Lil Wayne, as you may or may not know, is a rapper. His given name is Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr., which is the name I will use to refer to him for the duration of this post, because Lil Wayne is a stupid name. It sounds like the nickname of a child. Of course, that may be appropriate, because as ESPN has deigned to show us, Dwayne writes like a child.

Super Bowl Sunday is upon us, and during hype week I've gone from "this isn't as cool as when the Steelers went in 2005" to "YES. YES. SUNDAY IS GOING TO BE SO AWESOME!"

One of my favorite websites for Steeler news - Post Game Heroes - has already done an excellent breakdown of these two teams' matchup from last year, in which the Cardinals beat the Steelers.

I feel that that post serves as a good backdrop, but these are two different teams than they were last year. Arizona has obviously improved, but Pittsburgh has improved in some ways that may not be obvious unless you're a fan. I hope to point out both teams' improvements here.

When the Cardinals have the ball



Last year, teams were successfully able to spread out the Steeler defense and drop little 5-yard passes on them. There was a big dropoff between CBs Bryant McFadden and Ike Taylor and the rest of the corners. Arizona successfully took advantage of that to get the W when these teams met then.

Last year, Deshea Townsend was able to hold his own on most drives, but age played a factor sometimes and a receiver was able to get that extra half-step on him. William Gay was just a rookie and mostly drafted for special teams, so he didn't provide much help in nickel and dime coverage at the time. Couple this with a mostly injured Troy Polamalu at safety, and the Steelers pass defense just wasn't up to snuff.

This year is a whole different ballgame. Deshea Townsend is still listed as the starting right CB on the Steelers depth chart, but Bryant McFadden is seeing more snaps there, and for good reason. He's one of the elite corners in the league, and if the Steelers can't afford to sign or franchise him after his pending free agent period he'll get a big contract somewhere.

Meanwhile, William Gay has really stepped up this year, and after having to be a starting CB for a few games is looking like he could actually be a #2 corner if needed. This guy who was drafted for his special teams play has really made a difference in the pass defense between last year and this year.

Deshea Townsend is still holding his own out there, and since we no longer need him to be a superstar, that's just fine.

Fernando Bryant and Anthony Madison have proven they're capable of coming in when the team needs an extra d-back or when a corner needs some rest and holding their own.

Last but not least, Troy Polamalu is finally healthy and in the midst of a dominant season.

So, in summation: spreading the Steelers out like the Cardinals did last year doesn't work anymore. It will enable them to complete some short passes, sure, but in all likelihood those drives will be ending in field goals instead of touchdowns.

Regardless, I'm predicting a pass-heavy attack from Arizona, as running on the Steelers is really not a viable option. Although a few teams have managed to combine for 100+ rushing yards against Pittsburgh, no individual player has run for more than 100 yards on them all season. The closest was Jamal Lewis with 95 in week 17, when most of the starters were benched for the second half.

Not to say that the Cards won't mix in a run now and again, but it will mostly be to keep the defense honest, not to get big chunks of yards. The Cardinals are going to have to live or die with QB Kurt Warner and the receiving corps. In all likelihood, no matter how good Pittsburgh's pass defense is, eventually there's going to be someone open deep for Warner to throw to. There's no way the Steelers keep the Cardinals from posting a TD at some point.

Meanwhile, the Steeler defense will win or lose this game for their team. We hear all the time about how quickly Warner releases the ball, which is why the best matchup of the game will be Pittsburgh's front seven vs Arizona's offensive line in pass situations. The Steelers are likely to be rushing four or five all day, and if they can't get to Warner with those four or five, they're in trouble.

Outside linebackers James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley really have to play out of their minds here, as they're the main means of generating pass rush for the Steelers. They've been playing well all year, which has earned Harrison the honor of Defensive Player of the Year, and if they can get to Warner at all, they'll significantly help Pittsburgh's chances. One thing is for sure, the matchup that decides this game is Arizona's pass protection and Warner's quick release vs Pittsburgh's blitz packages.

When the Steelers have the ball



Arizona's game plan on defense is likely going to be the same as it has been all year: keep 'em guessing. As many have pointed out, it's hard to tell when Arizona will blitz and when they'll drop back 8 for pass coverage. This has caused mass confusion among offenses this postseason, which is something the Steelers are vulnerable to on offense.

Like last year's matchup, Pittsburgh's offensive line will struggle against DT Darnell Dockett. Especialy with starting left tackle Marvel Smith on IR and Max Starks - a much slower player - taking his place, this will be the main struggle for Pittsburgh's offense.

Unlike last year's matchup, however, Sean Mahan has been replaced at center with Justin Hartwig and (due to injury) Kendall Simmons has been replaced at right guard by Darnell Stapleton.

