UNC's Clash With The Titans (Men's Lacrosse)

Max Miceli

Well... it was interesting for a little while.

   With Carolina playing very sloppy ball early in the game at Fetzer field Saturday, Detroit was given an opportunity to make it a game, and for about a quarter it was.
   Jimmy Dunster opened the game with it's first goal about 2 minutes in, but the Titans responded quickly with a goal just about a minute later.
   While the Titans never had the lead early, they did tie up the game at 2-2 with 8:21 proving that they were ready to play ball. Having early success wasn't enough however, and despite the early sloppy play, Carolina began to pull away.
   In the final two minutes of the first quarter, it rained goals for the Tar Heels. After a great ride by Joey Saneky, UNC got the ball off a turnover, and rewarded Sankey with a scoring opportunity that he immediately capitalized on. Following the Sankey one man show, Davey Emala scored off an assist by Marcus Holman and drew a penalty.
   In the extra man offense, Pat Foster scored with 22 seconds left, giving UNC a 5-2 lead at the end of what was overall a pretty bad quarter.

   From that point on, it was all UNC however. To began the second quarter Emala gave Sankey his second goal off of a cross crease feed, and the slaughter ensued. The UNC defense tighten up, and UNC began to dominate possession.
   The Final score was 18-8, but it wasn't even that close to be honest. Three of the Titan goals were in the last three minutes without starting goalie Steven Rastivo in the game and most of the other starters out as well.

Analysis

  Overall it a solid performance for the Tar Heels. Scoring was spread out among a lot of guys, as you would expect out of a team with all the offensive talent we have. I was particularly impressed with the great play by the young guns again. Joey Sankey, Jimmy Bitter, and Chad Tutton had two goals a piece, and Tutton and Sankey had three goals between the two of them.
   After giving up two goals early, the defense only gave up three goals before garbage time. Rastivo had a decent game, but it wasn't that great. He had 8 saves (13 shots on goal) in 45 minutes of play.
   Somehow I always forget to mention this, but R.G. Keenan was fantastic as usual winning 16-18 face-offs. I guess I'm just used to him being insanely good.


STARTERS


ATTACK
Pat Foster
Joey Sankey
Marcus Holman

MIDFIELD
Jimmy Dunster
Duncan Hutchins
Davey Emala

DEFENSE
Jordan Smith
Kieran McDonald
Logan Corey

GOALIE
Steven Rastivo




UNC SCORING

GOALS
Pat Foster 2
Marcus Holman 2
Joey Sankey 2
Jimmy Dunster 3
Davey Emala 1
T.J. Kemp 1
Ryan Creighton 2
Jimmy Bitter 2
Jack McBride 1
Chad Tutton 2

ASSISTS
Pat Foster 1
Marcus Holman 2
Joey Sankey 1
Davey Emala 2
Will Campbell 2
Walker Chafee 1
Matt Shannon 1
Chad Tutton 2

No Chance (UNC v. Mercer Lacrosse Recap)

Max Miceli

   So we had the same starters as we did yesterday. If you want to see the starters just check out my post from yesterday.

   Today UNC played their second game in two days down in Georgia to open the season against Mercer, and it wasn't even close. Led by a real Tar Heel Trio of freshman, the Heels dominated the game from the start and won the game 20-7.
   With three goals and three assists by Joey Sankey (freshman attackman), Three goals accompanied with an assist by Chad Tutton (freshman middie), and two goals with two assists by Jimmy Bitter (freshman attackman), UNC's freshman class put on a show down in Georgia against a helpless Mercer team.
   To be honest they really didn't have too much of a chance from the start. UNC started the game scoring seven points in the first quarter.
   If there are any concerns about this game from the Tar Heel point of view, they would have to be about the defenses inability to limit the Bears to fewer goals.
   With that being said, Steven Rastivo was taken out at halftime, as were other starters. (as you would expect to happen with an 11-4 lead at half).
 

   In summary, This weekend was great for UNC lax. Our freshies stepped up, and so did our transfers Davey Emala and Jack McBride. Once Nicky Galasso comes back, the Heels may very well be unstoppable offensively as many experts expect, including ESPN's Quint Kessenich who put UNC as having the best attack in the nation.
   So Tar Heel Lax fans, Great start to the season. 2-0 is never a bad start, and mad props to Sankey, Tutton, and Bitter for great starts to what I expect to be nothing less than outstanding college careers.

UNC Lax Opens Season With a Win

Max Miceli

   Now I now that most of what we cover are the major sports, but their is a special place in my heart for lacrosse. So I will be posting about every UNC lacrosse game. Since coverage of college lacrosse is hard to find, I am going to do my best to let at least UNC fans see the good coverage lacrosse deserves.

let us start with the starters for UNC!!!
ATTACK
#1 Marcus Holman (JR)
#11 Joey Sankey (FR)
#41 Pat Foster (SO)
MIDFIELD
#20 Jimmy Dunster (SR)
#5 Davey Emala (JR Transfer: Georgetown)
#32 Duncan Hutchins (SO)
DEFENSE
#44 Logan Corey (RS JR)
#48 Kieran McDonald (JR)
#31 Jordan Smith (SO)
GOAL
#19 Steven Rastivo (RS JR)

