Look for Jay Cutler to become inspired this off-season from the hopeless feeling he got while sitting on the sidelines during the second half of the NFC Championship along with his "tweeting questioners."
Its always tough to be happy in a loss, but nobody thought the Bears would even be in a position to lose the NFC Championship. Most experts predicted Chicago to finish third in the NFC North and some even said fourth! Instead the Bears finished first in the NFC North with a 5-1 division record that included a meaningless game against the Packers in Week 17. Despite all the recent talk about Jay Cutler, he toned down his number of interceptions from 26 to 16 from his first year in Chicago; he nearly had a ten point better passer rating this season than in his first as a Bear by going from a 76.8 to a 86.3 one. Quite the turn-around.
Was this one opportunity their only small window to making it to the Super Bowl? Brian Urlacher will be 33 before next season and Lance Briggs will be turning 32 in November. If the hourglass has not run out completely for the defense yet, it only has a couple specs of sand left on top. In the 2010 regular season, the Bears were pretty lucky to say the least when it came to the health department. Their starters missed only a combined eleven games which tied for the league best with the Kansas City Chiefs who also made the playoffs. That's mind-boggling compared to the 2009 season when Brian Urlacher missed 16 games alone after suffering a wrist injury in the season opener against the Packers. Not that Chicago cannot get lucky again, and go mostly injury free, but they're going to need to have their fingers crossed all next season.
Matt Forte had a 5.27 YPC average in December and January this season (including playoffs)
Now for the upside going into the 2011 season. Hands down the most underrated player from the Chicago Bears in 2010 was Tulane alum Matt Forte. Even after the NFC Championship game nobody is even mentioning how Matt "put the team on his back" by plowing over the 'Pack D for 160 total offensive yards. Coming off his second 1,000 yard rushing season of his three year career, Forte is in line for a re-structuring of his rookie contract. The "All-Joe" rushed for an impressive, career best 4.5 yards per carry in 2010 despite the lack of an established offensive line. Excluding Jay Cutler's disappointing first half against the Packers, the Bears' offense really has some momentum to build on. Matt Forte and Jay Cutler's success this season could not have happened without each other.
They will have to fight against the Super Bowl-bound Packers and fend off an on the rise Detroit Lions team to keep their NFC North champion crown. Barring injuries - there is no reason the Bears cannot hold onto that title. This was only Jay Cutler's second season in Chicago, and now that he got his feet in the playoff water, hopefully it will help him and his teammates mature. Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs know the hourglass is about to run-out on them and that is why I expect them to leave everything they've got on the field next season.
The four things that piss me off the most about Target:
4. Women that come to me as a 19 year old guy and expect me to fold all of their clothing items to perfection. And once you realize that i dont fold your items that well, through 10 out of ur 20 pieces of clothes, you say "I'm just putting them in a ball" and want me to give you the clothes so you can refold them. Once again, I am a 19 year old guy, if you wanted your items folded well, then go to one of the female cashiers.
3. Adults that come to my lane with only alcohol. Thanks for thinking I am over 21, but its a pain to wait for my manager to come over to check you out because you went in my lane. I am one of only of two other cashiers that are under 21 at my target yet, when other aisles are available, people still come to me with their alcohol. Then we proceed to have an awkward stare-down for 5 minutes until my manager comes over to finish checking them out.
2. Obviously people that shop at 3:45 am on "Black Friday". You can all rot in hell for making me wake up twelve hours earlier than I would have liked to on the day after Thanksgiving.
The 1. thing that pisses me off is hands down: people with reusable bags. They are the most incoinvineint thing in the world for cashiers. There is nowhere to place them and they always collapse while you are scanning other items. Especially the people with 10 bags. Those people I give very dirty looks for making me do extra work at my minimum wage job just so they can save five cents per re-usable bag.
Boston Red Sox: Sure they lost key players like Victor Martinez and Adrian Beltre to free agency, but the Red Sox made a splash in the 2011 offseason by acquiring arguably the best lead-off and clean-up hitters in the game, Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez.
San Diego Padres: Over the course of the 2011 off-season The San Diego Padres really impressed me on the moves they made. Although they did lose Adrian Gonzalez to the Red Sox, it was a move that had to be done. With the salary they had, there was no way the Padres could afford to pay him in the future. They may not be the biggest names in baseball, but the Padres made many important moves this offseason that might put them on top of the N.L. West in 2011
Baltimore Orioles: Now look, I’m not saying that there will be a parade in October for the Orioles, but there were a few moves the Orioles made this off-season that slid under the radar. The Orioles are still a long shot to get into the playoffs with a sub-par starting rotation, and last time I checked the Yankees and Red Sox payroll isn’t getting lower anytime soon.
