Seahawks Still Receiving No Respect

I was waiting for this to happen. Waiting for at least one person to slam my Seattle Seahawks and their dismal 7-9 regular season showing and how they didn't belong in the NFL playoffs, let alone host a playoff game. Bear with me here as my judgment may become a tad clouded. I am a huge Seahawks fan...and yes, I am still celebrating this win.

But as I said, here we are. We all know the Seahawks got the last laugh (kind of) against the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints. And along comes Business Insider Sports Page stating that the Seahawks win displays why the NFL playoff system needs a re-tooling and offers a solution...

The solution? Give each division an automatic playoff berth, but if a division winner finishes under .500, it should be forced to play its Wild Card game on the road.

That's your solution? If a team doesn't have at least a .500 record, you cannot host a game? Oh, but if you're 8-8, that's okay? News flash here. 8-8 is also a non-winning record. It's not a losing record, bit it's not a winning record either. That's also mediocrity which is, I suppose, the aim of this crack headed idea.

If you're wanting to "rid" those teams from hosting a game, how about they must hold a 9-7 record. That's a winning record, not 8-8.

To some extent, making the playoffs is based on record. I cannot understand (and I am not looking at this through rose-colored glasses) how people are screaming for all this change. As I said a couple days ago, this is the first time this has happened. It's the old "the sky is falling" thing, huh?

Wait. I do understand why all these negative vibes are flowing.

Your team got cheated, or so you think. I can thoroughly understand if fans of the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a bit bitter. They did post better records and are sitting at home. The Giants lost at Green Bay in week 16 and that pretty much sealed their fate.

The Bucs were the real unfortunate ones. They're in the same division as the Saints and #1 seed Atlanta Falcons. While we have seen three teams from one division make the "tournament", it's not a frequent occurrence. The Bucs had to have both the Giants and Green Bay Packers lose and the they had to best the Saints (which they did) to make the postseason parade.

And here's another thing. Are people upset because last season's "feel good story" is no more? That's part of it. The Saints were the darlings of the NFL last year. Every time you turned on your TV after their Super Bowl win, you got nothing but a screenful of Drew Brees. You tuned your radio to any sports talk station and the Saints were one of the first topics that were discussed.

That's almost all gone now. The only thing left is for people, Saints fans or not, to howl of the unfairness of the situation.

I can dispel that all right now.

Qwest Field. Site of NFC Championship?
Image: Yincrash via Wikimedia Commons

Of all the home teams from this past weekend, only one home team won. One. Not Philadelphia. Not Kansas City. Not Indianapolis. Seattle.

And ponder this thought as scary as it may sound. If the Packers beat the Falcons and the Seahawks beat the Bears, guess where the NFC Championship game will be held?

Qwest Field.

Now wouldn't that turn the world upside down.

Seahawks Dump Saints, Jets Boot Colts

Honestly, did you see that one coming? If you're saying you did see the Seattle Seahawks defeating the New Orleans Saints, you're going to have to have some proof because no one will believe you. I am Seahawks fan and I don't believe you.

In my take on this game, I thought two things would be paramount for Seattle to win, the crowd and turnovers. The crowd prodded the Saints into a few illegal motion calls, the norm at Qwest Field, and the turnover margin was 0. Both favored the home team.

Hasselbeck had his best game
of the season against the Saints.
Image: Chad Riley via Flickr

Now, I did not anticipate the Seahawks putting up 41 points against the NFL's 4th rated defense. I also did not foresee QB Matthew Hasselbeck (22-35, 272 yds, 4 TD, INT) having as good a game as I've ever seen him have. I also did not think Marshawn Lynch (19 carries, 131 yds, TD) would be as big a factor. His TD run with 3:22 remaining was the deciding score...and what a run it was.

I did expect Saints QB Drew Brees to have a good game, but going 39-60 for 404 yards with 2 TD was a bit more than I thought. The Saints running game wasn't as much as they needed except for Julius Jones rushing for 2 TD. Reggie Bush sustained an injury and was never a factor. No QB should ever have to heave 60 passes.

But make no mistake about it, the Seahawks offense was the story in this one. If you had told me New Orleans would score 36 points, it wouldn't matter what you would tell me what Seattle would have. No one would guess 41. To put the offensive outburst into perspective, realize this.

The only main offensive stat the Seahawks were not ranked in the league's bottom third for the regular season was in passing. They ranked 19th with almost 209 yards a game. Hasselbeck surpassed that. The Seahawks averaged only 89 yards a contest for the 2010 season. Against the Saints, that number was 149, 60 yards above their average.

For next week, the Seahawks will be on the road either in Atlanta or Chicago. Pete Carroll might be thinking too bad the Qwest Field crowd can't travel with his team.

Then again, you never know. That's why they play the games.

And I can hear it again about Seattle being 7-9 and not only making the playoffs, but hosting a game.

In the nightcap, Rex Ryan and the New York Jets avenged last year's AFC championship game loss with a last second 32 yard field goal by Nick Folk to defeat the defending AFC champs, 17-16. Neither Super Bowl participant from last season will be returning.

This game was not a thriller in the pure sense. In fact, when the Colts scored a go-ahead, 50-yard field goal off the foot of Adam Vinatieri with 53 seconds to go, you thought it was over. There's no way Jets QB Mark Sanchez could lead the Jets back, right? The Jets are a defensive team ,right?

