Mets Set to Acquire Mega-Ace Johan Santana

The seemingly never-ending Johan Santana sweepstakes are set to come to a close. The ace, pending a contract extension, will be joining the New York Mets. Santana will immediately ascend to the top of the Mets' rotation and fills the gaping hole the Mets had in their rotation. Expect contract negotations to go smoothly, and Santana to be introduced at a press conference at Shea sometime next week after the Super Bowl.

Santana has won the AL Cy Young twice, and expect him to be nothing but brillant moving from the AL to the NL. I'm figuring seasons of 18-22 wins and low 2 ERAs with the difference between the AL and NL. Santana will also get more run support than he got in Minnesota, and he will also be pitching in a great pitchers' park next year in Shea. We will have to see what kind of park CitiField will be when it opens in 2009. That shouldn't matter though, as Santana is the best pitcher in the game.

Even though Santana is coming off his worst season, it was still a 15-13 season with a 3.33 ERA. It is hard to call a season where he finished fifth in the Cy Young voting bad. He is a brillant pitcher, and most importantly a can't miss. I know Mets' fans have been burned with good players coming to Shea and bombing, but this is an A+ player. He is not among the normal B-type players the Mets get that can't handle the New York pressure. So don't worry Mets fans! This is a move the Mets HAD to make.

The Mets really didn't give up all that much either. Considering the Mets' farm system is pretty light compared to what the Yankees and Red Sox had to offer, I'm surprised the Mets will get Santana without giving up Fernando Martinez or Mike Pelfrey. Carlos Gomez and Phil Humber may become nice players, but they aren't anything special like a Phil Hughes or Jon Lester could have been for the Twins. The Minnesota Twins have to be kicking themselves for not taking the Yankees or Red Sox offer back in November. Who knows if the Yankees and Red Sox still had those offers on the table this week. It could be that the Twins just didn't want to trade Santana within the American League.

Before this move, the Mets were sliding fast among the best teams in the National League. My early prediction is that they would finish third in the NL East had they gone into the season without an upgrade like this. The Mets couldn't go into the season relying too heavily on John Maine and Oliver Perez to win 15 games again. They also couldn't rely on anything big from Pedro Martinez. Now anything Pedro gives you is an added bonus. If any team REALLY needed Johan Santana, it was the New York Mets. Santana simply shoots the Mets up from fifth best or so in the NL to the clear favorites to represent the league in the World Series.

Pat Morgan

We Landed on the Moon!

With the sports world dominated by the Super Bowl there hasn't been much to blog about. I don't have the stomach to give hourly updates of Tom Brady's ankle. So enjoy the video!

Pat Morgan

Third Tyme the Charm; Giants Claim NFC Championship

-Giants 23, Packers 20/OT
Heroes: Eli Manning & Plaxico Burress
Goat: Brett Favre
Turning Point: Brett Favre's INT in overtime to set up Tynes's third FG chance and game-winner
Next: Super Bowl XLII vs. New England

The New York Giants are going to the Super Bowl! Lawerence Tynes's 47-yard field goal in overtime completed an unlikely 3-0 run through Tampa, Dallas, and a frozen Green Bay. Now they will have two weeks to prepare for their second crack at defeating the perfect Pats in Super Bowl XLII.

Eli Manning was absolutely spectacular in leading the Giants on this march. He went through the entire NFC playoffs without throwing an interception! How his career has changed drastically since the regular season finale vs. New England. Manning managed another brillant game by picking apart the Green Bay defense with short stuff all over the place. He was extremely efficient in getting the Giants down field. He was only 21 of 40, but sometimes statistics lie as he was much better than that today.

Plaxico Burress had a tremendous game by catching 11 balls for 154 yards. Green Bay made the mistake of leaving Al Harris alone on Burress for most of the game. Harris is a good cornerback, but he was schooled today by Burress. Most importantly, the Giants dominated field position for most of the game. Even if a drive did not amount in points, they made the Packers' defense work. Only once did they go three and out, and that was only because Amani Toomer dropped a wide open pass. The Giants held the ball for over 40 minutes.

The Giants' defense did a tremendous job in giving Brett Favre problems. They didn't really get to hit him much, but they did take away his receivers down field. Other than the broken play that resulted in a 90-yard touchdown to Driver, the Giants had Favre forcing passes all day. He threw two interceptions, but he really could have thrown two or three more. The Giants also took Ryan Grant completely out of the game. After having 201 yards last week vs. Seattle, Grant ran for a mere 29 yards. Conversely, Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw ran for a 130 yards between them.

The Giants really dominated this game in a lot of ways. They really should have won this game easily if it wasn't for missed field goals, dropped passes, key penalties, and a few big plays from Green Bay that kept the game close. Conventional wisdom tells you the Patriots from the much stronger AFC will beat them handily in the Super Bowl, but it's hard to bet against the Giants giving them a big, big test the way they are on this magic carpet ride. It should be a great game in two weeks in Glendale, Arizona.

Let the two weeks of media nonsense in beating this game to death in every possible way begin!

Pat Morgan

Giants take down Packers; Will meet Patriots in Super Bowl

The New York Giants will face off against the New England Patriots two weeks from tonight in Super Bowl XLII. They pulled off another upset by defeating Brett Favre and the Packers 23-20 in overtime. I think this might be one of those games you see on NFL Films 30 years down the road. The Giants did play a lot better than the Packers and deserved to win the game, but two missed field goals and some unlucky bounces made the game closer than it should have been. Eli Manning continued his spectacular play during the postseason as he played another flawless game. He has no interceptions in three playoff games and if he has a fourth, then the Giants have a chance to defeat the Patriots.

There were a few different moments in the game that could have been considered as the turning point. When I was watching the game, I thought Sam Madison's personal foul would be the turning point of the game. If the penalty had not occured, the Packers would have had to face a very important fourth down and might have had to attempt a long field goal. Instead, a first down was granted and Favre threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Donald Lee to give Green Bay a 17-13 lead. But the Giants didn't let the turn of events affect them as they marched down the field and scored on a 4-yard plunge from Ahmad Bradshaw. It gave the Giants a 20-17 lead and the Packers never led again.

