NFL Playoffs

[Toine43]

Any last minute predictions?

I'm thinking an All-Pennsylvania Super Bowl is likely but the way this season is going, I wouldn't be totally shocked if it ended up Baltimore-Arizona.  Been a crazy year when the norm doesn't seem to apply.

Eagles over Cards

Steelers over Ravens

(Of course, that is probably the kiss of death to Philly and Pittsburgh now  )

I agree with your picks. Though my predictions may have something to do with the Patriots thumping the Cardinals by 40+ and getting embarassed by Pittsburgh. It's a classic reaction to how my own team fared against these teams, but I'm picking the Eagles and the Steelers anyway.

[RebusRankin]

Cardinals versus Steelers.

[Redz]

I just can't wrap myself around Arizona winning 3 in a row after the way they sucked against the Pats and others down the stretch...I know one's got nothing to do with the other and they are playing at home...and Philly wasn't exactly world beaters this year either...

I'll go with Philly & Pitt

[Roy Hobbs]

Wow...  Arizona in the Super Bowl.  The team that went 3-7 against teams not in its division, and which got pasted 48-28 by the Eagles, 35-14 by the Vikings, and 47-7 by the Pats in the last five weeks of the season.  Unbelievable.

[BigAlTheFuture]

Cardinals versus Steelers.

I think Cardinals versus Ravens. (I hope)

Crazy to see the Cardinals of all people in the Super Bowl. A 9-7 team in the SB. Wow..

[nickagneta]

How sad is this. The NFC Champs are a team that the Pas beat by 40 points and yet they are in the SuperBowl after winning 9 regular season games and the Pats could even get into the playoffs with 11 regular season wins.

I still feel that after that last week of the regular season New England and Pittsburgh were the two best teams in the league.

[BigAlTheFuture]

How sad is this. The NFC Champs are a team that the Pas beat by 40 points and yet they are in the SuperBowl after winning 9 regular season games and the Pats could even get into the playoffs with 11 regular season wins.

I still feel that after that last week of the regular season New England and Pittsburgh were the two best teams in the league.

Honestly, if the Patriots made it to the playoffs, I think they would've gone all the way and won the Super Bowl, without Brady. Call me crazy but I don't think any team in the playoffs right now can beat them. And I'm not even a Patriots fan.

[Toine43]

How sad is this. The NFC Champs are a team that the Pas beat by 40 points and yet they are in the SuperBowl after winning 9 regular season games and the Pats could even get into the playoffs with 11 regular season wins.

I still feel that after that last week of the regular season New England and Pittsburgh were the two best teams in the league.

Honestly, if the Patriots made it to the playoffs, I think they would've gone all the way and won the Super Bowl, without Brady. Call me crazy but I don't think any team in the playoffs right now can beat them. And I'm not even a Patriots fan.

I think the Patriots were the second best team in the NFL the way they were playing down the stretch. But I was sitting at midfield for that Pats vs. Steelers game, and Pittsburgh convinced me on that day that they were the best team in the league. If the Pats had made the playoffs, they would have gone down to the Steelers, and I think that the Steelers will finish off Batlimore tonight and beat Arizona in the Superbowl.

[Redz]

I don't know about the Pats being the 2nd best team, or putting much stock in the way they beat Arizona.  I loved what the Pats accomplished this year and it was a fun year, but they didn't play particularly well against the better teams.  They manhandled some weak teams down the stretch to get to 11-5. 

Clearly Arizona stepped it down a notch once they clinched, and have since ratcheted it back up. I think the Cardinals came into Foxboro against a Pats team that needed a win, got in some really crappy weather, fell behind early and said "thanks but no thanks".

It would have been fun to see how the Pats performed with Cassel and company, but I think the best team is representing the AFC in the Super Bowl.

[Rondo_is_better]

I don't know about the Pats being the 2nd best team, or putting much stock in the way they beat Arizona.  I loved what the Pats accomplished this year and it was a fun year, but they didn't play particularly well against the better teams.  They manhandled some weak teams down the stretch to get to 11-5. 

Clearly Arizona stepped it down a notch once they clinched, and have since ratcheted it back up. I think the Cardinals came into Foxboro against a Pats team that needed a win, got in some really crappy weather, fell behind early and said "thanks but no thanks".

It would have been fun to see how the Pats performed with Cassel and company, but I think the best team is representing the AFC in the Super Bowl.

