A lot of you readers have probably read the handle on the right or simply heard me tell me the story of how this blog was started. It was a project I began in WRTC200 last February to get a position with JMU's newspaper, and everything just kind of exploded from there.
What you may not know is that this blog has much older roots. The original form of this blog was a Richmond locker room in 2006.
Since I was a freshman in high school, I have sat down every year and made playoff predictions with my longtime friends Karthik and Will. It was usually some lunchtime argument or, as previously mentioned, a locker room discussion that everyone would eventually get in on. Until my senior year of high school, it was never conjecture on the grandiose stage of facebook, where all the world could see my flaws. Yet this is what went on in the 2009 playoffs- a simple facebook noted attracted huge attention from several of my friends, and my voice gave way to a running commentary of the 2009 playoffs. In many ways, it is the spiritual ancestor of this blog. Beyond journalistic inquiry is just a pure love of talking sports. That's how it all started.
I say all that so that I can now say this. It's playoff football. Let your voice be heard. Get into the conversation.
Saturday, 4:30- Cincinatti at Houston
The Bengals find themselves in the playoffs despite losing to almost every team with a winning record they played this year. Still, you have to like what rookies Andy Dalton and AJ Green have done this year. Cincinatti isn't exactly a quickstrike team, but these two give them that sort of potential at times. Meanwhile, Houston comes in on a strange three game losing streak with their third string rookie quarterback leading the team.
So obviously, I'm picking the Houston Texans.
Look, Andy Dalton is clearly better than TJ Yates. Nobody is arguing that here. But as good as the Bengal's defense has been this year, I'm not sure they have a definitive answer to Arian Foster, let alone the additional headache Ben Tate brings in. During that losing streak, Houston's defensive coordinator was in the hospital and subsequently recovering. He's back now, and I think the NFL's statistically best defense finds ways to harass a rookie quarterback- however impressive he's been- into some big mistakes.
Saturday, 8:00- Detroit at New Orleans
I'm not even going to try to be coy here. I'm picking the Saints, and the way they have played at home this year, it seems like a no brainer. Detroit will probably hang around for the first 20 minutes, maybe even the first half. But Drew Brees is not going to lose this game.
Detroit, I'm sorry it couldn't work out. I really am. I love that you've made a resurgence, and I love that people are proud to Lions fans again. I'm sure Eminem and the other four fans that stood with him will be cheering very loud for you in this game. But you're going to lose. See you next year. Don't worry, I'll still try to draft Calvin Johnson.
Sunday, 1:00- Falcons at Giants
This is the hardest game I think I've ever had to pick in my whole career of watching the NFL. Both teams are kind of mysterious, especially the Giants. There's a bit of a running conversation in my head that goes something like this:
"The game is in New York!"
"Yeah, but the road team has won most of the games in this series!"
"Yeah, but the Falcon's are only 4-4 this season on the road!"
"Yeah, but the Giants are only 4-4 this season at home!"
"Yeah, but New York has had a really great pass rush the last few weeks!"
"Yeah, but Atlanta's offensive line is really good!"
and on and on and on.
This is so hard. Whenever I pick the giants, I feel like they lose. So I'm picking the Falcons, and I think the difference here is the matchup between the wide receivers for Atlanta and the abyssmal secondary for New York. The Falcons have really been starting to fire on all cylinders the last five games or so (throw out the Saints game, NOBODY was going to beat them that night), and a big part of it has been the play of Roddy White. My boy Roddy, who is a two-time staple of my fantasy team, was in a bit of a slump in the beginning of the season as he played through an injury. He's healthy now, and I think both him and Alabama prodigy Julio Jones are going to tear it up this game- at least 3 touchdowns between the two of them. Maybe more. It's not just that they're really good- the New York coverage has kind of been that bad.
Sunday, 4:30- Pittsburgh at Denver
I'd take a broken Ben Roethlisberger over Tim Tebow at quarterback any day. John Elway is going to pull the reins off Tebow and let him throw this game away... literally. He wants America (and more importantly, Denver) to see what kind of thrower Tebow really is. I have a sneaky suspicion that it's going to be an ugly picture.
Take the under in what's bound to be a low scoring game. Pittsburgh's injured line will have trouble scoring against Von Miller and a great pass rush. Denver... well, they might just have trouble scoring. I can't pick Denver in the playoffs with Tim Tebow. Pittsburgh just has too much experience. I like Pittsburgh to get it done despite dreadful health concerns everywhere.
So, in summation:
Bengals at Texans
Lions at Saints
Falcons at Giants
Steelers at Broncos
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