Posts about New England Patriots

49ers and Ravens both have comeback victories to reach Super Bowl

 in the middle of the afternoon by 10

AFC Championship - Baltimore Ravens v New England Patriots

Both games were a tale of two halves. Behind great plays on defense and great quarterback play, the 49ers and Ravens were both able to come from behind on the road to secure their spots in Super Bowl 47. Both the 49ers (favorites) and the Ravens (significant underdog) came into the title games in different situations but it was the perseverance to make changes at halftime and absorb blows that was the difference. Even if they weren’t brothers, the Harbaugh coaches both have to be recognized for excellent coaching adjustments throughout the game. Combine that with excellent play from the players and it’s a recipe for success. Players of the game go to Frank Gore (21 car, 90 yds, 2 TDs) in the NFC and in the AFC to Joe Flacco (21-36, 240 yds, 3 TDs) who definitely looked elite yesterday.

The 49ers were very impressive in the second half, shutting out Atlanta’s potent offense and recovering from an early deficit to finally take the lead in the 4th quarter. Kaepernick wasn’t as dominating as last weekend’s game against the Packers but he was effective enough, particularly late in the game to put drives together that put the Niners in scoring position. For the Falcons it simply wasn’t enough and this time around, the lead was just too great to overcome. Statistically Matt Ryan had a great game overall but the problem was that his turnovers (fumble and interception) came at critical moments. Right when the Falcons were going to score either keep the lead or take it back, there was a mistake and the Niners defense was there to take advantage. Also, I was pretty impressed by how loud the Georgia dome got.

Out east, the Ravens were able to play in a similar fashion. The biggest difference was that the Ravens were a pretty significant underdog and note, for the second week in a row they were able to win. Baltimore shutout New England in the second half and also scored 21 points to advance to the Super Bowl for the first time since their title in 2000. 21 unanswered points and they made Tom Brady look pretty average; not bad for a defense that was supposed to be old and worn out for most of the season. Ray Lewis will get headlines as usual but it was a collective group effort from start to finish, even after the slow start. The Patriots were already injured and they suffered a couple of key injuries in this game but it’s very surprising that the offense only managed to score 13 points at home.

So we have a Super Bowl dubbed as the “Harbowl” and it looks to be a good one. Tons of headlines to go over in the next couple of weeks.

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Previewing the conference championships in the NFL

 after a late four martini lunch by 4

AFC Championship Patriots Ravens Football

In the middle of trying to figure out this weekend’s conference title games it dawned on me, there are only three games of professional football left for this season. Yes, i’m discounting the Pro Bowl next weekend because none of the players try and it’s a terrible game that I only glance at occasionally. While it’s a little discouraging that there’s such little football left, at least it’s known that championship weekend can provide plenty of fireworks. Last weekend was an excellent weekend of football and I expect Sunday’s games to keep the momentum. Let’s take a look at how things will down:

Biggest factors and match ups: Last week the Patriots were able to cruise past Houston because of the Texans’ inability to make big plays and keep up with the offensive firepower of the Patriots. That won’t be a problem for the Ravens, who have plenty of big play making ability on offense and defense. It’ll be interesting to see how Joe Flacco performs because despite all the “elite” jokes that are thrown his way, he does have the ability to make big plays and take big risks. The Ravens defense and special teams will have to play a big part in helping take the blows from the Patriots offense. How much will the Gronkowski injury affect the Patriots on offense? No doubt he’s a major part but chances are that Brady (watch him go to Welker early and often) will find a way to make it work.

It’s incredible to think that the Falcons are a 4 point underdog at home, as the top seed in the conference. That’s what happens when teams do what the 49ers did last weekend, where they looked like clear favorites. The Falcons finally have the playoff monkey off their back but how will they respond as the stage gets bigger and the pressure mounts? Matt Ryan will have to make big plays to his big time receivers because I don’t see the Falcons running game being that effective against a Niners defense that doesn’t really allow big plays on the ground. Can the Falcons get enough pressure on Kaepernick? At least to keep him from getting outside and running wild. The 49ers offensive line is among the best in the league and versatile QBs have given Atlanta fits throughout the season.

Prediction: The Ravens aren’t a team that’s going to back down when the pressure is great. In fact, the Ravens welcome the pressure and have played the Patriots very well in recent years. It’s going to take some big plays and late game magic from the Ravens to beat the Patriots in Foxborough. Do I think the Ravens can slow down the Patriots offense enough? No, but I think the game will be closer than most people expect. The Patriots edge out the Ravens at home. In the NFC the Falcons are being disrespected a bit but it’s not surprising when they’re up against Kaepernick, who looked looked like the greatest football player of all time last week. I expect Kaepernick to regress a bit but I still expect him to give Atlanta’s defense plenty of problems all game. I just don’t see the Falcons thriving on offense against a 49ers defense that’s too fast, too big and too tough. Falcons keep it close but the Niners make a play on defense late in the game to seal the deal. Patriots-49ers will be Super Bowl bound after Sunday’s games are over.

