... I'm actually still a little stunned that the New York Giants are actually playing in the Super Bowl. I did mention to as many people who would listen to me at work, that the NFC Championship was wide open after Dallas and Green Bay struggled down the stretch. I didn't see Seattle making any waves, but under the right circumstances, I could see any of the other five teams advancing.
One thought has been in my mind ever since Eli Manning began his remarkable turnaround against the Patriots a few weeks ago: Where art thou, Tiki Barber???!!! Remember how just five months ago, the retired Barber questioned Manning's leadership abilities, and how Manning responded back?
You may be curious as to how many times did the New York Giants get to the Super Bowl in the 10 years Tiki Barber was there? The answer is one. Super Bowl XXXV seven years ago when the Giants were roundly trounced by the Baltimore Ravens by a 34-7 score. Yes Tiki, what goes around comes around!!! Eli's doing a fine job of leading, is he not?
Showing posts with label NFL Playoffs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NFL Playoffs. Show all posts
Monday, January 21, 2008
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Pats & Giants Make 2nd Date!
When the New York Giants sunk to 0-2 and #27 in my Week 2 NFL Rankings back on September 18th of last year, little did I think they would bounce back and be able to salvavge their season, let alone make the playoffs. Nine other teams started the year with the same 0-2 start as the Giants got off to, and none of them managed to make it back to .500 - let alone make the playoffs. In a thrilling game tonight in Green Bay, the Giants again played error-free ball. Brett Favre threw two interceptions for the Packers, the second of which proved costly as it set up the game winning 47 yard field goal by Lawrence Tynes 2:35 into the extra period to give the Giants a 23-20 win. Tynes went from potential goat to hero as he had two chances to give the Giants the lead in the fourth quarter, pulling a 43 yard field goal attempt wide left with 6:43 to go and doing the same with a 36 yarder as time expired - the latter though was more the fault of the snapper as a bad snap threw off the timing of the play.
In the early game, the New England Patriots beat the San Diego Chargers 21-12 to extend their perfect run to 18 games. The Chargers scored one more time than the Patriots and also turned the ball over one fewer time, but once again the Patriots took care of business when it counted. Tom Brady threw for two scores and Lawrence Maroney had a one yard touchdown run to account for the Patriot scoring. The Chargers could never get in the end zone against the "bend but don't break" Patriots defense, settling for four field-goals by Nate Kaeding. The Chargers defense forced three Brady interceptions, including one in the end zone with just under three minutes to go in the third quarter to keep them in the game. The injured TE Antonio Gates and RB LaDainian Tomlinson were non-factors for the Chargers as Gates only caught two passes for 17 yards, and Tomlinson only touched the ball three times before being pulled out of the game early in the first quarter by coach Norv Turner.
What would have a healthy Chargers team done against the Patriots? None of us really knows, but the Pats certainly seem like a team of destiny. One more win and they become the first team to ever go 19-0 in a season. It almost seems impossible to be talking about that! The Giants and Patriots now get two weeks to prepare for the rematch of their December 29th, 2007 thriller where the Pats ran their regular season record to a perfect 16-0. For a second time, the New York Giants stand in the way of this season's New England Patriots making history. Will the Giants be able to make some history of their own this time, or will the Patriots accomplish what many thought was unthinkable in this age of parity in the NFL? In two weeks we get to find out!
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In the early game, the New England Patriots beat the San Diego Chargers 21-12 to extend their perfect run to 18 games. The Chargers scored one more time than the Patriots and also turned the ball over one fewer time, but once again the Patriots took care of business when it counted. Tom Brady threw for two scores and Lawrence Maroney had a one yard touchdown run to account for the Patriot scoring. The Chargers could never get in the end zone against the "bend but don't break" Patriots defense, settling for four field-goals by Nate Kaeding. The Chargers defense forced three Brady interceptions, including one in the end zone with just under three minutes to go in the third quarter to keep them in the game. The injured TE Antonio Gates and RB LaDainian Tomlinson were non-factors for the Chargers as Gates only caught two passes for 17 yards, and Tomlinson only touched the ball three times before being pulled out of the game early in the first quarter by coach Norv Turner.
