I meant to write after each of the last few preseason games for the Cavs, but life does this funny thing where it doesn't give me the time (or motivation) to do so, so I'm going to lump the last few games together (which means bearing with me as I try to remember details) and give a brief idea of what I think this team is going to be like in the regular season.
The thing I've noticed most in the last couple of games is Mike Brown not calling nearly as many timeouts as he was the first couple of games for defensive lapses. This seems to be due to the lapses becoming less frequent, but also Brown seeing if his young team can work through these things together.
The other thing I've realized is that while there is a hole at small forward, the rest of the starting lineup looks absolutely fantastic to this point. Kyrie Irving has been dazzling at times, although the turnovers have been high, but he's more in-tune defensively than he's ever been and that's worked its way down the roster. Dion Waiters looks more confident on offense, although he still likes to jack up jumpers a little too frequently; side note to that is he looks much better shooting them and has taken to Brown coaching him up.
Tristan Thompson seems to have no issue with the switch to shooting with his right hand. If anything, he looks much more confident, much smoother with his shot now. He was hitting from 20 feet with ease, although I don't think Brown wants to see many of those shots from TT. Anderson Varejao is, well, Andy. All he does is crash the boards, cause mayhem, and get easy baskets. He and TT seem to be very similar in that regard, which has helped the Cavs become better in the rebounding department.
The bench is going to be better this year just because of Jarrett Jack alone. He brings a level of toughness that this team really needs and should be able to keep the ship sailing smooth when Kyrie needs a breather. It's hard to really say who's going to round out the bench on this team, although it's becoming more clear by the game. It will be interesting to see who Brown keeps and how his rotation looks, but it should be a decent bench.
Notice I didn't mention Andrew Bynum? The big man has participated in three on three drills and seems to be closer to coming back than most thought he would be at this point. It's encouraging, but most fans will be happy if he is held until completely healthy. Without him this team should be more competitive to begin with; Bynum coming back healthy and at All-Star form could push this team higher than some could've hoped.
Alonzo Gee is a wildcard. He's always been a tough defender and shown occasional glimpses on offense, but he's never been consistent on the offensive side of the ball. If he can give the Cavs 10-15 points per game, it would go a long way.
Matthew Dellavedova is an intriguing player to me. He hasn't shown a consistent shot, and he's prone to turning the ball over at times, but he also has shown he has the ability to be a competent back-up in this league. Could be a valuable player to have if Irving and/or Jack are in foul trouble or deal with injuries.
Oh, and then there's top pick Anthony Bennett, who no one seems to know what to make of. He's looked great at times, but at other times he's reminded us how much work he needs to put in still. Yet Brown has remained patient with him, teaching him at every opportunity. Bennett has shown he can rebound, grabbing 10+ on a couple of occasions now, plus he does have the ability to go on a scoring streak at times as well. He's going to be fun, yet frustrating. Get ready fans.
Now, onto the games I've failed to cover the last few days.
They've gone 2-2 in the last four games, losing to the Charlotte Bobcats in Canton, dismantled the Detroit Pistons in Cleveland, were dismantled by the Pacers in Cleveland, and held off the 76ers in Columbus.
In all four of those games, the starters have played well, mostly outplaying the starting unit on the other side of the court. Irving didn't play the fourth quarter in three of those games, as was the case with the rest of the starters as well. In the case of the Bobcats and Pacers, the second and third units were often pitted against starters, and the game got away quickly. In the game against the Pistons, the backups manhandled the Pistons starters, which was quite the surprise.
What's become clear is while Brown is coaching to win, he's also trying to teach and find out what each player has to offer. Instead of giving the players a couple of minutes to showcase their talents, he's giving them almost entire quarters, which should make it easier to make a decision going forward on who stays and who goes. He's used timeouts to show individual players what they did wrong and what they should be doing instead.
In last night's game against the 76ers, he finally played his starters in the fourth quarter and they turned a 74-73 deficit into a runaway win, highlighted by Irving's pass to Bennett and TT's soft touch on his jumpers. Defensively they locked down on the 76ers, allowing just 35% shooting for the game and outscored the 76ers 33-24 in the fourth.
With just two preseason games left, it's time for those players on the bubble to show whether they belong or not, then it's time for the regular season, where yours truly will be in attendance (it's my birthday!).
Cavalier Caveats
- Irving continues to show that he's taken the challenge seriously to play better defense. His stance and reactions to what the opponent is trying to do is so much better this year than last. Let's be real though, you watch Irving to see him break ankles and he was in full force last night in Columbus, at one point causing a defender to fall backwards.
- Varejao and TT in the paint is a nightmare for opposing teams. Varejao has always had a tendency to drive opponents crazy and it appears that trait is rubbing off on TT more and more. Both have a knack for knocking the ball away from would-be rebounders, only for themselves or someone else to come and scoop the ball up.
- I want to believe in Gee and last night's game is why. When he's on, he's a valuable asset on this team, capable of hitting a corner three and the occasional driving slam. He's also such a good defender, but he plays a challenging position that expects scoring. As mentioned earlier, if he can give the Cavs 10+ PPG, most will be happy, but his defense needs to stay at a high level.
- If Bynum comes and plays at his previous level, this team isn't just dangerous, it's a possible contender. He would give the Cavs a low-post threat that's different from TT and Varejao, but it also would boost the bench as one of those three isn't going to be starting. It's a big what-if, but could have the biggest payoff if it pans out.
- There's a lot of talk about health and rightly so. If Irving and Varejao can play 70 or more games, this team is drastically different than if one or both miss significant time. Freak injuries cost both players last year, so many fans will be watching to see how they hold up.
- I'm very interested to see the growth from year two to three in TT and Irving, but also interested to see the growth from year one to year two in Waiters. He's perhaps the most polarizing of the three for some reason and has the most to prove it seems to fans. He has such a great ability to drive to the basket, but needs to be able to consistently hit the outside jumpshot to keep teams from squeezing the paint when he has the ball. So far his shot has looked much improved, but old habits are easy to fall back on.
- Some fans are concerned about the sleeping disorder that Bennett has and to an extent, it's a justifiable concern. To me, the bigger concerns are his mentality and work ethic. He has talent, but will he work to get better? One of Brown's weakest areas has been working with younger players, in particular rookies. If Brown can shape Bennett into a hard-worker who always is trying to get better, then we'll be able to say that Brown has truly grown as a coach. If Bennett reaches his potential, you won't hear clamoring for LeBron James as much.
- Which brings me to the LeBron discussion. Many nationally feel the Cavs are positioning for a run at LeBron. I have mixed feelings about this. Yes, he's the best in the game now, but it's hard for me to think that Gilbert is going to swallow his pride and go after LeBron. I could be wrong though.
