The NFL is Poop - Divisional Playoffs

Disappointing Weekend
Normally Divisional Playoff weekend is the best one of the year because there are four games and you are guaranteed to have the league's four best teams are guaranteed to be involved. But after a very exciting weekend all four of these games were duds. Even the two games that were technically touchdown games were only made so by late touchdowns.

A Touch of Excitement
If nothing else we did have two very exciting plays. Twice a team down by a touchdown late in the 4th quarter kicked an onside, and recovered it.
First, the Saints. They actually might have had a chance after their recovery, but when Marques Colston caught a pass, instead of stepping out of bounds, and giving Drew Brees a Hail Mary, he stepped back in bounds and threw a forward pass all the way across the field. Not how the Saints wanted their season to end.

The Saints say the play was called, but Colston obviously screwed up the execution by passing forward. And Payton also admits maybe it was called one play too early, they had time for another chance.
San Diego tried their onside with 5 minutes left, down 10, recovered it, and drove for a score (a field goal). But they couldn't stop Denver and get the ball back.

Brilliance of Belichick

I don't want to get involved on the Bill Belichick dick-sucking, but it would just be impossible for him to have this much success without being an excellent coach. The latest example would be a playoff win where the Patriots run the ball 46 times (vs. 25 passes by Tom Brady) for 234 yards and 6 touchdowns. And with guys like LeGarrette Blount, castoffs who somehow buy into the Patriot Way.

Did Anyone Else Notice?
The pants of Colts wide receiver Da'Rick Rogers? I know it was raining, so I expected his pants to be wet. But he must have also come in contac
t with some red paint from the field. Either that or he had some serious rectal bleeding? LeGarrette Blount's confrontation with the ref? After some pretty benign jawing the referee, Garth DeFelice, aggressively shoved Blount, and screamed in his face, for much longer than necessary to defuse the situation? The guys at Larry Brown Sports noticed.

One Last ScrewUp
The Colts-Patriots game was the last in the long announcing career of Dan Dierdorf. And he left us with one final flub. While talking about the play where Patriots punter Ryan Allen scopped up a bad snap at the two yard line and tried to do something with it, Dierdorf said he should have just fallen on the ball and let his defense try to stop the Colts. His actual decision to try to throw it was a poor one (though it worked out well because it was batted out of the back of the end zone for a safety), what he should have done was kick the ball, or pick it up and run with it, out of the back of the end zone. The 2 points for a safety was the least bad option available to him at the time. But Dierdorf insisted giving the Colts the ball at the 2 was his best option.
Though Allen did get hurt forcing placekicker Stephen Gostkowski to do the punting for the rest of the game.

He did have a nice moment with Greg Gumbel at the end of the game.
But my best memory of Dierdorf occurred during the heyday of Monday Night Football when Hank Williams Jr was crooning "Franl and Al and Dannnnnn..." The Raiders Napoleon McCallum suffered a brutal knee injury and a disgusted Dierdorf said (too bad that video cuts off before he says it) "Normally we hope we have as many viewers as possible but I hope the TV wasn't on in the McCallum household tonight."

Game of Next Week
New England Patriots at Denver Broncos
It's very hard to choose because I am very much looking forward to both of these games, but how can you pass up Manning v. Brady for the Super Bowl. I have little rooting interest so I will just hope it becomes a legendary game with an exciting ending.

If the Super Bowl Were Played Today
Denver Broncos 21 Seattle Seahawks 10
I just have a feeling this is Peyton Manning's year. I do think there is a good chance the 49ers pull off the upset and lose their second straight Super Bowl, but as of right now, you'd have to make Seattle the favorites. Also, I did pick San Fran and Denver for the Super Bowl way back in September [CORRECTED] so I am hoping that comes true.