Sunday's Games

I was flying solo with my kids, a buddy, and his kids. So the blogging won't be as intense as the Eagles game. Also, um, I don't root for these freaking teams, and I'm still sitting shiva for the Birds.

(Speaking of the Birds, a buddy who posts to the Eagles message board pointed out that if you fail on 4th and 15, you're giving the Saints the ball in field goal position without needing to move it, as opposed to 4th and 10, where the D still has a chance with a 3 and out. I'd be more convinced by this logic if (a) Reid had said it in the post-game press conference right off the bat, and (b) his defense had not been treated like a two-dollar whore by Deuce McAllister all night. But at least it's a better explanation than our coach is just as smart as Sean "I Show My Co-Workers Cell Phone Pictures of L'il Sean" Salisbury, who defended the move without pointing out the field goal position argument.)

Anyway, here's 5 quick points about each game.

Bears-Seahawks

1) Surprisingly good and competitive game. This one had four hours of bad football written all over it going in, and it was the only one that took extra time. Along with everything else in the NFL this year, it shows that no one knows anything. You'd have gone 4-0 taking the road dogs with the spread this weekend, and that never happens.

2) Fox waited until overtime to play the Hasselbeck in Green Bay "We'll take the ball" clip. My friend and I were there in the middle of the third quarter. If you're a Seahawk fan, how do you ever not think of that in a close playoff game? It's like Eagles fans with McNabb and puking; it just doesn't leave.

3) Something we didn't expect to say: "The Bears are letting Grossman down." Seriously, his receivers had some bad drops, and the pick was one of those INTs that should be credited to the reciever. He was mostly fine, though prone to Hoying-like moments of holding the ball until crushed. It'll wind up killing them later.

4) One of the things that people miss in their analysis of NFL teams is that the team that's playing today has a heck of a lot more in common with the team of the last four weeks, rather than the full year. So the Bears really aren't a great defensive team that just needs average play from their QB to win. They're a pretty overrated defensive team that gave up a lot of up-the-gut yards to Alexander, and I think the Saints will put up 30 points on them this week. (And get whacked in the Super Bowl.)

It's not about the Rex Cannon anymore. It's about their defense, and... THE BEARS ARE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE! AND THE SAINTS WILL CROWN THEIR ASS! (Sorry. That's never going to get old.)

5) As for the Seahawks, they're strangely similar to the Birds: stable coach and QB situation that gets you to the playoffs, but don't seal the deal once there. If I was a Hawk fan, I'd be looking forward to seeing what a new coach and QB could do, but maybe they just need another year and healthy WRs; they have a bunch of good ones when they're all on the field.

But this team had a cake division that they took forever to win, and should have probably lost their home playoff game to a Cowboys team that was always finding new ways to lose. I think the future of the division might belong to the doormats (SF and Arizona). Besides, Favre championship be damned, Holmgren just ain't that smart.

Patriots-Chargers

1) So, how much was Marty Schottenheimer thinking, "IT'S HAPPENING AGAIN! NOOOOO!!!!!!!!"

2) The Chargers couldn't win a game at home, with a bye, with the MVP running for over 100 yards, with Tom Brady throwing three picks, to a team with waiver wire wideouts. I think this is it, really, for MartyBall. It's never happening for him.

3) Phil Simms actually said this, "It's hard to make plays." Wow, Phil, you're right. It's like there is eleven players on the other side of the ball, wearing different colored clothes, trying to stop you from making plays. Bastards.

4) I'm kind of amazed at how badly Schottenheimer managed this game, frankly. Even by Marty's standards, this was strong. He went for it on 4th and 11 in the first half, rather than let the kicker take a shot at it. The Chargers failed, of course, and also set up for later that you don't trust him on long kicks (which, of course, he missed at the end of the game).

You have LDT run for 123 yards on 23 carries -- and how in hell do you not get him more than 23 carries, especially late in the game, when Rivers clearly needed support? It was as if he was so determined to not be called out for coaching conservatively, he just did stupid shit to compensate. Stick a fork in him. He's done.

5) Reche Caldwell and Jabbar Gaffney, WRs for a Final Four team, after a bunch of plays today that made me wonder if Freddie Mitchell and Todd Pinkston were available. New England might win it all again, but their WRs are the second-worst group still alive in the NFL Playoffs... right after the Saints secondary. Watch the media talk them up when they win it all. (Gahhhh.)