It appears as though Favre will return next season considering this is the most talent he has played with since his two Super Bowl appeaances in the late 90s. His interception at the end of this game led to Lawrence Tynes' game winning field goal, but it should have never gotten to that point. The bottom line is that the Giants outplayed the Favre and the Packers and should have won by at least 14 points instead of the three-point overtime margin. Again, Green Bay laid an egg in the cold. They got destroyed by the Bears during a very cold game in Week 16 and today it appeared as if the weather affected the Packers again.

Something about Giants versus Patriots doesn't sound right, but I'm sure I will get used to it by the time Super Bowl Sunday comes around.

Shawn Marosek

The Patriots Now Just One Away From Perfection

-Patriots 21, Chargers 12
Heroes: Laurence Maroney & Kevin Faulk
Goat: Chargers' red zone offense
Turning Point: Junior Seau tackles Michael Turner short of the 1st down on 3rd and 1 inside the NE 5 @ 14-9 Pats
Next: Super Bowl XLII vs. Green Bay/NY Giants

In a game where Tom Brady would throw three interceptions and the Chargers would gain more yards in the passing game than the Pats you would have given the Bolts a great chance to win. The Chargers definitely redeemed themselves this postseason for a very poor start this year, but unfortunately couldn't make the big play when they needed to today to beat New England.

The Chargers lost the game with their inability to get the ball into the endzone. They reached the Pats' red zone three times and traveled deep into their territory four times. You cannot beat the Pats settling for field goals even if you pick off Brady ten times. Give credit to the Patriots' defense though for their superb play deep in their own territory. The biggest play of the game was Junior Seau's stop of Michael Turner when the Chargers seemed poised to take a 15-14 lead off Brady's second interception. Seau and the defense had a terrific game today, and really redeemed themselves for some shoty play lately.

As mentioned, Brady threw three interceptions, so how did the Pats get enough offense to win the game today? The heroes are definitely the two running backs in Laurence Maroney and Kevin Faulk. Maroney dominated the Chargers' frontline in the 2nd half. He had about 15 yards at the half, but finished with 122 for the game. Maroney has had a huge postseason, especially when everyone thought he was a bum this year. Faulk was brillant in the passing game. He took several dumpoffs from Brady and made great things happen, including the spectacular diving catch that effectively ended the game in the fourth quarter. There has been no bigger unsung hero during the Pats' run of Super Bowls than Kevin Faulk.

Even though the Chargers were unable to come up with the big plays they needed, they should be very proud of themselves for what they accomplished this postseason. Philip Rivers showed a great deal of guts playing the way he did today. Other than two bad interceptions, he was very good. The CBS Halftime analysts were completely out of line when they said Norv Turner should have replaced Rivers with Billy Volek for the 2nd half. Rivers played the entire game when his star running back, LaDainian Tomlinson, who has a similar injury, couldn't make it through one possession. Those analysts need to get their heads examined. Vincent Jackson and Chris Chambers really played well again, and this team has the complete package to possibly win a Super Bowl next year.

But today belongs to the New England Patriots. Bill Belichick has done a remarkable job this season putting together this 18-0 team. They should be able to roll through the NFC Champion and complete their perfect year. The weather will be much better down in Arizona, so expect to see the full fire power of the Patriots' offense.

I want to congratulate my co-blogger, Shawn Marosek for predicting that the Pats would never have more than a 10 point lead in the game. His prediction of weather playing a major role was dead on. Great job, Shawn!

Pat Morgan

Shawn Marosek's Conference Championship Picks

Chargers at Patriots

Even though I'll be rooting hard for the Chargers, I can't see going against the heavily favored New England Patriots. Many people think this game is going to be a blowout. Not me. The Chargers will be in it most of the way. I think they will be down 7-10 points the entire game. Their gutty win last week against the Indianapolis Colts showed what this team is all about. They woon't beat the Pats, but they will make a game out of it. And if the wind plays a big factor in this game, then I could see Tom Brady being affected by it. The last time the Patriots had a windy game in Foxboro, Brady had a very off day against the hapless Jets. The Patriots will more than likely be in the Super Bowl and the talk of being the first 19-0 team will continue for two more long weeks. Patriots 24 Chargers 17


Giants at Packers

This one will be a close game. Brett Favre is the feel good story of the year and I can see why so many people are rooting for him in this game. I probably won't have a rooting interest in this game, which makes me want a close game even more. My gut feeling is that the Giants will be right in this game toward the very end, but I think Eli comes up just short on the final drive. Favre won't have his greatest game, but I think it will be good enough to beat the Giants. New York's corners are a weak spot and I can see Favre putting up a couple fast scores with touchdown passes to Donald Driver or Greg Jennings. It looks like it will be a rematch of Super Bowl 31 as the Packers will meet the undefeated Patriots two weeks from now in Arizona. Packers 20 Giants 16

Shawn Marosek

Gerbil's NCAA Top Five

This will be a weekly post (and maybe expanded to a top 10), but will generally be posted on Sunday night. I am doing the first one tonight because tomorrow will be devoted to Championship Sunday. After tomorrow though it officially becomes college basketball season to me. That's because there is two weeks of utter nonsense leading into the Super Bowl, but here is the first Pat Morgan Top 5!

5.) Georgetown Hoyas - Yes, they lost at Pittsburgh this week, but that is far from a bad loss in a building that's almost impossible to win at. They also lost at Memphis, so they really have nothing to be ashamed of so far this season. I absolutely love Roy Hibbert. How many teams in America can say they have a true 7 foot, 2 inch center? Other than Jeff Green, this 2007 Final Four team is intact. I think they roll through the Big East to lets say a first place 13-3 record. They have an excellent starting five, but, however, they do have some depth issues. Because of that, I cannot put them higher on my list.

