NFL 2015: Divisional Round Picks
It's been a few days and I am still not over what transpired last Saturday night down at Paul Brown Stadium.
The Cincinnati Bengals had that game won. Touchdown to A.J. Green and an interception by Vontaze Burfict had just about ended the Bengals playoff drought. But the game got out of hand rather quickly.
Running back Jeremy Hill picked the worst possible time for his fourth fumble of the season and two personal fouls penalties later had the Steelers kicking a 35-yard field goal to win the game.
Stunning. Demoralizing. Embarrassing.
From Bengals fans throwing bottles on the field, including at Ben Roethlisberger as he was carted to the locker room, numerous personal fouls on Burfict, Adam Jones, Domata Peko, to other extracurricular activities after the whistle, the game got out of hand. Once again, the Bengals embarrassed themselves and the city of Cincinnati on national television. However, they are not alone.
Let's first look at the two personal foul penalties after the Hill fumble. Vontaze Burfict hit defenseless Antonio Brown in the head with his shoulder pads after Brown went up for a pass with the Steelers driving to take the lead. That hit in today's game is a flag. Plain and simple. Adam Jones has come out and said Brown was faking and winked at him, but the fact of the matter is he laid motionless on the field for several minutes and sustained a concussion. In today's NFL, the referees are going to throw a flag on a hit like that every single time and Burfict knows it. He's been flagged and fined because of those type of illegal hits before. He had no reason to hit Brown. He was careless, selfish, stupid and cost his team 15 yards with the Steelers driving.
Then, as hard as it is to believe, things got worse.
First of all, please explain to me why Joey Porter was out on the field after Antonio Brown went down? He's the linebacker coach. Last I checked, only the head coach and training staff were allowed on the field to see a injured player. Porter was mouthing off to Adam Jones, knowing Jones wouldn't be able to control himself, and Jones was flagged another 15 yards for getting into it with Porter and an official. Porter was smiling afterwards, check the tape, so one can assume he did it on purpose.
30 yards in penalties on one play setup the Steelers for the win and extending the Bengals drought of winning a playoff game to at least 26 years.
Bengals tackle Andrew Whitworth and several other Bengals players have not had nice things to say about Porter. "He's a guy that always run his mouth." Whitworth said. "He's always been disrespectful to people.
'I have a ton of respect for those guys." Whitworth also stated. "But Joey Porter is not one of them."
I may be bias as a Bengals fan, but I've watched this team my whole life and Joey Porter was classless when he played and he obviously hasn't changed since retiring. I have zero respect for him and I hope the league comes down hard on him. And I didn't even mention offensive line coach Mike Munchak pulling Reggie Nelson's hair on the sidelines. That was a class act as well.
Bottomline, the Bengals should've won that game Saturday night, but unfortunately, a few guys let the team down. Both the Bengals and Steelers have some quality and high character guys in their organizations, but it was the classless acts of a few that turned the game into an embarrassment. Both teams should be ashamed for what happened and this rivalry has gotten way out of control. The league has to do something before these two play next season or the situation will only get worse.
SI's Peter King had a great piece addressed to the players about keeping the game clean in the wake of what happened Saturday night. It's well worth the read.
I thought I would feel better about getting all of that off my chest, but I don't. Watching that embarrassment Saturday night makes me question being a Bengals fan. Marvin Lewis has to get better control of his players -- Mike Tomlin needs to do the same, with his coaches too apparently.
In the end, the Steelers move on to play the Broncos on Sunday and I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't mind seeing them lose by 30.
As for the Bengals, Marvin Lewis will be back and I wouldn't be surprised if Burfict -- following a three game suspension he received this week -- and the free agent to be, Adam Jones, are back in orange and black next season as well. The Bengals did lose offensive coordinator Hue Jackson this week as he accepted the head coaching position up in Cleveland. Good luck, Hue.
If I'm Mike Brown, I would really struggle with the decision to keep those three around. In all honestly, I would tell them their services are no longer needed. Continuously losing in the playoffs is one thing, but embarrassing my team and my city is unacceptable and I won't stand for that. Yet again, I'm not the one calling the shots.
