Well...
Do I really need to talk about the Bengals losing? It's been the same story for four years now. Really, it's been the same story since 2005, we just changed a couple of the main characters four years ago. I had to work on Sunday afternoon and missed the game, but I wasn't even mad when I saw the schedule six days before. I knew what was going to happen. The Colts would win & win big. Andy Dalton might do something, he might not. The Bengals defense wouldn't stop Andrew Luck on their best day, and if they had less than that you could forget about it. Foregone conclusion. I get people asking me about Marvin Lewis & if he's a good coach, and Andy Dalton & if he's a good QB. I'd say they're both good, but not great. They're not going to get you to the next level, that's been clearly established over the last four years. They are what they are, and the Bengals are what they are. They're good enough to get into the playoffs, but when the lights shine bright & everything is on the line, they wilt.
And some will say "Oh but if they had A.J. Green & Jermaine Gresham they would have had a chance!" Nah. Gresham is a non-factor & Green also wilts in these situations. Result would have been the same. The sad thing is that many Bengals fans, myself definitely included, are at the point where we can't even get mad about it. We know what's going to happen. They lose to Jets teams. They lose to Texans teams led by T.J. Yates. If they ever had a chance at winning a playoff game it was last year when they hosted the Chargers, a team that is equally good at choking at important moments. Ain't no freaking way they were going to Indy & beating Andrew Luck. Nobody with half a brain thought that was a possibility.
The Bengals will come back next year with mostly the same stuff. If they're lucky it will result in a first round exit. That's the ceiling. They won't be part of THE BEST WEEKEND IN SPORTS. And it's kind of better that way, since I can sit back as an unbiased observer & simply enjoy good football. We've got eight good teams left, even if one of them has a .500 record. Let's break it down, shall we?
Ravens at Patriots (-7): A team that's noted for winning road playoff games vs. a team that's been known for being upset in the playoffs.
I said it last week...as much as I didn't like the Ravens during the regular season, it's a team that could make some serious noise during the playoffs. They just hang around & win football games. THAT'S WHAT THEY DO, like some wrestler used to say. Seriously, what happened to Mark Henry? I usually hear when wrestlers get injured, but he disappeared & I didn't hear a damn thing. And it's not like it's easy to make Mark Henry go away. That's a big fella. And it's not like it's easy to make Joe Flacco go away during the playoffs. This is when our boy makes his moolah. Even if the Patriots win this game, the Ravens will make them earn it. Ain't no way they're getting blown out. As much as some simple people want to believe the Karma Police will kick in on the Ravens for...reasons, we all know that life isn't about what you deserve.
Panthers at Seahawks (-11):The Carolina Panthers have now won 8 games this season & have an overall record of 8-8-1. Hey, they're no longer under .500! They probably will be after this week, but for now they're at .500! That's something, right? They've won five straight games including last week's game with Arizona. That's all fine & dandy, BUT I'M AFRAID I'VE GOT SOME BAD NEWS!
They get to play the Seahawks this week. In Seattle. The Seahawks have won seven straight & look like the team to beat right now. Now, the last time these two teams played it was a 13-9 game in Carolina. So 11 points might seem a bit steep...but it's in Seattle. Yeah, I know this isn't the greatest analysis of all time, but some games just don't warrant it, you know? The Seahawks should take this one & it won't be very exciting. You have my permission to spend your Saturday night ignoring this game. I probably won't ignore it because I don't have a social life.
Cowboys at Packers (-6): Not the first time these franchises have met in the playoffs, and it probably won't be the last. It is the first time they've met in the playoffs with these quarterbacks. Aaron Rodgers is known for being pretty clutch. Tony Romo, not so much. But this year's been a different story...Romo, Dez Bryant & DeMarco Murray along with a very good offensive line have been one of the best offenses in the NFL, and in a stat that will likely be repeated a time or two before & during this game, the Cowboys are undefeated on the road this season. That makes them a very dangerous team heading into Lambeau against a QB that says he's going to play, but he doesn't know how.
The good news for Green Bay, and the reason I think they end up winning this game, is the fact that the Cowboys have the 28th most sacks in the league. They don't get a tremendous amount of pressure on the QB. They do get a lot of interceptions, but Rodgers doesn't throw a lot of those no matter what condition he's in. I do think the Packers win, but the Cowboys will keep it close & will have a chance at winning late.
Colts at Broncos (-7): The worst thing about the NFL rules being friendly to quarterbacks is that young QBs get zero time to adjust. They're either good right away or they're complete bums. My friend Voodoo Penguin tells me that SVP & Russeillo are the two smartest men in radio, but this week I heard them say that Andrew Luck wasn't good because he couldn't beat New England or Denver in the playoffs. Um, what? Y'all are gonna sit here & tell me that Andrew Luck isn't a good QB because he can't beat the 2 best teams in the AFC with worse WRs & RBs than PEYTON MANNING & TOM BRADY have? You gotta be out of your mind if you think I'm gonna believe that.
