Confrence Finals
Ohh Oh 0!
By Bob Graziano
Championship Week
The Championship games are upon us and we’ve got some interesting match-ups in store. As all you regular readers know I was perfect with my picks last week, 0 and 4! Not easy to do and a speed bump in what has been a superior season of prognostication. The Steelers showed that Boy Peyton still needs to grow up. The Cats of the Carolinas rode Super Steve to another big road victory. Denver snuffed the Dynasty and Seattle won without Alexander the Great in the Great Wet North. I was gonna pick all those guys I swear.
Before we discuss the big games, a little coaching news. The Jets promoted the ball boy to King of the Visiting Locker Room at Giants Stadium this week. Big news for the #4 draft pick and all the poor souls that root for the green and white. Coach Mangini gets to learn the ropes from the ground up because the Jets are a train wreck of a franchise. No QB, an injured and aging RB, a decimated Offensive line, and one all-pro linebacker. That is all Little E gets along with the big raise. Let’s hope he paid attention to Big Bill when he stood at his side. The Jets will need patience as things will get worse before they get better. Jet fans have the patience of Job.
The Lions fired Mariucci and hired Marinelli. I thought they were going in a different direction. Sounds like an Eye-talian ta me! Marinelli has been coaching the Tampa D to the top of the NFL. Now let’s see if he can motivate all those wide receivers and two dumb QB’s.
I don’t know about you guys but I have been hearing about Steve Smith all season. The Bears looked like they had played their season with the TV off. Steve ran around Chicago like Belushi on a coke binge. The Chi-town coverage was a joke and Speedy made them pay. The Seahawks had better account for #89.
The Steelers shocked the world with a big-time game plan that had the Colts guessing from the word go. Peyton was feeling the pressure before he even took the field and started shaking like a leaf under the Steeler onslaught. Then the ref’s put on a show with the replay. I can’t rant anymore about stupid replay. And it all ended with another example of the Cardinal Rule of Playoff Football. Don’t bet on that kicker to save your ass.
The Broncs put an end to the Belichek reign. Although If the refs had gotten the Ben Watson play right we might be discussing how Brady is unbeatable. But any way you look at it Denver hosts the Steelers this Sunday. Jake Plummer threw only 7 picks in the regular season and one last week to put the hurt on his biggest bugaboo. The Denver attack has the finest running game left standing now that SA is dizzy and disappearing for the big games. The Broncos will be at home and a mile high, and I don’t mean Snoop Dogg is visiting on the sidelines. The Steelers march in with the second best ground attack and a passing attack that just put the kibosh on the Colts. I really think that Big Ben is going to be on the first ballot when he finally hangs it up. Bill Cowher really showed me something by outthinking Tony Dungy last week. Shanahan has the rings. This game will be one for the ages.
I think Denver is the better team. Plummer is the most mobile QB playing this week and that kind of mobility can make your defenders look foolish. Anderson, Bell and Dayne in Shanahan’s system will pile up the tough clock-chewing yards coaches love. The Denver D plays at home and Champ won’t quit on the 5 yard line this week. All good reasons for a Big D victory. Here’s the But. Big Ben does not like to lose. Jerome Bettis’ happy feet have been making defenders miss for twenty years and I think he wants a ring. Hines Ward is the best receiver in the game. The Pitt D and Cowher will make Plummer real mobile. I have the Steelers in an upset on the road.
I didn’t think Seattle would win with Shaun, so winning without him was surprising. I have been impressed with their defense all season. Hassleback is a strong solid veteran QB with a nice set of receivers to throw to. In fact, after Mr. Smith, he has the second, third and fourth best options in the game in the persons of Jackson, Engram and Joey J. The question mark at running back is a big deficit for the Hawks, but Carolina is on third string Nick Goings so they will be hard pressed to exploit that advantage. In Goings defense he was real good late last year when pressed into the starting role. Carolina has John Fox on the sidelines, a monster defensive line, and the best player in football right now. It is easy to say that Seattle will just double #89, but nobody can stop this guy right now and when he breaks free Delhomme puts it up with precision. Delhomme also knows what it takes to win the Conference and you can’t put a value on a crazy man that wants to win the ring that he missed by the slimmest of margins. We have one good Sunday worth of football ahead of us. Just in time for the two week layoff and notoriously one-sided Super Bowl.
This game will devolve into a shootout. Neither team has a great option at running back so expect the passes to fly. In that situation I am going to go with the best passer quarterback combo. Steve Smith will make the difference in this game. I don’t see another 200 yards, but 120 will do it. Goings will surprise everybody with a week to prepare for the starting role. SA not only has a concussion, but he has never shown he can do it in the playoffs. I think the Cat D gets the slightest edge. Another good game with the winning team probably the one with a couple of big turnover plays.
