NFL/Superbowl/Playoffs - DPChallenge Forums

01/17/2008 12:14:30 AM · #301

Giants vs Packers

Well the good news is the Giants have won nine straight road games and just beaten the top seed in the NFC. On top of that it looks like Ross will give it a go on Sunday. The bad news is the Giants won't have the same hunger they had in Dallas after being written off by everyone. I don't think they will have that same drive in this game and if they are going to win they will have to be even better than good. Last week I said they needed help from Dallas if they were to win and they got it in Patrick Crayton's atrocious effort. This week they will need the kind of Favre that threw for 6 INTs in a playoff game but unfortunately that's unlikely to happen this week with so much riding on it. After all this could be Favre's last chance at a Super Bowl so he'll be at his best.

Prediction: Packers 34, Giants 24

Patriots vs Chargers

This is an interesting matchup. The Chargers are playing their best football. They owned the Patriots in last year's playoff game, one that they should have won and almost did until a late INT that would have sealed it was fumbled away. People forget (myself included last week) that the Chargers were one of top contenders to win it all last year and then fell under the radar this year after a slow start. There's no denying the talent on this team. They made the Colts look like chumps last week despite all their injuries. I'd be tempted to pick the Chargers here if it weren't for those injuries. Unfortunately, I can't wrap my head around the idea of a Belichick run team losing to a team of backups or to one that has all of it's top offensive stars limping into the game. It does look like Tomlinson (knee), Gates (foot) and Rivers (knee, trashtalkitis) will all play but asking for their very best in this spot is a tall order.

Prediction: Patriots 24, Chargers 17

Last Week: 3-1 (Patriots, Giants, Packers)

Message edited by author 2008-01-17 00:19:19.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

01/17/2008 07:48:35 AM · #302

Nice analysis Yank. You didn't mention the temperature factor at Lambeau. Not that the Giants aren't familiar with cold weather playing or anything, but the temps are going to be positively bitter. Could be Ice Bowl II and both teams will be affected.

Message edited by author 2008-01-17 07:49:34.

madcrabber

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

01/17/2008 08:12:48 AM · #303

GO PACKERS GO, Favre for President!!

01/17/2008 08:43:16 AM · #304

San Diego at New England
The Chargers' win last week over Indy deprives us of the game most of us wanted to see. The Colts/Pats rivalry has become fierce in the past several years and everybody was waiting for the next chapter to play out in Foxboro this weekend. Alas, it's not to be. The Chargers have not been the same team they were last year, but having won 8 in a row is nothing to sniff at. This is a very good team, but one that will be playing below its peak efficiency with the three biggest playmakers (Gates, Tomlinson and Rivers) at less than 100%. The Patriots' winning streak is at 17, don't forget, and they're nearly 100% across the board and just ridiculously strong in every aspect of the game. In spite of their emotional momentum, I don't see the Chargers pulling a rabbit out of the hat two weeks in a row. The big question here is will they cover the two touchdown spread?

Patriots win, 38-17

New York Giants at Green Bay
What a turn of events. Everybody in Packer country was secretly loathing another trip to Dallas where Favre has NEVER won a game in 9 attempts. Now, thanks to the G-men eliminating the 'boys last week, the NFC title game comes home to Green Bay, where game time temps are expected to hover around 2 degrees F, with any breeze driving the wind chill well below 0. As with the Chargers, the Giants have undeniable emotional momentum, and a streak where the offense and defense have been impressive and nearly mistake-free. With temps as cold as they're going to be, I'm expecting the passing game to be limited on both sides. Both QBs are going to have to make use of the short game. In this situation, who do you like, Favre or Eli? I thought so. Favre's ability to improvise and invent will prevail and Eli will likely be driven to distraction and mistakes by conditions and the harassment of the Pack rush and blitz. The other major factor will be running the ball and stopping the run. Here I have to give the edge to the Pack, playing at home. There's nothing like Lambeau Field in January when it's cold. The crowd will be nuts. Look for at least a dozen shirtless guys in the stands. The Giants young runners, Jacobs and Bradshaw, just won't be able to sustain the kind of attack they'd need to dominate on offense. As yank said above, this game is going to be all about Favre. Possibly the biggest stage of his life. Great players deliver great performances in Big Games. Look for the Pack to dominate.

Packers win, 35-10

Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM

01/17/2008 08:44:25 AM · #305

I think Green Bay is the better team in this match up. Ofcourse I am a Bias Packer Fanatic, But I do not see the Giants walking out of Lambeau Field with anything but a loss and some bruises.

Key to this game. Eli Manning. The presure of it being a big game is going to get the best of him. He will make some costly mistakes.

This is kind of like Yoda vs a young Skywalker. The force is weak in this one.

digitalpins

Canon EOS-60D

01/17/2008 09:07:07 AM · #306

Originally posted by Bugzeye:

I totally agree I am a huge PACKER fan

Spork99

OM System OM-1

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

01/17/2008 09:12:39 AM · #307

Originally posted by digitalpins:

Originally posted by Bugzeye:
I think Green Bay is the better team in this match up. Ofcourse I am a Bias Packer Fanatic, But I do not see the Giants walking out of Lambeau Field with anything but a loss and some bruises.

Key to this game. Eli Manning. The presure of it being a big game is going to get the best of him. He will make some costly mistakes.

This is kind of like Yoda vs a young Skywalker. The force is weak in this one.

I totally agree I am a huge PACKER fan

I'm no Packer fan, but I think the bitter cold at Lambeau will be too much for the Giants.

Still, after watching Eli and the Giants do battle with the New England juggernaut and nearly end their perfect season, I'd say the force is quite strong with young Eli.