   Like the devil, the Nittany Lions went down to Georgia, but instead of looking for a soul to steal, they were looking for a win against the #6 UNC Tar Heels. The Heels came prepared, however. they rosined up their bows and ripped corners left and right.
   Sophomore Mark McNeill proved that he had been working on his stick skills during the offseason and used his athleticism to score the first goal of the game.
   After a PSU goal that tied up the ball game, Jimmy Dunster scored, with a flag down, to give the Heels a lead they wouldn't lose for the rest of the game.
   Despite a low scoring first quarter, both teams ended with double figures in a game that UNC controlled to a 14-10 win.
   By winning 21 of 30 face-offs (R.G. Keenan you are my hero!) the Tar Heels Dominated possession of the rock took to the Nittany Lions, But the real story was the new faces. Keenan himself had a personal high with 19 face-off wins.
   out of UNC's 14 goals, 9 were scored by players new to the team. Davey Emala a Transfer student from Georgetown lead the game in scoring with 4 goals and an assist, and younger brother of Billy Bitter, Jimmy picked up where his older brother left off, opening his collegiate career with a hat trick on three OUTSTANDING plays. Jack McBride, transfer from Princeton, had a strong showing as well with 2 goals.
   Saying that this will help the Heels in the long run this season is an understatement. As the Heels move on throughout the season look forward to seeing one of the best offenses in the nation out of the Heels. because of guys like Emala, Bitter, and Joey Sankey (another Freshman attackman that started the game), UNC will be a big time contender in the ACC and the nation this year.


Oh yeah!
I forgot to mention, This was all done without the help of Sophomore superstar Nicky Galasso who is currently out of the line up because of a foot injury. With all this fire power it's going to be hard for the Heels to figure out who to put on the field (because no matter what happens they will always leave a big time offensive weapon on the sideline).

Look forward to a great season for the Tar Heels guys. It's gonna be good.

UNC  14
PSU   10

UNC SCORING
GOALS
Emala 4
Bitter 3
Holman 3
J. McBride 2
McNeill 1
Dunster 1

ASSISTS
Foster 3
Leighton-Armah 2
Campbell 1
G. McBride 1
Holman 1
Emala 1
Dunster 1

Do I Even Need to Make a Title for This?

Max Miceli

Y'all know what time it is!
It's time for the biggest single game of the year.

   The Super Bowl is coming up in just a few hours and the Trio have some picks for you.
While Andrew and I have lost any chance of our pre-playoff predictions being right, Walker has predicted the playoffs with Peyton Manning like preciseness, accuracy, and intelligence so far during the playoffs.
At the expense of my ego, both of Walker's Super Bowl teams defeated mine Championship weekend due to bad fumbles and field goals.

   Regardless, This weekend is about Eli trying to final out do his big brother Peyton and an Ugg wearing model marrying pretty boy trying to win a ring in his arch rivalries hometown.

needless to say, this is going to be a good one.

   We all know who Walker has in this one. He picked the Giants before the playoffs started despite his allegiance to Dallas. For doing this some would call him a traitor. I would call him a prophet.
   Knowing that Walker has picked the Giants, I am doing the smart thing and join the Walker Minot bandwagon. Andrew, however, is not convinced. He is picking the Pats to take win.
 
   So without further a due here are our scores

Andrew

Patriots   34
Giants     29

Max

Patriots   24
Giants     28

Walker (our resident soothsayer)

Patriots   27
Giants     31
 
 

Looking Back at Joe Paterno

Andrew Tie

Legendary Penn State football coach Joe Paterno passed away Sunday from lung cancer. Though many will remember him for his long tenure as coach and the winningest football coach in NCAA FBS, others will remember him for his ignominious firing in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child molestation allegations. While I will discuss his role in the Sandusky case, I am here to say that we should all judge Paterno on his entire body of work. The good he did greatly outweighs the bad, though the bad is horrendous.

In 1965, Paterno began his coaching career as an assistant at Penn State. After 15 years on the staff, he was promoted to head coach. No one could have predicted what would ensue. In the next 44 years as head coach, he set records for the most years as head coach at one school and most wins (409). He also was a 2-time national champion and won myriad coaching awards. But JoePa, as many called him, was more than just a coach. By all accounts, he was a great man on and off the field. He was a father figure to all his players over the many decades that he was there, his players graduated, he donated lots of money back to PSU and he always showed class and humility.

But JoePa was more than just a football figure in Happy Valley, Pa. He was an icon that children looked up to in their football-crazed state for over six decades. The statue erected of him in front of Beaver Stadium tangibly cemented his legacy at Penn State, though it had been built up over many years. In the argument of best all-time football coaches, JoePa is easily top three, but I personally think he would be the best ever. We were all privileged to watch this man coach until he was 85 years old. Though I was never able to see some great coaches like John Wooden, Bear Bryant or Dean Smith, I can at least say I was able to watch Joe Paterno. Most people look to retirement around the age of 60, but Paterno continued to have that fire within him to keep coaching, an extremely admirable trait. Over the last few years, he had suffered from various injuries and health problems. There was a point when he was coaching in the box, rather than on the sideline, because he couldn't stand that long. At that point, you had to wonder how long he could keep coaching, but he just kept on going.

