This will be my first official sports post. The NFL season is winding to a close. It has been a very entertaining season. Some surprises, some disappointments. There is one team that can qualify as both, and no surprise to anyone that it's the Kansas City Chiefs. They completed a very quick turn-around surprising everyone by making the playoffs this season after a complete disaster last year. But in doing this, didn't really beat a good, playoff caliber team all year. Then, no surprise to anyone, Baltimore put on a clinic at Arrowhead Stadium. In the last few weeks I've heard many people say that teams like the Chiefs, Colts, and Seahawks don't deserve to be in the playoffs or host a playoff game. Seattle and the Arizona Cardinals of a few years ago make a pretty strong argument. Winning your division is no easy task and teams should be rewarded for that even if it's with a 7-9 record. The New York Giants might have had a better record than the Seahawks, but they had a big opportunity to take control of their division and be in the driver's seat, and blew a big lead to the Eagles. If the Giants think they should be in the playoffs, then take care of business. One play could have been the difference between winning and loosing that game. A playoff team should be able to make at least one play to change the outcome of that game. Seattle made the plays they needed to, with a back-up quarterback I might add, and beat the St. Louis Rams to win their division. The San Diego Chargers and the Oakland Raiders may have been a better team than the Chiefs, but they couldn't put enough wins together by no one's fault but their own. The same can be said for Tampa Bay. Had they not stumbled at the beginning of the season, could have been in. Just like the BCS in college football, there will always be controversy and speculation about what teams get in. But, to get in you have to be one of the top 6 out of 16 teams in your conference and that is not easy task to accomplish. There is talk of expanding the regular season and the playoffs. The NFL is the most popular league in professional sports for a very good reason. Whatever they decide to do, reguardless of whether there's a strike or not, the NFL will continue to prosper and gain popularity. I believe that things are fine just the way are. If you start expanding, where do you stop?? More games?? More playoff teams?? More teams?? There is such a thing as too much. Look at the NBA. There are too many teams, and the season is way too long. The playoffs stretch on what seams like forever. I'm sure the NFL can pull it off, but there has to be a stopping point somewhere.
The playoffs this season have given us some VERY entertaining games. The Seahawks pulling off what can easily be called as the biggest upset of the season. The Jets beating the Colts on a walk-off field goal. The Ravens putting on a clinic in Arrowhead. The Packers bringing Michael Vick and the Eagles back to reality and knocking them off the pedistal they put themselves (i.e. Michael Vick proclaiming himself the MVP) up on. And that was just Wild Card Weekend. The divisional round wasn't quite as good as the wild card round, but it was entertaining in it's own right. I enjoyed the Baltimore/Pittsburgh game the most myself. I went into this game believing the winner would represent the AFC in the Superbowl, and after watching that game believe that even more. If Pittsburgh can come back from the first half they had and win the way the did against a VERY good team like the Ravens, nothing should stop them. But, then you have the New York Jets on the other side of the bracket. The New England Patriots have been the best team all season long, and most people's Superbowl pick all season long. They may beat the Jets 9 times out of 10, but the Jets showed up and were the better team on the most important day, therefore are in the AFC Championship for the second year in a row. Another aspect I would like to address is the rivalry side. It's no secret the Ravens and Steelers do not like each other. That has been a very heated, very competitive, and very even rivalry. Everyone knew this would be a good game and it lived up to the billing. Right down the the last minute. The other AFC game did surprise me how it developed. I knew the the Patriots and Jets didn't like each other, but i did not expect it to get that dirty. I have heard a lot of criticism of the Jets and their coach trash talking. I don't see a problem with this. Their have been many rivalries over the years that have been the same, and some worse. Most familiar to me are the Chiefs/Raiders, and the Chiefs/Broncos. Let's not forget the Packers/Bears, Cowboys/49ers, Cowboys/Eagles, and Packers/Vikings just to name a few. Don't just look at it now. This is the beginning. Rex Ryan and the Jets have just elevated this rivalry to a new level. In a few years we will be talking about this rivalry the same way we talk about the Steelers/Ravens and Chiefs/Raiders. And what makes a rivalry real is backing it all up on the field. Making all the talk during the week live up to the billing at gametime. Both games this weekend accomplished that. The talk caught your attention and kept you interested and watching, down to the final seconds. Now I don't want to take anything away from the NFC side of the bracket, but let's face it, they didn't hold a candle to the AFC games. The Packers definately demonstrated, and with authority, that they are the hottest team in the NFC right now. They are peaking at the best possible time. They are playing like they are on a mission and have a point to prove. Everyone seems to think that Aaron Rodgers is trying to come out of Brett Favre's shadow. Seriously??? Aaron Rodgers has been out of his shadow for years now. If you don't believe that, look at the season he's had, and the run he's had in the playoffs. He does not need to win the Superbowl to emerge from Brett Farve's shadow. He did that a LONG time ago. There isn't much to say about the other game. Chicago showed up and played better. I'm still not a believer in Jay Cutler. He is the next Rex Grossman. He has good games, and bad games. He had a good game Sunday, and the Bears won. One thing i've learned is that guys like Cutler and Grossman show up and prove everyone wrong when it matters. I like that the NFL's oldest rivalry is "for all the cheese." Bears/Packers for the right to represent the NFC in the Superbowl.
I am going to predict a Steelers/Bears Superbowl. I think the Jets and Packers are going to run out of gas this week. If the Steelers can come back from 14 points down to beat the Ravens, I think they can handle anything the Jets can dish out. The Steelers defense will do the same to Matt Sanchez that they did to Joe Flacco. The Bears defense has been good all season long. Let's not forget that, all be it in a loosing cause, limited the Packers to 10 points only a few weeks ago. This game will come down to defense and the better defense is the Bears. I am looking forward to both games. Both should come down to the very end. Please vote in the poll and pick your favorites.
Thanks for reading.
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