What would have a healthy Chargers team done against the Patriots? None of us really knows, but the Pats certainly seem like a team of destiny. One more win and they become the first team to ever go 19-0 in a season. It almost seems impossible to be talking about that! The Giants and Patriots now get two weeks to prepare for the rematch of their December 29th, 2007 thriller where the Pats ran their regular season record to a perfect 16-0. For a second time, the New York Giants stand in the way of this season's New England Patriots making history. Will the Giants be able to make some history of their own this time, or will the Patriots accomplish what many thought was unthinkable in this age of parity in the NFL? In two weeks we get to find out!
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Saturday, January 19, 2008
The Final Four
Around this time tomorrow night, we will finally know who is playing in Super Bowl XLII. For once, instead of providing a lot of numbers and looking deep into the match-up, I'm going to just give a quick glimpse of both while my left arm is on the mend. By the way, there's nothing broken, but boy is it sore!
In the first game, the New England Patriots continue their run at perfection against the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers have a lot of injuries to key players - QB Philip Rivers and TE Antonio Gates are both questionable to start and RB LaDainian Tomlinson may not be at 100%. The Tom Brady-led Patriots are 14 point favorites. As much as I want to root behind my Chargers, I don't see them winning. They mave been able to do it with mirrors last week against the World Champion Colts for a half, but I don't see them doing it for a full game against the Patriots. Look for it to be close early, with the Patriots nearly covering the spread.
In game two, it's the marquis QB matchup of Favre vs Manning... no not Peyton, but rather Eli. The game tomorrow night between the Green Bay Packers and the New York Giants for the NFC Championship has all the makings of possibly being the Ice Bowl II... The temperature will be below zero at game time and the wind chill is supposed to make it feel like -15 to -20 degrees!!! The Packers of course are led by Brett Favre, but Ryan Grant has proven that the Pack can also run the ball - something that will be necessary tomorrow night. Eli Manning will do his best to manage the passing game and will try to build on his past three weeks of nearly mistake-free ball. Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw should be the focus of the Giants offense in the game. I look for this to be a close, hard-foughtand low scoring game, with Favre and the Packers winning on a late field goal. How can anyone not root for Brett Favre? Not me... I sure hope that this Cinderella run of his Packers continues!
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In the first game, the New England Patriots continue their run at perfection against the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers have a lot of injuries to key players - QB Philip Rivers and TE Antonio Gates are both questionable to start and RB LaDainian Tomlinson may not be at 100%. The Tom Brady-led Patriots are 14 point favorites. As much as I want to root behind my Chargers, I don't see them winning. They mave been able to do it with mirrors last week against the World Champion Colts for a half, but I don't see them doing it for a full game against the Patriots. Look for it to be close early, with the Patriots nearly covering the spread.
In game two, it's the marquis QB matchup of Favre vs Manning... no not Peyton, but rather Eli. The game tomorrow night between the Green Bay Packers and the New York Giants for the NFC Championship has all the makings of possibly being the Ice Bowl II... The temperature will be below zero at game time and the wind chill is supposed to make it feel like -15 to -20 degrees!!! The Packers of course are led by Brett Favre, but Ryan Grant has proven that the Pack can also run the ball - something that will be necessary tomorrow night. Eli Manning will do his best to manage the passing game and will try to build on his past three weeks of nearly mistake-free ball. Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw should be the focus of the Giants offense in the game. I look for this to be a close, hard-foughtand low scoring game, with Favre and the Packers winning on a late field goal. How can anyone not root for Brett Favre? Not me... I sure hope that this Cinderella run of his Packers continues!
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Sunday, January 13, 2008
Eli Manning Coming of Age?
Perhaps he had one of those "pep talks" from his big brother Peyton a few weeks ago. Whatever it is, Eli Manning is not at all playing like the QB who struggled mightily against the Buffalo Bills just three weekends ago. In that game, the Giants won, 38-21 in spite of Manning as they scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter on interception returns. Manning was 7-for-15 for 111 yards with two interceptions and also two fumbles in that December 23rd game.
In the three games since then, Eli has ONE turnover total, to go along with eight touchdown passes. Yes, they lost the first of those three games, 38-35 to the New England Patriots, but the Giants turned some heads that night. They turned some more heads last week as they easily took care of the Tampa Bay Buccanneers by a 24-14 score. I was so impressed by that win, and so unimpressed by the Dallas Cowboys play the past month that I went out on a limb and picked the Giants to upset the heavily favored Cowboys.
