NFL "Throwball" Playoffs 2010

[[FnG] JinX-D]

Bloody Jets! What was that, really..., come on Chargers...! I've been told Chargers were crappy in playoffs, but this... the Jets?!?

[[FnG] 7uh]

Bah!

[[FnG] Da Kril]

come on Chargers...! I've been told Chargers were crappy in playoffs, but this...

Well, a record-setting three missed field goals at home by the most accurate kicker this season (he entered the playoffs having made 20 consecutive field goals!) and that "Norv Turner Factor" made for an ugly combination. Add that to the spirited blitzes and stunts of the Jets' powerful D and you knew the Bolts were in trouble when they entered the fourth quarter with only 7 points.

And Norv Turner's bizarre (idiotic?) decision to go for an onside kick when kicking it away would've likely gotten the Bolts the ball back with a minute to work with, down three — sheesh, that's gonna be a talking point all off-season for San Diego. It'll be interesting to see if Turner manages to stay head coach. He's led them less and less deep into the playoffs each year he's been there.


Elsewhere, I thought the Cowboys game was very exciting. Here were the Boyz I love so well — stupid penalties, confused wide outs, and THERE'S my favorite Romo, repeatedly putting the ball on the ground, making mistakes, hurrying and generally wilting in the face of a ferocious Minnesota pass rush (something the Vikes have done all year).

Minnesota vs. New Orleans next week is looking like one hell of a great game. Can the Vikings pressure Drew Brees like they did Romo, or is Brees simply a much, much better QB? The opportunistic Saints D used their bye week to get healthy, returning several missing starters, so they should make it tougher on Favre. Saints have a balanced offense with a few more weapons, and I'd pick them by to win by a small margin. But it wouldn't surprise me to see the Vikes head on to the Super Bowl.

In Indianapolis, the Colts will be heavily favored. But the pressure's not on New York — they're not even supposed to be here. And you've really gotta worry about a team with nothing to lose, coming into your house having just won two road upsets on the way. The Jets have the best pass defense in the league, and the number one rushing attack. If they can keep Manning on the bench while they grind out yards and take away a big chunk of the Colts' pass attack when he's in there, well, they've got a shot.

On advancing to Indianapolis, Jets rookie coach Rex Ryan said,
"This is the matchup that probably nobody wanted, but too bad — here we come!"

Cya next weekend, when we decide who goes to the big dance,
--kril out--

[[FnG] 7uh]

Yeah, I've been blaming Romo for that disaster, but I wonder if I shouldn't be blaming the Cowboys' offensive line. Romo got a lot of pressure all game, but Dallas was moving the ball early with no problem. Once Flozell Adams got injured, they just didn't seem to be able to stop the Vikings at the line.

[[FnG] Da Kril]

So, the San Diego Chargers decide they just love Norv Turner, and have given him a FOUR-YEAR contract extension! The mind boggles.
Meanwhile, Jerry Jones can't think of anyone better to do his bidding on the sidelines, so Dallas half-a-coach Wade Phillips gets a THREE-YEAR contract extension. Wowzers.
(Like the song says, "it's only puppet love")


Sunday, Jan. 24, Championship Games: (winners go to Super Bowl)

• AFC Championship — New York Jets at Indianapolis Colts, CBS
  3 p.m. EDT, 2 p.m. CDT, 8 p.m. GMT, 9 p.m. CET
  Vegas line: Colts by 7.5
  
  
• NFC Championship — Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints, Fox
  6:40 p.m. EDT, 5:40 p.m. CDT, 11:40 p.m. GMT, 12:40 a.m. CET (Jan. 25)
  Vegas line: Saints by 3.5

Saints fans asking the traditional Saints question.
("Who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints?!")



Fireman Ed, Jets super-fan, says, "J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets!"




Some of the less beer-sodden, more posh, Vikings fans.




A Colts fan... we think.


Three days until Championship Sunday, wootz,
--kril out--

[[FnG] 7uh]

Meanwhile, Jerry Jones can't think of anyone better to do his bidding on the sidelines, so Dallas half-a-coach Wade Phillips gets a THREE-YEAR contract extension. Wowzers.

I too was surprised that Phillips got a three-year deal, but frankly, what else do you do with a coach that has a 33-15 record and two divisional championships in the past three seasons? I think Jerry probably remembers the last time he went back to square one - when he fired Chan Gailey after going 10-6 and 8-8, hired Dave Campo, and promptly went 5-11 for three years in a row ...

[[FnG] Da Kril]

Uh oh, Colts. Uh oh.
You've been stuffed on first and goal TWICE and now you're putting the ball on the ground.
Textbook bomb to Braylon Edwards, then Mark "Who Is He?" Sanchez throws a second TD, this one tricky.
Jets D looking like a thing of beauty — they didn't come into town to lose this game, apparently.

Gonna have to see some serious regroup-age for the second half from Manning and the blue machine.

