Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants

Walker Minot

Both the Cowboys and the Giants have had up-and-down seasons, the Cowboys have blown several games they should have won, and the Giants went through a four game losing streak. For both teams, it all hinges on this game. Winner take all (all being the last NFC playoff spot).

In the previous matchup between the two teams the Cowboys blew a big lead with only five minutes left in the fourth quarter. It was a stunning combination of a Cowboy defense collapse and excellent play by Giants quarterback Eli Manning.

Statistically the Cowboys are superior to the Giants in rushing yards, opponent rushing, and opponent passing yards, with the Giants being marginally better in passing yards. These statistics don't have much value however because they haven't translated into many more wins for the Cowboys. What will decide this game is the X factor; what doesn't show up on the stat sheet.

The Giants have been coached for along time by Tom Coughlin. He has a well earned reputation as a stick-in-the-mud, but has also won a Super Bowl and experienced great success. Coughlin's quarterback, Eli Manning, has proven himself multiple times in tight situations, won a Super Bowl, and is having an excellent year. The Cowboys are led by first full year coach Jason Garrett and Tony Romo who, while having a great year, is coming off of a hand injury. These two duos are not equal.

As a lifelong Cowboy fan (following in the footsteps of Dad) my heart says the Cowboys will win, but everything I know about them and everything I know about the Giants says the Giants will win. Coughlin and Manning have proven themselves over and over, this might be Romo and Garrett's time, but until they lead a team to a win in a game like this I'm going to go with the coach and quarterback who have. For the sake of my dad's health however, I hope I'm wrong.

Giants: 31

Cowboys: 27

P.S. It's going to be really close, but the Cowboys defense is going to blow it.

Who Gets the NFC 2 Seed?

Andrew Tie

In the NFC, the Green Bay Packers are the only team to have locked in their seed for the conference. The battle for the #2 spot is up for grabs, however, between two 12-3 teams, the New Orleans Saints and the San Francisco 49ers. There's a lot at stake this week, and as the final week in the regular season, this should be a good week to sit back and watch some good football. Let's look at the two match-ups this week.

First, we have the Saints taking on the Carolina Panthers at home. Honestly, I think this could be a tricky game for the Saints if they aren't careful. The Panthers have been playing significantly better in recent weeks. Cam Newton has looked more comfortable in the pocket each week, plus he's already set the record for most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in a season. The Panthers have won four of their last five games, and he only threw two interceptions in those five weeks. Those two interceptions came in the loss, so he's played much better in the wins. While I do expect the Panthers to thrive offensively, I just can't see the Saints offense having too much trouble with the Panthers defense. They have been decimated by injuries this year, and the Saints have looked unstoppable with Drew Brees breaking Dan Marino's record for most passing yards in a season last week. Brees has thrown for over 5000 yards on the season, and he hasn't thrown for less than 300 yards in seven weeks. In those same seven weeks, the Saints have won every single game, and with a #2 NFC seed on the line, I believe the Saints will rise to the occasion for this division rivalry game.

New Orleans Saints 40
Carolina Panthers 27

Next, we have the San Francisco 49ers traveling to St. Louis to take on the St. Louis Rams. With the Rams' starting QB, Sam Bradford, doubtful for Sunday's game, the Rams will begin the game at a disadvantage without their leader. While 49ers QB Alex Smith hasn't played as well as Drew Brees this season, that's not what he's been asked to do. He's played well, not turning it over too often, and putting his team in a good position to win. I know, that sounds like Tim Tebow, but Smith actually has the ability to throw the ball well. Frank Gore has run the ball well, and Smith has been getting help from Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree recently. And it's not like the Rams are exactly good at defense. While they have the sixth best pass defense in the league, they have the worst run defense. I expect Gore to have a field day against the Rams. And I'm not sure what the Rams have to fight for. They're 2-13, and there are many rumors that Steve Spagnuolo won't return as head coach next year. The Rams just aren't a very good team this year, and the 49ers should have no problem getting the win.