4.) Tennessee Volunteers - I absolutely love this team! They play the run-and-gun offense for all 40 minutes, and are extremely effective doing it. Chris Lofton and JaJuan Smith are the senior leaders with the experience from last year's impressive tournament run when they reached the Sweet 16 where they lost to Ohio State. They will bludgeon you to death with their superior three point shooting. Their downfall is definitely their lack of size. They do not have anyone over 6' 10" on the roster. That really hurt them when they blew a 20-point lead to the Buckeyes and Greg Oden last season. The Vols' style of play definitely gives them a chance to go deep in the tournament because they will simply wear down their opponets with their quick play.

3.) North Carolina Tar Heels - Well, they finally lost today! But don't be shocked if they don't lose again for awhile. This team simply has it all. The Heels are experienced, they have size, they can shoot the three, they are great from the foul line, and they are relatively deep. They are one of maybe three or four teams I really think can win the National Championship. They would have been #2 to Memphis on my list had they not lost today, and could very well be #1 on my future lists soon. If they have a weakness, it's their defense. It isn't where Roy Williams would want it right now. They gave up 81 points to NC Ashville! However, giving up a lot of points is partly because of the way they play. They love to run. If anyone wants to beat them come March, they better make it a half-court game. If you run with the Heels, you will look like the gum on their Heels (sorry, bad joke!).

2.) Kansas Jayhawks - Can the Jayhawks finally backup an impressive regular season and break a long run of bad luck in the NCAA Tournament? That remains to be seen, but this team has been spanking opponets lately in route to a 17-0 record. This team has a pretty balanced package as well. Mario Chamlers, Sherron Collins, and Brandon Rush give the Jayhawks a great backcourt. Then, they have Senior, Shasa Kaun down low. The Rock Em', Sock Em' Jayhawks go eight deep as well. They won't be as tested in an adequate Big 12 as lets say the Tar Heels in the ACC or the Hoyas in the Big East would be, but if they roll through the conference they should be battle tested enough to do good things in March. The big question for the Jayhawks is will they be able to shoot consistently through the NCAA Tournament. They have moments where they do ice cold from the field. They will have to overcome that to win.

1.) Memphis Tigers - The Tigers are absolutely loaded. They can go nine deep, and can win a blood bath against anyone. The Tigers are perhaps the most experienced team in the nation as well. They have been to two straight Elite 8s, and no one other than UCLA with a chance at the National Championship can say anything better. They sport five upperclassmen, and one of their young players is the very talented Derrick Rose. The Tigers might have the best defense in the nation, besides UCLA, as well. They will probably have a couple nights where they don't play very motivated, but I could easily see Memphis going into the NCAA Tournament with a chance at the perfect season. That is because they play in a very weak conference. It is too bad Memphis wasn't taken to the Big East along with the other big boys from the Conference USA. The team with the best chance to stop their run at perfection is the Tennessee Volunteers, as they travel to Memphis on February 23rd. The Tigers' biggest weakness is their overall offense. Yes, they can score on the TCUs of the world, but they will not score toe-to-toe with the Tar Heels or Volunteers if forced into a fast paced game. However, they have the best chance of any to slow those powerhouses down.

Pat Morgan

Championship Sunday Predictions

It's hard to believe, but the football season is almost over. Every year it seems like we just watched Week 1 and it's somehow the Super Bowl. To me, the football season ends on Championship Sunday. That is because the Super Bowl is an overblown entertainment event, with a game in there somewhere. But lets get on with it! The predictions for Championship Sunday!

-New England 35, San Diego 17
The magic will run out for the San Diego "Super" Chargers in New England. It was really an amazing win for them last week being all banged up in Indianapolis. I don't see a miracle like that happening again in the building of the unbeaten Patriots. Philip Rivers and LaDainian Tomlinson will probably start, but the question is how long will they be able to go? Had this been during the regular season, both would probably have missed this week and maybe next. So, that really hampers their offense. The Chargers' defense gave up over 400 yards last week to Peyton Manning, so that doesn't sound the least bit encouraging with their defense going up against Tom Brady. I will be rooting hard for the Chargers, but I really would be shocked if the Chargers make this a game. Perhaps with the Patriots aging defense they can keep it close for a quarter or two, but I really think the plethora of injuries will keep this from being an upset. Even if San Diego was healthy, I would be shocked.

-Green Bay 23, NY Giants 16
Is there any better site for a NFC Championship than Lambeau Field? Maybe the players would say so with single-digits forcasted, haha. But there really is no better venue in all of football to watch a football game. There is so much history in Green Bay, and it represents old time football to a tee. I am really looking forward to this game, as I think it is very hard to predict. I can see all sorts of scenarios playing out. That is because there are a lot of questions coming into this game. Will Eli Manning be able to play in extremely difficult weather conditions? Will Brandon Jacobs/Ahmad Bradshaw be effective against the Packers' front line? Will the Giants' secondary be able to hold up like they were last week @ Dallas? Will Brett Favre and the Packers play tight with a golden opportunity at home to make the Super Bowl? However those play out, I really expect this to be a great football game. I will predict the Pack to win at home. This is because I think Favre will play well, and Eli will struggle a bit in the extremely cold conditions. The Giants need their running game to really give them an edge, as they definitely have a potential advantage here. I know Ryan Grant had 200 yards rushing last week, but he won't do that this week. The Giants will also need their pass rush to be effective like it was in the 4th quarter at Dallas. If it isn't, Favre will carve up their depleted secondary. 48 hours til kickoff!

Pat Morgan

Third Time the Charm; Giants Stun Cowboys in Big D

-Giants 21, Cowboys 17
Heroes: Giants defense, especially after another injury in secondary to Aaron Ross
Goat: Tony Romo
Turning Point: After the Cowboys ate up 10 minutes to take a 14-7 lead, the Giants matched that TD with one of their own to tie with just :53 seconds on the clock before the half
Next: NFC Championship @ Green Bay

Well there will be a Manning playing on championship weekend after all. It will just be Eli Manning and not Peyton. For the second time today the road team went into a hostile environment and came away with a stunning victory. The Giants are clearly still riding high from their impressive performance vs. New England in Week 17 and playoff win in Tampa Bay, while the Cowboys were effected by not playing big time football in six weeks. This was a game the Cowboys had several chances to win, but they were unable to get on track in the second half.