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Recapping an exciting playoff weekend in the NFL

 while eating a Bastardly Certified lunch by 6

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The first weekend of this year’s playoffs was mediocre but this past weekend the NFL gave fans some of the greatest football I’ve seen in a 48 hour span. The divisional round is thought of by most as the best weekend of the entire season and this weekend’s games certainly backed up that statement. Where do I even begin? We’ll start in chronological order.

Bal-Den: What was Manning thinking with that throw across his body late in the first overtime? I was the back up QB in middle school and even I know not to throw across your body into the middle of the field. But hey, he’s the future hall of fame NFL player so i’ll defer to him. After that interception, the Ravens were able to gain enough yardage to set up the game winning field goal in the second overtime period. Second overtime! How many times do we see “2OT” on the scoreboard in the NFL? It was actually kind of odd. I know Joe Flacco had that great (elite?) pass late in the game to seal the comeback but I gotta give some props to their RB Ray Rice. Rice secretly tore up the Denver defense, rushing for 131 yards and a TD on 30 carries. Incredible game with an incredible finish.

SF-GB: I’ll be the first to admit that I was a bit skeptical about how Colin Kaepernick would perform in his first playoff start but boy did he prove me wrong. Kaepernick bounced back from an early pick-6 in record breaking fashion to lead the 49ers in an impressive victory over the Packers. Kaepernick’s stat line (pass: 263 yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT; rush: 181 yds, 2 TDs) doesn’t even do him justice as he out dueled Aaron Rodgers, a proven SB winner and one of the best QBs in the league. Credit to the 49ers defense who never let Rodgers get in sync, even after the Packers took an early lead from a play made on defense. I also have to give credit to the rest of the Niners rushing attack (Gore and co) who had the Packer defense confused the entire game. Damn, the Niners are a scary team.

Atl-Sea: Another wild finish that I did not see coming. Seattle certainly had a chance to win the game after an incredible comeback but Atlanta’s big plays late in the game were the deciding factor. The Falcons finally broke their streak of recent playoff losses and even though I had the Seahawks winning the game, I actually felt good for the Falcons players. Particularly TE Tony Gonzalez, who broke down in tears after the clock expired. I have to ask about the 4th quarter: was it more Falcons meltdown or a Seahawks comeback? It was incredible to watch Russell Wilson lead the Seahawks to 21 unanswered points in the final period but it still wasn’t enough. Seems like there’s a bright future for Seattle but this season it’s the Falcons that are moving on.

NE-Hou: This game didn’t exactly live to the rest of the weekend’s games in terms of excitement but it was still impressive to see how much the Patriots dominated the Texans. Tom Brady broke the record for career playoff wins as he led the Patriots offense in a dominating victory over the Texans. Houston simply could not keep up with the Patriots offense, particularly in the second half. The Texans kept the game close through the first half but after the Patriots dominated the 3rd quarter it began to shape into a easy W for New England. Despite losing Gronkowski (for the season) during the first quarter, the Patriots offense continued to dominate but it’ll be interesting to see how the injury affects them going forward.

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Is a Brady vs Manning AFC title game inevitable?

 after a late four martini lunch by 1

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This isn’t a guarantee by any means but i’m sure you can guess which teams i’m leaning towards to advance to the AFC championship. It’s surely what the NFL and it’s money-hungry hands want. I’m not speaking for all NFL fans but i’m positive that most non-Ravens/Texans fans would prefer to see Brady face Manning next weekend. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves because as we know, crazy things happen in the NFL. Particularly this week where teams with the bye week can get caught off guard by being a little too confident. Then again there’s a reason that Vegas has the higher seed favored by more than one score (+9.5) but let’s take a closer look at how the Ravens or Texans can spoil some parties.

Biggest factors: Baltimore faced Denver not too long ago (week 15) and it was a lopsided affair in favor of Manning and co. Baltimore is a different looking team this time around with previously injured players not named Ray Lewis being much healthier and ready for action this time around. Can that be enough to slow down Manning? The Ravens need a couple of big plays on defense to help their offense keep up with Denver’s firepower. The Ravens must score quickly because being down by a TD against the Broncos in Denver is a death sentence. I know Ray Rice had 2 fumbles last week but look for screens and things of that sort to neutralize Von Miller’s pressure on Joe Flacco.

A big reason the Texans are playing this game in New England is because one month ago today, the Texans played against the Patriots on to road and it wasn’t pretty for Houston. Tom Brady and co laid the smack down. So what can Houston do to slow down the best offense in the league? Remember, this time Gronkowski is playing. For starters the Texans can’t get into such a big hole. The Patriots are susceptible to teams that can pressure Brady and control the clock. The Texans can do that but only if they score early. Playing catch up is not an option. The Texans biggest stars (Foster and Watt) both need big games and need to influence the game or else it’s going to be a long night for Houston.