San Francisco 49ers 34
St. Louis Rams 13

Embarrassing Loss for the Heels

Andrew Tie

Missouri 41
UNC 24

That was embarrassing. There's not much to say about this other than that. The Heels came out ready on offense, but the defense couldn't have been any worse. Like with every mobile quarterback they've faced in the past, the Heels couldn't contain the run, which led to big passes. Too often the Heels were giving up 8, 9 or 10 yards on 1st down. Rather than play their hearts out for each other and for Interim Coach Everett Withers, they looked timid, pathetic and more willing to protect their draft stock for the NFL. The only players that came to play were on the offense. Players like QB Bryn Renner, WR Jhay Boyd and WR Dwight Jones were some of the only players who looked like they wanted to be on the field. Though Jones had several missed catches and an extremely crazy interception off his back, he made several big plays.

Credit to Missouri and Gary Pinkel for their gameplan. They used James Franklin to completely expose the very soft bend, don't break defense that the Heels use. He ran all over, he passed all over, and when he wasn't doing either, the Heels were shooting themselves in the foot with turnovers. I'm going to choose to look to the future though. Larry Fedora is coming in next year, and he will bring a breath of fresh air to the program. With his energy, I fully expect the UNC program to turn around and become much more dynamic. The run-first spread offense that Fedora employs is not unlike the offense that Missouri used, and that offense looks exciting. Renner should excel in the passing game, and RB Gio Bernard should have another great year. Although this game was embarrassing and a particularly weak showing, I'm optimistic that next few years will be different and more exciting.

Who's Got The Power (Week 16)

Max Miceli


5. New England Patriots


   This week they didn't play up to their standards at all. At halftime they were down 17-0 to the Dolphins. If the Pats want to go anywhere in the playoffs, they won't be able to do that again, and they are going to need their defense to step up.
   They will probably get home field advantage in the AFC, and that will help them come playoff time. However, I can see them being forced out of the playoffs early. (and, yes, for the Patriots being beaten in the AFC championship game is considered an early exit)

4. Baltimore Ravens


   These guys find ways to play down to less opponents, and it could kill them in the playoffs. I'm not sure if they have too much of a chance to make it far in the playoffs, but they have a guy named Ray Rice that can change games like few other players.
   This team is good enough to beat just about any team in the league, but if they can't play up to their potential week to week in the playoffs, they won't get as far as they'd like to.

3. New Orleans Saints


   These guys are pretty good. They have a chance in the last game of the season to get a bye, but it's going to take a 49ers loss to get it. While I don't think they will get a bye, these guys will probably end up playing Atlanta, who they just destroyed, at home in the first round.
   These guys have a lot of offensive fire power, but their defense leaves a lot to be desired. If a team like San Fran can slow down the Saints offense and keep Brees off the field, the Saints will have trouble in playoffs.

2. San Francisco 49ers


   I really like these guys to go far in the playoffs. Their defense is spectacular, and everyone knows the saying. "Defense wins championships". That's what I think these guys have a chance to do. Frank Gore is an outstanding runner, and Alex Smith is beginning to final show that he did deserve to be a first round draft pick (he hasn't shown that he deserved to be the number one pick though).
   I see these guys making a deep run in the playoffs, and I think they will play my number 1 ranked team in the NFC championship game.

1. Green Bay Packers


   When these guys are on their game, no one can beat them. Aaron Rodgers is too good, and he has more weapons than the US military. These guys have a good chance of winning a second straight Super Bowl, but they are going to need to probably take on the Saints or the 49ers in order to get there.
   They have home field advantage throughout, and they proved that their loss last week was a fluke game by rocking the Bears 35-21 on Christmas night.

Win With Class Please

Max Miceli

With a little over two minutes left in a blow out in the Superdome, a team that was up by 22 points decided to throw the ball.
   Why would they do that?
because they wanted to break a record.
   Could they have set the record next week?
Yes.
   Was there a point in doing to this week?
Not really, they are playing at home next week so you can't say that he wanted to break it at home or anything.
   I feel as though this sums up the Saints season pretty well though. They are a high powered offensive team that likes to pad their stats in blowouts.
   You can make the case that they don't have a defense, but that's no reason to run up the score against a winless Colts team or pass the ball at the end of a game with a 22 point lead.
   Drew Brees deserved this record, but they did not need to force this. He has an entire game next week to break the record. There is no reason to try this hard to break the record. Dan Marino didn't do it when he set the record. Brees didn't need to do it tonight.
   I'm sorry, but this is a terrible show of sportsmanship. I feel as though this is pretty much saying, "kids, don't run up scores. Win with class... unless you are trying to break a record... Then do whatever the hell you want".
   That's just unacceptable.
Win with class guys.
   I might be going over board on this one, but I have really strong feelings about being a good sport. What happened tonight was not by any means being a good sport... at all.

