NFL Football: Divisional Playoffs – Review of my Sunday Picks
Posted on | January 15, 2008 | No Comments
I’ve got to say, I rarely get taken by surprise by results in the NFL playoffs, but both the games on Sunday absolutely shocked me.
I didn’t give the Chargers any hope at all to win and I gave the Giants a very slight chance. Yet they both won.
San Diego Chargers at Indianapolis Colts
My Pick: Colts 44-10
I thought this was a lock. No way were the Chargers going to go into Indy and beat the defending Super Bowl Champions. Manning wouldn’t let it happen. Harrison was coming back and he would have a huge game. Antonio Gates was hobbled for the Chargers. Yet, the Chargers did it.
Give props to Norv Turner and the Chargers. Without Philip Rivers, without LT, and without any help from the officials (there were many questionable calls that went against the Bolts) they stepped-up and beat a more talented Colts team.
That must have felt great after bowing out so early in the playoffs last year when they were the number one seed. Now they go to New England – the team that knocked them out of the playoffs last year and then danced on their logo at mid-field. Talk about a great feeling? How great would it be if the Chargers could knock off the Pats next week.
One thing’s for sure, I bet the Chargers come out hitting hard and I bet Merriman gets at least one really good shot on Brady.
The Result: Chargers 28-24
New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys
My Pick: Cowboys 34-24
You know what, coming into this game the Cowboys were clearly the better team. And you know what? The Cowboys were the better team on the field. They held the ball for 13 more minutes and gained over 100 yards more. So how did they lose? Penalties.
Look, give the Giants props. They stepped up when they had to. There pass rush was unbelievable in the 4th quarter. Romo hadn’t seen anything like that all season. But the game wouldn’t have been close if the officials didn’t give the game to the Giants.
Want proof?
The first drive of the game, 3rd and six, DeMarcus Ware fires off like a rocket with the snap. (I watched this on TiVo several times and he moved with the ball.) Yet, as they have all season, the officials and they supposed trained eyes saw it as off sides. So what was an incomplete pass, turned into a penalty and then a first down and then a touchdown.
Tony Romo slid to the turf and then was jumped on by Pierce after the whistle and there was no call. Then Leonard Davis (for the Cowboys) jumps on Strahan while Strahan was trying to get-up during the play and he gets called for a 15 yard penalty.
That’s just three calls. The Tony Romo intentional grounding penalty wasn’t a penalty because he wasn’t in danger of being sacked. The picked on flag on pass interference that was PI but was never even discussed. There’s two more.
Unfortuanatley I could go on. It’s just too bad the refs were so bad in this game. But so were some of the Cowboys players.
The Giants don’t stand a chance next week in Lambeau. But then again, they didn’t stand a chance this past week in Texas Stadium either.
The Result: Giants 21-17
This Week: 2-2
Overall: 5-3
(75)
Related posts:
- NFL Football: Divisional Playoffs – My Picks and a Review
- NFL Football: Divisional Playoffs – My Sunday Picks and Saturday Reviews
- NFL Football: Divisional Playoffs – My Saturday Results and Sunday Picks
- NFL Football: Conference Championships: Review My Picks
- NFL Football: Week 16 – Review of My Picks
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