Manning made me and everyone else who had faith in him look good today as he was an efficient 12-for-18 for 163 yards with two touchdown passes to Amani Toomer as the Giants stunned the #1 NFC seeded Cowboys by a 21-17 score. Tony Romo had another off day for the home team, only connecting on 18-for-35 passes for 201 yards. Other than a long 20 play, 90 yard scoring drive to end the first half, the Cowboys offense really never looked in sync. The Giants really didn't look all that great either, but they made the plays when it counted and most importantly took care of the ball.
So, what do Eli and the Giants get for their win today? A trip to the frozen tundra of Green Bay. After next Sunday's 6:00 PM ET/3:00 PM PT game, we shall know whether we will have a Manning in the Super Bowl for a second straight year, or whether there will be a bunch of happy cheeseheads!
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In the three games since then, Eli has ONE turnover total, to go along with eight touchdown passes. Yes, they lost the first of those three games, 38-35 to the New England Patriots, but the Giants turned some heads that night. They turned some more heads last week as they easily took care of the Tampa Bay Buccanneers by a 24-14 score. I was so impressed by that win, and so unimpressed by the Dallas Cowboys play the past month that I went out on a limb and picked the Giants to upset the heavily favored Cowboys.
Manning made me and everyone else who had faith in him look good today as he was an efficient 12-for-18 for 163 yards with two touchdown passes to Amani Toomer as the Giants stunned the #1 NFC seeded Cowboys by a 21-17 score. Tony Romo had another off day for the home team, only connecting on 18-for-35 passes for 201 yards. Other than a long 20 play, 90 yard scoring drive to end the first half, the Cowboys offense really never looked in sync. The Giants really didn't look all that great either, but they made the plays when it counted and most importantly took care of the ball.
So, what do Eli and the Giants get for their win today? A trip to the frozen tundra of Green Bay. After next Sunday's 6:00 PM ET/3:00 PM PT game, we shall know whether we will have a Manning in the Super Bowl for a second straight year, or whether there will be a bunch of happy cheeseheads!
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Colts Get De-Charged!
If I had told you that at the end of the day, one Manning would be playing in a NFL divisional championship game next weekend you probably wouldn't have been at all surprised. If I told you that Manning would not be named Peyton, everyone probably would have been shocked as that would have meant that both of today's NFL playoff games were won by the underdogs. Well, that's precisely what happened!
In the early game between the San Diego Chargers and the Indianapolis Colts, both offenses pretty much moved the ball at will against the opposing defenses. The only thing that really stopped either team were turnovers. The Colts took an early 7-0 lead on a 25 yard pass from Manning to Dallas Clark. The Chargers then put together their own drive, but it was thwarted by the Colts as Kevin Hayden intercepted a Philip Rivers pass at the Colts 24 yard line. Manning drove the Colts down the field on their ensuing possession, connecting on a 17 yard pass to Marvin Harrison. Unfortunately for the Colts, Harrison was still rusty from not playing the second half of the season, and he fumbled the ball as he went down. The Chargers recovered, and from there on we had a game.
The Chargers took full advantage of that miscue, scoring on a 14 yard touchdown pass to Vincent Jackson to tie the game 7-7 with 8:38 to play in the second quarter. The score came at a cost to the Chargers though as they lost RB LaDainian Tomlinson for the rest of the game after he injured one of his knees on an eight yard run, two plays prior to that score. The Colts would settle for a 46 yard Adam Vinatieri field goal on their next possession to take a 10-7 lead. The Chargers drove down the field, and kicker Nate Kaeding had a long field goal attempt of his own. Kaeding's 48 yard attempt started right, hooked left, but only enough to clang high off the right upright for a miss. Manning drove the Colts downfield again as the half closed, but he was intercepted by Antonio Cromartie on a tipped ball deep in Chargers territory to thwart another threat.
