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Friday, January 1, 2010

NFL Football- Week 17 Previews

Happy New Year everybody and here we are at Week 17 ... the final games of the 2009 regular season in the NFL.
There are a lot of games that mean nothing as far as the NFL playoffs are concerned. However, there a lot of teams still in the running in the AFC for the final two spots.
It's real simple in the AFC, if the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets win their season finales, they are both going to the playoffs. If they both lose, then Houston, Pittsburgh and Denver definitely have a shot at making the post-season party. Miami and Jacksonville are definite long shots after losing key games last weekend.
In fact, Pittsburgh has somehow managed to play it's way back into contention with two straight wins after losing at Cleveland three weeks ago. The Steelers' LaMarr Woodley has gone so far as to accuse the Patriots and Bengals (each division winners and playoff bound) of possibly laying down in their final games against Houston and the New York Jets just to keep the Steelers from making the playoffs.
That's ridiculous because the Steelers should be 11-4 after losing games against Kansas City, Oakland and Cleveland. They put themselves in this tough spot where they need A LOT of help should they beat Miami on the road on Sunday.
Another thing is whether or not the Indianapolis Colts, having sewn up home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs, will even play any starters in their final regular season game at Buffalo.
In the NFC, it's all settled as far as who is in the playoffs. The only question is who will be playing who next weekend in the Wild Card Round.
The Minnesota Vikings have dropped three out of their last four games and now must win at home against the New York Giants and then get some help to regain the number-two seed and a first round bye.
The BIG GAME this weekend without question is the Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys for all the marbles in the NFC East division. If the Cowboys win, they will move up from sixth spot to at least four and possibly even third seed.
The Eagles (11-4) currently are the second seed and could secure the first round bye if they beat Dallas. The New Orleans Saints have clinched home field throughout the NFC playoffs and the Green Bay Packers are already assured a wild card spot while they travel to Arizona to finish the regular season against the playoff bound Cardinals.
No doubt there will be a lot of scoreboard watching going on in the NFL this Sunday and then the final game of the regular season on Sunday Night Football will have the Cincinnati Bengals at the New York Jets to determine the final spot in the AFC playoff picture.
It should be an exciting finish to the 2009 season and then the real fun begins.

Here are the final picks for the last game of the regular season ... (HOME TEAMS are listed in BOLD)

Chicago over Detroit
Miami over Pittsburgh
New England over Houston
Buffalo over Indianapolis
San Francisco over St. Louis
Tampa Bay over Atlanta
Carolina over New Orleans
Cleveland over Jacksonville
Minnesota over NY Giants
Tennessee over Seattle
Philadelphia over Dallas
San Diego over Washington
Denver over Kansas City
Baltimore over Oakland
Arizona over Green Bay
NY Jets over Cincinnati

Last week's record: 11-5

SEASON RECORD: 156-84

Thursday, December 31, 2009

2009-The Year in Sports

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Steelers' Woodley: Pats, Bengals will 'lay down'

Steelers' Woodley: Pats, Bengals will 'lay down'

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Tuesday, December 29, 2009

NFL Football- Week 16 Review

WTF?!
That is what football fans of the Indianapolis Colts are saying after Sunday's asinine decision by Head Coach Jim Caldwell to pull Peyton Manning (pictured left) and the other starting offensive players as well as the defense during the third quarter of a game in which the Colts were leading.
The Jets (8-7) wound up beating the Colts, 29-15 to stop the Colts' undefeated season and keep their own playoff hopes alive. The Colts do own the home-field advantage throughout the AFC Playoffs.
WTF is also what Saints' fans have to be saying following their second consecutive loss at home after a 13-0 start this season. Tampa Bay (3-12) won the game in overtime, 20-17 on a 47-yard field goal by Conner Barth. The Saints blew a 14-0 first quarter lead in the game.
Despite the lackluster effort in the Big Easy, the Saints still have the homefield advantage throughout the NFC Playoffs as a result of the Minnesota Vikings losing their game.
How about those Chicago Bears beating the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football?
Bears' quarterback Jay Cutler threw four touchdown passes, including the game winning 39-yard pass to wide receiver Devin Aromashodu in overtime for the 36-30 win.
The loss dropped the Minnesota Vikings out of the second seed in the NFC Playoffs picture.
The Philadelphia Eagles (11-4) won their sixth consecutive game and are now number two in the NFC after hanging on for a 30-27 win over the fading Denver Broncos, who slipped to 8-7 and now must win and get help in the final game just to make the playoffs.
The Green Bay Packers blasted Seattle, 48-10 to clinch a playoff spot as Aaron Rodgers was efficient and Ryan Grant scored two TDs and Brandon Jackson three TDs (two rushing and one receiving) to pace the attack.
What happened to the New York Giants in their final home game at Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands?
The Carolina Panthers dismantled the Giants, 41-9 to eliminate the pre-season favorites of the NFC to reach Super Bowl 44 behind 206 rushing yards from Jonathon Stewart and three touchdown passes from Matt Moore.
The Dallas Cowboys (10-5) clinched the sixth and final NFC playoff spot Sunday Night with a 17-0 shutout victory at Washington.
The Arizona Cardinals (10-5 and playoff bound) rolled past St. Louis, 31-10 as Kurt Warner threw a pair of touchdown passes and the Cardinals' defense limited the Rams to 238 yard in total offense.
The Pittsburgh Steelers kept their scant chances of another chance at defending their Super Bowl title in tow with a 23-20 nail biter over the visiting Baltimore Ravens.
The Cincinnati Bengals finally clinched the AFC North with a 17-10 win against stubborn Kansas City. The Bengals (10-5) saw QB Carson Palmer hit Chad Ochocinco with a 6-yard scoring pass with two minutes left in regulation for the winning score.
The New England Patriots rode the arm of quarterback Tom Brady (four TD passes, including three of them to Randy Moss) to a 35-7 trouncing of the Jacksonville Jaguars to clinch the AFC East for the seventh time this decade.
The Houston Texans jumped out to a 27-0 lead against the Miami Dolphins and then held on foir a 27-20 win to keep their slim playoff chances alive. Texans' QB Matt Schaub threw two TD passes to offset Miami's second half comeback. The loss eliminated the Dolphins (7-8) unless every other team loses and they beat the Steelers in Miami in the season finale.
The San Diego Chargers (12-3) won their 10th consecutive game and wrapped up the number-two seed in the AFC and a first round bye with a 42-17 win at Tennessee on Christmas Night.
Quarterback Philip Rivers threw two TD passes and LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for two scores and Darren Sproles scored three times for San Diego in the rout, which eliminated the Titans (7-8) from playoff contention.
Other games saw...
Atlanta Falcons blast Buffalo, 31-3 as Falcons' QB Matt Ryan threw three TD passes ... San Francisco 49ers knocked off the visiting Detroit Lions, 20-6 to improve to 7-8... Cleveland (4-11) won its' third game in a row with a 23-9 home victory against the Oakland Raiders as Jerome Harrison rushed for 148 yards and scored a touchdown.