NFL Roundtable: Divisional wrapup

Subject: NFL Roundtable: Divisional wrapup Mon Jan 17, 2011 5:36 pm

Tom Brady was frustrated throughout New England's stunning loss

to the Jets. (Elsa/Getty Images) Our
fearless CBCSports.ca writers have plenty to say about New England's
stunning defeat to their hated AFC East rivals from New York. Plus, the
boys debate Green Bay's place among the NFL's elite teams.
Gentlemen, let's start with the biggest upset of the
post-season. Few, if any, gave the New York Jets a snowball's chance to
walk out of Gillette Stadium with a win over the No. 1 seeded New
England Patriots. But you have to give it to Rex Ryan's boys — they
rebounded from their December shellacking on the same field and put away
the Patriots with a virtuoso performance. How did they do it?
Chris Iorfida: I picked New England to win but said
to Jesse earlier in the week that I didn't think their offensive line or
running game were Super Bowl calibre. I just didn't figure it would be
the Jets that would exploit them. But the score really flattered the
Pats. Nick Folk missed a field goal (surprise!) and if the Jets fall on
one of the many fumbles the Pats recovered, it's a bigger margin. And
who would've predicted that, as Tom Brady readied to face the New York
Giants in the Super Bowl three years ago, that he would go 0-3 in his
next three playoff games, with three fumbles, four interceptions and 13
sacks. New York showed that a strong commitment to the running game can
do wonders. LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene didn't wow, but they
chewed up clock.
Jesse Campigotto: Anyone else feel like they were
watching a replay of Super Bowl XLII? Once again, a New York team with a
tough defence shocks a New England team with a high-powered offence
previously thought to be unstoppable. Like the Giants before them, the
Jets' pass rushers lived in the Pats backfield all day. Unlike the
Giants, they didn't need a miracle helmet catch to win. In fact, you
could argue the Jets were a bit unlucky. They forced three New England
fumbles and didn't recover any. Didn't matter, though, because they
blanketed New England's deep receiving core so thoroughly. To me, that
was the big surprise. Not that the Jets won (this is the NFL after all)
but how they won. This was no fluke.
Tony Care: Man, I didn't see this coming. The Jets
obviously knew how to beat New England, and give them credit for
following the game plan to a T. During that Monday night debacle, the
Patriots were gashing New York with those short throws across the middle
that went for big gains. But Ryan adjusted. On Sunday, the Jets allowed
few passes in that area, and when they did, they tackled the Pats
receivers on the spot. Of course, none of this happens without New
York's pressure, which sacked Brady five times and forced him to make
hurried throws. I was also impressed in the way Mark Sanchez responded
when New England cut the deficit to only three points to start the
fourth quarter. There's nothing like answering a touchdown with a TD on
your next drive. Here's an interesting sidebar: After Brady won his
first 10 playoffs games and three Super Bowl rings, he is now 4-5 in his
last nine post-season games. One reason I'm glad the Pats lost is
because Jesse and Brandon predicted New England and Green Bay would meet in the Super Bowl
in our NFL preview back in September. I would've been jealous if they
hit on those two teams. Ok, I'll admit it: I take pleasure in other
people's misfortune. I believe they call that schadenfreude.
Brandon Hicks: I never, ever, ever thought I'd say
this… but I am anyway: Bill Belichick got out-coached. Can you believe
that? The guy who could dismantle any offence and defence in the NFL,
the puppet master behind the near-perfect season, got out-coached by a
guy who can't stop swearing even when his mom asks him to. The Jets'
defence was absolutely brilliant against the Pats. Brady may have the
best line in the league, but it can't catch passes for him. Doesn't
matter how long the long-haired wonder has to throw if there's
absolutely nobody to pass to, thanks to Revis Island and Co. And I'm not
even going to mention how this result completely screws my football
pool and pre-season predictions. Oh wait, I just did.

Ryan Clark and the Pittsburgh defence spaked the Steelers' comeback win over Baltimore. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) There
no doubt the Pittsburgh Steelers loved New York's win, especially since
they'll be hosting the AFC title game. The Steelers looked dead in the
first half against Baltimore, but a second-half meltdown by the Ravens
allowed Pittsburgh time to erase a 14-point deficit and earn another
playoff victory over its trash-talking opponents. Was this an impressive
comeback on the Steelers' part, or did Baltimore give it away?