That's your update, two minutes before the half. 17-6, Jets by 11. Uh oh,
--kril out--

EDIT: Then the machine drives the length of the field for six! Jets by 4, 17-13.
EDIT EDIT: Nevermind, Manning's machine was jump-started, and the Colts just "took care o' bidness" in the second half
On to the Super Bowl for the Colts!

[[FnG] JinX-D]

Deep down this was the Superbowl everyone expected... Colts-Saints, still excited, looking forward to the game
Too bad for old man Favre, I would've loved to see him play and win the Superbowl and announce his retirement for the third time right then and there

Who's gonna win them Superbowl?!

I think Saints, just 'cause...

[[FnG] Rotten_Emu]

I think the Colts will win this (I predicted a Vikings - Colts superbowl, and was only a cointoss off). There's just no way the Colts can lose with a playbook that contains the following play: "Fourth Quarter Comeback on 2 ... Ready ... Break!".

That of course is all thanks to Payton Manning, who appearantly was an Astronaut that crashed after a space mission. Luckily they had the technology*...

It's rumoured the Colts have a hole of 6 million dollars in their budget the year Payton joined their roster.

[[FnG] 7uh]

That of course is all thanks to Payton Manning, who appearantly was an Astronaut that crashed after a space mission. Luckily they had the technology*...

He's considerably more than a $6-million man these days, and he's a much better actor than Lee Majors ...

[[FnG] Da Kril]

and he's a much better actor than Lee Majors ...

Considering his long commercial resume and his hilarious sketches on Saturday Night Live, this is actually 100% true fact, all joking aside.
(Of course, Pauly Shore is pretty much a better actor than Lee Majors, but still.)

The Vikings/Saints game was strange for me — I don't think I've ever had such trouble figuring out who to root for.
I was totally for the Saints (went to college in New Orleans and their fantasy doodz won me the league this year).
But the Favre story is a hella good one, especially if he goes all the way. And the Vikes defense is fun to watch.
I was so torn, I'd go "Yay! No, wait, boo!" I finally just decided to root for whoever was on offense.

What a close game — Favre will be kicking himself for that silly last pass. (Just run it, fool! There're acres ahead and you only need to set up the field goal)
On the one hand, if you fumble the ball six times (three turnovers) and throw two picks in a playoff game, you're bound to lose.
On the other hand, despite the five turnovers, the Vikings were RIGHT THERE, suggesting if they made fewer mistakes, they could've well won it.
To the Saints' credit, their defense worked at creating most of those fumbles.

In the overtime I figured the Vikings defense had been stopping the Saints offense enough that Favre would get the ball back.
A series of penalties and close (replay) calls denied that, however. Then I was sure the kicker was going to feel the pressure and hook it, but he drilled it straight down the pipes. Saints move on, good for them.

God, I don't think I've EVER seen a QB get hammered and beat to hell more than Favre did yesterday without taking a single sack.
THAT was amazing. (both the beating they put on him, and the survival)

And now, the horrible Brett Favre retire/un-retire/hiatus/wtf talk starts,
--kril out--

[aximon]

Useless facts about American football



Source

[[FnG] 7uh]

Useless facts about American football

Yeah, I saw this in the Wall Street Journal. It's amazing. Americans criticize Euro-footy because scoring is so infrequent, yet they're willing to sit at a TV and look at a bunch of guys stand around waiting for a play from the sidelines.

*edit - and this version of the graphic doesn't even show commercials, which take up more than half of the total airtime. The print version of the story showed that out of about 3 hours of broadcast time for one of these games, there were about 11 minutes of actual play.

[[FnG] Da Kril]

Who dat?!

[[FnG] Marksman]

Wow!

Recorded the Superbowl on Sunday night and watched it in the morning in my freezing cold lounge (freezing cold because the boiler has packed in again and I was waiting for the engineer to arrive).

I say again, wow. What a game and what a great story for the Saints in 2010. Many, many congratulations to them and their fans.

Another Superbowl, another great contest that defied the predictions and threw out surprise after surprise. Indy moving the ball on the ground successfully; Reggie Bush barely doing any rushing; Dallas Clark's great game receiving; young Hartley's three monster field goals that kept NO within touching distance early; Porter's crucial interception; Brees' wonderful accuracy late on; THAT onside kick. Nearly too much to take in. You can't help but wonder what would've happened if New Orleans' onside kick had stuck in the hands of the Colts' special teams instead of bouncing back to them. Oh man, that changed everything.

When the Colts were up 10 early I thought it was all over - they'd just gone into cruise control and were going to steamroll the Saints. How wrong can you be? How do Superbowls always manage to be that exciting?

FA Cup final: every year it's the same or similar teams, same drab, fearful tapping about until, usually, someone gets a corner and scores a scrappy goal to win it. Frankly, the league games are heaps more fun to watch.

PS. Incidentally, how many hits do you think the Superbowl Ads webpage got, where visitors could - voluntarily - watch the teeth-gnashingly persistent and repetitive adverts AGAIN?!