Now, regarding the Sandusky case, Paterno found out about the molestation allegations and did nothing. He didn't report it to the police as he should have. To allow for such monstrosities to continue is baffling, and you have to wonder what was going through his mind - was he willing to do anything to win? I like to think it was just a serious misjudgment on his part because his history does not lead me to believe that he would allow for child molestation to continue. As a father of five and a father figure to thousands of PSU football players, I wonder what he was thinking about those children that Sandusky abused.

But while this marked extremely low point in Paterno's life, I can't help but feel that the media and others calling for his head contributed to his death. It might sound silly, but his lung cancer was exacerbated by his occupational issues. By that, I mean he had been head coach for over 60 years, and when he was forced out, he may have lost his direction and purpose in life. While obviously he was old and had lung cancer, I just do not think it was appropriate for media members to say "the lung cancer is just him trying to deflect the attention away from the Sandusky case and seek empathy." While yes, maybe it did serve that purpose partially, why would anyone be lying about lung cancer? I just feel that some people lost their sense about JoePa and are remembering him for the wrong reasons. A great man and a great coach, the Sandusky case only showed that we're all human, and we all make mistakes. Let's hope the truth comes out and justice served with Sandusky, but for Paterno, may he rest in peace.

Who Was Right?

Walker Minot

The thing about blogging is that any mistake you make can and probably will be preserved forever in cyberspace. Luckily, anytime you are awesomely right about something, it is likewise maintained. Such is the case with my Super Bowl pick.

At the start of the playoffs I had a clear idea of who was going to make the Super Bowl from the NFC. The Giants had just soundly beaten the Cowboys and I recognized the Giants team from 2008 that went on an amazing run that culminated with them beating the best team I have ever seen (2008 Tom Brady-Randy Moss Patriots, led by Darth Vader himself). After watching that game I was confident that the Giants would be there. All the other teams in the NFC, though great, had flaws. The Saints and the Packers had no defense, and the 49ers had Alex Smith at quarterback and inexperience to deal with. The Giants are very balanced, Eli Manning is an experienced QB having a career year, their defensive line is healthy and formidable, their running backs are solid, and their receivers are fantastic. No other NFC team had that kind of balance.

The Patriots I was less sure of. I picked them for two reasons. The first was that I was less unsure about them than any other team in the AFC, and the second was that I really wanted to see a rematch of the awesome 2008 Super Bowl that featured The Catch.

My pick for the game remains the same as it was at the beginning of all this. The Giants are more balanced and peaking at the right time. The Patriots are very good, but their defense, particularly their secondary, will have to step up in a big way if they have any hope of toppling New York (their defense has been playing much better but I watched last weekend and wasn't too convinced in its excellence). I think Tom Brady is going to be Tom Brady, Belichick will be Belichick, but the Giants are more than one man and his Sith Master.

P.S. I really hate both of these teams, but there's some consolation in being right:)

P.P.S. I've been knocking on wood the whole time while writing this so as not to jinx my prediction for the game by being a smarmy little loser.

The Tiger's Name is Prince

Walker Minot

The Detroit Tigers announced today that they have agreed to terms with free agent first basemen Prince Fielder. The deal is reported to be nine years and worth $214 million.

This deal solidifies the Tigers' control over the AL Central. They are definitely the best team in the division and should compete for the World Series next year with the kind of lineup they have, plus the amazing pitching of Justin Verlander. Although star catcher Victor Martinez appears to be out for the year with a torn ACL, Fielder should be enough to compensate with some more on top. Last year the Tigers were fourth in the AL in runs scored, third in batting average, fourth in on-base percentage, and fourth in slugging percentage. It figures that Fielder will bolster all those categories, save perhaps batting average. Miguel Cabrera (I thought he was the AL MVP last year) and Fielder might be the best 3-4 hitters in baseball next year, and a few more to come.

In the short term this deal is a major boon for the Tigers and the city of Detroit. It replaces the lost Martinez and brings a big star to the city. In the long term however it may hurt them. Fielder is a huge dude who may have health problems and experience a decline in productivity. He's a decent fielder, not great and strikes out a fair amount. If it doesn't work out, a huge chunk of their payroll will be dedicated to someone who is not up to snuff. Long term contracts like this one carry with them a lot of risk.

A deal I compare this to is Alfonso Soriano's (I'm a huge Cubs fan by the way). As it is today, the Cubs find themselves burned by what was the largest deal in franchise history. Soriano's production is way down from his peak, it has been that way for several years, and will continue to be that way for the next three years, meanwhile by 2014 the Cubs will have paid him $136 million over eight years. I do believe however that the Fielder deal is much better for these reasons:

1) Fielder draws walks. Walks are very valuable and tend to stay the same despite age. Soriano has one of the worst batting eyes in the world and rarely draws a walk that isn't intentional.

2) As a teammate, Fielder is highly regarded and will enliven a Detroit clubhouse that has the tools to win a championship. His personality will also excite Tiger fans, who will respond with a whole lotta love for the Prince.