The Cowboys were able to score two touchdowns in the first half because Marion Barber ran at will on the Giants' defense. Barber's ability to rush the football gave Tony Romo time to throw on third down. However, when the Giants adjusted in the second half, Romo melted under the pressure. He melted like Jessica Simpson on Celebrity Jeopardy! (zoom, zoom, zoom!) He overthrew Terrell Owens on what would have been a touchdown. It would have made the score 21-14. Patrick Crayton did drop a critical pass at 17-14, but other than that Romo was awful.

With good starting field position on each of the last three drives, Romo was unable to do much with the ball. During the final series, he did a poor job of managing the clock. They got the ball with 1:50 remaining at around midfield, but yet somehow they were forced to take last ditch shots at the end zone from around the Giants' 25. They were slow getting to the line on completions, and even ran the ball once on the drive that ate up about 30 seconds. It was not a good night for Romo, and for the second year in a row he'll be left to wonder what if?

I have to give a lot of credit to the Giants' defense though for their ability to stop the Cowboys several times in the second half. After Aaron Ross's injury there was not much left in the secondary. I thought at this point that the Boys would go to town on the Giants, but they didn't. Then the pass rush started to have an effect, and that really rattled Romo on the last few drives. How does a receiving core with Terrell Owens, Jason Witten, Terry Glenn, and Patrick Crayton not have success today? Give a lot of credit to the heart of the Giants' defense. After years of all kinds of internal problems, the Giants are finally playing as a team. Tom Coughlin has done a great job, and has gone from the chopping block to the cusp of a long-term extension. I wonder what Tiki Barber is feeling right now.

Eli Manning was fantastic in managing the Giants offense today. He did not have sexy numbers, but he didn't make any key mistakes. The drive of the day for Eli was his ability to lead the Giants down the field in 53 seconds at the end of the 1st half. The Cowboys had just taken a lot of momentum by scoring a go-ahead touchdown on a 20-play, 90-yard drive that lasted 10:28. If the Giants don't score there, they go in to the locker room down a TD without the ball first in the second half. That is a big time drive that even the likes of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning would have trouble doing.

Give credit to the Giants' special teams as well. R.W. McQuarters was able to return a punt to the Cowboys' 35 which set up the ultimate game-winning TD drive. It was an all around big time effort from the Giants, who were beat up and were playing a team with far more talent. The Giants will head to Green Bay next week with a chance to advance to Super Bowl XLII. It will be interesting to see if Eli Manning can go into a cold weather environment and continue his run.

Pat Morgan

Depleted Chargers Shock the Colts 28-24

-Chargers 28, Colts 24
Hero: Philip Rivers and Billy Volek
Goat: Indianapolis secondary
Turning Point: Marvin Harrison's fumble deep in Chargers' territory while up 7-0
Next: AFC Championship @ New England

The San Diego Chargers pulled off the biggest upset of the playoffs thus far by going into the RCA Dome and shocking the defending champions 28-24. It was an amazing win for the Chargers considering they dealt with key offensive injuries to LaDainian Tomlinson, Philip Rivers, and Antonio Gates. The Bolts also had to shake off several shady calls against them by the officials. With all that combined with the fact that no one thought they could win anyway, it should go down as one of the more shocking playoff upsets in recent memory.

Before Rivers exited after his celebration injury, he was simply fantastic. He did not have LT most of the game, but that didn't stop him from connecting with his receivers, especially Vincent Jackson, all game long. Rivers was very efficient in converting 3rd downs. You could tell the crowd noice definitely gave the Chargers' offense issues with multiple delay of games, but somehow Rivers got through it and led the Chargers on three TD drives. After Rivers left the game and the Colts scored to go ahead 24-21, I thought it meant doom for the Chargers. However, Billy Volek did a superb job in relief. Volek connected on a critical 3rd down to Chris Chambers to really set up the go-ahead drive. Volek showed why he is one of the better backups in the league. Michael Turner also did a nice job running the ball in relief of LT.

The Indianapolis defense was extremely disappointing. They had carried last year's playoff momentum over into this season and had their best defensive year by far in the Peyton Manning era. I was surprised how poor the Colts' secondary was with the deficiencies in the San Diego offense. They allowed 312 yards in the air, and had it not been for an early interception and a few bad calls/non-calls the Chargers may have scored well over 30. The San Diego defense was not much better, as Peyton Manning threw for over 400 yards. However, they were able to come up with two key stops when the Colts were driving for the game-winning touchdown.

A lot of analysts have already come out knocking Tony Dungy's decision to go for it on 4th and 7 inside the Chargers' 10. They did have three timeouts and the two minute warning, but I totally disagree. You've got to take your chance at a touchdown there considering the Colts' defense couldn't stop the Chargers all day. If you don't convert, then you have a much better chance of stopping them within their own 10 than somewhere else on the field. Plus, if you do stop them, you expect the punt would give you the ball at midfield with lots of time. No one saw Chargers' punter Mike Scifres driving one almost 70 yards. Therefore, no foul there at all by Dungy.

The biggest play in this game was the Marvin Harrison fumble. The Colts were up 7-0 and driving at will in Chargers' territory toward what probably would have been a 14-0 lead. I don't think the Chargers would have recovered from this. They probably would have been able to score, but being able to make up a 14-point deficit would have been tough. The fumble settled the game down for San Diego. They took full advantage of it, and went an eight minute drive to tie the game.

The Chargers now head to New England. I don't know who they will have avaliable to them, but they should put up a better fight than they did when they were blown out back in Week 2. They also have a score to settle from last year. However, it is going to take a herculian effort to beat the 17-0 Patriots who got a huge break today not having to play Indianapolis next week.

