NFL Pick 'em 2009: Championship Round

[Dragon]

Sun Jan 23
NYJ @ IND

MIN @ NO



Going to be some good football this weekend...

[Rutabaga]

Sun Jan 23
NYJ @ IND WIN

MIN @ NO WIN

[Lykaios]

Minny defeats the Jets in the SB!

[Figrin D'an]

Sun Jan 23

NYJ @ IND (W)

The Jets are playing well, and certainly have the defensive capability to win this game. So far, running the football and limiting what Mark Sanchez has need to do has worked for them. However, the Colts defense is underrated and has tremendous speed, especially up front. I think they'll force Sanchez into a couple of poor rookie decisions resulting in turnovers. Manning and Co. will put up at least 24 points on even this very good Jets D, and I'm not sure that the Jets will have the firepower in the passing game to match them in the end. Close game, but Indy wins at home. Colts by 4.


MIN @ NO (W)

I'm not entirely impartial on this one (Drew Brees is fellow Boilermaker, and the Vikings can DIAF anytime as far as I'm concerned). However, I think the Saints got their mojo back last week, not only by taking advantage of a terrible Cardinals defense, but they are also finally healthy on defense themselves. The offense seems to be back in sync, which will be key to exploiting a suspect Vikings secondary, as I'm not sure New Orleans will be able to run the ball as well as they have been. Whomever forces turnovers and gets big plays off of them will win the game. The Vikings don't turn the ball over a lot, but the Saints defense had the most takeaways in the league this season. As long as the Saints O-Line keeps Brees clean (a challenge against Minnesota's front, but not impossible), Who Dat nation heads to Miami. Saints by 10.

[Shadow Storm]

Sun Jan 23
NYJ @ IND (W)

MIN (W) @ NO

[Jedi Master Carr]

Colts
Saints

[Yog]

Sun Jan 23
NYJ @ IND (W)

MIN @ NO (W)

[Xavier Synik]

Minny defeats the Jets in the SB!

What the hell are you smoking? Okay I get that you have to pick Minny, but the Jets?


Colts
Saints

In the should have gone undefeated bowl...

[Nathanial K'cansce]

Nyj @ Ind (w)

Min @ No (w)

[Grace Van-Derveld]

IND and NO

this is Miranda btw :)

[Dragon]

Sun Jan 23
NYJ @ IND WIN

MIN @ NO WIN

[Lykaios]

What the hell are you smoking? Okay I get that you have to pick Minny, but the Jets?
Meeee? Nothin'

Now this (http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=836526)guy on the other hand, who knows? (And believe me, when I watched the actual newscast that night and the guy being interviewed, he was definitely on somethin)

As you can see I'm just going with what the druids have already seen :D

[Aurelias Kazaar]

Indy
Saints

[Ryan Pode]

Looks like it'll be an Indy/Saints superbowl.

[Liam Jinn]

Colts and Saints

[Shadow Storm]

Sanchez answers the Colts first three points with an eighty yard TD pass on the opening play of the drive to give the Jets a 7-3 lead at the beginning of the second. This should prove an interesting game.

EDIT: Wash, Rinse, Repeat. The Colts score another three, followed by the Jets scoring another Sanchez TD to give the Jets a 14-6 lead.

[Jedi Master Carr]

None of us picked the Jets, but I think the Colts will come back in the second half. The Jets can't keep up the if it becomes a scoring contest.

[Xavier Synik]

after a bit of a slow start the Colts look to have this one wrapped up.

[Yog]

Maybe this is the year Peyton Manning gets his Super Bowl ring.

[Lykaios]

Peyton Manning already has a SB ring, he won vs Da Bears in SB XVI.

Looked pretty good for the planes there for 2 quarters, almost two quarters, when the Colts scored with less than 2 minutes in the 1st half and the Jets didn't do anything I knew it was over.

[Yog]

Oh right, he did. Guess I'll be rooting for the Saints then.

[Rutabaga]

I figured the Saints-Vikes game would be the better game of the two, but shit, I need some Pepto Bismol and a barf bag at this point. The tension is crazy.

[Lykaios]

Well, I'm pissed right about now, but I want to thank # 4 for a great season. And even though he did throw that INT to end the half, I think what cost the Vikes the season is the missed PAT at the Chicago game that cost Minny the game. Had we won that game, the NFC championship woulda been played at the Dome and we'd be celebrating right now instead of moping.

I love football, I dunno that I'll be watching the SB this year, I love Peyton Manning but I dun like the Colts and I certainly don't like the Aint's at this point in time, even their chant is unoriginal, frickin "Who Dat?" They copied that from Cincy whose chant is "Who Dey?"

Fuck, I'm mad.

[Rutabaga]

*picking myself up off the floor*

Geaux Saints!!!!!

[Figrin D'an]

Jets/Colts: I was impressed with Sanchez, he played well, and the Jet defense was as good as advertised. However, the Colts stoned the Jets running game, and without the couple of big plays New York had in the passing game, this would have been a blow out in the end. It's pretty much impossible to keep Peyton Manning bottled up for 4 quarters, and the second half demonstrated that yet again. The Colts defense won this game, though.