3) Soriano was 31 when the Cubs signed him, as a power hitter and speedster, you don't get better past age 31. In contrast, Fielder, at 27 years old, is four years younger than Soriano was at the time of his signing and is entering the peak of his career. Even if Fielder's production does slow down significantly like Soriano's has, the Tigers will at least have enjoyed several years of peak production from one of the best power hitters in the game and will be able to cut ties with him at age 36, as opposed to the Cubs, who are stuck with Soriano until he is 39.

Time will dictate whether or not this deal was a good one, but my sense (barring terrible injury to Prince) is that it will pay off. The Tigers already had a contending team, and the addition of Prince could push them over the edge.

The Battle at Gillette

Max Miceli   

   Today at 3 o'clock Gillette will be the home of the AFC championship game. This year the Ravens hope to make it to the Super Bowl for their first time since they own the Vince Lombardi Trophy at the beginning of the last decade. 

   The Ravens will have to be on their game if they want to beat the Patriots high powered offense on the road. If the Ravens want to win, Ray Rice has to show up. last week Rice touched the ball 25 times with 4 of those touches being receptions. This only got Rice 80 all purpose yards on the day. Numbers like those won't be good enough for the Ravens to win today. Baltimore needs to give Rice the ball about ten times more and Rice needs to do a lot more with the all when he gets it. 

   This probably won't be too difficult for the Raven offense considering the Patriots defense is nothing close to as good as the Texan D they faced last week. 

   Look for Ray to get a lot of touches to help open the passing attack for Joe Flacco against a very weak New England secondary. 

   For the Pats offensively, they will do what they always do. They will hand the ball to Tom Brady and say "go get 'em". 

   Tom will definitely get 'em.

   While earlier in the season, a lot of attention was given to Drew Brees for breaking Dan Marino's passing record for yards in a season, many people missed the Brady surpassed the mark as well with 5,235 yards. 

   Almost half of those yards went to either Wes Welker or Rob Gronkowski, and you shouldn't expect anything less from the Patriots this game. The Pats will put up points. it's going to be up the Ravens to keep up with them, and make key defensive stops when it matters. 

   If the Ravens D can at the very least somewhat contain Welker and Gronk, they have a chance. The key to keeping the receivers in check however is going to be taking shots at their QB. If Baltimore can put pressure on the Ugg wearing model marrying pretty boy quarterback of the Patriots, they can and hopefully will win. 

   I know the Ravens aren't very good on the road, but I picked them to make it all the way at the beginning of the playoffs. (and I'm not backing down now!)

   I think it's a very tight game, but I see the Ravens going to Indy to play in the Super Bowl (*cough cough* against the 49ers *cough cough*). 

RAVENS       31

PATRIOTS    28

Giants at 49ers Preview

Walker Minot

A fun Sunday is on the way. Two playoff games to decide who plays Super Bowl XLVI (personally I'm most looking forward to Super Bowl L, or even Super Bowl C).

The NFC Championship game features two teams few expected to see. The New York Giants went 9-7 during the year, but they have gotten hot at the right time, brushing aside the Atlanta Falcons and taking down the 15-1 Green Bay Packers last week. The San Francisco 49ers went 6-10 last year, but under new coach Jim Harbaugh rode a dominating defense, great running by Frank Gore, and solid QBing by Alex Smith to a 13-3 record and victory over the New Orleans Saints.

I picked the Giants to win the Super Bowl this year upon the start of the playoffs, a pick of which I am increasingly proud. I saw them play against the Cowboys in the final week of the season and was immediately reminded of the 2008 Giants team that got hot at the right time and shocked everybody by beating the New England Patriots for the championship. I picked them this year because I saw the same look in their eyes and believed them to be the most balanced team in the NFL. All other great teams this year had glaring weaknesses. The Patriots, Saints, and Packers all had very bad defenses (although the Pats D has really stepped it up), the 49ers had Alex Smith as their quarterback, the Ravens had Joe Flacco as their quarterback. I picked the Giants because they had a fantastic defensive line: Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, and Jason Pierre-Paul. At QB they have the experienced Eli Manning, who is having a career year. At running back they have Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw, who are solid with over 1,000 yards this year between them. Jacobs is excellent at punishing tired defenses at the end of games. And at receiver they have record breaker Victor Cruz (fantastic!) and UNC alum Hakeem Nicks. There are no weaknesses on the team. Balance wins championships.

The 49ers I did not pick to be here. I underestimated them. Alex Smith came through in the clutch last week in a big way and here they are. I am holding to the Giants in this game, but I do see a path to victory for the 49ers. Their defense is fantastic. They could easily shut down the Giants running game, but the key will be stopping the pass as well, no team has done that to the Giants in awhile. If the 49ers can stop both the run and the pass, then Alex Smith will have to go to work. Frank Gore will have a reliably good game, but they need Smith to step up, and they need the offensive line to hold off the ferocious pass rush of the Giants, who will be gunning for Smith, trying to make him uncomfortable from the get go.

I'm predicting a close, but solid victory for the Giants. The Giants will not turn it over 200 times in this game like the Saints did last week. I do however see a path to victory for the 49ers if their defense holds them, forces turnovers, and Alex Smith gets it done. But I'm betting on the more experienced and balanced Giants to make it to the Super Bowl for the second time in five years.

Giants: 24

49ers: 14

Steelers @ Broncos Preview

Max Miceli

   Today at 4:30 at Invesco field the Steelers will be looking for a playoff win against Tim Tebow's Broncos, and if there were any situation in which Denver would have a chance against Pittsburg, that situation would be this one. 