Did we witness the real "Sanchize"?
Image: Ed Yourdon via Flickr

I believed we all witnessed the cool that is Mark Sanchez. The former USC Trojan led the Jets on the game-winning, five play, 40 yard drive in that 53 ticks. Nothing rattled him at all. In fact, the last offensive play before Folk's heroics, Sanchez completed an 18 yard pass to Braylon Edwards.

Edwards did not get out of bounds, yet Sanchez showed composure in getting his offense to the line. It didn't really matter in the end as the Jets still had a timeout, but you want to keep the TO in case something goes awry.

Nothing did. Those that have grown to hate the Jets and Ryan will have another week to deal with the blowhard and his ego. If you're one of those, gear up for next week. Why? The Jets now have to go to New England.

Remember that "rant" Ryan had about Pats QB Tom Brady not studying as hard as Peyton Manning? Again, Ryan's boys must cash a check their coach wrote.

Soon, that check won't be able to be cashed.

Saturday NFL Playoff Games: Saints/Seahawks

The opening week of the NFL playoffs commences tomorrow. And what an intriguing first game we have, the defending Super Bowl champs, the New Orleans Saints (11-5) traveling to Seattle to take on the Seahawks (7-9) at Qwest Field. Upon the opening kickoff the Seahawks will make dubious NFL history. They will become the first team with a losing record to host a playoff game.

Game time: 4:30 PM ET
Network: NBC
Announcers: Tom Hammond and Mike Mayock (Yep, same guys that do Notre Dame games for NBC)

This is a rematch of a week 11 affair in which the Saints defeated the Seahawks, 34-19. That game was played at the Superdome.

When the Seahawks have the ball...

	Scoring (Rk)	Total Yds (Rk)	Pass Yds (Rk)	Rush Yds (Rk)
offense	19.4 (23rd)	297.8 (28th)	208.8 (19th)	89.0 (31st)
defense	19.2 (7th)	306.2 (4th)	193.9 (4th)	112.3 (16th)

Looking at merely the raw numbers here, you have to wonder how the Seahawks will be able to move the ball. The way in is to run the ball. Problem is, the Seahawks can't. They do have two nice running backs in Marshawn Lynch and Justin Forsett. Plus, the longer your offense stays on the field, the less the Saints O is. With Matthew Hasselbeck being names the starter, that does help. Hasselbeck has started 9 playoff games during his career with a 4-5 record.

Look for the wily vet to go one of two ways: He's able to nitpicks his way through an excellent pass defense OR he throws four picks and the Seahawks look terrible.

And that's no ordinary defense. The Saints actually improved their D from '09 to '10. Much improved. In looking at the above table, here are the Saints defensive rankings (going across the table): 13th, 25th, 26th, 21st. Fourth from 21st overall? That's mind boggling. That isn't only a tribute to the personnel, how about defensive coordinator Gregg Williams? The guys had another year to adjust to his style and has that ever paid off.

Biggest issue for New Orleans will be if starting safety Malcolm Jenkins can give it a go. After being the Saints first round pick in 2009 as a corner, Jenkins successfully made the switch. He's been the secondary's best player this season.

When the Saints have the ball...

	Scoring (Rk)	Total Yds (Rk)	Pass Yds (Rk)	Rush Yds (Rk)
offense	24.0 (11th)	372.5 (6th)	277.6 (3rd)	94.9 (28th)
defense	25.4 (25th)	368.6 (27th)	249.6 (27th)	118.9 (21st)

Everyone has been heaping on the Saints offense this season. There's been some reasons why the champs have struggled, but this offense could even struggle more in this game than last week against the Buccaneers. And, yes, I am considering the fact that Seattle possesses a porous defense. But they will struggles for various reasons.

Can Bush be "the guy"?
Image by Cvalentine via Flickr

First, Chris Ivory and Pierre Thomas were placed on IR this past week. That leaves Reggie Bush and former Seahawk Julius Jones to tote the rock. Ivory led the team in rushing during the regular season with 719 yards. Thomas was second with only 269. That leaves the load to Bush and Jones, who combined had 343. Injuries ravaged the Saints backfield all season.

And Drew Brees of 2010 wans't the Drew Brees of 2009 either. He threw more picks (11 in '09 to 22 in '10), a lower completion percentage (70.6 in '09 compared to 68.1 for '10) and less passes of 20+ yards (69 in '90 with 57 for '10). Still, Brees, out of necessity, threw for almost 275 more yards in 2010 (4,388 in '09 and 4,620 in '10).

Yes, it will boil down to Brees and his ability to avoid the pick and the Saints must establish some facet of a running game just to keep Seattle's Swiss cheese defense honest.

The X factor is without a doubt the Seattle crowd. Even though Qwest Field is an open air stadium, it has been said repeatedly that this is the loudest crowd in the league. Pete Carroll and the rest of the Seahawks better hope that's the case or it could be a long game.

NFL Week 3 Wrap-up

Lots of interesting stuff from this past week.

We've seen this before...

1. Michael Vick
I know people are touting Vick's return and saying he's better than he was while he was a Falcon. It's only 10 quarters of play, so let's curb that a bit. There are noticeable and encouraging differences from his days in the ATL. He's is more patient in the pocket. The fact that Vick is the most sacked QB in the NFL gives you a slight indication that he's more willing to stay in the pocket. He has regained most, if not all, of his explosiveness. And he's got the backing of his whole team. Long way he's come in a short time.