Now that I have that off my chest we have some football to talk about.

   Brees's record breaking aside, the story of the night was a serious lack of efficiency by the Atlanta Falcons. Three times the Falcons were forced to kick field goals when they needed to score a touchdown. This was due to a 47% third down conversation rate. Though the Falcons showed glimpses of their potential, they were held back by going 8 for 17 on third down and 0 for 3 on fourth down.
   At the beginning of the game the Falcons seemed to be doing exactly what they needed to do. They drove right down the field on their first drive, but the Falcons offense got stopped up right around the 20 and were forced to kick a field goal.
   Despite Drew Brees throwing two interceptions, the Saints held the Falcons to 16 points, and when you are playing the Saints, 16 points isn't going to cut it.
   Even while the two picks, Brees cruised to 307 yards and four touchdowns leading the team to a 45-16 win.
   With the win the Saints have clinched the NFC South, but they are still fighting for the two seed and the bye. The San Francisco 49ers have an identical record to the Saints, and it the Saints want the bye, they will need to play hard next week against the young star Cam Newton's Panthers next week.

305 Yards

Max Miceli

   That is the number New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees needs to get through the air to beat Dan Marino's record for passing yards in a season, and based on how much the Saints pass, He should get that at least. While that's the story many are talking about, it's not the one I want to talk about.

   I'd rather talk about a match up between two teams that seem to play close. I want to talk about two teams who's last four games have been decided by a field goal. I want to talk about a great rivalry that will inevitably end tonight with either Matt Ryan or Drew Brees winning the game on a final drive (just like it always is). 

   When all is said and done tonight, either the Saints will have a division title or the Falcons will be a win and a Saints loss away from winning the NFC South. 

   So what's the breakdown you ask?

Saints Offense

   The Saints have been on fire all season long, and all Drew Brees and the passing game. The weapons are endless with Darren Sproles, Jimmy Graham, and Marques Colston, just to name a few. There is no doubt that Brees will get his yards and score some points, but it's going to be up to the Falcons to try to limit the Saints scoring. 

   The key is going to be quieting tight end Jimmy Graham who is having the season of his life right now and slowing down the speedster out of the back field Darren Sproles. 

   If the Falcons can do that, they will be one step closer to a possible division title. 

Falcons Offense

   "Run baby run!" is all I can say about this match up. Michael Turner has been on fire the last two times he has played the Saints in the Superdome with 265 yards on 50 carries with 2 touchdowns. This Saints team on average gives up roughly 110 yards rushing, and with a thousand yard rusher like Turner, the Falcons are going to pound the rock. 

   The Saints won't be able to simply load the box to stop Turner though because Falcons wide out Roddy White isn't all the bad himself. In the past 5 games White is averaging around 112 yards receiving, and in the last four games against the Saints, he has scored three times. 

   The Saints defense needs to play well if they want to keep guys like White and Turner from sucking the energy out of the Superdome. If they can get a turnover early and make the Falcons play form behind on the road, I see the Falcons having a tough time coming back. 

   let's get real though. This game is going to be tight, and it's pretty much a toss up. You could take the Saints with home field advantage, or you could take the Falcons who are motivated to keep Brees form breaking a record on their watch. 

   In the end I see this coming close as always, but I like the Falcons with their running game and quick receivers.

Falcons       31

Saints         28

Recap of Christmas Day NBA Games

Andrew Tie

Yesterday was a good day. Yes, it was Christmas, and that meant presents, but there was something else: the NBA is back. After an offseason that included an ugly lockout dispute and recent roster changes, it's good to getting back to just basketball. There were five games yesterday, and it was just terrific to sit back and watch some NBA basketball again.