- Next up the Cavs "host" the Washington Wizards from US Bank Arena in Cincinnati.
To say this past game was deflating is an understatement.
The Browns had a chance to go 4-2 and show that they could contend this year. Further, Brandon Weeden had a chance to show he could learn from his own play as well as the play of Brian Hoyer. The defense had a chance to show it was a legitimate, top-ten defense.
The Browns did well for one half, then fell flat on their faces in the second half in losing 31-17.
How bad was the second half? The Browns were up 17-7 at halftime. The offense was moving the ball and the defense was shutting Matthew Stafford and the Lions down. It looked like the Browns had hit their stride and had a chance to run away with the game.
The Lions made some adjustments at halftime. They started to attack the Browns on both sides of the ball. Suddenly, pressure that wasn't there early on started to get to Weeden a bit in the third quarter. The defense was suddenly being exploited in the middle of the field. And the coaches did very little to adjust to Lions.
Let's start with the good in this game: Weeden started off well enough. He seemed to take a page out of Hoyer's playbook and was trying to get the ball out quickly. He showed decent accuracy and wasn't holding on to the ball as long as he had been in previous games.
The running game, while not stellar, was doing a decent job of keeping the Lions offense. The receivers didn't always help Weeden (early drops by Josh Gordon and Davonne Bess seemed to hurt initially), but they fought for the ball when it came near them. Weeden made a poor decision on a wheel route to Chris Ogbonnya that was intercepted, but he threw two touchdown passes on short throws to Ogbonnya and Greg Little.
All in all, not bad.
Meanwhile, the defense was stuffing the run and making life difficult for Stafford. Calvin Johnson did play, but his impact was minimal, especially considering he dropped a few passes, including one sure touchdown. He seemed rusty and the Browns seemed to be catching some breaks there. The defense didn't catch any breaks from the officials, who decided to assist the Lions on their scoring drive by calling a phantom pass interference call on Joe Haden, who compounded things by earning a legit PI a couple plays later.
Overall though, the defense seemed to be playing well even if they weren't getting to Stafford that often.
The bad? Well, the entire second half. Stafford started throwing primarily to Reggie Bush and his tight ends, including 3 touchdown passes to Joseph Fauria, who decided to do a variety of dances afterwards. Craig Robertson in particular was torched in the second half and Stafford seemed to be targeting Robertson. Truth was, the defense overall wasn't as crisp in the second half. Missed tackles made things worse, especially from TJ Ward, who whiffed a few times in the backfield on what should've been losses on running plays.
The ugly? Well, the offense overall. No variety in playcalling (playaction passes dominated the second half) and bad decisions by Weeden completely stalled the offense out. As competent as he looked in the first half, he looked horrific in the second half. He started to hang on to the ball too long and the Lions began racking up sacks.
Then came the throw that completely sabotaged this game and perhaps the season. Facing pressure and for some reason unable to dump the ball off to Ogbonnya when he had the chance to, Weeden tried to do a shovel pass to Ogbonnya that never had a chance. Deandre Levy, who had the previous interception, picked this one off as well and the game was effectively sealed.
The Lions padded their lead, Weeden picked up some garbage yards to end the game, and you have your 31-17 loss.
The pass, well, words can't describe how bad it was. As soon as the ball left Weeden's hand, you knew it was bad. You knew it was going to be intercepted. You just couldn't believe a professional football quarterback threw that ball.
So a chance to prove to the rest of the league and country that you were for real was lost primarily by a panicked throw from Weeden, but helped out by a lack of adjustments and a defense that underperformed. They better put this one behind them quickly as they head to Green Bay to play the Packers this Sunday.
Brownie Bits
- If Gordon can remove the occasional drops he suffers from, he definitely can become a top receiver in the NFL. Unfortunately, he's dropped two potential touchdown passes to start each of the last two games. He has to clean that up. One Greg Little is bad enough.
- Jordan Cameron hasn't disappeared due to Weeden quarterbacking, but rather defenses keying in on him now. Torch a couple of teams and the rest start to pay attention to you more closely. Defenses are rolling a safety over the top to help the linebackers trying to cover him. A decent running game could help alleviate this problem some.
- On a positive note, Buster Skrine has absolutely turn his play around the last three weeks. His coverage has been as good, if not better, than Haden's and when he does get beat, he has tremendous recovery speed to get back to the receiver. He's starting to learn to look for the ball to make a play on it, not just throw himself into the receiver and pray. Chris Owens seems to be playing better as well. Suddenly the secondary doesn't look so scary.
- The linebackers had a rough game. Paul Krueger didn't have much of an impact in this game and we've gone over the struggles of Robertson already. Barkevious Mingo had a nice game though and clearly learned from the CJ Spiller run from last week. He held the edge much more consistently, preventing running backs from having that big cutback lane. D'Qwell Jackson was solid, but also had his issues in coverage. Might be time to re-evaluate coverage schemes. Jabaal Sheard coming back next week should help though.
- Travis Benjamin doesn't get the ball enough. Sounds like what was said about Josh Cribbs, right? End around went for 45 yards and if not for a spectacular chase-down by Levy, he could've gone the distance. Aside from a long pass attempt from Weeden later on, he was largely absent from the field from that point on though. There are concerns about how frail he is, but I certainly feel like they could utilize him a bit more.
- There have to be concerns about Weeden at this point, but there also aren't many options out there either. Rumors have been flying about Tim Tebow, but it's highly unlikely the team would pursue him. Jason Campbell seems to be the forgotten man for some reason on the roster and Rob Chudzinski has already stated Weeden is the guy. Just how long the team can stay with him remains to be seen. Have to believe that another sideways flip-pass would be the end of it for Weeden.
- Finally, this week will be interesting to watch. The Browns are playing the Packers, but the receiver situation in Green Bay is dire and Clay Matthews Jr is out with a broken thumb. There's an opportunity to win, but Weeden has to play better and the defense has to get to Aaron Rodgers.
Last night saw the return of the Cleveland Cavaliers to the floor to take on the Milwaukee Bucks in their opening preseason game.
Let me say that again as that's going to be a point emphasized over and over again: their FIRST preseason game.
I have to keep saying that to keep things in perspective as last night was a very, very encouraging opening display of basketball presented to use from the wine and gold.
From the moment Mike Brown was announced as the head coach in his second stint with the Cavs, people have been wondering how quickly this team would embrace his defensive priniciples, if they did at all. What was the offense going to look like? Was Anthony Bennett going to be ready to play?
Well, this corner very pleasantly surprised to see what was going on once I turned the TV on to watch the end of the second quarter into the second half, then watched the replay at midnight to see what I had missed prior to that point.
