There might not be much to cheer about at Knick's games, but bravo to MSG for showing the Giants-Dallas playoff game on the big screens during timeouts last weekend. The fan reaction after the Romo interception to seal the Giants victory is absolutely priceless. A great moment in New York sports. There's no game at the Garden during the NFC Championship game tonight, but the New York is squarely behind the their team. Let's Go Giants.
Smart. Original. Sports Discussion + Analysis.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Bleeding Sports Playoff Pick’em: Conference Championships
Welcome back to the Bleeding Sports Playoff Pick’em pitting the Bleeding Sports Brain Trust – G. Francis against the PickMeister – J. Daniels. The current standing having the Brain Trust leading with a record of 5-3, but the PickMeister is still alive at 4-4. This weekend the nation will find out who will be playing on February 3rd in Glendale, AZ in a little game dubbed The Super Bowl. The weather outside maybe cold, but Bleeding Sports is just heating up. Enjoy the games.
And now to the picks…Enjoy the games boys and girls.
The Bleeding Sports Brain Trust – G. Francis
NEW ENGLAND (-14) over San Diego
Everyone and their mommas were expecting a Colts-Patriots rematch this weekend in Foxborough. The Chargers pulled the upset despite losing Tomlinson, Rivers, and Gates at certain points in the game. Rivers barely practiced this past week, Gates may not play after gutting it out last week and who knows how effective Tomlinson will be. The Chargers only hope is to consistently pressure Tom Brady with Merriman, Phillips and company and hope that the weather is a factor in the Patriots passing game. I would love to the see the upset, but the Chargers offensive stars are just too banged up and I don’t foresee Billy Volek leading the Chargers on another game winning drive. In addition, the San Diego secondary gave up over 400 yards to Peyton Manning and the Colts last week so I can’t think of a compelling argument to suggest that the Chargers will be able to stop Brady, Moss, Welker, Stallworth, Watson, Faulk, etc, etc. Look for the Pats to win big on their way to making history in Arizona.
New York Giants (+7.5) over GREEN BAY
Both the Giants and Packers impressed last weekend in their respective divisional round victories. On Sunday in Green Bay temperatures at kickoff are expected to be below zero, which, make no mistake, will have an effect on both teams. The weather could actually be a bigger disadvantage to Green Bay as Brett Favre will want to throw the ball down field especially to WR Greg Jennings. If the passing attacks are negated, the Giants have the advantage with the running back tandem of Jacobs and Bradshaw and will try to mix up their different running styles to keep the Packer defense off balance. The Giants have won nine in a row on the road and while all the prognosticators are picking Brett Favre to continue his storybook season into Super Sunday, I’m taking the Giants. The Giants have come together as a team and Eli Manning is playing his best football at exactly the time. The Giants will take care of the ball, stop Ryan Grant and head to the Super Bowl for a second crack at New England.
The PickMeister – J. Daniels
San Diego (+14) over NEW ENGLAND
The Patriots once again proved to be the luckiest team in NFL last week. Not in their win against the defenseless Jaguars but in the Bolts ridiculous upset in Indy. But if the Chargers showed anything last Sunday, it was that there backups, including Michael Turner, Billy Volek, and a bunch of no name tailbacks, have the potential to stay in a game. This will obviously be necessary with the status of Tomlinson, Rivers, and Gates all in question. Everybody, including myself, wanted to see the Colts – Patriots matchup this week, frankly because San Diego doesn’t have a chance, especially since their whole team is now injured. But the only thing more ridiculous than this matchup is the spread. The Cheaters haven’t covered any of their insane spreads in weeks, not to mention their 13.5 points last week against a far inferior opponent. Even without Rivers and possibly Gates, if LT plays like he said he will there’s no way the Patriots cover the 2 TD spread. Take San Diego with the points.