New York Knicks 106
Boston Celtics 104

Obviously in order to judge this game fairly, we must remember that Paul Pierce sat out with an injury, and the Celtics's replacement Sasha Pavlovic really has no reason to be starting anywhere. But this was a great game; although it looked like the Knicks were going to keep the Celtics away early on, the Celtics made a comeback in the second half. I was surprised by Brandon Bass who, so far at least, seems like an upgrade over Glen Davis. He had 20 Pts and 11 Reb, his first 20 and 10 game of his career. Of course, Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett have done what they have for their entire careers, and that's produce. But the NBA is a star-driven league, and there was simply too much Carmelo Anthony for the Celtics to handle. Anthony finished with 37 Pts and 8 Reb, including some clutch shots at the end of the 4th quarter. I'm wary of the Knicks's ability to go deep into the playoffs this season because of their bench. I'm just not sure the bench has the ability to seriously contend for the Eastern Conference championship. But that's for another time - for now, the Knicks look like a solid team that should easily be a top four seed come playoff time, just as the Celtics should.

Miami Heat 105
Dallas Mavericks 94

Simply put, the Mavericks didn't come out ready to beat the Heat. Obviously the Heat were more motivated considering the Mavericks were celebrating last season's championship at the beginning of the game. But this Mavericks team is completely different from last year's team. Tyson Chandler is gone, meaning Brendan Haywood is the starting center. They've lost guards DeShawn Stevenson, Caron Butler and JJ Barea. To replace them, they brought in Lamar Odom (who is good), Vince Carter (past his prime) and Delonte West (a decent guard, but West probably won't be any better than Barea). The Heat looked great, though. They played tough defense, created turnovers and got out on the fast break, which is exactly what they want. LeBron James looked like the monster that he is, and Dwyane Wade played just as well. I'm expecting the Heat to win the East and make the finals again. The Mavericks, though; I'm just not sure they'll be able to be a top four seed in the West.

Chicago Bulls 88
Los Angeles Lakers 87

THIS WAS A GREAT GAME, and Derrick Rose showed why he's the reigning MVP. Though it looked like the Lakers were going to win this game, the Bulls kept at it and got the ball in the hands of Rose for their final possession. Though the Bulls look like a little lost without Rose on the court, he's nearly unstoppable when he's playing. Rose, Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer all had great games, but that's to be expected. More will be needed from Rip Hamilton in order for the Bulls to challenge the Heat. He finished the game with a dismal 6 Pts and 5 fouls. But as soon as the Bulls got the ball and gave it to Rose, I said to myself, "it's going in." There was just the sense that nothing would stop Rose. While the Lakers did play a good game and probably should have won, I'm still a little worried. Mike Brown is a good coach, but he's no Phil Jackson. And while Kobe Bryant is still there and Pau Gasol, they need some help after shipping off Lamar Odom. Derek Fisher is too old now to compete with elite point guards in the league, and it's a problem when the power forward spot is manned by Josh McRoberts and Troy Murphy. I'm not sure the Lakers will be a top four seed in the West when it's all said and done, but the Bulls will easily be top four in the East.

Oklahoma City Thunder 97
Orlando Magic 89

Dwight Howard didn't have a typical Dwight Howard game. He ended the game with only 11 Pts and 15 Reb, but here was a surprise - Ryan Anderson. He had 25 Pts and 10 Reb, and if he keeps this up, it'll keep the Magic at a high level for this year. But this is all about the Thunder. They looked just like the favorites in the West that they have been projected to be. Kevin Durant had 30 Pts and should be the leading candidate for the scoring champion again this season. Russell Westbrook and James Harden also had great games and should be great complements for Durant. I'm just not sure who in the league or in the West will be able to compete with the energy, talent and chemistry that the Thunder have. They're flashy, but they're also just really good. Durant is a special player and nearly unstoppable. Westbrook is going to be an all-star this year, and Harden would start on most teams other than the Thunder. Expect them to be the top seed in the West. The Magic, however, will make the playoffs, but I can't imagine they'll be a top four seed.

Los Angeles Clippers 105
Golden State Warriors 86

Wow. What a game. During the first half, the game was tight and low scoring. But the Clippers started to open it up in the second half and show why they should be one of the most exciting teams in the league. I'm predicting the Clippers to have their ups and downs just like the Heat did last year, but the Clippers are much more complete than the Heat are; they just don't have the sheer talent that the Heat do. With Chris Paul, Chauncey Billups and Blake Griffin all getting 20+ Pts, they have a "Big 3" that should rival the Celtics and the Heat. I'm expecting Griffin to break out this year and be a serious candidate for MVP, but one main competitor might be Paul. In the 4th quarter, Paul took over the game and made clutch shot after clutch shot. It's funny that on a team with a guy known for big shots in Billups, Paul is the one taking and making those shots. The Warriors looked solid, but they were overmatched by Griffin down low and at the guard spots with Paul and Billups. The Clippers should be a top four seed in the West, and the Warriors might have a chance for a lower seed.

