SportsCrack

NFL Divisional Round Preview: Part 1

The NFL Divisional Playoffs, one of the best weekends of the year. Two days chock full of pure football goodness. Not to mention, after it’s all over – we still have next week’s conference championships! This preview will have two parts: Part 1 will deal with Saturday’s games, while Part 2 will deal with, yup; you guessed it – Sunday’s games.

Seattle Seahawks @ Green Bay Packers (Saturday 4:30 EST on FOX)

This is of course the first playoff rematch since the “We’re going to get the ball and we’re going to score” comment by Matt Hasselbeck in 2003. As we all know, Al Harris ended that game with a pick-six.

This time around the Packers are the NFC North champions, one of the hottest teams in the league and have the number two offense in the NFL. The Seahawks are the champions of a weak NFC West, but are coming off an emotional win in the wild card round and have some key veteran playoff experience.

As with most games, there are going to be many keys to this match up. One of which is Ryan Grant and if the playoff pressures will get to him. I’ve since been convinced that he’s a good running back (especially after taking Priest Holmes over him for my final FA pickup thus extending my fantasy losing streak) and I think he’ll continue his fantastic season in this game.

Another key is going to be whether or not Deion Branch plays. By all accounts, he should, but the question is going to be how healthy will he be on Saturday?

Also, don’t forget: This game is being played on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field. Sorry Seahawks fans, but I’m going to have to take the Pack in this one. Get rid of that Shaun Alexander character and you should do much better next year.

Prediction: Green Bay 30 Seattle 24

Jacksonville Jaguars @ New England Patriots (Saturday 8:00 EST on CBS)

This is another playoff rematch game. The last time the Jags and Pats met in the playoffs was during a Wild Card match up in 2005. It wasn’t much of a game, though, with the Patriots spanking the Jaguars 28-3 in Foxboro.

This time around the rosters are quite different. The Patriots have proved that they can have a functional rushing game when they need too, while the Jaguars rely on their 149.4 yards rushing average per game to make the game more manageable for quarterback David Garrard.

Like last week’s game, the success of Jacksonville’s rushing attack will be key on two fronts: One, they’ll win the time of possession battle (keeping the ball away from the explosive New England offense) and two, take a bit of pressure off of David Garrard who in his first playoff start last week, threw an uncharacteristic two interceptions.

A lot of people are predicting a Jacksonville upset, but I’m afraid I can’t do the same, although it should be a great game.

Prediction: New England 31 Jacksonville 24

10 most intriguing stories of the NFL Playoffs Divisional Round

I’ve always liked the divisional playoffs more than the championship round. This is probably because there are two more games in the divisional round and hey, the more football the better right?

Luckily for all of us, there are some great storylines in the upcoming divisional playoffs. So, in typical Football Crack fashion, we’re going to do a Top 10. Because everybody loves Top 10’s, right? Right? Hello?

10.) The Patriots ongoing quest for 19-0. I know, I know. It’s been beaten to death. But the storyline is there and I had to include it here.

9.) The ongoing Cinderella season from Brett Favre. Admit it; you were part of the 99% of people who didn’t live in Wisconsin who thought he should retire last year.

8.) The opportunity for Peyton Manning to right the ship after his last six interception game against the Chargers. I’m saying he’ll have two interceptions max in this game.

7.) Jaguar Paul Spicer and the aftermath from his “Patriots should be barred from the playoffs” comment after Spygate. The Patriots are saying they don’t need bulletin board material, but you have to wonder.

6.) Another opportunity for Philip Rivers to prove how much he sucks on national television. He had a pretty good game last week, yes, but just wait.

5.) The opportunity for an Eli/Peyton Super Bowl. The likelihood of this happening is probably hovering around 5% but it’s still there.

4.) The ongoing scrutiny of Eli Manning. I have to agree with Michael Strahan when he says that no one in the world is under as much scrutiny as Eli Manning. He plays in New York, and he’s a Manning. Nothing short of a Super Bowl win or to a lesser extent an NFC Championship game appearance will get people off his back.

3.) Tony Romo’s Mexican vacation. Apparently, this past week instead of staying in Dallas and not doing anything at all, Tony Romo went down south with Jessica Simpson. If the Cowboys lose, watch out.

2.) The opportunity for another L.T. post game meltdown. I can’t wait.

1.) “We’re going to get the ball and we’re going to score” Matt Hasselbeck at the beginning of OT during the last Packers/Seahawks playoff game. Al Harris then picked him off for a TD. Will Hasselbeck finally get revenge? Put on NFL Network right now, it’s probably on.

A college football Final Four?

Well here we are again, another national title game, another cornucopia of arguments on why the BCS sucks so much. Everywhere I look, and on every channel I turn it’s all I hear.

“We need a four team playoff!”

“We need to have a championship game plus one!”

Those were paraphrased, of course. But you know what I haven’t heard, at all? Not anywhere?

“The BCS system is fantastic. The two best teams in the country are definitely playing tonight, no doubt!”