New York (+7.5) over GREEN GAY
-4 with the wind chill reaching -24. That’s the forecast for Sunday’s NFC Championship game. But if after listening to these “experts’ for the past week, you would think only the Giants will be battling the cold. “Will Eli and his receivers be able to connect in the cold”, “Can the Giants pass rush overcome the field conditions and get to Favre”, “Will New York’s defense be able to stop Ryan Grant and the Green Bay rushing attack?” Well I got news for these GENIUS “experts”. It’s going to be cold for EVERYONE. So the better questions will be: Will Favre be able to connect with his inexperienced receiving core against a Giants defense who are better against the pass? Can the Packers pass rush get to Eli even though they only had a measly 36 sacks during the year compared to the Giants 53? Will Green Bay’s defense, who give up more rushing yards per game than the G-Men, be able to stop the Giants superior rushing game? With these insane weather conditions, the game is ultimately going to comedown to whoever runs the ball more effectively. And since the Giants are clearly better at keeping the ball on the ground, they should come out of this game on top. “But Ryan Grant has the second most rushing yards in the last half of the season behind only LT!” Oh yea “experts”? Guess who has more team rushing yards the second half of the season. That’s right the G-Men. Take New York with the points.
And now to the picks…Enjoy the games boys and girls.
The Bleeding Sports Brain Trust – G. Francis
NEW ENGLAND (-14) over San Diego
Everyone and their mommas were expecting a Colts-Patriots rematch this weekend in Foxborough. The Chargers pulled the upset despite losing Tomlinson, Rivers, and Gates at certain points in the game. Rivers barely practiced this past week, Gates may not play after gutting it out last week and who knows how effective Tomlinson will be. The Chargers only hope is to consistently pressure Tom Brady with Merriman, Phillips and company and hope that the weather is a factor in the Patriots passing game. I would love to the see the upset, but the Chargers offensive stars are just too banged up and I don’t foresee Billy Volek leading the Chargers on another game winning drive. In addition, the San Diego secondary gave up over 400 yards to Peyton Manning and the Colts last week so I can’t think of a compelling argument to suggest that the Chargers will be able to stop Brady, Moss, Welker, Stallworth, Watson, Faulk, etc, etc. Look for the Pats to win big on their way to making history in Arizona.
New York Giants (+7.5) over GREEN BAY
Both the Giants and Packers impressed last weekend in their respective divisional round victories. On Sunday in Green Bay temperatures at kickoff are expected to be below zero, which, make no mistake, will have an effect on both teams. The weather could actually be a bigger disadvantage to Green Bay as Brett Favre will want to throw the ball down field especially to WR Greg Jennings. If the passing attacks are negated, the Giants have the advantage with the running back tandem of Jacobs and Bradshaw and will try to mix up their different running styles to keep the Packer defense off balance. The Giants have won nine in a row on the road and while all the prognosticators are picking Brett Favre to continue his storybook season into Super Sunday, I’m taking the Giants. The Giants have come together as a team and Eli Manning is playing his best football at exactly the time. The Giants will take care of the ball, stop Ryan Grant and head to the Super Bowl for a second crack at New England.
The PickMeister – J. Daniels
San Diego (+14) over NEW ENGLAND
The Patriots once again proved to be the luckiest team in NFL last week. Not in their win against the defenseless Jaguars but in the Bolts ridiculous upset in Indy. But if the Chargers showed anything last Sunday, it was that there backups, including Michael Turner, Billy Volek, and a bunch of no name tailbacks, have the potential to stay in a game. This will obviously be necessary with the status of Tomlinson, Rivers, and Gates all in question. Everybody, including myself, wanted to see the Colts – Patriots matchup this week, frankly because San Diego doesn’t have a chance, especially since their whole team is now injured. But the only thing more ridiculous than this matchup is the spread. The Cheaters haven’t covered any of their insane spreads in weeks, not to mention their 13.5 points last week against a far inferior opponent. Even without Rivers and possibly Gates, if LT plays like he said he will there’s no way the Patriots cover the 2 TD spread. Take San Diego with the points.
