the best team out of these teams! (playoff teams only)

this can double as, "who will win the super bowl?"

I hate to say this, but I'm kind of seeing the Cowboys make it to the Superbowl where they'll meet the best team currently playing: the Chargers.

bolts are the only team that really gained momentum toward the end of the season (i guess you could say cowboys did but i'm not going to). that said, they are still the bolts. so this is tough.

i picked the Colts.

i picked the Colts.

― real bears playing hockey (polyphonic), Monday, January 4, 2010 8:49 PM (29 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

I bet Philly makes it to the Super Bowl, McNabb gets injured, and Vick wins the Super Bowl MVP.

Would seriously be okay with that scenario.

yea that would be FANTASTIC imo

assuming that means philly wins SB...yeah cool w/ me

i picked the Colts.

― real bears playing hockey (polyphonic), Monday, January 4, 2010 8:49 PM (29 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

― johnny crunch, Monday, January 4, 2010 9:19 PM (58 minutes ago) Bookmark

thinking about it tho, i really wanna say that NE is the most dangerous team in the playoffs... depending on how they play w/o welker.

If you go by what they have done, you have to say the Colts. That being said, the Chargers are pretty much even on the favorite going into the playoffs. The rest of the clubs in the AFC have some deep flaws.

I'd put Baltimore as the 3rd favorite, but by a wide margin behind the other two clubs. B-more is inconsistent as hell, but they can run the ball and did just get Ed Reed back, sod I could almost believe that club could get hot for a game or two. Don't think they will get to the Superbowl, but outside shot at the AFC Championship.

NE has the name and Brady, but really it is not the same club on defense and their special teams seem mediocre. Cincy is just way too banged up on defense now.

Jets have the D and the running game, but Sanchez would have to play out of his freakin' gourd for it to happen (it won't).

I think the NFC is pretty much open. I could buy any of those teams getting to the Superbowl and really have no reason to think one is particularly a favorite.

Saints kind of peaked early getting by with a bunch of points from turnovers to go with that passing game. They seemed to play down to lesser competition, so maybe the playoffs will get them reaching the heights.

Vikings looked pretty vulnerable down the stretch. They have a good pass rush, running game and are explosive on the passing game, but I think they are kind of mistake prone.

Packers went quietly 7-1 in the second half with a favorable schedule, including some stomp downs on some teams. Their only loss was totally fluky to the Steelers. They do make mistakes at times, as like b-more they are a heavily penalized club.

Philly is totally up and down. I have no idea what they will do week to week. They could destroy Dallas or look fugly. Who knows...I don't even want to pick that game.

Dallas has looked pretty damn good down the stretch and seems to be playing loose. Their defense has gotten better towards the end of this year instead of looking horrible, which has been the think with Dallas even back to Parcells. I could see them going to the Superbowl, but then again they might get bounced next week by the Eagles. Who the hell knows? I can't pick em.

Arizona looks fantastic at times and sometimes they are totally mediocre on both sides of the ball. They are kind of off going into the playoffs, but I could believe they could win next week. I'd pick the Packers right now.

canks trust me NE may knock off one or even two teams but they are not winning four in a row against elite competition

I'll have to see the Pats pick off Baltimore in an impressive fashion before I would give them a shot against SD or Indy.

It could happen, but I'm not a believer.

i see both the colts and saints suffering humiliating second-round exits at the hands of the karma gods

id be really surprised if the pats won more than 1 game

No faith in the Chargers: (a) they're still the Chargers (as mentioned above) and (b) Norv Turner still the coach (which cannot be mentioned enough).

I don't know, it is kind of shaping up to either be Indy winning their 2nd or someone new winning it all for the first time or the first time in a long time.

NE would have to have a run like their first Superbowl win, where every freaking fluky thing came their way (tuck rule and all).

NFC is totally open. SD and Indy just seem a step ahead of the rest of the AFC.

thinking about it tho, i really wanna say that NE is the most dangerous team in the playoffs... depending on how they play w/o welker.

― doomed... to fart (cankles), Monday, January 4, 2010

^^^ this is so gay. gaaaaaaaaaaaaaay. jeremy shockey gaaaaaaaaaay. haha j/k but for real.

ESPN guy says. . . Chargers v. Cowboys.