Pat Morgan

Brady's Accuracy Leads Pats to 31-20 Victory

-Patriots 31, Jaguars 20
Hero: Tom Brady
Goat: Jacksonville defense
Turning Point: Dennis Northcutt's dropped pass at the NE 2 at 21-14, drop forced the Jaguars to kick a field goal
Next: vs. Indianapolis/vs. San Diego

Tom Brady added another record to his historic season. He completed 26 of 28 passes to break Phil Simms's record for completion percentage in a playoff game (Super Bowl XXI). The Jaguars defense allowed him to pick them apart all night, and in fact the Patriots didn't have to punt until the closing minute of the game. Laurence Maroney had a very good game as well, as he ran for 122 yards on 22 carries. The Jags' game plan to take away Randy Moss and the long ball clearly backfired.

The Jags strategy did them in, as Brady led the Pats on five time-consuming scoring drives. The vaunted Jacksonville defense became the latest victim of the Patriots' epic offense. I did not like the strategy because that was the Jags playing against their strength. They beat up Ben Roethlisberger last week with six sacks and were able to force three interceptions. The Jaguars are not a finesse team. They are a big physical team! Brady was going to beat them anyway, but at least let him beat you playing your game. That, and you cannot give Brady all day and to carve you up all night underneath.

It wasn't an all around great night for the Patriots though. The Jacksonville offense really carved up the Patriots defense at times, especially in the first half. David Gerrard played an exceptional football game. Other than a 1st quarter fumble that allowed the Pats to play from ahead, Gerrard really bounced back from his worst performance of the year last week vs. Pittsburgh. He led the Jags on two long TD drives in the first half. Dennis Northcutt dropped a key pass in the 3rd quarter that would have put the Jags at the New England 2 yard line. So, instead of potentially a 21-21 tie, the Jags had to settle for a field goal. That was costly cause it allowed the Patriots to go up two possessions on their next touchdown. That's really where Jacksonville's chance to win the game ended.

And as badly as the Patriots defense played at times, they did come up big when they had too. They forced the Jags to kick two field goals in the 2nd half (one aided by Northcutt's drop), and Rodney Harrison's interception all but ended the game. I am curious to see if the Patriots defense can come up big one more time if they play Indianapolis next week. I really believe that game will be an all out war that will be close to the final horn.

Pat Morgan

Suffern's Ryan Grant Leads Packers to Dominate Win

-Packers 42, Seahawks 20
Heroes: Ryan Grant & Green Bay offensive line
Goats: Seattle defensive line
Turning Point: Brett Favre convincing coach Mike McCarthy to challenge spot on a 4th and inches when trailing 14-7. Packers won challenge and tied game on the drive, and the Packers' offense never looked back
Next: @ Dallas/vs. NY Giants

After two big, early fumbles that set up two Seattle touchdowns, Ryan Grant was simply unstoppable. Grant ran for 201 yards on 27 carries in leading the Packers to a 42-20 win in what were blizzard like conditions in Green Bay. The Seahawks' defensive line was simply outclassed by the offensive line of the Packers. Even backup running back, Brandon Jackson had an impact on the game. It was a stunningly bad performance from a line that held Clinton Portis to just 52 yards rushing last week.

Brett Favre managed the game brillantly. Favre did not go crazy throwing bombs after the Pack fell behind 14-0, which he tends to do sometimes. He made an incredible play late in the 1st half when he scrambled away from a sack and threw underhand to Donald Lee for a 1st and Goal. That would set up the TD before the half which would make it 28-17. You'll see that play on highlight reels for years to come.

As for Seattle, Matt Hasselbeck played a decent game, but was plaqued by dropped passes and an inept performance from Shaun Alexander. It is a amazing how far Alexander has fallen from his MVP year two years ago. He will need to bounce back to form for the Seahawks to be a legit contender in the NFC for the next couple of years. The Pack will head to Dallas or host the Giants next week. They clearly sent a message to the NFC with their dominate performance today.

By the way, how funny did Seahawks' coach Mike Holmgren look in the snow? FOX kept cutting to him during the game, and each time they did the snow was higher and higher off his hat and headset. You can wipe it off, Mike!

Pat Morgan

Stone Cold, Lead Pipe, Giant Lock Divisional Round Picks

What a sexy quartet of matchups! This is my favorite weekend of the NFL season to begin with. I've always loved the second weekend when the best teams get involved and the wildcard winners have a chance to pull the upset on the road. I think winning on the road in this round is one of the toughest things to do in sports. All of the matchups this weekend are very compelling with big time storyline lines and stars. Expect the ratings to be as high as the divisional round has seen. Now to the picks in time order! (3-1 in the Wildcard Round)

Saturday's Games

- Green Bay 27, Seattle 24
Of the road teams this weekend, I think Seattle has the best chance to win. They are more experienced in the postseason than Green Bay, and have played well in Lambeau in the playoffs in 2004. However, I think the problems of Shaun Alexander will be the difference in this game. His poor year has made the Seahawks' offense one dimensional, and thus puts a lot of pressure on Matt Hasselbeck in this game. Hasselbeck is certainly capable of having a special game, but that's asking a lot in a hostile environment like Green Bay. The Seahawks also have a very good pass rush, but Brett Favre was only sacked twice in the second half of the season. So, we'll see if the Seahawks strengths show on Saturday. I think their experience keeps them close and could possibly give them a chance late, but I think the Packers are a more rounded football team who is at home. Plus, I picked them to go to the Super Bowl at the beginning of the postseason. I can't change now!

- New England 38, Jacksonville 17
Enough of this Jacksonville is the team that will knock off the Patriots talk. It is utterly ridiculous for anyone to predict the Jaguars in this game. Those who are, are just looking for attention and should hell freeze over and their right, they can claim to be geniuses. The Jaguars struggled against the injury riddled Steelers' offense last weekend, and needed four game changing plays to win. This isn't a knock against Jacksonville, but I don't think they are ready to pull of an upset of this magnitude. It would be considered a great upset in the eyes of many if the defending champion, better than ever Indianapolis Colts should beat New England. So, how will Jacksonville win this? They will need several things to happen. First, they will need Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew to run for 300 yards combined to chew up lots of clock. Second, they will need to have an extreme amount of success with the pass rush and hope for some Brady fumbles, which he does do more than he would like. Third, they will need to go into this game calm. Sure everyone is saying they have no pressure on them, but we know they will feel it. I like the Jags, but there is no way they are winning this game. (Hope I'm wrong!)

