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What to Know : The Pro Bowl

The playoffs have ended and the Super Bowl is still a week away. Which means that on Sunday around noon, a general sense of panic will descend upon football-lovers everywhere.

What do we do?!?!

It’s a tough time in our lives.

But luckily, we know that the Super Bowl is right around the corner, and until then, we have a football-like entity to fill the void: the Pro Bowl.

Now, if you ask me, it’s the perfect buffer between life with football and life without it. The Pro Bowl eases us into understanding that we’re going to have to live without football in our lives every Sunday for the next six months (insert weeping here). It’s not a competitive game, but it’s not not a game either, so it’s kind of a slow transition into the offseason.

I’ll take whatever I can get.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the wonder that is the Pro Bowl, here are 5 things to know in advance:

1. It’s kind of a contradiction.

This is an all-star game, an honor bestowed upon players by colleagues, coaches, and fans, but it’s played like a preseason game. And often times…worse than a preseason game. The effort level over the past few years has really been wince-worthy – last year’s Pro Bowl being particularly ugly. It’s this type of thing that has drawn the ire of fans and league officials alike, and the reason why the fate of the Pro Bowl is in jeopardy.

I can understand why players don’t give 100% after a grueling season when they are basically on vacation in Hawaii with their families and don’t want to risk getting injured. That makes sense. However, there still needs to be some measure of personal pride that makes you want to show up on the field for any game, especially one that should be an honor to play in.

Luckily, Peyton is back for his millionth Pro Bowl this year, and he wasted no time whipping this year’s crew into shape, setting high expectations, as always. So maybe this year, when the players know the future of the Pro Bowl is in their hands, it’ll be different.

2. You’re going to see a lot of screen passes.

Like, a LOT of screen passes. It’s pretty much the only offensive play call.

3. You get to see Mike McCarthy and John Fox in Hawaiian shirts.

Likely two of the last guys (Bill Belichick might be the last guy) who would ever consider donning a Hawaiian shirt of their own volition. I don’t know why, but seeing an entire NFL staff in Hawaiian shirts never fails to bring me joy. It’s just so funny. This year’s NFC team will be led by the Packers’ Mike McCarthy and his staff while the AFC honors went to the Broncos’ crew. Fans can expect McCarthy to throw a few trick plays into the mix and Fox to not.

4. It might be an historic event.

As mentioned above, due to the fact that the level of play has been just shy of abominable over the past few years, the NFL is threatening to cancel the Pro Bowl if this year’s showing isn’t markedly better. And really, that would be a lose-lose for everyone. Fans would miss out on one more week with their favorite players, and, most of all, players would miss out on learning from the best in the biz and celebrating a huge accomplishment with their friends and families.

I understand that people get their panties in a bunch because the Pro Bowl isn’t a knock-down drag-out fight to the finish. But can’t we all take it down a notch? I love the Pro Bowl because of the atmosphere. It’s nice to see players get to relax a little bit and have fun on the field. And it’s one more week of football! What so bad about that?!

5. It’s your best bet.

Really, what else are you going to watch on Sunday night at 7pm if not the Pro Bowl? Let me give you your entertainment options: You’ve got 60 Minutes on CBS, America’s Funniest Home Videos on ABC, and Bob’s Burgers on FOX. Come on, now. Even if you don’t like football, the Pro Bowl might be the best option if only for the screen shots of Hawaii. It’s January, people. We’re desperate for this type of warm-weather programming.

Do you guys usually watch the Pro Bowl? Will you be watching this year? Why or why not?

What to Know : After Conference Championshps

The Super Bowl matchup we’ve always wondered about is on it’s way. The HarBowl has gone from curious possibility to reality.

Who knew?!

But first, let’s talk about Sunday’s games.

Game 1: Niners at Falcons (Niners 28, Falcons 24)

What We Learned: The #1 Seed falls yet again. Neither the Falcons (#1 NFC) nor the Broncos (#1 AFC) will be representing their conference in the Super Bowl this year, which proves once more that the elusive #1 Seed can be more of a curse than a blessing. 2009 was the last time a #1 NFC Seed won the Super Bowl (Saints), and you have to go all the way back to 2003 to a time when the #1 AFC Seed won the Super Bowl (Patriots). Teams can’t, and wouldn’t/shouldn’t try not to have the best record in their conference – that defeats the whole point of playing the game. But it just goes to show that when the postseason arrives, everything goes out the window. It’s a new season and a level playing field. (If you’re interested in the whole seeding vs. success thing, which is really intriguing, read this story by ESPN.)

