What a weekend of sports. This is it though. The last great weekend. We had football on Saturday. We had NBA and NHL games that featured terrific match-ups. We had rematches in every single one of the playoff games. Also, we had the largest amount of trash-talking this season and probably in the last four or five years. After this weekend, the slow decline to only baseball starts. It's sad but C'est la vie.The weekend started at Mongolian Grill in Bayshore Mall watching the Ravens-Steelers game. To be honest, I got bored watching the game. My friend Colin and I were entertained with the follies video that was on NFL network directly beside the football game. The thoughts that I had watching the end of the game were as follows: (1)Pittsburgh and Baltimore have great, opportunistic defenses and (2) Joe Flacco should not be mentioned in the "great quarterbacks today argument." Three turnovers on your side of the field will absolutely kill you. The Ravens had 3. The Steelers had 1. All four turnovers ended with touchdowns. Joe Flacco has a great arm. He is poised and large in the pocket. But, he can't complete the accurate passes that are necessary in the playoffs. I like Joe Flacco a lot, but I would spend the whole off season throwing those 15-20 yard tier 2 passes that he constantly overthrows for interceptions.
The Packers-Falcons game I will skip for now.
The Seahawks-Bears game was exactly what I thought it would be. The Bears have a great defense that feeds off the cold weather and a more than not aggressive opponent. Pete Carroll is lucky he never had to play a game in the snow with USC because he didn't know how to coach this game. The Bears were physical in the run game and Cutler managed the game effectively. Greg Olsen played a great game and finally proved to be the match-up problem that he was supposed to be early in his career. The NFC Championship game will be an excellent contest of bitter rivals, and I'm really looking forward to it.
Rex Ryan deserves all the credit in the world for the win in the Jets-Patriots game. He recognized what your esteemed blogger recognized: if you stop the 0-10 yard throw from Tom Brady, the Patriots offense is ineffective. The Browns stopped the Patriots earlier in the season, and Eric Mangini stated how to beat the Patriots which, coincidentally, is exactly what I have been preaching the last 8 weeks. Brady wasn't used to looking past his first read 5 yards down field, and that is why the Jets got sacks, and Brady looked confused until 8 minutes left in the fourth quarter. This is the first time that the Patriots really missed Randy Moss. Mark Sanchez had a helluva game. He completed "Manning-like" accurate passes to Santonio Holmes and Braylon Edwards. With the strong running game and Sanchez playing at an elite level, I think the Jets may finally get to the Super Bowl again.
The Packers-Falcons game was absolutely awesome to watch. Awesome is an over-used word in our society, but that is the only way I can describe it. Aaron Rodgers had the best game of the season (I won't say of his career because last year against Arizona was the best game). The run game wasn't there early but Rodgers made the big 3rd and 3, 3rd and 4 conversions that the Patriots and Colts couldn't make in their playoff losses. The Packers defense deserves all the credit in the world as well. I told my friend Colin at the beginning of the game, if they shut down Michael Turner, the Packers will win this game by 20. Apparently I was wrong. B.J. Raji is unbelievable in the middle. Tramon Williams, and yes Charlie, Sam Shields were terrific. This defense will need to step it up again on the run defense against the Bears. Watching the game with a die hard Bears fan was a mistake; however, I've already decided that Eau Claire is probably the best destination to watch the NFC Championship game. We will break the curse of Eau Claire for Packers NFC Championship games (more to come later).
Here's a few more tidbits from the weekend that was:
1. The pass to set-up the run strategy was at full force again this week. The Bears, Jets, and Packers all used it to tremendous success.
2. Aaron Rodgers should be in the Pro-Bowl. Tramon Williams possibly as well, but Rodgers getting snubbed by Brees and Matty Ice is absurd.
3. I was shocked to learn that this was the first time Jay Cutler has had a winning season since high school. He had a great first playoff game. The only question is whether it was because of Seattle being a terrible team. I think he will play well next weekend because he wants to compete with his friend and nemesis Rodgers.
4. Bill Belichick's decision to sit Wes Wlker did not sit well with me at all. I feel like Belichick dismissed his wide receiver for a momentary, albeit hilarious slip of the tongue. My thought on the matter is you will never see Rex Ryan sit down Antonio Cromartie or Bart Scott for speaking rashly. The Patriots could have used Welker on their first drive seeing as Brady threw his first interception in 219384739 attempts on it (not that he wouldn't have thrown it otherwise). I just think it was an overreaction.
5. The Miami Heat are the Cleveland Cavaliers 2011. Dwyane Wade is the only difference. Without Lebron James this weekend, the Heat showed that they have no identity on offense and defense. They lacked character against the Bulls, and when the Bulls made their runs with Derrick Rose, the Heat allowed them easy baskets and uncontested jumpers. I think that the Heat are probably a year away from being sheer dominant. I still think they can win the championship, but their overall dominance has yet to been reached.