Better luck next year, Bengals. Thanks for a roller coaster season of emotions, ultimately ending in disappointment, again.
Now for my picks for the Divisional Round.
Divisional Round Picks (Home team in CAPS)
Take a look at the graphic on the right. What do all eight teams remaining in the playoffs have in common?
A good quarterback.
All four road teams won for the first time ever last week due in large part because they had superior quarterbacks to the opposition.
Alex Smith is much better than Brian Hoyer. Ben Roethlisberger -- even hurt -- is better than AJ McCarron. Russell Wilson has been to back-to-back Super Bowls for a reason and is better than Teddy Bridgewater. Finally, Aaron Rodgers is well, Aaron Rodgers and even though Kirk Cousins played like Rodgers this season, the real Rodgers was sensational last weekend.
So, of four matchups this weekend, who has the edge at quarterback? Here are my thoughts.
NEW ENGLAND over Kansas City (Saturday, 4:35 p.m. ET, CBS): No quarterback in the NFL has the playoff experience of Tom Brady. Brady has played in 29 career playoff games and has been to six Super Bowls, winning four of them. So, the Patriots will win easily, right? Wrong. Kansas City hasn't lost a game since October 18th and with injuries piling up for the Patriots, the Chiefs could win this game. WR Julian Edelman and TE Rob Gronkowski are questionable with injuries for New England and that could pose a problem for the Patriots offense if Brady is low on weapons. It would not surprise me at all if the Chiefs win this game. They have a good defense, solid running game and Alex Smith is a good quarterback who doesn't turn the ball over. But it's the Patriots at home, in the playoffs. Can't pick against them here. Patriots in a very close one. Patriots 28, Chiefs 23.
ARIZONA over Green Bay (Saturday, 8:15 p.m. ET, NBC): Carson Palmer vs. Aaron Rodgers. I would give the edge to Rodgers here based on playoff experience, but Palmer has had an MVP caliber season. The QB matchup here is a tie in my eyes, so if we look at the Cardinals and Packers as a team, Arizona has the advantage. The Cardinals have a better defense and I believe the best overall team in the NFC. That's right, Carolina. Rodgers will keep the Packers in the game for awhile -- the game will be a lot closer than the 38-7 win Arizona had against Green Bay three weeks ago -- but ultimately I like the Cardinals to advance. Cardinals 34, Packers 27.
Seattle over CAROLINA (Sunday, 1:05 p.m. ET, FOX): Of all the teams left in the playoffs, Arizona and Seattle are the two teams I think have the best chance to upset Carolina. The Seahawks had a 23-14 lead with 11:46 to go in the fourth quarter against the Panthers early this season, but gave up 14 points in the final four minutes to lose the game. Both tight ends had big games in these two's previous matchup, but Jimmy Graham won't be on the field on Sunday. The Panthers Greg Olsen, however, will and the Seahawks have struggled to stop tight ends all season. Seattle will win this game if they can stop Greg Olsen and force a few turnovers. I like the matchup of Russell Wilson and Doug Baldwin against a Carolina secondary that isn't very good apart from CB Josh Norman. Cam Newton will most likely be the MVP of the league, but he doesn't have the playoff or championship level experience that Russell Wilson has and that could be the difference. Close and physical game and I see the Seahawks pulling off the upset. Seahawks 27, Panthers 20.
DENVER over Pittsburgh (Sunday, 4:40 p.m. ET, CBS): This pick is easy if Ben Roethlisberger can't play or plays and can't throw the ball down field. Roethlisberger will most likely be a game-time decision and he's not the only Steelers star who's injured. RB DeAngelo Williams did not play last week with a foot injury and won't play again Sunday. The aforementioned WR Antonio Brown is out with a concussion. Without a healthy Roethlisberger and no Antonio Brown, the Steelers have little chance of winning this game. Seeing Landry Jones go up against this Broncos defense would not be pretty for Steelers fans. Peyton Manning will be back directing the Broncos offense and as long as he doesn't turn the ball over, I like the Broncos chances behind their top ranked defense. This game will be competitive if Roethlisberger is healthy and can play, but either way I like the Broncos to advance to the AFC Championship. Broncos 34, Steelers 17.