I saw players hustling on their rotations, bigs showing strong, pressure on the ball, and a swarming of defenders to the paint that I hadn't seen since, well, Brown was coaching here previously. Each player played as if defense was all that mattered to them, and when there were lapses, Brown took a timeout to explain what he saw go wrong. This happened frequently during the first half and was refreshing to see the coaching going on during the game.
As for the offense, it looked a lot better than I could've anticipated given that offense hasn't been worked on much at all. Kyrie Irving is of course gifted and does what he wants out there, but Dion Waiters continues to show an improved jumper (don't care what people say about him shooting jumpers; he looked confident shooting them), Tristan Thompson continues to expand his offensive game, and it was nice to see contributions from just about everyone who played.
Now, I'm not going to get into the specifics of each player and how they should be able ton contribute; this post is about seeing this young team openly embrace Brown's defensive ideas and execute them surprisingly well. I can honestly say I noticed more effort defensively tonight than I had seen the previous two years under Byron Scott.
Now, many will say it's the Bucks and they're going to be bad, but this effort was missing against all opponents. When the Cavs won, it was more because they were firing on all cyclinders offensively and did the bare minimum to stop the other team defensively. Last night, they played solid overall defense and weren't too shabby on offense.
It was a nice change.
Cavalier Caveats
- Brown took a beating the last time he coached here and I always thought it was unfair that he was the scapegoat when LeBron James decided to jump ship. Brown took a team back then similarly disinterested in defense and turned it into one of the top defensive teams in the league year after year. The rap is that he's not good with rookies and developing players, so this is going to be a big test for him. Will he get the most out of Irving, Waiters, and company? Or will they flounder under him.
- Anderson Varejao had to be ecstatic to see Brown back. It must also be nice to have one guy who's familiar with the defensive schemes in Varejao to lead the young players forward. That said, Irving is the biggest key to the defensive turnaround. If Irving buys into it and leads by example, this team could be back near the top again sooner than later.
- Bennett looked like a rookie last night early on. He was tentative and seemed unsure of things going on around him. But CJ Miles did something I highly respect him for. After Bennett nicked the iron on a free throw, Miles went over, spoke to Bennett for a moment, and seemed to ease the rookie's mind a bit as he nailed the next free throw and went on to have a decent night rebounding with 10 boards. He has room to grow and it will be interesting to see the growth in the coming months.
- Waiters needs to attack more. Two examples from last night demonstrated the good that happens when he does. The first actually ended in his shot being blocked at the rim, but because of the attention on him, it left Thompson with a wide open, and I mean WIDE open put back. The second resulted in a pretty vicious slam dunk. Waiters is strong and can score at will, but he needs to learn to finish better sometimes, but him attacking can almost always lead to good things, much like with Irving.
- I've always liked Thompson and am happy to see him continue to improve. Called a bust before he's had a chance to fully develop, I really hope he continues to improve his game. If he can continue to produce consistent double-doubles, this team will do all right going forward.
It's been a while since I've written.
I've tried to stay away from it while focusing on my YouTube channel, but last night's game was something else between the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills.
For starters, it was a game of momentum shifts. The Bills jumped out to a 10-0 lead, then the Browns stormed back to take a 17-10 lead, then the Bills regained the momentum and took a 24-17 lead before the Browns scored the last 20 points to grab a 37-24 win.
Of course the big story was the season-ending injury to Brian Hoyer, who tore his ACL attempting to run along the side-line. That brought Brandon Weeden and the boo-birds out as Weeden's first couple of passes were a tad off to say the least. He did make a couple of nice throws, but for the most part, it was the same old stuff we've come to expect from Weeden.
This game demonstrated to me the differences between Hoyer and Weeden. See, I was one of the supporters of Weeden who claimed the line wasn't giving him the time needed to make a good throw. I said a running game and better blocking would help Weeden.
Truth is, after watching Hoyer for 2+ games, I've come to realize that while the line has sometimes had its ups and downs, but with Hoyer, the protection didn't seem to be much of an issue. The ball would get snapped, Hoyer would take his drop, and the ball came out.
Last night after Weeden came in, the ball was snapped, Weeden would take his drop, and stand there. And stand there some more. Then get sacked or throw the ball very late.
So I sat and thought about the things I've seen from Weeden and the things I've seen from Hoyer and came up with some simple conclusions that most rational fans should be able to agree with.
With Weeden, the biggest problem is his inability to make a quick decision once the ball is snapped. He holds the ball and if he doesn't get sacked, he throws late and the receiver has little chance of making a good, clean catch. He also has a very bad habit of staring his receiver down from the moment he takes the ball, which helps a defense tremendously. His lack of mobility and feel for the rush work against him as well.
That said, his arm is strong and he can throw a mean deep pass when he has the time to get the ball off as demonstrated on his successive throws to Greg "Mr. Dependable" Little and Josh Gordon to tie the game at 24 in the third quarter. Unfortunately, he still continues to be off with his throws more often than not, mostly throwing behind his receivers, again giving them little chance to make a good play on the ball. In essence, if he learned to look from one side to the other and throw the receiver open, he'd be a successful quarterback.
Which brings me to Hoyer. He may not have the same arm strength as Weeden, but his accuracy and timing are far better than Weeden's. He often would throw the ball with the receiver not yet out of his break yet and when the receiver would turn his head, the ball was on its way. This helped the receivers tremendously and the chemistry was immediate between Hoyer and Jordan Cameron, as well as with Gordon. Whereas Weeden holds the ball, Hoyer would take his drop and more often than not, the ball was gone when it was supposed to be.
Whether his decisiveness would hold up for a full season remained to be seen, but for two games, his ability to make quick decisions, get the ball in the endzone, and not make terribly costly mistakes had endeared him to Browns fans. Weeden will need to show that he can do the same if he wants to remain viable and I'm not sure he can correct his biggest issues during the season.
Brownie Bites
- The biggest spark in the game was clearly the punt return for a touchdown by Travis Benjamin. It gave the Browns the lead shortly after the Browns had tied the game and then forced a quick three-and-out by the Bills. Benjamin took the ball from the right sideline, weaved his way through traffic to the left, dodged the punter, spun out of another tackle, and darted to the middle of the field before running it in. Bills fans will complain about the lack of a block in the back call, but the contact was minimal at best and I doubt those fans would be crying if it had been the Bills returning the punt.
- The defense was gashed a couple of times by the Bills running attack, but the Bills are unique in that they have three running backs who can hurt you. CJ Spiller had the biggest run, a 54-yard scamper that tied the game to start the second half, which for the moment sparked the Bills again. But after that run, the Browns locked back down against the run and forced the Bills to pass, which became a huge issue once EJ Manuel had to leave with a knee sprain. Jeff Tuel was clearly overmatched and the pick-six to TJ Ward sealed the deal late after the Browns had regained the lead.
