Tag: AFC Playoff Picture (Page 4 of 5)

      The Cardinals will be one and done come postseason

      December 21, 2008 /

      Ken WhisenhuntThere are three things in life that we can all count on right now: Death, taxes and the Arizona Cardinals not making a Super Bowl appearance this season.

      How could anyone outside of their fan base truly believe that the Cardinals are anything more than a team that will quietly exit in the first or second round of the postseason? They might win Wild Card week because they’ll play at home, but forget this team beating any opponent on the road. They won’t win in Carolina, New York, Minnesota or Timbuktu. They don’t have a chance – forgetaboutit.

      The past two weeks have been an absolute embarrassment for Arizona. Two weeks ago they made Tarvaris Jackson look like Joe Namath and then on Sunday they made the New England Patriots look like the 1972 Miami Dolphins. They could have made a statement on Sunday in Foxboro. Instead, they got off the bus, saw how bad the conditions were and decided to mentally check out for four quarters.

      I realize the Patriots have had a tad more experience playing in a snowstorm than Arizona has. But New England’s 47-7 smack down was less about weather experience and more about a Cardinals team that has given up since they clinched the NFC West three weeks ago. They dropped passes, they missed tackles and they flat out gave up after the Patriots took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.

      Cardinal fans have suffered enough throughout the years, so they deserve to finally see a winner. But the fact of the matter is that this team received no challenge in the NFC West this season and that has left them unprepared heading into the postseason. Explosive passing game or not, the Cards’ confidence is shattered right now and whichever team draws them in the first round is getting a great matchup.

      As of right now, Arizona simply is a team that is just satisfied to say it made the playoffs.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Galloway: Jerry Jones should fire himself

      December 21, 2008 /

      Following their 33-24 loss to the Baltimore Ravens Saturday night in Dallas, Star-Telegram columnist Randy Galloway writes that Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones should fire himself.

      Wade PhillipsThen again, Jerry Jones is the dumbest general manager in the history of football, and there he was, postgame on Saturday, proclaiming he has no plans, no matter what, to fire Wade. See, it’s real hard to find good puppets these days.

      But please remember that much has changed in the 11 barren postseason years, including five head coaches.

      The one and only survivor of this Titanic?

      Our captain of the ship, general manager Jones. Why won’t this failure fire himself? No other GM in the league could survive this kind of ineptness, unless, of course, the team owner was in a coma. Now there’s a thought.

      Not once, but twice, when Romo had cut the Ravens lead to two points in the last four minutes, the defense caved like a sand tunnel at high tide. Pathetic.

      Any defensive coordinator should be fired on the spot. That’s you, right Wade?

      Phillips had a run blitz called when Willis McGahee burst up the middle, untouched, for a 77-yard touchdown.

      Phillips had a run blitz called when lumbering Le’Ron McClain started outside, broke a tackle at the line of scrimmage, broke two more five yards later, and then just kept running. He stopped in the end zone, 82 yards later.

      The comeback was over. The season is all but over. And Wade should be over and out. But Jerry is, as always, football stupid. Nothing can ever change that.

      I realize Phillips will take the heat because it was him who made the defensive play calls in the fourth quarter that eventually sunk the Cowboys. But it’s not Wade’s fault that multiple players missed multiple tackles on those two plays. All coaches can do is put their players in position to succeed and then it’s up to the players to execute.

      That said, it’s hard to argue with Galloway that something has to be done with Phillips and/or Jones. This Dallas team is on the verge of missing the postseason despite having some of the best talent in the NFC. Somebody has to be held accountable.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      NFL Week 16 Primer Late Games

      December 19, 2008 /

      Here’s a quick Week 16 preview for all of the late games with playoff implications in the NFL this week:

      Tarvaris JacksonFalcons at Vikings, 4:15PM ET
      Who would have thought this game would have so much meaning when the season started? Minnesota needs just one more victory to win the NFC North and put the Chicago Bears out of their misery. They’ll start Tarvaris Jackson again at quarterback this week as Gus Frerotte continues to recovery from a back injury. With a lot of help from Adrian Peterson and the running game, Jackson has been absolutely outstanding since subbing for Frerotte two weeks ago and has thrown five touchdown passes in the last six quarters. The Vikings’ defense took a hit this week when it was discovered that run-stuffer Pat Williams would miss the next 2-6 weeks due to injury. That should help Michael Turner and the Falcons’ dynamic running game stay on track, although they’ll still need a huge contribution from rookie quarterback Matt Ryan, who struggled last week against Tampa. Atlanta needs to win out and hope Dallas or Tampa lose one of their two remaining games. And considering they host the Rams next week, their playoff hopes may reside in beating the Vikings. Can the Falcons’ defense contain Peterson and force Jackson to beat them through the air? Or will the Vikings continue to build momentum as they make a playoff push?

      Jets at Seahawks, 4:05PM ET CBS
      The Jets are clinging to a slim lead in the AFC East as they currently hold tie-breakers over the Dolphins and Patriots in the division. However, they’re 0-3 on the West Coast this year and a trip to Seattle is never fun for any team come December. This game will also mark Mike Holmgren’s final home game, so you can expect the Seahawks to be ready to play. Still, this is a team the Jets should beat, especially if they consider themselves a legit playoff squad. Seattle’s defense has been brutal this year and as long as Brett Favre can keep from turning the ball over, NY should come up with a big road win.

