DING, ROUND 2!

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This week I decided to shake things up and have a guest blogger. Please welcome to keyboard, ATLANTA FALCONS STAR QUARTERBACK, MATT RYAN! (cue the applause).

Actually, I’m still writing this week’s blog, but I am going by the name Matt Ryan due to my terrible performance last week (in picking games). I hold athletes accountable for their poor performances (as you will read below with my review of Ike Taylor), so I must hold myself to this same standard. I was 1-3 last week. I picked Cincinnati over Houston, which didn’t quite work out.. I also picked Detroit over New Orleans, which proved not to be the best decision that I’ve ever made. The Giants did smash the Ryan-led Falcons, in the most boring playoff game I’ve seen in years. I did get that one right. The Broncos shocked the world and beat the Steelers. I definitely didn’t see that one coming, but somehow two of my homeboys did (shout out to Scott and Marty). This boys and girls is why you do not bet on the NFL. It is so unpredictable. Anything can literally happen on any given Sunday. Who would have ever thought that Tim Tebow beat the Steelers and pass for more yards did I did in my loss to the Giants (remember I’m Matt Ryan this week)? I’m still in disbelief that TJ Yates won a playoff game before ME!

As any good cornerback should do, I must now put last week’s bad picks behind me and look forward to the next week. The next week is now here, and these are my picks for Round 2 of NFL playoff action. I promise to do better this time.

Saints vs. 49ers
This is a very difficult game to pick for two reasons. First of all, the 49ers have arguably the best quarterback in the NFL in Alex Smith. OK, I’m lying; I couldn’t even type that with a straight face.

All jokes aside, there are really two reasons that this is a tough game to pick. First of all, the Saints are playing on the road. They were undefeated at home this season, but they did lose 3 road games. The loss they suffered in Green Bay is respectable. However, losses to the Rams and Buccaneers are just unacceptable. Secondly, this game will be hard to pick because both defenses have the ability to make the other offense one-dimensional. The 49ers have the best run defense in the NFL. Now some of you are saying, “So what, the Saints don’t really run the ball anyway.” I agree with that, but it is one thing to decide that you want to pass, and another thing to be told that you aren’t allowed to run. On the other side, the 49er’s really won’t be able to pass the ball well because Alex Smith will see so many blitzes that he is going to remember why he is mentioned in the conversation when you talk about worst-ever number one picks (he’s in the conversation, but JaMarcus Russell has long ended that debate). Until I sat down to write this blog entry, I was under the belief that I would be picking the Saints. However, after thinking about it, while writing this, I HAVE CHANGED MY MIND!

While the Saints will undoubtedly blitz like Rex Ryan is running their defense, I feel as though the 49er’s regular offense, also known as the Hide the Fact that Alex Smith Sucks offense is actually the perfect offense to run against a blitzing team. I seriously doubt that the 49er’s attempt more than 20 passes. Of those 20, 12 of them will go to either backs or tight ends. They will play a very conservative offense, and lull the Saints defense to sleep. We will see a lot of Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter in this game. New Orleans will eventually start gambling on defense and Drew Brees will attempt some passes that he shouldn’t, which will allow the 49er’s to take advantage of the Saints’ mistakes. Word on the street is that the Saints will win this game rather easily. However, word in my home-office is that the 49ers will pull the UPSET! Bottom line, I don’t think the Saints have enough “goons” on their team to win a road playoff game. Two things travel well in the NFL, great defense and a strong running game. The Saints don’t have either. I think the Saints are just a tad bit too soft to win this game on the road.