Nope, didn’t hear that. In fact, just reading that out loud sounds absolutely ludicrous. The BCS has become a joke, unfortunately and it astonishes me to no end that they haven’t changed it yet.

On a positive note I did read earlier on ESPN.com that they have began to talk about a Final Four, or at least a championship game plus one. (A la, if LSU wins tonight they would pick either USC or Georgia to play them in the real championship game… which I think is retarded compared to a Final Four).

John Swofford, the incoming BCS chairman said the following:

“A lot of people look at it and say ... maybe it would be better if more than two teams had the opportunity to play for the national championship.”

You think? Finally, someone who understands what the fans want. But seriously, how did it take this long? How awesome would a college football championship Final Four be? Think of how much more exciting the college season would be! As it is now, if a team loses in the regular season, most fans are left thinking, “Off to the Meineke Car Care Bowl we go!”

At least with the playoff system, four teams would have a chance at the title and this would most definitely cut down on the teams whining about not being included, if only because some of them will now be included.

So let’s all hope that this thing is put through. As it stands, only the Big Ten and Pac-10 are opposed to this whole thing, although I don’t know why. But let’s all hope that common sense prevails for once and they give the fans something that should have been put in place years ago.

As for tonight, I'll take LSU over OSU 27-21

Playoff Interview Special: Washington Redskins

You all know the drill: I'm interviewing a fan of each Wild Card team in anticipation of the playoffs. Well, it's the same deal here except that I'm actually interviewing someone who was beneficial in me beginning to write about sports. I've visited his sports blog daily for the past year and a half and it is an honor to get his answers to my questions about his favorite NFL team: The Washington Redskins. Who is the interviewee you ask? Chris Chase (http://www.chrischase.com). Go read it, it's fantastic.



Football Crack (FC): What was your favorite moment from the Redskins regular season?

Chris: On Christmas Eve morning I was walking around a Best Buy in Columbia, MD, aimlessly looking for some last-minute gifts when I overheard two employees discussing the Redskins. One was explaining to the other how the Redskins now controlled their own destiny and would likely make the playoffs as the second Wild Card team if they beat a Dallas team that had nothing to play for. This was, of course, not news to me as I had played out that same exact scenario in my head for weeks. But, for some reason, hearing it from a stranger in a random location near Ravens-country made it more real. And that made me happy.

FC: Least favorite?

Chris: The second defensive play of the Buffalo game, after the Redskins played with ten men on the first one. It was at that point that Sean Taylor's murder, and the fact that life and football would be moving on, was most evident.

FC: As much as I love Sean Taylor and would like to focus many questions of this interview on him, I'm only going to ask one question about him: What is your favorite Sean-Tay moment of all time?

Chris: Week 2, Monday night, 2005. After outlasting the Bears in week 1, the 'Skins were down 13-0 to the Cowboys with 3:56 remaining. Two fourth-down conversions and Brunell-to-Moss bombs later, they were up 14-13, but with plenty of time remaining on the clock. A long kickoff return by Tyson Thompson set-up the Cowboys in good field position. A few plays later, they were on the edge of field goal range when Drew Bledsoe threw to Patrick Crayton on a 3rd and 4. Crayton caught the ball right at the marker and appeared set to move the chains and, likely, get the Cowboys into range for the game-winning field goal.

But, out of nowhere, SeanTay laid his helment in Crayton's chest and the ball flew backwards seven yards. It was an incomplete pass. The Redskins went on to win. That's the forgotten play of that memorable game, but it was just as important as the two TD bombs.

FC: I remember watching that hilarious Clinton Portis hot dog clip on your site a month or two back. What was your favorite quirky Clinton Portis moment this season?

Chris: His outfit after the Cowboys game; hands down.

FC: Out of all the Redskins rookies that have played this year, who would you give the Redskins Rookie of the Year award to?

Chris: Laron Landry is the obvious answer here, but I'm going to go with Lorenzo Alexander, a do-everything 300-pounder who went undrafted out of Cal. Alexander plays offense, defense and special teams and does each very well. He's an unheralded guy, one you won't likely hear about much, but he's a player.

FC: What do you drink, if anything, during Redskins games?

Chris: I've cut back on the gameday drinking in recent years because I like remembering what happened the next day. But I usually drink three or four of either Sierra Nevada or Sam Seasonal.

FC: What's your prediction for the Skins/Hawks game?

Chris: I'm really superstitious and I've vowed not to pick any 'Skins games this year. Let's just say that I'm not all that impressed with Seattle and their weak resume. However, I am afraid of that 24-3 home record over the past three seasons, the 'Skins kicking game and the cross-country flight.

FC: Building on the last question, what are your predictions for the year?

Chris: Quiet as it's kept, the Redskins have been in every single game they've played this year with the exception of the Pats game. They dominated the Packers at Lambeau, but turned the ball over too many times. They had Dallas on the ropes in Big D, but couldn't defend T.O. without Sean Taylor (who was injured for that game). There's no reason they can't keep their winning streak going and make a deep run into the playoffs. But that's a conversation, hopefully, for another day.

FC: Jason Campbell or Todd Collins: Who is the Redskins QB of the future?