New York (+7.5) over GREEN GAY
-4 with the wind chill reaching -24. That’s the forecast for Sunday’s NFC Championship game. But if after listening to these “experts’ for the past week, you would think only the Giants will be battling the cold. “Will Eli and his receivers be able to connect in the cold”, “Can the Giants pass rush overcome the field conditions and get to Favre”, “Will New York’s defense be able to stop Ryan Grant and the Green Bay rushing attack?” Well I got news for these GENIUS “experts”. It’s going to be cold for EVERYONE. So the better questions will be: Will Favre be able to connect with his inexperienced receiving core against a Giants defense who are better against the pass? Can the Packers pass rush get to Eli even though they only had a measly 36 sacks during the year compared to the Giants 53? Will Green Bay’s defense, who give up more rushing yards per game than the G-Men, be able to stop the Giants superior rushing game? With these insane weather conditions, the game is ultimately going to comedown to whoever runs the ball more effectively. And since the Giants are clearly better at keeping the ball on the ground, they should come out of this game on top. “But Ryan Grant has the second most rushing yards in the last half of the season behind only LT!” Oh yea “experts”? Guess who has more team rushing yards the second half of the season. That’s right the G-Men. Take New York with the points.
Monday, January 14, 2008
NFL Divisional Playoff Picks - The Sunday Games
Soooo, Bleeding Sports dropped the ball and failed to post the Sunday picks in our Playoff Pick'em competition. My apologies to the PickMeister who had his picks in on time. In the spirit of keeping the competition alive... here are the picks, which were indeed made before the outcomes of the Sunday games.
The PickMeister - J.Daniels
INDIANAPOLIS (-9) over San Diego
Nine points is a big spread considering the Chargers beat the Colts in their previous meeting. This time, however, there’s no Antonio Gates and don’t expect Peyton to throw another 6 interceptions. Sorry Cromartie. With Rivers being unreliable, the Chargers game plan looks to be simply pounding the ball with Tomlinson and 6 linemen. Indy’s much improved defense will surely be to ready for this strategy. With Harrison back in the lineup the Colts high-octane offense will roll past the Bolts with no problem. Take Indianapolis to cover the 9 point spread.
New York (+7.5) over DALLAS
With the exception of the first quarter, the G-Men looked great last week. Eli, for the second straight week, played very well controlling the Giants offense. In fact, of the 8 QBs that played last weekend Eli was the only one who didn’t turn the ball over. Go figure. And while Eli is shaking off the rust and getting focused, Romo is doing the opposite acting like it’s the offseason and relaxing in Mexico with Jessica Simpson. As far as T.O. goes, he’s not playing, he might be playing, and now he is playing. Either way, he won’t be 100%. And with Terry Glenn not having played a game in over a year, that only leaves Witten to catch Mr. Simpson’s balls. Too many distractions for the Cowboys. Take New York with the points.
The Bleeding Sports Brain Trust - G. Francis
INDIANAPOLIS (-9) over San Diego
New York (+7.5) over DALLAS
The PickMeister - J.Daniels
INDIANAPOLIS (-9) over San Diego
Nine points is a big spread considering the Chargers beat the Colts in their previous meeting. This time, however, there’s no Antonio Gates and don’t expect Peyton to throw another 6 interceptions. Sorry Cromartie. With Rivers being unreliable, the Chargers game plan looks to be simply pounding the ball with Tomlinson and 6 linemen. Indy’s much improved defense will surely be to ready for this strategy. With Harrison back in the lineup the Colts high-octane offense will roll past the Bolts with no problem. Take Indianapolis to cover the 9 point spread.