Hartwig is an average center at best, but he's leaps and bounds above Mahan and isn't likely to get pushed into a pulling guard's path like Mahan did so many times in last year's game. That alone should be a big help to the Steelers, as they won't have to devote a guard to double-teaming the middle of the line.

Stapleton, in reality, is probably a better player than Kendall Simmons was. You hate to see him take a guy's job because of injury, but he's played this year better than Simmons did last year and the time he spent un-injured this year, and he'll likely get the starting slot at RG next year.

To counteract the threat from Arizona's pass rush, look for plenty of pulling guards to help out with blitz pickup and a few short passes to tame the blitz. The mainstream media still identifies the Steelers as a power running team, but they haven't been that since 2005. Look for a pass-first offense on Sunday, with QB Ben Roethlisberger throwing a series of dink-and-dunk passes to calm the Cardinal blitz and hopefully open up some running lanes and some deep balls.

Which brings me to my next point. A storyline we've been hearing a lot during hype week is about Ben Roethlisberger looking to make up for a bad performance in Super Bowl XL with a better one in Super Bowl XLIII.

If you don't remember Super Bowl XL, after an other-worldly postseason up to that point, Roethlisberger played an awful individual game. Save for a rushing TD, he contributed absolutely nothing of value to the Steelers, going 9/21 for 123 yards and 2 INTs. If Pittsburgh would have lost the game, the finger could have been pointed squarely at Roethlisberger. Pittsburgh's other scores came on a record-setting run by Willie Parker and a pass to Hines Ward - not from Roethlisberger, but from wide receiver Antwaan Randle El.

Ben Roethlisberger will be the first to say in a post-game interview that individual stats aren't important to him as long as his team gets a win, but Roethlisberger is also a competitor at the highest level. Trust me, this "redemption" storyline is more than a storyline...Ben Roethlisberger will be out to silence the critics and prove that he deserves recognition as one of the league's elite QBs. If he's successful, it's going to be a long day for the Arizona defense.

Another important factor is the health of Hines Ward. Ward insists that he will play, and he's even using a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to help his rehab process, which brings about a question that hasn't been asked since the time Michael Jackson used one...what the hell is a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, and how will it actually help?

Will Hines Ward play? I don't think he'd miss it for the world. The question is how effective he'll be. There's no way he's going into this game 100%, but a Hines Ward at 80% or better is better than no Hines Ward at all.

Santonio Holmes is probably capable of being Pittsburgh's #1 receiver, but beyond that the Steelers have some serious problems when you start moving receivers around on the depth chart.

Nate Washington has been great this year as a #3 man, but that's the extent of his talent at this point in his career, and Limas Sweed has yet to prove himself capable of even being a #4 receiver.

Even with Ward in the game, look for Roethlisberger to target other receivers more. Ward is the man Big Ben goes to when he wants to move the chains, and that will likely still be the case, but in between those scenarios we'll probably see a lot more balls targeted at Santonio Holmes, Heath Miller and Nate Washington. If those players are able to step up their game a little bit, Ward's injury becomes a non-factor, but if they can't, suddenly Ward's injury could swing the game.

So, now you have my opinion of what to expect Sunday. Get your popcorn, folks, this is going to be a good game.

Oh, and go Steelers.

I'm watching Around the Horn on ESPN, and Mariotti just revealed himself to be completely ignorant as to how the American legal system works. The topic is Barry Bonds, and his stance is that if the feds have a urine sample for Bonds that's tested positive for steroids, then the case is closed and he is guilty. However, Bonds isn't being accused of steroid use or possession -- he's being tried for perjury. Bonds testified that he never "knowingly" used steroids, so the government has to prove that he knew the nature of the substances he was using.

Well, here we are. Media day, and I'm still in disbelief about this year's Super Bowl matchup.

As frequent readers of this blog are aware, I've predicted the Cardinals to lose every single playoff game, and the only team I gave them a remote chance of winning against was Atlanta.

And yet here they are, facing my Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl.

One of these things is not like the other. One of these things just doesn't belong.

The Arizona Cardinals? In the SUPER BOWL? I'm still in shock. And yet, for the first time since the playoffs started, I feel like the Cardinals are a legitimate Super Bowl threat, and could shock the world against Pittsburgh.

Some time before the game, I plan on posting a more detailed game breakdown, but for right now, I must say: I have underestimated the Buzzsaw.

It's not as if I didn't know this team was capable of big things. I knew from the start of this season that Arizona was going to have a powerful offense. I knew that Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin would both have big years. I thought that the team made the right choice by benching Matt Leinart in favor of Kurt Warner, but that may have been my bias as Kurt Warner is one of my favorite QBs of all time.

I predicted a return to superstardom for Edgerrin James, but that completely failed to materialise except in a few playoff games. But this? I don't know if anyone predicted this.



