My championship game predictions:
Steelers 31 Patriots 10
The Steelers Match up way too well for New England to have a chance.
NFC
In the upset of the year...
Eagles 24 Rams (ill assume theyll close out GB) 21
I think the Eagles are a case of a team that is not very good, but for some reason or another, they win. I dont know why, but the Super Bowl is going to be the Battle of Pennsylvania.
Rams: It's taken two years and two Buccaneers victories over St. Louis since then, but I think I've finally forgiven the Rams for beating the Bucs in a NFC title game marked by a ref calling a pass incomplete when Riedel Anthony actually caught it, ending the Bucs potential game winning drive, costing them a trip to the Super Bowl in the process. Actually, I guess I am still a little bitter...
Steelers: I find the Steelers very boring to watch. I don't think Kordell Stewart is as good as other people seem to. I just don't like them.
Patriots: I like Tom Brady, although I don't think he's as responsible for New Englands success as he's given credit for. At lest they're more fun to watch then the Steelers.
So, my picks:
Rams over Eagles Patriots over Steelers
Patriots over Rams
Remember, this is entirely what I would like to see, not necessarily what I think will happen.
"A lot of guys on this team have a lot of bark, but no bite. Guys have to just shut up and play." -- WR Keyshawn Johnson, following the playoff loss to Philadelphia
If the Eagles "aren't a good team, just a team that somehow wins" then so are the Bears, they had just a good a team this year as the Bears, they just don't get enough credit, which i've already gone through in other threads. My picks...
Eagles 20 Rams 17 (The reverse score of the last time they played, shouldn't be considered a huge upset, but probably will be.)
Steelers 24 Patriots 25 (It will be tied 24 - 24 with a minute left when the referees come up with some rule that if have the ball is on the 13 yard line with exactly one minute left you are awarded a point, so once again, the referees win it for the Patriots.)
1)The refs don't make the rules, they enforce them.
2)The refs didn't win that game for the Patriots. They simply followed the rules, which put Adam Vinitari in position to make and incredible field goal to send the game to OT.
Now, if you argued how much sense the rule MAKES, that's different. You need to blame not the refs, but the people who make these rules, however.
edit: The Eagles struggled to win one of the weakest divisions (if not THE weakest division) in football. The Bears won one of the strongest divisions in football, one of two divisions to produce three playoff teams. "A lot of guys on this team have a lot of bark, but no bite. Guys have to just shut up and play." -- WR Keyshawn Johnson, following the playoff loss to Philadelphia
Wasnt it Bert Emanuel who was ruled to have not caught the ball in the title game? Or is my memory going? By the way, the rams might be the best offensive team in the league, but the Steelers are certainly the most innovative.....so how can you say that they are boring to watch? What a Manuever!
Well, when I typed that, I wasn't 100% sure it was Anthony. But my other thought was Karl Williams. You might ne right though, as I have tried to forget that moment for 2 years.
"A lot of guys on this team have a lot of bark, but no bite. Guys have to just shut up and play." -- WR Keyshawn Johnson, following the playoff loss to Philadelphia
1)The refs don't make the rules, they enforce them.
2)The refs didn't win that game for the Patriots. They simply followed the rules, which put Adam Vinitari in position to make and incredible field goal to send the game to OT.
Only problem is that I believe the refs screwed up in terms of interpreting the rules. On the replay, you can see Brady's free hand clearly touch the ball while still holding it with his throwing hand, which as far as I know means the end of the pass movement. At that point the ball was no longer in the throwing motion, and thus should have been ruled a fumble. Speaking of refs, who in the hell let Jeff Triplette have a playoff game?!
It wasn't a rule interpretation. According to ESPN, the rule specifically mentions that scenario, saying until he actually has the ball tucked against his body, it is still a forward pass. Whether it is hit out by his own hand or that of a defender. This wasn't a judgement call by the refs. This was a situation specifically covered in the NFL rules.
"A lot of guys on this team have a lot of bark, but no bite. Guys have to just shut up and play." -- WR Keyshawn Johnson, following the playoff loss to Philadelphia
I certainly don't think the Steelers are boring. I mean, Jerome Bettis did throw a touchdown pass on a pitch play against the Bucs this year. And Hines Ward appears to be settling in nicely as their backup quaterback.
Sure looked like he had the ball tucked back into his body and in his grasp. At the very least that rule is incredibly vague then. If someone pump fakes but holds the ball away from his body, how long can he manuver around then without fear of it being a fumble? Brady pulled that ball down, grabbed it, and started to bring it back to his body. If that's still considered the passing motion, then that's the single worst written rule in the NFL.