By the way, here are my projections for the playoffs this year.

Eastern Conference
1. Miami Heat
2. Chicago Bulls
3. Boston Celtics
4. New York Knicks
5. Atlanta Hawks
6. Orlando Magic
7. Indiana Pacers
8. Philadelphia 76ers

Western Conference
1. Oklahoma City Thunder
2. San Antonio Spurs
3. Los Angeles Clippers
4. Denver Nuggets
5. Dallas Mavericks
6. Los Angeles Lakers
7. Portland Trail Blazers
8. Minnesota Timberwolves

UNC-Missouri Independence Bowl Preview

Andrew Tie

Just a quick preview for the game today at 5 PM in Shreveport, LA. Here's what to watch for.

For the Tar Heels, watch out for WR Dwight Jones, LB Zach Brown, S Tre Boston and K Thomas Moore. Being his last game, I expect Jones to be ready for the challenge. He should have a last game that mirrors Hakeem Nicks's last game as a Tar Heel a few years ago. If Jones gets over 100 yards and multiple touchdowns, don't be surprised. Brown has been unstoppable this year as the leading tackler for the Heels. Boston leads the team with three interceptions on the season, and I expect him to be a ballhawk today. He played better toward the end of the season, so I'm expecting that to continue today. Moore is a wildcard. With the weather forecast predicting rain, Moore might have more trouble hitting field goals, and those kicks could be crucial in determining the outcome.

For the Tigers, watch out for QB James Franklin. Franklin leads the Tigers's high-octane spread offense, and as a dual-threat quarterback, the Heels must focus on making him one dimensional if they want to win. Franklin has 33 total touchdowns on the season and could be absolutely lethal. Given the Heels's history of struggling with dual-threat quarterbacks like Russell Wilson, Franklin could be a nightmare. Though the Tigers spread out the defense, they still run a lot. The Heels haven't been as strong against the run as they should have been this whole season, so if they need to limit Franklin on the ground.

I'll be back for some post-game analysis on this game. Though I'm a little biased, I do think the Heels have a good shot, but it'll be close.

Tar Heels 28
Tigers 24

Bears at Packers Preview

Walker Minot

As a special Christmas miracle, we have the Chicago Bears matched up tonight against the Green Bay Packers.

The Packers are the odds on favorite to win the Super Bowl, the loss of Greg Jennings having barely slowed them down. Aaron Rodgers is having a historic season and the Green Bay offense is hard to stop. The defense, however is vulnerable, giving up a lot of yards both through the air and on the ground. Despite the Packers' weaknesses, the Bears will be unable to win this one. Anytime Josh McCown is your starting quarterback it will be tough to pull out the victory. Add the fact that star running back Matt Forte and leading wideout Johnny Knox are also injured, and you have an anemic Bears offense, ill-suited to score more than 20 points. The Packers have scored fewer than 24 points this year only once, and the offense should carry them to the W.

Before the Bears' injuries to Cutler, Forte, and Knox, this game could have been very exciting. The Packers were going for the perfect season and the Bears for a playoff spot. What we have instead is the imperfect Packers, with little reason left to play during the regular season, and the shorthanded Bears, not likely to make the postseason and without their three best offensive players.

The only chance the Bears have of winning this game is if Aaron Rodgers and other Green Bay starters don't play the whole game. I have a feeling though that coach Mike McCarthy will go for the win in front of the home town fans against the rival Bears. If the Packers go all out, the Bears don't stand a chance.