However, am I surprised enough about the Cardinals that I think they'll win? Not in the slightest. I think they'll lose the game. I'm almost positive of this, but I'm not predicting a blowout like I did when I posted my final playoff predictions blog.

So wait - if I've underestimated this team, how am I so sure they're going to lose?

Quite frankly, the reason I'm surprised they're in the Super Bowl isn't because they're the Cardinals. It's because they're just not a very dynamic football team.

The Cardinals have one of the best aerial attacks in football, hands down, but that's about all they've got. They have next to no running game between James and Tim Hightower, and even in the playoffs most of James' big plays came off of dump-off passes from Warner.

The Cardinals can't grind the ball for a first, they have to throw for it. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as anything that moves the ball is good enough, but it does make the team one-dimensional, and their one dimension is going against the #1 pass defense in the league.

But the big thing is, I don't think the Cardinals have the defense to win it. I don't think they can stop Pittsburgh's offensive attack. The Cardinal defense has looked good these playoffs, but that's a small sample, and they finished the regular season ranked 22nd in pass defense, 16th in run defense, 19th in total defense, and 28th in total defense.

Of course, yards-based stats aren't the best, but it does illustrate a point here that Arizona's defense have been playing outside of themselves in the playoffs. Pittsburgh doesn't have the best offense in the NFL, but I can see a big game coming from Willie Parker and I can almost guarantee one from Ben Roethlisberger.

Compare this defense with Pittsburgh's, who have been lauded for being the best in the NFL this year, and ranking among such elite defenses as the '85 Bears, 2000 Ravens and '70s Steel Curtain defenses by sports analysts. They finished the regular season ranked first in pass defense, second in run defense (by a razor-thin margin), first in total defense and first in scoring defense. If defense wins championships, Pittsburgh wins this one easily.

I'll give the Cardinals their due. They've shocked the world, and performed better than even I, someone who has been predicting them as "this year's surprise team" for a good 3-4 years, would have ever guessed.

However, it ends Sunday.

Evidently Joe Torre has decided to do an impression of Phil Jackson. From ESPN.com:

Since Thomas posted his lovely intramural story, I figured I should post a few from my experiences in college. I attend a small Christian university in central Indiana, if you know the Indianapolis area then you know what school I'm referring to.

Well, I tend to have a reputation among some of the people who play the same sports as I do as a "dirty" player or in some circles as one who plays hard. Regardless, let's just say I run my mouth and I am very physical. Also the mantra "if you're not cheating, you're not trying" is one I adhere to.

After the jump, I'll share one of my favorite stories. If you guys like this enough, I'll start sharing more.


At Least I Was Honest
I played intramural floor hockey with a team of former hockey players and athletes. One game we played a team of friends who thought creating a team would be "fun". The rules of this league said that one of the five on the floor had to be of the opposite sex. There was a team known for being the team of girls, but this wasn't it. This team looked like the rejected cast of "The Benchwarmers". Meanwhile my team had one thing on our collective minds, "championship".

Well we're up 7-0 about halfway through the 1st, when the "leader" of this "team" starts accusing me of high sticking (In this league it was having the stick above the waist). Well I simply told him it's not and "we can debate this all day if you'd like, because it's not." After this he responded with the quick witted quip, "Oh my team's winning, so I'm going to be a dick." At that point I laughed and responded, "Correction: I'm a dick all the time, it has nothing to do with the score."

Let's just say that the conversation ended there, and my team found it rather hilarious.

Since, as far as I know, I'm the only member of our blog crew who's a member of an actual athletic team (such as it is), I thought it might be a good idea to detail my exploits here. What with this being a sports blog and all.

So, I've noticed recently that most of our blog posts don't have any comments, and the ones that do only have one or two comments. I think that sucks. Part of what's awesome about having a blog is establishing a dialogue with your readers. So, here's a place for you to discuss our new poll question:

Who will win Super Bowl XLIII, the Steel Curtain or the Buzzsaw? Discuss.

I came from a great family, but in my dealing within the punk scene and with working for a non-profit I've seen a lot of broken homes and broken people. In today's Indianapolis Star there is a story about Danny Granger's father. All parents like his should be given press like this because we need more people like him.

Here's a link: http://www.indystar.com/article/20090118/SPORTS15/901180371/1088/SPORTS04

Steelers vs Ravens. This is the game to watch this Sunday, and I'm saying that not as a Steelers fan, but as a football fan. These two teams could not be more similar, and they're both incredibly physical football teams. Bonus: they hate each others guts.

My prediction for this game is that the Steelers win by a field goal. I'm not making that prediction because I'm a fan, I'm picking it because of history.

By "history" I don't mean "these two teams have played each other x times in the postseason, and team A has won y times." I hate that logic. The teams that have played each other in the postseason are rarely the same. They rarely even have common players. Uniforms don't win football games.