New York (+7.5) over DALLAS
With the exception of the first quarter, the G-Men looked great last week. Eli, for the second straight week, played very well controlling the Giants offense. In fact, of the 8 QBs that played last weekend Eli was the only one who didn’t turn the ball over. Go figure. And while Eli is shaking off the rust and getting focused, Romo is doing the opposite acting like it’s the offseason and relaxing in Mexico with Jessica Simpson. As far as T.O. goes, he’s not playing, he might be playing, and now he is playing. Either way, he won’t be 100%. And with Terry Glenn not having played a game in over a year, that only leaves Witten to catch Mr. Simpson’s balls. Too many distractions for the Cowboys. Take New York with the points.
The Bleeding Sports Brain Trust - G. Francis
INDIANAPOLIS (-9) over San Diego
New York (+7.5) over DALLAS
Saturday, January 12, 2008
NFL Divisional Playoff Picks – The Saturday Games
NFL Divisional Playoff Picks – The Saturday Games
After the Wildcard round it’s the same old story in the Bleeding Sports Playoff Pick’em. G. Francis was a perfect 4-0 on the first weekend of the 2008 playoffs while J. Daniel wallowed in mediocrity finishing 2-2. This weekend there are four more games and two glorious days of football as the divisional round is played. Here are the picks for the Saturday games.
Home Team in CAPS.
The Bleeding Sports Brain Trust - G. Francis
Seattle (+7.5) over GREEN BAY
I’m not a big fan of the Seahawks and the fact they are completely one dimensional on offense due to the lack of a running game should be a red flag especially when you’re playing in January…in Green Bay. Former league MVP Shaun Alexander is proving once again that in the NFL when a running back begins to go into decline it happens almost overnight. Alexander’s career has fallen faster than Britney Spears. However, last weekend Seattle showed the nation that they are pretty good on defense and can get after the quarterback. The Packers have Brett Favre, but other than Donald Driver the offensive talent around him is young and inexperienced which will play a roll in this game. The defenses for both teams will do enough to keep their teams close. Look for Seattle’s past playoff experience to be the deciding factor in enabling the ‘Hawks to squeeze out a close victory on the road.
NEW ENGLAND (-13) over Jacksonville
Everyone loved Jacksonville last weekend against the Steelers and with good reason, but the Jags near collapse showed that they are extremely vulnerable against a spread offense throwing the ball around the field. So what is going to happen in Foxborough against Tom Brady, Randy Moss and company? Do the Patriots even bother trying to run the ball in this game? Jacksonville will try to run the football and then try to run it some more. There is no doubt that Jacksonville can be successful pounding it at the Pat’s overrated defense, but at some point David Garrard is going to have to make some plays and put some points on the board and he won’t be able to make enough to hang with Mr. Brady. Look for Wes Welker to run wild over the middle and for the Patriots to score and score often.
The PickMeister - J. Daniel
Seattle (+7.5) over GREEN BAY
Lambeau is tough place to play in the playoffs no doubt about it. Although the Pack proved to be one of dominant teams in NFC this year going 13-3, I just don’t think they’re the Super Bowl winning Packers of the past. I am not convinced that Favre is any different from the 30 Int QB we saw two years ago. He will make mistakes that’ll keep the Hawks in the game. In the end I’m sure the Pack’s offense will pull out a victory, but I don’t think they will cover the ridiculous 7.5 point spread. Take Seattle with the points.
Jacksonville (+13) over NEW ENGLAND
Everyone thinks that the perfect* Patriots are going to murder the Jags this weekend. Sorry to burst your bubble Patriots fans but your oh so wonderful cheating season will come to an end Saturday night. That’s right, not only will the Jags beat the spread but they are going to win outright. New England’s defense is ranked 10th in the run, but would be considerably lower if their opponents weren’t always behind. Fred Taylor, Maurice Jones-Drew, and even David Garrard are going to run right over New England’s over-rated 40 year old linebacking core. Take Jacksonville with the points.