Sunday's Games

- Indianapolis 34, San Diego 20
Are the Colts the greatest overlooked defending champion in the history of professional sports? They have received very little recognition this year, outside of their opening night trouncing of the then NFC favorite New Orleans Saints. Outside of that early praise, most of the discussion they got about their team was negative. People dropped them in their power rankings behind the Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, and even the Pittsburgh Steelers. They should never have been dropped below number two! Let me tell you something. This is the best all around Colts team I've seen and I expect them to be a very difficult out in this postseason. Even for the Patriots. As for this game, I think the Chargers have been way too inconsistent this year to expect them to go into Indy and win. The Colts' defense is the best it has ever been, and I expect them to give LT and Philip Rivers a hell of a time. The injury to Antonio Gates really hurts them too. This is also a payback game of sorts for the Colts. The Chargers ended their perfect run two years ago, and beat them, when they really shouldn't have, earlier this season.

- Dallas 35, NY Giants 31
The perfect storm for an upset? The Giants come in riding high on all sorts of momentum from their battle with New England and their impressive playoff win vs. Tampa Bay last week, while the Cowboys haven't played well since November. I think this game will be a high octane battle all the way to the finish. I expect both quarterbacks to play well, and have the secondary scratching in all states of confusion. The Marion Barber/Julius Jones vs. Brandon Jacobs/Ahmad Bradshaw battle intrigues me. This will be key in determining who wins the time of possession battle. The battle of DeMarcus Ware vs. Osi Umenyiora on the defensive line to see who can assert more pressure on the quarterback will be interesting to see as well. Whether Terrell Owens can play and be effective is a big question, but I would expect him to play well if he plays. Remember Super Bowl XXXIX? Will Terry Glenn be effective coming off the long injury? He's a very underrated receiver, but he also missed a year. These teams are actually very much alike, but I will pick the Cowboys because they have more talent and are at home. I think this is the most intriguing game of the weekend.

Pat Morgan

Goose Elected to Hall; Rice Left Out Again

Yesterday it was announced that Rich "Goose" Gossage finally made the MLB Hall of Fame. It is a well deserved honor for a pitcher that helped revolutionize the closer position. Gossage finished his career with 310 saves and a 3.01 career ERA. Many of his saves were multiple inning saves, and after Bruce Sutter made the Hall of Fame two years ago it was a matter of when, not if, Goosage would make it.

Jim Rice missed the Hall of Fame once again, and only has one more year left on the writers' ballots. However, he only was 16 votes shy, and considering next year is a weak year (other than Rickey Henderson) he should make it. I didn't see Rice in my lifetime, but he had a .298 career batting average, 382 homeruns in the deadball era, and finished in the top five for the AL MVP six times. Had Rice not been such a pain to the media and his career ending abruptly at the age of 35, he would already be in the Hall of Fame. So, hopefully, Rice will pickup those 16 votes and make it next year.

Other notables that received over 60% of votes were Andre Dawson and Bert Blyleven. I saw Dawson play growing up in Chicago, and the Hawk was a monster with the stick. He did have a lot of non-HOF years intertwined with some epic years. Dawson only had four seasons with 100+ RBI. I like Rice better because he was more consistant. Dawson is definitely borderline, and as a Cubs fan I would love to see him get in. However, I think he should just miss the HOF, and be ranked among the best players not to be in the Hall of Fame.

As far as Blyleven, I think he was a bit of a stat compiler. Somehow he only made the All-Star Game twice and never won a Cy Young. He did have 287 wins, 3,701 strikeouts, and a 3.31 lifetime ERA. It's amazing how a nice, round, sexy number looks in the eye of the voter. Had Blyleven stuck around two more ineffective years to win 300 he would be in already. It is an interesting case, but based on his lack of career achievements I can't say one way or the other. Had I seen him pitch I could make a better judgment.

I will say if Blyleven gets in, Jack Morris better get in first. Morris received 43% of the vote this year. Morris pitched five fewer seasons than Blyleven, his numbers are comparable, and he was a Game 1 World Series starter for three different teams. He was 4-2 with a 2.96 ERA in his World Series starts. Morris pitched the greatest game I've ever seen pitched. His 10-inning, 1-0, Game 7 shutout vs. John Smoltz in the 1991 World Series vs. Atlanta was epic. That start with his stats should put him over the top into the Hall of Fame.

Mark McGwire took a big blow yesterday only receiving 23.6% of the vote. That was no improvement off of his first ballot. Therefore, it is hard to believe McGwire will ever make the Hall of Fame now. McGwire's only chance is if he somehow gets exonerated of steroid use, which will never ever happen. His testimony two years ago in front of Congress has damned him for good in the eyes of the voters.

Class of 2009 Predictions: Rickey Henderson, Jim Rice (I know I'm looking forward to Rickey's speech!)

Pat Morgan

Finally! Giants and Chargers Win Playoff Games!

-Giants 24, Buccaneers 14
Hero: Eli Manning
Goats: Tampa Bay secondary
Turning Point: Josh Bidwell's terrible punt early in the 2nd giving the Giants great field position (which they would tie the game with) after Tampa dominated the first 20 minutes
Next: @ Dallas

Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin finally got the monkey off their back by winning a playoff game. Manning played very efficiently in leading the Giants to the road win in Tampa. The Bucs took the running game away from the Giants for the most part, so Eli had to be good in order for the Giants to win. I thought a big play in this game was when Jeff Garcia missed Joey Galloway which would have given the Bucs a first down while up 7-0. The next play was a short punt that put the Giants at midfield, and allowed them to even up the game and change all the momentum.

The 16-play, 4th quarter drive was the signature drive of the game. I know fans didn't want to admit it at the time with Garcia having led the 49ers to that huge comeback against the Giants, but that drive effectively ended the game. The Giants defense was also fantastic today in giving Garcia problems the entire way. Right now the Giants are a very balanced team and will head down to Dallas with a lot of momentum. Coughlin's decision to play full throttle vs. New England has turned golden by giving the Giants a lot of confidence. Of the road teams in the divisional round, I think the Giants have the best shot to win other than probably Seattle in Green Bay. Will the third time be the charm?