Will believe it when I see it, and probably not even then.

lol yeah right cowboys

also jeffri chadiha is a retard with no discernible qualifications

espn guy says...I will not watch this super bowl. for real, I seriously would refuse to watch that because jesus, at least when jimmy johnson was the coach of the cowboys, you could be like, eh, at least a hilarious circus freak coaches this team. this is...no. raiders of the lost ark melted nazi v a giant baby. NO. tony "hats" romo v phillip "face" rivers! NO!!!

i'm still hoping for colts-saints in a memories bowl, memories of being undefeated before everyone turned lame. but it won't happen. i've decided i prop green bay (though i picked the saints in this poll), this year only.

tony "hats" romo v phillip "face" rivers! NO!!!

lollll

Cowboys had the 3rd srongest schedule this year whereas the Chargers and Saints had some of the weakest schedules.

Colts SOS was mid-pack.

packers are gonna make the sb, yall watch

so many of these teams suck at running btw - bolts + boys super bowl would result in 120 combined rushing yards i think

i think the pack might come out of the nfc and lose to the FACE. hat vs face would kill me also btw.

Norv Turner vs. Wade Phillips

Yeah, there is something just not right about that Superbowl pairing.

People complained about Stillers/Cards last year too, and it ended up being one of my favorite SB games ever.

(b) Norv Turner still the coach (which cannot be mentioned enough).

Starting to think that he might be the best head coach in Chargers history.

so many of these teams suck at running btw - bolts + boys super bowl would result in 120 combined rushing yards i think

― J0rdan S., Monday, January 4, 2010 11:12 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

bs per the Cowboys--they're 7th in the league in rushing YPG and 2nd in average yards per rush. it's a shame that neither Marion Barber nor Felix Jones has broken out into the status of Romo or even Miles Austin, because both have consistently gotten shit done this year.

and in response to the general anti-Cowboy sentiment on this board: fuck all y'all. whatever you think of the management and the "america's team" branding, everybody who makes up the core of their offense is either an underdog turned star or has great stats but low profile (Crayton and Witten included)--what's not to like about that? they're inconsistent (ftr i don't think for a second they're going to the superbowl), but most of the time their inconsistency makes them more fun to watch

it's very, very fun to watch jerry jones lose

i see both the colts and saints suffering humiliating second-round exits at the hands of the karma gods

― Mr. Snrub, Monday, January 4, 2010 10:00 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

uhhh, got no idea what you mean there, but if the karma gods have any hand in this offseason then the Saints will win in Miami.

They should've gone undefeated and they didn't. Especially the Colts.

everybody who makes up the core of their offense is either an underdog turned star or has great stats but low profile (Crayton and Witten included)

NO ONE on the cowboys has a low profile! this is the problem. jason witten is incredibly well-known as he should be. i've been hearing for years that patrick crayton is making the leap and he never actually has. their trade for an unathletic, shitty wide receiver was reported like it was the biggest thing ever. on any other team tony romo would not be a savior of football--he would be an intriguing talent who has not really come close to putting it together. what's most lol to me is that marion barber is a beast and basically should be their best player but they don't even like to use him!

im rooting for the packers this year, definitely

so many of these teams suck at running btw - bolts + boys super bowl would result in 120 combined rushing yards i think

― J0rdan S., Tuesday, January 5, 2010 12:12 AM (10 hours ago) Bookmark

of all the things i'd say the cowboys arent good at, running the ball isnt one of them!

I really want to vote Vikings but:

1) they will never win a Superbowl
2) still having "ugh Favre" reactions

btw I still irrationally hate Green Bay and the Pats

^^^ this is so gay. gaaaaaaaaaaaaaay. jeremy shockey gaaaaaaaaaay. haha j/k but for real.

― everyone kills people (the schef (adam schefter ha ha)), Monday, January 4, 2010 11:35 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

lol u disagreeing w/me means im prob right, cf. when i said brett favre would own this year

brett favre is on a mission from god

Favre is kind of terrifying tbh. I sort of think he's a Terminator.

http://img38.imagefra.me/img/img38/2/10/10/f_1437c4fxfgpm_5e1a2e6.jpg

As far as the Chargers running game is concerned, don't be surprised if they play better now that Nick Hardwick is healthy. He's been out since Week 1 and is healthy now. They have three guys on the left side in McNeill, Dielman, and Hardwick on the left side who have all been pro bowlers, and are all healthy. I also wonder if they might get Runyan involved now that the playoffs have started. Could see him rotating in and mauling some dudes.