Last Week: 2-2
Overall: 156-104 (.600)
The Cincinnati Bengals had that game won. Touchdown to A.J. Green and an interception by Vontaze Burfict had just about ended the Bengals playoff drought. But the game got out of hand rather quickly.
Running back Jeremy Hill picked the worst possible time for his fourth fumble of the season and two personal fouls penalties later had the Steelers kicking a 35-yard field goal to win the game.
Stunning. Demoralizing. Embarrassing.
From Bengals fans throwing bottles on the field, including at Ben Roethlisberger as he was carted to the locker room, numerous personal fouls on Burfict, Adam Jones, Domata Peko, to other extracurricular activities after the whistle, the game got out of hand. Once again, the Bengals embarrassed themselves and the city of Cincinnati on national television. However, they are not alone.
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| This hit by Vontaze Burfict will never be forgotten by Bengals fans. (Aaron Doster/USA TODAY Sports) |
Then, as hard as it is to believe, things got worse.
First of all, please explain to me why Joey Porter was out on the field after Antonio Brown went down? He's the linebacker coach. Last I checked, only the head coach and training staff were allowed on the field to see a injured player. Porter was mouthing off to Adam Jones, knowing Jones wouldn't be able to control himself, and Jones was flagged another 15 yards for getting into it with Porter and an official. Porter was smiling afterwards, check the tape, so one can assume he did it on purpose.
30 yards in penalties on one play setup the Steelers for the win and extending the Bengals drought of winning a playoff game to at least 26 years.
Bengals tackle Andrew Whitworth and several other Bengals players have not had nice things to say about Porter. "He's a guy that always run his mouth." Whitworth said. "He's always been disrespectful to people.
'I have a ton of respect for those guys." Whitworth also stated. "But Joey Porter is not one of them."
I may be bias as a Bengals fan, but I've watched this team my whole life and Joey Porter was classless when he played and he obviously hasn't changed since retiring. I have zero respect for him and I hope the league comes down hard on him. And I didn't even mention offensive line coach Mike Munchak pulling Reggie Nelson's hair on the sidelines. That was a class act as well.
Bottomline, the Bengals should've won that game Saturday night, but unfortunately, a few guys let the team down. Both the Bengals and Steelers have some quality and high character guys in their organizations, but it was the classless acts of a few that turned the game into an embarrassment. Both teams should be ashamed for what happened and this rivalry has gotten way out of control. The league has to do something before these two play next season or the situation will only get worse.
SI's Peter King had a great piece addressed to the players about keeping the game clean in the wake of what happened Saturday night. It's well worth the read.
I thought I would feel better about getting all of that off my chest, but I don't. Watching that embarrassment Saturday night makes me question being a Bengals fan. Marvin Lewis has to get better control of his players -- Mike Tomlin needs to do the same, with his coaches too apparently.
In the end, the Steelers move on to play the Broncos on Sunday and I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't mind seeing them lose by 30.
As for the Bengals, Marvin Lewis will be back and I wouldn't be surprised if Burfict -- following a three game suspension he received this week -- and the free agent to be, Adam Jones, are back in orange and black next season as well. The Bengals did lose offensive coordinator Hue Jackson this week as he accepted the head coaching position up in Cleveland. Good luck, Hue.
If I'm Mike Brown, I would really struggle with the decision to keep those three around. In all honestly, I would tell them their services are no longer needed. Continuously losing in the playoffs is one thing, but embarrassing my team and my city is unacceptable and I won't stand for that. Yet again, I'm not the one calling the shots.
Better luck next year, Bengals. Thanks for a roller coaster season of emotions, ultimately ending in disappointment, again.
Now for my picks for the Divisional Round.
 |
| The eight quarterbacks remaining in the playoffs are pretty good. (Photo Courtesy of @ESPNNFL) |
Take a look at the graphic on the right. What do all eight teams remaining in the playoffs have in common?
