nfc-afc championship games thread...

not trying to step on anyone's toes but the other nfl playoffs thread is already waaay too long, imo, approaching 60 pages. so to start off fresh leading up to packers at bears and jets at steelers, fwiw (not much) i'm going with the packers and j-e-t-s... though the s-t-i-l-l-e-r-s wouldn't shock me.

and i sure wouldn't mind seeing all the anointing of rex ryan slowed down a bit. i mean, can we wait until he wins a super bowl before the joe benignos of the jetsnation world fall all over themselves calling him the 'greatest coach in j-e-t-s history?' i know the jets have a lousy history, so that title ain't no big thang, but a fella named weeb ewbank coached the j-e-t-s to the biggest and most important upset in super bowl history and a fella named parcells (3 super bowls, 2 championships on his pre-j-e-t-s resume') turned around a much worse team than sext rexy inherited and took them to an afc title game, too.

i'm not knocking sexy rexy. he's sold me as a top-tier defensive mind, as a charismatic leader and first-rate motivator, just about every chraracteristic i'd want in a h.c. but i just resent premature crowning...

i'm looking forward to the nantz-simms broadcast, too, now that simms -- a friend i respect very much as a hard-working, insightful analyst -- is free of the spell belichick has put on him... hoodie coached the worst big game he ever has with the pats on sunday, but you'd never know it listening to the game coverage on cbs.

dreadful, from the opening coin toss on. raissman nailed it on every point today: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/2011/01/18/2011-01-18_phil_simms_gives_bill_belichick_a_pass_on_cbs_broadcast_of_jetspatriots_sunday_i.html

 

This is going to be the worst 2-3 weeks of football ever.

 

Why do you say that, Mustang? These four teams have played each other a combined total of five times, and all but the Packers-Jets game were very good games to watch.

 

i'm guessing it has much to do with how unbearable steelers and j-e-t-s fans, players and sexy rexy are to some. am i close, mustang?

 

I think this has been one of the best NFL playoffs in recent memory. Upsets everywhere and with the exception of the Steelers, it's been a long, long time since any of the other three teams won a title. It kind of feels like new blood, rather than have the Pats and Colts for the zillionth year in a row.

 

You have two of the most storied franchises and rivals facing off for the NFC, which is great.

You have the most successful franchise of the Super Bowl Era facing off against a Jets team that for better or worse, is never boring.

 

Who doesn't want to see a 9-0 Super Bowl? We've already had a 9-0 championship game. Let's go one step further.

Hopefully Sunday's matchups live up to the billing. You have two No. 2 seeds, who happen to be two of the league's top franchises in terms of history and fan following, a No. 6 seed with a historical pedigree to rival the two aforementioned franchises, and just happens to be the hottest team in the league right now and another No. 6 seed that's coming off upsets of two of the most successful franchises of the last decade and has a chance to make it 3-for-3.

 

i agree. the nfl has had a poor season overall salvaged by an excellent post-season thus far... the debate will wage on about how there aren't any teams as good as the best teams of yore thanks to free-agency giving us more parity (mediocrity) than ever, but it pays off come playoff time, with two sixth-seeded teams still alive and a reasonable bet to be in the supe...

 

Spot on.

Jets - The biggest group of loudmouth douchebags. That includes Rex Ryan and that no-talent ass clown who stuck his knee out on the punt return against the Dolphins. Braylon Edwards has an ego the size of the moon. I wonder if he did backflips after his DUI?

Steelers - Sleezeball rapist quarterback who has 10 pounds of face fat from all the booze he drinks. He's like Ronnie from the Jersey Shore with a cannon for an arm. Then there's Larry Foote whose mouth would make him a perfect candidate to play on the Jets. Plus all the Steelers fans across the nation and this board think they are entitled and for some reason every one else cares about them. Nope, no one cares that Jerome Bettis is from Detroit or that Chris Gardocki has never had a punt blocked. I also don't care about the Steelers defense. Although I would like to point out one of those guys will severly injure their neck soon (sadly) because they all dive at people with their heads down.

Bears - Semi-retarded head coach with a full-on ratard quarterback. With all of the former head coaches on that team its like the band of NFC North misfits. They have zero true receivers and I swear to god Matt Forte is the worst god damn rushing running back in the league that has ever scored a touchdown. How this team made the playoffs is beyond me. The NFL spotted them a win against the Lions and I guess they rolled from there. Still, I can't believe this team 1. had a bye and 2. only had to play fucking Seattle and Tim Hasslebeck's ailing body to get to the NFC finals.

Packers - Lost to the Lions 7-3. Need I say more? Great, I get to listen to Favre comparisons, and cancer-lady stories all god damn week. Oh and Ryan Grant is hurt so let me predict how this one plays out: both teams combine for about 100 total rushing yards. Half of those will be from John Kuhn who is likely slower than Dan Connelly. And if Rodgers gets concussed again, well forget about it... we're starring down a 3-3 game in the fourth quarter with a total of 12 turnovers (10 interceptions).

 

Aaron Rodgers molests collies.

 

And won't sign autographs for them.

 

um, don't hold back, mustang... in fairness, though, you'd be hard-pressed to find any teams in the league who are squeaky-clean enough to meet your standards....