Tampa Bay Rays:The only thing I can think of while watching this offseason unfold for the Rays is it’s just sad. A team with all that talent having to split apart because of salary reasons. There is no doubt in my mind that the Rays are the biggest losers in the MLB offseason. They’ve gone from the MLB elite in 2010 to most likely middle to bottom of the pack for the 2011 season.
Additional Notes:Easily, the Philadelphia Phillies could be winners on this list by adding Cliff Lee to their already stacked rotation. But losing a big power bat in Jason Werth in the middle of lineup made me go against the Phillies as one of my top winners. If top prospect Domonic Brown can handle the workload of replacing Werth, the Phillies could easily be the team to look out for in all the MLB in 2011.
No I am not embarrassed to be a Chicago Bears fan because of Jay Cutler not returning to play in the second half; it is because of you my fellow Bears fans.
"Bears fans" burning Jay Cutler jersey after loss to Packers in NFC Championship
I remember when I was younger wondering: why have I never heard of a "Super Star" Bears quarterback? After today's game I think I know the answer to that question.
I can understand your frustration with losing an NFC Championship Chicago. It is hard to be happy with a performance when you do not finish first. We are all human and along with being human comes the vice of greed.
The worst rout the Bears fans could have gone though was blaming there loss on the reason they got there in the first place. In games this season (including the playoffs) Cutler threw a touchdown the Bears were 10-1; in the games he threw no touchdowns the Bears were 1-4. It is easy to see the Bears live and die with Cutler as their quarterback. As Bears fans we just have to accept that this is one of those games we are going to have to go to the grave with him.
Jay Cutler did give his knee a shot starting the second half and the result was a three and out. We will never know the pain that his knee and elbow were going threw. We will never know the conversation that happened between Jay and the Bear's medical staff. Therefore, we have no right to judge Cutler on not playing the majority of the second half. If Aaron Rodgers was in the same situation as Cutler and left the game for questionable reasons; I guarantee there would be no Packers' fans burning his jersey at the end of the game.
Hats off to Caleb Hanie. His performance was superb with all of the United States spotlight on him. That being said: Seeing Facebook statuses that Hanie should be the Bears quarterback next year is the most facetious proposal I have ever heard. Jay Cutler is the reason Chicago was in this game, and the way Bears fans are so eager to ride off a quarterback that lead them into the NFC Championship makes me want to puke.
I know not all of Bears nation believes its time to divorce from Jay Cutler, but the ones that are burning their jerseys of his went too far. We will never have a "Super Star" franchise quarterback if we continue to treat the ones that actually do perform well terribly after one poor showing. I for one am still getting over a tough loss to our rival Green Bay Packers, but I still appreciate the fun ride Jay Cutler gave to us this season. Thanks Jay.
Super Bowl 45 will take place in Dallas this season with kickoff at 5:25 CST.
Let's just say for the sake of conversation the Bears win Sunday. Its 5:30 on Sunday and you decide to watch even more football to see who the Bears will face on February 6th. Does it matter to the Bears who will win?
The Bears beat the Jets last time they faced off 38-34 in week 16. Jay Cutler had one of if not his most impressive game of the year. The 2nd year Chicago quarterback threw three touchdowns and had a passer rating of 104.2 in his MVP-like performance. Will the same Jay Cutler show up for the Super Bowl? If Jay did not play the level he did in week 16 there was no way Chicago could have pulled out a win.
Surprisingly, the Bears defense had a tough time with the Jets recently slumping offense. Mark Sanchez aired out 267 passing yards while the Jets backfield plowed threw the NFL's second ranked defense for 124 yards. Thankfully, the Monsters of the Midway's performance was still enough for a win.
Jeff Reed looks on as he misses a 43 yard field goal against the Bears last September.
To relive the last Bears vs. Steelers match-up we have to go all the way back to September 20th 2009; the first home game for Chicago that season. Jay Cutler showed his first gleam of light after his dismal performance to start of his Bears' career in Green Bay for the season opener. Jay overcame a lackluster running game from Forte, 13 carries for 29 yards, by going mistake free in the interception category and also throwing two touchdowns. The difference in the game came down to both team's kickers. ex-Steeler Jeff Reed went 0-2 in the field goal department while Robbie Gould kicked the game winning 44 yard field goal which made the score Bears 17, Steelers 14.
In both games Jay Cutler put on superb performances though and would need to put on another one to get a Super Bowl ring. The Bears mediocre defensive play against the Jets was a fluke, but what is the chance of Cutler tearing up Revis Island and the New York secondary again for 38 points? At the end of the day the Bears offensive play was more realistic compared to the rest of their season stats than their poor defensive play against Mark Sanchez and Company.