Prediction: 49ers 27 – Saints 20


Broncos vs. Patriots
Last week, I thought the Broncos had no shot in (the place that Tim Tebow is trying to prevent us all from going), and I was wrong. As they have this entire season, the stars aligned perfectly for Denver to pull the upset. Pittsburgh played without their starting running back and free safety. Their starting nose tackle, defensive end, and one of the starting outside linebackers were all injured during the game. It didn’t end there. Their starting quarterback was also playing on one leg (because they thought that it would be a good idea for him to play against Cleveland instead of healing up for the playoff, which was STUPID). I am not making excuses for the Steelers, I am just pointing out what happened to make Denver’s task easier. These types of weird things have been happening all year for team-Tebow. However, boys and girls, this is where the magic stops. While the Patriots defense is nowhere near as good as the Steelers defense when you compare talent, I fully expect them to be smarter than the Steelers were last week. I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that Demaryius Thomas (a.k.a Ike Taylor Sr.) will see double coverage. I am also going to guess that New England will keep a safety back and force Tebow to lead his team on long drives, which he has proven to be virtually incapable of. The Denver story has been fascinating this season, but they are going to play against a team that will simply score to many points for their limited offense to match. I am by no means a Patriots fan, but I do know that they are going to win this game.

Prediction: Patriots 35 – Broncos 17


Texans vs. Ravens
I don’t think Ball So Hard University was on North Carolina’s schedule when TJ Yates was the quarterback there. Therefore he never crossed paths with their most famous alum, Sizzle a.k.a. Terrell Suggs. Needless to say, they will get to know each other pretty well on Sunday. I fully expect the Ravens to focus on stopping Arian Foster and force TJ to look like the rookie quarterback that he is. Once he has Suggs and Haloti Ngata breathing down his back, he will suddenly feel the urge to get rid of the ball as fast as possible. This will result in a good day for Ed Reed. I look for Reed to have more receptions than Andre Johnson in this game. On the other side of the ball, Ray Rice is simply impossible to stop. The attention that the Texans must pay him will lead to opportunities for Shane Falco to go deep and connect with Tory Smith, all while Anquon Boldin draws most of their secondary’s attention. Texans fans may not want to hear this, but I honestly feel as though there will be a Jake Delhomme sighting in this game when Yates is either knocked out of the game or pulled for ineffective play.

Prediction: Ravens 31 – Texans 20


Giants vs. Packers
There are two teams in this tournament capable of beating the Packers. The Saints are one of them, but since they will be taken out by the 49ers (read above), they won’t have the opportunity. The other team is the Giants. The Giants have a good quarterback as well as a good group of receivers, which allows them to put points on the board. Their defensive line is among the best in football, which allows them to pressure the opposing QB without blitzing. They will definitely push the Packers to the limit on Sunday. However, their secondary is somewhat suspect, and they do not run the ball particularly well. Aaron Rodgers will pick their secondary apart with the embarrassment of riches at his disposal at the skill positions. Running the ball will also be important because the best way to stop the Packers from scoring is to keep their offense on the sideline. This season, Bradshaw and Jacobs (the softest big back in NFL history) have under-performed. Therefore a lot of pressure has been put on Eli to carry the offense. He is definitely capable of doing so, but he is almost equally capable of throwing the big interception. I view Eli Manning as “Tony Romo with a ring”. Meaning that he has all of the talent in the world, but you never know when he is going to do something incredibly stupid. This will be a close game, but with the return of Greg Jennings, the Packers will simply have to many offensive weapons. Once again Aaron Rodgers will make people remember why Green Bay was glad to push Favre out the door to get him on the field as he leads them to another playoff victory.

Prediction: Packers 38 – Giants 35


And now for my Baller & Scrub of the Week….

BALLER – Ike Taylor’s Daddy (Demaryius Thomas is his Government Name): One of my friends hit me up this week and said, “I am tired of hearing about Tebow every time I turn on ESPN.” My reply to him was, “You have two choices, either stop watching ESPN or kill yourself, because the Tim Tebow attention is not going away anytime soon.” Fortunately he has cable and was able to turn the channel. I just went to his wedding, I am not ready to go to his funeral as well. I mention that story because, unlike the mainstream sports media, I am going to give credit to the person who really deserves it for Denver winning that game. Tim Tebow passed for 316 yards in the game against Pittsburgh, which is commendable. However, his 48% completion rate is not. Of those 316 yards, 204 were to Demaryius Thomas. Also, if memory serves me correctly, 204 of Thomas’ 204 yards were against his son, Ike Taylor. I was tempted to call DFACS because where I’m from that’s child abuse. He even hit him with a mean stiff arm on the overtime reception to win the game. For those that don’t follow football closely, a stiff arm is essentially a punch in the face. It’s one thing to discipline your child, but punching them in the face, that’s a bit much. However, I do have to wonder about the ethics of Denver fans, because he punched his kid in the face in front of approximately 76,000 people, yet no one snitched. No offense to Tebow, but it’s about time Thomas got some credit for his contributions to that huge victory as well.

