AFC Playoff Preview

How can you not be in love with this man...he's too perfect. Earlier this week he'd made this comment in response to Steeler's safety Anthony Smith's "guarantee" of a Pittsburgh win:


"Well done is always better than well said. That's been the motto of this team.''


Peter King, who everyone knows my favorite NFL writer, admired Tom just as much as I did in making such a profound comment in reaction to something that could have caused other players to be pretty upset. So he asked him where he got it from, and this was his answer:

"Ben Franklin said that. I learn from where we all have, my dad!"


The man quotes Ben Franklin. I could just fall over from love.


I won't go on too much about this weekend's game. I think the game has said all that is needed to be said itself. I really feared the worst, because the Steelers are basically the better versions of the Eagles and Ravens. But I should not have feared, because Belichick knew exactly what to do with the team to get them back in the right place. A little anger and a little rest were all they needed. Now Tommy is five touchdown passes in three games away from breaking that record. Randy Moss is only four touchdowns in three games away from breaking Jerry Rice's record of 22 receiving TDs in a season - a record that has been previously thought to be untouchable. The amazing part is that I will be more surprised if they don't make these records than if they both do.


I am skipping over the State of the Babies section this week because it was an unimportant week in fantasy. Playoffs begin next week and both of my leagues are locked up already. I will be the number two seed in the Boy's league and I am not sure about the other one, but I think I will be three. The only thing I care to point out is that the first place Boy decided this week to "rest his starter" and still beat the piss out of his opponent with Kellen Clemens. That was pretty funny.

Instead, I'm going to do my first annual Playoff Preview, starting with the AFC!


Currently, the AFC playoff picture looks like this:


1. New England Patriots (13-0, AFC East, home-field, and 1st round bye already locked)

The only question is undefeated or not!

2. Indianapolis Colts (11-2, playoff berth locked, should win AFC South this week)

Barring a total collapse the next few weeks and massive Jacksonville surge, the Colts will tie up the other 1st round bye. And considering their rout of Baltimore this week, we should all be slightly scared of them.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-4, should win AFC North)

The Steelers lucked out in that they've swept their division games against the Browns, who are just a game back. They have another very tough game against Jacksonville next week. They need to win that and keep those pesky Jags away from them in the playoffs.

4. San Diego Chargers (8-5, should win AFC West this week)

Scaring the crap out of their fans weekly. They've gotten some lucky breaks and managed to pretty much secure the West. The rest of the division has faltered and that has certainly helped because this team can be lucky to be called mediocre. If they can run the table, they have an outside chance of moving to the 3rd seed. They should hope so, because I don't think the Jags would be a very good matchup for them.

5. Jacksonville Jaguars (9-4)

The Jags have all but locked up this first Wild Card seed. They shouldn't even need to win at Pittsburgh next week to do it, considering how easy their last two games are. I tell you - I wouldn't want to have to play them in the first round.

6. Cleveland Browns (8-5)

Well, well, well. Cleveland - what are you doing here? Next week's game at Buffalo will be key, but their other two games are also very winnable (at Cincinnati, SF). I think if they can take 2 out of 3 they will remain in the 6th spot. Buffalo is the next team below them and they have a tough ending schedule.

I really like what is going on in Buffalo these days but I think they are too young and too banged up to move above the Browns. They also have a much harder schedule, facing Cleveland, Philly, and the Giants in the last three weeks.


So this means that the first round games would be Cleveland at Pittsburgh and Jacksonville at San Diego. Pittsburgh beats Cleveland in a close one, where the Browns make it a game but aren't able to close it up. They are young and this will be the first postseason game for almost the entire team. They won't be quite ready. Jacksonville beats San Diego on the road. Don't they always say that defense and a good running game wins in the playoffs? Jacksonville is about as good on both of those fronts as a team can be. San Diego (possibly lacking Shawne Merriman and Lorenzo Neal - huge losses for them) won't be able to take away the Jags run game. San Diego loses again in the playoffs, at home.


That makes round two Pittsburgh at Indy, and Jacksonville at New England. From what we saw of Pittsburgh this weekend, I think Indy will pick them apart, especially at the RCA Dome where they have a massive home field advantage. New England beats Jacksonville because well, they just do. Though admittedly I don't think it will be an easy win. I predict the Pats giving up a lot of yardage, but outscoring the Jags with their incredible passing game. The Jags receivers aren't good enough for them to be able to outscore the Pats.

Of course that brings us right back to yet another Indy at New England AFC Championship game. The Pats win in a for-real shootout (not the same battle as their regular season game, due to the Colts defensive injuries).

Come on, did you really think this would lead to anything but the Pats going to the Super Bowl? NFC next week!



This Week's Favorite Things in the NFL:

1. The crowd at Gillette Stadium chanted "Guarantee!" at the end of the game last weekend. I love it! They say the crowd there has gotten complacent, so it makes me happy to hear them stay in it like that.

2. I'm officially kind of into the Vikings. They can still win even when Adrian Peterson gets 3 whole yards? That's what I call a turnaround. Say what you will about the parity issues in this league, but I love the fact that teams can come out of nowhere.

3. The Bears are going to start Kyle Orton next week, the guy who started the season as the number 3 on the depth chart. Then Rex Grossman comes out and says he'd love to be back with the Bears next year. Sweetie...its over. You were benched, for a guy who is almost 10 years older than you, then lose the job yet again (ok fine he's hurt but its clearly not that bad). Just move on, with the utter lack of decent quarterback play this year, some team will take a gamble on you.

4. Through all the turmoil this year, I still really like Drew Brees, a lot. I just watched that ESPN commercial where he can't get through the security gate on his Mardi Gras float and he's really funny. And if you watched any of the horrible MNF game yesterday, you saw his absolutely sick performance. Accurate is an understatement. And he happens to be one of my fantasy QBs :)


Random Thought of the Week

On the complete opposite end of football, I think I am officially over The Hills (its an MTV show for anyone who doesn't know). They made this huge deal over the finale episode last night, only to have nothing remotely surprising or interesting happen. Oooh Lauren goes to Paris for what, 2 weeks? Then they make another huge deal about Lauren revealing some kind of "secret" after the show, and the secret turns out to be that they are doing more episodes. Um, lame.