Jeff Reed was kicked out of town - no pun intended - out of Pittsburg earlier this season, and will not be able to help the Bears out again with his field goal woes. Big Ben has Super Bowl experience, this would be his third trip there, and has shown he has no fear of playing on football's ultimate stage.
Both teams are beat-able. Bears' fans should be chanting J-E-T-S! while watching the game tomorrow if Chicago wins though. Although they beat both teams in the past two years, they beat the Jets more recently and have a better idea of what their up against. As I have already mentioned, Big Ben and the Steelers have plenty of Super Bowl experience which is a huge difference from a Jets team that has not been to a Super Bowl since 1968. Hopefully, we will see Buddy Ryan's son Rex take on the '10-'11 version of the Monsters of the Midway on February 6th!
Yes, you heard it here first; the Bears and Packers will not be the only two teams to play for a chance to be in the Super Bowl this Sunday. All that you can hear around the Chicagoland area is about the big Bears game from radio deejays that normally only talk about gossip to teachers including Bears and Packers analogies in their lectures. The other competition is being hyped in the east-coast just as much as we are excited about our game in the midwest. The Jets and Steelers AFC Championship is another match-made in heaven for football fans.
The last time these two teams played the game expired with the Steelers offense on the Jets 10 yard line. The scoreboard read Jets 22, Steelers 17 and left us with a dry taste in our mouth for more. We got it.
Troy Polamalu was seen on the Pittsburg sideline during the last time these teams faced-off. In the fourteen games he played in this season he had 63 tackles, 1 sack, 7 interceptions, 11 passes defended, and a forced fumble. Don't even try and say a healthy Polamalu would not have made a difference had he played.
If Mark Sanchez does not bring his "A" game then the Jets do not stand a chance in this game. Without Sanchez playing as well as he did against the Patriots, the AFC Championship would not feature the Jets. Three touchdowns and a 127.3 passer rating will be very tough to replicate against a hard-hitting Steelers defense.
Sanantonio Holmes taunts Steelers fans after the Jets' week 14 win. Pittsburg fans will have the last laugh.
In order to reach the Super Bowl the Jets will have to beat the three paramount quarterbacks in the AFC right now (Peyton Manning in Wild Card Round, Tom Brady in Divisional Round, and Ben Roethlisberger now in AFC Championship). The third time will be the charm for sending the Jets home for good. Big Ben has been the definition of clutch thus far in his NFL playoff career. He is coming off a 2 touchdown and 0 interception game against the Ravens and will keep that momentum going forward into this game. The Steelers defense is too much for a young Mark Sanchez to handle and will leave him Super Bowl-less for the second straight year (Jets lost to Colts last year in AFC Championship). Prediction: Jets 13, Steelers 27
Cutler and Olsen connect on their first playoff passing play together for a 58 yard touchdown reception.
The Bears and Packers have matched up against each other more than any other two teams in NFL History. Dating back to the 1921 season these two teams have faced off a total of 181 times with the Bears leading the series 92-83-6. They have each won a game against each other this year, with the final scores being no more than seven points apart. On Sunday at 2 PM, none of those statistics matter. The only road-block for these two NFC North rivals from the Super Bowl is each other.
What do the previous two games against each other this season mean? Basically, nothing. In the Week 3 17-20 loss at Soldier field the Packers posted a franchise-high eighteen penalties. Jermichael Finley had nine catches for 115 yards. Devin Hester returned his first kick for a touchdown since the 2007 season. Obviously, the chances for the Packers tying or reaching another franchise high in turnovers is highly unlikely and Jermichael Finley will be watching the game in street clothes since he has been on injured reserve since October 18th.
The last match-up of these two teams was not even a month ago. Why wouldn't it have a huge impact on how the NFC Championship plays out? "We weren't playing for anything," captain Brian Urlacher commented on the game afterwards, "Everything we needed to do was already done. The crowd was loud because there was a lot on the line for them. It didn't seem like a playoff game to me." Even though the Bears had all of their starters playing they will most certainly be coming into the game on Sunday with a different mentality. Wide receiver Earl Bennett sat out while Nick Roach, Chris Harris, and Major Wright all left the game. The Bears will have all of these players healthy and ready to go this weekend thanks to rest from their bye.
Losing to the Packers in Lambeau was not all negative. The Bears might not even be playing this week had it not been for losing to the Packers in week 17. If the Giants ended up playing against the Eagles, who knows if Philly would have won and faced off against the Bears last week. Chicago might have played all out and lost, but they got valuable playing time that helped them not get too rusty in their Wild Card bye week. Most importantly though, they remained the number two seed which is why they are hosting the game in Chicago on Sunday.