After the Wildcard round it’s the same old story in the Bleeding Sports Playoff Pick’em. G. Francis was a perfect 4-0 on the first weekend of the 2008 playoffs while J. Daniel wallowed in mediocrity finishing 2-2. This weekend there are four more games and two glorious days of football as the divisional round is played. Here are the picks for the Saturday games.
Home Team in CAPS.
The Bleeding Sports Brain Trust - G. Francis
Seattle (+7.5) over GREEN BAY
I’m not a big fan of the Seahawks and the fact they are completely one dimensional on offense due to the lack of a running game should be a red flag especially when you’re playing in January…in Green Bay. Former league MVP Shaun Alexander is proving once again that in the NFL when a running back begins to go into decline it happens almost overnight. Alexander’s career has fallen faster than Britney Spears. However, last weekend Seattle showed the nation that they are pretty good on defense and can get after the quarterback. The Packers have Brett Favre, but other than Donald Driver the offensive talent around him is young and inexperienced which will play a roll in this game. The defenses for both teams will do enough to keep their teams close. Look for Seattle’s past playoff experience to be the deciding factor in enabling the ‘Hawks to squeeze out a close victory on the road.
NEW ENGLAND (-13) over Jacksonville
Everyone loved Jacksonville last weekend against the Steelers and with good reason, but the Jags near collapse showed that they are extremely vulnerable against a spread offense throwing the ball around the field. So what is going to happen in Foxborough against Tom Brady, Randy Moss and company? Do the Patriots even bother trying to run the ball in this game? Jacksonville will try to run the football and then try to run it some more. There is no doubt that Jacksonville can be successful pounding it at the Pat’s overrated defense, but at some point David Garrard is going to have to make some plays and put some points on the board and he won’t be able to make enough to hang with Mr. Brady. Look for Wes Welker to run wild over the middle and for the Patriots to score and score often.
The PickMeister - J. Daniel
Seattle (+7.5) over GREEN BAY
Lambeau is tough place to play in the playoffs no doubt about it. Although the Pack proved to be one of dominant teams in NFC this year going 13-3, I just don’t think they’re the Super Bowl winning Packers of the past. I am not convinced that Favre is any different from the 30 Int QB we saw two years ago. He will make mistakes that’ll keep the Hawks in the game. In the end I’m sure the Pack’s offense will pull out a victory, but I don’t think they will cover the ridiculous 7.5 point spread. Take Seattle with the points.
Jacksonville (+13) over NEW ENGLAND
Everyone thinks that the perfect* Patriots are going to murder the Jags this weekend. Sorry to burst your bubble Patriots fans but your oh so wonderful cheating season will come to an end Saturday night. That’s right, not only will the Jags beat the spread but they are going to win outright. New England’s defense is ranked 10th in the run, but would be considerably lower if their opponents weren’t always behind. Fred Taylor, Maurice Jones-Drew, and even David Garrard are going to run right over New England’s over-rated 40 year old linebacking core. Take Jacksonville with the points.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
The NFL Playoffs are Here
Bleeding Sports is back in business just in time for the 2008 NFL playoffs. What better way to get back in the swing of things than to kick start the 2nd annual NFL Playoff Pick’em between the Bleeding Sports Brain Trust and The PickMeister. Last year, the Brain Trust dominated the contest finishing with a stud record of 9-2 while the PickMeister limped through the postseason finishing under .500 at 5-6.
What history repear itself? Only time will tell. Stay with Bleeding Sports throughout the NFL playoffs and find who truly KNOWS THE SCORE. Enjoy the games.
2008 NFL Wildcard Playoff Picks
Home Team in CAPS
The PickMeister: J. Daniel
Alright NFL playoff time is back and so is our "Playoff Pick’em". Last year was bull****, the Bleeding Sports Brain Fool is a bigger cheater than Belichick. Luckily we took away his camera and gave him a suspension so he won’t be doing that anymore. Now here are the winning picks for the Wildcard Round.