By history, I mean relevant history. Relevant in the sense that this Steelers team has beaten this Ravens team twice this season. Relevant in that in NFL history, when one team has beaten another team twice in the regular season and played them again in the postseason they're 11-7.

Of course, that's not the only reason I'm picking the Steelers. I'm also picking them because, as good as the Ravens offense has been, it's also one-dimensional. Nobody can effectively run on the Steelers. This team has the second best run defense, and they've faced some incredibly good running teams. Let's not forget, statistically speaking, the Steelers had the hardest schedule in post-Super Bowl NFL history this year. Granted, LeRon McClain was able to run on them better than most in their second game, but he was still barely over 3 YPC. At some point, rookie Joe Flacco is going to have to make something happen against the #1 pass defense and #1 scoring defense in the league to win this game. So far this postseason, Flacco has looked efficient, but he hasn't won games for the Ravens...he's mostly been asked to not turnt he ball over. That's not enough against Pittsburgh, and I'm surprised it was enough against Tennessee. If the Steelers take the running game away from the Ravens, they win effectively.

So why only a field goal difference? Well, quite frankly, the Ravens have a great defense too, and the Steelers have a pretty mediocre offense. They looked good against San Diego, but that team's defnsive woes this year have been well-documented. This is going to be a low scoring game much like the first two meetings, both because of the great defense and because of the lack of overpowering offense on either team.

Oh, one more reason I'm predicting the Steelers in this one:

Ravens injury report:

OUT: LB Antwan Barnes (shoulder).
DOUBTFUL: CB Samari Rolle (thigh).
QUESTIONABLE: DT Justin Bannan (foot), WR Mark Clayton (thigh), TE Todd Heap (back), LB Jarret Johnson (calf), WR Derrick Mason (knee), FB Le’Ron McClain (ankle)
LB Terrell Suggs (shoulder).
PROBABLE: LB Ray Lewis (shoulder), FB Lorenzo Neal (shoulder), S Ed Reed (knee).

Steelers injury report:

PROBABLE: C Justin Hartwig (knee), S Troy Polamalu (calf).

Both Steelers participated fully in practice this week. Terrell Suggs, Samari Rolle and Derrick Mason all missed practice for the Ravens. Those are three huge playmakers for Baltimore to be sitting out of practice.

Final score: 20-17, Steelers.


Ok, ok, so I was wrong about the Cardinals last week. But really, who could have predicted that Jake Delhomme would be Arizona's MVP? If not for turnovers, the Cardinals would have had no chance in hell against the Panthers. At this point, I'm rooting for Arizona to beat Philly just because it's so hilariously improbable that they'd make the Super Bowl.

In reality, though, this game is probably curtains for the Cards. Donovan McNabb is not going to throw five interceptions and fumble twice. On top of that, the Eagles have a fantastic blitzing defense. While Kurt Warner has enough experience to pick up exotic blitzes, he'll have to hurry the ball to his receivers on short routes. When your receivers are all potential deep threats, you hate to have to dump it off to them on slant routes to counter the blitz.

Whent he Eagles have the ball on offense, look for lots of screens to Brian Westbrook, who is a TD threat every time he touches the ball. Arizona plays some pretty soft zones, so Westbrook is an ideal candidate to rip off a big one or two. The Eagles are also multi-dimensional enough that McNabb can throw downfield when he needs to.

When Arizona has the ball, Philly's defense will force short passes in the name of getting the ball out in time. The Cardinals don't really have much of a running game, with Edgerrin James being a disappointment since he headed west and Tim Hightower not quite used to carrying the load yet, so if the Cardinals win, it will be up to Warner, Boldin and Fitzgerald. As much as I'd like to see it happen, I just heavily doubt that the Eagles will let it.

Final score: 35-14, Eagles

And, while I'm at it, I'll go ahead and make a Super Bowl prediction for each possible combination.

Steelers vs Eagles: 24-20, Steelers.
Steelers vs Cardinals: 28-7, Steelers.
Ravens vs Eagles: 24-14, Eagles.
Ravens vs Cardinals: 31-20, Ravens.

So here in Indiana we were hit by about 5 inches of snow within a few hours and as I am writing this the wind chill is currently -7. I also attend Anderson University which is about 40 miles away from Conseco Fieldhouse and am the proud owner of a 2001 SC2 Saturn. Well with horrible weather and a low to the ground car, I had one word to describe my desire to go to the Pacers/Pistons game...stupid. Thank God my passionate love of the Pacers and my deep unbridled hatred of all things Detroit kept me from properly reasoning.