Plenty of predictions will come down to who is the hotter team coming into this game. There is no denying that both of these teams are peaking right now as the Packers have won four straight elimination games since week 16; the Bears have scored 35 points in five of their past six games. What this game will come down to is game planning. Mike Martz vs. Dom Capers will be the big match-up to watch. Capers' Packer defense came with several different blitz formations in their last match-up against the Bears offense. They came away with six sacks and two interceptions. You're going to hear all week: the key to the Bears offensive success will be a respectable pass/rush ratio. Martz called less than 20 rushing plays in five of Chicago's first seven games. In their final nine games the Bears rushed for an average of 29 times. The success of the Bears' offense in the second half of the season goes directly in line with that statistic.
Julius Peppers (left) and Brian Urlacher (right) both have made it to the Super Bowl and left empty handed (Peppers with Carolina Panthers in '04 and Urlacher with Bears in '06). They are both hungry to say the least.
Who will withstand the pressures of playing in the most-hyped non-Super Bowl game ever? There is plenty of talk about Jay Culter's inexperience in playoff games, but Aaron Rodgers has only played one more than him. Urlacher, Briggs, and Peppers have the talent and maturity to slow down Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense enough to give Cutler enough chances to win this game. The Packers' mentality of playing in now five straight elimination games has to be starting to wear on them. Chicago plays their most intense defensive game of the year, and Cutler makes more big offensive plays than mistakes. Prediction: Packers 17, Bears 23
The Ravens and Steelers rivalry lived up to its hype to say the least. The difference came down to the Ravens two fumbles lost, one interception, and one turnover on downs. I thought turnovers would doom the Steelers, but it was the other way around. (Prediction: Ravens 24, Steelers 20; Final: Ravens 24, Steelers 31)
The scariest team left in the playoffs is hands down the Green Bay Packers. Aaron Rodgers continued to stay hot, while the Falcons looked rusty coming off their bye week. The Packers offense continued to roll as I predicted. (Prediction: Packers 27, Falcons 17; Final: Packers 48, Falcons 21)
Jay Cutler's first throw in the playoffs was the biggest of his career (Olsen 58 yard TD reception). Lance Briggs and the Bears defense held Marshawn Lynch & gang to only 34 rushing yards (Cutler had 43). I predicted a blow out, and my prediction came true, even though the scoreboard said the game was closer than it actually was. (Prediction: Seahawks 10, Bears 31; Final: Seahawks 24, Bears 35)
The Patriots could not beat a team that they had demolished 45-3 just over a month ago. Mark Sanchez played like the franchise quarterback the Jets want him to be by throwing three touchdowns. I was wrong about Antonio Cromartie eating his words as the Jets defense held Brady to a 89 overall passer rating. (Prediction: Jets 24, Patriots 34; Final: Jets 28, Patriots 21)
Ok, so I did not have my best week of predicting games. My record was 2-2 and my overall playoff record so far is 6-2. Next week will go better though as I already have my picks locked. Stay tuned Tuesday night for my NFC Championship prediction and Thursday night for my AFC Championship prediction.
Marshawn Lynch goes beast mode in the Seahawks 41-36 upset against the Saints.
Don't sleep on me. Last week I was 4-0 in my Wild Card Round picks. While most other bloggers and ESPN analysists were saying the Saints were going to roll over the Seahawks- I predicted the correct outcome. Say whatever you want about my picks, but thus far no expert, anywhere has a better 2011 NFL Playoff record than me.
Expect to see Ray Lewis and gang create big turnovers this weekend.
The Ravens' defense comes into Heinz Stadium Sunday coming off Super Bowl caliber performances and continues to play that way (Ravens 24, Steelers 20). For a complete preview of the game click here.
James Starks rushed for a franchise playoff rookie record 123 yards in the Packers win last weekend against the Eagles.
After coming back from his concussion in Week 16 Rodgers has been forced to play in three straight elimination games which he has answered with three straight wins. Look for Rodgers to make it four straight (Packers 27, Falcons 17). For a complete preview of the game click here.
The last time the Bears played the Seahawks, Mike Martz called 39 passing plays yet only 14 rushing ones. As long as the Bears can keep a balanced attack on offense, look for an abundance of home team points on the scoreboard.
The Seahawks Cinderella story is about to tick midnight on a trip to Chicago to face a well-rested, healthy Bears team (Seahawks 10, Bears 31). For a complete preview of the game click here.
A big key to the Jets-Patriots game will be Benjarvus Green-Ellis who became the first Patriot to rush for 1000 yards in a season since Corey Dillon in 2004.
Antonio Cromartie has been very open with his hatred for Tom Brady this week. Watch the game Sunday to see Cromartie's whining have no effect on the game (Patriots 34, Jets 24). For a complete preview of the game click here.
Antiono Cromartie and Rex Ryan can talk all they want, but when the game starts Sunday none of that matters.