For the second week in a row, the Falcons took off with a scorching lead – 17-0 right out of the gate! And for the second week in a row, they allowed their opponent to come back – only this time, their opponent won. The comeback wasn’t as all-consuming this week as last week – it was more like a slow creep onto the scoreboard mixed with a few fatal errors from the Falcons – but it was a comeback all the same. The Falcons weren’t able to convert in the red zone on 4th down late in the 4th quarter following a hotly debated catch call, and that kind of sealed the deal for them.

What’s Next?: Little brother vs. big brother in Super Bowl XLVII.

Game 2: Ravens at Patriots (Ravens 28, Patriots 13)

What We Learned: Ray Lewis was right! No weapon formed against the Ravens has prospered. Even this one: Tom Brady was formerly 67-0 against all opponents at home when going into halftime with the lead. That was quite the record, but the Ravens smashed it on Sunday. The defense was a thing of beauty, disrupting Tom Brady and rarely allowing classic Patriot-esque quick, big plays. The Patriots fabled clock management? Completely thrown off. Joe Flacco wasn’t a hindrance to the Ravens cause, either. He had the offense firing on all cylinders in the second half (and Anquan Boldin? Hello!)

What’s Next?: Big brother vs. little brother in Super Bowl XLVII.

Well, This Is Weird:

Both Harbaugh teams were road teams.

Both road teams won.

Both scored a total of 28 points.

Both shut out their opponents in the second half.

Wow.

I was pulling for the Falcons, but I have to admit that it’ll be a fun historic moment to have two brothers coaching against each other in the Super Bowl, and on paper it seems like a great game. Congratulations to both teams!

How about you guys? Did the games turn out as you hoped? Are you excited for the Super Bowl???

What to Know : Conference Championship Weekend

The road to the Super Bowl will end this Sunday, with four teams battling for two spots and the right to play in New Orleans on February 3rd. The winners of the NFC and AFC Championship games will advance to the ultimate game: Super Bowl XLVII. Here’s what you need to know:

NFC Championship Game

49ers at Falcons

Sunday, January 20th, 3pm (FOX)

What to know from history: The NFL has always struggled a bit with geography. Some tutoring may be in order here. But for one reason or another, the San Francisco 49ers (in California) and the Atlanta Falcons (in GEORGIA) at one time both resided in the NFC West division. (There was also a time when the Arizona Cardinals lived in the NFC East. Riddle me that.) Because of their former divisional association, these two teams have played each other quite a few times. San Francisco bears the lead with 44 wins to Atlanta’s 3o – but let’s remember that the Falcons were pretty bad for a pretty long time in that era, and the 49ers were in their heyday. The last time they met in the playoffs was in 1999 and the Falcons won by 2 points to advance to the NFC Championship game. The last time they’ve played each other in recent history was in 2010 – a game that the Falcons also won, again by 2 points. The Falcons have won 4 of their last 5 against the 49ers…but again, let’s remember that until recently, the 49ers haven’t been a competitive team. Both teams look much different these days.

What to know on Sunday: You can pretty much throw history out the window on this one. On it’s face, it looks like this game is San Francisco’s to lose. I can’t remember the last time a home playoff team was slated to be such an overwhelming underdog. The Niners have the momentum and the scary-good quarterback who hasn’t figured out that he shouldn’t be playing this well this early in his postseason career yet, but the Falcons have a chip. A gigantic chip. It’s a chip on their shoulder from years of winning the regular season but never winning the playoffs, for hundreds of analysts and fans and colleagues who never took them seriously this year even though they were undefeated for more than half of the regular season. On top of that, they experienced watching their postseason dreams die right in front of them last week as the Seahawks came roaring back to put up a fight in the second half. The Falcons struggled to regain the lead…but they did. It might be just the change-of-history the Falcons need to really make a run at this thing.