   The Steelers have had poor offensive showings the last few weeks due to a injures, and today it looks like they won't play any better. Big Ben is still recovering from a bad ankle and starting running back Rashard Mendenhall is out. 

   The key in this game for the Steelers will be scoring points. Everyone knows that Steelers defense should be able to lock down the underwhelming Denver offense, but they obviously still need to score to win. If they can put up a sold 17 points, I their defense will do the rest. The question is "can they do it?" They don't have their starting running back, their quarterback is hurt, Denver doesn't have a bad defense themselves, and the Broncos are at home. 

   That makes this game tough to predict. We have to see if the busted up Steelers offense can produce. If they can, they will win. If not, Tebow and McGahee could pull this one out. 

   In the end, I don't think the Broncos have what it takes to be a legitimate playoff team, and I believe they go out in this round. 

Steelers      17

Broncos     10

Lions at Saints Preview

Walker Minot

This game figures to be an airshow. The Saints have the best passing offense in the NFL and the Lions have the fourth best passing offense. Neither team has shut down corners or fleet footed safeties. Drew Brees will light it up, with Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson close behind.

The Lions are a franchise on the rebound after long years in the cellar. They went 10-6 this year, with nearly all their losses against winning teams (the Bears, with Jay Cutler and Matt Forte, were the only non-winning team to beat them). Matt Stafford is a talented young quarterback with a great arm enjoying a fantastic season of over 5,000 yards, 41 touchdowns, and a passer rating of 97.2. His top target is also the best receiver in the league, Calvin Johnson.

The Saints have enjoyed a long period of success, including a Super Bowl, under quarterback Drew Brees. For all the ridiculously awesome statistical years Brees has had in his career, this one is his best. He set the NFL record for passing yards in a single season, as well as personal bests in completion percentage, touchdowns, and passer rating. Brees doesn't have a remarkable wideout like Johnson, but he has trusted hands Marques Colston, Jimmy Graham, and Darren Sproles to throw to. The Saints' offense is also more balanced than it has been in previous years, with solid running backs Darren Sproles and Pierre Thomas gaining over 1,000 yards in tandem. The Saints have won eight games in a row and are playing as well as anyone has this season.

I have to go with the Saints in this one. Their defense is lackluster, but their offense is so good and very balanced. They have so many different ways they can put up points, and no one has managed to stop Brees this year, despite everyone knowing how good he was. These two teams met once during the year and the Saints pretty well crushed the Lions, 31-17. I think the score will be closer this time but the victory will remain in New Orleans. The Saints will focus their entire secondary on Calvin Johnson, and manage to contain him enough for Brees and Co. to do their work.

Saints: 37

Lions: 31

Playoff Predictions

Walker Minot

Wildcard

AFC

Texans over Bengals: the Texans will run the ball all over the place and as long as T.J. Yates has Andre Johnson to throw to the passing game will be good enough. The Bengals are led by a rookie quarterback who's good, but still has some growing to do before winning a playoff game.

Steelers over Broncos: the Steelers will be missing some key players in Rashard Mendenhall and Ryan Clark, but they still have Troy Polamalu at safety and a banged up Big Ben. I don't like Ben Roethlisberger at all but he is a fantastic player who's very tough, capable of playing through injury to lead his team to a win. The Broncos defense gives them a chance, but the Steelers are too experienced.

NFC

Saints over Lions: this should be a really fun game to watch, both teams having ridiculous offenses. Lots of points will be scored. Drew Brees will take the prize however. He is so hot right now and the Saints will be looking to make up for their embarrassing loss to the Seahawks in the first round last year.

Giants over Falcons: the Giants looked great last week against the Cowboys and that will carry over into this week. The core of the team has won a Super Bowl so they have the experience and toughness to make a deep drive this year. Right now, Victor Cruz is the league's best receiver not named Calvin Johnson and Eli Manning has had a fantastic year. Also, the Giants D-line is healthy and looks scary.

Division

AFC

Patriots over Steelers: the injuries to the Steelers will catch up to them against the Pats. The Pats have a terrible defense, but Coach Belichick has two weeks to prepare for this week and the Steelers without Mendenhall and a weakened Big Ben are vulnerable. Tom Brady is a jerk, but also a very effective passer who will put up a lot of points.

Ravens over Texans: I like T.J. Yates, but he's not good enough to lead a team to a playoff victory over such an experienced defense as the Ravens. Joe Flacco isn't fantastic, but he's good enough to put up points against the Texans' D.

NFC

Giants over Packers: upset of the playoffs. The Giants look as good as anyone and will ride the momentum against the Packers. This will be a very close game but the Giants D-line will chase Rodgers around enough and their secondary will prevent too many points from being scored against them. Meanwhile, the dual threat at running back (Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs) plus Eli Manning and Victor Cruz gives the Giants enough balance on offense to win it against a mediocre Packer defense.

Saints over 49ers: the 49ers defense is fantastic, but more so against the run. Drew Brees will light it up from under center. The Saints are playing great football right now and Alex Smith is not a good enough quarterback to take the 49ers too far.