When Jets corner-back Antonio Cromartie was asked what type of person Tom Brady is, Cromartie had only one word, "He is an asshole." Tom responded back with a typical mundane Brady-like comment, "I've been called worse. I'm sure there is a long list of people that feel that way." What the Patriot quarterback said is definitely true, but that is not what he wanted to say. Tom Brady has always given bland comments to interviewers as responses to tricky or trap questions. He lets his play do all the talking for him, and does not give them an opportunity to critique his every word. Tom Brady might not be your favorite athlete in the world, but you must admit one thing: he knows how to handle the media.
Tom Brady threw 4 TDs and 0 INTs in the Patriots 45-3 rout of the Jets on December 6th.
These two teams will be battling it out for the third time this season on Sunday. The first two matches were split, but the last one was about as one-sided as a game can get. Only a little bit more than a month ago, December 6th, the Jets got obliterated playing on the road at Gillette Stadium 3-45. No, the 3-45 score was not a typo. When a team loses that badly, every single aspect of their game, offense, defense, special teams, and coaching takes a part of the blame.
The Jets win against the Patriots all the way back on September 19th was a fluke. The Patriots had just traded away head-case Randy Moss, and were only starting to find their new identity. When the teams faced-off for a second time in the season, the progress of the Patriots revamped offense absolutely showed.
It does not matter how disrespectful the Jets players thought the Patriots were in their last victory. The Patriots are the far better team. Rex Ryan and Antonio Cromartie are only giving the Pats bulliten-board material with their smack talk. Tom Brady & Co. make the Pre-Season Super Bowl favorites go home early: Patriots 34-24.
Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs will not let Marshawn Lynch run all over them like he did against the Saints.
"I was pulling for Philly, wanted to see Green Bay knocked out," stated Urlacher on FOX television Sunday. Your crazy Brian Urlacher! As a Bears fan I love watching the Packers lose just as much as the next fan, but not last weekend. Had Michael Vick's last pass ended up in an Eagles receiver's hands, they would be arriving in Chicago this weekend instead of the Seahawks. Sure, the Bears lost to the Seahawks earlier this season, and beat the Eagles too, but the circumstances have changed. The Bears-Eagles game was completely changed before halftime of their November 28th game when Chris Harris intercepted Michael Vick in the end zone on a potentially go ahead drive for the Eagles. The Bears went on to score a touchdown off the turnover and went on to win the game 31-26. Without that turnover the end result could have been much different. When the Bears played the Seahawks on October 17th they were a different team. It was week 6 and Cutler was returning from his first game off of his concussion against the Giants. Lance Briggs did not play a snap due to injury. The offensive line was playing terrible, and allowed six sacks. The Bears were struggling to finish drives and find the end zone. Chicago played some of their worst football all year and only ended up losing by a mere score of 23-20.
After the Bears' bye week they have been a completely different team, by going on a 7-2 run afterwards to finish the regular season. Jay Cutler has been playing at a Pro Bowl level quarterback level. Jay threw sixteen touchdowns and only nine interceptions in the nine games following the bye week. The Urlacher lead defense has been shutting down opposing rushers all season, and finished second in the NFL in rushing yards. The Bears have shown what good a bye week can do them, and next Sunday will not be any different.
There is not one other team in the playoffs healthier than the Bears either with help from last week's bye. Earl Bennett (ankle) and Nick Roach (dislocated shoulder), who both did not play in the week 17 match-up against the Packers, were both seen fully-dressed at the Bears practice earlier today.
Regardless of being nine and a half point favorites, the Bears will not overlook the Seahawks. Maybe losing to the Seahawks in week 6 was for the best. Chicago want revenge. "I definitely want to play the Seahawks because they beat us earlier in the season," safety Chris Harris said on ESPN 1000 on Sunday morning.
The one obvious change that needs to happen from the week 6 game to this game is Mike Martz's play calling. There were 39 passing plays called yet only 14 rushing plays in the October game. The Seahawks were ranked 21st in the NFL defenses in terms of allowing rushing yards in the regular season (118.9 per game). As long as Martz calls a somewhat balanced game, the Bears will roll in this one. Its going to get ugly: Bears win 31-10.
3 TD and 0 INT from Aaron Rodgers + most rushing yards in a playoff game by a rookie from Jason Starks (123 yards) = trip to Atlanta for Divisional Playoffs. Packers fans have not had to look back once since Aaron Rodgers started taking the snaps. Rodgers continued to add to his legacy Sunday by becoming the first quarterback to ever throw seven touchdowns in his first two NFL Playoff games. After coming back from his concussion in Week 16 Rodgers has been forced to play in three straight elimination games which he has answered with three straight wins. The difference in Sunday's win compared to the other two is the help the Packers had from the running game. James Starks had only 101 yards rushing total in the entire regular season, but came up big Sunday for Green Bay.
