Nfl Playoffs

It’s time. Time for the select few to battle out for the most coveted prize in the NFL: the Lombardi Trophy. The playoffs begin today with the Wildcard round. I’m so excited I can’t even finish this introduction! Let’s just get right to these games, shall we?

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For only the second time in their storied history, the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers will meet in the playoffs. In 1941, the game was for the NFL’s then Western Section championship. In 2010, the NFC Championship and a trip to Dallas for the Super Bowl will be on the line. The Windy City is at a fever-pitch with anticipation. Now comes the part where they have to actually play. Ya know, that whole football thing. I’m done fluffing up this game now; let’s just get to the break down!

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 So that was a fun weekend, right? After some delicious divisional round fun, the stages are set for Conference Championship Sunday in the NFL. Before that, let's take a look at how this weekend's games went down.

Continue reading "Joe's 2011 NFL Final Drive: Divisional Round"

That was probably the most relaxing Bears playoff game I’ve ever watched. Chicago jumped out early on the over-matched Seattle Seahawks, putting this game out of reach before the first half ended and looking towards the NFC title game.

Continue reading "Joe's GameDay Recap: Bears 35, Seahawks 24"

After the fantastic endings and upsets from the Wild Card round, the NFL playoffs are back with the Divisional round! We get two division rivalry rematches in the AFC while we get another pair of regular season rematches in the NFC. Let’s delve into some football!

Continue reading "Joe's 2011 NFL Opening Drive: Divisional Round"

Hm. That’s my general reaction to Wildcard Weekend in the NFL. The playoffs got started with what is unquestionably one of the biggest upsets in recent memory, which was followed up by a drama-filled finish in Indianapolis. Sunday saw a drilling in Kansas City and a comeback story ended early in Philly. Here’s the story behind the first round of the NFL playoffs.(8-9) Seattle Seahawks 41

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After a completely outrageous and exciting Saturday to start the playoffs, two excellent games are coming our way today. Let's break it down!1:00 PM ET, CBS
(12-4) Baltimore Ravens at
(10-6) Kansas City ChiefsThe Breakdown:

Continue reading "Joe's 2010 NFL Opening Drive: Wildcard Sunday"

The 2010 NFL Playoffs are upon us! Wildcard Saturday kicks off the action with the reigning NFL champs on the road in Seattle and a rematch of last year’s AFC Championship. Here’s my breakdown of each game, along with my official picks. Last year I went 5-6 against the spread, let’s see if I can improve that mark this season!Saturday4:30 PM ET, NBC

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Are you ready for two weeks of hype for a Brett Favre versus Peyton Manning Super Bowl?

Well TOO FREAKING BAD! The Saints were having none of it today. And what a coincidence that in a year marred by missed field goals, it was on the leg of lesser-known Saints kicker Garrett Hartley that the Saints earned a spot in their first ever Super Bowl with a 31-28 win over the Vikings.

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Don't mess with Peyton Manning. That's what the number one ranked Jets defense learned Sunday afternoon, as they saw their 11-point second quarter lead evaporate under the intense heat of the Colt offense on the way to a 30-17 loss.

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Here it is: the last weekend of real football. Conference Championship Sunday is here and isn't lacking for drama. From Brett Favre and Peyton Manning's legacy to the Jets' dominating defense or the surge in New Orleans, every team is a great story. Who do I think will make it to the Super Bowl in Miami? Read on in this edition of the Opening Drive!

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It was an ugliest of games for the team in the prettiest of cities. After winning 11 straight games to finish the regular season, the San Diego Chargers came out with a resounding thud at home against the Jets on Sunday. Penalties, missed field goals and turnovers formed a perfect storm of suck for the Chargers and kept the Jets in the game until the final quarter where they took and held onto the lead to advance to the AFC championship game with a 17-14 victory.

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Count me among the "fooled" pundits who thought the Dallas Cowboys would have the upper hand over the Minnesota Vikings in their divisional round match-up. How wrong we were. Tony Romo turned the ball over three times en route to an embarrassing 34-3 loss to Brett Favre and the Vikings. 

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Even if yesterday's were drama-less (story of the playoffs so far), I couldn't miss a second. That won't change today as the most hyped game of the weekend starts Divisional round Sunday. New York's Cinderella story (is Rex Ryan the fairy godmother?) closes out the night with a west coast appearance. The Opening Drive of Divisional Sunday in the NFL starts now!