Packers: 31

Bears: 10

Week 16 Predictions

                                                  Max            Walker          Andrew

Browns @ Ravens                 Ravens           Ravens         Ravens

Broncos @ Bills                     Broncos         Broncos        Broncos

Buccaneers @ Panthers          Panthers         Panthers        Panthers

Cardinals @ Bengals              Bengals          Bengals         Bengals

Raiders @ Chiefs                    Raiders           Raiders         Chiefs

Dolphins @ Patriots                Patriots           Patriots          Patriots

Giants @ Jets                          Jets                 Giants            Jets

Rams @ Steelers                     Rams              Steelers          Steelers

Jaguars @ Titans                    Titans              Jaguars           Titans

Vikings @ Redskins              Vikings            Vikings          Vikings

Chargers @ Lions                  Lions                Chargers         Lions

Eagles @ Cowboys                Eagles              Cowboys        Eagles

49ers @ Seahawks                 49ers                 Seahawks       Seahawks

Bears @ Packers                     Packers             Packers           Packers

Falcons @ Saints                    Falcons              Saints              Saints

Chargers-Lions Preview

Andrew Tie

The Lions are in a position they haven't been in for over a decade: they could clinch a playoff berth with a win today. The 9-5 Lions will be hosting the 7-7 Chargers later today in a matchup that should be close. I fully expect a back and forth game that will be decided by one possession at the end of the game.

Looking at statistics, they are pretty close. Detroit scores on average 28.2 points per game, while San Diego averages 25.6; the Lions give up 23.7 points per game, while San Diego gives up 22.4. Both Matthew Stafford and Phillip Rivers have topped 4,000 passing yards on the season. But here's what to look for. Chargers WR Vincent Jackson's status is unknown for this afternoon's game. He didn't practice all week, and if he isn't ready, I think this seriously hurts the Chargers's offense. After all, he does have 1,036 yards on the season. Where the Chargers can counteract a potential loss in passing is their rushing offense. They boast a strong 1-2 punch in Ryan Mathews and Mike Tolbert. Combined, they have rushed for 1,458 yards and 13 touchdowns. I would expect the Chargers to rely heavily on Mathews if Jackson is out for today. On the Lions' side, who else would you look for than Calvin Johnson? This isn't anything new, but he's the best wide receiver in the game today. He's a beast, and I expect him to have a big day again.

Match-ups to watch:

Ryan Mathews vs. Lions's Run Defense

The Lions give up 135.8 yards per game on the ground, one of the best ratings in the league. I know the Lions are better at pass coverage with great pass rushers such as Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairley and Kyle Van den Bosch, but still. If the Lions want to make the playoffs, they better be prepared to stop Mathews, who is averaging 113.3 ypg in the last four weeks. I expect Mathews to find the endzone at least once today, and look for Mike Tolbert as a weapon in the passing game.

Matthew Stafford vs. Chargers's Pass Defense

Stafford has really emerged this season as one of the better quarterbacks in the league. Unlike the previous two seasons, he has stayed healthy thus far. He's been on a tear the past three weeks, passing for 342 ypg with a 7:1 TD-INT ratio. That's sick. It gets interesting here because the Chargers have the sixth best defense in passing ypg with just 201.5 ypg. Something's got to give.

Overall, this should be a great game to watch. There will be big plays by both offenses and both defenses. I expect Mathews to win his matchup and Stafford to win his. Given that the game is in Detroit and the fact that the Lions have a chance to reach the playoffs for the first time since 1999, I expect the Lions to rise to the occasion.

Lions 27
Chargers 21

The Battle For New York

 Max Miceli

   Tomorrow the war of words that seems to manifest itself before every New York Jets game will end (hopefully), and a fight for New York will ensue.
   Both the New York Giants and the New York Jets are looking to make a move towards the playoffs Saturday in New York, but it's not going to be too good for one of the teams. With two games left, the Jets and Giants simply need to "win baby win" as only Al Davis can put it. They both control their own destiny.
   In a game that pits New York against itself, you can imagine the media that has surrounded the matchup. I could talk for a while about the trash talk going on, but I want to focus on something Victor Cruz said about Darrelle Revis.

Cruz said, "Teams aren't really scared anymore."

Revis responded, "The only thing I remember about this guy is preseason."

   I think it may be appropriate to give Cruz a little bit of advice.
           Don't mess with Revis.
    I'm sure you have heard of a little place called Revis Island, but you aren't even good enough to be considered for an invitation. You have a lot of work before you will even get a chance to get locked down by  Revis. So this weekend when you are wondering why your teammates aren't catching passes, remember they are playing against the great cover man in league since Deion Sander and Dick "Night Train" Lane.
   Because of Cruz's trash talk, watch for Revis to have a big (-ger) game (than usual). My suggestion to Giants quarterback Eli Manning is "don't throw to Revis... EVER". It can only end poorly.
   No question, both teams haven't had the seasons everyone expected them to have, but it seems as though the Jets already have the Giants playing their game with all the trash talk going on.
   Since they lost last week to the Redskins pretty embarrassingly, I don't really see them showing up this week either.

