26 yard field goal with :04 seconds remaining in the game.
By Platinum Plays
The surprising Ravens take their show on the road to the brand new Lucas Oil Stadium to take on the team formerly from Baltimore until they packed up the moving vans in the middle of the night on March 29th, 1984 and settled in Indianapolis. Twenty years later, the hard feelings have diminished somewhat as the Ravens, formerly the Cleveland Browns, as Art Modell made a cash grab of his own when he moved the Cleveland franchise to Baltimore in for the 1996 season. Many fans are confused when they see replays or pictures of Super Bowl V when Jim O’Brien kicked a last second field goal to defeat the Dallas Cowboys (16-13) in 1970. The Colt fans in Indianapolis were also rewarded with a Super Bowl victory when Peyton Manning brought home the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl XLI (2007) when they defeated the Chicago Bears 29-17. Not to be left out, the Raven fans also celebrated a NFL championship when the Ravens beat the New York Giants 34-7 in Super Bowl XXXV (2001).
By Platinum Plays
The PAC 10 bashers have had their fair share of ammunition to rip the strength of this conference and now with conference play underway, we’ll see how it shakes out for Arizona State and Cal in the pecking order of PAC 10 power. I’d bet Oregon State’s upset of USC is not the only shocker of the year in the PAC 10 and both of these teams will have a shot at the conference title and this game will keep one of these teams undefeated in the PAC 10 and diminish the chances of the loser. Both these teams have incurred a bad loss(es) this season with Cal getting trounced by Maryland on September 13 in a game which Cal undoubtedly was the more talented team and heavily favored. Arizona State lost at home in overtime to UNLV on September 13 which many excused as looking ahead to next weeks game against Georgia. However, the Bulldogs came into Tempe the following week and completely dominated the Sun Devils (27-10) and left many wondering if Dennis Erickson’s team can compete for a PAC 10 title. The task ahead for Erickson and the Sun Devils doesn’t get any easier with Saturday’s trip into Berkeley to take on Jeff Tedford’s Golden Bears.
By Platinum Plays
This Sunday we’ll get to find out if the San Francisco 49ers are for real and contenders for the NFC West or just an average team that caught the Seahawks unprepared and expectedly defeated the one of the NFC’s punching bags, the Detroit Lions. I tend to think the Niners are on the upswing but, probably not ready to challenge for a playoff spot or the NFC West.
By Platinum Plays
The brutal SEC Conference schedule gets into full swing this Saturday when Urban Meyer brings his #4 ranked Florida Gators into Knoxville to take on the upset-minded Tennessee Volunteers. Florida (2-0) comes into Saturday’s contest with a blowout wins over Hawaii and the Miami Hurricanes while Tennessee sports a (1-1) record with an opening loss on the road to UCLA and decisive win over hapless UAB. What seems to be an annual event, the Tennessee faithful are calling for head coaches Phillip Fulmer’s head after another opening loss to a PAC 10 team in a game which Tennessee dominated the first half and left many opportunities slip away and points on the field. In 2007, the Vols opened their season by getting lambasted (45-31) and it’s started 2008 in similar fashion. The Vols need a good showing, if not a win at home over the Gators to keep the Fullmer-bashers at bay.