Conference Championship

AFC

Patriots over Ravens: the Ravens don't have the certain something that's necessary to make the Super Bowl. They are a good, not great team. The Patriots have a terrible defense but the Ravens offense isn't quite good enough to exploit it. Tom Brady will do his thing and the Pats will head to their fifth championship in the last decade.

NFC

Giants over Saints: right now these two teams have been playing better than anyone else in the game. They will go up against each other in the championship but the Giants superior balance will win out. All of the above comments about the Giants will lead them to victory, great defense, great passing to Victor Cruz, a solid running game, toughness, and experience.

Super Bowl

Giants over Patriots: a rematch of the classic 2008 game will end with the same result, not quite as close though. The Giants look great, they have a great coach, and they are very balanced. The Patriots look great, they have a great coach, but are not balanced. Their defense simply isn't good enough to win against a very good offensive team. Tom Brady will keep it close, but ultimately not close enough.

Houston Texans-Cincinnati Bengals Preview

Andrew Tie

The Houston Texans host the Cincinnati Bengals in Houston at 4:30 p.m. this afternoon. For the first time in NFL history, two rookie quarterbacks will be going at it. For the Texans, rookie TJ Yates was thrust into the role after Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart went down with injuries. For the Benglas, rookie Andy Dalton was named starter after being drafted last year, so he's had the role throughout the whole year. Naturally, the people to watch in this game are Yates and Dalton with the better player determining the outcome, right? Wrong. The Texans have cautiously brought Yates along, letting him do what he does best with hitting tight ends Owen Daniels and Joel Dreessen for the most part and WR Andre Johnson when he can. Dalton is much more involved in the Bengals offense, so there's nothing new there. But here are some matchups to watch.

Arian Foster/Ben Tate vs. Bengals's Run Defense

Foster and Tate have combined to rush for over 2000 yards and 15 touchdowns. Those are some crazy good numbers. However, the Bengals have the 10th best run defense in the league. But last week against a good Ravens run offense, the Bengals gave up over 200 yards, compared to their weekly average of 104.7 yards. The Texans are second in the NFL, averaging over 153 yards a game.

WR AJ Green vs. CB Johnathan Joseph

Another rookie, AJ Green, has been spectacular for the Bengals this year. In his first year, he's caught 7 touchdowns with 1057 yards to boast. On the other side, Joseph has been a great pickup in the offseason, giving the Texans a legitimate lockdown corner in the secondary. The problem for Green is that the Texans have the 3rd best passing defense in the league, only giving up 189.7 yards per game.

I think overall, the Texans will be able to dictate the game with the run and keep the Bengals on their heels. This will open up the pass for Yates. And on defense, Joseph and the Texans have been playing really well and will be able to hold Dalton and Green in check.

Houston Texans 23
Cincinnati Bengals 17

Playoff Predictions

Andrew Tie

Wildcard Weekend

AFC

Texans over Bengals - I see the Texans getting the run game going and controlling the game. TJ Yates won't have to be perfect, and the Texans come out with a win.

Steelers over Broncos- The Steelers have been hurting recently with Rashard Mendenhall and Ryan Clark not playing, and Big Ben is still not doing too well on that ankle. But they're still much better than the Broncos. Sorry Tebow.

NFC

Saints over Lions- This should be a good game, but the Saints are just looking way too good right now. I don't think the Lions will be able to put up enough points to keep up with New Orleans.

Falcons over Giants - Lot of talk this week between Justin Tuck and the Falcons' O-Line, but the passing game will be key. Victor Cruz has been good recently, but I don't think it'll be enough.

Divisional Weekend

AFC

Steelers over Patriots - I have a feeling the Steelers will work some magic here and beat the Patriots. How will Brady and Bill O'Brien work together now that O'Brien has Penn State in the back of his mind?

Ravens over Texans - Not that I'm a huge fan of Joe Flacco in the playoffs, but the Texans aren't that strong right now. Give me some Rice and the Ravens.

NFC

Saints over 49ers - I'm not very good at picking upsets, so I'm not going to try to. The Saints are so good right now, and I just can't see them being stopped with Brees right now.

Packers over Falcons - Packers are better than the Falcons. They'll score more points. They'll win.

Championship Weekend

AFC

Ravens over Steelers - If there's one team that can beat the Ravens, it's the Steelers, but if they don't have a healthy lineup, they won't be able to win. Rice will destroy the Steelers running and catching.

NFC

Saints over Packers- Saints get the win avenging their loss in Week 1. Offensive shootout will be incredible to watch.

Super Bowl Weekend

Saints over Ravens - I'm on the Saints bandwagon right now, not because I particularly like them, but because I think they're pretty unstoppable right now. Joe Flacco doesn't have what it takes to win a Super Bowl.

So Let Me Tell You What's Gonna Happen

Max Miceli

   With the playoffs starting this weekend, I'd like to tell you how it's all going to go down. You don't have to watch the games yourself. Just read this and you will know it all.

okay here we go

Wildcard Weekend


AFC


Bengals over Houston- The Texans have been hurting since Schaub went down, and the Bengals youngsters have been on their game. Bengals win.

Steelers over Broncos- Tebow can't throw, and the Steelers are way too good defensively for you to come at them one dimensionally. Steelers in an easy one.