Chris: Campbell is the quarterback of the future; but Collins is the now. The only way Campbell should not have a lock on the starting gig next year is if Collins is sublime in the playoffs.

FC: Who is the MVP of the 2007-08 Washington Redskins?

Chris: If we're talking abstractly, Joe Gibbs is the MVP. People who don't follow the 'Skins like to make jokes about how Gibbs is senile, mainly based on the misunderstood timeout error. And it's true, Gibbs' clock management hasn't been the best this season. Much of this has to do with his young quarterback, but either way it's still a valid point. But nobody else could have rallied this team after Sean Taylor's death; not Dungy, not Shanahan and certainly not that cheating prick Bill Belichick.

On the players side, my vote goes to Shawn Springs who has managed to stay healthy and has returned to shutdown corner form this season. Now that I've said that, he's going to give up two deep TD passes tomorrow. Dammit.

FC: Is there a Redskins fan nickname for the team or the offense/defense? A la the Steel Curtain, Purple People Eaters, etc.

Chris: Nothing too clever, unfortunately.

FC: What parts of the team as a whole does the organization need to focus on in the upcoming draft?

Chris: D-Line; without a doubt. This means the team will draft another safety.

FC: Just how many coaches are there on the actual coaching staff?

Chris: Does Joe Bugel's hair count as a coach? Cause that hair is awesome.

FC: When Jason Campbell went down, did Redskin Nation have a collective heart attack?

Chris: When Todd Collins completely looked lost on his first series, that's when everyone freaked out. When he hit Todd Yoder for a TD pass as the first half came to an end in that Chicago game, we breathed a sigh of tempered-relief.

FC: If you had to think of a motto for this year off the top of your head, what would it be? Real quick!

Chris: It's their density... I mean, destiny.

FC: Well, that's it for the questions. Insightful and humorous as always, Chris -- thank you for the interview!

Playoff preview: Jaguars @ Steelers

Well, here we are. The best time of the year: The NFL Playoffs. Over the next couple of days I will be previewing the AFC and NFC Wild Card games to get even more amped up. In typical Football Crack fashion, I will be previewing the games in a offense vs defense and vice versa, coaching match ups and when warranted, special teams. As well as anything else that comes to mind.

Next up: The Saturday night game -- Jaguars @ Steelers

Main storyline: This has to be that these two teams played each other less than 3 weeks ago. The Jaguars won the game, which was in Pittsburgh as well, 29-22.

When the Steelers have the ball

Steelers offense: Originally I thought the biggest problem for this unit would be the absence of Willie Parker. After interviewing a Steelers fan however, I am convinced it is the Steelers offensive line woes.

Left tackle Max Starx is out for the season, leaving many to call on Steely McBeam to jump into the mix and protect Big Ben. No matter who fills in for Starx though, they are going to need to protect Big Ben well because I don't see Najeh Davenport doing too much against the vaunted Jaguars 4-3 defense. Although it's not what it used to be, they are still ranked 11th against the rush this season.

Jaguars defense: While they only allowed Big Ben to 147 yards passing in the previous engagement, they did give up 3 TD's and 100 yards even to Willie Parker. While I don't expect Davenport to put up nearly as much (I'm saying... ehh 60 yards) they do need to contain the pass since the Steelers most likely will be focusing a bit more on the pass in this matchup.

How well the Jaguars defend the pass is going to be key in this game, as well as how much they control the time of possession with there rushing offense.

Edge: Steelers

When the Jaguars have the ball

Jaguars offense: While the Jaguars offense is clearly on fire (they scored the most points in the league for the second half of the season - even more than the Patriots) you have to wonder how much the field conditions are going to come into play here.

I'm expecting the Jaguars to run the ball straight at the Steelers with the Freddie T/Mojo combo and leave it to Garrard to minimize his mistakes and complete some passes when he needs to. With the field conditions though, will they have to pass more than they'd like?

Steelers defense: What's there to say? The Steelers have the best defense in the league. However, that still doesn't explain the 421 yards the Steel Curtain let up in the last contest which was in the snow AND at home.

The Steelers D will need Polamalu at his best for this game and there are some concerns after he missed his second straight practice on Thursday. He is set to suit up for practice today but it's still a major concern.

Edge: Jaguars

Coaching

Coaching: While Mike Tomlin's inexperience in the playoffs isn't a concern per se, Jack del Rio only has one playoff game under his belt (the loss to the Patriots back in 2005). It's a bit hard to compare coaches in this way but you have to give it to Del Rio due to his overall coaching experience.

Edge: Jaguars

On the special teams front, it appears Alan Rossum is out for this game and he returned one kick for a TD. Jones-Drew on the other hand returned one as well and he's always a threat to do so. I wouldn't say the Jaguars have an edge for this, but it's interesting to take into account none the less.

The Steelers home field advantage is obviously a factor, even though it was not in the previous match up. I don't expect the Steel Curtain to give up nearly as much yards as they did last time, but I don't think they'll come out of Heinz Field with a W, unfortunately.

Prediction: Jaguars 20 Steelers 17