Tim's Two Cents-January 17

NFL Playoffs Get Turned Up a Notch.  So much for my predictions for yesterday.  The Saints and Colts both won rather covincingly.  Peyton Manning and Drew Brees each had good performances for their respective teams.

Looking ahead to today's action, we'll see if the Cowboys can punch their ticket to New Orleans and if the Chargers can race to Indy next week.

Tim's Two Cents-January 15

What I'll Be Watching This Weekend.  In an effort to do something different today, here's what I'll be watching this upcoming weekend in sports.

NFL Divisional Playoffs.  Another great weekend of playoff action is almost upon us. 

Will the Cowboys continue their recent hot streak against the Minnesota Vikings?  I certainly hope so if for no other reason than to see Brett Favre lose again.  If that happens, Favre will start crying like the prima donna that he is.  By this time next Monday, I hope Brett Favre is back in Mississippi where he belongs.

Will the Colts take advantage of home field or will rust kick in?  My gut feeling right now is the latter.  History over the last few years has shown that the Colts have had little success as the top team in the postseason.  Peyton Manning, the talented quarterback that he is, has only one Super Bowl victory in his career so far.  He is the face of the Colts.  One could argue that without Peyton Manning, the Colts would not be the good team that they are.  I'll go with the upset and the Ravens because rust will be a big factor for the Colts as usual.

Will the Saints have a party in the Big Easy?  This is a tough one that I think could go either way.  I wouldn't be surprised if the Saints offense breaks out in front the home crowd.  As for their opponent, the Cardinals.  We saw what they're capable of last week against Green Bay.  This one's a coin flip.  I'll go with the upset pick once again and the Cardinals just to mess everything up and make things more interesting.

As for the Chargers and Jets, let's keep it simple and sweet.  The Chargers will continue their late season surge and I think they will host the AFC Championship game next week against the Ravens.  

Australian Open in Melbourne.  You probably wouldn't think of me as a tennis fan at first glance, but I am.  The Australian Open, which starts on Sunday, marks the beginning of the new year in tennis as it is the first grand slam event.  As usual Roger Federer enters the tournament as the number one seed on the men's side.  Barring an unforseen turn of events, it will be another Federer-Nadal final in two weeks time.  If history is any indication, it should be epic if it were to happen.   

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Tim's Two Cents-January 11

NFL Playoffs Have Finally Arrived.  It was a great first weekend of action in the NFL Playoffs.  I can't remember a time when the action included three rematches from week 17 of the regular season.  There was the Jets at the Bengals, the Eagles at the Cowboys and the Packers at the Cardinals.  The only game that wasn't a rematch was the Ravens and Patriots.

The action kicked off with the Jets and the Bengals on Saturday.  This was a relative close game throughout.  The Bengals were the first to get on the board with a 7 to nothing lead.  The Jets stayed in it though as Mark Sanchez did just enough to give the Jets a 24 to 14 win.  As the game moved along, the Jets defense became a problem for the Bengals offense who couldn't get it going on a consistent basis.  For their winning effort, the Jets will head to sunny San Diego to take on Phillip Rivers and the Chargers.

The Saturday night game was the another week 17 rematch between the Eagles and the Cowboys.  As we soon found out, the rematch played out like it did in week 17.  The Cowboys made the plays on offense and the defense bothered Donovan McNabb all night long.  He and the rest of the Eagles didn't have a chance in the 34 to 14 loss.  It is also clear that the Cowboys are playing some of their best football right now as they will head to Minnesota next week to take on Brett Favre and the Vikings.

The Sunday slate of games was equally as good as Saturday.  The Ravens and the Patriots were the early game.  Let's just say I wasn't surprised by the outcome as the Ravens blew out Tom Brady and the Patriots 33 to 14.  The Patriots this year weren't the 18-0 Patriots that went to the Super Bowl against the Giants a couple years ago.  Bill Belichick didn't seem to be the football god he has been in the past.  The most important factor for the Patriots struggles this season was a lack of veteran leadership in the locker room, and in sports, chemistry is vital to winning in the long run.  As for the Ravens, they will take their show on the road to Indianapolis to battle Peyton Manning and the Colts next week, and I wouldn't be shocked if they pulled out a victory.

As if those games weren't enogh to get the competitive juices flowing, the Packers and the Cardinals was the best of the weekend.  It didn't look like it was going to be much of a game as the Cardinals had a 21 point lead at 31 to 10.  It looked like the Packers were out of it at that point.  Not so fast my friend.  Quarterback Aaron Rodgers had one heck of a game in his playoff debut as he led Green Bay to a tie at 38.  It had turned into a shootout.  I guess both defenses decided to take the day off!  In the end, it had to be decided in overtime as Arizona prevailed with a 51 to 45 win thanks to Karlos Dansby recovering an Aaron Rodgers fumble inside the 20 yard line and the rest is history. It is ironic that the game was won on defense as Arizona punched their ticket to New Orleans next week. 