NFC


Saints over Lions- The Saints don't lose at home. They just don't. The Lions will put up a fight, and this will be a big time shoot out. I can't see the Lions taking out the Saints at home though.

Giants over Falcons- The Falcons are good. I'd even say they are better than the Giants, but I don't think, as a dome team from the south, Atlanta can go up to New York and beat a team in the weather.


Divisional Weekend


AFC


Bengals over Patriots- I have to have a big upset somewhere, and I think this is the one. The Patriots haven't won a playoff game since their crazy record breaking season in 2008. I think it would be sweet if the hot shot rookie duo of Dalton and Green take down the Pats at Gillette Stadium.

Ravens over Steelers- The Steelers have lost to Baltimore in two tries this year. Why would you expect a different result now. I can't go against the Ravens at home. Ray Rice Runs the Ravens to victory. (say that five times fast)

NFC


49ers over Saints- When the Saints have had trouble, it's been on the road. the Niners have a great D, and in San Fran, the elements can be a factor. I don't care how much of a passing league we are in now a days; Defense still wins championships.

Packers over Giants- Aaron Rodgers... at home... enough said.


Championship Weekend


AFC


Ravens over Bengals- Go back and read what I wrote about the Steelers- Ravens match up. Yeah. This is the Same situation. Ravens are going to the Superbowl.

49ers over Packers- In a season that has had ridiculous amounts of offense, I think Defense and a run game brings home the bacon. the Niners prevent the repeat.

Super Bowl Weekend


Ravens over 49ers
   Both teams have great defense. Both teams can pound the rock. The Ravens won against them earlier this season. I see it happening again in a REALLY close one. Ravens win the Harbaugh Bowl for a second time this season and take home the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Cowboys at Giants Recap

Walker Minot

So, the Giants, led by Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin, come through again, and the Cowboys stumble anew. Two statements can describe why the Giants won: one, no matter how good your second half defense is, if you give up 21 points to an excellent team in the first half you're probably going to lose, and two, Victor Cruz is a star.

Those two things, plus a slow start by injured Dallas quarterback Tony Romo, propelled the Giants to the victory and an NFC East championship. As I worried about in the preview, the Giants came out lit up and the Cowboys came out flat. Their defense had no answer to the Giants offense, and, despite finishing with a very good stat line, Romo had a tough time initially (understandable, as he had not taken a snap in a week). Giant coach Tom Coughlin had his team 100 percent ready to win, and Cowboy coach Jason Garrett did not match up. In the first quarter Cowboy cornerback Terrence Newman missed a key tackle that should have ended the drive, and later Victor Cruz had a 74 yard touchdown catch (again after a missed tackle by Newman). The second quarter also belonged to the Giants, with two more touchdowns put on the board and an intimidating 21 point lead going into the locker rooms at half.

The second half however was a different story. The Cowboy defense was ready to play, giving up no points in the third quarter. The offense put up a touchdown on good passing by Romo. Hope was kindled in Cowboy hearts. The defense was getting down to business and Romo was in a good rhythm, his hand appearing to be unbothered. The third quarter ended with the Cowboys down 21-7, but the momentum on their side.

The fourth quarter saw another Cowboy touchdown, putting real fear in Giants' fans. The Cowboys' five giveaway losses have been well documented this year, but less well documented was the fact that they won four games in which they trailed going into the fourth quarter. It appeared as though the Cowboys could be on their way to a fifth comeback win. Eli Manning and Victor Cruz however would have none of this. The Giants had made a field goal to stretch the lead to 10 points, the Cowboys were still very much in the game, but they needed another stop. On a 3rd down and seven play Manning scrambled, barely avoiding the sack, and managed to find a well covered Cruz, who made a spectacular catch against his body, 40 yards downfield for a huge first down. Later in the drive Manning connected with Cruz to give the Giants a first down and goal, before finishing it off with a four yard TD pass to UNC alum Hakeem Nicks.

This effectively ended the game. One spectacular play from a veteran QB to a young wide receiver almost cut by the Giants earlier this year.

This game provided a decent synopsis of the Cowboys' season, the initial hope, disappointment, more torturously lingering hope, but finally: anguishing defeat. They had so many chances to make the playoffs, but ultimately they couldn't come through. There was some important element missing, something the Giants had but the Cowboys lacked. Garrett, Romo and crew will spend another offseason searching for it.

For the Giants, the two best players of today's game were their two best players of the season. Eli Manning, who's had the best year of his career, and Victor Cruz, who set the Giant's single season record for receiving yards. They will be a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs and I wouldn't be surprised if they went far. The core group of their team has won a Super Bowl, and many elements (QB, RBs, wideouts, and defensive line) look very strong. Watch out for the Giants.

