Mets Get Matthews Jr

According to John Heyman of SI, the Mets have acquired Gary Matthews Jr from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. I don't understand this deal. Unless they are going to use this trade to get a starting pitcher it just doesn't make any sense. The Angels will be picking up a substantial amount of his salary but why would want to take on any money of this contract when Angel Pagan can easily play centerfield until Beltran returns from injury. I really hope they are going to use this trade to pull of another deal to bring in a starting pitcher because this literally makes no sense to me. Pagan is probably better anyway. I just don't get it.

NFL Divisional Round Recap

To the small amount of people who actually do read this blog I apologize for the lack of updates over the last couple weeks. I've been busy but from now on I am really going to try to at least put something up once a day. Even if it's just a small paragraph with my thoughts on a game or anything. Anyway I hyped up the divisional round as the greatest weekend of the year in the NFL and it was pretty much a letdown no matter how you look at it. 3 of the 4 games were never close which was a complete disappointment. I went 2-2 in my picks last week which is terrible. Let's take a look at the games.

Cardinals at Saints

The Cardinals jumped on New Orleans early like they had scoring a touchdown on their first play of the game on a long run by Tim Hightower. However they couldn't keep it close after that. The Saints jumped all over Arizona whose offense couldn't keep the pedal down for two straight games and walked away with an embarrassing 45-14 loss. The real story in this game was the lack of defense by the Cardinals. They allowed 45 points in consecutive playoff games setting an NFL record for points allowed in the process. Drew Brees threw for a modest 247 yards but could have thrown for 400 if he really had to. The Saints offense was clicking all day and Reggie Bush had the game of his career. They showed the world why they were the number one seed in the NFC after their had been some doubts as to how they would perform. With the NFC Championship game in their own backyard the Saints will be tough to beat.

Colts at Ravens

Maybe one of the most boring games in the history of the playoffs. The Colts didn't look spectacular but they did more than enough to beat a Ravens team who left everything they had in New England. The Colts pretty much dominated the game after the first quarter which ended nodded up at 3. Then they outscored the Ravens 14-0 in the 2nd pretty much putting the game away. Now I had an issue with what the announcers were saying after this game. As the final seconds were winding down and the teams were walking out for their post game handshakes it was mentioned that the Colts had buried all of the controversy over resting players with this win and that it shouldn't be mentioned again. That they've proven their decision was right. Wait a second, a division round win over the Baltimore Ravens is enough to prove that they were right? I thought winning the Super Bowl was the ultimate goal here, not beating a Ravens team that probably didn't belong in the playoffs to begin with. It was a game they needed to win sure, but not nearly enough yet to bury the questions.

Cowboys at Vikings

The story of this game was the Vikings defensive front completely dominating the Cowboys offensive line. From the very beginning Tony Romo had no time to throw and it completely threw off this Cowboys offense. In a very surprising result the hottest team in the NFL was dominated in every aspect of the game en route to a 34-3 dismantling at the hands of the Vikings. All the credit goes to Minnesota in this one, Brett Favre played a great game finding Sidney Rice for 3 touchdowns and the defense held Dallas to 3 points. And I don't want to hear anybody talking about the late touchdown pass that Favre threw being too much. This is the NFL, there is no running up the score. If the Keith Brooking and the Cowboys D had that big of a problem with Minnesota throwing a late TD pass on 4th down then they should have stopped it. Everyone is getting paid here. Do your job instead of getting mad at the other guys for doing theirs. The Vikings looked almost unbeatable in this game, next week will be a very interesting matchup.

Jets at Chargers

I hate to say I told you so but I pretty much pulled a Miss Cleo on this game. I knew the Jets were going to win. I just loved the match-ups in this game. The Jets D vs the Chargers O. The Jets running attack against the Chargers run defense. It all pointed to this game being a lot closer than people made it out to be and I felt the Jets could pull it out in the end. In the first half, while they were just trying to find their identity in the game, the Jets did what they had to do and kept it within reach going into halftime at 7-0. In the second half the Jets had a 4th down in Chargers territory and many thought Rex Ryan should have gone for it, he instead kicked a field goal which I felt was the right decision. They needed to get over that hump and put points up on the board which allowed them to take the lead with their next touchdown which came off of an INT by Philip Rivers. After they extended the lead to 17-7 with a long run by Shonn Green the Jets held on down the stretch to punch their ticket to Indianapolis.