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I guess the Ravens used up all their karma. After everything went Baltimore's way last week against New England, they fell completely flat in Indianapolis Saturday night, missing every opportunity imaginable. Against a lesser foe, they could have mounted a comeback. Against Peyton Manning and the Colts, they had no chance.

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After Tim Hightower took the opening hand-off 70 yards for a touchdown, all I could think of was how awful the Saints fans would feel if their team lost in their playoff opener. Luckily for them Reggie Bush showed up with his bird-killing cleats on, leading the Saints to a 45-14 thrashing of the Arizona Cardinals to kick-off the Divisional round of the NFL playoffs.

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In case you haven't heard, we're knee-deep in the NFL playoffs. Today kicks-off the best weekend of football all year. Eight teams remain in the Super Bowl hunt, with the top seeds in each conference joining in on the action. Let's not waste any time, here's the Opening Drive for Divisional Saturday in the NFL!

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It's fitting that in a game with over 1000 yards of offense, a defensive play decides the outcome. On the first drive of overtime, an Aaron Rodgers fumble was recovered by Cardinal Karlos Dansby and taken back 17 yards for the game-winning touchdown, eliminating the Packers from post-season play with a final of 51-45.

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Well that happened. 

From the very first play from scrimmage, it was obvious: These aren't your dad's Patriots. (If you dad was a Pats fan two years ago.) Ray Rice took the opening hand-off 83 yards to the endzone to put the Ravens up 7-0 en route to embarrassing Bill Belichick's Patriots 33-14.

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After the Cowboys and the Jets dominated their opponents to move onto the divisional round, we've got some great action on tap today with a physical match-up in New England and a (hopefully) high-flying contest in the Arizona desert. Here's the Opening Drive of Wild-Card Sunday!

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Proving that their shut-out win last week was no fluke, the Dallas Cowboys picked up right where they left off with a 34-14 blowout win over the Philadelphia Eagles Saturday night. In a flag-filled contest (actually setting a playoff record for most penalty yards), only Dallas overcame their mistakes. Philly never stood a chance. 

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It wasn't exactly how he'd like it to happen, but Jets Head Coach Rex Ryan will sure take it. The New York Jets suppressed the home team Cincinnati Bengals Saturday in a 24-14 victory, despite giving up 171 yards on the ground.

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Playoffs? Yep, they're here! After another 17 week regular season, the Wild-Card round begins this afternoon with the rematch between NY Jets and Cincinnati Bengals, followed by what could be the game of the weekend. Philadelphia travels to Dallas for the third meeting this season between these NFC East rivals. Time for analysis and predictions! It's the Opening Drive of Wild-Card Saturday!

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Thin-slicing. It is the act cutting through all extraneous information and getting to the key items that characterize something. Malcolm Gladwell wrote an entertaining and informative book on thin-slicing called Blink.

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Although they just barely missed the Cleveland Browns should definitely be proud of their 2007 NFL season.

They had Derek Anderson prove that he can be a top ten quarterback. Something great to know when you have first round pick Brady Quinn waiting in the wings. His breakout coincided with the play of Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow. While the latter was already a known commodity, Braylon really needed to show that he deserved the status that comes with being the number three overall draft pick a few years back.

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NFL Playoffs!? That can only mean one thing – bandwagon season! Now that my team #1 and #2 are done for the season, its time to jump on the way only a true NFL football fan can.

My Tampa Bay Buccaneers played an exceptional first quarter today and then decided to fall asleep on me. Too bad the game has four quarters! Argh! I really thought they could make something happen this year. My #1 team(s) the San Francisco 49ers and the Oakland Raiders never even made it to the playoffs - so the time has come for auxiliary cheering methods – jump on the bandwagon! I have planned out who I will be rooting for next week for sure (remaining season afterward to be determined):

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It was an ugly win, but important nevertheless. Not only did it get the Browns closer to the NFL postseason, but also it showed that they are learning how to win the tough games.

You’d think that a team from Buffalo would be ready for a snow-filled game, but the Bills didn’t seem like it at all. They were essentially embarrassing to watch, almost as bad were the Bills fans that came to the sports bar wearing Buffalo Sabres jerseys…really. But more importantly, the Browns came away with the win in turbulent weather. And if the increasingly realistic Browns playoffs hopes come to fruition, they will need to be ready to play in adverse conditions like they did today.

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