I've always considered myself to be a sort of lucky sports fan, maybe blessed would be a better word since I am a man of faith, but regardless of which word you want to use, I am that. I've been able to attend The Masters, a World Series, NBA Playoff games, I could go on, but I think that is sufficient to explain my point.

Tonight my friend and I head out in this little car beyond all logic to fulfill our passion. As we arrived at the game we head over to buy $10 tickets which will put us in the corner of the Fieldhouse, and right as I put down the plastic to pay for the tickets this man comes up to us and explains that he has two tickets he's trying to give away. Right as this man finishes telling us that these seats are in the club level, my receipt is handed to me to sign. In an excited panic, I ask the ticket teller if I could possibly cancel my ticket order. To my complete surprise, the teller cancels the order and refunds my money. In a bit of gleeful shock I thank the man for his tickets and the teller for actually canceling my order and it is at that point I realize he heard the entire conversation, thus being the reason he stopped the ticket purchase.

So here we are, two college kids who could only really afford the balcony seats sitting in club section who end up watching the Pacers defeat the Pistons in OT. For a wrap-up of the game I suggest moseying on over to Indy Cornrows.

I always try to be kind to the people I meet, and take care of them. That man, whom I regretfully admit I never caught his name, made a night that seemed completely idiotic to be attempting, completely worth it. He also restored my faith in people just doing something kind because they can.

So in synopsis:
The basketball gods smiled on the Pacers tonight, and myself. Also Detroit sucks, and people...not so much.

Although I'm not a Colts fan, and am in fact an adamant Colts hater, I feel compelled to talk about Tony Dungy's retirement from football. You see, I have nothing but respect for this man. As a football fan, I don't see how anyone outside of New England could think otherwise. Tony Dungy revolutionised football in a way that few other head coaches have.

Dungy's career in Tampa Bay was a storied one which ended with him being one year removed from a Super Bowl. The "Tampa 2" defense was a simple but effective game philosophy. Dungy almost single-handedly took Tampa Bay from being the laughing-stock of the NFL to having one of the most dominating defenses of the day and being perennial Super Bowl contenders. Tony Dungy was so successful in Tampa that coaches are still to this day getting hired just because they worked on his staff there. Any football fan whos team has replaced a head coach in the last decade is familiar with the phrase "from the Dungy tree of coaches." The place hasn't been the same since he left.

Although he was never able to establish the same domination on defense in Indianapolis, the Colts were always respectable in pass coverage, often finishing in the top 5. Though their run defense was often pathetic, it has drastically improved over the last few years in Dungy's tenure, and the system Dungy has installed has produced one of th ebest pass rushers in the league in Dwight Freeney and an over-rated but solid in every way safety in Bob Sanders. Opposing quarterbacks were never in fits when they faced the Colts defense, and derspite Freeney's presence they were never overly worried about taking sacks, but they commonly had a hard time completing any pass over five yards because of the pure speed of the squad.

However, Dungy will most likely be remembered in Indianapolis for the offense. For his entire tenure, the Colts have had one of the very best offenses in the league. It's a system that has made Peyton Manning a household name, turned a former #3 receiver in Marvin Harrison into a future Hall of Famer, and has consistently produced a balanced running game whether the back was Marshall Faulk, Edgerrin James or Joseph Addai.

Really, it's the running game I'm more impressed with under Dungy's system. Although the success of their pass-heavy attack can't be denied, Peyton Manning was going to be a great player no matter where he went. Of course, Marshall Faulk proved he's one of the best backs of all time when he left for St. Louis, but Edgerrin James has never been the same outside of Indianapolis. Just this season, he was benched by the Arizona Cardinals. If that doesn't say something about your failures at running the ball outside of the Colts system, nothing will. I have confidence that Joseph Addai would suffer the same fate should he ever leave. A lot of this will of course have to do with the rest of the coaching staff, but if nothing else Tony Dungy has proven he can successfully put together an all-star coaching staff. He did it in Tampa Bay and Indianapolis alike.

Even though he wasn't my coach, and even though I hate the team he coached, I'll miss Tony Dungy. After all, as I love to remind Colts fans, he DID start his career and earn his first Super Bowl ring with the black and gold. In fact, he even lead them in INTs one year.

I didn't post these for wild car weekend, but you can rest assured knowing that if I did, I would have failed miserably. I had Colts over Chargers, Ravens over Dolphins, Vikings over Eagles, Falcons over Cardinals. So maybe I'm not the best person to call this. Nevertheless, I'm gonna call it!

AFC

1. Steelers over Chargers

The Chargers are absolute pretenders. Although I didn't have the Colts going very far in the playoffs this year, I'm shocked that the Chargers were able to beat them. This is easily the worst playoff team in the NFL, including Arizona. When these two met in the regular season, the Steelers defense stifled the Chargers offense, forcing two official turnovers and one unofficial, later correcte turnover. If the Steelers didn't get penalised for over 100 yards that game, it's not nearly as close.

