>>>>> THE NFL PLAYOFFS

[Klubmasta Will]

Alright bitches, time to get down to business.

IN THE AFC:

PITTSBURGH
NEW ENGLAND

Wild Card Weekend:

N.Y. JETS at OAKLAND
BALTIMORE at MIAMI

IN THE NFC:

ST. LOUIS
CHICAGO

Wild Card Weekend:

TAMPA BAY at PHILADELPHIA
SAN FRANCISCO at GREEN BAY

NOTES:

• The Superbowl this year is Sunday, February 3. There is no off-weekend this year because of the missed games following the 9-11 attacks.
• Las Vegas is favouring the Rams to win. The odds on any other team are long.
• The Ravens are once again a huge underdog.
• Superbowl half-time performer will be U2.
  

I'm rooting for the two teams that have been my favourites for as long as I've been watching football - the 49ers and the Steelers. I'm also rooting for Oakland this year because I love Jerry Rice.

I cannot f*cking WAIT for the 49ers - Packers game this Sunday. Green Bay's home field advantage scares the living shit out of me, though, especially in winter months.

So let's have it!!! Predictions, key matchups, things to watch for, etc ........

 

[Illogistix]

Favre has never lost a playoff game at Lambeau.

Bye-Bye Niners.......

 

[OTIS]

Tonight on sports live!

Two corporations throw money at each other.

-OTIS

 

[tobywan]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Illogistix:
Favre has never lost a playoff game at Lambeau.

Bye-Bye Niners.......</font>

Exactly, and could you imagine San Fran, a team that's used to playing in relatively mild temperatures, venturing in Lambeau field, where who know's how cold/miserable it might be on Sunday...and yeah, regardless of who you're rooting for, you can't help but think that the Rams will just steam roll over them. There's only one team that can beat the Rams, and that's themselves.

Bias

 

[CC]

steelers will take the AFC. not sure how they will do in the superbowl though. i'd give it a 50/50 chance. i'm pretty biased though, since i love them. i knew they would be better than last year (thank god).

in the wildcard games, the winners will be oakland, baltimore, tampa bay and green bay.

CC

ps. the 49ers suck now. they will get blown out. they lost to dallas for gods sake.

 

[Illogistix]

Tampa Bay, Chicago and Philly could all beat the Rams because they have great defenses. But definitely a long shot any way you look at it.

I'll admit the Rams are pretty dope and can make you look foolish - but if you get up in Warner's face, smack him around a bit, they are not nearly as tough. Marshall Faulk is the real problem - he is an touchdown making machine.

 

[CC]

and the packers not losing at home in the playoffs has only a little to do with brett favre i think. no one has mentioned the fact that green bay is so fucking cold, and the packers are one of the few teams that is used to the cold weather. the temperature is what makes the difference in green bay, not that the packers play better, just that the other teams play worse.

CC

 

[Illogistix]

Sorry but you must give Favre his due. He is amazing. Refuse to lose attitude and great field general. One of the all-time greats.

 

[Klubmasta Will]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Illogistix:
Favre has never lost a playoff game at Lambeau.

Bye-Bye Niners.......</font>

so what, garcia's never lost a playoff game at lanbeau either.

things to note about the 49ers-packers game:
- san fran is on a major hot streak (with the exception of last week which was a meaningless game for them)
- green bay is unseasonably warm right now
- jeff garcia is a CFL veteran so cold weather means little to him
- green bay's defence is weakened by injuries and the 49er offence is very well suited to pick it apart
- brett favre is a punk

 

[CC]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Illogistix:
Sorry but you must give Favre his due. He is amazing. Refuse to lose attitude and great field general. One of the all-time greats.</font>

he is good, but he doesn't get better at home as much as the defenses get slower. so in a way, i am giving him credit. the packers, especially favre doesn't get slowed down by cold whether.

the 49ers don't stand a chance. in the playoffs, heart is a big factor and the packers have more of it than anyone in the nfc.

CC

 

[tommysmalls]

i'm looking forward to nba triple and quadruple headers once football is done!

 

[Lil'Timmy]

Dolphins RULE!

If Fieldler doesn't fuck it up, and Zack Thomas is my hero...but I highly doubt they will go the distance considering they have a tendency to choke during the playoffs.

 

[silver1]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by tommysmalls:
i'm looking forward to nba triple and quadruple headers once football is done!</font>

Ya but it won't be on NBC anymore. I'm as sad as Conan O'Brien because the cool NBA on NBC theme song will no longer be heard anymore

 

[Viceroy]

All the Dolphins will burn in hell....

 

[ThePlunger]

The 49ers will not win this Sunday! Nobody beats Green Bay at Home! Not a chance in Hell!!!

Matt ---"Go Pack!"

 

[Klubmasta Will]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by CC:
the 49ers don't stand a chance. in the playoffs, heart is a big factor and the packers have more of it than anyone in the nfc.</font>

you're talking about a team that has not made the playoffs and has played way below potential for the last two years. this is NOT the same powerhouse packers just like this is not steve young's (or montana's) 49ers.

right now, the 49ers are very young and very hungry. they are sending 5 (maybe 6) players to the pro bowl, they have a very solid running game (2nd in the nfl), jeff garcia is on fire, terrel owens is leading the league in touchdowns, and their defence shut out 3 teams in their last 7 games (a franchise record). this - plus the fact that garcia is a cold-weather quarterback - should make for a stellar matchup.

 

[CO2]

Heres my predictions...i have to admit, my team FINALLY made it into the playoffs with the great play of a certain Mr. Brady. In case you havent figured it out yet its the Patriots. I seriously see them going somewhere, and AT LEAST getting past the Steelers (sorry Will). Its true that one major fault the Pats have is defending the run (and therefore the 'ol Bus)...but theyre defence of the rush isnt so stank that it will hamper their win. No matter, that wont happen for a couple of weeks..so ill give my predictions for the wildcard games...