No offense... but the steelers are going to destroy the patriots.... there is no defense there to really stop them.... and the rams... .what can i say about the rams?
do you not think that they are going to adjust to the defense that was used against them the first week of the season?.... look at yesterday..... the packers used 7 linebackers... a defense the rams never seen before... and it still didn't shut the offense down.... and if the rams defense plays just as good..... wow.... the greatest show on earth...
I AM THE BEST there is, was and ever will be!!!! Dont you wish that you were me??? no?.... i've got two words for ya!
The Eagles struggled to win one of the weakest divisions (if not THE weakest division) in football. The Bears won one of the strongest divisions in football, one of two divisions to produce three playoff teams.
Well as a pointed out in another thread. The Eagles defense gave up only 5 points more than the Bears, and the Bears scored less points so they were equal in point difference, but the average team the Eagles played had more points per game and a gave up less points a game. Whether the Eagles had a worse division or not, they had a harder complete schedule. Besides I wouldn't say the central is all that great outside of the Packers. Sure Tampa Bay made the playoffs too but they're not really that good. And you also have to take into consideration that while the Redskins and Cowboys might not be very good it is huge rivalry games for the Eagles, but if you insist on saying the central is better that's fine. But the truth is the Eagles did just as well as the Bears against a harder overall schedule.
The Eagles only gave up 5 more points, but they played the Redskins, Giants, Cowboys and Cardianls twice. Impressive.
The Bucs may not be great this year, but I would rather play any of the above four teams twice in one season then Tampa Bay.
The Bears schedule: @Baltimore, Minnesota, @Atlanta, Arizona, @Cincinatti, San Francisco, Cleveland, Green Bay, @Tampa Bay, @Minnesota, Detroit, @Green Bay, Tampa Bay, @Washington, @Detroit, Jacksonville
The Eagles schedule: St. Louis, @Seattle, Dallas, Arizona, @NYGiants, Oakland, @Arizona, Minnesota, @Dallas, Washington, @Kansas City, San Diego, @Washington, @San Francisco, NYGiants, @Tampa Bay
The Bears played 6 playoff teams, going 3-3 in those games.
The Eagles played 4 playoff teams, going 1-3 in those games.
The teams played 5 common opponents (games against the same teams), with Chicago going 7-0 in these games, while Philadelpia went 4-3.
"A lot of guys on this team have a lot of bark, but no bite. Guys have to just shut up and play." -- WR Keyshawn Johnson, following the playoff loss to Philadelphia
BucsFan, while you make a good point, I like the Eagles chances against the Rams more than i wouldve liked the Bears chances for one reason...Jim Miller or Shane Matthews are no Donovan McNabb....he could keep them in it.
BucsFan, while you make a good point, I like the Eagles chances against the Rams more than i wouldve liked the Bears chances for one reason...Jim Miller or Shane Matthews are no Donovan McNabb....he could keep them in it.
This is true...however, people said the same type of things about Bret Favre.
"A lot of guys on this team have a lot of bark, but no bite. Guys have to just shut up and play." -- WR Keyshawn Johnson, following the playoff loss to Philadelphia
The Central was a much better division than the East in the NFC this year. Judging by your points, the Eagles certainly had a very comparable season to the Bears' this year. But the Bears went out and won 2 more games in the regular season against a much tougher division. Just look at the heart of the teams, the quarterbacks. Bacth, Culpepper, Favre, and Brad Johnson in the Central. In the East, you have Plummer, Q. Carter, Banks, and Collins. Not exactly the fantasy studs of the league. In fact, I remember the "worst game in the history of MNF" this year, and it involved two East teams, the Reskins and the Cowboys. Quezzy, you say that the Boys and the Skins are huge rivalry games for the Eagles, what the hell do you think the Packers and Vikings are for the Bears? Now the Eagles did beat the Bears n the playoffs. That's the bottomline right now. They hurt our quarterback in the 1st quarter, and then went on to hold the ball the whole game and tear our stout defense up. So I have to hand it to the Eagles, for one day, they were better then the Bears. But now you've got the Rams to deal with.
Rams 38 Eagles 14 Steelers 21 Patriots 17
-The Big Kat "It's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care." -Peter Gibbons, Office Space
Wow, do you people not listen, i've already been through this like 20 times now.
Sure the Bears played in a better division, but you know what? Your division opponents aren't the only teams you play, and the Eagles had the harder schedule.
If you take the the Bears opponents and the Eagles opponents and average their points per game and their points given up per game, then you will see that the Eagles played the harder offensive and defensive teams this year.
Thread ahead: Players leaving college early... Next thread: I finally bring myself to cheer for the Packers... Previous thread: Take That, Brian Billick
Like Buffalo, Carolina had every chance to get a win, and still managed to fail. I've been meaning to do this for several weeks, so while I've got you here, let's take a look at who our final six have picked thus far: