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      Can Joe Flacco rise to the occasion?

      January 22, 2012 /
      Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco comes to the line during the third quarter against the Houston Texans at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland on January 15, 2012. UPI/Kevin Dietsch

      It’s been a tough week for Joe Flacco, as Ed Reed’s comments have made Flacco the center of attention going into today’s playoff game with the Patriots. Flacco has added even more pressure on himself with comments before last week’s game suggesting that he wasn’t getting respect from the media.

      This game will be a defining moment for his career. He has to show that he can rise to the occasion in the playoffs on the road. The Patriots aren’t known for their defense, so Flacco should have his chances.

      The Ravens don’t wan’t to get into a shootout with Tom Brady, but Flacco is going to have to come up with some big plays to win this game. I’m skeptical.

      NFL

      Will the Packers keep A.J. Hawk?

      January 22, 2012 /
      Jarrett Bush (24) and A.J. Hawk (50) of the Green Bay Packers sack New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) during the second half of their NFL football game in Green Bay, Wisconsin, September 8, 2011. The Packers won the game 42-34. REUTERS/Jeff Haynes (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

      It turns out that having the worst passing defense in NFL history is not a good formula for success in the playoffs. The Green Bay Packers might have overcome their defensive woes had Aaron Rodgers and the offense played up to their potential last week, but the New York Giants’ defense prevented that from happening.

      As you might expect, there’s plenty of soul searching being done in Green Bay. Respected writer Bob McGinn breaks down all of the problems the Packers defense had this past season. One of the weak links he singles out is A.J. Hawk.

      On March 2, the Packers cut A.J. Hawk to escape his $10 million guaranteed salary for 2011. The next day, they signed him for $33.75 million over five years.

      It made no sense at the time for Thompson to give Hawk that kind of money. The agent for Hawk told the Packers many teams called during those few hours when his client was on the street, no doubt insinuating that some of them wanted to sign Hawk quickly before the lockout was to begin.

      Thompson appeared to have taken it hook, line and sinker. More than likely the Packers were just negotiating against themselves.

      But Thompson always has had a soft spot for Hawk, his first-round draft choice in 2006. Inside linebackers in a 3-4 defense, unless they’re dominant like a Patrick Willis, simply don’t deserve that kind of money.

      Hawk? You’ve got to be kidding. He’s just a guy. His contract is by far the worst contract that Thompson has ever enacted.

      He goes on to argue that the Packers should have kept Nick Barnett instead and that the Packers should find a way to part ways with Hawk. He then goes on to explain all the problems with the pass rush and the secondary. It’s an interesting summary of all the problems in Green Bay, but as he points out at the end of the column, the Packers just have to get back to respectability on defense given their explosive offense.

      NFL

      Fade Material: NFL Conference Championship Sunday Predictions

      January 21, 2012 /
      New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (R) fumbles the football as he is hit by Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs in the second half of their NFL football game in Foxborough, Massachusetts October 4, 2009. REUTERS/Brian Snyder (UNITED STATES SPORT FOOTBALL)

      Last week’s predictions slipped my mind for whatever reason, but I totally would have taken the 49ers and the over, the Patriots and the over, the Texans and the under, and the Giants and the over.

      No, no – I’m serious. Perfect weekend…

      Ravens @ Patriots, 3:00PM ET
      Tom Brady’s completion percentage in five career games against the Ravens is 55.9, which is his lowest against any team in the league. When Baltimore ransacked New England 33-14 in that 2009 Wildcard game, Brady threw three interceptions, was sacked three times and finished with a passer rating of 49.1. For whatever reason, the Ravens are a matchup problem for Brady and the Patriots, who I do think will win on Sunday. I just don’t think they’ll cover the seven points unless they draw Baltimore into a shootout, in which case the Ravens are in serious trouble. While Joe Flacco and Co. has struggled on the road this season, methinks this one will be tight throughout.
      THE PICK: RAVENS +7

      Giants @ 49ers, 6:30PM ET
      Part of me is completely convinced that the Giants are going to win the Super Bowl. The other part of me believes that they’re starting to read their own press clippings and people are foolish to keep overlooking a solid team like the Niners. That’s why I’m not touching the side. Back in Week 10 when these two teams met, I fell in love with the under. But after a field goal fest in the first half, the two teams combined for 32 points in the final two quarters and the score went over the total of 47. But with bad weather expected to hit the Bay area, I’m back for more of that under goodness. I think this has all the makings of a defensive battle on a sloppy track, where both teams will have to rely on their running games to eek out a victory.
      THE PICK: UNDER 42

      External Sports, NFL

      Brees would be “stunned” if he doesn’t come to terms with Saints

      January 20, 2012 /
      New Orleans Saints Drew Brees (9) rolls out to pass against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC divisional playoffs at Candlestick Park in San Francisco on January 14, 2012. The 49ers defeated the Saints 36-32. UPI/Terry Schmitt

      Quarterback Drew Brees seems optimistic that he’ll receive a contract offer soon from the New Orleans Saints. In fact, Brees even used the words “beyond stunned” if he didn’t re-up with the team between now and when free agency starts in March.