   I have the Jets winning this game.


Jets        24
Giants   10

 

'Twas the Afternoon Before Christmas (Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys Preview)

Walker Minot

This Sunday is Christmas (obviously). Only a Bears-Packers game is holy enough for such a day, so for this week the normal onslaught of NFL games has been moved to Saturday. One such game is a 4:15 ET NFC East showdown in Dallas between two fierce rivals: the 8-6 Dallas Cowboys and the 6-8 Philadelphia Eagles.

The Cowboys have enjoyed a season that is typical of their work the last six years. They are a team with great talent, but for a variety of reasons they have not been able to put it together into a consistent string of wins throughout the season and the playoffs. Steadiness and continuity have been lacking. This year five of Dallas' six losses were by six points or less. The much maligned Cowboy quarterback Tony Romo blew two games against the New York Jets and Detroit Lions with crucial interceptions, and the defense/special teams blew games against the New England Patriots, Arizona Cardinals, and last week against the New York Giants with opposing teams putting together game-winning drives, and the field goal unit botching kicks.

Despite all this, the Cowboys have an excellent chance at making the playoffs. They are currently leading the NFC East and their fate is in their hands with this game against the Eagles, and the regular season finale against the Giants. If the Cowboys make the playoffs they will have earned it, but if they don't, they will have thoroughly blown it.

The Philadelphia Eagles have experienced a season similar in its lack of consistency, but much worse in its potential outcome. Predicted by many to be the 2012 Super Bowl champions, they have felt the sting of fanatical Philly fan criticism and a satirical skewering by The Onion. Barring an incredible finish, they are out of playoff contention and their beautifully moustached coach, Andy Reid, is in trouble. On the field the Eagles are having a Cowboyish season. They have incredible talent at many positions, but have lacked consistency and focus. The most tantalizing game of the year was the 34-7 beatdown they gave the Cowboys in Week 8 (the only Cowboy loss this season by over six points). Anyone who watched that game was lucky enough to have seen football at its finest; the Eagles were firing on all cylinders. Michael Vick was a fantasy owners' dream, LeSean McCoy found holes with every run, and the defense stuffed the Cowboys absolutely. Playing like they did on that night, the Eagles could have beaten anyone in the league.

The fact is, the Eagles have not played like that all year, if they had they would be still be the favorite to win it all. Vick has had painful rib injuries, causing him to miss games and making him noticeably slower than previous years. The team has not been able to put all their talent together, and at this point, it is most likely too late.

Despite Tony Romo's failings, he is a good quarterback. He holds the Cowboys single season record for passing yards in a season, and is having a career year. His passer rating this season sits at 102.6, fourth behind such Super Bowl QBs as Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, and Tom Brady. Romo also has skilled receivers Miles Austin, Dez Bryant, Laurent Robinson, and tight end Jason Witten to throw to. The Eagles defense will not be able to stand up, on the road, to this offense gunning for a playoff spot. When the Cowboys have lost this season, almost always it has been due to lapses in the secondary. The Eagles' offensive style trends more towards the ground (the Cowboys' strength) and is less suited to exploit the Cowboys' secondary weaknesses via the pass. QB Michael Vick and running back LeSean McCoy will come out hard, but the Cowboys have a good run defense that will prevent them from getting too far running the ball.

Both teams will score plenty of points, but the Cowboys' offense, even without starting running back DeMarco Murray and possibly backup Felix Jones, is better. Vick will be chased around by an angry DeMarcus Ware (whose two penalties helped blow last weeks' game), and McCoy will be contained by a defense determined to make up for the embarrassment of the last Cowboy-Eagle game.