2. Cincinnati Bengals offense
Weren't a lot of experts predicting an outburst from the Bengals offense? Hasn't even materialized in the season's first three games. The Bengals have scored five, count 'em, five TDs. Kicker Mike Nugent, who has been perfect in the kicking department, has more field goals with eight. Nugent is the Bengals offense at this point. Carson Palmer has looked ordinary. Cedric Benson has yet to crack 100 yards in a game. Ochocinco and T.O. have 1 TD between them.

Ah! The NFL Season Begins!

The NFL season kicks off tonight and did the schedule makers ever present us with an early gift...a rematch of last season's NFC Championship game between the Minnesota Vikings and Super Bowl Champions New Orleans Saints.

As I provided last season, I will once again preview each and every NFL game for the upcoming season.

Minnesota Vikings v. New Orleans Saints
8:30 PM/NBC/Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Andrea Kremer

Minnesota: Of course most of the off-season was centered around #4. Would he come back or wouldn't he? I thought there was very little doubt to Brett Favre returning especially when you consider his last play during last season's NFC Championship game. It wasn't a pleasant memory. Favre will look to exorcise that demon, but the Vikings as a whole must eliminate their turnovers...did you hear that, Adrian Peterson?

Peterson's a stud. To that point, there's no doubt. But AD has lost 20 fumbles over the last three season, leading the NFL in that stat. And the Vikings offense is at another disadvantage, no Sidney Rice. Oh and add the health status of Percy Harvin. Harvin will play, but for how long will he be able to go is question. One last "minus" on the offensive side...no Chester Taylor. I know the Vikes drafted Toby Gerhart, but he's not Chester Taylor. Plus, Gerhart is on the injury report as questionable with a knee issue.

During that NFC Championship. I thought the Vikings defense did an incredible job of containing the Saints explosive offense. There is a plus for this game, the "addition" of linebacker E.J. Henderson. Henderson was unable to go due to recovering from a broken left femur. He's back and has looked good in the short amount of time he's played in the preseason.

The secondary has always been a bit of a crap shoot for me. Cedric Griffin (questionable - knee) may not go and rookie corner Chris Cook (knee) is out. DT Jimmy Kennedy (knee) will also not play. Kennedy is valuable because he helps keep Pat and Kevin Williams fresh. If Griffin can't go, that leaves the Vikings with Asher Allen and Lito Sheppard to play opposite Antoine Winfield. With the receivers the Saints possess, that scares me if I'm a Vikings fan. The D-line must create havoc for the Vikings to succeed.

New Orleans: The biggest thing for the Saints to overcome tonight will be the huge cheer that will erupt when the Super Bowl Championship banner is unfurled during pregame festivities. Imagine how loud it will be inside the Superdome. Earlier in the week, head coach Sean Payton prepared his guys by running a simulation during practice, but it would have been impossible to duplicate the noise level. Still, nothing gets by Payton.

We know the Saints can and will explode offensively. There aren't a whole lot of questions there except for the departure of Jammal Brown who was the protector of Drew Brees' blind side. Drafting Charles Brown from USC may make the Saints hopeful forget Brown. It will only take time for the former Trojan to find his way. Until Brown can develop, Jermon Bushrod will be charged with protecting Brees.

The questions, just like last season, are on the defensive side of the ball. S Darren Sharper was placed on the PUP list and will be out 8 games. LB Scott Fujita left for Cleveland and there's not one Saints player that would tell you Fujita was not instrumental in the Saints defensive scheme last season. The leadership Fujita provided last season will sorely be missed.

The one area that I feel the Saints will be unable to duplicate is the forced turnovers. Sharper was the champion of that for New Orleans last season. The Saints will turn to Malcolm Jenkins, the 2009 first rounder from Ohio State converted to safety, to help fill the massive void left by Sharper. If there's one thing that Favre will find is the area in which Jenkins will be operating...and Favre will attempt to exploit that.

One last thing about the Saints. I sense a feeling of credibility issues. There aren't getting it. That alone will serve as a motivational tool and we all know the Saints can use motivation as well as any team in any sport.

The Vikings win if...
No turnovers. Sustain drives. No big plays by the Saints offense.

The Saints win if...
Force turnovers. Reggie Bush produces one big play. Be physical with Favre and the Vikings O-line. Keep the crowd loud.

I really don't see the Saints losing this game. I have far less questions about the Saints than I do the Vikings.

NFC South Primer

We stop off today in the NFC South, the home of the defending Super Bowl Champs New Orleans Saints.

A healthy Michael Turner could lead the
Falcons to the playoffs in 2010.

Atlanta Falcons
2009 record: 9-7, 2nd in division
Head coach: Mike Smith
Key Additions: CB Dunta Robinson
Key Losses: CB Tye Hill

1. What can we expect from RB Michael Turner in 2010?
Despite missing 5 games in '09, Turner, on the average, had better numbers than he had in his breakout season of '08. He averaged more yards per carry (4.9 in '09, 4.4 in '08) and he carried the ball less per game (16.2 in '90, 23.5 in '08). Part of the reason he carried it less was due to his injuries. Turner will be back to his regular self in 2010, but I anticipate the carries to be moderated unless the offense realized that the train needs to keep rolling. We won't see the 376 carries he had on '08. If Turner gets 300 carries to go along with that 4.9 yards per, he'll have 1,470. What more could Matt Ryan ask for?