AFC Championship Game

Ravens at Patriots

Sunday, January 20th, 6:30pm (CBS)

What to know from history: This exact same game was played in this exact same place almost exactly a year ago. (This concludes the usage of the word “exact.”) The Patriots won that game after then-Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff missed a 32 yard field goal that would have sent the game into overtime. To say that the Ravens are out for vindication would be an understatement. They’ve played each other since then – the Ravens won their regular season game against the Patriots earlier this year – but that game was valiantly won for Torrey Smith, the Ravens wide receiver who had lost his brother just hours prior. In this matchup, the Ravens will be looking to rectify what happened last January and send Ray Lewis out with one more trip to the Super Bowl.

What to know on Sunday: Make no mistake: New England is the favorite in this game. Baltimore might have all of the emotion, but New England has the knockout punch. It would be logical to assume that the reinjury Rob Gronkowski suffered on Sunday to his broken forearm would have put a wrench in the Patriots offense. But The Hoodie doesn’t do wrenches. He just pulls another tool out of the shed and gets back to work. How else do you explain Shane Vereen, a kid who played scarcely enough to score 4 touchdowns all season, coming into the game and scoring 3 touchdowns in one night. Such is the legend of the Patriots, who never seem to find the bottom of their depth chart.

My prediction: I think we’re looking at a Niners/Patriots Super Bowl. But personally? I’ll be rooting for the Falcons and the Ravens. I’d love to see both of those teams get in.

How about you guys? What outcomes will you be hoping for this weekend?

What to Know : After Divisional Weekend

There must be a balance in place for playoff games. Last week’s wildcard games were so lackluster that this past weekend’s divisional games had no choice but to tip the scales with some of the best playoff football one weekend has ever seen. Wow. This weekend was a fan’s dream! (Minus, of course, the Packers loss. That was clearly a nightmare.)

Game 1: Ravens at Broncos (Ravens 38, Broncos 35)

What We Learned: Never quit. The Broncos secondary quit on a late Hail Mary by Joe Flacco in the waning seconds of the game when it seemed like the Broncos had sealed the deal on a victory. The 70 yard TD tied the game…and the Broncos, with Peyton Manning at the helm, with 2 timeouts at their disposal, decided to run out the last 30 seconds on the clock and take their chances in OT. Clearly, that decision did not work in their favor. Remember all of those stats we talked about on Friday? In this game, Playoff Peyton got the better or Ravens-Beating Peyton.

What’s Next?: The Ravens move on to face the Patriots at Foxborough for a rematch of last year’s AFC Championship game.

Game 2: Packers at 49ers (Packers 24 31, 49ers 45)

What We Learned: Colin Kaepernick is good. The Packers defense is bad. As we talked about yesterday, the Packers had no answer for the option-heavy offense the Niners run, and the Niners didn’t have to answer for anything the Packers ran because they barely did anything on either side of the ball. Those last 7 points in garbage time shouldn’t count; at that point in the game everyone had given up.

What’s Next?: The 49ers will travel to Atlanta to play the newly-energized Falcons.

Game 3: Seahawks at Falcons (Seahawks 28, Falcons 30)

What We Learned: It’s not over until the last Hail Mary is thrown. This game was 20-0, Falcons, at the half. That the Seahawks were going to come back and take the lead was possible, not probable, and definitely not one of the options Falcons faithful saw as remotely plausible. But come back they did! It started with a Matt Ryan interception and continued with Russell Wilson being Russell Wilson. The Seahawks don’t go down without a fight. The Falcons tend to fold easily. But in the end, we learned that there is something different about this Falcon’s team.

They win in the playoffs.

What’s Next?: The Falcons will host the red-hot 49ers in the NFC Championship game.

Game 4: Texans at Patriots (Texans 28, Patriots 41)

What We Learned: This game was different than the last one. For one thing, it was still close at halftime – 17-13, Patriots. Last time the Patriots soundly defeated the Texans, and this time it felt more like the Texans were beating themselves. They couldn’t make the most of the opportunities presented to them by the Patriots. It’s not every day Tom Brady goes 3 and out on multiple drives. Even with their defense playing fairly well, the Texans offense had trouble scoring in the red zone and rarely capitalized on multiple Daniel Manning runbacks – who single-handedly kept the Texans in the game. It wasn’t so much of a beat-down this time, but at no point in the game did I find myself thinking that the Texans were en route to a victory. And with the victory, Tom Brady surpassed Joe Montana as the winningest quarterback in postseason history.

Not a bad day’s work.

What’s Next?: The Patriots get their yearly date with the Ravens in the postseason. But I’m not sure they’ve ever seen a Ravens team like this before.