Nikon AF Nikkor 28-85mm 1:3.5-4.5

01/17/2008 09:22:37 AM · #308

I would attribute that to New England being a bit overrated. I am not saying they are not a good team. In fact they are a great team. But they are beatable even the Ravens came with in a few inches of a win.

Eli is doing well. But he has never been to a NFC Title game and the fact that this one is being played in the Temple of the Football Gods, I think he is going to choke.

Originally posted by Spazmo99:

electrolost

Nikon D200

01/17/2008 09:26:06 AM · #309

Nobody thinks the GIANTS will win but they will....

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

01/17/2008 09:31:40 AM · #310

Maybe the coin toss..

Originally posted by electrolost:

Nobody thinks the GIANTS will win but they will....

Spork99

OM System OM-1

01/17/2008 10:13:28 AM · #311

Originally posted by Bugzeye:

I would attribute that to New England being a bit overrated. I am not saying they are not a good team. In fact they are a great team. But they are beatable even the Ravens came with in a few inches of a win.

Any team is beatable, but, in this case, unlike any of the other teams, no one's managed it yet.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

01/17/2008 10:42:16 AM · #312

Originally posted by Spazmo99:

Originally posted by Bugzeye:
I would attribute that to New England being a bit overrated. I am not saying they are not a good team. In fact they are a great team. But they are beatable even the Ravens came with in a few inches of a win.

Any team is beatable, but, in this case, unlike any of the other teams, no one's managed it yet.

Spork99

OM System OM-1

01/17/2008 10:47:14 AM · #313

Originally posted by Bugzeye:

If it wasn't for the boneheaded time out called by a defensive coach in the Ravens game. They would have managed it. No one on the field wanted a time out. The players knew what was coming and stopped it. So the players won the game and the coach gave it back to the Pats.

Originally posted by Spazmo99:

Originally posted by Bugzeye:
I would attribute that to New England being a bit overrated. I am not saying they are not a good team. In fact they are a great team. But they are beatable even the Ravens came with in a few inches of a win.

Any team is beatable, but, in this case, unlike any of the other teams, no one's managed it yet.

Agreed, but the result is the same: the Pats won and the Ravens' season is over

LoudDog

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

01/17/2008 11:06:44 AM · #314

The Giants won't be as easy as Seattle but every Packer fan is thankful the Giants beat Dallas. The extreme cold is going to be a huge factor. Kicking, throwing and catching become very difficult, not to mention your body just does not want to perform. The ball gets hard as a rock, expect lots of fumbles and bad throws. Plus, those hard thows are difficult to catch when your frozen fingers feel like they are made of glass.
Running game and holding on to the ball will be key as well as depth to rotate players and prevent frozen/numb hands and feet.

GB 24 NYG 17.

01/17/2008 03:13:05 PM · #315

Originally posted by Bugzeye:

I would agree if this was Favre vs Romo but it's not. The way Eli has been playing I don't expect him to go into the game thinking he has to upstage Favre like Romo would if he was playing in this spot. Now if the Packers have Eli on the run then sure he's likely to turn it over just like any other QB. What I would be more concern about is the pressure the Packers have. It's all on them. They got the matchup they wanted. They are playing at home. They are the ones everyone is picking so they better win. If anybody turns it over a bunch of times it's just as likely to be Favre, he's the gung-ho type. Not that I expect it to happen, just saying. In any case I think the Packers better be careful in the early stages. If they spot the Giants 14-0 like they did Seattle last week they are not getting it back. The Giants aren't the patsy team Seattle trots out on the road.

Message edited by author 2008-01-17 15:14:45.

01/17/2008 03:19:02 PM · #316

Originally posted by strangeghost:

Yeah I saw that it will probably be in the single digits. Is there a forcast for snow?

01/17/2008 03:28:13 PM · #317

I don't think any snow is forecast. At those temps, I think water sublimes, carbon dioxide freezes, and Ryan Grant scores touchdowns.

01/17/2008 03:36:28 PM · #318

Originally posted by strangeghost:

I don't think any snow is forecast. At those temps, I think water sublimes, carbon dioxide freezes, and Ryan Grant scores touchdowns.

Ha. To be honest I'm more worried about him than Favre.

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

01/17/2008 04:39:25 PM · #319

I understand fandom and everything, but this is just sad
.

LoudDog

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

01/17/2008 04:56:33 PM · #320

Originally posted by strangeghost:

I understand fandom and everything, but this is just sad
.

Some people should not be allowed to breed...

On a side note "Pardeeville" is the coolest city name ever!

karmat

Apple iPhone 7

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L USM

01/17/2008 05:12:47 PM · #321

Originally posted by strangeghost:

I understand fandom and everything, but this is just sad
.

It sounds like to me that incident was fairly innocuous (based on the article, they were joking and it was only like a minute), but apparently there were other incidents, unrelated, that lead up to this.

We don't have to tape Packers clothes to my son. :) He outgrew his GB jersey, so he liked wearing his daddy's shirt. This was the picture he insisted on putting on our Christmas cards.

electrolost

Nikon D200

Nikon AF Nikkor 28-85mm 1:3.5-4.5

01/17/2008 05:19:22 PM · #322

Originally posted by Bugzeye:

Maybe the coin toss..

Originally posted by electrolost:
Nobody thinks the GIANTS will win but they will....

hahaha you make funny..
Favre is gonna get sacked so hard he turns to dust...or perhaps he will shatter

01/17/2008 05:19:23 PM · #323

Originally posted by karmat:

We don't have to tape Packers clothes to my son. :) He outgrew his GB jersey, so he liked wearing his daddy's shirt. This was the picture he insisted on putting on our Christmas cards.

That boy's got his game face on!