2. Will this defense ever cease it's "bend, but don't break" label?
Seems to be their trend over the last couple of seasons. In 2009, the Falcons were 14th in scoring defense (20.3 points allowed), 10th against the rush and 28th versus the pass. You know where to hit them, through the air. The pass rush will play a prominent role and being a T26 last year with 28 sacks will have to increase. Signing Robinson is an immediate upgrade over Hill at corner and that should provide for better coverage in the secondary.

3. Is Atlanta a playoff team?
They are, but there have to be a couple of things that fall the right way for them. QB Matt Ryan must improve his completion percentage (58.3%) and limit his picks (14). Also, the Falcons first four games aren't close to being gimmies either (@ Pittsburgh, Arizona, @ New Orleans, San Francisco). If Atlanta can emerge from those first four games at 3-1, the ball will be rolling.

The receiving corps must step up in 2010, too.

If Moore starts every game in 2010, that
means the Panthers are winning.

Carolina Panthers
2009 record: 8-8, 3rd in division
Head coach: John Fox
Key Additions: DT Rahim Brock
Key Losses: DE Julius Peppers, LB Na'il Diggs

1. Who starts at quarterback, Moore or Clausen?
Moore, no doubt. He was 3-1 down the stretch last season and Moore is a tall, strong QB. But Clausen will push him and Jimmy looked good in last night's preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens. Moore is 1, Clausen is 2. The only thing the doesn't set well with the Panthers QB situation is that there is no player with more then 4 years of experience (Moore). That could be troubling.

2. Can any other DE fill the shoes of the departed Peppers?
While Peppers brought great stats, Peppers didn't always bring the intensity and that has been a knock on him. Everette Brown will have to come forward and prove that he really was worthy of dealing a first round pick to draft him. (That's why Carolina didn't have a 1st round pick in the last draft). Drafting Eric Norwood from South Carolina could be as solid a 4th round pick as you will find. But filling Peppers shoes will take more than one season.

3. Is Fox on the hot seat?
He shouldn't be. Fox is as professional a coach as you will find, but we all know it comes down to wins and losses and the Panthers loss 8 last year. Even with a younger roster, I think they must go 9-7 to stave off any talk.

One big thing to help the Panthers will be the return of T Jeff Otah for the season opener.

Repeating is never an easy chore, but with
Brees at the helm, there's a good chance.

New Orleans Saints
2009 record: 13-3, 1st in division
Head coach: Sean Payton
Key Additions: DE Alex Brown, FB Jason McKie
Key Losses: T Jammal Brown, LB Scott Fujita, RB Mike Bell

1. Repeat?
Always a possibility, but the Saints are suffering the "lack of respect" syndrome. They haven't been one of your so-called perennial powers, so they don't get the benefit of the doubt. This team can repeat, but will find roadblocks along the way in their schedule. Outside of their divisional games, they travel to San Francisco (week 2), Dallas (week 12)Cincinnati (week 13) and Baltimore (week 15). Four pretty tough road affairs. The games in Cincy and Baltimore could be interesting since they are in December.

2. Will NO suffer the dreaded Super Bowl hangover?
It is New Orleans, so the odds of such a hangover are greater, but I'm bucking that. The Saints aren't just a football team. They are the city and that could propel them into an elite team. I stress, could.

3. Is Drew Brees the best QB in the NFL?
Get your stones ready...no. I believe that Indy's Peyton Manning (I know the Saints beat the Colts in the SB) and Aaron Rodgers are better, but there's no question that Brees is worthy of being in the conversation. I slot Brees behind the other two I mentioned.

People will look at the Saints D and decide that's the weak link.

Freeman's the #1 QB in Tampa.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2209 record: 3-13, 4th in division
Head coach: Raheem Morris
Key Additions: S Sean Jones
Key Losses: WR Antonio Bryant, S Will Allen, DT Chris Hovan

1. I'm a Bucs fan, any hope for 2010?
If you mean a winning season, I must honestly answer no. But if you're looking for a team that's possibly a couple of years away, yes. I wasn't a fan of selecting QB Josh Freeman in the first round in the 2009 draft and maybe I'll be proven wrong there. I like the draft the Bucs had this year. Not only because they landed DT Gerald McCoy, but they also got DT Brian Price, WR Arrelious Benn, CB Myron Lewis and WR Mike Williams. I like all of these guys. The future is brightening.

2. You mentioned Freeman. Is he an NFL QB?
He was thrown to the wolves last season and as I stated I didn't think he was worth of being a first round selection. To me, the jury's still out. He started the last nine games and had only 2 games where he had a completion percentage over 60% and threw more TD than INT (Atlanta and Seattle). Maybe I was expecting too much.

3. Will the defense be improved in 2010?
The Bucs added McCoy and Price. That's good. actually, that's very good. That already gives the Bucs a solid rotation at the position. The corners are solid with Ronde Barber and Aqib Talib. The play from the linebackers will determine how good this defensive unit can be.

The Bucs should improve on the 3-13, but not by that much.

1. New Orleans. Can't help but think these guys aren't getting enough respect.
2. Atlanta. They will be on the Saints heels.
3. Carolina. Moore could be starting QB all season.
4. Tampa Bay. Better days really are ahead.

If this division has taught us anything, it's to expect the unexpected. maybe I should totally flop my prediction.

Can a guy please relax and enjoy?

Late this afternoon, the city of New Orleans will participate in their Super Bowl victory celebration as the Lombardi Trophy makes its way to the Superdome.