Darren Sproles is a good back, but no back has been able to run well against the Steelers all year, as opposed to Indianapolis' pourous run defense. If you're looking for another big game from Toto, look elsewhere.

Similarly, while San Diego's screen-heavy passing game plays well against a cover 2 system like the Colts employ, it doesn't have the same results against Dick LeBeau's zone blitz. The speed of the outside linebackers on this defense will allow them to get to Rivers before the screen is done setting up.

2. Titans over Ravens

Like I said in my initial playoff preview, the Titans are a far more dangerous team than people are giving them credit for. I know the Ravens are the favorites in this one, but I like the underdog here. I predict Ed Reed will have another multi-pick game, but I don't think it will be enough to get the Ravens over the hump. Remember, rookie QB Joe Flacco still has to deal with a very tough Titans defense that's returning Vanden Bosch and Hayneworth this week.

In all honesty, this game is more of a tossup than Steelers vs Chargers, but I give the slight edge to the Titans. Flacco is due to hit the rookie wall, and the Titans are the kind of team that can rudely awaken a young QB. Although the Ravens have a good running game, the Titans have a good enough run defense to stop it. This will be a defensive contest, no doubt about it, but I think the Titans offense will have more chances to move the ball than Baltimore's.

NFC

1. Panthers over Cardinals

It was nice that the Cardinals got their first playoff win since the 50s. Really, I'm happy for them, and over at Deadspin I'm sure Will Leitch is thrilled about the success of the Buzzsaw. However, they're done for. Carolina has one of the best running games in the league matched against one of the worst run defenses in the league. They'll use and abuse the Cardinals defense en route to what will likely be a blowout victory.

2. Eagles over Giants

Again, I know the Giants are the favorites here, and they're a great team. They have probably the most dynamic rushing attack in the game and a five-star defense. However, without Plaxico Burress, they're missing a big, big part of their passing game.

The Giants just aren't the Giants without Plax. Eli Manning will still likely look good, completing several passes to the tight ends and Amani Toomer, but there won't be many deep balls thrown by him this game. That's what they miss without Plaxico Burress.

Although this game is probably the biggest tossup of this weekend, the Eagles are a fantastic team, as good as any other playoff team and clearly better than a few. They haven't been getting much hype this postseason, so I think it's time for them to make a statement here.

The Rays looked after you. The Rays did a lot for you. If you do not help them now, I say fuck you Rocco, they'll do it themselves.

Long live the reign of Akinori Iwamura.

Well, that pretty much puts a wrap on things. Unless some high-drafting NFL team is REALLY high on Nate Davis, he's staying for his senior year. He has to, after last night's performance in the GMAC Bowl. He wasn't exactly looking like Ben Roethlisberger did the year he played his way into a first-round draft position in the same bowl. After this performance, it's clear that Davis isn't as polished as he could be.

After guiding the Cardinals to an undefeated regular season, Davis fumbled the MAC Championship game away against Buffalo, losing two balls after the snap and botching an additional two snaps. Buffalo returned two of those fumbles for touchdowns. Davis also had an interception, but it was in garbage time when the game was already decided.

In the GMAC Bowl, Davis picked up right where he left off...not the stellar regular season, that is, but the horrid MAC Championship game that I thought was a one-game anomaly. During the first drive, after looking good on some short completions, Davis fumbled the ball, which was recovered by Tulsa, who subsequently scored. All through the stadium and all through Muncie, the feeling was "oh no, here we go again." The feeling wasn't vindicated when Davis fumbled again on the next drive.

Statistically, it wasn't even a passable game compared to some of the gems Nate Davis has put up this season. He only went 9-for-29 with 145 yards and an interception. I'm sorry, but he doesn't get any credit for not fumbling the ball anymore. Not when he couldn't complete a single pass in the second half.

It's not as if he didn't come to play, however. He did have a rushing touchdown on a great scramble after not finding any open receivers, and he would have had a second one had he not just barely stepped out of bounds at the 8 yard-line. But good enough to raise his draft stock? Not at all. If anything, he's moved to a fourth round or later pick. Coming back next season can only help him at this point.

Of course, the game isn't ALL on Davis. The defense played pretty well in the first half, but just couldn't stop Tulsa at all when the rain started coming down. MiQuale Lewis, normally a 100-yard plus rusher, only had 35 yards on 16 carries. This is a team failure, no doubt. The only reason Nate Davis stands out is because he has legitimate NFL prospects whereas no other player on the roster does with Dante Love out of football.

I guess we'll see what next year holds for Nate Davis. His receiving corps will still be mostly in tact...his new #1 target since Love's injury is undeniably Brigs Orsbon, who is only a true freshman this year. The only target he'll be losing is Darius Hill, but with most of the offensive line graduating, it may become a simple issue of pass protection. Hopefully, Davis can prove that this postseason was the exception, not the rule.

