big american NFL preview: Playoff Predictions

Okay, so I watched one half of the NC State - South Carolina game. For one half, our defense looked solid and our running game looked serviceable, and our passing game was as awful as expected.

Then I watched Obama's speech.

Then the game was over and he Wolfpack had been blown out of the water in the second half. I'm not sure what happened, as I've been a little too disappointed to check out any highlight reels or read any full articles. I have, though, been told that we only completed four passes in the entire game.

It's going to be a long, painful college season. What will the NFL season offer me?

Wild Card Weekend

Seattle Seahawks def. St. Louis Rams
Philadelphia Eagles def. New Orleans Saints
Jacksonville Jaguars def. New England Patriots
Cleveland Browns def. Indianapolis Colts

That's right, there's going to be a changing of the guard in the AFC, and it's going to happen in the Wild Card round, as both the Colts and the Pats will enter the post season too beat up to play on. Over in the NFC, I expect the Seahawks to make quick work of the Rams and the Eagles to edge out the Saints.

Conference Semis

Minnesota Vikings def. Seattle Seahawks
Philadelphia Eagles def. Dallas Cowboys
Jacksonville Jaguars def. Pittsburgh Steelers
San Diego Chargers def. Cleveland Browns

Yeah, I've got the Cowboys losing. I have them on "prove it" mode. Of course, when I put the Colts on "prove it" mode, all the did was win the Super Bowl. I think the Vikings will beat Seattle by making them throw the ball more than they'd ever want to, and the Seahawks just don't have the receivers to make that happen. In the AFC, the Wild Card upset will have to do for Cleveland, but I see Jacksonville being a little too much for Pittsburgh by the end of what should be a deliciously brutal game.

Conference Championships

Philadelphia Eagles def. Minnesota Vikings
San Diego Chargers def. Jacksonville Jaguars

Holy crap. This is how I always end up losing my NCAA basketball pools. I overthink the match ups game-by-game instead of picking a final four and reverse-engineering how they get there. So now I'm stuck with a prediction of the Eagles in the SUPER BOWL? Jeez. Of course, there's also the fact that I have them in there with the Chargers. I know what people will tell me, that the heart of San Diego's defense is playing on all kinds of hurt and I should be wary of putting them this far but...

Super Bowl

San Diego Chargers def. Philadelphia Eagles

...if Shawne Merriman is willing to shorten his career by playing this season without the surgery, he must know what I know: This is the Chargers year. All he wants is to be a part of it. The Eagles, on the other hand, will have to trudge back home to a fan base that will hate them for losing the Super Bowl and call for the head of Donovan F. McNabb on a pike in spite of his MVP season being what brought them to the big game. 'Cause that's how Philly rolls.

Mmmm...philly rolls...

chad johnson is not, in fact, faster than a horse...

...but Chad Javon Ocho Cinco is!

what was i going to do, also blog about how Obama knocked one out of the park?

I don't know that I have anything to add that can make this picture of Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin that could make it any funnier:



The talking heads on my television box all seem to say that picking her helps John McCain's "maverick image." Honestly, if I wanted people to call me Maverick, I'd pick this guy:



He even has experience "keeping up foreign relations."*

*"You know, the finger?"

big american NFL preview: NFC South

Home team shmome team. Delhomme is overrated and Steve Smith is between T.O. and Ocho Cinco in terms of everything I hate about NFL receivers(except at least Ocho is faster than a horse). Thought I'd mention that.

NFC South

4. Atlanta - No need to explain, right? Lots of excitement about Matt Ryan, but there's just too much mess for the Falcons to do well.

3. Carolina - The good news for the Panthers is that Julius Peppers has, from what I've read, looked good in the preseason. The bad news is that it's just the preseason. The offense may be built around Steve Smith but, unless he learns to throw the ball to himself and not punch his teammates, hinges on Jake Delhomme. He's proven himself fragile and streaky. So Carolina finishes out of the hunt in spite of being a dangerous team.

2. Tampa Bay - Gruden has his Bucs team put together the same way as last year's AFC South champs(solid defense and a thousand questions at quarterback), so they should compete for a wild card spot. Why only a wild card spot?

1. New Orleans - I don't at all expect last season's slow start from this team. They can easily win 7 or 8 of their first 10 games, even. Their two hardest games (Vikings and Chargers) both come in the Superdome, even. Still, the team isn't invincible, and I expect a few losses that none of us will be able to explain and then a couple more as the Panthers, the Buccaneers, and Saints beat on each other to the tune of no bye week for New Orleans.