Washington(+4) over SEATTLE
The Skins are on tear led by veteran QB2 Todd Collins. They’re 4-0 with Collins behind center, dominating their opponents, including the playoff bound New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys, by a combined margin of 52 points. While Seattle did put together a good season, finishing 10-6, it was unimpressive. The Hawks were only able to beat one team that finished over .500. Although Seattle can be a tough place to play with their ‘12th Man’, the Skins are just too hot right now. Take Washington with the points.
Jacksonville (Even) over PITTSBURGH
This game should be a no-brainer. Pittsburgh has been on a slide of late, losing 4 of their last 7, including a 22-29 defeat against, you guessed it, the Jacksonville Jaguars. In that game Taylor and Jones-Drew combined for a total of 216 yards rushing, which was only one less than Pittsburgh’s total yards. To make things worse the Steelers are without Willie Parker, who rushed for over 1300 yards this year. The Steelers should be no match for the 11-5 Jaguars. Take Jacksonville to win.
NY Giants (+2.5) over TAMPA BAY
The G-Men may be coming off their best game of the season in their loss to the Patriots. Eli Manning threw for over 250 yards and 4 TDs, showing some of his potential Giants fans haven’t seen since Week 1. If Eli can be consistent and play mistake free this Sunday, the Giants running game should bull over the Tampa D who are giving up over 100 yards rushing per game. Take New York with the points.
Tennessee (+9.5) over SAN DIEGO
The Chargers started the season slow but have been nearly unstoppable since Week 5, winning 10 of their last 12 games. The Titans, on the other hand, have quietly put together a decent season, going in 10-6 in the undoubtedly best division in the NFL. The 9.5 point spread is quite large considering the two went into overtime when they met 4 weeks ago. Although the Chargers will be at home this weekend, the Titans defense with Haynesworth in the game will be able to slow down LT and San Diego just enough to keep them from covering. Take Tennessee with the points.
The Bleeding Sports Brain Trust: G. Francis
Thank you, thank you. The champ is back fresh of dominating Mr. J. Daniel's fantasy football league and ready to embarass him for a second striaght year in our Bleeding Sports NFL Playoff Pick'em. On to the picks!
SEATTLE (-4) over Washington
Initially I wanted to go with Washington in this game. The Redskins have essentially been playing playoff games for the past 4 weeks and have the extra motivation of playing for fallen teammate Sean Taylor. Seattle has been flying under the radar most of the season as they once again cruised to a division title in the weak NFC West. The Seahawks have been fairly one-dimensional for most of season given the fact that Shaun Alexander’s performance has slipped so far so fast. With that being said, I would like to see Washington pull this game out and continue one of the more intriguing stories in the NFL this season. However, Washington has had to exert so much effort just to get into the postseason and between traveling cross country on a short week combined with the Seattle’s distinct home field advantage will be too much for Washington to overcome.
Jacksonville (Even) over PITTSBURGH
The line to this contest has since shifted with the Jags now favored on the road against a Steelers team that is historically tough to beat at home. When the Steelers choke at home in the playoffs it usually isn’t until the AFC Championship game. This season the Steelers won’t have to worry about that because they aren’t getting out of the first round. Jacksonville physically manhandled Pittsburgh in their first meeting and is playing as well as any team in the league. Look for another big night from both Jaguar running backs, Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew. Meanwhile, the Steelers have been unimpressive and the loss of RB Willie Parker means the team must to rely on the likes of Najeh Davenport in the running game. Ultimately, Big Ben will be dropping back to pass more than to coach Mike Tomlin’s liking and the Steelers’ suspect offensive line will be their undoing.