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Tim's Two Cents-January 10

Cowboys Win First Playoff Game Since 1996.  Yes it's been a long time, but the drought is finally over.  The Cowboys got a huge monkey off their back yesterday as they beat the Philadelphia Eagles yesterday 34 to 14 at Cowboys Stadium in front of 92,951 fans, a playoff record for a postseason game other than the Super Bowl.  My cousin Henry and other Cowboys fans can relax for now.  This game was a rematch from week 17 in Arlington where the Cowboys previously shut out their NFC East rivals.

As a reward for their dominating performance, Jerry's team will head to Minnesota next Sunday to take on Brett Favre and the Vikings.  We'll see how effective the old gunslinger is against Tony Romo and company.  What I find fascinating is that if the Cowboys were able to win again next week and if the Saints lost, then the Cowboys would host the NFC Championship game in two weeks.  Will there be another record breaking crowd in attendance if all the stars align correctly in two weeks?

As far as next week is concerned, I hope the Cowboys can win against the Vikings if for no other reason than to see the Brett Favre experience come to an end.  Then he can hopefully retire and not put us through a game of will he or won't he. 

Over the past few weeks the one thing I'm sure about is the Cowboys are now a very confident team now that their December woes are over.  Whether they can continue their winning momentum, that's the number one question.    

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NFL Roulette-Week 16

Here are my key games for Week 16 in the NFL:

San Diego Chargers (11-3)

Vs.

Tennessee Titans (7-7)

Chargers: They're on a nine game winning streak and are undefeated in the month of December the last few seasons.  They're hot at the right time.  Phillip Rivers is playing some of his best football right now.  This could be the team that ends the Colts run at a perfect season, should they meet in the playoffs.  Will that happen?  Only time will tell.

Titans: Tennessee has made a nice comeback after starting 0-6.  They are one of a handful of 7-7 AFC teams still in the hunt for a Wild Card playoff spot behind the 8-6 Broncos and Ravens.  Vince Young has played surprisingly since being inserted as the starting quarterback a few weeks ago.  He, along with Chris Johnson, have brought this team back in the playoff discussion.  I think it is going to be tough for them to beat the Chargers though, given the way San Diego is playing right now.

Prediction: Chargers 38, Titans 24

New York Jets (7-7)

Vs.

Indianapolis Colts (14-0)

Jets: This is another one of those 7-7 AFC teams.  Right now, Mark Sanchez still needs to do a lot of work to become an elite quarterback in the NFL.  I also don't trust a coach who cries after a loss in the locker room.  Sorry Rex Ryan.  Sure the Jets are in the playoff hunt, but I don't think they'll be there in the end.  As a matter of fact, we can all but eliminate them from the discussion after this game.

Colts: Let's keep it short and sweet.  I think the Colts will win this game, even if their starters don't play the whole game.  You can bet that if it's close in the fourth quarter and the Colts are trailing, 18 will have something to say about it.

Prediction: Colts 35, Jets 17

Baltimore Ravens (8-6)

Vs.

Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7)

Ravens: Baltimore is in the hunt for a wild card spot.  Along with the Broncos, they currently have one of the two AFC Wild Card spots.  They beat the Steelers earlier this year in overtime.  It's safe to say these AFC North rivals do not like each other, which should make for quite an interesting game.

Steelers: The defending Super Bowl have had a surprisingly tough go of it this season.  They have had their share of bad losses against the Chiefs, Raiders and the Browns.  That certainly doesn't help the cause.  They almost had another loss last week against Green Bay, but Ben Roethlisberger saved the day with a game winning touchdown pass to Mike Wallace as time expired.

Prediction: Steelers 24, Ravens 17

Denver Broncos (8-6)

Vs.

Philadelphia Eagles (10-4)

Broncos: After coming out of the gates strong, Denver has really come back down to Earth.  They no longer lead the AFC West and are fighting to stay ahead in the Wild Card.  I think they will make this a game however a possibly come away with the win.  There's a part me that really wants to see that happen because that would put huge implications on the Eagles game next week versus the Cowboys in Dallas.

Eagles: Donovan McNabb and company have a one game lead over the Cowboys in the NFC East coming in.  Some good news for Philly is runnning back Brian Westbrook has been cleared to play after sitting out last week because of a concussion.  The Eagles have historically done well in the final weeks of a season, but I have a funny feeling about this game.

Prediction: My upset pick of the week-Broncos 34, Eagles 17

Dallas Cowboys (9-5)

Vs.

Washington Redskins (4-10)

Cowboys: How about them Cowboys!  Last week, they shocked the NFL world with their 24 to 17 upset over the New Orleans Saints at the Superdome, temporarily ending their December woes in the process.  Now let's see if they can take the momentum from last week and beat a team that, on paper, they should beat.  These are the Cowboys though.  Stranger things have happened.