-Chargers 17, Titans 6
Heroes: Chris Chambers, Vincent Jackson
Goat: None
Turning Point: Halftime adjustments
Next: @ Indianapolis

This game was a tail of two halves. The Titans' defense simply dominated the Chargers in the first half, and had chances to have more than just a 6-0 lead at halftime. A big play that kept lead just one possession was the Chris Brown fumble in the red zone. At worst they should have come away with another field goal there, and perhaps they have a 9-0 lead at the half. I didn't like the call to begin with on that play. It was a toss back to Brown so he could run to the outside. I have never been a big fan of those plays cause they result in big losses quite frequently. In this case I had more reason to dislike it because it allowed the big, fierce linebackers of San Diego to have clear tackles and clean looks at stripping the football. Shawne Merriman took full advantage. San Diego did nothing with it though so it was far from a momentum swing.

LaDainian Tomlinson didn't get going the entire game, so it was up to Philip Rivers in the second half. Rivers would play a brillant second half. He connected on several long passes to Chambers and Jackson. The Titans offense couldn't get anything going, and the field goal miss by Rob Bironas really hurt them at 10-6. I didn't like the TD call by the officials to make it 17-6, as I thought forward progress was stopped before LT placed the ball over the goal line. I doubt it would have mattered though as the Titans couldn't move against the Chargers defense. I don't have a goat for Tennessee in this game because I thought they gave a valiant effort. I did not expect them to make this a game. Jeff Fisher did a brillant job with so little this year. As for the Chargers, they are off to Indianapolis and a date with the Colts. They will have to get LT going if they want any chance for the upset.

Pat Morgan

Exciting Day 1 to the NFL Playoffs

Jaguars, Seahawks advance: A Day for the Cornerbacks

- Jacksonville 31, Pittsburgh 29
Hero: Rashean Mathis, 2 INT, TD
Goat: Ben Roethlisberger, 3 INT, 1 Fumble
Turning Point: David Garrard's 32 yard run on 4th and into FG position
Next: Most likely @ New England, unless Tennessee upsets San Diego, then they would go to Indianapolis

Ben Roethlisberger's dreadful 1st half put the Steelers in a deep hole that proved to be the difference in the game. He threw two wild picks up for grabs, and a third as the Steelers were looking to score before the half and possibly cut the deficit to one possession. He made some decisions like I make when I play Madden. Coverage? Who cares! I was really disappointed with his play coming off his best season in the NFL. He did play much better in the 4th quarter turning a 28-10 deficit into a 29-28 lead, but whoever decided to have Big Ben run on 3rd and 6 with 3 minutes left should not be in the NFL. Roethlisberger was really clicking at that point, and he should have surveyed a throw before taking off. A throw for a first down would have put the Steelers a couple plays away from winning the game. Never the less, they had to punt giving the Jaguars the ball at midfield. Then came the play of the game. David Garrard who had his worst game of the season, ran for 32 yards on a 4th and 2. This set up the game winning field goal.

The football world will now most likely get to see the Jags take on the Patriots next week. However, this was a game that the Steelers probably should have won. It is hard to say when Jacksonville lead 28-10, but all three of their first half TDs came via Big Ben's INTs or the Jones-Drew kickoff return. Then the 3rd and 6 dreadful quarterback sneak call that gave the Jags the ball at midfield with only needing a field goal to win. I also didn't like the Steelers going for two after a 10-yard holding penalty put them on the 12. Those two points proved costly. I thought many people overrated the Jaguars, and disregarded how the prideful Steelers would play in their own building. If the Jags play like they did tonight, they will be torched by New England next week. They gave up a ton of yards to a beat up team, and they didn't muster up much on offense. They got some big game changing plays that allowed them to take a big lead, and then were given a final chance by one of the dumbest calls I've seen. Forget about them being the team that can knock the mighty Pats off.

- Seattle 35, Washington 14
Hero: Marcus Trufunt, INT, TD
Goat: Shaun Shisham Missed 30-yard FG after kickoff recovery on Seattle 13
Turning Point: Shisham's missed FG after kickoff recovery put the Redskins in great shape for another score
Next: @ Green Bay

The Seahawks dominated just about every facet of the game for the first three quarters, but then the storm hit. Todd Collins connected for two touchdowns in under four minutes into the 4th quarter. Then the unthinkable happened. A gust of wind knocked down the Redskins kickoff allowing them to recover the kick at the Seahawks' 13 yard line. The Skins were in great position to take a 21-13, or at least a 17-13 lead.

However, this is where the game changed back to Seattle. The Skins went three and out, and Shaun Shisham missed a chip shot, 30-yard field goal. Matt Hasselbeck would then snap out of the funk he was in and lead the Seahawks to the go-ahead touchdown. The game was put on ice when Todd Collins ran out of magic and threw an interception for a touchdown to give the Hawks the 28-14 lead. This game was simple though. The Seahawks were just too good for the Redskins. I was surprised actually that the Skins made it interesting for a few minutes. The Seahawks defense was incredible, and the Skins wouldn't have even scared them if the offense found the endzone and didn't allow turnovers to let the Skins back in the game. I am sad to see the Skins' season end, but they truly had a remarkable run. Todd Collins played like someone who was a starter for 15 years. As for the Seahawks, they will be a very difficult opponet for the Green Bay Packers next week in Lambeau. Great matchup on tap!

