Ridiculously excited about playoffs here--and my team (the Saints) are still in it!
My Saints had better win over Seattle. My big concern is that two of our starting RBs are out on IR, and I worry about our running game. Not to trash the 'Hawks, but...dang, the NFC West was awful this year and seeing a team with a losing record get in kind of stinks. I can imagine what it's like to be a Giants or Bucs fan and see that.
The Jets might be a little bit of a surprise for Indy. As much as I love Peyton Manning, he's pretty much carrying that team this season and his post-season play tends to be a little below the high standard he sets for regular-season games. On the flip side, the Jets' D hasn't been as fearsome as it was last season. I think Indy wins, but this one feels close.
B-more over KC? Yeah. I'd be stunned if it went the other way.
Also agree with you on the Packers over the Eagles, though I have to give Andy Reid all kinds of credit for having his team in the mix pretty much each and every year regardless of personnel changes. Looks like that McNabb trade worked out for them after all, and I think Kolb will do fine if Vick can't play.
LOL...yes, I am SUPER-excited about playoff season.
Cant wait! Im a Baltimore fan myself. Pretty confident in this weeks win over KC. Glad we made it this far.... All this weeks games should prove to be pretty good games, can't wait!!!!
I'm picking the way you are for my fantasy except we don't do spreads and all that so we have to pick straight up. Just not sure on the NO vs SEA game. I'm flip flopping on that one. It's no secret repeat teams aren't the norm for the last few years. Just not sure if NO can stay in or not. UGH. Tough choice.
Repeating is tough, no doubt, but the flip side of that is that the Saints have returned with almost all their key personnel intact. Then again, there's that whole "we have no run game" thing. Still, I wouldn't bet against Brees--he's good under extreme pressure.
Pamepinto, I'm rooting for the Ravens to move forward--even if they did give my Saints a thrashing during the regular season. Just got to love 'em a little after the sorry thing that happened to Baltimoreans years ago with the Colts...ugh, I can only imagine how losing the team must gut their fans.
Height: 5'5 -- that's my story and I'm sticking to it!
I am TOTALLY an honorary Who Dat-er for this week. Husband is a Bears fan, so that might end next week, but we'll see.
I am totally on the Indy bandwagon. Indy CRUSHED the Jets in the AFC Championship last year ... now that Peyton finally got his RBs back, and seeing how well Indy's D has reacted to the run, I think it's going to be up to Mark Sanchez to pull the Jets through, and he just can't. Especially if the WRs keeping dropping passes!
I can't for the life of me understand why the Hawks would start a still-injured Hasselbeck over the competent, though unspectacular, Whitehurst. Less tape on Whitehurst, too. I have faith in the Saints' D -- last week doesn't count -- Saints knew HFA wasn't happening, given that ATL was playing awful Carolina, and they lost by 10 to a team playing for everything, with everything they had.
Proud member of the Who Dat nation, here. We still have all of the playoff games and the Super Bowl DVRed from last year. So if I'm having a down day, I'll just fast-forward and watch the homemade highlight reel for the game.
We are totally going to pull through even without our RBs. We aren't playing our best, but all that means is we have room to improve and can only go up from here.
I have the "America's Game" for our Super Bowl on Blu-Ray and watch it on occasion. I can't revisit last year's NFC Championship Game, though, because it makes me nervous every single time even though I know Hartley makes that kick.
You're right about the RB situation. I mean, hey, this just gives Reggie a chance to shine, right? Also, the Saints have a pretty good history of finding undrafted free agents and making 'em work--both Thomas and Ivory were UDFAs, after all.
Is there anyone who can explain the "Who Dat" thing? I get that it's NO, but I've never understood what it means or where it came from. Sorry, I'm a Pittsburgh fan from way back in the Terry Bradshaw days. I try liking Carolina because it's the home team, but it's so hard because they're so bad. So, so BAD. It would be nice to have a winning home team close, the economy here could use the boost LOL.
I also like The Colts, so I'll be rooting for them this weekend. Just need GB out soon or I'll lose a big bet and have to go to my high school reunion which I fully do not want to do.
"Who Dat" is from old songs and comedy routines originally; it was a call-and-response thing that was popular as audience participation in old vaudeville/minstrel shows. It got associated with jazz musicians, so the NOLA connection there is clear. Then it found its way into various high school and university cheers (particularly St. Augustine and Louisiana State University) and somehow it just kinda caught on with the Saints in the early '80s.
It really took off as a Saints thing when there was a version of "When The Saints Go Marching In" released in the mid-'80s. The chorus was "Who Dat? Who Dat? Who Dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints?" chanted by a lot of Saints players. For a while in the late '80s/early '90s "Cha-Ching!" was the "in" thing, but it never really took off the way that "Who Dat?" did (thank goodness, although I do still have my "Cha-Ching!" sign autographed by Pat Swilling ).
It gets even more confusing when you hear about Cincy's "Who Dey?" chant.
That is probably WAY more than anyone ever wanted to know about "Who Dat." LOL, sorry, when I start talking Saints I never shut up. :x
And yeah, Carolina's just been unfortunate this season. Poor Kitties never had a chance given the way the rest of the NFC South has been playing; I'm kinda sorry the Bucs aren't in the mix too. Three NFC South teams in the post-season would've been fun to watch.
The Steelers have had a good year. Troy Polamalu is awesome to watch--dude looks like a lion taking down a gazelle out there. I would love to see a Steelers/Saints SB...but hopefully not to witness Polamalu treating Drew Brees like a sickly gazelle. Eek!