Recap on the Divisional Playoffs

Steelers 31 Ravens 24
This game went exactly as I suspected it would, except for the fact that the Ravens jumped out to a huge lead and decided not to show up for the second half.

The Ravens gave that game to Roethlisberger, and we all know that Big Ben isn't used to getting things handed to him, he usually just takes it.

After tons of sacks, turnovers, and lack of a rushing attack on both sides, this game was tied up with less than 2 minutes to go. Pittsburgh marched down the field and ran the ball in to the end zone with a little over a minute left. Baltimore got the ball back but was unable to convert a 4th and long conversion when TJ Whosyourmomma dropped a pass that would've kept Baltimore's drive alive.

Pittsburgh will play the Jets this Sunday to attempt to make their 3rd Super Bowl in 6 years. The Steelers beat the Seahawks and the Cardinals in their previous two trips.

Packers 48 Falcons 21
I'm finally ready to say that the Packers are for real. They dominated a very good Falcons team, in Atlanta. Something no one else has done this season. Aaron Rodgers looked like an elite NFL quarterback and made Atlanta's defense look non-existent. He will be this year's Drew Brees, the guy constantly compared to Manning and Brady. This game was over just before halftime when the Packers were leading 21-14 and Matty Slush threw a pick 6 to end the half while trying to get into better field goal position.

The Packers then went into cruise control and their defense denied everything Atlanta came with for the rest of the game.

Green Bay will be playing Chicago this Sunday for a chance to play in their 5th Super Bowl. They won the first two Super Bowls ever played in 1966 and 1967 defeating the Raiders and the Chiefs, then beat New England in 1996 and lost to Denver the following year.

Bears 35 Seahawks 24
This game went almost exactly as planned as well as the first game. The Bears jumped out to a quick 21-0 lead and never looked back.

Jay Cutler, in his first postseason game since high school, looked great against a terrible looking Seahawks defense. While Matt Hasselbeck had a difficult time trying to read a stingy Bears D.

The Bears led 35-10 with a little over 2:00 to go in the game when Seattle decided to showcase their two minute offense and scored 14 quick points in garbage time. Chicago plays Green Bay on Sunday attempting to make their 3rd Super Bowl. They completely obliterated the Patriots in '85 and lost to the Colts in 2006.

Jets 28 Patriots 21
This was by far the most anticipated and best game of the weekend. There was more trash talking before this game than a garbage disposal could handle.

In what was expected to be a high scoring game, 32 of the 49 total points were scored in the last 15:13 of the game and 17 points were scored I'm the last 2:00.

This game started off slow with defenses and turnovers dominating and the Jets took a 14-3 lead heading into the locker room at halftime.

Brady connected with Deion Branch with :13 left in the 3rd quarter and converted the 2-point conversion to make it 14-11. The Jets matched right back and scored a touchdown for a 10 point lead.

The Patriots then fooled everyone, including themselves by running the ball over and over and allowing the clock to tick down before missing a 4th down conversion with a little over 4 minutes left. The Patriots retained the ball later and kicked a field goal to make it a 7 point game with underachievers 2:00 to go. Shonne Green then ran the ball in to put the nail in the coffin. A crazy celebration followed, including Jets coach Rex Ryan joining the team in the end zone for the personal foul celebration. The Patriots got the ball back and scored another touchdown in garbage time but the game was ultimately over.

The Jets will play the Steelers Sunday for a chance to play in heir second Super Bowl. New York defeated the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III.

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Brad Childress favorite in Miami

The Miami Dolphins are very interested in former Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress for their Offensive Coordinator position.

I think this could be a great move for Miami and it opens the door for a possible trade for Washington Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb. Childress has always been a fan of McNabb's and has openly suggested that he would like him on his team. This could be huge for Miami and would definitely answer their quarterback problem. Their defense is still suspect, but having McNabb, Marshall, Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams gives them the potential to put points on the board.

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Divisional Round Picks

Here are my picks for the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

Ravens (+3.5) @ Steelers
This is going to be a great game. Both defenses are fantastic and both quarterbacks can think on their feet. I think the running game is going to take full affect early and late however. There will be one or two big plays to keep both teams in it, but this game should be determined ultimately by a field goal.

Steelers 27 Ravens 24



Packers (+2) @ Falcons
All year I've been picking against Atlanta at home and losing. Not this time. The Falcons D is much better than advertised and their running game will slash through an overrated Green Bay squad. The Packers are America's favorite team right now...not mine. I think Atlanta is going to take this one by a touchdown.

Falcons 38 Packers 31



Seahawks (+10) @ Bears
The Bears Are another team that doesn't look particularly good on paper but they just keep winning games. This one ought to be a walk away. The Seahawks lookers great last week but they were playing at home against a very susceptible defense...not this time. Chicago's D will hold them until garbage time.

Bears 30 Seahawks 20



Jets (-9) @ Patriots
After all the smack talking this week, they actually have to play the game. Antonio Cromartie wants to f*** Tom Brady (as if he doesn't have enough kids himself) and Wes Welker is definitely aware of Rex Ryan's foot fetish. The bottom line is, the a Patriots are a MUCH better team than the Jets at just about every position on the field. And I'm sure Belicheck is going to put it on Ryan's boys.

Patriots 48 Jets 21

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John Fox named Head Coach in Denver

The Denver Broncos have named the former Carolina Panthers head coach to the same position. Fox will be reunited with his former Offensive Coordinator, Mike McCoy. Fox, being a defensive minded coach, should help to turn around Denver's D. Personally I'm a little surprised that owner, Pat Bowlen, wants to keep McCoy. Denver's offense had many struggles this year, and Tim Tebow needs a little help in becoming a good NFL quarterback. I'm not sure McCoy is the man to do that.

All in all, the AFC West is very weak and this will help them become contenders. I just don't think they will have enough offensive fire power to compete for a championship.

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Pat Shurmer leading candidate for HC job in Cleveland

Rams Offensive Coordinator, Pat Shurmer has emerged as the leading candidate for the Cleveland Browns head coaching position. The Browns are also looking at former Pittsburgh Panthers coach, Dave Wannstedt, for their defensive coordinator position.

I think both of these hires would be good for the team. Pat Shurmer has done a very good job with a weak Rams offense and made QB Sam Bradford a great ROY candidate. I think he can help Colt McCoy form into a legitimate NFL quarterback and get Cleveland's offense back on track.

Wannstedt has tons of NFL head coaching experience, most recently with the Bears and Dolphins. Coming back to a defensive coordinator in the NFL would be great for him and the Browns.

All in all, this works out well for Cleveland if everything works out. Their only problem is, they still play in the AFC North, one of the toughest divisions in the NFL.

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Iowa's Sash to enter draft

Iowa safety Taylor Sash will declare for the NFL Draft. Sash had 15 picks and 216 tackles in 3 years as a Hawkeye. I assume he'll go in the second round and it wouldn't surprise me if the Colts pick him up. They love those Iowa guys and they're desperate for Safety help.

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CarGo gets huge deal...is it deserved?

Carlos Gonzalez became the least experienced player in baseball history to receive such a lengthy and lucrative deal (seven-year, $80.5 million contract), according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts, a website that tracks MLB contracts.

The 25-year-old has played in 319 big-league games through parts of three seasons. The good news for Rockies fans is that Mr. Gonzalez is in excellent company. Previously, the least experienced player to sign a deal of at least seven years and $70 million was Chase Utley. He inked a seven-year, $85 million deal after playing 444 games. Likewise, Albert Pujols played 475 games before earning a seven-year, $100 million extension in 2004.

Other teams in recent years have locked their budding stars into long-term contracts, but paid significantly less. The Brewers gave Ryan Braun an eight-year contract in his second season, but will pay $45 million. The Rays took a similar approach with Evan Longoria, signing him to an option-laden deal during his rookie campaign that tops at nine years, $44.5 million.

In my opinion, a 7 year deal is a bit long. Outfielders come a dime a dozen and he only had ONE good year. I understand that he's young and winning a gold glove and silver slugger award looks great on a resume but to compare, Matt Kemp has the same awards with productive numbers in more than a single season. However, I don't see the Dodgers giving Kemp $11 mil a year for nearly a decade. I thinking Colorado needed to sign him and maybe this was the going market for him but he peaked at a convenient time and his upside is limited.

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