The second half of the game went back and forth. Rivers drove the Chargers down the field 83 yards on eight plays, capped by a 30 yard pass to Chris Chambers for a 14-10 Chargers lead. The Colts stormed right back down the field, driving to the Chargers three yard line. On a third down and goal play, Manning tossed a pass to RB Kenton Keith, but the ball went right though Keith's hands and into the waiting arms of Charger safety Eric Weddle. The Chargers went three-and-out with their ensuing drive, and with 5:55 to play in the third quarter, we saw our first punt of the game. The Colts took over at the 50 yard line. Manning drove the Colts six plays and into the end zone on a 9-yard pass to Reggie Wayne at the 2:53 mark for a 17-14 lead. The Chargers came right back though, as a short pass from Rivers to Darren Sproles turned into a 56 yard touchdown as time expired in the period to give the visitors a 21-17 lead. For the second time in the game, a touchdown drive would prove costly to the Chargers, as Rivers limped off the field in obvious pain as the play was completed. As with Tomlinson, he would not return.
The fourth quarter began oddly, as both teams went three plays and out on their respective first possessions. The Colts then took the lead again as Manning hit Anthony Gonzales with a pass on the left side. Gonzales eluded a tackle and then barely avoided stepping out of bounds before going 55 yards for a score. Trailing 24-21, Billy Volek took over the reins at QB for the Chargers and did very admirably, completing all three passes he attempted and then scoring on a one yard plunge with 4:50 to play to give the Chargers a 28-24 lead. Once again Manning and the Colts would quickly drive down the field, getting to the Chargers nine yard line with 2:51 to play. The Colts could only manage to gain two yards in their next four plays, turning the ball over on downs. The Chargers went three and out, and Colts had one last chance, taking over at their own 32 yard line with 1:30 to play. Manning could not move the Colts though as a pass to Dallas Clark fell incomplete with 58 seconds to play. With that two kneeldowns followed and the Chargers had their improbable win, and now an opportunity to get revenge against the same New England Patriots team which knocked them out of the playoffs last season.
For the Colts, it was a tough loss, and it's also possibly going to be the last game that the great Tony Dungy coaches for them. Four times they got deep into Chargers territory and did not produce a point - that was the difference in the game today. As I said prior to the game, the team that took care of the ball was probably going to win. Unfortunately for me, I didn't correctly predict which team would do a better job of that in this game. Regardless, I'll be cheering on the Bolts as they try to ruin the Patriots' perfect season.
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In the early game between the San Diego Chargers and the Indianapolis Colts, both offenses pretty much moved the ball at will against the opposing defenses. The only thing that really stopped either team were turnovers. The Colts took an early 7-0 lead on a 25 yard pass from Manning to Dallas Clark. The Chargers then put together their own drive, but it was thwarted by the Colts as Kevin Hayden intercepted a Philip Rivers pass at the Colts 24 yard line. Manning drove the Colts down the field on their ensuing possession, connecting on a 17 yard pass to Marvin Harrison. Unfortunately for the Colts, Harrison was still rusty from not playing the second half of the season, and he fumbled the ball as he went down. The Chargers recovered, and from there on we had a game.
The Chargers took full advantage of that miscue, scoring on a 14 yard touchdown pass to Vincent Jackson to tie the game 7-7 with 8:38 to play in the second quarter. The score came at a cost to the Chargers though as they lost RB LaDainian Tomlinson for the rest of the game after he injured one of his knees on an eight yard run, two plays prior to that score. The Colts would settle for a 46 yard Adam Vinatieri field goal on their next possession to take a 10-7 lead. The Chargers drove down the field, and kicker Nate Kaeding had a long field goal attempt of his own. Kaeding's 48 yard attempt started right, hooked left, but only enough to clang high off the right upright for a miss. Manning drove the Colts downfield again as the half closed, but he was intercepted by Antonio Cromartie on a tipped ball deep in Chargers territory to thwart another threat.
The second half of the game went back and forth. Rivers drove the Chargers down the field 83 yards on eight plays, capped by a 30 yard pass to Chris Chambers for a 14-10 Chargers lead. The Colts stormed right back down the field, driving to the Chargers three yard line. On a third down and goal play, Manning tossed a pass to RB Kenton Keith, but the ball went right though Keith's hands and into the waiting arms of Charger safety Eric Weddle. The Chargers went three-and-out with their ensuing drive, and with 5:55 to play in the third quarter, we saw our first punt of the game. The Colts took over at the 50 yard line. Manning drove the Colts six plays and into the end zone on a 9-yard pass to Reggie Wayne at the 2:53 mark for a 17-14 lead. The Chargers came right back though, as a short pass from Rivers to Darren Sproles turned into a 56 yard touchdown as time expired in the period to give the visitors a 21-17 lead. For the second time in the game, a touchdown drive would prove costly to the Chargers, as Rivers limped off the field in obvious pain as the play was completed. As with Tomlinson, he would not return.