Pat Morgan

Shawn Marosek's Wild Card Picks

Redskins @ Seahawks

I'll be watching the game with a Redskins fan and for her sake, I hope Washington pulls off the victory. However, I don't think it will happen. The game should be a close one, but I see the Seahawks coming away with the win. The Redskins have won four in a row with new Quarterback Todd Collins and the emotion driven from the death of Sean Taylor. It would be a great story if the Redskins advanced to the second round against the Cowboys. I could see the Redskins beating the Cowboys in the divisional round based on their performance last week. The Cowboys are not going into the playoffs playing their best ball and the Redskins are. Even with all this, I don't think Washington will advance. Matt Hassleback and the Seahwaks defeated the Redskins two years ago in the same round by the score of 20-10 and it would be no suprise if that happened again. Hassleback is better than Collins by far, even though the Redskins QB has been playing well. The Redskins have a 12th man in Sean Taylor, but the Seahawks have one of the loudest crowds in the NFL and that alone will make it very difficult for the Redskins to have an effective offense. Seahawks 20 Redskins 13

Jaguars @ Steelers

It seems like everyone, except Pat Morgan, is picking the Jaguars. However, I'm going to have to agree with Pat on this one. The Steelers have been through this before and the Jaguars have not won a playoff game since 1999. I know the Steelers haven't played up to their expectations this season, but how can you look past this team. Ben Roethlisberger should have a pretty game while David Garrard has never started a postseason game, which isn't too promising if history repeats itself. Yes, the Jags went in and beat Pittsburgh at Heinz Field about three weeks ago. Good luck doing that again. If the Steelers can tackle better and stop the run, which they haven't been able to do consistent'y over the second half of the season, they will win this game. I expect this to be the case, resulting in a hard-fought Pittsburgh win. Steelers 17 Jags 13

Giants @ Bucs

In my opinion, the Giants will be the only victorious road team this Wild Card Weekend. The Giants earned a lot of support after playing full strength against the Patriots and they should bring some momentum into Sunday's matchup against Tampa Bay. Ronde Barber even gave the Giants more of a reason to want to come out and beat the Giants. Now New York is using Barber's statements as bulletin board material. When it all comes down to it, this game is about Eli Manning. This is his time to shine. If he can come through with a big game, he might be able to gain some respect from the hometown fans and it might help keep Tom Coughlin from being fired. But if SHEli plays another terrible playoff game, you can expect some rumblings in the Big Apple during the offseason. Eli will play solid, not great, but good enough to get a win. Giants 24 Bucs 17

Titans @ Chargers

I'd love to see the Titans win this game, but they have a lot of injury problems and San Diego is by far the better team. Jeff Fisher is one of the top 5 coaches in the league and should have been considered for Coach of the Year after getting this team to the playoffs. They are the least talented team in the playoffs and the fact that Fisher was able to coach them to a playoff berth is about as impressive as anything in the NFL this season. (Yes, despite the Patriots going 16-0!) This game will be a lot closer than many people think. I could see it being a three-point game late, but San Diego will hold on for a close victory. The running of LaDainian Tomlinson will be too much in the 4th quarter and the Chargers will advance to the divisional round of the AFC Playoffs. Chargers 27 Titans 21

Shawn Marosek

2007 New York Jets Post-Mortem

This time last year, New York Jets' fans were celebrating an unlikely 10-6 regular season with an upcoming date with the Patriots in the playoffs. The Jets had won five of their last six to put a cap on a season that was expected to yield maybe six wins at best. There was an air of great feeling that had me clammering all Spring and Summer for year two of the Eric Mangini era. I even took two trips to Hofstra to see Gang Green at training camp in anticipation of another big year.

Unfortunately, the second year under Mangini was not the fairy tail last year was. It all started with the Pete Kendall situation, which put a negative spin on the season from the beginning. Add that to the cheers for Chad Pennington's injury in Week 1. Chad had a great '06 in leading the Jets to the playoffs. Those negative situations were an omen to what would become an ugly year.

As the year began, the biggest problem was the terrible defense. Yes, a hobbled Chad looked really bad at times, but the defense never came up big. The defense gave up a ton of yardage on the ground, and was unable to put any pressure on the quarterback, thus allowing quarterbacks to carve the Jets up. Darrelle Revis holding out really set his development back. He improved a great deal as the year went on, but his hold out may have cost the Jets a few close games. The defense blew 2nd half leads to the Giants, Bengals, and Redskins. The defense as a whole got better as the year went on, but it seems like every year the defense stinks early and by the the time they get good it is too late to make a push for nothing more than a wildcard bid.

The 1-8 start paved the way for Kellen Clemens to take over as the starting quarterback, and to see if he could possibly show some promise of becoming the quarterback of the future. Unfortunately, we did not see any real promise in his game other than a few glimmers of hope vs. Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Miami. His best game was at Miami, but who didn't torch Miami this year? The most disappointing game for me with Clemens was this last Sunday vs. Kansas City. I really wanted to see Schottenheimer open up the playbook for him, but we saw 3rd and 3 run after 3rd and 3 run. He showed absolutely nothing in that game, but should have been given more opportunities in a game that meant nothing! Clemens should be the starter next year as he should get more than a handful of games to prove himself, but believe me, I am quite nervous about it. Chad probably won't be around to backup next year, thus adding even more pressure on Clemens.

To add salt to the wounds, the win vs. the Chiefs dropped their draft spot from potentially 2nd to 6th. I wanted to win, but not that way. A 13-10 loss at least could have equaled Darren McFadden or Chris Long. The Jets could have REALLY used a gamebreaking player in McFadden. Just look at what Adrian Peterson did his rookie season this year. Unless McFadden is somehow still on the board, the Jets need to take the best defensive end avaliable with their first pick. Then they need focus in on drafting another wide-out to go with Cotchery and Coles and sure up the left side of their offensive line.

This was a very bitter season with high expectations. No way did I think the Jets would finish 4-12. I thought they might slip a couple wins from last year with the much tougher schedule, but I thought they would continue to build on last year. However, the truth is that the Jets are not really that bad a team. They lost a lot of close games that they could not hold on to or make a big play late. The defense needs to come out on fire next year, and allow Clemens to develop into the offense and make that facet of the game much better. The shrink wrap stayed on Mangini in year one, but was violently ripped off this year. However, he is still the man for the job, and if Herm Edwards could get five years here, Mangini deserves no less than six.

Can't wait til next year! J! E! T! S! JETS! JETS! JETS!

Pat Morgan