This is the problem that all young QBs face now. My main man Dustin James is already trying to lower peoples' expectations on Marcus Mariota because he knows how these people are. I know his fight because I fought it last year with Teddy Bridgewater. I lost, because for some reason people think that Mike Mayock's opinion matters more than mine, but he wound up in the perfect situation in Minnesota with smart coaches that know what he is & know what he can be, and have his back. So I'm glad I lost, and glad that Mike Mayock's opinion that Johnny Manizel is a better QB than Teddy Bridgewater based on their pro days carried the day in the NFL draft.
The thing is...even I would admit that Andrew Luck is worlds ahead of my man Teddy. This kid is freaking insane. Anybody questioning whether or not Andrew Luck is going to be one of the great QBs in the NFL going forward needs to have their head checked. As my best friend since kindergarden said to me this week, would it be fair if the Bengals traded Dalton, Gio Benard & Jeremy Hill for Luck? I'd say probably not. Andrew Luck was considered the best prospect since John Elway, and he's lived up to that hype. Colts fans are lucky. They had Peyton, sucked for a year, and got Andrew Luck. That's like when the San Antonio Spurs sucked one year & got Tim Duncan. The Colts will be great eventually, once they surround Luck with enough talent. Honestly, I wouldn't be shocked if they beat Denver this week, and if they did, it would be a changing of the guard.
But, I feel obligated to tell you to pick the Broncos this week. Peyton Manning's had some time to rest, and when you're 38 years old and playing quarterback in the NFL rest is a very good thing. Peyton will have one more great run before his retirement, and this playoff season might be it.
Ohio State vs. Oregon (-6.5): You know, if the BCS was still in play we'd be getting Alabama vs. Florida State for the National Championship. The SEC Champion & the undefeated defending National Champion. We would have bought it. Instead we got a playoff, and it was as awesome as we hoped it would be. TCU & Baylor fans might disagree, but the Big 12 should have decided which one of y'all was better, and what we've gotten has worked pretty well. Oregon took care of Florida State, & Ohio State upset Alabama in one of the greatest college football games we've seen in recent memory. People already want to expand it to eight or sixteen, and it'll probably happen at some point, but in my opinion this four-team playoff has been the best thing to ever happen to college football. You have to limit the number of teams involved in order to make it special. The debate makes it fun. I'm sure I'll disagree if the Louisville Cardinals make it up to the #5 slot, but at this point in time four teams works. The bowl system isn't broken, all the good teams get a special game to feel special, and we get a true national champion. No matter what Big 12 fans think.
As for the two teams that made it in, I can't hate on either of them. Even though Oregon hasn't won a national championship yet, they've definitely made an impact on college football & the way it's played. As a Louisville guy I can respect a school that's trying to break a tradition of irrelevance in football. Oregon isn't Michigan or Notre Dame or Alabama. They don't have a bunch of mythical national championships they can claim. But they've been really good for a bunch of years now, they do a hell of a job of recruiting the West Coast, and they set the standards as far as uniforms go thanks to their man Phil Knight. I don't like all of them, but the kids do. And frankly, when I go shopping for shoes every few years it seems like Nike has the most comfortable shoes for me. So I'm not going to sit here & hate on Nike doing things in college football, even if Adidas gives my alma mater some pretty cool uniforms. I like Oregon & what they bring to the table.
At the same time, it's tough to go against Ohio State. They keep losing quarterbacks & they keep doing what they do. That was a QB3 going against the SEC's best team & beating them. How can you not appreciate that? In an era where I'm supposed to believe that one wide receiver not playing means the Cincinnati Bengals can't win a playoff game, the OSU Buckeyes beating Alabama with a QB3 is quite the thing. I'm also predisposed to like teams that the Cincinnati market sells short, and OSU falls in that category because they think they have a major football program with the Cincinnati Bearcats. LULZ. They got out of the Big 10, a league which we found out was underrated during bowl season when their teams started beating some Big 12 & SEC teams. And it's only going to get tougher with Jim Harbaugh going to Michigan & getting that program back in shape. Urban Meyer vs. Jim Harbaugh? Sign me up!
The problem with picking this game is that Oregon isn't involved in close games...even when the games are close. Florida State played them close for a half. Then the third quarter happened & they were out of contention. Oregon can put points on a team quicker than anybody. That's why I say you have to bet on Oregon, even if Dustin James is trying to work the humble gimmick. The game can still be close, but the Ducks will go on a run at the end that makes you think it wasn't. As somebody that lives on the border of Ohio I'd like those people to be happy, but I just don't see it happening.
Last Week: 2-2
Playoff Record: 2-2
Regular Season Record: 126-124-6
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