The best team in the AFC plays the best team in the NFC in two weeks. That's why they call it the Super Bowl. Last week, the Pats held the NFL's best offense to three points. This week they put up forty-one points against the NFL's best defense. Deservedly, they go into the Super Bowl as six-point favorites. The Philadelphia Eagles made Michael Vick look like Ryan Leaf. And who needs T.O. when you have Brian Westbrook?
Keys to the game? For the Patriots, I think they need to exploit Philly's mediocre run defense by feeding Corey Dillon heavy servings of pigskin. For the Eagles, Donovan McNabb's pass-run double-threat may be something that not even two-weeks of preparation by football's greatest mind can stop.
One final observation: Eight hours of the NFL playoffs on Sunday didn't make me sick of football. It did leave me fantasizing about who I should to kill first: Charlie or Don Eppes. Numb3rs is the most annoying television show ever about an FBI agent and his mathematician brother, and at least the most overpromoted show since Skin (certainly Ron Silver yelling, "HIS FATHER IS THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY!" is forever etched upon your mind too). What's the over-under on how many weeks Numb3rs lasts? Anyhow, the winner of this weekend's pool will be announced soon, and an official Super Bowl predictions thread will be unveiled next week. Until then, feel free to offer your analysis on the conference championships, and the Super Bowl match-up.
The Pats D had a tough time recovering on Roethlisberger. He ran for almost a first down each carry (5-45). It looks like it's going to be very tough to contain a QB who's actually known for his running (Mcnabb)and to hold down an awesome back like Westbrook. Good thing for the Pats is that Philly's run support is shite and we have the best coaching staff in the history of sports. Literally. Can you think of a group of coaches that can hold the jock of Belichick and CO ??????
Numbers will last 13 episodes so that it makes a nice DVD set.
Hats off to the Pats, who handled our rookie quarterback and put our defense on our buts for the first time this season. It's ironic that the two teams the Steelers beat convincingly in the regular season, end up in the Super Bowl playing each other. It just goes to show that any team can win on any given day. The NFL is great, even the day after my beloved Steelers fall. Go Patriots, bring home Lombardi to the AFC again!
Just mute the commercials, man.
Congratulations to New England, and to New England's first son, Dan. Your boys look like men among boys. They should maul the Eaglets. And when they do, not only will the Patriots be able to attach the word "dynasty" to their run, they will accomplish something only my beloved Cowboys have been able to do: win 3 in 4 years. And then, the grim reaper known as free agency will come for you.
At work we have a knockout pool for the playoffs - twelve people pick a team out of the hat; if they cover you move on. (If they lose but cover you knock out your opponent and take their team next week.)
I had the great good fortune to get the Pats this year, so naturally Tom Brady will fall off a cliff or something. But Rohan Davey will throw for 275 and three scores (probably to Fauria, Vrabel, and Hank "Little" Poteat) and they'll win anyway. The Pats are just unbelievable, a great great team, and giving Belichick two weeks is truly unfair. We may see the first-ever 4 TE set, or the single wing.
PS:
"You're risking a patient's life!
"But all I wanna do is race, Daddy..."