The fourth quarter began oddly, as both teams went three plays and out on their respective first possessions. The Colts then took the lead again as Manning hit Anthony Gonzales with a pass on the left side. Gonzales eluded a tackle and then barely avoided stepping out of bounds before going 55 yards for a score. Trailing 24-21, Billy Volek took over the reins at QB for the Chargers and did very admirably, completing all three passes he attempted and then scoring on a one yard plunge with 4:50 to play to give the Chargers a 28-24 lead. Once again Manning and the Colts would quickly drive down the field, getting to the Chargers nine yard line with 2:51 to play. The Colts could only manage to gain two yards in their next four plays, turning the ball over on downs. The Chargers went three and out, and Colts had one last chance, taking over at their own 32 yard line with 1:30 to play. Manning could not move the Colts though as a pass to Dallas Clark fell incomplete with 58 seconds to play. With that two kneeldowns followed and the Chargers had their improbable win, and now an opportunity to get revenge against the same New England Patriots team which knocked them out of the playoffs last season.
For the Colts, it was a tough loss, and it's also possibly going to be the last game that the great Tony Dungy coaches for them. Four times they got deep into Chargers territory and did not produce a point - that was the difference in the game today. As I said prior to the game, the team that took care of the ball was probably going to win. Unfortunately for me, I didn't correctly predict which team would do a better job of that in this game. Regardless, I'll be cheering on the Bolts as they try to ruin the Patriots' perfect season.
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Saturday, January 12, 2008
Chargers/Colts Tomorrow - I'M TORN!!!
My two favorite AFC Teams are playing tomorrow and I really have no clue who I want to root for... last year, it was pretty easy for me to root for the Indianapolis Colts all through the playoffs, especially after the New England Patriots beat the San Diego Chargers to set up a Patriots/Colts AFC Championship game. Thankfully, the Colts won that matchup and went on to beat the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI.
Most of you are probably pretty familiar with both teams. The Chargers have both the NFL's best running back in LaDainian Tomlinson and the NFL's best tight-end in Antonio Gates, while the Colts feature the highest profile player in quarterback Peyton Manning. The Colts are looking to avenge a 23-21 loss in San Diego during the season in which the Charger defense intercepted Manning a career-high six times. The Colts have the #3 ranked defense in the NFL and also allowed the fewest points during the regular season. The Chargers led the league in turnover margin and also interceptions with 30 on the year. Tomlinson himself was perfect in that area, not even as much as fumbing even once in his 315 carries or 60 pass receptions this year... Colts running back Joseph Addai was equally proficient at holding onto the ball, not fumbling once in his 261 rushing attempts nor his 41 receptions. No other NFL players with even as many as 200 total touches (let alone 300, as both Tomlinson and Addai each had), were able to say that they didn't fumble at least once this year.
Yes, I think the key to tomorrow's game will again be the turnovers. I look for Manning to have a big game tomorrow, and for Addai to be a big reason for his success. The Chargers will keep it close early, but I think the Colts will pull away late, winning by about 10 points (barely covering that 9 1/2 point spread)... It should a fun game to watch, and I'll look forward to cheering on whichever team wins against the Patriots next week!
As for the other game, Peyton's brother Eli and the New York Giants take on the Dallas Cowboys. The Giants are a team that is playing pretty well at the moment. Their defense took over a close game on the road in Buffalo, where the younger Manning was ineffective for a 38-21 win. The Giants almost beat the Patriots to ruin their perfect season as Manning had one of his best games ever, going 22-for-32 for 252 yards, four touchdowns and an interception... Last week, Manning was a very efficient 20-for-27 for 185 yards and two scores as the Giants dominated Tampa Bay by a 24-14 score.