Cowboys: 34

Eagles: 24

Preview the Posters from UNC-Texas

Andrew Tie

The No. 5 UNC Tar Heels defeated the Texas Longhorns 82-63 Wednesday night in Chapel Hill, N.C. The Heels played a very solid game with Harrison Barnes leading the way with 26 points and 10 rebounds. Contributions came elsewhere with double digit efforts coming from John Henson and Reggie Bullock. Kendall Marshall continued to play at a high rate, dishing out nine assists, and Tyler Zeller grabbed 11 boards. The game was just a solid showing by the Heels offensively, shooting 44.4% from the field and 42.9% from deep, and defensively, holding the Longhorns to just 34.8% from the field and 36% from deep. More good news for the Heels was their free throw shooting. They have been plagued by poor shooting in recent games, but they focused this game to hit 74.2% of their free throw attempts.

So the game aside, there were two amazing posterizations from the first half. The first is courtesy of Dexter Strickland, and the second is courtesy of PJ Hairston. Enjoy.

Not On The Clock Quite Yet

Max Miceli

Colts     19
Texans  16


That's what the Colts are saying after winning a Thursday Night Football game at Lucas Oil Stadium to improve their winning streak to two.
   With 24 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Colts fans were torn between rooting for the #1 overall draft pick and a win against a rival they had never lost against before at home. Even though before the game owner of the Colts Jim Irsay said that he "wouldn't hesitate" to take a great quarterback early in the draft, the Colts didn't play like they wanted Andrew Luck joining their team next year.
   On the Colts last drive of the game, Houston penalties put Indianapolis within five yards of the goal line, and star wide out Reggie Wayne took the game into his own hands from there. All week long Reggie told the Colts quarterback Dan Orlovsky to "throw left", and that's exactly what Dan did. Reggie caught a game winning pass that improved Indy's record to 2-13.
   This puts a lot into question though.
   With the Colts 2-13, who is going to get Andrew Luck in April?

Here is all you need to know about the Colts status with the #1 overall pick in the draft:

If the Colts lose against Jaguars next week, they will officially on the clock.
If the Rams and Vikings win either of their two games left, the Colts will get the pick.

So what did this game show us?
   The Colts haven't quit. This Indianapolis team has shown a lot of heart by playing hard despite being 0-13 through week 14. This two game win streak has shown that Jim Caldwell hasn't given up on his players, and his players are returning the favor. Unfortunately this may just lose them Andrew Luck.
   This game also proved to us that the Texans are by no means ready for the playoffs at all. If they want to have any chance to win in the playoffs they, are going to need to get their star receiver Andre Johnson healthy, and even then, without Matt Schaub playing quarterback, they don't have much of a chance to make a deep run into the playoffs.

Thursday Night Football! YAY!

Max Miceli


... Except not really.

   When I first heard about the idea of Thursday Night Football a few years back, I was so excited to have another night that I could watch football. After putting up with years of horrendous meaningless games, I'm about done with this crapfest called TNF. T.G.I.T? more like thank god not everyone has the NFL network.
   Tonight is probably a new low for TNF. The one win Indianapolis Colts are playing the Yates led Houston Texans.
   While the Colts finally got there first win last week, the Texans proved how bad they can be by getting thoroughly beat down by Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers.
   We can't get too upset with the Texans for losing that game though. They were missing there best player on offense there best player on defense and their starting quarterback. With Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson, and Mario Williams out, the Texans were missing some of those important pieces to the team on both offense and defense.
   Now I can't talk about a Texans game without giving love to a UNC alum T.J. Yates. With Schaub out, Yates is getting his opportunity to strut his stuff in the NFL, but he hasn't had too much luck. In three starts, he has three interceptions, ten sacks, and two lost fumbles with a passer rating of 75.5, but he won't have to do much more than hand off the ball tonight against the Colts.
   In a game that will pit a thousand yard rusher, Arian Foster, against a defense that gives up an average of 138.7 rushing yards per game, it doesn't seem as though the Colts low scoring Peyton-less offense will have much of a chance.
   As a Colts fan, it kills me, but I guess I have been spoiled with a decade of Peyton Manning. However, I think the Texans win this one with ease. The sole reason is the running the Texans have and the lack of offensive production for the Colts.

Texans    28
Colts       13

Hello Blogging World

My Name is Max Miceli, and along with my friends and classmates Andrew and Walker, I'm going to be blogging about the NFL, MLB, NBA, and UNC Tar Heel sports. We are starting soon so be ready to get the low down in opinion on all your favorite professional sports and UNC Tar Heel Teams.