NFL Playoff Thread

If Cutler doesn't get "hurt" they probably lose to the Bears, and if the Steelers don't keep turning the ball over, they probably would have lost that game as well.

The Packers do one thing well. That's it. When the passing goes south, they are done. The defense that made stops also gave up 37 points. That's a ton.

 

Only problem there is the Ravens won that one, the Super Bowl that launched a thousand Trent Dilfer references in each debate about judging quarterbacks by team victories.

 

We don't need no Dilfer. We've now got Alex Smith!

 

I'm really surprised nobody else is talking about the Pro Bowl angle of this week and how Cam Newton's Hawaii life depends on a Giants victory.

 

Here's my favorite stat of the week. The Broncos had more total yards on offense (252) in a game they lost by five touchdowns than the Ravens (227) had in their playoff victory.

 

Two thoughts:

1. The Giants are the most complete team left in the playoffs.

2. You'd think eventually people would stop calling for Tom Coughlin to be fired (or speculating that he will be fired) any time his team goes into a midseason slump. The guy seems to have some idea of how to get a team peaking at the right time. But he coaches in the New York area, so I doubt that will happen.

 

No coach is going to be untouchable anymore. Too much media scrutiny.

 

I disagree with both points.

1. I think New England, Baltimore and San Fran are more complete. The Giants have a better offense than the Ravens and 49ers, but I think the defense of those two teams are far better than the Giants.

2. The Giants went 9-7 this season. It was, once again, an example of a late season choke. Just because the rest of the NFC East was so awful that the Giants were able to sneak in doesn't change the fact that, once again, New York underperformed for two months this year.

 

The Giants' record is the sole function of their inexplicable inability to beat the Redskins.

 

No you're not. You know as well as I do that no one gives a shit about the Pro Bowl.

 

I'm not even saying untouchable. If he goes 4-12, have at him (though if I'm the owner, I'd say he's earned leeway for one terrible season). But when they lose four in a row to drop to 6-6, it's premature to demand the guy's firing, especially given his track record and the team's injury issues.

But as I said, I don't expect that to change.

 

I don't think you really heard anyone demanding he be fired at 6-6. It was more a vibe of, if the Giants collapse in the second half again and miss the playoffs for a third straight year, then he should be fired.

I didn't necessarily agree with that because I think Coughlin is a damn fine coach, but I can understand why people would get restless about missing the playoffs three years in a row for a team as talented as the Giants are.