It's a shame teams, not matter which sport, don't get an adequate time to enjoy their treasure. So many things derail the partying.

Barely a moment after the clock hit 0:00, odds were posted on who would win next year. It's become a yearly event now, almost a tradition. Some bookmaker quickly determines what are the odds of teams winning the next Super Bowl.

Then, you have all the media requests to sort through. I'm sure we'll be seeing a ton of Drew Brees over the next couple of weeks, if not months. Already on Letterman and the Disney World commercial. He could see endorsements out the posterior just from this game. And that adds the element of yet another distraction to a championship team.

And next month, preseason workouts are to begin. Remember when there was actually an offseason? Doesn't seem like it. Well, one of the myriad of reasons is people wanting to quench their thirst for information about their favorite team.

Also next month, free agency will begin.I heard that the average amount of roster turnover that happens is 25%. 25%! That's a staggering number. That means out of a 53-man roster, 13 of those players will most likely not return. All teams will have to deal with restricted and unrestricted free agents as well as placing the "franchise" tag on a player.

Shortly after that, we have the second most widely watched event for the NFL, the draft. Not only do teams have to decide which free agents to keep, they must now steer their efforts for determining which rookie best fits their team's needs.

Then, rookie camps and on to preseason and the regular season.

The time goes so fast. It will go even quicker of the schedule is expanded to 18 games.

Whew!

When will Sean Payton get to relax?

Perseverance

Over the past couple of weeks, we heard the word "redemption" openly applied to the New Orleans Saints franchise. If the Saints were to win the Super Bowl, redemption would be delivered to a team that endured days in which their own fans dubbed then the Aints.

Paper bags over the faces. Finding a way to not let the world know they attended a Saints game. Those days...gone.

But as some call it a tale of redemption, I, for one, do not. I call it more of a saga of perseverance. Not only does this apply to the Saints, but the city of New Orleans, also.

Really. Think about it. A city, actually, an entire region, ravaged by Hurricane Katrina.

The New Orleans Hornets had a chance to leave. They played two seasons in Oklahoma City. The crowds were favorable to the displaced team. But the NBA and the Hornets were determined to return to New Orleans.

The Saints were in the same place. Their home, the Superdome, was used as a shelter and sustained heavy damage from the catastrophic event.

They played part of the 2005 season shuttling between San Antonio and Baton Rouge. Almost like vagabonds. Saints owner Tom Benson was presented an opportunity to relocate his team to San Antonio. The thought did cross his mind. What if the city of New Orleans could not recover and rebuild? This drew the ire of the New Orleans faithful and civic leaders. After all, the city was faithful to the Saints and the Benson family.

The Saints decided to begin the process of returning to New Orleans. The players saw this as a greater "calling" as Drew Brees put it. The Saints were going to be the driving force for the city of New Orleans to embark on that arduous journey of reconstructing a proud city.

Super Bowl positional analysis

Update: Dwight Freeney is active for the game.

Just when you've had enough coverage from this year's Super Bowl...here I am.

For the big game today, I'll be looking at the positions and telling who has the advantage.

Quarterback:
This is a lot closer than people might think. All Brees has done since his arrival in New Orleans is become the conductor of one the NFL's most potent offenses. The only difference between Brees and Manning is simple. Peyton has a ring.
Advantage: Colts

Running backs:
I don't think this is close. The Saints have three guys (Pierre Thomas, Mike Bell, Reggie Bush) that can attack you in three different ways. Joseph Addai did manage 100+ yards against the Jets a couple of weeks ago, so New Orleans had better not sleep on him.
Advantage: Saints

Wide receivers:
Very close here. If you take the top three, it's a push. Colston, Henderson, Meacham v. Wayne, Garcon, Collie. The difference is the #4. New Orleans has Lance Moore. Granted, he was hurt most of the season, but he led the Saints in receiving last year. Something good to fall back on if you need to.
Advantage: Saints

Tight end:
Both Jeremy Shockey and Dallas Clark are Pro-Bowl ends. The main difference between the two is I feel Clark cannot be covered by the Saints linebackers. Clark is essentially a receiver in an end's body. Shockey's got a bum knee, too.
Advantage: Colts

Offensive line:
The Saints line is strong on one side and weak on the other. The same cannot be said for Indy. Jeff Saturday will one day be in Canton.
Advantage: Colts

In viewing the offense:
Colts: 3
Saints: 2

On to the defense:

New Orleans and Indy in Super Bowl XLIV

No more Rex Ryan. No more Brett Favre. Won't Media Day be boring during the festivities that surround Super Bowl XLIV.

The Indianapolis Colts trailed the New York Jets, 17-6, with 2:11 remaining in the first half. Indy scored 24 unanswerd points and proceded to shatter ESPN's Mike Greenberg's dreams of the Jets going to the Super Bowl.

The New Orleans Saints survived two 10-play, first quarter TD drives by Minnesota and forced five Minnesota turnovers to crush the thoughts of Brett Favre playing in another Super Bowl. New Orleans is used to survival. It's become part of the city's culture.

Many storylines surrounding Super Bowl XLIV will be presented and shared over the next two weeks.

For the Colts QB Peyton Manning, it will be a return to home, sort of. Peyton faces the franchise he grew up cheering. At one time, his father, Archie, was the franchise. Peyton knows all too well how that feels.

