Indy is probably a slight favourite, but I don’t think it would be a huge shock for the Chargers to win. Their game from last month was basically a toss-up.
Dude, you’re the Browns. Of COURSE another era of suck is about to begin, y’all don’t do it any other way.
Let’s see, Chargers/Irsays…I think I’ll take the over in that game.
I’m not sure yet. I have to do some research.
Most of the talk has centered around Cowher and Schottenheimer. I’m not sure I’d be happy with either.
Cowher is certainly a better coach than Crennel, but I’m not so sure he’s too great. He had a reputation as a choker until the '05 referee bowl. It doesn’t seem as though Pittsburgh has missed a step with him gone. I would guess that Dick LeBeau is the heart of that coaching staff more than anyone.
I used to be very anti-Schottenheimer because I despise chickenshit football. But I think in his last year, he decided not to be a huge pussy. He was certainly more aggressive and daring than before - I think he may have learned his lesson. He was a fumble away from the superbowl the year before he got fired. If he really did learn not to be such a pussy, he has an amazing track record - something like 2 losing season out of 20, I can’t remember the number. But he’s also in his late 60s so how dedicated to the job could he be?
With Jason Garret probably getting the Dallas HC job I’m guessing, that leaves Steve Spagnuolo has the hot coordinator candidate. Well, he certainly seems aggressive and that’s my person key requirement in a coach, but I don’t know anything else about him really.
Josh McDaniels is potentially another hot prospect, but I’m not so sure we want to raid NE’s staff again. Bellichick is so ridiculously good that it’s hard to evaluate which of his staff members are good on their own. I’m cautiously optimistic about the rumors about Pioli as GM for similar reasons.
Schottenheimer is right in your guys’ wheelhouse. He is a good coach who knows how to win and can build on what you have.
He is absolutely snakebit in the playoffs though…
Nitpick: It was a fair catch kick. A free kick is what you do after a safety, and getting it through the goal posts doesn’t earn any points.
That said, I wonder the same thing.
Well, it would have been the longest fair catch kick, and still be 3 points (it would also had been the 1st sucessfull one since 1968)
Brian
They already had revenge for that loss when they beat the Fins in Miami in the seventh game of the season. NOW is the time for Miami’s revenge against the Ravens for beating the Fins at home in the playoffs in 2001. 
Can someone here explain what happened before this play, and what exactly a fair catch kick is? I’ve been following football for a long time and I never heard of it. I also (obviously) didn’t see the game and have no idea what transpired.
Thanks
Oh, and since there hasn’t been any Steeler chanting, I’ll give you a hearty “Here we go, Steelers, here we go!”
I’m actually pulling for the Dolphins to beat the Ravens, since as a Steeler fan, I’m tired of the Ravens and don’t want to see them a third time. I think the crappy field at Heinz will neutralize Miami’s team speed, the defense will rule and they will be in the championship game. If they have to play the Chargers-Colts winner, I think they still advance, but Miami is the better path.
I think.
This is Big Ben’s third concussion, so he’d better get back to the Super Bowl soon, or he’s going to run out of time. (WTF was he doing in that game anyway? Win or lose, the Steelers are still the 2 seed. Ben is the franchise QB. Why take the chance against the Browns, for crying out loud?)
It’s a little used rule, but after a ball is fair caught on a kickoff or a punt, the receiving time has the option of trying for a free kick on the next play instead of running a normal offensive series.
In the Packers game, the Packers fair caught a punt as time expired at the end of the 2nd half. It’s also a little known rule that a half can’t end on a fair catch. So the Packers had to run one more play to end the half. They opted for the free kick. The other team isn’t allowed to try to block it, so Mason Crosby just ran up and booted it like a kickoff. He almost got it there but came up just a little short.
Thank you, Dio! I had never heard of this, and in those 3 minute highlight trainwrecks, I didn’t see this. I would have loved to have seen this play AND see it succeed. Did the announcers explain the situation well?
Well enough. I actually didn’t know about either of those rules before either, and I’ve been a football fan all my life.
The Ratbirds are primed to get a HUGE second round appearance…against the mighty Steelers.
Ravens can’t play the Steelers in the second round. As the 6th seed, if they win, they’ll be playing the highest seed (Tennessee). Earliest they can meet is in the championship. Oh what fun that would be.
Too fun! I wish I had been watching. I enjoy seeing these odd and rarely seen plays. I wish too that he had gotten it.
According to this page, there was another attempt in the 2008 season by Arizona kicker Neil Rackers. Pretty interesting article overall - also makes mention of the obscure one-point safety (an NCAA-only rule).
:smack:
I need to actually LOOK at the seedings before I open my mouth!
As a Bengals fan, I suppose I have a slight retardation when it comes to the playoffs.
Yea…the Star Tribune is complaining because people aren’t rushing out to buy playoff tickets. It seems we all know the Vikes will be one and done.
It may even be blacked out.
The Cardinals and the Chargers both won and are in the playoffs.
The Cowboys were humiliated and are out of the playoffs.
I got to watch all three of those games.
A perfect day, as for as I’m concerned.
Has that ever happened before? A playoff team playing at home being blacked out locally?
And now we just got Shanarat fired. Man, that was a great day.