Not saying they'll be great because clearly LT is a shell of himself, but Sproles might break a few.

btw re: the new york jets' defense from kerry j byrne on cnnsi:

Here's a look at how the Jets stacked up in several key defensive indicators last year under Eric Mangini and this year under the Odd Duck (a more complete side-by-side comparison of the two defenses is found here):

• The 2008 Jets ranked 22nd in Defensive Passer Rating (88.1). The 2009 Jets are No. 1 (58.8). That's a stunning improvement of nearly 30 points in this critical indicator of defensive success. That's borderline unprecedented.

• The 2008 Jets ranked 23rd in touchdown passes allowed (23). The 2009 Jets are No. 1 (8). In other words, the Jets were torched for three touchdowns passes every two games last year. This year? Just one TD pass every two games.

• The 2008 Jets ranked 16th in total defense (329.4 YPG). The 2009 Jets are No. 1 (252.3). If Chris Farley were interviewing Rex Ryan right now, he'd drool breathlessly, "That ... was ... awesome!"

• The 2008 Jets ranked 18th in scoring defense (22.2 PPG). The 2009 Jets are No. 1 (14.8 PG). We're not math majors, but that looks like a decline of 33 percent in scoring against the Jets this year. Not impressed? Just remember the acidic bile that ate away at your stomach lining when your retirement fund lost 33 percent in the fall and winter of 2008-09.

• The 2008 Jets ranked 13th in points allowed vs. Quality Opponents (22.7). The 2009 Jets are No. 1 in points allowed vs. Quality Opponents (13.7). In other words, the Odd Duck's defense has improved even more dramatically against good teams than it has against your ordinary, average, run-of-the-mill teams.

• The 2008 Jets ranked 29th in pass defense (234.9 YPG). The 2009 Jets are No. 1 (153.7). Yup, another big turnaround. It's like two different teams out there. And, yes, the NFL's shutdown cornerback du jour, Darrelle Revis, started all 16 games for both teams.

• The 2008 Jets ranked 18th in passing yards per attempt allowed (7.0 YPA). The 2009 Jets are No. 1 (5.4 YPA). Wow, 5.4 YPA passing the ball against the Jets. There were a handful of players this year who averaged more than 5.4 YPA running the ball: Jamaal Charles (5.9 YPA), Felix Jones (5.9) and Chris Johnson (5.6), to name three notables from the 2009 season.

• The 2008 Jets ranked 15th in third-down defense (61.4%) The 2009 Jets are No. 1 (68.5%). Call us brilliant, but forcing opponents to punt sure seems like one good way to keep them out of the end zone.

man if those guys figure out the forward pass they could be dangerous

wait hang on - i understand defending the 'boys if they are your team but damn you ain't gotta lie and call them "low profile" - their every move is documented in depth at near favreian levels and they play football in scarface's mansion!

also cankles if the pats go to the super bowl i will purchase a copy of monday night jihad and film myself eating it as a reward for your correctness. i dunno if this is much of a reward but it involves some effort on my part.

Troy Aikman: Hey, Tony. Remember when I told you when you first started working for me, the guys that last in this business, are the guys who fly straight. Low-key, quiet. But the guys who want it all, chicas, champagne, flash... they don't last.
Tony Romo: [scoffs] You finished? Can I go?
Troy Aikman: Yes, I'm finished.

I listened to the Holmgren press conference today. Mike said that when he got to Browns HQ there wasn't an office waiting for him so he "ducked" in to the nearest empty one. lol Browns franchise you are :D

o hay the head of football operations is making his first visit any chance of preparing an office

zzzzz

haha wrong thread obv

maybe the only chance I'll get to post on a playoff thread tho

"Holmgren, after getting his stapler taken away by Lerner, being increasingly ignored, having to move to the cockroach-infested basement, and not receiving any more paychecks, finally snaps and sets fire to Cleveland Browns Stadium"

kenny stapler

it appears this whole monday night jihad book is on the google books, if one is interested to read it..

i voted for pats because i am superstitious/a total stan

guys i didn't even know coffee achiever kenny anderson was the steelers' qb coach until he retired today

^^^he is sixty years old : /

of all the things i'd say the cowboys arent good at, running the ball isnt one of them!