In the process of yesterday's 30-17 win, the Colts avenged a loss to a Jets franchise that was a long time coming. A 16-7 loss to the hands of the Jets in Super Bowl III on the heels of a guarantee by Joe Namath. Namath had stated of the similiarities between his Jets and this edition of the Jets. Manning viewed one big similiarity between his Colts and the big prize, another Super Bowl in Miami.

For the Saints QB Drew Brees, it the continuation of one of the greatest modern day sagas. A saga that began almost four years ago. A saga that will be told for generations in Louisiana.

One of the first things the newly hired Saints head coach Sean Payton did was call Brees when Brees was a free agent. Brees chose the Saints after the Miami Dolphins showed concerns about his shoulder, another ironic twist. Brees' selection of New Orleans delivered a two-fold deal. The most obvious was to present the city a Super Bowl. The second, and actually most impressive, was to give aid for the city in the post Katrina era.

Sports discovers a way to meld itself into everyday culture. Just a couple of examples, if I may.

The 1980 U.S. Olympic mens hockey team. Many view this team accomplishing the greatest upset of all-time by winning the gold and defeating the USSR along the way. A bunch of college kids had no chance against the Soviet machine, let alone attempting to win a gold medal. Tell me how that works out.

The sight of President George W. Bush throwing out the first pitch for Game 3 in Yankee Stadium of the 2001 World Series. With emotions still running high after the events of 9/11, the Prez strode to the pitcher's mound and delivered a strike. Many events after 9/11 are still in my memory bank. The sight of all the pro leagues showing their patriotism, escpecially in the NFL, by taking the field and carrying the American flag. This one of the President stands out the most to me.

And we now have the NFC Champions, the New Orleans Saints. A city still in rebuilding mode after Katrina. Brees has openly told everyone that the Saints thrive off the fans and it works the other way, too. It's a unique situation as the Saints players have immersed themselves into the city and its efforts. There's another process still going here, too. Healing.

Maybe it's about something called destiny. If you didn't believe in it before, you have to now.

Championship Sunday

Here it is, Championship Sunday. Both the AFC and NFC will pronounce their representatives for the Super Bowl.

Some things are rattling in my head about today's games. Loose screws? Maybe.

Vikings v. Saints

1. Will Vikings RB Adrian Peterson be able to be, well, Adrian Peterson?

We haven't seen AD go for over 100 yards since week 10 against the Detroit Lions (133 yards on only 18 carries). He's flirted with 100 on two other occassions (week 14 v. Cincinnati and week 16 v. Chicago). Fact: Peterson's highest yards/carry since then is 6.0 in the last game of the regular season against the New York Giants. He only had 9 carries that game. Outside of that, that number is 3.9 in that week 16 against the Chicago Bears. AD had 24 carries.

2. The status of Vikes Mr. Everything, Percy Harvin.

Harvin travelled to New Orleans, but he's having problems with migraine headaches again.

“Man, I’ve tried everything, and nothing works,” said Harvin, who’s listed as questionable to play against the Saints. “I give up.”

The quote was from a video teammate Bryant McKinnie posted on his Twitter account. The migraines have kept Harvin from practicing, but at this point of the season, it's not as much of an issue. Harvin has missed a game this season due to the headaches, and I imagine this could be a gametime decision if he goes or not.

If there's one person that can empathize with Harvin, it's Denver Broncos great Terrell Davis. He was known to have a migraine or two in his day.

3. With all the talk about Brett Favre, how much pressure will the Vikings offensive line be feeling?

Um, a lot. The O line stepped up last week against Dallas, and that line must duplicate that effort. After all, it's a Lombardi Trophy or bust. If the Vikes lose, this season and the Favre Experiment will be deemed as utter failures. That's a ton of pressure. The offensive front has suffered from breakdowns at different times this season. It's a weakness worthy of notice. I know Saints DC Gregg Williams has.

Jets v. Colts

NFC Championship Peek

Yesterday I looked at the AFC Championship game. If you didn't catch it, you can find it here. Today, let's view some keys for the battle for the NFC crown between the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints.

1. QB matchup- Vikes Brett Favre and Saints Drew Brees.

Every time I'm watching any type of sports channel, I see Brett. Kind of hard to ignore, but Favre is playing at a level we're all unaccumstomed to seeing. But who would you rather have? The 40 year old with a ring or the commander of the most explosive passing offense over the past few years? There's no wrong answer here. You might want to ponder on who's more trustworthy with the ball. I'm anxious to see if Favre will retreat to his gunslinger mentality if the Vikings get behind by more than a TD.

2. Vikings defensive line v. Saints offensive line.

If you scan the injury report, three of the four Vikings starters are on it. Ray Edwards (knee), Kevin Williams (knee) and Pat Williams (elbow) are listed as questionable. Even backup DT Jimmy Kennedy (thumb) is listed, but he is probable. If you believe that Edwards and the Williams' aren't going to play, you're sadly mistaken. And there's always DE Jared Allen. The Saints O line must keep Brees upright and that's priority #1.

3. Vikings DBs v. Saints WRs.

Colts and Saints: overlooked?

Is it just me, or does it look like that the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts are being a bit overlooked?

I mean, most of the talk we're hearing seems to center around Rex Ryan and the New York Jets and their improbable playoff run and the Minnesota Vikings and that guy at quarterback, Brett Favre.