The good news is that I can’t lose 4 games this week. The bad news is that I just picked two road dogs. Tell me how you lost the rent @ grazianimal@columnist.com
By Bob Graziano
Championship Week
The Championship games are upon us and we’ve got some interesting match-ups in store. As all you regular readers know I was perfect with my picks last week, 0 and 4! Not easy to do and a speed bump in what has been a superior season of prognostication. The Steelers showed that Boy Peyton still needs to grow up. The Cats of the Carolinas rode Super Steve to another big road victory. Denver snuffed the Dynasty and Seattle won without Alexander the Great in the Great Wet North. I was gonna pick all those guys I swear.
Before we discuss the big games, a little coaching news. The Jets promoted the ball boy to King of the Visiting Locker Room at Giants Stadium this week. Big news for the #4 draft pick and all the poor souls that root for the green and white. Coach Mangini gets to learn the ropes from the ground up because the Jets are a train wreck of a franchise. No QB, an injured and aging RB, a decimated Offensive line, and one all-pro linebacker. That is all Little E gets along with the big raise. Let’s hope he paid attention to Big Bill when he stood at his side. The Jets will need patience as things will get worse before they get better. Jet fans have the patience of Job.
The Lions fired Mariucci and hired Marinelli. I thought they were going in a different direction. Sounds like an Eye-talian ta me! Marinelli has been coaching the Tampa D to the top of the NFL. Now let’s see if he can motivate all those wide receivers and two dumb QB’s.
I don’t know about you guys but I have been hearing about Steve Smith all season. The Bears looked like they had played their season with the TV off. Steve ran around Chicago like Belushi on a coke binge. The Chi-town coverage was a joke and Speedy made them pay. The Seahawks had better account for #89.
The Steelers shocked the world with a big-time game plan that had the Colts guessing from the word go. Peyton was feeling the pressure before he even took the field and started shaking like a leaf under the Steeler onslaught. Then the ref’s put on a show with the replay. I can’t rant anymore about stupid replay. And it all ended with another example of the Cardinal Rule of Playoff Football. Don’t bet on that kicker to save your ass.
The Broncs put an end to the Belichek reign. Although If the refs had gotten the Ben Watson play right we might be discussing how Brady is unbeatable. But any way you look at it Denver hosts the Steelers this Sunday. Jake Plummer threw only 7 picks in the regular season and one last week to put the hurt on his biggest bugaboo. The Denver attack has the finest running game left standing now that SA is dizzy and disappearing for the big games. The Broncos will be at home and a mile high, and I don’t mean Snoop Dogg is visiting on the sidelines. The Steelers march in with the second best ground attack and a passing attack that just put the kibosh on the Colts. I really think that Big Ben is going to be on the first ballot when he finally hangs it up. Bill Cowher really showed me something by outthinking Tony Dungy last week. Shanahan has the rings. This game will be one for the ages.
I think Denver is the better team. Plummer is the most mobile QB playing this week and that kind of mobility can make your defenders look foolish. Anderson, Bell and Dayne in Shanahan’s system will pile up the tough clock-chewing yards coaches love. The Denver D plays at home and Champ won’t quit on the 5 yard line this week. All good reasons for a Big D victory. Here’s the But. Big Ben does not like to lose. Jerome Bettis’ happy feet have been making defenders miss for twenty years and I think he wants a ring. Hines Ward is the best receiver in the game. The Pitt D and Cowher will make Plummer real mobile. I have the Steelers in an upset on the road.
I didn’t think Seattle would win with Shaun, so winning without him was surprising. I have been impressed with their defense all season. Hassleback is a strong solid veteran QB with a nice set of receivers to throw to. In fact, after Mr. Smith, he has the second, third and fourth best options in the game in the persons of Jackson, Engram and Joey J. The question mark at running back is a big deficit for the Hawks, but Carolina is on third string Nick Goings so they will be hard pressed to exploit that advantage. In Goings defense he was real good late last year when pressed into the starting role. Carolina has John Fox on the sidelines, a monster defensive line, and the best player in football right now. It is easy to say that Seattle will just double #89, but nobody can stop this guy right now and when he breaks free Delhomme puts it up with precision. Delhomme also knows what it takes to win the Conference and you can’t put a value on a crazy man that wants to win the ring that he missed by the slimmest of margins. We have one good Sunday worth of football ahead of us. Just in time for the two week layoff and notoriously one-sided Super Bowl.
This game will devolve into a shootout. Neither team has a great option at running back so expect the passes to fly. In that situation I am going to go with the best passer quarterback combo. Steve Smith will make the difference in this game. I don’t see another 200 yards, but 120 will do it. Goings will surprise everybody with a week to prepare for the starting role. SA not only has a concussion, but he has never shown he can do it in the playoffs. I think the Cat D gets the slightest edge. Another good game with the winning team probably the one with a couple of big turnover plays.
The good news is that I can’t lose 4 games this week. The bad news is that I just picked two road dogs. Tell me how you lost the rent @ grazianimal@columnist.com
posted by grazianimal at 5:39 AM
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