A good quarterback.
All four road teams won for the first time ever last week due in large part because they had superior quarterbacks to the opposition.
Alex Smith is much better than Brian Hoyer. Ben Roethlisberger -- even hurt -- is better than AJ McCarron. Russell Wilson has been to back-to-back Super Bowls for a reason and is better than Teddy Bridgewater. Finally, Aaron Rodgers is well, Aaron Rodgers and even though Kirk Cousins played like Rodgers this season, the real Rodgers was sensational last weekend.
So, of four matchups this weekend, who has the edge at quarterback? Here are my thoughts.
NEW ENGLAND over Kansas City (Saturday, 4:35 p.m. ET, CBS): No quarterback in the NFL has the playoff experience of Tom Brady. Brady has played in 29 career playoff games and has been to six Super Bowls, winning four of them. So, the Patriots will win easily, right? Wrong. Kansas City hasn't lost a game since October 18th and with injuries piling up for the Patriots, the Chiefs could win this game. WR Julian Edelman and TE Rob Gronkowski are questionable with injuries for New England and that could pose a problem for the Patriots offense if Brady is low on weapons. It would not surprise me at all if the Chiefs win this game. They have a good defense, solid running game and Alex Smith is a good quarterback who doesn't turn the ball over. But it's the Patriots at home, in the playoffs. Can't pick against them here. Patriots in a very close one. Patriots 28, Chiefs 23.
ARIZONA over Green Bay (Saturday, 8:15 p.m. ET, NBC): Carson Palmer vs. Aaron Rodgers. I would give the edge to Rodgers here based on playoff experience, but Palmer has had an MVP caliber season. The QB matchup here is a tie in my eyes, so if we look at the Cardinals and Packers as a team, Arizona has the advantage. The Cardinals have a better defense and I believe the best overall team in the NFC. That's right, Carolina. Rodgers will keep the Packers in the game for awhile -- the game will be a lot closer than the 38-7 win Arizona had against Green Bay three weeks ago -- but ultimately I like the Cardinals to advance. Cardinals 34, Packers 27.
Seattle over CAROLINA (Sunday, 1:05 p.m. ET, FOX): Of all the teams left in the playoffs, Arizona and Seattle are the two teams I think have the best chance to upset Carolina. The Seahawks had a 23-14 lead with 11:46 to go in the fourth quarter against the Panthers early this season, but gave up 14 points in the final four minutes to lose the game. Both tight ends had big games in these two's previous matchup, but Jimmy Graham won't be on the field on Sunday. The Panthers Greg Olsen, however, will and the Seahawks have struggled to stop tight ends all season. Seattle will win this game if they can stop Greg Olsen and force a few turnovers. I like the matchup of Russell Wilson and Doug Baldwin against a Carolina secondary that isn't very good apart from CB Josh Norman. Cam Newton will most likely be the MVP of the league, but he doesn't have the playoff or championship level experience that Russell Wilson has and that could be the difference. Close and physical game and I see the Seahawks pulling off the upset. Seahawks 27, Panthers 20.
DENVER over Pittsburgh (Sunday, 4:40 p.m. ET, CBS): This pick is easy if Ben Roethlisberger can't play or plays and can't throw the ball down field. Roethlisberger will most likely be a game-time decision and he's not the only Steelers star who's injured. RB DeAngelo Williams did not play last week with a foot injury and won't play again Sunday. The aforementioned WR Antonio Brown is out with a concussion. Without a healthy Roethlisberger and no Antonio Brown, the Steelers have little chance of winning this game. Seeing Landry Jones go up against this Broncos defense would not be pretty for Steelers fans. Peyton Manning will be back directing the Broncos offense and as long as he doesn't turn the ball over, I like the Broncos chances behind their top ranked defense. This game will be competitive if Roethlisberger is healthy and can play, but either way I like the Broncos to advance to the AFC Championship. Broncos 34, Steelers 17.
Last Week: 2-2
Overall: 156-104 (.600)
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