      “Now here we are at the end of the season and it’s time to pick up discussions again, obviously once we all get a chance to step away and decompress and let this season kind of settle,” Brees said in a conference call with the New Orleans media on Friday. “But I’ve had conversations with (Saints General Manager) Mickey Loomis and my agent and at some point very soon we’re going continue to talk and hopefully we will get a deal done very soon.

      “Really the sooner the better. I would even say that between now and free agency (in March) I’d really like to have something done. Obviously there’s a lot that goes into it. It’s not as easy as maybe some people think it is. I just think there’s a lot of factors, variables, things to consider. The fact is we’re all very confident that a deal will get done sooner than later.”

      It has been projected that Brees will receive somewhere around $18 million a year and there’s a chance he could become the richest player in league history. But the Saints also have to make decisions on top free agents Carl Nicks and Marques Colston, which could impact the process moving forward.

      That said, at this point it seems highly unlikely that Brees will be in another uniform next season. He’s been the NFL’s most prolific passer over the past half-decade and is just two seasons removed from winning a Super Bowl with New Orleans. He isn’t going anywhere.

      External Sports, News, NFL

      2012 NFL Conference Championships Primer

      January 19, 2012 /
      Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco comes to the line during the third quarter against the Houston Texans at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland on January 15, 2012. UPI/Kevin Dietsch

      Ravens @ Patriots, 3:00PM ET, Sunday
      Call me old fashioned but I think this game will come down to the play of the quarterbacks. Joe Flacco usually doesn’t have to throw for many yards because Baltimore’s defense limits the production of the opposing offense. But what if Tom Brady and Co. is firing on all cylinders this Sunday? What if the Patriots do the unthinkable and draw the Ravens into a shootout? Can Flacco beat Brady in a wildfire?

      If the Patriots were smart, they’d use the Chargers’ 34-14 Week 15 beat down of the Ravens as a blueprint to beat Baltimore. In that game, Philip Rivers got the ball out of his hand quickly, attacked Baltimore down field and thus, never allowed the Ravens’ fierce pass rush to get into a rhythm. If Baltimore, which led the league in sacks this season, can’t get to the quarterback then its defense can become ordinary. In their 12 wins this season, the Ravens sacked the quarterback 43 times. In their four losses, they got to the opposing signal caller just five times. Considering New England has one of the better offensive lines in the game, it’s not unfathomable that the Ravens will have trouble defensively this weekend.

      Which leads me back to Flacco. Can he be the quarterback that threw for 300 yards and led the Ravens to that great fourth-quarter comeback in Pittsburgh this season? Or will he succumb to the pressure of trying to go toe-to-toe with Brady? Nobody will confuse New England’s defense with San Francisco’s but the Patriots did harass Tim Tebow last weekend. If they’re able to take away Ray Rice and Torrey Smith like Houston did last week, will Flacco step up?

      Baltimore has often been a match up problem for New England. But the Patriots seem hell bent on getting back to the Super Bowl so it’s probably safe to say that the Ravens will get New England’s best effort this weekend.

      New York Giants QB Eli Manning (10) cranks back to throw a long pass against the San Francisco 49ers in the second half at Candlestick Park in San Francisco on November 13, 2011. The 49ers defeated the Giants 27-20. UPI/Terry Schmitt

      Giants @ 49ers, 6:30PM ET, Sunday
      With all due respect to the other contenders still left in the playoff field, the Giants are probably the most complete team remaining. The Patriots have the better offense and the 49ers have the better defense, but the Giants aren’t far off in either category. They also have a better quarterback in Eli Manning than the Ravens have in Joe Flacco, the latter of which has been highly inconsistent this season.

      But the question is whether or not the Giants have started to read their own press clippings. As I’ve written before on this site, the G-Men are the perfect underdog. When their backs are pressed firmly against the wall and they believe that it’s them against the world, they beat teams like the Packers and Patriots (multiple times, in fact). When they’re well aware that they’re the favorite, they’re liable to lose to inferior opponents like Washington, Seattle or a Michael Vick-less Philadelphia team. The Giants are just weird that way.

      That said, New York has very few weaknesses. They finished dead last in rushing during the regular season but the duo of Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs looks much more potent now that at any time this year. When he protects the football, Eli is tough to beat and he has a trio of wide receivers in Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz and Mario Manningham that can win individual matchups in coverage. If the defense has a weakness, it’s in the secondary but the pass rush is so good that it masks the holes in the backfield. Yes, the Giants are a complete team.

      But let’s pay a little respect to the 49ers, who knocked off a team in the Saints that many people believed was unstoppable. Led by Justin Smith, Patrick Willis, NaVorro Bowman, Carlos Rogers and rookie Aldon Smith, the Niners don’t have many weaknesses defensively (if any). And while they don’t have as many weapons offensively as the Giants do, Frank Gore and Vernon Davis have proven that they can take over games this season.

      The Niners also have home field advantage and have already beaten the Giants once this season (27-20 in Week 10). So again, if the Giants think they’re going to breeze in and out of San Francisco on its way to Indianapolis, they better pause to re-focus. They’ll have to earn what they get this weekend.

      External Sports, NFL

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