The Falcons worst scenario for match-ups ended up becoming a living nightmare last weekend. The Packers are the last of the four Wild Card teams that they would want to play as they have been hotter than anyone else in the NFC the past couple weeks. On a positive note, the Falcons did beat the Packers earlier this season on November 28th. The scoreboard in the Georgia Dome showed 49 seconds left in the 4th quarter and the game tied 17-17. Matt Ryan delivered in the clutch for Atlanta by getting the offense in special teams so Matt Bryant could close the game out with a field goal.
That was then, and this is now. The Packers are clicking on all cilinders and too hot for the Falcons to cool them off. The Packers offense is rolling as well as it has all season right now. On defense the Packers are coming off a game where they held the starting NFC Pro Bowl quarterback to a 79.9 passer rating. Even more flustered was the Eagles' running back LeSean McCoy who only mustered a total of 46 rushing yards all game. The Eagles did not beat themselves. Green Bay played at an extremely high level and deserved to win. Atlanta will give the Packers all they can handle both on offense and defense, but they cannot match the heart and intensity that Green Bay is playing with right now. Packers take the cake 27-17.
The Ravens defense is HOT to say the least. In their last two games the Ray Lewis lead defense has forced a jaw-dropping TEN turnovers (5 interceptions, 5 fumble recoveries). The Steelers are coming off a well-needed bye week. Stud, Pro Bowl defenders Troy Polamalu and Maurike Pouncey have been banged up recently, but with the bye they were able to rest up so they could give their best effort next Saturday. The regular season series was split 1-1, and both winning teams margin was only by a mere three points. Saturday afternoon's competition looks to be just as close, but the difference will be Joe Flacco coming off of a 265 passing yards, two touchdown, and zero interception performance. The Ravens defense always shows up in the playoffs, but now that they have a quarterback that can make other teams pay for their turnovers, they will be one tough out. I like the Ravens in this one to come out on top with the score 24-20.
Wow, that was an amazing performance by both the Seahawks and the Saints. Most people were picking the Saints to win, but there were some writers that were on my side and picked the Seahawks. Nobody, could have thought the game would be that high scoring and entertaining though. Matt Hasselbeck put on quite the show with four touchdown throws, but Marshawn Lynch's grand finale, 67 yard touchdown run, stole the show. I counted a total of SIX Saints defenders that had a hand on him at one point in the play. Incredible, jaw dropping - whatever you want to call Lynch's run, it closed the door on chance of repeating as Super Bowl champs for the Saints. Experts overlooked how harsh the Saints injuries would impact the game. The Saints offense AND defense were detrimentally hurt by the losses of Chris Ivory and Pierre Thomas. Julius Jones and Reggie Bush, replacements for the starting running backs, were only able to muster 20 carries due to the fact they could only total 72 rushing yards in their attempts. A rushing performance like that will not win the Super Bowl, and ended up not even being enough to beat a 7-9 Seahawks team. The Saints defense was on the field too much since their rushing attack could not eat-up the clock. Drew Brees torched the Seahawks defense for 404 passing yard, and even that was not enough to defeat them. The Seahawks had better enjoy this victory to its fullest because they have a ZERO percent chance of beating the Bears or the Falcons. Both teams are well rested and have few players on their injury report. What if teams become rusty on their week off? Statistics from earlier this season laugh at that question. After the Falcons bye week they went on an EIGHT game win streak while the Bears won FIVE straight games. Once again I would like to congradulate the Seahawks, but that last statistic I gave will doom them. Going from playing a worn-out and hobbled to a well-rested and full of healthy, star-powered player team will make all the difference.
I still vividly remember sitting in my living room on one lazy Sunday afternoon in 2004. The Bears were losing by a great deal once again, and all I could do was wait until later in the day to watch a competitive game. Then midway through the third quarter of the Bears game, a game-break came on the screen. It was a highlight of the Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings game, which I normally would have had no interest in. The game was tied up 24 to 24 in overtime and the Atlanta Falcons had the ball on the Vikings forty-six yard line. The Falcons quarterback rolled back in the pocket and in the blink of an eye dashed down the left sideline with blazing speed. He made everyone else on the field look like they were in slow motion compared to the eye-popping agility the quarterback used to run by everyone. I had already been astounded enough by the first twenty yards of the run, but to make it the most exciting football play ever the quarterback zoomed by two Viking defenders that collided head-on into each other because they were so far behind him. The quarterback finished the play and the overtime game by twirling off a defender into the end zone and throwing the ball into the stands. I could not believe what I had just seen. I had a new favorite player in the NFL, and his name was Michael Vick. He had just made me a life-long fan from one play, or so I had thought.