- Buster Skrine continues to impress and the biggest thing I've noticed his he's getting his head turned around now to find the ball, something he hadn't done very well even early in the season. He's demonstrated he can run with the best of them and get to the receiver, but more often than not he'd plow into the receiver without finding the ball, thus drawing the pass interference penalty. Several times he has now batted the ball away without the extra contact and his open-field tackling has been superb. He and Joe Haden have both made sure that once the ball is caught, that's it.
- You can't say enough about the job the coaches have done with this team so far. Dead and buried at 0-2, Trent Richardson traded, Weeden hurt, Hoyer given the starting job, and it seemed like the Browns were ready to throw the towel in. Except the team itself didn't get the memo. Rob Chudzinski deserves props, as does Norv Turner for optimizing the offensive talent on the field and Ray Horton for getting the defense up to play week in and week out. You can't say enough about the last three games, but let's hope this isn't a flash in the pan type of situation.
- Greg Little is such an enigma and probably always will be. Clueless off the field, sometimes with it on the field, it becomes frustrating when he does make a play because you can see the talent he has. Unfortunately, he and Gordon sometimes have concentration issues, although Gordon's aren't nearly as frequent as Little's. On the tying touchdown drive in the third quarter, Weeden unleashed two good throws, the first to Little who peeled the ball off his helmet and secured the ball. After a bad, bad penalty on John Greco, Weeden launched a pass into the end zone for Gordon who caught it off a couple of deflections, got the feet down, and made sure to keep possession. It's maddening sometimes.
- I'm neutral on the Jim Brown topic, but it was nice to see he and the team stop squabbling and put together a nice halftime ceremony celebrating his legacy and induction into the ring of honor. He then received a gameball after the victory, which I'm sure meant a lot to him.
- The team has 10 days to get as healthy as possible. The hope is Jabaal Sheard, Quentin Groves, and others will be back and ready to play the Detroit Lions, who will present a tougher challenge, especially for the offense. While I don't think Josh Freeman is in the cards for the Browns, I would be surprised if they don't try to sign another quarterback.
- The Browns are for now leading the AFC North at 3-2. Go ahead and try and tell me you saw that coming, especially after the first two weeks of the season. You can't. Now I'm not sure they can maintain this (Weeden scares me tremendously at this point), it's at least nice to be above .500 for once and leading the division, rather than 2-3, 1-4, or 0-5 like we've been so many times in the past.
- Props to Willish McGahee for stepping in and keeping the running game stable if nothing else. His numbers won't jump out at you, but he ran hard and had a couple of decent runs during the game. Not the long-term solution by any stretch, but isn't giving you much less than you got from Richardson, which is what makes getting a first round pick for Richardson all the more remarkable. It will be tough sledding, but McGahee has helped keep the ship afloat.
Yes, yes it has.
Apologies are in order, but there just hasn't been a lot of time to sit down and write anything at all.
Let's recap things though.
My girlfriend was pregnant, but no more as my first child was born on May 19th. Kylie Brooke is growing by the day and is quite rowdy in the morning, much to our chagrin. Overall she's a lot of fun and it's been amazing watching her personality start to really show. Even if she is a fiery red-head.
Speaking of Rachel, we just passed our 2 year anniversary last month (June 11th to be exact). I couldn't ask for a better girlfriend and mother of my child. Payton drives me crazy sometimes, but when she's not being bad (and she's been something else of late), she's a lot of fun as well.
We moved last week from our old apartment into a much bigger one, which has been a blessing since the extra space seems to have calmed our rowdy dog Ogimaa down quite a bit. Both dogs seem to enjoy the extra space and it's made things somewhat easier.
BTW, moving stinks.
A lot has happened in the sports world as well. The Indians signed Michael Bourne and Nick Swisher as well as traded for Drew Stubbs to bolster the offense. They added depth with Mike Avilas and Ryan Raburn, and if the bullpen hadn't been shaky, they'd probably still be in first place.
The Miami Heat won their second straight title last month, which probably shouldn't have happened given the San Antonio Spurs had a 3-2 lead in the series at one point.
Which is what I want to get into. The Cavs have made some moves this off-season in the draft and in free agency. Obviously the Andrew Bynum signing is the big story, but the bigger story that won't go away is the possible return of LeBron James via free agency next year. Many find it hard to believe that Dan Gilbert would go for resigning LeBron after how he left the franchise dangling, but some think if he wants to come back, you go for it.
I personally would rather see the Cavs try to continue to build around Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters, but ultimately it's not up to us as fans to determine what they decide to do. They may very well be preparing themselves to take a shot at LeBron, but they may also be looking at some of the other big free agents getting set to hit the market next year as well.
The LeBron thing is frankly over done. He left three years ago. He's won two titles, lost one, and won two Finals MVP awards. On the court, he very well could go down as the best player to ever play the game. His game continues to evolve and he seems to be driven by the way he's perceived nationally.
Of course, ESPN is in love with the idea of LeBron courting the Cavs. Then again, ESPN seems to revel in our misery, often taking every chance they get to remind us of our worst sports moments. They've already put up projected lineups if LeBron signed back with the Cavs.
While many Clevelanders were wondering why the Sports Gods continued to torture us by letting our most hated villians continue to win, I shrugged it all off. Sure, I wanted the Heat to lose. I find the way they built that team to be atrocious and completely wrong. I'm almost certain there was an agreement made to put that team together to form a super team. I'm just as appalled that other teams tried to follow the same path.
In the end, LeBron is a two-time champion. We as fans don't have to like it, but it's happened. If the Heat stay as they are, they'll probably win at least two more, if not more. It is what it is. My hatred towards LeBron is almost non-existent at this point as there's no point to it anymore. I'd rather pay attention to what Chris Grant is attempting to build at the moment and think about all the potential that this group could have.
I'd rather look at the Indians, who while wildly streaky, have been a ton of fun to watch so far. Jason Kipnis has recovered from his early season troubles to put together a solid first half and Danny Salazar put on a tantalizing performance yesterday in his Major League debut.
Hell, even the Browns are intriguing with the moves they made (if you ignore all that legal trouble Jimmy Haslam is in right now). New coaches, new staff, new players, and a new system could make things interesting.
But LeBron? Talk to me after he's decided where he's playing next off-season.
Quick Hits
The signing of Bynum is a risk/reward type of scenario. If he's healthy and plays, the Cavs are likely a playoff team and a dangerous one at that. He'd also be in line for a HUGE payout, one I doubt the Cavs would pursue. If he's not, they're only out $6 million but likely miss the postseason again. I'm not a fan of Bynum, but this is such a low-risk move that I can't complain about it.