Prediction: Like I said earlier, there’s a reason the Broncos and Patriots are favored so heavily at this stage of the season. They’re just better teams. It doesn’t take stats or extensive film study to figure that out, just watch the teams from week to week. That doesn’t mean that I don’t give the under dogs a chance this weekend. There’s always a chance for an upset and if I had to chose one, i’d take the Ravens. They’re not intimidated by any means and the Baltimore offense can catch fire at any moment. Also, Denver did have an extremely easy regular season schedule. I wouldn’t put my money on it though. Denver wins closer than expect and the Patriots roll. Get ready for an enitre week of Brady-Manning hype.

NFC tomorrow.

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Leftovers after a crazy Thanksgiving day in the NFL

 after a late four martini lunch by 2

 

Depending on how your team performed yesterday, you were either thankful they played or thankful that they were finally off your TV screen. Unfortunately I was part of the latter as my Cowboys decided to participate in their game until after halftime but we’ll get to that. First things first:

What was Jim Schwartz thinking when he threw the challenge flag? I understand that emotions sometimes make you do things that aren’t entirely logical but everyone knows that every scoring play in the NFL is reviewed. Even plays that are clearly TDs are looked at a couple of times over. The Texans took advantage of the break and rallied to tie the game late and take the victory 34-31 in OT against the Lions. The controversial scoring play didn’t doom the Lions, they actually scored another TD after that but it still lingered throughout the rest of the game and was one those obvious “what if?” plays. This loss essentially eliminates any realistic chances of the Lions participating in the postseason and it puts Houston one step closer to securing  the best record in the AFC.

The second game brought forth another classic NFC East rivalry game between the Redskins and Cowboys (isn’t that kind of ironic considering the holiday? Redskins against America’s Team?) but it can only be considered a game if both teams play in the first half. RG3 was spectacular (20-28, 311 yds, 4 TDs, 1 int, 29 rush yds) to lead the Redskins in beating the Cowboys 38-31 and suddenly put them in the running to win the NFC East. The Cowboys looked like a different team in the second half and rallied within one score but once again it was too big a hole that they’d dug themselves into. Both teams are now looking at Sunday night’s game, hoping for a Giants loss.

The final game on Thanksgiving between the Patriots and Jets was one-sided to say the least. How did the night go for the Jets? Well if Mark Sanchez getting tackled and fumbling because of his lineman’s ass (pictured above) doesn’t tell you, I don’t know what can. The game was over by halftime but particularly in the 2nd quarter when the Patriots scored 35 points, including 3 TDs in a span of 53 seconds. Tom Brady was crisp and the Patriots offense didn’t miss a beat even though they’re without Gronkowski, easily the best tight end in the league. As the Patriots finished the 49-19 victory many Tebow chants were heard from the crowd but once again, number 15 was not seen taking a snap.

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Heading into week 12, who are the top 5 teams in the NFL?

 after a late four martini lunch by 3

Trying to figure out the top 5 teams in the league it a tough task, especially when trying to reason why Team A belongs but Team B doesn’t, even though Team B has a better record. It’s also great to go back and see what the rankings were like just a month ago and how different the landscape in comparison. When I look at the teams that consist of the top 5, i’m looking for the best bets to win the Super Bowl right now. This is based off recent performances, specifically the last two weeks so it’s more a power rankings or momentum rankings. Also factored in are injuries. Example: the Steelers can’t be considered until Roethlisberger is starting and performing at his usual level.

Even though the two teams with the best records weren’t very convincing this past weekend, the nod for the two leaders in the rankings go to Houston and Atlanta. Right now they’re both sitting at 8-1 and inching towards home field advantage throughout the playoffs but this past Sunday showed it won’t be an easy road. It’s still the NFL (you know, the National. Football. League. NFL) and a underdog always has a shot. Right now i’d put my money on the Texans as the true leader because despite what the Jaguars did to them, they do have an elite defense and one of the best running backs in the league. Also, everyone knows the Falcons have to prove they can do it in the postseason.

These next three were very tricky. I’m most confident about including the 49ers in the third spot. They absolutely destroyed a good Bears team even though both teams were playing without their starting QBs. I’m also going to throw in the Packers because it looks like they’re gaining momentum and a statement win this weekend against the Giants (coming off a bye) would be a huge statement. Yes, that also benefits the Cowboys. My 5th team was the hardest to decide. Last weekend it would’ve been flipped but i’m going with the Patriots as part of my elite top 5. The Gronkowski injury is alarming but they blew out a Colts team that was playing well and the Broncos did good against a Chargers team that looked like they’d given up. Where are the Ravens at 8-2? Discouraging wins as of late. I need to see some actual offense but like I said earlier, these rankings change from week to week.

Friendly reminder: the Thanksgiving games tomorrow (all times eastern) 12:30pm Texans at Lions; 4:15pm Redskins at Cowboys; 8:20pm Patriots at Jets. So even if you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, go enjoy some football dammit!

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