So last night sucked for most of us in Indy as our beloved Colts lost in OT to the Chargers, thus ending their season. Now the city will start to focus more of their attention on the Pacers who this year have received a lot of positive buzz, and it is well deserved. Now for a lot of people, the Colts have been the main focus of your sports attention and you have heard bits and pieces about the Pacers, but don't really know a ton about this team. Well, lucky for you, Sixty Feet, Six Inches has put together this Pacers recap to get you up to speed.


Things you need to know:

1) We don't have a team of thugs.
2) We're the only team to beat both the Lakers and Celtics, so far, this season
3) 14 of the Pacers 21 losses have been by 5 points or less, and 4 of the 12 wins have been by 5 points or less.
4) Almost every game comes down to the wire.
5) We don't have a team of thugs.
6) The Pacers play an uptempo brand of basketball which is very fun to watch.
7) Danny Granger is 5th in the NBA in scoring, and has become the leader of this team.
8) Our defense needs some work, and we have blown a lot of leads this season.
9) At the time this was written, the Pacers are 12-21 and only 3 games out of a playoff spot.
10) Mike Dunleavy has been out all season, and is scheduled to return over our upcoming 5 game road trip.
11) We have a pep band, I think the idea was to make it seem more like a high school game and create a basketball environment that Indiana is known for. I'd say they succeed at that.
12) We don't have a team of thugs. Seriously, they're good people.

The Ownership




I honestly never really like owners, in fact I really don't like Jim Ursay and I don't trust the Ursay family, yet I love the Simon brothers. They are committed to this city and love this team. When it comes to ownership, they are pretty much everything you would want, money, commitment, and actual love for their franchise.

The Coach



I love Jim O'Brien. I really do. He is a very passionate coach who plays the style of basketball I love, fast-paced, good passing, outside shooting/drive it inside offense. People have been talking about if he will lose his job due to the current record, but he won't. The Pacers built this team around JOB's coaching style, and also the picture above really does sum up the type of man JOB is.

The Players



Danny Granger is from what I can tell the leader of this team. I could even see it argued that he is a co-leader with T.J. Ford. Regardless, he is becoming the face of this franchise and hopefully will be named to the All-Star team this year. Interesting Factoid: During the home opener against Boston, Danny had his two front teeth knocked out, and continued playing the game which was an Indiana win 95-79.



T.J. Ford was acquired in the off season from Toronto and he was voted by his fellow NBA players as the fastest man in the league.



Troy Murphy is a great forward who averages a double-double. If he worked a little bit more on his defensive game, I think he could be a dominating presence on the court.



Marquis Daniels will probably become our sixth man once Dunleavy returns, but until then he's been starting at SG and has been contributing averaging 15 points a game.



We got Rasho Nesterovic in the O'Neal trade with Toronto. He's from Slovakia and has a streak of playoff appearances, hopefully that will continue this season. Rasho and Roy Hibbert have been swapping starts at center.



Roy Hibbert is a rookie who, for lack of a proper phrase, has been beasting it for us as of late. Hibbert has been controlling the inside and has been averaging a block per game on limited numbers. Roy will be the future for the Pacers at center.



Travis Diener is a role player for us, who has a great outside shot and the potential to get really hot from beyond the arc. I believe that one day, maybe in the distant future, Diener will put up 40 points. So my fellow SFSI writer, Thomas and I will be waiting for that day to come.



Josh McRoberts is a second year player that is a fan favorite here in Indy because he played for area high school Carmel. McBob, as he's becoming known as, is the reason my high school did not win sectional my junior year. For that, he will never be forgiven, yet as a Pacer I love him. He's fast, he hustles, and he loves to block a shot into the stands.



Mike Dunleavy is injured. That's been his story all season, and it sucks. He's one of the smartest offensive players for the Pacers, and we're all waiting anxiously for his return. Also that picture above is real, we didn't photoshop that.



Jeff Foster is a familiar face for the Pacers. He's been with us his whole career and is actually really admired by fans. Foster also is known for the fact that his offensive rebounds are more accurately depicted as punched balls aimed at the perimeter. Also to explain the picture, that is my friend Jorr who looks a lot like Jeff, height included. As a shout out to Jorr, please check out his music: http://www.myspace.com/thelastdomino

Players without a fun photo.

-Brandon Rush
In the preseason, Rush said he wanted to be the next Reggie Miller. So far he looks pretty promising and he's been shooting .366 from outside.

-Stephen Graham
Stephen has been filling in where he can as a role player, but he usually finds himself on the bench.

-Maceo Baston
Maceo has seen very limited playing time, and can usually be found on the Pacers bench.

