So I’ve slept on it, and here’s what I come away with from yesterday’s games:

Colts 30, Jets 17

• The Jets ground game was MIA.  Yes, they ran the ball alright in the first half, but not nearly well enough to allow any serious play-action in the second.  I figured that the only way the Jets were going to win this game was by pounding the ball up the middle with Thomas Jones, off-tackle with Shonn Greene, and with fun end-around and reverse plays out of the Wildcat with Brad Smith. Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene gained a total of 39 yards on the ground in the second half.  Foolishly, I figured that the Jets would “dance with the girl that brung ya.”  Silly me.**
  continue reading "Conference Championships: The Day After"

I had only planned on doing a little preview, since I’m not generally a betting woman.  However.  Now that Aaron’s given you his picks, I can’t let him completely take over my turf without chiming in myself, now can I?
continue reading "In which Holly makes predictions, pines for Jets OL"

• Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints

Fans, pundits and even honest to goodness football people keep talking about how dominant the Viking defensive front four looked against the Cowboys last week and expect a repeat performance this Sunday down in the Big Easy.

It ain’t gonna happen.
continue reading "Aaron’s Picks For The Championship Games"

Apologies for the lag time.  Work + life + inability to visit an NFL page without reading about how great Warner was against Green Bay = Holly took some time off from football.

After watching the weekend’s games, however, I’m left with a few lingering thoughts:

1.  The Cowboys-Vikings game reminded me at points of each of the Packers-Vikings games.  In each game against Minnesota, the Packers were down significantly at the start of the 4th quarter (28-14, 31-20 – 24-3 in 3d!), but managed to tighten the score in the face of serious pressure from Minnesota’s front four.  On Sunday, Dallas was still theoretically “in the game” going into the 4th quarter.  Yes, they were down 17-3, yes, Flozell Adams had left the game before halftime, and yes, Romo was getting his butt kicked.  But 14 points wasn’t so much that Dallas’s offense couldn’t make something happen.  The Vikings were letting them stick around.
continue reading "Seven Thoughts on the Divisional Round"

Before anything else, I just want to say thank you.  Thank you for reading, for giving me feedback, and for letting me geek out on football stats without pointing and laughing (overtly, anyway).  It’s been a treat.
continue reading "Down To “The Other Eight”"