Jets at Oakland:[b/] The Jets just managed to squeek into a playoff spot in the final week, and the Raiders are on some sort of weird high which i dont think theyll get off before they play the Jets.

My Pick: Oakland over Jets

Baltimore at Miami: Baltimore as a team hasnt impressed me all that much this year besides some shining moments here and there. Miami is 7-1 at home this year, and i dont see the petty Ravens getting in their way.

My Pick: Miami over Baltimore

Tampa Bay at Philadelphia: This game could go anywhere I think. Phily has the rookie QB, and the Bucs havent looked like the Bucs of a few years back..well..in a few years!

My Pick: Tampa Bay over Phily

San Francisco at Green Bay: Quite honestly, this a seriously tough one to call. Favre hasnt been the Favre i know...and for the love of God is Garcia for San Fran (never been a fan..sorry)..also, the Packs are 71 at home this year..and have never lost in the post season playing on the frozen tundra.

My Pick: Green Bay over San Fran

The Carbon Man's Playoff Record: 0 - 0

Go Pats Go!

-Chris

 

[R4V4G3D_SKU11S]

Go Eagles!

 

[H2Whoa]

GB vs SF - SF is an injured team - DL and DB are hurting. The key to the game is Ahman Green. If SF can keep him under 100 yards combined they have a good chance as I take Terrel Owens over Freeman/Schroeder anyday. The GB offense goes through Green.
I still find it strange to see a former Cornhusker-back who can actually catch the ball. Special teams might decide this game.

Balt vs Miami - The AFC wildcards are the weakest teams in the entire draw and these 2 are the most boring. Over-hyped D and and accidental running game. The team that scores the most points off turnovers wins. I give it to Baltimore cause Miami will not be running (successfully) much. Grbac is very, very scary though. Typical, older Michigan QB - 1 step forward, 2 step back.

Oakland vs New York - Oakland will sellout to stop Curtis Martin and Lavereous Coles will toast the often burnt-offering of C. Woodson. Short passes work great during the first half but when its close Oakland chokes. They have lost 4 of the last 6 games. Why they stopped handing the ball more to Garner is mystery. Gannon is always 'elusive' in the first 2 quarters then he becomes a tackling dummy and blames those around him. The Jets defense will win the game for them - sack, fumble, touchdown.

Philly - TB - Who knows what TB team will show up? Philly's key - stop any TB running game. B. Johnson has proved he can throw for a ton of yards but they never score. Philly also runs the best screen pass in the game. It's like their seconday running game.
A TB advantage is that they typically play teams well that run the Bill Walsh/Cinncinatti spread passing game (its not the West Coast Offense as all the media lunkheads call it). I like the Eagles. Tough D, cold weather and more big plays than TB.

Joel

 

[Klubmasta Will]

none of you guys are giving the 49ers much of a chance. did you know that jeff garcia had a better pass rating than brett favre this year? did you know that jeff garcia has been the only 49er quarterback to score more than 30 td's in consecutive seasons - not even montana or young did that. on top of that they have the most dangerous wide receiver in the game - who will draw a double team and stretch the packer defence all day long. PLUS they have the best running game in the nfc. PLUS they have a head coach who knows favre better than he knows himself. PLUS garcia is very comfortable playing in cold weather (PLUS the fact that green bay isn't even that cold right now!). granted, san fran has some injuries on defence but their acquisitions this last week will compensate very adequately.

the more i write, the more i convince myself ...

49ers can't lose!

 

[Klubmasta Will]

i guess i should make my predictions for wild card week:

N.Y. JETS at OAKLAND
---&gt; OAKLAND because god wants jerry rice to win another superbowl.

BALTIMORE at MIAMI
---&gt; BALTIMORE because they are defending champs and have to prove it wasn't a fluke.

TAMPA BAY at PHILADELPHIA
---&gt; PHILADELPHIA because it's their game to lose. if donovan mcnabb plays like he can, philly should be exciting to watch in later rounds.

SAN FRANCISCO at GREEN BAY
---&gt; SAN FRAN for all the reasons mentioned above.

SUPERBOWL PREDICTION:
---&gt; ST.LOUIS vs PITTSBURGH - if so, i'll take pittsburgh because it's high time for cowher, slash (i still call him slash) and the bus. (expect trick plays galore - remember when the neil o'donnel's steelers came so close from beating a much more powerful cowboys team?)

 

[tobywan]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Klubmasta Will:
(PLUS the fact that green bay isn't even that cold right now!</font>

FYI, the current 5 day forecast for Green Bay, for Sunday, is as follows:

Sunny with cloudy periods, high of -1, low of -8....

Bias

 

[H2Whoa]

Acquisitions? Troy Wilson?? Not a scary site for the GB OTackles. No pressure on Favre = a loss for SF @ Lambeau.

 

[g0nz0]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Klubmasta Will:
NOTES:

• The Superbowl this year is Sunday, February 3. There is no off-weekend this year because of the missed games following the 9-11 attacks.

• </font>

• 
  
  Um, there was no by week this year...Becauz they started a week AFTER labour day. This "no week off before superbowl" has nothing to do with the 9-11 stuff. Everything was just bumped one week cause of the 9-11....
  
  m@ &lt;&lt;&lt; just nit picking, sorry

 

[CC]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Klubmasta Will:

49ers can't lose!</font>

oh they can! and they will. 49ers are a good team, but they got some bad luck in who they get to play in the first round. they could beat phily or tampa bay, and probably the bears, but it's a shame to see that they are stuck with green bay right away. 49ers are better in the regular season in some ways, but the packers are a playoff team. playoff games are nothing like the regular season.

i think we need a football pool.

CC