Monday, January 16, 2006
One of the things I think is great about the NFL is that just when it seems like it's always the same teams, suddenly it's different. I'd have been fine with a Colts/Pats AFC championship, but Steelers/Broncos will be something different. I thought I had a handle on these Steelers-- good D, grind it out on the ground, choke on the big games-- but that's not who showed up yesterday. You have to figure that home field means more at Mile High than at just about anywhere else, but does it mean enough more to compensate for the fact that Jake Plummer is the QB for the Horsies? (Actually, Plummer has had a very nice little year for himself: over 3000 passing yards, 18 TDs (against 7 interceptions), a 7.38 yards per passing attempt average-- maybe not world beating, but numbers just about any fan would be fine with.)
I paid less attention to the NFC this year than is even usual for me, but I was pretty impressed with the way Carolina disassembled da Bears. Jake Delhomme's passing numbers look similar to Plummer's, actually: 3421 yards in the air, 24 TDs against 16 interceptions, 7.86 yards average per attempt. Steve Smith was certainly a revelation, at least to me.
The other impression I had, based on my limited viewing this weekend, was that both New England and Indianapolis demonstrated an impressive lack of quit. It would have been easy for either to have let down, but they played like they were in it right until the final ticks. This was one of the things that made the Steeler's win all the more impressive, actually. It has to be almost a reflex for Bill Cowher to phone it in when his team has a lead, but this time, for once, he kept the Steelers' foot on the Colts' neck, knowing that if they didn't play like that they'd likely lose. I've never seen him coach a better game.
Of course, I don't really care for any of the teams in the final four, which is a dilemma for me, but I suppose I'm leaning towards liking Denver.
I paid less attention to the NFC this year than is even usual for me, but I was pretty impressed with the way Carolina disassembled da Bears. Jake Delhomme's passing numbers look similar to Plummer's, actually: 3421 yards in the air, 24 TDs against 16 interceptions, 7.86 yards average per attempt. Steve Smith was certainly a revelation, at least to me.
The other impression I had, based on my limited viewing this weekend, was that both New England and Indianapolis demonstrated an impressive lack of quit. It would have been easy for either to have let down, but they played like they were in it right until the final ticks. This was one of the things that made the Steeler's win all the more impressive, actually. It has to be almost a reflex for Bill Cowher to phone it in when his team has a lead, but this time, for once, he kept the Steelers' foot on the Colts' neck, knowing that if they didn't play like that they'd likely lose. I've never seen him coach a better game.
Of course, I don't really care for any of the teams in the final four, which is a dilemma for me, but I suppose I'm leaning towards liking Denver.