If Vinnie Pestano isn't healthy, he's not helping the team with how he's performed. He came out recently and said he's been trying too hard to miss bats, rather than trust his pitches, but the guy has clearly been off much of this season. If it's mental, it may never go away and given the situation with Chris Perez and the overall uncertainty of the bullpen, that spells big trouble.
Miguel Cabrera is one of the best hitters in the game, but he's awful whiny for my tastes. It seems he's another one of those players who believes you aren't allowed to pitch him inside and whenever something happens he disagrees with, he begins chirping away. Cabrera is a special talent, but his mouth sometimes overshadows his bat and that's a bad thing.
Rumors continue to swirl that Haslam might have to sell the Browns, but I continue to wonder how the NFL missed him being investigated by the FBI. This seems like something that should've come up at some point, but recent reports have come out that former owner Art Modell at some points barely had full ownership of the Browns and had to scramble much more often to keep the team than most of us previously knew.
With the trading deadline looming and no real big names being made available, this could be one of the less spectacular deadlines in MLB history, although that can change in a hurry. I just don't see anything real big happening at this point in time. Too many teams are in contention and the ones that aren't don't exactly have the most appealing pieces to offer. Let's see if someone gets desperate.
Several Cavs players are in Las Vegas getting work in even though they aren't playing in the summer league and that's highly encouraging. Even more encouraging is new Cavalier Jarrett Jack heading out there as well the same day he officially signed his contract. Jack has often been underappreciated where he's been at but could be a very key piece to this year's team. The influence he could have on Irving and Waiters is just as important as the way he plays.
Finally, for those of you who still don't know, I play a game called Minecraft and record it. I then put the videos up on YouTube for all to enjoy. My channel is at http://www.youtube.com/user/kreald1980 You should check it out. Rachel and I are also participating in the Warrior Dash again. We'll be raising money for St. Jude so go to http://www.stjudewarriors.org/dkreal1980 and donate.
Hopefully it doesn't take 6 months to write again....
Before I get into my picks for the championship round of the playoffs, let me talk about the two predominant sports stories making the rounds over the last 24 hours.
No, this isn't me stalling because I still haven't decided on who to pick (although that may play a small role in opening with these stories rather than finishing the post with them), but rather me wanting to not talk about these things by talking about them.
Confused?
Good.
The Manti Te'o is perhaps the most annoying story to come out in a long while. Now, I had the opportunity to watch the BCS National Championship game in which Te'o was abused repeatedly by the Alabama offense and appeared to be at least a step slower than the opposing players. As I watched, I tried to figure out how *that* guy ended up finishing second in Heisman voting and how it was as close as it was. He just didn't seem like he belonged on the field, much like the rest of his teammates.
Now the feel-good story about the deaths of his grandmother and girlfriend motivating his play is turning out to be half-true with the revelation that his alleged girlfriend didn't exist. Depending on what the truth ends up being, he was either the victim of a particularly cruel hoax, or played a role in the scam in hopes of increasing his public persona. Of course, one former teammate has already come out and said that a lot of his teammates were skeptical of the girlfriend story, while others are standing up for him (which is another set of issues; I know news outlets are desperate for information and some want attention so badly, but if you were a teammate of someone, why speak out against him?).
Either way, I could care less. If it was a hoax he didn't know about shame on them for doing this to a trusting person. Let him recover and stop talking about it. If he was in on it, stop talking about it! All you're doing is giving him more of the attention he's seeking.
While there are legitimate questions about whether this hurts his draft stock, to me the damage was done in the BCS game when he was abused by the Alabama offense thoroughly. That game, not this worthless story, is what makes me doubt if he's an NFL-caliber player. If he had come up big on the biggest stage, I'd be saying he's a top-five pick. That game leads me to believe anything about the third round is a reach now.
The other story is Chip Kelly going to the Philadelphia Eagles a week after he decided he was going to stay at Oregon. Some, notably those in the Cleveland media, believe the Cleveland Browns should feel scorned or be bothered by this. After all, it is Joe Banner's former team signing Kelly when it was clear the Browns were after him. Me? I don't think they should feel scorned, nor should any fan. They shouldn't be bothered by this at all.
If Kelly wanted to coach the Browns, he'd already have his coaching staff in place and be talking about players to bring in. Instead, it's Rob Chudzinski that's setting up his coaching staff and I'm fine with that. He wants to coach here, he helped Cam Newton put up some impressive numbers at Carolina, and he was the offensive coordinator the last time the Browns had any semblance of a real offense in town. Give him a chance.
But feel spurned by Kelly? The guy may end up being a great coach. You don't know that yet. But I'm not comfortable with a guy who left the Tamba Bay Buccaneers hanging last year, then flirted with the Browns, Bill, and Eagles before deciding he was staying at Oregon, then two days after visiting a recruit, leaves the Ducks to coach the Eagles.
I'm good on that.
Phew.
Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about Championship Sunday, shall we?
San Francisco at Atlanta - 3pm FOX
The 49ers saw one of the most amazing postseason performances put on in recent memory by Colin Kaepernick. He not only threw the ball well, he ran for 181 yards as he did whatever he wanted against the Packers' defense, which really isn't saying much given that the Packers never ONCE adjusted to what the 49ers were doing. Kaepernick has really been remarkable though. He's managed to turn Michael Crabtree into a legitimate receiving threat after appearing to be a semi-bust with Alex Smith as quarterback. That defense isn't performing as well though and that's a concern going against an offense that has a good quarterback, outstanding receivers, a legend at tight end, and a rejuvenated running back. Sure, some of the 31 points given up were just because that was the pace of the game, but the pass rush hasn't been there of late.
The Falcons appeared to be cruising against the Seahawks. They had a 20-0 lead at halftime, and then kept the lead at 20 points at 27-7 after a Seahawks score. It was midway through the third quarter and it was just a formality, right? Well, the Seahawks should've pulled out the victory. They scored 21 unanswered points to take a 28-27 lead with 31 seconds left. 31 seconds. That's what, three or four plays if you're lucky, right? Well, three plays later, Matt Bryant was kicking the game-winning field goal through the uprights from 49 yards out. What should be noted is that Pete Carroll had iced the kicker with a timeout, so of course he missed that kick and was given a second chance, which he used to adjust and make the kick. You can't discount the two throws Matt Ryan made with little time to go. 22 yards on the first one, 19 on the second one, and boom the Falcons were in range to win the game. Ryan has been unflappable this year in those situations, leading the Falcons to multiple wins when they should've lost.
I just don't know which way to go with this one; do I look at the dominant offensive performance of Kaepernick and go with the 49ers? Do I go with the never say die mentality brought by Ryan? I suppose in this case, the tie goes to the home team.