SCRUB – Ike Taylor: Matt Ryan had this award locked up, until the late game started last Sunday. That’s when Mr. Taylor decided that he deserved it more. Ike Taylor said that he is an elite cornerback. Ike Taylor also said that he should have made the Pro Bowl over Champ Bailey. It’s time for Ike Taylor to look into a mirror and tell Ike Taylor that he is a damn lie. To borrow an analogy once used by LeBron James when comparing himself to DeShawn Stevenson; Damaryius Thomas is Jay-Z while Ike Taylor is Soulja Boy. I think all of the kids that live in Taylor’s neighborhood to should come to his house dressed as Demaryius Thomas next Halloween. I’m pretty sure that will scare the crap out of him. I’m also pretty sure that they won’t be getting any candy.

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IT’S GAME TIME!

Is it just me, or does anyone else find it ironic that the city of Dallas is covered with a white powdery substance during the week when all of the world’s eyes are fixated on that city? Kind of reminds me of the Cowboy’s heyday in the early 90’s, when America’s eyes were also fixated on Dallas Texas and “America’s Team”. Shout out to Michael Irvin.

I must say that I am interested in how the NFL reacts to the terrible weather that is putting a damper on the usually festive mood that surrounds the Super Bowl each year. I am watching closely because I live in Atlanta, which has hosted two previous Super Bowls. However, our bid for a third has been repeatedly denied due in large part to an ice storm that took place in late January 2000. Never mind the fact that the game was actually played in a comfortable 72 degree dome (where all football should be played in my opinion), and that it had one of the most amazing endings in Super Bowl history, the NFL simply will not award another Super Bowl to my great city. Although I think the most important thing about Super Bowl week in the actual SUPER BOWL, there are obviously those who feel as though the partying and corporate schmoozing that goes on is more important than the actual game. To those people, I say enjoy the snow, while we real football fans (who largely can’t afford tickets) enjoy the actual game.

Now, what you all have been waiting for….

THE SUPER BOWL (Steelers vs. Packers) – This game will feature the #1 and #3 ranked defenses in the league this year. Logically, this would lead you to believe that this game will be a low scoring defensive slugfest. If you believe this, you are absolutely WRONG! While the defenses on both sides are extremely good, both of these quarterbacks are great, and great usually beats good where I’m from. This game will be an absolute track-meet with both teams scoring in the 30’s. Trying to pick a winner is this game will be like splitting hairs. In a way these teams are mirror images of each other, which will make for a highly entertaining game. Let’s take a look at some of the key positional matchups in this game:

Quarterback
Ben Roethlisberger v/s Aaron Rodgers - Ben Roethlisberger has proven to be the best clutch quarterback in the NFL today. A fact that has Steelers’ fans absolutely giddy about the possibility of winning a 7th Super Bowl. However, Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers is quickly becoming THE BEST QUARTERBACK IN THE NFL! (I know that a lot of you won’t believe that I said that, considering the big football related man-crush that I have had on Peyton Manning, but I think that Rodgers is quickly surpassing him and all of the other usual suspects that are in that conversation). There was once a time when the Packer fan-base was split over Rodgers and a certain diva quarterback who wears #4 t-shirts in Wrangler commercials they way people were split over Michael Jackson and Prince in the 80’s. Looks like Rodgers has brought them all together to sing his praises in unison.