      Bills at Broncos, 4:05PM ET CBS
      All the Broncos have to do is win and they clinch the AFC West crown. They won’t have the fortune of facing J.P. Losman, though, as Trent Edwards will resume his starting quarterback duties after missing the past couple weeks due to injury. Denver has been consistently inconsistent this season, especially at home where they currently post a 4-3 record. Buffalo is a disaster, but they did give the Jets a game last week at the Meadowlands and Edwards might (emphasis on might) give the offense a boost. But as long as Denver’s run defense can contain Marshawn Lynch, they should (emphasis on should) be fine.

      Eagles at Redskins, 4:15PM ET FOX
      The Redskins were officially eliminated from playoff contention last week after an embarrassing loss to the Bengals but you’re crazy if you don’t think they would love to play spoiler. Led by quarterback Donovan McNabb and a stingy defense, the Eagles have played inspired football over the past month and proved two weeks ago in New York that they could win a huge road game. Philly needs to win their final two games to have a shot at a postseason berth and it won’t come easy. After playing in Washington this Sunday, they host the Cowboys next week, who will also be fighting for their playoff lives. If Jim Zorn continues to play things tight to the vest with his play calling, Philly defensive coordinator Jim Johnson might have a field day calling blitzes and confusing quarterback Jason Campbell. But first and foremost, the Eagles have to stop the run or else the passing game will open up and it might allow Zorn to get more creative than he has been of late. Washington’s defense has been solid all year but can anyone slow down McNabb and Brian Westbrook? As long as the Redskins are motivated to ruin the Eagles’ postseason dreams, this should be a great game.

      Panthers at Giants, 8:15PM NBC
      The battle for the No. 1 seed in the NFC is on the line this week in East Rutherford as the G-Men host the suddenly Super Bowl-caliber Panthers. These are two teams heading in opposite directions as the Giants have lost two straight while Carolina is winners of two in a row. The Panthers have been dominating opponents with their running game over the past two weeks, but they’ll get a huge test this Sunday against a stingy New York front seven. Still, the Giants’ offense has struggled without Plaxico Burress and a healthy Brandon Jacobs, so losing three in a row isn’t out of the question. They need to do a better job of protecting Eli Manning or else the road to the Super Bowl in the NFC will run through Carolina this year. Jacobs is expected to play so that should help, but it remains to be seen how effective he’ll be. And can anyone stop the Panthers’ Steve Smith?

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      NFL Week 15 Speed Read: Talkin’ Colts, Dolphins, Herm Edwards and more

      December 14, 2008 /

      Here are some quick-hit thoughts from the early games in Week 15:

      Peyton Manning– The Indianapolis Colts might be the most dangerous team in the AFC right now and nobody is talking about them. They’re 10-4, have won seven in a row after beating the lowly Lions on Sunday, and Peyton Manning has thrown four touchdowns to zero interceptions the last two games. That said, they need to get healthier on defense – and fast. They won’t go very far in the postseason without Bob Sanders, especially considering they’ll be playing on the road the entire time.

      – Not that they’ve played any explosive offenses of late, but how good has the Miami Dolphins’ defense been the past three weeks? They’ve allowed just 24 total points in their last three games and haven’t allowed a touchdown in 12 consecutive quarters. That’s impressive, I don’t care who they’ve played during that stretch.

      – Herman Edwards should take his own advice. You play the game to win, Herm? How about going for it on one of the multiple fourth and one’s your team faced on Sunday? Seriously your team is 2-12 – grow some nuggets and take some chances.

      – I know they did it against the Chiefs, but the Chargers come-from-behind win on Sunday was amazing. Even though San Diego’s season has been a massive disappointment, that’s one game you look back on as a fan and just say, “Damn that was fun to watch.”

      – Stick a fork in the Redskins – they’re done. You can’t be considered a legitimate playoff threat when you lose to a previously two-win Bengals team. What’s amazing is that this team was once 6-2 and everyone couldn’t help but to look ahead and see that they had a very manageable rest of the season. So much for that as they’ve now lost five of their last six games.

      – Does anyone else think Seneca Wallace can start in this league? I for one think Matt Hasselbeck still has some game left in him, but Wallace has been pretty good after getting the opportunity to play more regularly this year. He has eight touchdown passes and only one interception this season. Maybe he deserves a shot to be a full-time starter next year.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      AFC East wide open after Pats, Dolphins win

      December 7, 2008 /

      Miami DolphinsWith the Jets’ 24-14 loss to the 49ers coupled with the Dolphins’ 16-3 win over the Bills and the Patriots’ narrow 24-21 victory over the Seahawks, the AFC East is now up for grabs with all three teams sitting at 8-5.

      If the season ended today, the Jets would still claim first place because they have the best division record at 3-1. But they currently have the same conference record as the Dolphins do at 6-4 and the Jets still have to play Miami and Buffalo, although both games are at home.

      Even though they’re still technically in the best shape, the Jets have just suffered two ugly defeats. Miami has won six of their last seven games and arguably has the easiest remaining schedule as they host the 49ers next week before finishing at the Chiefs and Jets to end the season. New England’s remaining schedule isn’t too daunting either, as the Pats travel to Oakland next week, host the Cardinals in Week 16 and end the season at Buffalo.

      It’s amazing to think that this division is so wide open given that just three weeks ago many were talking about the Jets being a possible Super Bowl contender after they beat the Titans. Granted, all of that talk was incredibly premature, but it’s crazy to think that a Tom Brady-less Patriots and a Dolphins team coming off a 1-15 season have just as much of a chance to win the division as a Jets team that looked like world beaters just two weeks ago.

      Comment fodder: Who wins the division? None of the three teams have a very difficult schedule, so it might come down to home field advantage. The Jets have two more home games left, while the Pats and Dolphins each have one apiece. I still think New York wins the AFC East, but it’s going to be interesting over the next three weeks.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

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