Brandon Hicks: I was watching this game here at the
office, and I remember saying after the first half something to the tune
of, "If the Steelers get a huge turnover, look out." The Ravens'
first-half charge was built chiefly on two huge turnovers, both of which
led to touchdowns, and I thought if the Steelers could just get one
themselves, the momentum would shift and the home crowd would do the
rest. Well, they got two. One on the Ravens' first possession of the
half, on a Ray Rice fumble, and another on a Joe Flacco interception. If
I told you both led to touchdowns too, would you be surprised? When you
have a rivalry packed with that much emotion, it's plays like those
that define the outcome. And that's why the Steelers have a date with
the Jets.
Jesse Campigotto: Give the Pittsburgh defence credit
for shutting down a good-but-not-great quarterback in Flacco. Now the
Steelers must be licking their chops at the thought of facing Sanchez.
OK, the Jets QB produced a pretty efficient performance against New
England, and you're going to hear a lot of pundits this week raving
about how "clutch" Sanchez is. But, as I mentioned in this forum last
week, he's been really lucky in the defences he's drawn in his five
career playoff games. Neither Cincy, San Diego nor Indy had a good D
last year, and same for Indy and New England this year. The run is over,
though. The best defence in football awaits next week in Pittsburgh.
Chris Iorfida: The game was fascinating, but can we
stop with the reflexive "classic" label just because it's these two
teams playing. There were 167 penalty yards (and there should have been
more), poor offensive line play (Pittsburgh in one half, Baltimore in
the next) and a couple of bizarre turnovers. You put that stat line on
the Lions vs. Browns and you don't quite have the hosannas. I thought it
was ironic that the game turned on that big pass play. A big reason why
the offensive lines struggled much of the day was because the secondary
play was excellent, with Ryan Clark and Chris Carr leading the way for
their teams. It must be said: The final stats show he was in on nine
tackles, but Ray Lewis has never been less impactful in a playoff game.
As for Jets-Pittsbugh: a fascinating matchup when you consider that Big
Ben won the Super Bowl in his second season, and Sanchez is again just
two wins away from that distinction in his second season. People forget
that Roethlisberger was great in that playoff run, but didn't do very
much in that Super Bowl win. Much has been made of the Jets winning in
spite of Sanchez, but he's picking the right targets even if he's
occasionally off the mark. Which means Brian Schottenheimer will likely
be a head-coaching candidate this time next year.
Tony Care: I tend to think it was more a case of
Baltimore giving it away. The Ravens were playing so well for the last
five game, it was hard to understand why they self destructed in the
final 30 minutes. Yes, the Steelers scored 17 points off three Baltimore
turnovers in the second half. Yet it was more than that. In spite of
the turnovers, the Ravens still had a chance to win. Trailing 24-21 in
the fourth quarter, a touchdown by punt returner Lardarius Webb was
wiped out because of a holding penalty on Marcus Smith. Then Anquan
Boldin drops a touchdown pass at the goal-line on the ensuing drive. So
instead of leading 28-24, the Ravens had to settle for a field goal and a
tie score. And just when you thought the craziness would end, this
happens: after the Steelers scored a touchdown to go up 31-24, receiver
T.J. Houshmandzadeh dropped a fourth-and-18 pass that would've set
Baltimore up in Steelers' territory with 1:03 remaining. Unbelievable! Tramon
Williams (38) has made a big interception, including this one for a
touchdown against Atlanta, in both of Green Bay's playoff wins. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) Led
by the brilliant performance of Aaron Rodgers, the Packers destroyed
the NFC's top seed Atlanta Falcons. Since the start of the post-season,
several pundits, including a couple of us CBCSports.ca folks, have been
saying that the No. 6 Packers are the most dangerous team in the
post-season. But the better question should be is Green Bay the best
team?
Tony Care: I not only think the Packers are the best
team right now, I truly believe Rodgers is the best quarterback in the
NFL. There is nobody playing at a higher level. Rodgers killed the
Falcons in every way: passing, scrambling, throwing on the run. Brett
who, indeed. Do you think the 49ers regret passing Rodgers up six years
ago in order to draft that bust Alex Smith with the first overall pick?
Sorry, I just love sticking it to teams when it's not the Cowboys. Lost
in all the Rodgers hoopla has been the play of rookie cornerback Tramon
Williams. First the guy saves the Packers' season in Philadelphia with a
last-minute interception of Michael Vick. He then goes out and picks
off Atlanta's Matt Ryan in the final seconds of the first half,
essentially putting away the game with a pick-six. I mean, Williams has
six interceptions in the regular season and gets snubbed in the Pro Bowl
voting. Expect him to play with a major chip on his shoulder for the
rest of his career. And it's also important to mention that Green Bay
has 14 players on injured reserve, yet the team continues to roll.