I agree that the best team is representing the AFC in the Superbowl. But the Pats were the second best team in my opinion. Better than Arizona anyway. Either way, I know one thing: we deserved a chance to show what we could do in the playoffs.

[christuffa]

Go C's (Cardinals) all the way! Th NFC match today was amazing with some incredibly great plays from Arizona. Looking forward to two weeks from now!!!

[Roy Hobbs]

I don't know about the Pats being the 2nd best team, or putting much stock in the way they beat Arizona.  I loved what the Pats accomplished this year and it was a fun year, but they didn't play particularly well against the better teams.  They manhandled some weak teams down the stretch to get to 11-5. 

Clearly Arizona stepped it down a notch once they clinched, and have since ratcheted it back up. I think the Cardinals came into Foxboro against a Pats team that needed a win, got in some really crappy weather, fell behind early and said "thanks but no thanks".

It would have been fun to see how the Pats performed with Cassel and company, but I think the best team is representing the AFC in the Super Bowl.

I agree that the best team is representing the AFC in the Superbowl. But the Pats were the second best team in my opinion. Better than Arizona anyway. Either way, I know one thing: we deserved a chance to show what we could do in the playoffs.

I don't think "deserved" is the right word.  The team didn't qualify for the playoffs, by rules that have been in place for several years.  They lost their division to a team that went 1-15 last year.  The Pats bounced back very well from the Brady injury, but they didn't deserve anything.

[nickagneta]

I don't know about the Pats being the 2nd best team, or putting much stock in the way they beat Arizona.  I loved what the Pats accomplished this year and it was a fun year, but they didn't play particularly well against the better teams.  They manhandled some weak teams down the stretch to get to 11-5. 

Clearly Arizona stepped it down a notch once they clinched, and have since ratcheted it back up. I think the Cardinals came into Foxboro against a Pats team that needed a win, got in some really crappy weather, fell behind early and said "thanks but no thanks".

It would have been fun to see how the Pats performed with Cassel and company, but I think the best team is representing the AFC in the Super Bowl.

I agree that the best team is representing the AFC in the Superbowl. But the Pats were the second best team in my opinion. Better than Arizona anyway. Either way, I know one thing: we deserved a chance to show what we could do in the playoffs.

I don't think "deserved" is the right word.  The team didn't qualify for the playoffs, by rules that have been in place for several years.  They lost their division to a team that went 1-15 last year.  The Pats bounced back very well from the Brady injury, but they didn't deserve anything.

TP

I've been trying to tell people I know the same thing for weeks. The Pats have no one to blame but themselves for not making the playoffs. You play by the rules given and the schedule made. If they wanted to be in the playoffs, then they should have beaten the Jets and/or Colts, two games that were there for the taking that they let slip through their fingers.

It's a shame that a team as good as they were or as good as that Broncoes 11-5 team that missed the playoffs don't make it to the postseason. But if they didn't win enough to earn the right to be playing in January then they deserve to be sitting at home watching the playoffs and nothing more.

My oldest son, as brilliant as he is, just is not grasping this concept. He thinks the entire playoff format should be changed simply because a good eam didn't make the playoffs.

[dark_lord]

I don't know about the Pats being the 2nd best team, or putting much stock in the way they beat Arizona.  I loved what the Pats accomplished this year and it was a fun year, but they didn't play particularly well against the better teams.  They manhandled some weak teams down the stretch to get to 11-5. 

Clearly Arizona stepped it down a notch once they clinched, and have since ratcheted it back up. I think the Cardinals came into Foxboro against a Pats team that needed a win, got in some really crappy weather, fell behind early and said "thanks but no thanks".

It would have been fun to see how the Pats performed with Cassel and company, but I think the best team is representing the AFC in the Super Bowl.

I agree that the best team is representing the AFC in the Superbowl. But the Pats were the second best team in my opinion. Better than Arizona anyway. Either way, I know one thing: we deserved a chance to show what we could do in the playoffs.

I don't think "deserved" is the right word.  The team didn't qualify for the playoffs, by rules that have been in place for several years.  They lost their division to a team that went 1-15 last year.  The Pats bounced back very well from the Brady injury, but they didn't deserve anything.

i agree hobbsy.  i wonder if pats fans who felt we "deserved" to make the playoffs, were saying the same thing when a few years ago, when our celtics were making the playoffs when western conference teams had better records than us.  oh the hypocrisy, lol