The Cowboys are a team that has played very unspired ball of late. After beating Brett Favre (quite literally) and the Packers 37-27 on November 29th, they have looked anything but good. A come from behind 28-27 win against the Detroit Lions followed the next week, followed by a 10-6 loss at home to the Philadelphia Eagles where the offense looked COMPLETELY out of sync. All kidding aside, I don't think Jessica Simpson could be blamed for Tony Romo or the rest of the team's poor performance that week. A 20-13 win against a poor Carolina team followed... and then in the final game of the regular season, the Washington Redskins just manhandled them in a 27-6 game which had all the meaning in the world for the Redskins and none at all for the Cowboys. That said, the Cowboys did play most of their starters (including Romo and tight end Jason Witten) well into the third quarter.
So, you have a classic case of a "hot" team playing against a "cold" team. The Cowboys are seven point favorites tomorrow, but should they be? Eli Manning has grown up a lot the past couple of weeks, and I wouldn't be surprised at all if the Giants pull off the HUGE upset. Actually, I'm going to say this will be a close game throughout and that the Giants will win on a Lawrence Tynes field goal. Regardless of what happens in that game, I'll be pulling for Favre and the Packers in the NFC Championship game next weekend...
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Most of you are probably pretty familiar with both teams. The Chargers have both the NFL's best running back in LaDainian Tomlinson and the NFL's best tight-end in Antonio Gates, while the Colts feature the highest profile player in quarterback Peyton Manning. The Colts are looking to avenge a 23-21 loss in San Diego during the season in which the Charger defense intercepted Manning a career-high six times. The Colts have the #3 ranked defense in the NFL and also allowed the fewest points during the regular season. The Chargers led the league in turnover margin and also interceptions with 30 on the year. Tomlinson himself was perfect in that area, not even as much as fumbing even once in his 315 carries or 60 pass receptions this year... Colts running back Joseph Addai was equally proficient at holding onto the ball, not fumbling once in his 261 rushing attempts nor his 41 receptions. No other NFL players with even as many as 200 total touches (let alone 300, as both Tomlinson and Addai each had), were able to say that they didn't fumble at least once this year.
Yes, I think the key to tomorrow's game will again be the turnovers. I look for Manning to have a big game tomorrow, and for Addai to be a big reason for his success. The Chargers will keep it close early, but I think the Colts will pull away late, winning by about 10 points (barely covering that 9 1/2 point spread)... It should a fun game to watch, and I'll look forward to cheering on whichever team wins against the Patriots next week!
As for the other game, Peyton's brother Eli and the New York Giants take on the Dallas Cowboys. The Giants are a team that is playing pretty well at the moment. Their defense took over a close game on the road in Buffalo, where the younger Manning was ineffective for a 38-21 win. The Giants almost beat the Patriots to ruin their perfect season as Manning had one of his best games ever, going 22-for-32 for 252 yards, four touchdowns and an interception... Last week, Manning was a very efficient 20-for-27 for 185 yards and two scores as the Giants dominated Tampa Bay by a 24-14 score.
The Cowboys are a team that has played very unspired ball of late. After beating Brett Favre (quite literally) and the Packers 37-27 on November 29th, they have looked anything but good. A come from behind 28-27 win against the Detroit Lions followed the next week, followed by a 10-6 loss at home to the Philadelphia Eagles where the offense looked COMPLETELY out of sync. All kidding aside, I don't think Jessica Simpson could be blamed for Tony Romo or the rest of the team's poor performance that week. A 20-13 win against a poor Carolina team followed... and then in the final game of the regular season, the Washington Redskins just manhandled them in a 27-6 game which had all the meaning in the world for the Redskins and none at all for the Cowboys. That said, the Cowboys did play most of their starters (including Romo and tight end Jason Witten) well into the third quarter.
So, you have a classic case of a "hot" team playing against a "cold" team. The Cowboys are seven point favorites tomorrow, but should they be? Eli Manning has grown up a lot the past couple of weeks, and I wouldn't be surprised at all if the Giants pull off the HUGE upset. Actually, I'm going to say this will be a close game throughout and that the Giants will win on a Lawrence Tynes field goal. Regardless of what happens in that game, I'll be pulling for Favre and the Packers in the NFC Championship game next weekend...
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