The Saints are absolutely the force to be reckoned with in the NFC. As an Eagles fan, I have seen Sean Peyton and Drew Brees slaughter us every time we play. They always shut down Donovan, and Brees' release is so fast that our blitzes don't do shit. Plus in that Playoff game in 2006 when Jeff Garcia was playing, the Saints figured out the one thing that always beats the Eagles - running the ball down their throats. If the Eagles weren't in contention I would absolutely be rooting for the Saints, they are a damned impressive and fun team to watch.
I think Football Outsiders had the Colts and Saints pegged right a week or two ago. They looked at them vs the other teams that went undefeated through 11-12 games, found they graded out among the worst of that group and concluded that neither are the kind of juggernaut you'd expect to be on the verge of 16-0 runs, that they are just your run of the mill, best teams in the league, who have happened to get the bounces needed to pull out every tight game.
Sucks to be the Saints and Colts... Seriously though - I don't think anyone is confusing the Saints or the Colts with teams that are going to dominate every team they face because they are so much better than everyone else. Those teams are extremely rare, I can think of fewer than 5 in the modern history of the NFL. Certainly not the last few Superbowl winners. Both teams have won some tight games. Both the Saints and Colts have suffered some significant injuries to key personnel. Neither is a lock to make the Superbowl (2.5/1 for the Saints and 2.25/1 for the Colts). But this is a strictly academic debate. It can only be had on a blackboard, and has no relevance to this season. Both teams have put themselves in very good positions to succeed. While neither is light years better than its competition, being multiple games ahead for the 1 seed (or in the Colts case, having clinched it) is the big advantage that makes them a good bet to win their conferences. All that being said, you sound like a hater. They are just your "run of the mill best teams in the league" is such an inane thing to say it blows my mind. Speaking of... Mark Ingram - just your run of the mill Heisman winner, no Barry Sanders. Steitz - just your run of the mill Nobel Prize Winner, no Madam Curie.
I wouldn't be surprised to see the Cards or Eagles make a super bowl run, but in the AFC I don't see anyone beating the Colts. Is DeSean Jackson always wide open? I know he's so quick, but after 13 games this year, you think one team would figure out how to slow him down. He's definitely my favorite player in the league.
I think he is only that wide open when my fantasy opponent during playoff week has him and is 20 points down going into the night game. Not that I am bitter about that or that Randy Moss was #1 WR yesterday to counter Jackson.
I would be shocked to see either team make the superbowl. I don't think they can beat the Saints or Vikings, and I'm a huge Eagles fan. Jackson has had a couple games where he has been shut down but he is absolutely having a probowl season. It is amazing how much seperation he can get from defenders, especially when they have to know what a threat he is! The Eagles have lost to Oakland this year. Also the NFC East is pretty weak, I'm not sure this is a team poised to make a deep playoff run. Look at the schedule, wins against tampa, KC and an Atlanta team with Chris Redman at QB is hardly impressive. They are above average but Superbowl? I don't think they can beat the Saints even with McNabb. The Cards I have not watched every week but would still be suprised to see them get to back to back superbowls. I wouldn't be suprised to see them in the NFC championship however. Who would everyone pick to go to the superbowl WITHOUT PICKING THE COLTS OR SAINTS??? I would have Chargers vs. Vikings.
I meant to have wrote, see the Cards beat the Vikings again. I would think if they meet in the playoffs Vikings win.
I think that as bad as the San Fran Game was you have to take it with a grain of salt, its better to judge teams in games against good opponents. Also Arizona has a tendency to play up or down to the level of play there opponent puts out. I was watching the game at the bar while involved in different discussions so I would miss minutes at a time, but it seemed to me like Arizona was getting called with a foul every time I looked up Patriots looked flat as all hell this week...I would not be surprised to see them lose out and drop out of the playoffs..they looked that bad against a turnover prone Carolina team. This is the first time I actually dedicated 2-3 hours and watched Carolina play this year...wow John Fox is a god awful coach how has been around this long. Why he decides to run John Stewart and throw the ball with the rookie Moore instead of running with D.Williams is beyond me. Does anyone else really think that the jags can hold off the ravens for the final playoff spot in the AFC? Your crazy by the way if you think the Vikings are going to the Superbowl, watch there two loses this year against 2 of the only good teams they have played by the way.....they are good but not good enough to get to the big game. The Saints are going to dice them up in the NFC Championship game.