Pick: Falcons 31, 49ers 27
Baltimore at New England - 6:30pm CBS
The Ravens surprised everyone by winning against the Broncos in double-overtime. It took a miracle throw from Joe Flacco to Jacoby Jones to do, but they did it and the Ray Lewis retirement tour gets to make at least one more stop, this time in New England where they won earlier this season. You can't deny the Ravens played inspired, never quit, and played until the final kick went through the uprights, but they needed that miracle throw to even force overtime in the first place. Fact is, the defense was getting gashed by Peyton Manning and the Broncos most of the afternoon, then once the offense rescued them, stood tall in overtime. They'll need a much stronger showing against the Patriots, who are completely clicking on all cyclinders.
The Patriots aren't a strong defensive team, but it seems like every week they're up big before their opponent even knows what hit them and for the second time this season, they were whipping the Houston Texans, forcing the Texans to play catch-up, which isn't their strength. Tom Brady doesn't let up off the accelerator either, continuing to go for big plays even when the Pats are up big. This is a team that goes for the kill every chance they get and it's hard to think the Ravens will slow them down.
Truth is, I'm trying to find reasons to pick the Ravens and it's not easy. Maybe the Ray Lewis retirement tour is enough to get them back in the Super Bowl, but it might take another miracle from Flacco and the offense.
Pick: Ravens 30, Patriots 28
Last: 2-2
Overall: 4-4
The playoffs are the most difficult picks to make. Teams that appear to be red-hot often cool dramatically when the playoffs start as the pressure ramps the intensity of things up significantly. Teams that were dominant in the regular season wilt under all the pressure the playoffs bring.
For example, the Cincinnati Bengals were on a roll heading into the playoffs while the Houston Texans were faltering. The Texans didn't exactly roll offensively, but their defense did a number on the Bengals and helped them cruise to victory. Similarly, the Indianapolis Colts had been one of the best stories in recent memory, but the Baltimore Ravens turned them to dust as Ray Lewis played his final home game in his long career.
The Minnesota Vikings had outlasted the Green Bay Packers in the regular season finale as Adrian Peterson ran over and through Packers' defenders as if they weren't there, and while he still racked up some good numbers, with Christian Ponder sidelined the Vikings had no offensive answer for the Packers and lost. Meanwhile the Seattle Seahawks spotted the Washington Redskins 14 points before dominating defensively. The injury to Robert Griffin III made things easier, but they still dominated a previously good running game.
The performance makes their upcoming game against the Atlanta Falcons much more difficult to predict. Additionally, teams coming off the bye haven't been as sharp in recent years so do you compensate for that factor? Particularly challenging is the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Packers. The 49ers have been good against elite competition this year,
but also can potentially falter when least expected. The Packers can put up numbers, but can the offensive line protect Aaron Rodgers against a very good pass-rush?
Let's find out, shall we?
Saturday
Baltimore (10-6) at Denver (13-3) - 4:30pm CBS
The Ravens needed that first win as much as any team entering the playoffs having lost three of their final four to back into the third seed. Their reward was a very green Colts team that just wasn't able to overcome the return of Ray Lewis to a maligned defensive unit. The Ravens dominated the Colts on both sides of the ball and seemed like a different team. The Colts overachieved all season long, there's no doubt about that, but the Ravens removed the doubt early on. Now they travel to Denver where they lost by 17 points earlier in the season. Additionally, Peyton Manning has a personal nine game winning streak going against the Ravens. Once again, the odds are stacked against the Ravens and I have a hard time seeing them overcome them.
The Broncos ended the season on fire, having won eleven straight games and thoroughly dominating opponents by the last quarter of the season. Peyton Manning continues to defy the odds in that he doesn't look like a guy coming off multiple neck surgeries and one missed season. He has complete control of the Denver offense and runs it at a high tempo to keep defensives on their heels. Not to be outdone, the Broncos' defense has shined led by Von Miller. Finally, this game being in Denver tilts things in the favor of the Broncos.
Pick: Broncos 27, Ravens 23
Green Bay (11-5) at San Francisco (11-4-1) - 8pm FOX
The Packers exacted revenge against the Vikings for knocking them out of the second seed with their win last week. Defensively they were as good as they'd been all year, although Adrian Peterson still picked up 99 yards, it was a dramatic improvement over the previous two meetings. It helped that Christian Ponder was out, leaving the keys to the offense in the hands of Joe Webb, who had a very tough time throwing the ball. On the other side, the Packers offensive line held up long enough for Aaron Rodgers to get the ball downfield and the running game was just good enough to help with play-action.
The 49ers have one advantage in this game, and it's their defense which excels at getting pressure on the quarterback. Combine that against a shaky offensive line on Green Bay and you have the opportunity for a big game for the defensive line. Colin Kaepernick has been up and down, but he possesses a far-better arm that Webb and if Frank Gore is running hard, the 49ers can control the game and keep Rodgers off the field. That's going to be the biggest key in this game. If they can pressure Rodgers and control the ball, the 49ers will be in the NFC Championship game.
Pick: 49ers 23, Packers 20
Sunday
Seattle (11-5) at Atlanta (13-3) - 1pm FOX
This was the toughest game to pick. The Seahawks have been on some kind of roll for several weeks now, but I was betting on RGIII having a big game in his postseason debut. Instead, the Seahawks' defense swarmed the Redskins offense and made life difficult. The Seahawks offense meanwhile was efficient behind Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch, who seems to shine brightest in the playoffs (remember his rumbling touchdown against the Saints a couple years back?). They're starting to play as well on the road as they have at home, which is big since they won't get a home game this postseason. They get to go to Atlanta this week and take on one of the better passing offenses in the NFL.
The Falcons are a team that I worry about coming off the bye. Until late in the season, they had struggled at times, yet found ways to win, especially against inferior opponents. Seattle is not inferior and their pass defense is very good, which will challenge Matt Ryan. Luckily, he has Julio Jones, Roddy White, and Tony Gonzalez to throw passes to, which offsets a relatively weak running game. Ryan can be flustered and has yet to win a playoff game, so this is a big test for him in his march towards elite status. He's flamed out too many times in the playoffs, so it's time for him to step up. I just don't know if he can overcome the roll the Seahawks have been on.
Pick: Seahawks 24, Falcons 17
Houston (12-4) at New England (12-4) - 4:30pm CBS
This is potentially the best matchup of the weekend as the Texans look to avenge one of the worst losses for them in the regular season, a 42-17 blowout at the hands of the Patriots in Foxboro. Matt Schaub made a solid, if unspectacular playoff debut last week against a good Bengals defense, but his play was sporadic enough to leave question marks about his performance. Arian Foster has been carrying the Texans for two years though, and if he can continue to run well, the Texans will have a chance. They can't fall behind early again like they did last time or it'll be a long evening in New England.