I doubt that the Jets and Vikings are overlooking their opponents this weekend, but things seem extremely subdued from the Saints and Colts camps. But that shouldn't surprise anyone at all. In the words of our 26th President Theodore Roosevelt, "Speak softly and carry a big stick". That's what the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts are doing.

We've heard the constant chatter from Jets head coach Rex Ryan with the most recent being this from an article on NYPost.com.:

"We're on the big stage every day in New York," he said. "This will be as loose a team as you'll ever see going into an AFC Championship game. We're not afraid to compete against the Colts, we're excited to."

We've heard the constant praises thrown at Vikings QB Brett Favre for the wonderful season he's having. We've heard Vikes head honcho Brad Childress refer to Dallas as the "Tasmanian devils". Tight end Visanthe Shiancoe is saying that he's going to score "ten times" this Sunday.

So why are these #1 seeds being thrusted into the backgroud? How can the teams with their conferences best records seem so out of the picture? How is it that their opponents are shoved into the limelight?

That's because New Orleans and Indy are choosing taht approach. They are opting to do their talking on the field, and their opponents this weekend should severly take note of this. It's almost a scary quiet in those camps right now. A quiet confidence.

We all saw what happened in week 16 when the Jets and Colts played. Manning was pulled with about 6:00 left in the third quarter with Indy holding a 15-10 lead. The Jets won 29-15 with Curtis Painter playing QB for the Colts. The talk of the Jets "backing in" the playoffs began to emerge as a headline. The thought that the Colts passed on a possible perfect season began to take shape with Colts fans and players being angered by the move.

That move by the Colts hierarchy has actually galvanized the team. The Colts know their real purpose, win a Super Bowl.

And the Saints?

More NFL Playoff Football!

Only the Packers/Cardinals game provided any form of excitement during the NFL's Wild Card Weekend. Maybe we'll be treated to bit more this coming weekend with the Divisional Round. Here's a quick look at the games being played on Saturday.

NFC: Arizona @ New Orleans; 4:30 PM ET, FOX (Kenny Albert, Darryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa)

Most will watch: Cards QB Kurt Warner and Saints QB Drew Brees.
How could you not want to watch these two? Warner absolutely lit up the Packers last week. Warner had more TD (5) than incompletions (4). There's no sign of him slowing down one bit. Warner has excellent postseason numbers. There is the rumor that Warner will retire after this season. I look for the Cards to do all they can to postpone that. If you have any doubt that this guy will end up in Canton, you're simply crazy.

But Saints fans believe they have the league MVP as their QB in Brees. Brees was second in the MVP voting and that vote has many in Louisiana up in arms. There's no question that when Brees gets it going, there's not any QB that's better. He has many so weapons at his disposal. That may have been why he didn't win the MVP.

You should also watch: New Orleans at the beginning of the game.
It's been almost a month since the Saints have played a real game. This is not the time for rust to set in. A quick start is paramount even though we know the Saints have the offensive firepower to come from behind, but so does Arizona.

If New Orleans wins the coin toss, you might see them take the ball first. Get that offense on the field early and see how they react. That side of the ball has not actually performed too well as of late.

But don't forget: the Saints ground attack.
The newest three-headed monster of Pierre Thomas, Mike Ball and Reggie Bush has given New Orleans even more cause to be optomistic. The lack of a running game was viewed as a significant weakness with the Saints offense. Not anymore. Establishing the run would open the passing game even more for Brees. A big benefit for the Saints.

One last thing: the crowd.
We know balls will fill the "air" of the Superdome. The indoors atmosphere, in itself, does not favor either team. It will be how much the crowd stays behind their Saints. If the Cardinals can score early and often, the life of the crowd would immensely diminish. Playoff games don't come around New Orleans too much. The crowd must holdfast and make a difference.

Bottom line: Despite being favored, it almost feels like people are doubting the Saints. With all that's been made of their late season swoon, it's hard to believe that the switch can flipped on. But what can we make of a Cards defense that blew a 21-point lead to the Packers? When Aaron Rodgers had to throw, he did so and he did at will. Brees operates the same way. Neither defense can stop the run and neither defense can stop the pass. The Saints can run while The Cardinals struggle with their running game.

Saints 37, Cards 28...both Warner and Brees pass for over 300 yards but the turnover bug bites the Cards.

AFC: Baltimore @ Indianapolis; 8:15 ET, CBS (Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf)

Cowboys End Saints Perfection

Last night, the Dallas Cowboys looked like a potential serious playoff contender. The New Orleans Saints lost their bid at a perfect regular season. And the NFC playoff picture was brought more into focus with Dallas pulling off a stunning 24-17 win in the Superdome agains the Saints.

The Cowboys outgained New Orleans 439-336, stifled the NFL's #5 rushing attack, held about a 13 minute advantage in time of possesson, and sacked Drew Brees four times. Yet, the Saints still had a chance to tie the game in the closing minute.

Four things to take away from this one.

First, Tony Romo (right) had another good game. He had more passing yards than Brees (312 to 298), a higher QB rating (104.0 to 81.5), and no INT. In Romo's last three games, he has 6 TD and 0 INT. Last night was his lowest QB rating in those three games. December has actually been good to Romo.

Second, Dallas stayed with the running game and that was a major reason the Cowboys were able to take such a decided edge in time of possession. Marion Barber produced two rushing TDs for his first since week 8. That's a sign all Cowboys fans should love seeing.