Michael Vick would go on to play in two Pro-Bowls, have the third most rushing yards by a quarterback in a career, and became the highest paid player ever in the NFL. In August of 2007, all of that did not matter as Vick became indicted for providing money in dog gambling. He was suspended indefinitely without pay by the NFL and sentenced to jail. I was heart-broken, and could not believe that my football world came tumbling down so fast the way it did. Today, Michael Vick, just three years out of jail, is the starting quarterback for the NFC in the Pro Bowl and one of the leading candidates for the MVP award. Previous Michael Vick and Atlanta Falcons fans should not welcome him back with open arms. He could not follow simple rules and was making more than enough money being the highest paid player in the league and being endorsed by companies from Coca-Cola to Hasbro before going to jail. The Falcons got nothing in return besides a horrendous record the following season. Mike Vick fans only were ridiculed and made fun of for supporting a player who fought dogs. He turned our back on us so we should turn our back on him now.
When most people criticize Vick for his actions the first wrongdoing they point to is how inhumane it is to kill dogs. I am not going to lie; there is no warm spot in my heart for dogs. We kill cows, pigs, and chickens for our enjoyment, so there is not as big of a difference from dog fighting and killing animals for us as humans to eat. You might want to disagree with me on that, but the focus here will be on how simple it would have been just to follow the rules. The NFL rules are almost exactly the same as the laws for living as a citizen in the United States. Most of the rules just go towards NFL players having good morals so that the NFL has a good overall image. He already had more money than he knew what to do with, which some of it he lent to his cousin for dog fighting. Vick had the money to spend time with whomever he wanted, and however he wanted. Instead being a multi-millionaire was not thrilling enough for Vick and he could not follow simple NFL rules and slaughtered dogs. If he was not getting enough competition from football than I’m sure he had enough money to either purchase a video game or buy a UFC sporting event ticket.
Other big name athletes have not gotten caught being involved with dog fighting. Kobe Bryant’s name was rubbed in dirt when he was accused of raping a woman in the summer of 2003. He was found innocent, but he did admit to having sex with the women who accused him of rape. Bryant was very apologetic to the public and his wife. He lost several sponsors like Vick did, but slowly regained them over the past seven years. Today, when people mention the name Kobe Bryant it has to do with being a great basketball player, and the rape accusation is almost completely forgotten. In a more recent case of an athlete breaking the public’s morals, Tiger Woods has been less fortunate. Tiger Woods cheated several times on his wife and it did more than effect him off the field. Woods lost his number one overall golfer rating in the world and has played some of his worst gold since entering the PGA. This has been terrible news for professional golf as television ratings have dropped significantly. The biggest thing that stands out with theses cases is that the United States cares more about outstanding athletes than morally right athletes. Whether right or not fans enjoy watching sports at their highest level and athlete’s personal characteristics take a back seat.
In a recent ESPN poll, Michael Vick had a 78% support approval from the sports fans that voted on espn.com. Everybody is happy for him and journalists are writing about how Michael Vick is an amazing athlete and that people everywhere should kiss his feet. Something does not seem right about this.
What have the Atlanta Falcons gotten in return for Vick? They did not get the first overall pick of the 2001 draft that they used on Michael. Only a month prior to Vick being indicted, the Falcons traded away their second string quarterback for draft picks to the Texans and had nobody to fall back upon. The following season the Falcons finished with a record of 4-12 and started three different quarterbacks. Sure, the Falcons have Matt Ryan, who is playing at a debatably, elite NFL quarterback level, but they could have used that first round draft pick on a different position had Vick been still with the team. Even though the suspension occurred three seasons ago the results from it still affect the Falcons today. Matt Ryan was the third overall pick of the 2008 draft, and just one pick below him was Arkansas running back Darren McFadden. McFadden is averaging 4.9 yards per carry this year and could easily be doing that with a Falcons uniform. If Matt Ryan and recently acquired running back Michael Turner had not played so well then this topic would be covered more often. Overall, the Atlanta Falcons organization is fortunate to have moved so progressively in the past couple years.
If you went into my room the morning Michael Vick was indicted you would find out that I had somewhat of an obsession with him. Above my bed was a Vick poster from a Sport Illustrated For Kids magazine, a Vick bobble head, Atlanta Falcons pajama pants and watch, and finally three different Michael Vick replica jerseys in my closet. It was safe to say I was an avid Michael Vick fan. When I found out about Vick’s indictment later that day I did not want to believe it. I could not believe it. I wanted to set all of my Atlanta merchandise on fire. How could he do that to me? To all of his fans? He has to know how much he means to all of his fans. I was embarrassed to wear his jersey in public. Whether or not I saw his actual crime being an inhumane offense, others did. I did not want to be judged by others for supporting a murderer. All of my Michael Vick merchandise gained dust over the next couple years. What were us Michael Vick fans supposed to do? The main reason I watched the Falcons was to support Vick. When I would watch the 2007 Falcons I did not have nearly the same amount of passion I had towards the 2006 team. It was like all of my Sundays during the fall just became twenty times worse. Michael Vick nor me were looking forward to our time in the near future.