NY Giants (+2.5) over TAMPA BAY
What approach is better for preparing your team for the playoffs: Resting your key players in the final week or playing your entire team even if the game is virtually meaningless? That question will be answered when the Giants and Buccaneers take the field on Sunday. Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden decided to rest seemingly all his starters in the regular season finale while the Giants went all out trying to prevent the Patriot’s from a perfect season in what turned out to be the most entertaining game of the entire NFL regular season. The key to this game is Giants’ QB Eli Manning who needs to play well and limit the mistakes and inconsistency that has plagued him all season. Tampa Bay’s defense will be aggressive and try to force Eli into mistakes which means the Giants’ must run the football successfully to take the pressure off the quarterback. Last week, New York proved that they can play with the elite in the NFL and if they perform at that level in Tampa they should win easily. For Tampa Bay, QB Jeff Garcia has barely played in the last month and while RB Ernest Graham has had a nice season, he isn’t a game breaker. On paper, the Giants are the better team and should play with a load of confidence after standing toe to toe with New England. The G-Men get over the first round hump and win outright.
SAN DIEGO (-9.5) over Tennessee
I would have really liked to see Cleveland in this game because Tennessee is tough to watch and it could get ugly in a hurry on Sunday in San Diego. The Titans are banged up. Starting tight End Bo Scaife and WR Roydell Williams are both on the shelf while QB Vince Young is a game-time decision. However, the reason the Titans are in the playoffs has little to do with Young and offense and a lot to do with a stout defense which will have their hands full with Tomlinson, Gates and company. The Chargers turned their season around after a 1-3 start and are still one of the most talented teams in the league on both sides of the ball. The Chargers are +24 in turnover differential while Titan’s are inexperienced on offense and feature fumble prone RB LenDale White. This was a close game when these two teams played a few weeks ago, but don’t expect Tennessee to keep pace on the scoreboard this time around. The Chargers have something to prove after a couple of past playoff disasters so look for the San Diego to win and win big.
What history repear itself? Only time will tell. Stay with Bleeding Sports throughout the NFL playoffs and find who truly KNOWS THE SCORE. Enjoy the games.
2008 NFL Wildcard Playoff Picks
Home Team in CAPS
The PickMeister: J. Daniel
Alright NFL playoff time is back and so is our "Playoff Pick’em". Last year was bull****, the Bleeding Sports Brain Fool is a bigger cheater than Belichick. Luckily we took away his camera and gave him a suspension so he won’t be doing that anymore. Now here are the winning picks for the Wildcard Round.
Washington(+4) over SEATTLE
The Skins are on tear led by veteran QB2 Todd Collins. They’re 4-0 with Collins behind center, dominating their opponents, including the playoff bound New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys, by a combined margin of 52 points. While Seattle did put together a good season, finishing 10-6, it was unimpressive. The Hawks were only able to beat one team that finished over .500. Although Seattle can be a tough place to play with their ‘12th Man’, the Skins are just too hot right now. Take Washington with the points.
Jacksonville (Even) over PITTSBURGH
This game should be a no-brainer. Pittsburgh has been on a slide of late, losing 4 of their last 7, including a 22-29 defeat against, you guessed it, the Jacksonville Jaguars. In that game Taylor and Jones-Drew combined for a total of 216 yards rushing, which was only one less than Pittsburgh’s total yards. To make things worse the Steelers are without Willie Parker, who rushed for over 1300 yards this year. The Steelers should be no match for the 11-5 Jaguars. Take Jacksonville to win.
NY Giants (+2.5) over TAMPA BAY
The G-Men may be coming off their best game of the season in their loss to the Patriots. Eli Manning threw for over 250 yards and 4 TDs, showing some of his potential Giants fans haven’t seen since Week 1. If Eli can be consistent and play mistake free this Sunday, the Giants running game should bull over the Tampa D who are giving up over 100 yards rushing per game. Take New York with the points.
Tennessee (+9.5) over SAN DIEGO
The Chargers started the season slow but have been nearly unstoppable since Week 5, winning 10 of their last 12 games. The Titans, on the other hand, have quietly put together a decent season, going in 10-6 in the undoubtedly best division in the NFL. The 9.5 point spread is quite large considering the two went into overtime when they met 4 weeks ago. Although the Chargers will be at home this weekend, the Titans defense with Haynesworth in the game will be able to slow down LT and San Diego just enough to keep them from covering. Take Tennessee with the points.