Redskins: Where do I begin with this organizational mess?  Head coach Jim Zorn will certainly be gone by season's end, especially after what happened Monday night with that horrible trick play call.  What was that?  For the sake of Redskins fans, I hope something like that doesn't happen again.  New GM Bruce Smith certainly looks like he has a long offseason in store for him.

Prediction: Cowboys 31, Redskins 13

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Tim's Two Cents-December 21

It's time to take a look at the big stories from this past weekend.

1. Dallas Cowboys Spoil Saints Bid for Perfection.  In what was the major upset of the weekend, the Dallas Cowboys ended the New Orleans Saints perfect season in a 24 to 17 win.  Now I must admit, I, along with several other experts did not see this coming.  I called the Cowboys a joke of a team in my Two Cents column yesterday.  This was a game where everybody and their mothers were picking the Cowboys to lose.  Good for them for proving us wrong.  We all thought there was good reason to pick against them due to their struggles in December the last couple of seasons.

Not only did the Cowboys win the game, but they got off to a fast start in doing so.  By halftime the score was 17 to 3.  They actually played solid defense from the start. DeMarcus Ware was a beast.  He had two sacks for a total of nine yards lost.  Orlando Scandrick had a team high eight tackles.  Dallas continued their first half success when Marion Barber ran it in from two yards out at the 8-minute mark of the third quarter to make it 24 to 3.  Fans at the Superdome didn't know what hit them.

The Saints made a push in the fourth quarter scoring two touchdowns to make it 24 to 17, but Drew Brees was sacked by DeMarcus Ware and fumbled with six seconds left dashing any hope of a comeback.  So that means the Indianapolis Colts are the last remaining team to be undefeated through week 15 at 14-0.  The Saints fall to 13-1.  Time for Mercury Morris of the 1972 Miami Dolphins to come out of hiding and put a curse on the Colts.

2. Chargers Beat Bengals to Clinch AFC West.  Phillip Rivers and company edged Cincinnati 27 to 24 thanks to a Nate Kaeding 52-yard field goal with three seconds left.  When the game was over they clinched a playoff berth, but had to wait and see what would happen between the Broncos and Raiders.  When Oakland scored a game winning touchdown at the end of the game, the Chargers were crowned AFC West champions.  The Chargers are now 11-3 on the season, have a nine game winning streak, and are 17-0 the last few years in the month of December.  One thing that shouldn't be overlooked is that the Bengals were very competitive considering the week they've been through. 

There's no place like home for the Lakers.
      
 3. Lakers and Clippers Both Dominate Over the Weekend.  The Purple and Gold finished a five game road trip with a 93 to 81 win against the Detroit Pistons yesterday.  They went 4-1 on the trip that included games at Utah, Chicago, Milwaukee, New Jersey and Detroit.  Their only loss came against the Jazz.  They now head home for a brief two game homestand against the Oklahoma City Thunder and Lebron James and the Cavaliers on Christmas Day.

The Clippers were also in the winning spirit suprisingly as they came out on top against the Philadelphia 76ers 112 to 107 in overtime on Saturday. 


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NFL Roulette Week 15-Part 2

Kicking off week 15 last night, the Colts are now 14-0 following a come-from-behind 35 to 31 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars.  What else is new.  It was their seventh win after trailing in the fourth quarter this season.  Looking ahead to other key games this weekend:

Dallas Cowboys (8-5) Vs. New Orleans Saints (13-0)

This is probably the easiest game for me to break down this week.  Let's start with the Cowboys.

Cowboys-We all know about their recent December struggles, 0-2 so far this season.  They have a head coach in Wade Phillips who is average at best.  They have an owner in Jerry Jones who can't help himself to having a say in the running of the team.  They have a quarterback in Tony Romo who, to his credit has played well so far this month, but can't do it all by himself.  Now, they're going on the road to play the NFL's #1 offense this season in an environment with a party atmosphere and raucous crowds.  Good luck.  They'll need it.

Saints-Does anybody really think the Saints will lose this game?  I certainly don't.  They've played well at home.  They seem to be a team of destiny.  They are clearly the best team in the league.  I see them winning rather easily and they will match the Colts at 14-0 by Monday.

Prediction: Saints 45, Cowboys 20

Cincinnati Bengals (9-4) Vs. San Diego Chargers (10-3)

Bengals-It is going to be awfully tough for Cincinnati to compete at a high level this weekend.  Following the death of Chris Henry, they are going to be playing with heavy hearts.  I guess they could use it to their advantage and win one for Henry, but I don't see it happening.  Also consider that the game will be played in San Diego.  What a tough week it has been and will be for the Bengals.

Chargers-After getting to a rough start, the Chargers have gotten hot, winning eight straight after starting 2-3.  This is nothing new for them as they have started slow the past couple years before going on long winning streaks to end the season.  I expect their current streak to reach nine this weekend.

Prediction: Chargers 35, Bengals 10

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