The Patriots seem as ready as they've ever been for a long playoff run. After some early season stumbles and questions about how much Tom Brady has left in the tank, the Patriots went on a tear, consistently beating good teams badly, their only stumble being against the 49ers, and even then they nearly pulled off an incredible comeback. Bill Belichick will have this team ready to go and it could be a long day again for the Texans.
Pick: Patriots 34, Texans 24
Last week: 2-2
The Sports Mixer is back after taking a couple of weeks off due to the holiday rush and generally not having time in general to get any writing done.
I know, it's weak, but it's the best excuse I can offer up.
After missing the final two weeks of picks, I'm back not only to prepare you for the playoffs, but offer up my picks for the Wildcard round of the playoffs, which could be the most competitive round we've seen in years.
To begin, we'll look at each team that made the playoffs and talk about how they made it, their strengths, their weaknesses, and what chance they have at actually making it to the promised land. Will we see another sixth-seeded wildcard team make the Super Bowl this year? Seems unlikely but in the playoffs, the hottest team wins.
AFC
1. Denver Broncos
How they got in - the Broncos enter the playoffs as the hottest team in football. They won their final eleven games in convincing fashion to literally waltz into the postseason. They vaulted into the top seed thanks to the Texans and Ravens faltering down the stretch and the arm of Peyton Manning, who seems to have lost nothing from his multiple neck surgeries.
Strengths - the arm of Manning and a physical defense that took down even the most stout of offensive lines.
Weaknesses - It's hard to find something that the Broncos weren't good at. If there is a weakness, it's the secondary isn't very deep, but that tends to be true of most teams. There's also the concern of Manning if he gets hit the wrong way given his recent neck issues.
Chances of winning the Super Bowl - Probably the highest of any team, although Manning tends to suffer in the playoffs historically.
2. New England Patriots
How they got in - the Patriots also finished hot, winning 9 of their last 10, and almost made it more by nearly pulling off the improbable comeback against the 49ers. It doesn't seem to matter that Tom Brady is getting older; Bill Belichick's teams always seem to find a way and this year has been no different. He's retooled his defense, put together an impressive array of running backs, and finds players that others toss aside.
Strengths - Brady, Belichick, and the supporting roster. This team has been in the playoffs multiple times and won't have a deer in headlights look to it.
Weaknesses - The secondary can be soft and give up big plays. Also, aside from Danny Woodhead, none of their running backs is exceptionally experienced in posteason play.
Chances of winning the Super Bowl - Up there simply because Brady and Belichick will be ready. The Patriots haven't been to multiple Super Bowls on accident after all.
3. Houston Texans
How they got in - They pretty much backed in by getting hot early in the season, then faltered down the stretch. They lost 3 out of their last four, the lone win coming at home against the Colts. If they want to advance, they'll need to snap out of the funk that dropped them from top seed to the third seed facing the Bengals again in the opening round.
Strengths - Arian Foster and Andre Johnson on offense and JJ Watt on defense. That said, this team hasn't been the same defensively since Brian Cushing went down with a season-ending injury.
Weaknesses - As hard as it is to say this, Matt Schaub is a weakness if the Texans fall behind big. He's just not capable of the quick-strike big play. The linebackers are a liability as well.
Chances of winning the Super Bowl - were dramatically higher earlier in the season. Now they'll be lucky to make it out of the first round.
4. Baltimore Ravens
How they got in - Like Houston, they've backed their way into the playoffs, losing 4 out of 5 and looking very ragged. Things were so bad that Cam Cameron was tanked as offensive coordinator in favor of Jim Caldwell. Things did not improve however and Joe Flacco continues to raise questions if he's an elite quarterback.
Strengths - Ray Rice and if Ray Lewis returns, his energy will give the defense a boost it sorely needs. Torrey Smith needs to re-emerge as a big-play receiver as well.
Weaknesses - As odd as it seems, the defense has become a weakness for the Ravens, especially against the run. Overall, the defensive numbers are way down.
Chances of winning the Super Bowl - This team seems flat right now and if they don't give themselves a jolt, will be watching someone else play. Right now the odds aren't good.
5. Indianapolis Colts
How they got in - On the arm of Andrew Luck and the emotion of the Chuck Pagano story that has riveted the league since it was announced he had leukemia. Now Pagano is back and it can't be overlooked the job that Bruce Arians did in his absence. The Colts may be the story of the year right now no matter what happens.
Strengths - Luck, obviously, and Reggie Wayne lead an overachieving offense that compensates for a porous defense. You can say that coaching has been a strength as well. No team has been more ready to play week in and week out.
Weaknesses - The run defense has been poor all year and the defense in generally can give up some big plays. The offense has overcome a lot of the mistakes though.
Chances of winning the Super Bowl - Not great, but don't be surprised to see them make a run at it.
6. Cincinnati Bengals
How they got in - By winning 7 of their last 8 games with a stout defense and Andy Dalton limiting his mistakes on offense. He was an interception machine at the start of the season, but cut down on the picks and started finding AJ Green on a more consistent basis. Benjarvis Green-Ellis also provided a huge spark in the running game over the last several weeks.
Strengths - Dalton, Green, and a very good defensive line.
Weaknesses - The receiving corp behind Green is suspect and the secondary isn't the greatest either.
Chances of winning the Super Bowl - Six seeds always seem to surprise and this one could do the same if they get past the Texans.
NFC
1. Atlanta Falcons
How they got in - By absolutely controlling the NFC South until it didn't matter and they could coast into the playoffs. Matt Ryan continued to show why he could be considered an elite quarterback, pulling off a couple of comeback wins, but he'll need to win in the playoffs now. The Falcons have a solid defense to compliment a potentially explosive offense.
Strengths - Ryan, Roddy White, and Julio Jones lead an offense that can score quickly, or hold onto the ball with Michael Turner running.
Weaknesses - The defense should be more stout, but it hasn't been consistent. Turner also hasn't shown a ton of consistency.
Chances of winning the Super Bowl - In a stacked NFC? Not as good as the Broncos in the AFC, but Ryan will be trying to prove he can take his team to the promised land.
2. San Francisco
How they got in - By barely controlling a division that was theirs for the taking until it was realized they couldn't win in their own division consistently. They beat the elite teams, but struggled against lesser competition, especially the St. Louis Rams. They get a bye but will likely struggle in their opening game.
Strengths - A physical defense that can dominate the opponent if clicking and Jim Harbaugh seems to work magic with players such as Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick.