The Mascots



Boomer has been the Pacers mascot since 1991 and really is one of the more fun and interesting mascots in sports. Even if you haven't watched the Pacers since the 90's, you still know who Boomer is.



Bowser is the Pacers other mascot who was added before the 2001 season. He's a dick...err...dog. Still, he's playful and fun, but really comes off as kind of a d-bag.

Why You Should Care About This Team

They're young, they play until the final horn, and almost every game is close. Also if you are from Indianapolis or from Indiana, they represent you! This team isn't about overinflated egos, in fact the only player on the team who can really understandably have one doesn't care about his on court numbers, especially if they lose the game. People in the city have started to take notice though, as our attendance is up 10%. Also since the Pacers are trying to increase attendance, make sure you keep looking for great ticket deals. Thanks to cheap tickets, I've been able to see about 10 games this season so far.

So there you go, you're all caught up.

Bill Cowher will not be the head coach of the New York Jets next season. Although the reason officially cited is that Cowher wanted his own personnel director instead of the current Jets GM, Mike Tannenbaum. Understandably, that's not too popular of a sentiment with the Jets front-office, so Cowher turned the offer down.

However, another aspect reported in the New York Post is a much more powerful one: a source cited only as "someone close to Cowher" was quoted in the Post as saying "There's no way he's taking Brett Favre as his quarterback."

Not to belabor the point, but:

Chad Pennington: Turned a 1-15 team into a playoff team, is currently in the proces of making Ed Reed his #1 target.

Brett Favre: Sitting home, not even having the chance to choke away his first postseason game because he already choked away his season. A Super Bowl-winning head coach refuses to coach him. Probably time to hang it up, Brett.

Alright, so here come the NFL playoffs, and with it, my predictions.

Wild Card Weekend:

AFC

Colts over Chargers
Dolphins over Ravens

NFC

Falcons over Cardinals
Eagles over Vikings

Divisional Playoffs

AFC

Steelers over Dolphins
Colts over Titans

NFC

Giants over Eagles
Falcons over Panthers

Conference Championships

AFC

Steelers over Colts

NFC

Falcons over Giants

Super Bowl XLIII

Steelers over Falcons 31-14

With the end of the regular season, the playoff brackets are set. From here, only the strongest survive, all the way to the Super Bowl. I've already detailed my predictions for the early clinchers, and now I'll make my predictions for the last teams to clinch.

AFC

1. San Diego Chargers

To say that I don't expect much from the Chargers would be an understatement. They're hot. I don't care. They're an 8-8 team in the incredibly thin AFC West. You are what your record says you are, and the Chargers are the definition of mediocre. That won't cut it when they're facing the best teams in the AFC. If they make it out of the first round, I'll be shocked. This isn't the Chargers team that beat the Colts last year. This team is without Merriman, and they'll be going into a game where both teams will be playing a pass-heavy offense. Phillip Rivers won't be able to out-Manning Manning. The Colts cover-2 defense won't let him.

2. Miami Dolphins

This is a good team. I know it's shocking after they went 1-15 last season, but this really is a good Dolphins team. They have a good defense, and with a newly created passing game on top of the good running game they had last season, they finally have a good offense to go with that. Unfortunately, they're probably going to be done in by their matchup. I'd be surprised (yet thrilled) to see them beat the Ravens in the first round, which is a shame. I think they could make it deep into the playoffs if they didn't have to play such a stingy defense in the first round.

3. Baltimore Ravens

I don't have to tell you that the Ravens are dangerous. You know that. You've heard it all year. ESPN has told you, as has every sports commentator, and rightfully so. Always a great defensive team, this year the Ravens also have a high-power, high-scoring offense. That is one dangerous combination, folks, and if your favorite team ends up playing the Ravens in the playoffs, don't take the matchup for granted. Even though the Steelers managed to beat them twice this season, I'd still like to see the Dolphins deal with them before my team has to.

NFC

1. Minnesota Vikings

If this team can beat the Eagles, watch out. They're this year's spoiler. While I don't see them being good enough to get to the Super Bowl because they lack a passing game regardless of whether it's Tavaris Jackson or Gus Frerotte that gets the start, they're good enough on the ground to beat any team in the league. Couple in a great run-plugging defense, and the only way to beat them is long drives through the air. Not many teams can do that, but the Eagles are one of those teams, as are the Falcons. The NFC matchup between the Eagles and Vikings will probably be one of the best of the entire playoffs, because it could truly go either way.

2. Philadelphia Eagles

Again, this is a great team. Good defense, good offense. More balanced than the Vikings, but they're not as dominant in any one category as the Vikings are on the ground. Like the Vikings, I don't expect them to make it to the Super Bowl, but I think they could ruin a few teams that have a good shot of making it.