AFC Playoffs

Max Miceli




So this is what the AFC playoffs looks like:


1. New England Patriots


2. Baltimore Ravens


3. Houston Texans 


4. Denver Broncos


5. Pittsburgh Steelers


6. Cincinnati Bengals



Let me start with The Denver Broncos:

  For the Denver Broncos, the #4 seed was clinched after a third consecutive loss and another poor performance Tim Tebow. Tebow went 6 for 22 with 60 yards through the air. He fumbled the ball during a key drive when Denver was in scoring position, and his interception with 12 seconds left in the fourth quarter ended the game. The usually solid running quarter back only had 16 yards on 6 attempts and was sacked twice.
   If the Broncos want to even stand a chance against the Steelers, Tebow will need to step up. The Steelers defense under Dick LeBeau is expected to mimic the strategy the Chiefs used to contain Tebow, and having guys like Troy "where's my Head and Shoulders" Polamalu and James "Why the heck do I keep getting fined" Harrison, I can't see Pittsburg doing anything less than an outstanding job containing Tim Tebow.



   Bengals vs. Ravens


   For the Baltimore Ravens, today was a chance to prove that they can win on the road and go undefeated in their division.
   The problem all season for the Ravens has been winning games on the road, and many have claimed that it's due to a lack of getting Ray Rice the ball. Baltimore didn't want to allow that to be an excuse this week. They handed the ball to him 24 times on which he gained 191 yards and two touchdowns. This was highlighted by a 70 yard run to score the games first TD in the first quarter.
   Now the Ravens are set up with a bye and at least one game at M&T Bank Stadium, a place they haven't lost this season.
   The Bengals, despite losing, never gave up and gained a playoff spot thanks to some help from the Jets and Raiders. With a matchup next weekend against a Texans team that hasn't looked the same since Matt Schaub went down, Cincinnati looks like they could do some damage in the playoffs.

Ravens, Tigers, and Steelers... Oh My!

Max Miceli


   The AFC north has a lot at stake this Sunday. We know that the Ravens and Steelers have clinched playoffs spots, and that the Bengals control their own destiny for the 6 seed. We don't, however, know whether the Ravens or Steelers will be the team to get a bye.
 
   Remember how I said the Bengals control their destiny for the 6 seed. Well the Ravens control their destiny for the 2 seed, and these two teams are going to be fighting for their respective destinies today in Cincinnati. For the Ravens, it's a matter of playing at home, and for a team that is 3-4 on the road this season, playing at home means a lot.
   For the Bengals, being in this situation in the first place is a success. Coming into the season, the Cincinnati had a rookie QB Andy Dalton, and not much to look forward to, but with the help of another rookie AJ Green, Andy has had a great season. This rookie duo for the Bengals has pushed Cincinnati past a Carson Palmer hangover and now they are a home win away from the playoffs.
   Everything looks like it should be in favor of a bengals win. Baltimore is terrible on the road and the Bengals have won their last two games to put themselves in this situation. I can't help but think that the Ravens will win though.
   All week long the Ravens have being listening to critics say that they NEED #2 seed because they can't win on the road. I believe that this gives the Ravens even more motivation to win this game.
   I think the Ravens will prove their critics wrong and win one on the road to get the bye and go undefeated in the AFC north.

Ravens     24
Bengals    17

   The other AFC north showdown doesn't have nearly as much importance. The Steelers need a Ravens loss and a win to get the #2 seed, and the Browns aren't even in playoffs contention.
   This makes the real discussion about whether or not Pittsburg should play Big Ben. Despite a solid performance by back up Charlie Batch last week, according to the Pittsburg Post-Gazette, the Steelers will play Roethlisberger until "the game is decided".
   This sounds like a bad idea to me. for starters, Big Ben could use the rest, and secondly, Batch can handle the Browns. He threw for 208 yards in his first start going 15 for 22, and the Browns are 4-11. The Browns have lost their last five games, and this week, I don't think the streak will stop regardless of whether or not Ben plays.
   The Steelers defense will feed off their shutout from last week, and They will terrify a very disappointing Browns offense.

Steelers     28
Browns    10

Tebow-Time One More Time?

Max Miceli


   On Sunday, the Denver Broncos will play the Kansas City Chiefs in an attempt to win the AFC West. If they win, they are division champions. If they don't win and Oakland beats the Chargers, Oakland will take the division and the Broncos will not make the playoffs.
   With the AFC West teams all playing inside the division, you can expect that the two games will be tight and hard fought.
   In the Broncos and Chiefs game, you will see Kyle Orton take on his former team that has given up 81 points in it's last two game. In two consecutive loses, the Broncos have given up at least 40 points, and last week when it was "Tebow Time", Tim threw two consecutive pick sixes.
   If the Broncos can't play better defense and keep Tebow out of throwing situations at the end of the game, the Broncos won't make the playoffs. In this division battle that pit a quarterback that as cut by the team he opposes, you can expect nothing but a great game filled with bad blood.
   In this game game I see Kyle Orton getting revenge and Tebow being forced to rely on a Raiders lose.


Chiefs       27
Broncos    20


   On the other side of the division, the Raiders are looking to win one for Al, and make the playoffs. They can win the division with help from the Broncos, but they can also win a wildcard spot with help from the Bengals.
   Either way, they need to beat the Chargers to make it.
   Last week the Chargers, who are usually great in december, lost playoff contention by getting beat down 38-10 against the Detroit Lions. I don't know how I feel about this Chargers team that has had another disappointing season.
   In this game, I see two great rushing attacks run through defenses that give up well over 100 yards a game on average. Even without Run DMC, I think the Raiders take this game. They have more than just their pride on the line and I see that being the difference.


Raiders       20
Chargers    10