Running Back
No need to compare the running backs in this game because neither team will be able to run the ball, nor will they try very hard to establish the run. Look for both QB’s to throw for nearly 400 yards.

Wide Receiver
Mike Wallace is an absolute beast and is one of the five fastest players in the entire league, along with Chris Johnson, Devin Hester, DeSean Jackson, and…. Darius Heyward-Bey (one day when he actually catches a pass we will be able to see how fast he is with a football in his hands).


I know this isn’t comparing apples to apples and it is crossing sports, but who was the better draft pick, Darius Heyward-Bey (taken 7th overall by the Oakland Raiders when Michael Crabtree, Percy Harvin, Jeremy Maclin, Kenny Britt, and Hakeem Nicks were still available) or Marvin Williams (taken 2nd overall by the Atlanta Hawks when point guard was their obvious need and Chris Paul, Deron Williams, and Monte Ellis were all available).

I digress, I just love finding time to point out how terrible of a draft pick Marvin Williams was, and the fact that he has lived up to expectations by becoming a terrible NBA player (considering how high he was picked). By the way, Williams chimed in with a stellar 9 point effort Friday night (two below his career average of 11).

Sorry about that, but I had to vent. Now back to the regularly scheduled blog, already in progress….


Outside of Wallace, the Steelers’ receivers are rather pedestrian. Hines Ward is still a good player and a reliable third-down receiver, but he doesn’t scare anyone at this point in his career (actually I’m not sure if he ever did). Rodgers on the other-hand has the league’s best group of receivers at his disposal, which is led by Greg Jennings. Four of his receivers had 45 catches or more. This means that he can spread Pittsburgh’s defense out with four or even five receivers (that are legitimate threats), which will prove to be a huge advantage because the Steelers do not have four or five competent cornerbacks to cover this group. Look for both Jennings and James Jones to make a big play at some point during this game.

Defense
These are both hard-hitting and ridiculously athletic 3-4 defenses who run zone blitz schemes designed to confuse the quarterback by coming at him from every conceivable angle with players that they are not accustomed to seeing coming on a blitz. As a matter of fact these were the top two teams in the league this year at knocking the quarterback’s block off (the Steelers led the league with 48 sacks, and the Packers were second with 47). They were also second (Packers) and fifth (Steelers) in interceptions. As I stated earlier, conventional logic would suggest that these stats would lead to a low scoring defensive struggle, but as I also stated earlier, that will not be the case. However, this game will turn on a defensive play. One quarterback will make a big mistake that the defense will capitalize on. There will be a sack-fumble or a pick-six in this game that will make all of the difference. Many would assume that this play will be made by Troy Polamalu, James Harrison, Clay Matthews, or Charles Woodson. Those assumptions would be incorrect. The player that will make the Straight Cash Homey!!!! game-changing play of the game will be Green Bay cornerback Tramon Williams. This play will propel him to game MVP status (I bet you didn’t see that one coming).

The Bottom Line
This game will have everything that a football fan looks for in a Super Bowl, and for the fourth consecutive year, football fans will be treated to a phenomenal championship game. This will be the game in which the legend of Aaron Rodgers will begin to be built. Look for him to have a monster game and lead the Packers to victory.

My Prediction: Packers 38 – Steelers 31


One other thing….
I would be remised, if I didn’t give the proper credit to Jerry Jones and Roger Goddell for figuring out a way to take even more money from football crazed (and not all that intelligent) fans. They are giving people the opportunity to pay $200 per ticket (must purchase a minimum of four tickets) to stand outside of Cowboy’s Stadium and watch the game on HD televisions. That is absolutely foolish to me, but they are selling like crazy and even appearing on the secondary ticket market for around $330. Love or hate him, Jerry Jones is one brilliant businessman or should that be a Business, Man.

Also….
I usually don’t get into the Super Bowl commercials (I usually use that time to “refuel” with soft drinks of course), but I can’t wait to see what my little homey, the ETRADE baby comes up with this year. Those commercials are awesome!

PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS (CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK)

What’s up, it’s your boi Carlos checking in, a.k.a. C-Lo, a.k.a. Straight Cash Homey, representing Eastside ATL, Decatur. One time for my folks out in the DEC, and shout to my people all over the “A”.

Ok, that was my ridiculous rap intro. I’ve always wondered why rappers have to introduce themselves in such “ludacris” way every time someone puts and microphone in their face. Just once, I would love to see/hear an interview with a rapper when he simply introduces himself as Jeff.

I digress….

Now for the real reason we are here. It is time to tell you who I feel will win today’s games and receive a trip to Dallas to play in the game that Jerry Jones was sure his team would be in when the season started. Well, HE IS hosting the game, it’s just to bad that his players will have to buy tickets.

Without further ado, my picks are as follows:

My message to you is the same as it was last week, for those of you who aren’t scared, feel free to post your picks in the comments section of this blog.

NFC Championship Game (Packers at Bears) – First of all, I would like to correct all of the commentators who have been calling this the best rivalry in the NFL. That is not a true statement. While it may in fact be the oldest rivalry in the NFL, it is far from the best. In all actuality, it’s not even one of the best. The fact that today’s game is only the SECOND time they have ever met in the playoffs, proves my point. For it to be a great rivalry, the teams must play in meaningful games. Unfortunately, these two teams have rarely played in meaningful games because they have never really been good at the same time. While the rivalry may be intense in their region and between the fans of the two teams (just as the Saints and Falcons are between the two respective cities), doesn’t mean that it is one of the best and most intense rivalries in the entire league. The two best rivalries in the NFL today are Colts – Patriots and Steelers – Ravens. In years past, Cowboys – 49ers and Steelers – Raiders have also been intense rivalries. The Packers and Bears don’t come close to these on any level.

Now to today's game. This will be a hard-hitting game that will remind you of the Steelers – Ravens game in last year’s playoffs (just the hitting, not the closeness of the game). I don’t think neither team will really be able to run the football against the opposing defense. In general, I feel as though the team with the best combination of quarterback, offensive line, and defense usually wins football games. Looking at this matchup, I give the Packers a big advantage in the quarterback comparison, and a small edge in the offensive line comparison. I think the defenses are about even, although they play completely different styles. They are both extremely good at what they do. That being said, look for Jay Cutler to have a Brett Favre type of performance (not the good Brett Favre) and literally throw the game away. I fully expect the Packers to return at least one interception for a touchdown.

Also, I have a quick word of advice for Green Bay Coach Mike McCarthy:
That guy that wears #23 for the Bears and serves as their kick/punt returner is pretty good. As a matter of fact he is the best kick returner in the entire 90 year history of the league, and HE HAS ONLY PLAYED FOUR YEARS! Therefore, if you plan on winning this game, you may want to consider NOT KICKING THE BALL TO HIM!

My Prediction (if McCarthy follows my advice): Packers 24 – Bears 10


AFC Championship Game (Jets at Steelers) – This should be an excellent football game. Both teams have tremendously strong defenses, solid running games, and a game-breaking receiver (Santonio Holmes and Mike Wallace). Mark my words, both quarterbacks will definitely be sacked multiple times this evening. You have James Harrison, Lamar Woodley, and Troy Polamalu wreaking havoc for the Steelers and the Jets will counter with a fierce front-seven in their own right that will be supported by the fact that Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie have the ability to cover opposing receivers all alone without any help from the safeties, which allows Rex to dial-up as many exotic blitzes as his imagination can come up with. Now that the lights are at their brightest, I expect two things to happen in this game, Troy Polamalu will MAKE a big play for the Steelers on defense, and Braylon Edwards will BLOW a big play for the Jets on defense.

Therefore, I would like to tell all of the fathers of 18 – 20 year old girls in Milledgeville, GA to relax because Big Ben is going to the Super Bowl, so it will be at least two more weeks before he will be in your town to spend his off-season.

My Prediction: Steelers 17 – Jets 14