Divisional Round Predictions

It is upon us. One of the best weekends in all of sports is here and their are some great match-ups happening. The Ravens and Jets are fresh off road wins and hope to carry over that success this weekend. The Cowboys are red hot right now, will Minnesota's talent be too much for Dallas to handle? Can the Cardinals defense stop the Saints offense? Can the Saints defense stop the Cardinals offense? There are a ton of questions heading into this round, let's take these games one by one.

Cardinals at Saints

This game has the potential of being an all-time high scorer. As good as Kurt Warner was last weekend, throwing for 5 touchdown passes, that's how bad the Cardinals defense was in blowing a 21 point second half lead. The secondary of the Cardinals was gashed all day in allowing 45 points to the Packers. Bring in the Saints. With their plethora of weapons being greater than that of Green Bay it's hard to imagine Arizona's defense stiffening up this week. But wait, the Saints defense hasn't exactly played like the 85' Bears this year. They are a vulnerable bunch that ranked 25th in total defense during the regular season. They ranked 20th in points per game allowing 21.3. That bodes well for an Arizona offense that seems to hit its stride once the postseason rolls around. The biggest battle in this game will be between Kurt Warner and Drew Brees. Whoever can score the most points in this game will win. I know how that sounded but it's true. Defense will be at a minimum, a lot of pressure will be on these quarterbacks to perform. Anquan Boldin should play this week and that is huge for the Cardinals, who always seem to get hot this time of year. On the other hand the Saints lost their last three games of regular season, two of which they were clearly trying to win including a home loss to the Bucs in which they blew a 17-0 lead. There are concerns in New Orleans about how this team has played of late. Can they rebound and earn a spot in the conference championship game or will Arizona continue their run of postseason success. I like the second option. Cardinals 38, Saints 34.

Ravens at Colts

In a shocking game last week the Ravens got on the Patriots early and often en route to a 33-14 pounding of the New England Patriots. A game in which Tom Brady threw more interceptions (3) than touchdown passes (2), and the Patriots were held to 196 total yards. The Ravens defense played well echoing the powerhouse they had a few years ago. But in come the Colts with NFL MVP Peyton Manning and company. This Indianapolis team began the season 14-0 before resting starters and taking it easy over the final two weeks of the season to finish 14-2. I have never seen a quarterback take control of a game and breakdown defenses with such consistency. Let's not forget about the weapons he has to throw to. Reggie Wayne has replaced Marvin Harrison as Manning's go to receiver and has answered the call. Dallas Clark continues to be a top tight end and Austin Collie has stepped in well for the injured Anthony Gonzalez. Baltimore on the other hand does things a lot differently. They love to run the ball, handing it off to Ray Rice and Willis McGahee who racked up 221 yards rushing against New England. But they need Joe Flacco to play better. Flacco had only 4 completions last week for 34 yards. That will not get it done against this Indianapolis team. Colts 28, Ravens 17.

Cowboys at Vikings

Brett Favre is back in the playoffs for the first time since the NFC Championship game two years ago in which he threw an overtime interception to the Giants Corey Webster setting up a game winning field goal and sending Favre into another offseason of questions. He was with the Packers then and after a short stop with the Jets he is now in a Vikings uniform looking for one more run at a championship. Favre has had a resurrection this season, playing like the Favre of old. The array of weapons he has at his disposal is scary for opposing defenses and he has played mistake free for the most part and has lead the Vikings to an undefeated home record this year. Bring in the Cowboys, clearly the NFL's hottest team right now. Bring in Tony Romo who is playing at an all time high and who was an efficient 23/35 last week with a QB rating of 104.9. Bring in the rushing attack of Felix Jones, Marion Barber, and Tashard Choice. And finally, bring in that Cowboys defense that has played like the 85' Bears of late. Anthony Spencer and Demarcus Ware are abusing opposing offensive lines and making things miserable for opposing quarterbacks. The linebackers led by Bradie James and Keith Brookings are playing the best they have all season and the secondary has been all over receivers with Mike Jenkins blooming this year into one of the best corners in the NFL. The Cowboys are too hot right now and the Vikings struggled down the stretch. The magical run continues for Dallas, Cowboys 31, Vikings 21.

