Things I Think I Thought (NFL Edition)

So another NFL regular season has come to a close and now we can look forward to some very interesting match ups as the playoffs draw near. But before we do that, here are some things I've been thinking about that happened this season.

The T.Ocho show in Cincy proved once again that team chemistry is important. Even though Owens and Ochocinco were respectively the 8th and 11th ranked receivers in the AFC, that didn't translate into wins for the 4-12 Bengals. At the very least, the Owens/Ochocinco debacle gave us memorable moments like this.

Following in the footsteps of Kurt Warner last year, grizzled veteran Brett Favre says this season will be his last. And we all believe him right......? Putting aside his flip flopping from off seasons passed, lets hope that he really means it this time. We have seen Favre come back from injury after injury over the years, but after seeing him get his brain scrambled against the Bears, I really hope he keeps his word and hangs it up. It would be nice to see him be able to walk to the podium for his Hall of Fame speech, not get pushed to it in a wheelchair.

For those who said that Special Teams aren't important, please note that the San Diego Chargers had the 1st ranked offense and the 1st ranked defense and still failed to make the playoffs. Could be because Football Outsiders had their Special Teams ranked dead last in the league.

For those who think divisional records are important, please note that the Oakland Raiders went 6-0 in the AFC West this season and still failed to make the playoffs. Could be because they went 2-8 against the rest of the league.

And finally, for those who think you have to have a winning record to make the playoffs in the NFL....ladies and gentleman, the 2010 Seattle Seahawks! Disgustingly enough, Seattle won the NFC Worst West with a 7-9 record. Some people would compare it to the NBA, where the 8th and sometime 7th seed in the East regularly has a losing record. The only difference is that the 7th and 8th seeds in the NBA don't host HOME PLAYOFF GAMES!!!! And in one of the last sports where home field actually matters, this could mean the difference between a win or a loss.

Now here are my picks for the 1st round of the playoffs.

New York Jets at Indianapolis (-2 1/2)  -  The Jets were knocked out of last years playoffs by these very same Colts. And seeing as you never bet against Peyton Manning at night, at home, I'm taking the Colts in this one. Not to mention he is sure to be fired up about this. Oops...I meant this.

New Orleans (-10 1/2) at Seattle - Given the wackiness of the playoffs, couldn't you just see the Seahawks pulling off the upset? I mean nobody thinks they deserve to be there in the first place, and nobody is giving them much of a chance to win. And considering the game is at Qwest Field, in front of the "12th Man", Seattle might just manage to sneak this one out. Saying all that....I'm taking the Saints.

Green Bay at Philadelphia (-2 1/2) - The Eagles were one of the most exciting teams to watch this year once Michael Vick took over as the starting QB. But it looks like after sitting out almost 2 plus years, the grind of a full NFL season is taking its toll on PETA's most wanted. He started to struggle in the last few weeks of the season, and couldn't produce magic like he was earlier in the season. Hopefully resting him in Week 17 will get him back to the form he had from earlier in the season, because he is undoubtedly the most exciting player to watch by far. On the other hand, there is no chance in hell Overlord Goodell wants Vick to become the story of the playoffs. Green Bay moves on.

Baltimore (-2 1/2) at Kansas City - I really don't have any thoughts on this game. So I'll just leave you with this. Ravens win.


Random Other Stuff....

I think we can officially say Blake Griffin is the most exciting player in the NBA. Keep in mind he is a rookie and all those highlights are from the first few months of THIS SEASON!

Wednesday is the gold medal game between Canada and Russia. If the junior canucks can pull this one out (and we all know they will), its just more proof that we are the 1st nation of hockey. 


With the sad performance of the Leafs and Raptors, its a sad time to be a Toronto sports fan. Granted the Raptors just lost Bosh, but is there one player on either team that you enjoy rooting for, or that scared opposing teams? I'd say no. Looks like our hopes rest with the Jays. At least it seems like they are a well run organization with hope for the future. More than can be said for the other T.O. teams right now.


Just one last thing. I'm really grateful for all those who have been reading my blog...but I'd love to know what you all think. Please leave any comments you might have (good or bad) on here or my Facebook or Twitter.