― doomed... to fart (cankles), Tuesday, January 5, 2010 9:28 AM (10 hours ago) Bookmark

right, sorry, i guess what i was trying to convey was that it seems to me like the cowboys get disinterested in passing in close/tight/difficult games

against the chargers in the reg season they had right at 100 yds rushing as a team on 4.0 yds a carry

I can't bring myself to vote because somehow I feel it will jinx everything somehow, even though right now the team I think is playing best is San Diego. Basically I am pretty sure if I tried to just hit the SD radio button I would then see the Packers and then pick them because they are my favorites and then freak out that I was guaranteeing they would lose to the Arizona Cardinals/Minnesota Vikings. And then I would try and reverse jinx by picking the Vikings. Then I would realize I was assuming I could influence NFL games by voting in a poll on the internet, and at that point, you just kind of have to reassess your life priorities.

Anyway, the Chargers.

haha i love u dogg

I would feel better about picking the Chargers if they had a run defense or a pass rush or consistent run offense.

or a coach other than norv turner

voting chargers

I'll take Norv Turner over Jim Caldwell, Marvin Lewis, Andy Reid, Wade Phillips, Brad Childress, or John Harbaugh.

Wait waht?

Some he's better than, others are more unproven.

Andy Reid gets busted on here for his 2 minute drill and forgetting at times to call a running play, but the guy has done everything but won the big game. Other than the dark lord, Reid is a pretty accomplished head coach. The others not so much...at least yet.

yeah andy reid gets clowned but i actually think he's one of those dudes who should rightfully feel secure in his job.

Okay maybe not Andy Reid, but otherwise.

I don't like how he's handled McNabb at times.

Norv Turner seems like such a classic coordinator to me. Like his counterpart on Jimmy Johnson's teams, Dave Wannstedt, Turner seems like a guy you want as a nice-guy buffer between the players and the coach. See, e.g., Wannstedt's lack of respect from players ("It is our opinion that for whatever reason Wannstedt does not have the full respect of his players and coaches, and that lack of respect is directly impacting the ability of Pitt football to fully realize its potential").(n.1)

But maybe Turner's changed since I paid attention to his head coaching stints. In any event, I like the Chargers. I'd be perfectly happy if they won the Super Bowl.

_________________________________
(n.1) BTW, I can't vouch for that website at all (never seen it before). But trust me, there were many similar stories about Wannstedt's lack of respect among Dolphins' players.

In my opinion, Turner did as well as he should have with the Redskins roster he was given, and it was his first coaching gig. Norv's best Redskins team won a playoff team in '99, and lost to a very good Bucs team. His second-best Skins team had Gus Frerotte at QB, Terry Allen at RB, and Henry Ellard at WR1.

He failed in Oakland, but that really shouldn't be considered a normal job. He inherited a team with Amos Zereoue and Ty Wheatley as his RBs!

He has made the playoffs every year with the Chargers, and is 3-2 in the playoffs. The last Chargers coach to win a playoff game was Bobby Ross in 1994, who himself was the first Chargers coach to win a playoff game since Coryell in '82. Schottenheimer probably would've won some playoff games if he'd stayed, but it's not like he's uh ever been to a Super Bowl himself.

won a playoff GAME in '99, rather.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/don_banks/01/07/super.bowl.matchups/index.html?eref=sihp

1. Jets vs. Packers
Brett Favre's two former teams meet in the Super Bowl, but he's not there.

I guess Don Banks hates Brett Farrve!

I do not hate Brett Favre enough to want to see the Jets in the Super Bowl. And I mean I have yelled some angry, profane hatred at Wrangler Jeans commercials this year. But the Jets, I mean...no.

The appeal of Saints vs. Colts is not "Peyton Manning versus the team that Peyton Manning's dad used to play for" so much as that both of these teams looked like unkillable offensive machines from September through November. Like half of these explanations are no better than "Norv Turner finally gets the opportunity for revenge for the time he ran into Andy Reid on vacation in Hawaii and Andy Reid was kind of distant to him. Lot of drama in this one!"

Mark Sanchez in the Super Bowl as a rookie would be ridiculously weird.

I would like a Super Bowl that featured some combination of Chargers/Colts/Patriots vs. Saints/Eagles/Packers, or Vikings if Favre gets injured and one of the other guys takes over.

Lovin' this graphic:
http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2010/0107/nfl_hotread_576.jpg

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Dallas Cowboys (11-5) 0

^this warms the cockles