So you think the then 9-3 Bengals are a bad team? Are the Ravens a bad team?* How about the sweep of the Pack (half of the Pack's losses)? Their loss against Pitt could have gone either way, I thought they outplayed Pitt most/all the game. Yes, they dropped a complete egg against Arizona. I'll be the first to admit the Vikes have some issues (secondary, Childress), and I'm obviously biased to the Vikes, but I don't think it would be a blowout like you think. They still have a dominant running game, good O-line, Favre having a great year, a dominant D-line, and good special teams. Provided Chilly doesn't fuck things up, I think they can give any team a run for their money. I'll agree that John Fox made some questionable calls, but the Patriots knew that DeAngello was pretty much all the Panthers had left, so they defended mainly against that. It's not rocket science, they knew Fox had a shitty hand so they forced him to do something he probably didn't want to. *I'm also waiting for the "barely beat them" rebuttal (because no other teams have had close wins this year *COUGH*SAINTS-COLTS*COUGH*)....
Chris Henry, the Bengals wide receiver, just died following a domestic dispute in Charlotte. I never was a fun of his thuggish ways, but he seemed to be getting his life turned around. First Tiger, and now this? Remind me never to cross my (future) wife.
Dude was a fucking bum. Somehow I'm lacking in sympathy for someone who already had a history of assault, was chasing his wife, and died while jumping in the back of her truck while she was trying to get away from him. Getting his life turned around indeed.
Im as pessimistic as they come and the manner in which he died seems to really reflect on his over all decision making skills. Besides the accident, it really did seem like the guy had made a valiant effort to change his life for the positive since the Bengals resigned him. This is one of times instead of writing him off as a worthless thug, as many would, I wished he could have made a decent life for himself.
You don't know him. I wouldn't be so quick to pass judgment. If you don't have anything good to say about a dead man, it's probably best not to comment. RIP Henry. My thoughts are with your friends, teammates, and family- especially your 3 children.
This game has gotten GOOD. I'd like to see Dallas get another running touchdown and Brees throw one to Colston, so I can win my fantasy games, and still have the Vikings get a shot at the #1 seed.
This game has me torn. As a Niners Fan, a Cowboys loss is good for me. In my Fantasy League My opponent has Drew Brees so I want to see him suck ass.
Dude got fired last week for pooching the kick against San Diego which would've given the Cowboys the tie to send the game into overtime last week. Then again you could argue that SD's goal line stance keeping Barber out 3 times in a row which would've given them the win. But tonight, was just sick. When Folk fucked that field goal up I was 95% sure the Cowboys pass defence was gonna follow it up with another huge screw up to take the game to overtime, but holy shit were they on fire tonight. Folk is in a seriously bad place right now mentally and I don't know if he's ever gonna get out of it. Nevermind leading the NFL in missed kicks did you see the clips of him missing chip shots in warm ups? WARM UPS! No one has to say it but its pretty apparent that Folk is gone next year. It doesn't help when your coach is saying go for it on 4th and 4 in the first quarter on the opponents 30 yard line or similar situations in the last two games. I would love to see him get his shit together because he's proven that he can rock it in clutch situations in the past, but like Philalawyer says, "you're only as good as your last big fuck up". Regardless, the offense was clicking, Romo wasn't stiff in the pocket and the pass defence came through. Why it took these fuckers so long to finally show their true capability and bring me to the brink of suffering an aneurysm week in and week out over the last 3.5 months is something I'll never understand.