Today I have moved on from being mad at Michael Vick. I am a die-hard Bears fan and was euphoric to see Michael Vick lose at Solider Field in November. He is just another athlete that suits up against my favorite team. Vick had his chance to be Atlanta and old fans heroes. I hope all other fans see him the way I do.
SEA - The Saints will enter Quest field on Saturday afternoon with the same goal they had at this time last year; win the Super Bowl. This time around the Saints road to the big game will be much harsher. The Saints leading rusher in 2009 (Pierre Thomas) and in 2010 (Chris Ivory) have been put on IR in the past two days. "That's tough," quarterback Drew Brees said of the loss of Thomas and Ivory this week. "You can't deny that just because of the physical presence they bring and obviously their productivity." Pierre Thomas’ ankle injury earlier this season looked like it would be near impossible to overcome, but Chris Ivory’s 5.2 YPC (3rd best in the NFL) helped revive the Saints. Pierre Thomas was injured in practice last week while Chris Ivory was hurt early in the game against the Buccaneers and unable to return. Jimmy Graham (TE) and Malcolm Jenkins (S) also left the week 17 game against the 'Bucs and did not return. Graham joined Shockey and Thomas on the sideline which now leaves the Saints with their fourth string tight end that I have no clue what their name is. Marques Colston hurt his hip in week 16. Brees cannot afford to lose another weapon. There is a reason that Brees has thrown a pick in each game this season and tied the record for most consecutive games with one since 2006 by Jon Kitna. He is being asked too much of himself. The lack of a decent running game, like Brees had all last season, is the major reason for his 22 interceptions in his past 17 games. When defenses know that the pass is coming it becomes even harder to be successful. The only healthy running backs left on the team are Reggie Bush (only 32 rushing attempts all season due to injury) and Julius Jones (11 carries for 22 yards in the past 3 games). Julius Jones will be motivated for this game against the team that released him earlier this season, but he still will not play well enough to get the Saints to the Divisional round. There is usually a letdown game to start the playoffs for the defending Super Bowl champions. Outside of Julius Jones, what do the Saints have to prove? The won the Super Bowl last year and now have to fly across the country to play a mere Wild Card game. Matt Hasselbeck playing makes a huge difference. The last time these two teams met in week 6, the Saints won 36-19, but Hasselbeck threw for 366 yards and completed 72.9% of his throws. Those two statistics alone make me 100% sure Hasselbeck will get the head-nod over Whitehurst. The two big differences between now and then are the injuries to the Saints team and the location of the game moving from New Orleans to Seattle. The last home game Seattle had against the Falcons they did a good job of containing Michael Turner. Julius Jones should only make things easier. The Saints are 28th against defending punt returns and 24th against defending kick returns. Look for Leon Washington to have a big day returning kicks. On the offensive side for the Seahawks running back duo of Lynch and Forrsett will be the X-factor. Reguardless of whom is playing the quarterback position, the running game needs to set up the passing game. Hasselbeck will be playing injured and the running game needs to help make passing plays less obvious so that he will not get whacked to the ground as much. If Whitehurst plays then you know what you’re going to get. No extrodinary quarterback play, but also less chances for turnovers. The bottom line is that the Saints will not be motivated enough to play this game, and the Seahawks have nothing to lose. The Seahawks will win a classic trap game in close fashion 17-16. Neither of these teams are built to go far in the playoffs, and this is the only game either of them have a chance at winning. The Bears and Falcons can and will devour whichever of these teams that comes out on top. I’ll save the rest of that for next week though once the match-ups for the Divisional round are set in stone. Hope you enjoyed reading, and I'll post my predictions for the other games Saturday night.
"Why does the NFL even continue to play the rest of the regular season?" is the question many of us ask the following week after losing in our fantasy playoffs. It is never easy getting over losing in the playoffs. Everywhere we look there are reminders. NFL Network, Fox Sports Net, ESPN, and ESPN 2 all seem to want to show highlights that factored in your loss. Network channels that cover the NFL should be more considerate and only show highlights from players on your team doing well. Every time I watched Devin Hester return that punt for a touchdown in the week 16 match-up between the Bears and Vikings (the team I was playing started the Bears D/ST and I lost by 5) it felt like a switch-blade being churned in my stomach. So what if he broke some stupid record for the most punt returns all-time? At least show some respect in my time of mourning over my fantasy loss and wait at least a month-or-so to talk about the record.