What a weekend! I’ve gotta say, the first game set the mark for me. I think it’ll be a memorable one for quite some time. (Unlike the Packers game, which I’d just as soon forget ever happened.)

How about you guys? Which game was your favorite?

Wait…What Just Happened? : The Packers Total Meltdown

This week’s What Just Happened comes with the free inclusion of weeping and gnashing of teeth, since today we’re going to be talking about what went wrong in the Packers loss to the 49ers on Saturday night. In 16 years of Packers fandom, I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a more thorough beating in the playoffs. It was 18 kinds of ugly.

For my sanity’s sake, we’re only going to talk about 5 of them.

1. What Just Happened to the Packers Defense?

Game Changer: The Packers defense played an exceptionally terrible game.

When you allow an opponent to gain nearly 600 yards on offense…you’re going to lose the game. You just are.

The Packers defense, and defensive coordinator Dom Capers, were rolling at the end of the 2010 Super Bowl season. They could do no wrong. Then 2011 came…and all they could do was wrong. This season has been much better by comparison, but as noted in the weekend preview post, the Packers defense hasn’t seen a whole lot of the type of offense the Niners run. And the Niners ran that offense all over the Packers.

It’d be somewhat like speaking Spanish and being expected to proofread a book written in Italian. It’s similar, sure; but you’re going to have a hard time being proficient, let alone excellent, when it comes time to turn in the assignment.

Aside from being unfamiliar with the offensive system (which shouldn’t be an excuse for any NFL team), the Packers dug their own grave by playing terrible fundamental football. Missed tackles, blown coverage, and puzzling play calls were the name of the game.

This video basically sums up the Packers night on defense:

2. What Just Happened to Being Bold (Or…Normal) With Play Calls?

Game Changer: The Packers didn’t trust their offense to do what they do best…or at least try.

This is a team that makes unconventional calls like they’re going out of style. Fake punts, onside kicks, the whole shebang. So when the Packer punted on 4th and 4, down by 14 points with 11 minutes to go in the 4th quarter…it felt a little like a white flag. To not go for it with your MVP QB at the 50 yard line that late in a playoff game? Mind-boggling. Plus, it’s not like the defense was inspiring confidence all night, either. The punt call wasn’t so much staying conservative as it was admitting defeat.

3. What Just Happened to Running the Ball?

Game Changer: The Packers reverted back to a pass-only offense and missed out on a potential running game.

The 2010 Packers were pass-happy for most of the year, but they got a good running game going at the end of the season. The 2011 Packers forgot what rushing was. These Packers have had a productive running game ever since early December and the addition of DuJuan Harris. But Harris was hardly seen on Saturday night, as the Packers struggled to get into rhythm on rushing downs. Consequently, they went primarily with the pass…and that wasn’t working for them, either.

4. What Just Happened to Fielding a Punt for the Love of all that’s Holy?!?!

Game Changer: When special teams is bad, everyone is bad.

The Jeremy Ross muffed punt was bad enough. But the inability to field a punt without bobbling it after that was just shy of incomprehensible. It was the embodiment of the complete collapse that was Saturday night.

5. What Just Happened to the Preseason NFC Super Bowl Pick?

Game Changer: There’s a new favorite in town.

At the end of the day, the Packers got schooled by a superior team and coaching staff. As per Survivor, the Niners outplayed, outwitted, and outlasted the Packers. The Niners were the better team in every aspect of the game. They deserved to win.

I’ll be crying into an empty gallon of ice cream until further notice.

What to Know : Divisional Round of the Playoffs

The divisional round of the playoffs is upon us! This weekend, two AFC games and two NFC games will determine who plays in next weekend’s conference championship. Here’s what you need to know:

Ravens at Broncos

Saturday, January 12th, 4:30pm EST

What to know from history: It’s important to know that the Broncos beat the Ravens earlier this season, 34-17. But it’s probably more important to know that Peyton Manning has beaten the Ravens…nine times in a row. He was a Colt for 8 of those 9 wins (two of which occurred in the playoffs), but it doesn’t matter much. It should be expected that Manning will prove similarly dominant on Saturday despite the new uniform.

But there’s another interesting note from history at play here: Manning has usually been un-Manning-like in the playoffs, with a record of just 9-10. Joe Flacco’s playoff record? 6-4. He’s been to the playoffs and won one round every year since he came into the league five years ago (an NFL record).