Jets at Chargers

I have been waiting to write about this game all week. Ever since I knew that these two teams were going to be playing I knew exactly who I though would win this game, and I can't even wait until the end of this write-up to declare my pick. The Jets will win the game. People aren't going to understand why I'm so confident in a mediocre 9-7 team going cross country to face a team that went 13-3 and is on an 11 game winning streak. Why would I pick the Jets who got a gift to even be in the postseason to go the AFC Championship game when they have to play a Chargers team that boasts the leagues 5th best passing offense with weapons like Vincent Jackson and Antonio Gates? I'll tell you why...I love the match-ups. I love the match-ups. I love the match-ups. I can't stress this enough. Let's start with the Jets on the offensive side of the ball. New York has the best rushing attack in the league averaging 172 rushing yards a game while the Chargers have the 20th ranked rush defense. Shone Green and Thomas Jones will be running up and down the field all day allowing the Jets to control time of possession and allow Sanchez to make comfortable throws. On the other side of the ball the Jets have the best defense in the league and will be able to hold Rivers and the San Diego offense to a minimum. Miraculously this Jets team will be part of the final two in the AFC. Rex Ryan stays cocky. Jets 21, Chargers 17.

There you have it. Looks like Jets at Colts and Cardinals at Cowboys for championship weekend. Just enjoy this weekend coming up because its truly the best.

What Has He Done?

Lane Kiffin was named head coach of the USC football program last night after one season in Tennessee. Kiffin was a coach and coordinator with the Trojans from 2001-2006 before moving on to coach the Oakland Raiders at the age of 31. After that relationship ended in an ugly fashion he then became coach of the Tennessee football program. The circle of life completed. My question is: what has Kiffin done to deserve this job? During his stay as Oakland Raiders head coach Kiffin went 5-15 and had a rocky relationship with Raiders' owner Al Davis. During the end of his tenure with Oakland Kiffin refused to resign and was subsequently fired over the phone by Davis. Then at the press conference Al Davis called Kiffin a 'flat out liar' and that he 'brought disgrace to the organization.'

Moving on after the firing Kiffin took the Tennessee job. In his only year with the Volunteers he went a very mediocre 7-6. During his time there he was guilty of several NCAA violations including accusing Urban Meyer of calling recruits while at other schools and publicly commenting on recruitable players. I do believe Kiffin was good for Tennessee quarterback Jonathan Crompton who had a resurgence this season but still, the team went 7-6 which is far from what was expected.

I find it very hard to like Kiffin. He's clearly full of himself but hasn't really accomplished anything as a head coach. Sure, he was a great coordinator in his first stint at USC but now he has been handed the head coaching job, something he hasn't proven he can do. Maybe Kiffin will do a great job, he has a hell of a staff coming in, and none of this will matter. Maybe he'll win 4 BCS championships in the next 5 years. Maybe he will go down in USC history as the greatest coach they've ever seen. We'll wait and see.

Wild Card Review

The second best weekend in sports is over now, and as we head into next weekend, the best week in sports, there seems to be plenty of contenders who could still raise the Lombardi Trophy. The games went pretty much how I saw them going when I did my weekend predictions with the exception of the shocker in Foxboro. Let's take these games one by one and talk about some of the big moments that affected the outcomes.

Jets vs Bengals

The Bengals scored first which is what both of the teams wanted to do heading in. Scoring first would enable their defenses to play with a mistake in their back pocket and allow them to be aggressive. Unfortunately for the Bengals, the Jets countered pretty quickly on a long run by Green and they tied the game. From there on out the Jets defense pretty much controlled the pace of the game and Sanchez made some wonderful throws and played an impressively efficient game. Throw in Shayne Graham missing two easy field goals and the Jets were on their way.

Eagles vs Cowboys

The Cowboys got on the board first in this one but just like the Jets/Bengals game the Eagles answered quickly. Though they scored on somewhat of a gadget play, once the game finished it was made clear that it was the only way they could have scored. Once again DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer played like the superstars they are but it was Brady James who carried Dallas' defense to next week. His big play came before halftime with the Eagles driving for points with the score at 24-7. With the possibility of Philadelphia cutting the game to 10, James stripped the Eagles ball carrier and Dallas recovered. They got a field goal off of that turnover and went in leading 27-7. They played the second half on cruise control and sent the Eagles home.