The Bleeding Sports Brain Trust: G. Francis
Thank you, thank you. The champ is back fresh of dominating Mr. J. Daniel's fantasy football league and ready to embarass him for a second striaght year in our Bleeding Sports NFL Playoff Pick'em. On to the picks!
SEATTLE (-4) over Washington
Initially I wanted to go with Washington in this game. The Redskins have essentially been playing playoff games for the past 4 weeks and have the extra motivation of playing for fallen teammate Sean Taylor. Seattle has been flying under the radar most of the season as they once again cruised to a division title in the weak NFC West. The Seahawks have been fairly one-dimensional for most of season given the fact that Shaun Alexander’s performance has slipped so far so fast. With that being said, I would like to see Washington pull this game out and continue one of the more intriguing stories in the NFL this season. However, Washington has had to exert so much effort just to get into the postseason and between traveling cross country on a short week combined with the Seattle’s distinct home field advantage will be too much for Washington to overcome.
Jacksonville (Even) over PITTSBURGH
The line to this contest has since shifted with the Jags now favored on the road against a Steelers team that is historically tough to beat at home. When the Steelers choke at home in the playoffs it usually isn’t until the AFC Championship game. This season the Steelers won’t have to worry about that because they aren’t getting out of the first round. Jacksonville physically manhandled Pittsburgh in their first meeting and is playing as well as any team in the league. Look for another big night from both Jaguar running backs, Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew. Meanwhile, the Steelers have been unimpressive and the loss of RB Willie Parker means the team must to rely on the likes of Najeh Davenport in the running game. Ultimately, Big Ben will be dropping back to pass more than to coach Mike Tomlin’s liking and the Steelers’ suspect offensive line will be their undoing.
NY Giants (+2.5) over TAMPA BAY
What approach is better for preparing your team for the playoffs: Resting your key players in the final week or playing your entire team even if the game is virtually meaningless? That question will be answered when the Giants and Buccaneers take the field on Sunday. Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden decided to rest seemingly all his starters in the regular season finale while the Giants went all out trying to prevent the Patriot’s from a perfect season in what turned out to be the most entertaining game of the entire NFL regular season. The key to this game is Giants’ QB Eli Manning who needs to play well and limit the mistakes and inconsistency that has plagued him all season. Tampa Bay’s defense will be aggressive and try to force Eli into mistakes which means the Giants’ must run the football successfully to take the pressure off the quarterback. Last week, New York proved that they can play with the elite in the NFL and if they perform at that level in Tampa they should win easily. For Tampa Bay, QB Jeff Garcia has barely played in the last month and while RB Ernest Graham has had a nice season, he isn’t a game breaker. On paper, the Giants are the better team and should play with a load of confidence after standing toe to toe with New England. The G-Men get over the first round hump and win outright.
SAN DIEGO (-9.5) over Tennessee
I would have really liked to see Cleveland in this game because Tennessee is tough to watch and it could get ugly in a hurry on Sunday in San Diego. The Titans are banged up. Starting tight End Bo Scaife and WR Roydell Williams are both on the shelf while QB Vince Young is a game-time decision. However, the reason the Titans are in the playoffs has little to do with Young and offense and a lot to do with a stout defense which will have their hands full with Tomlinson, Gates and company. The Chargers turned their season around after a 1-3 start and are still one of the most talented teams in the league on both sides of the ball. The Chargers are +24 in turnover differential while Titan’s are inexperienced on offense and feature fumble prone RB LenDale White. This was a close game when these two teams played a few weeks ago, but don’t expect Tennessee to keep pace on the scoreboard this time around. The Chargers have something to prove after a couple of past playoff disasters so look for the San Diego to win and win big.
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