Weaknesses - Offensively, if they can't run the ball, things seem to fall apart for the 49ers. Kaepernick has wowed at times, and at other times looked lost on the field. Frank Gore needs to run hard for the 49ers to advance very far.
Chances of winning the Super Bowl - Not very good from this corner. Let's call it watching them look bad at the worst possible times.
3. Green Bay Packers
How they got in - By going 9-2 after starting 2-3, giving them the NFC North title and a home game against the Vikings, who they split two meetings with during the regular season. In any other year, they might be the best in the NFC, which only shows how tough the conference was this year.
Strengths - This one's easy: Aaron Rodgers and his compliment of receivers who catch most anything that comes near them.
Weaknesses - Also easy, it's a defense that improved during the year, but still can spring a leak at inopportune times. The offensive line has also left something to be desired, making Rodgers performances even more impressive.
Chances of winning the Super Bowl - I'd almost give them better odds than the Falcons if their defense was better, but pretty good as is. If Rodgers gets hot, the rest of the NFC can just go home.
4. Washington Redskins
How they got in - RGIII, RGIII, Alfred Morris, and a brilliant coaching job by Mike Shanahan. Oh, and a defense that found itself in the second half of the season. The Redskins went from 3-6 and out of the hunt to 10-6 and winners of the NFC East. Oh, and they beat the Dallas Cowboys to finish the job. Not too shabby.
Strengths - Even hurt, Robert Griffin III is better than most players on the field. If he's managed to heal up some, this is a very dangerous team. Morris came out of the sixth round to rush for more than 1600 yards, far-surpassing any expectations.
Weaknesses - The defense improved, but I'm still not sold on them getting it done in the playoffs.
Chances of winning the Super Bowl - Not great, but I think they'll cause plenty of trouble for anyone they face, including another dark horse in the Seahawks.
5. Seattle Seahawks
How they got in - By being virtually unbeatable at home and picking up a couple wins on the road. Russell Wilson grew up a lot in his rookie season and with Marshawn Lynch running the ball, the defense was able to attack opponents at will, which they did with remarkable precision.
Strengths - The defense is without a doubt the strength of this team, but the offense is catching up quick. Can't overlook the coaching job done by Pete Carroll either.
Weaknesses - Road games. This team was 8-0 at home, but 3-5 on the road where they looked far-less aggressive. If this team had a better seeding, they'd be a virtual lock.
Chances of winning the Super Bowl - As stated before, would be much higher if they were at home, as is, they'll give the Redskins all they can handle.
6. Minnesota Vikings
How they got in - By beating the Packers in their final game behind Adrian Peterson and a competent performance from Christian Ponder. They did just enough to get in, but I can't seem them making much noise this year.
Strengths - Peterson. His run at the rushing record was awe-inspiring, especially when a year ago he was recovering from surgery on his torn ACL.
Weaknesses - Ponder hasn't shown he can consistently perform at this level and while the defense can get after the quarterback, they aren't very good at stopping the run.
Chances of winning the Super Bowl - The only slim-to-none team in the playoffs. Getting past the Packers in Lambeau is going to be very difficult.
And now we get to the picks!
Saturday
Cincinnati (10-6) at Houston (12-4) - 4:30pm NBC
At this point, have the Bengals grown enough to win in the first round? Have they figured out how to beat an elite team on the road? The Bengals haven't won a playoff game since the 80's and would look to be difficult to get that first win against the Texans, who knocked them out of the playoffs last year. Ah, but last year is just that: last year, and this year the Bengals are on a roll heading in. Andy Dalton hasn't always performed well this season, but his play of late has been much better. Benjarvis Green-Ellis isn't healthy, but the Bengals need him to run well against a good Texans defense.
Luckily for the Bengals, the Texans have been struggling going into the playoffs and defensively haven't been very good since Brian Cushing went down earlier in the year. JJ Watt has had an outstanding season, but the if the Bengals can control him, they have a great shot at winning this game. Matt Schaub, Arian Foster, and Andre Johnson have had great years, but if the Texans fall behind, they have trouble catching up.
Pick: Bengals 27, Texans 23
Minnesota (10-6) at Green Bay (11-5) - 8pm NBC
I know the Vikings just beat the Packers behind Adrian Peterson and his run at the rushing record (sorry, couldn't resist that one). He came up 9 yards short, but the Vikings got the win and a trip to the playoffs when a few weeks ago many wondered if they'd finish with a winning record. Christian Ponder won't wow you, but he's been good enough lately to make some plays and keep the Vikings in the game.
Aaron Rodgers is going to want to avenge that final game though. He was rattled by the pressure by the Vikings at times, but still led the Packers to 34 points and a chance at victory. Instead, he watched as the Vikings ran the ball down the field to kick the game winning field goal. This game though is at Lambeau Field, where the Packers don't lose often in the playoffs. The Packers will try to make an early statement.
Pick: Packers 31, Vikings 20
Sunday
Indianapolis (11-5) at Baltimore (10-6) - 1pm CBS
It's not often that a team finishes with a better record than its opponent and is an underdog, but that's just what the Colts are. They've also been a fantastic story from the remarkable turnaround from last year to Chuck Pagano's battle with leukemia. They were 1-3 when he left the team to be treated and all Bruce Arians did was go 9-3 in relief before Pagano returned for the final game. Andrew Luck was as good as advertised and the Colts pulled out several wins that they frankly should've lost.
Unfortunately, luck eventually runs out and if the Ravens can find some inspiration behind Ray Lewis declaring he's retiring after this season, it could be a long day for the Colts in Baltimore. The Ravens were good at home and that will be one advantage they have. Another is Ray Rice against a poor run defense and if Jim Caldwell has any sense, he'll have Joe Flacco hand the ball off repeatedly to Rice. Regardless, this is a game that the Ravens should win.
Pick: Ravens 27, Colts 23
Seattle (11-5) at Washington (10-6) - 4:30pm FOX
This is one of the most unlikely playoff matchups in recent memory. Neither team was expected to make the playoffs, just be better than the previous year. Now here we are, getting ready to watch the Seahawks face the Redskins. The Seahawks have played tremendous defense all year long and Russell Wilson has continued to improve throughout the season to the point that many believe he's a potential superstar. Their problem tends to be playing on the road, which is what they have to do in this matchup.
The Redskins were dead and buried at 3-6 earlier in the season. Then they went 7-0 to finish the season, watching Robert Griffin III grit his teeth through injury to lead the Redskins to the playoffs. Even sweeter was knocking out the Cowboys to win the division. Now RGIII gets his chance to shine on the playoff stage and I don't think he'll disappoint. Coupled with Alfred Morris, this is a dangerous team to face. The Seahawks defense may finally break this week.
Pick: Redskins 20, Seahawks 17
Season: 124-48-1