Ravens vs Patriots

This game was basically decided in the first quarter. Before you could even get settled in to watch this game the Ravens had a three touchdown lead. The biggest surprise of this game was Tom Brady's play. He tied his postseason high with three interceptions and overall just didn't have a good game. The Ravens' Ray Rice had a big game running the ball and Joe Flacco played well enough to win. There has been some discussion as to whether or not the Patriots dynasty just came to an abrupt end. I don't know. We'll have to wait and see.

Packers vs Cardinals

In what could have possibly been Kurt Warner's final game in the NFL he played the game of his life. He only misfired on four passes all day and had five that went for touchdowns. He gashed Green Bay's defense all day. So...Cardinals rout right? Nope. Aaron Rodgers had a game of his own leading the Packers on a furious second half comeback but his early season problems came back to haunt him. On their third down play in overtime Rodgers held on to the ball too long and end up having it knocked out of his hand, off his foot, and into the arms of the Arizona Cardinals for a game winning touchdown.

There are some interesting match-ups next week. I will do a picks post later in the week with scores and write-ups but at first glance I see a Jets-Colts AFC championship and a Cowboys-Cardinals NFC championship.

Wild Card Weekend Predictions

I went back in forth in my head whether or not I should do a broad playoff predictions in addition to predicting each game before the weekend. I realized that if I did that and got teams wrong the first weekend my picks would change and I could also change my mind and completely go back on what I originally said, which I would do. So I will now just pick each game heading into the weekend.

On a side note I know the blog has been NFL heavy recently but it is just that time of year. It's the big story in sports right now. Once things start to fizzle out there will be updates on baseball, basketball, and hockey. For now though, here are the picks...

New York Jets at Cincinnati Bengals

Rex Ryan's press conference yesterday raised some eyebrows when he boldly proclaimed that his guys were the team to beat in the NFL postseason tournament. He cited that his team had the best defense in the league as well as the best running game in the league which does give them a threat and something to be confident about going into this week. After smashing the Bengals last Sunday night the fans seem to be way too over confident. You can throw that score out the window from that game as this one will be completely different, though their are questions in Cincinnati. Chad Ochocinco tweaked his leg last week and his health is in question. Can the Bengals rebound from such an embarrassing defeat at the hands of the team who they face this week? I believe that can and this will be a much tighter game. Mark Sanchez, the Jets rookie QB, has to play mistake free football. If he can do that the Jets will take this game and I believe he can. The Jets make a big defensive stop late to win the first playoff game of the Rex Ryan era...Jets 24, Bengals 20.

Phildelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys

It seems like everybody who has anything to do with the sports media is picking the Cowboys to win the Super Bowl, which is scary. This is another rematch from last week in which a team was blown out. The Cowboys decisively handled the Eagles last week beating them 24-0 and completely dominating the game for four quarters. Donovan McNabb was under some pressure this week after people were accusing him of blaming some of the young guys on their loss. Tony Romo hasn't played this well his entire career and the Cowboys defense is on an absolute tear. Anthony Spencer and DeMarcus Ware have put relentless pressure on opposing quarterbacks and Jay Ratliff has been a force up the middle. New center Nick Cole has got to have a big game for the Eagles to have a chance. Just like the Jets/Bengals game you can throw out the score from last weekend as this game will be a lot closer. The Cowboys want to silence the critics and for at least one week they will do exactly that...Cowboys 28, Eagles 24.

Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots

After making it to playoffs as a rookie last season Joe Flacco has got the Ravens right back in the postseason. Last season Baltimore made a run to the AFC championship game and their hoping they can get on a run like that this year and carry their momentum on a deep postseason run. Meanwhile the Patriots are dealing with some issues. Wes Welker, in the last week of the season, tore is ACL and MCL in his knee and will miss the entire postseason. Also it was reported earlier in the week that Tom Brady has been playing with broken ribs, a report that was triumphantly dismissed by Bill Belichick a couple days ago. Who knows what the real situation is with Brady. Their defense is nothing like what it used to be and this team has not been the force they once were. Teams don't fear playing them this year and they have lost some rough games. On the other hand Baltimore' s defense is also a shell of its former self. The Patriots have potential to make a run if they can fire on all cylinders, the Ravens don't have enough...Patriots 31, Ravens 20.

Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals know what its like to get hot in the postseason. After having a not-so-stellar regular season Arizona got hot in the playoffs and carried their success all the way to the Super Bowl where they lost to the Steelers. Green Bay has been on a streak of their own as of late winning 7 of 8 games with, ironically, their only loss being to the Steelers as well on a last second touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger. This is the third rematch from week 17 going into Wild Card Weekend and the third time where the score doesn't matter. The Packers completely gave it to the Cardinals last week who didn't put forth their best effort at all. This a real tough game to call as I can see it going either way. Kurt Warner has plenty of postseason experience and this team showed last year they know how to win when it counts. Aaron Rodgers is new to this whole thing and who knows how he'll perform. I like the guys who've been there before...Cardinals 31, Packers 27.

This is one of the best weekends in sports. Two big games on Saturday and two more on Sunday. On a completely different note I like Alabama tonight. I would've done a write-up on it but I'm not as well informed on Alabama and Texas as I should be. Goodbye.

Ranking the Playoff Teams

Going into the postseason some teams have much better chances than others to do damage. While some teams who were playing great football early in the year have cooled down while others who stumbled through the opening weeks have heated up. Here's how I see the teams going into the playoffs.

12. Arizona Cardinals

I know the team got hot during the postseason last year on their way to the Super Bowl but I don't see it this year. They play in an unbelievably weak division and they have shown me nothing this season to make me rank them any higher.

11. Cincinnati Bengals

Another example of a team I just don't believe in. I can't understand how they won that division but by some miracle they did. They are no real threat going into the playoffs and will probably exit early.

10. Baltimore Ravens

Didn't exactly have the year they did last year and probably won't have the same success in the playoffs. The AFC has some weak teams in the playoffs this season and the Ravens are just another example of that.

9. New York Jets

Another weak AFC team here. A major thing helping the Jets is that they have the best defense and best running game in the NFL and that could help you win games. I can see the Jets winning their first game but not doing much after that.

8. Green Bay Packers

They have been on a roll as of late but I just can't put them ahead of any of the other teams though it is close. If it weren't for a miracle touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger the Packers would be on a huge winning streak going in. They have a chance to make a run.

7. Philadelphia Eagles

A team can't play a worse game in the final week of the season. Philly had everything on the line against the Cowboys in Week 17 with the opportunity to gain a #2 seed in the NFC but wound up with the #6. The NFC playoff teams are strong and the Eagles need to turn it around if they want to compete.

6. New Orleans Saints

The first 13 weeks of the season seem to be a distant memory to the Saints who have played horrible football over the last month or so. I don't know if they can just turn on the switch and win a big game or not. They are still a dangerous team and it will be interesting to see what they bring to the table.

5. New England Patriots

I thought long and hard about putting the Patriots as low as 8 on this list but I just have a feeling that Brady and Belichick will come up huge once the playoffs come around. This is a very dangerous team that could pick off anyone.

4. Minnesota Vikings

I think their win last week over the Giants is more what this team is all about than what they did in the previous weeks. A game like that, regardless of how pathetic the opponent was, can get a team feeling good about itself and on a roll. They don't lose at home.

3. Indianapolis Colts

I feel like the Colts were very confused in the Jets game and they may have hurt them come playoff time. Peyton Manning will basically be coming off of about a month with limited playing time the Colts have proven before that resting players is no guarantee to success. They still have Manning though and that fact alone puts them here.

2. Dallas Cowboys

Is there a team playing better in the NFL right now? After going to New Orleans and taking out the previously unbeaten Saints the Cowboys then shutout Washington and Philly in back to back weeks en route to a division title. Tony Romo is playing at an all-time high and this defensive front is one of the best in the league. The Cowboys can go far in these playoffs.

1. San Diego Chargers

Well here's the team who might be playing better. The Chargers have had an unbelievable finish to the season and will no doubt carry it over into the playoffs. Philip Rivers is having an MVP caliber season and Norv Turner has finally proven himself in San Diego. Anything less than a Super Bowl would be a disappointment in San Diego.