What to know on Saturday: The one thing history doesn’t account for is emotion, and there will be plenty to go around on Saturday. The Ravens want to send Ray Lewis out with a Super Bowl victory, and Peyton wants to prove that he’s better than he’s ever been.

Packers at 49ers

Saturday, January 12th, 8:00pm EST

What to know from history: The history between the Packers and the 49ers in the post-season is rich. Five games total, four won by the Packers, each game a classic in it’s own right. Even when the scores weren’t of nail-biting caliber, the weather conditions and the level of talent on the field seemed to set the stage for the making of history. When these two teams meet in the playoffs, there are sure to be fireworks. There’s also the added salt that Aaron Rodgers grew up in San Francisco and was notoriously passed by in the 2005 NFL Draft for Alex Smith, who was the 49ers QB until head coach Jim Harbaugh made the switch to Kaepernick mid-season. It’s no secret that he’s played with a chip on his shoulder about the snub ever since (much to the benefit of the Packers), and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see that chip come out swinging in his first ever game at Candlestick Park in SF on Saturday.

What to know on Saturday: Green Bay might have the upper hand in the win/loss column, but they’ve never seen a 49ers team like this one. These Niners run a predominantly read-option offense led by QB Colin Kaepernick, and it’s not a system the Packers have had the opportunity to play against yet this season (the Niners beat the Packers in Week 1, but with Alex Smith at QB – totally different system). However, even though they say that defense wins championships, Packers QB Aaron Rodgers might have something to say about that. He has a 3-1 record of playoff wins on the road. He also has an unbelievably low interception rate; he is literally the least intercepted quarterback in league history. In his total of 7 playoff starts, he’s thrown 4 interceptions out of 253 attempts. That’s insane. If anything is cited next to defense as the championship-winner, it’s winning the turnover battle. And Rodgers doesn’t turn the ball over.

Seahawks at Falcons

Sunday, January 13th, 1:00pm EST

What to know from history: This game will be the first time the Seahawks and the Falcons meet in the post-season. Rookie QB Russell Wilson has one playoff win under his belt, but the Seahawks are just 4-5 on the road this season, including last week’s playoff win in Washington. Perhaps more troubling is the gloomy history surrounding Falcons QB Matt Ryan: he has been to the playoffs nearly every year since 2008, but has yet to win a game. He’s 0-3 in the playoffs thus far.

What to know on Sunday: You know that emotion surrounding Baltimore over Ray Lewis’s last season? A similar emotion hangs over Atlanta. They want to win the Super Bowl for future Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez, who is almost definitely retiring after this season. Matt Ryan, I’m sure, would also like to get the critics off his back when it comes to his losing record in the playoffs. The Seahawks seem to be the hottest team in the league right now, winning 7 of their last 8 games. But they’ll be without star defensive end Chris Clemons, who was clearly missed after leaving the game with an ACL injury last Sunday against the Redskins. They’ll also be trying to do what no west coast team since the ’89 LA Rams has done: win two back-to-back playoff games on the east coast.

Texans at Patriots

Sunday, January 13th, 4:30pm EST

What to know from history: Recent history tells us that the Texans got shellacked by the Patriots barely over a month ago in the very same stadium in which they’ll play on Sunday. History also tells us that Tom Brady is an otherworldly 16-6 in the playoffs. He’s a cog in the Belichick machine that could scarcely run any smoother if it tried. However, teams with byes haven’t always faired too well over the past few years. There seems to be something to be said for playing straight through the end of the regular season into the playoffs, so the Texans might have a bit more momentum (and lots of motivation) when they reenter Foxborough on Sunday.

What to know on Sunday: The Texans are not getting any love this week; they are the ultimate underdog. At last check the Patriots were a 9.5 point favorite with the over/under hovering around 48 points. That’s a pretty significant point spread. But for anyone who thinks the Patriots are going to waltz in and demolish the Texans for a second time, myself included, think about this: After their undefeated 2007 season, which included a 38-35 win over the Giants in Week 16, the Patriots were a 13.5 point favorite heading into the Super Bowl. A Super Bowl that the Giants won, 17-14. So the odds don’t have the final say, even when they are enormously lopsided.

Which games are you guys looking forward to this weekend? Any favorites on the schedule?