Vikings/Saints: Minnesota played well on defense, and the Saints offense never really got into sync for any stretch of time. The turnovers killed the Vikings, and the last INT was a vintage Favre mistake. New Orleans did enough to win in the end, but I got the feeling that Drew Brees was never very comfortable in the pocket. Take away just one of those turnovers (especially the last one), and Minnesota probably wins the game.

Should be a good Super Bowl. I expect Indianapolis to be favored by about 4-6.

[Rutabaga]

Oh, and I love the fact that Favre's interception at the end of regulation botched the whole thing in the end :evil.

I'll be okay with Indy winning the SB, but I will definitely be rooting for the Saints...gotta root for the team who's never even been to the SB before!

[Lykaios]

The last INT was indeed a vintage Favre mistake but it was forced by lousy play from the offensive line, never really protecting him, and fumbles from every one else, with that he was bound to try to do too much.

Take away the fumbles and give him protection and you had what he gave all year, good decisions.

Plus, the officiating at the end suck, that was not a catch, he didn't break the plain on that 4th and inches (the ball was on his crotch after Lieber hit it with his helmet) not was it an interference, that ball was not catchable.

Of course, the Vikes shot themselves in the foot with such poor play.

[Jedi Master Carr]

The penalty before that really hurt them. It would have been a 52 yard FG but who knows. The TOs kills them especially the fumbles. Heck if the Saints had fell on two of them they would have won the game in a blowout. I actually think the spread will be closer than 4. I am guessing it will be a 3 point spread and it will get closer before the SB, as people will put more money on NO. This is actually the first time since 1993 that the top seeds made it to the SB.

[Lykaios]

Yeah, that 12 men in the huddle penalty is what forced the INT, indeed the 52 yarder would've been no walk in the park FG but at least they woulda had a chance to win it in regulation, instead they never touched the ball in OT.

Freakin MN sports team, they have a mighty way to break your heart :(

[Figrin D'an]

I actually think the spread will be closer than 4. I am guessing it will be a 3 point spread and it will get closer before the SB, as people will put more money on NO.

Very possibly. My initial impressions, though, are that the Saints defense is going to have a hard time covering all of Manning's weapons consistently. They pretty much live and die by the turnover and getting the ball to their offense with good field position. The Colts run defense is very underrated as well, and while their pass rush is not as dominant as what the Saints saw tonight from the Vikings, it's still going to be hard for New Orleans to have offensive balance.

I'll be rooting for New Orleans, but I think they're going to need the offense to be on fire and defense to force some turnovers like they did tonight to have a chance to win. If it's a very clean game in terms of lack of mistakes, I think the Colts have the advantage.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Yeah the offense needs to play better. The rushing offense isn't really a big deal. The Saints get most of their rushing numbers in second half of games, unless Reggie Bush has a big run. The Colts secondary is poor and if Brees has time I think he can hit the WR.

Edit
Vegas Odds Indy are 3.5 favorites. I think it could get a little closer maybe 2 or 1.5. This will be the closest spread since SB XVI.

[Jedi Master Carr]

The NFL may have made the wrong decision in holding the Pro Bowl the week before. Here are the QBs for the AFC because of the SB rules: Matt Schaub, Vince Young, and David Gerrard. Gerrard doesn't belong no where near a pro bowl but he gets in because Brady, Rivers, Rothelsburger, and Palmer elected not to play and Manning can't play. I think they might be better off going back to Hawaii next next year.

[Dragon]

Sorry for not getting these up earlier - school has been busy. Plus, I didn't feel there was any special rush to get a thread up for the Pro Bowl.

Whaddaya know, a lot of consensus here...


Aurelias Kazaar: 2-0
Dragon: 2-0
Figrin D'an: 2-0
Jedi Master Carr: 2-0
Liam Jinn: 2-0
Miranda Van-Derveld: 2-0
Nathanial K'cansce: 2-0
Rutabaga: 2-0
Ryan Pode: 2-0
Xavier Synik: 2-0
Yog: 2-0
Shadow Storm: 1-1
Lykaios: 0-2


And the standings:

1. Xavier Synik: 180-86 (178)

2. Dragon: 177-89 (175)
3. Jedi Master Carr: 175-91 (173)
4. Liam Jinn: 173-93 (171)
4. Ryan Pode: 173-93 (171)
6. Yog: 175-92 (172)
7. Nathanial K'cansce: 173-93 (171)
8. Figrin D'an: 167-99 (165)
9. Rutabaga: 166-100 (164)
10. Aurelias Kazaar: 165-101 (163)
11. jjwr: 155-109 (155)
11. Miranda Tarkin: 155-111 (153)
13. Lykaios: 154-112 (154)
14. Shadow Storm: 148-118 (147)


Congratulations to Xavier Synik, the 2009-2010 NFL Pick'em champion!