Third, just when you think you have the Saints, they battle back. Dallas led 24-3 going into the 4th quarter. A couple of Saints scores made it 24-17 with 8:06 remaining. New Orleans got the ball back with 2:16 left and started a drive to a tie which was thwarted by a sack of Brees and a fumble recovered by Dallas' Jay Ratliff.

Maybe the most important thing going forward was this. Dallas took the kickoff after New Orleans made it 24-17 and drove all the way to the Saints 6. With 2:19 left, Cowboys kicker Nick Folk did his best Shaun Suisham impression and knocked his filed goal attempt off the right post. That miss was the sixth straight game Folk has missed a FG attempt. That missed permitted the Saints a last gasp. That's something the Cowboys will no longer be able to afford as the Redskins and Eagles await.

Dallas did solidify its playoff position and holds their fate in their own hands...win out and they're in the postseason.

That just might get Wade Phillips (left) another season or two.

But with Jerry Jones calling the signals, I stress the word "might".

sports

NFL Monday Night Wrap-Up-Falcons/Saints

27   35

Not that last night's game didn't lack a little excitement. In fact, the game had a little bit of everything...defensive touchdowns off turnovers, lots of offense and scoring, missed field goals from two pretty accurate kickers. Just a few things I took away from last night's Falcons/Saints clash.

1. I mentioned the turnovers. Considering that these two teams are considered playoff teams, there were too many turnovers. Falcons QB Matt Ryan threw 3 picks with one of those being returned 48 yard for a Saints TD by Jabari Greer. Saints QB Drew Brees threw a pick and fumbled which was scooped up and returned for a TD by Atlanta's Kroy Biermann. Saints RBs Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell also put the ball on the ground which were recovered bt the Falcons. That's seven total turnovers.

2. I questioned the "disappearance" of Falcons RB Michael Turner (right). He "appeared" last night with 20 carries for 151 yards and a TD...and this effort. That's the Michael Turner we saw in 2008!

3. Between the Falcons Jason Elam and the Saints John Carney, there were three missed filed goals. Elam missed two, a 34 yard try that banged off the left post and a 51 yard effort that missed miserably left at the end of the first half. He did connect from 25 and 40 yards. For the season, Elam is only 60% (6 of 10) on all FG attempts for the season. For his career, Elam is 81%. Carney missed an effort from 37 yards that was pushed to the right and is 73% for the season (8 of 11) and 82.4% for his career. And some people don't think kicking can make a difference. Elam hits all his tres and the game is that much closer.

4. All we know about Saints WR Marques Colston (left) is that he "is a beast." He was referred to as that on at least four occassions during last night's telecast. And he performed like one. All Brees had to do was put the ball within 5 yards of Colston and he came up with the reception. To Jon Gruden, I concur.

5. The most impressive stat of the night: The Saints had four drives of at least 80 yards. Simple math tells me that's at least 320 yards of offense. I did say the "bend, but don't break" defense of the Falcons would eventually catch up to them and it did against New Orleans. The Saints managed a redzone efficiency of 75% (3 for 4) and 100% (2 for 2) on goal-to-goal situations.

The loss by Atlanta now puts them three games behind New Orleans in the NFC South with a long road to go in order to win the division. It's not to early to think about their playoff possibilities. They do get New Orleans at home in week 14. Atlanta has three other tests ahead. They travel to the Meadowlands twice (week 11 for the Giants and week 15 for the Jets) and will play host to the Eagls in week 13. The Saints have the easiest remaining schedule in the league.

A long road, indeed.

NFL Week 8 Recap and Falcons/Saints Preview

Two of the three previous winless teams broke through with wins this week. The only other winles team, Tampa Bay, was off on a bye. The Bucs will get a crack this coming week against Green Bay. Good luck guys!

St. Louis 17 (1-7), Detroit 10 (1-6)
Rams leave the field of the winless
Game ball: Rams RB Steven Jackson: 22 car., 149 yds, TD. Jackson finally finds the endzone

Cleveland 6 (1-7), Chicago 30 (4-3)
Bears recover from Cincy disaster to defeat hapless Browns
Game ball: Bears RB Matt Forte: 26 car., 90 yds., 2 TD

Seattle 17 (2-5), Dallas 38 (5-2)
Cowboys offense beginning to click
Game ball: Cowboys QB Tony Romo: 21-36, 256 yds., 3 TD

Houston 31 (5-3), Buffalo 10 (3-5)
Texans at best record ever for franchise, but lose TE Daniels for eason (knee)
Game ball: Texans RB Ryan Moats: 23 car., 126 yds. 3 TD

Miami 30 (3-4), New York Jets 25 (4-4)
Dolphins use two KO ret TD from Ted Ginn, Jr. who'd lost starting job
Game ball: Ginn: KO returns of 100 and 101 yds for TDs sets record

San Francisco 14 (3-4), Indinapolis 18 (7-0)
Indy struggles agaist unfamiliar foe
Game ball: Colts WR Reggie Wayne: 12 rec., 147 yds, TD (game winning TD pass from RB Joseph Addai)

Denver 7 (6-1), Baltimore 30 (4-3)
Ravens blast formerly unbeaten Broncos
Game ball: Ravens CB Lardaruis Webb:returned 2nd half KO 95 yds for TD

New York Giants 17 (4-3), Philadelphia  40 (5-2)
Gaints D allows 40+ points for second time in three games
Game ball: Eagles QB Donovan McNabb: 17-23, 240 yds., 3 TD