Chris Iorfida: I get it now. Ryan's called "Ice"
because he freezes in the playoffs. Hows about before we confer a clutch
nickname on someone, they have to establish some post-season pedigree?
You don't hear football fans of a previous generation talking about
Danny "Cool Hand" White or Scott "Bank" Norwood. It didn't matter that
James Starks didn't get a ton of yards. Green Bay finally seems to have
understood that if you make the effort to run enough times, it's going
to make Rodgers even more dangerous
Brandon Hicks: With the Patriots in, the answer is
tough. Now that the Patriots are out? It's a definite yes. You could
feel Rodgers' confidence leap to new heights when he won that first
playoff game against Philly. And it's not an insignificant fact that it
was on the road against an Eagles team that was turning into the darling
of the NFL, and a very trendy Super Bowl pick. That confidence was
shining all throughout the game against Atlanta, as Rodgers absolutely
shredded the wilting Falcons. And jeez, please don't forget the defence
that has suffocated Vick and Ryan in back-to-back weeks. And now they
have a shaky Jay Cutler to toy with next week in Chicago. Take a good
gander, guys. You are now looking at the favourites to win the Super
Bowl. And Tony, I'd just like to point out that though one half of my
pre-season Super Bowl matchup is out, my pick to win it all (Packers!)
is still on the way to glory.
Jesse Campigotto: Best team? Maybe. Hottest team?
For sure. Green Bay beat probably two of the best three teams in the NFC
(the Packers themselves are the other) over the last two weeks, both
times on the road. The NFC title game presents the easiest matchup yet
for the Packers. Yeah, Chicago's defence is capable of causing Rodgers a
lot of trouble, but the Green Bay D looks even tougher right now.
Especially the pass D. It's highly unlikely that Cutler accounts for
four touchdowns again, as he did against Seattle. Bears
quarterback Jay Cutler looked good in an easy win over Seattle, but a
tougher Green Bay defence awaits in the NFC title game. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) The
bubble finally burst on the Cinderella Seattle Seahawks, who were
buried by the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Let's face it: this
post-season has played perfectly into the hands of Chicago to this
point. Yet with Green Bay coming to town, can they overcome the hottest
club in the NFL?
Jesse Campigotto: Well, based on some early
research, there's a potential monkey wrench for the Pack: special teams.
According to the stats on the terrific website Football Outsiders,
Devin Hester and the Chicago return teams have a major edge over Green
Bay's coverage units. Will that be enough to propel the Bears to an
upset? Remember, the Packers gave up a kickoff return TD against Atlanta
and still destroyed the Falcons. Oh, and before we forget about
Seattle, a note on Pete Carroll: all week, we heard all about how the
coach "has the guys playing together" and "believing in themselves" and
blahblahblah. Well, the real good coaches earn their money not as
motivational speakers, but by designing and calling plays, and Carroll
showed his limitations when he decided to punt on fourth and one from
the Bears' 40 in the first quarter, when it was 7-0 Bears. The Seahawks
were never really in the game again.
Chris Iorfida: It took precisely three minutes, five
seconds for Seattle to be jarred back to reality. A touchdown and scary
injury to one of your players will do that. So I guess Mike Martz
finally figured out how to use Greg Olsen, huh? If Ryan's bad pick was
the game changer of the weekend, Jordan Babineaux's missed interception
at the goal-line was not far behind.
Tony Care: I'm not even going to get into Chicago's
win over the Seahawks. That was basically a bye week for Jay Cutler and
company. I know the Bears are a different team than the one that started
the year, but remember back in that early Monday night game when the
Bears kicked a last-second field goal to upset Green Bay at Soldier
Field? Well, they were only in that game because the Packers committed a
mind-blowing 18 penalties. In the final regular-season game in Green
Bay, Bears coach Lovie Smith played all of his starters for the entire
contest even though the outcome meant nothing to Chicago. Why? Well,
Smith wanted to eliminate the Packers so he wouldn't have to face them
in the playoffs. Lovie's instincts were correct — too bad for Bears fans
the team couldn't knock Green Bay off.
Brandon Hicks: No. Nope. Non. Nein.
How many other ways can I say this? I wasn't sold on the Bears to get
past the NFC title game when the playoffs began. An underwhelming
performance against Seattle isn't changing my mind. Yes, I said
underwhelming. I know what you're saying, "But Brandon! The game was
pretty much over after the first half! LOL." Wanna know why? The
Seahawks were afflicted with their "Dropped Passes Syndrome" that
plagued them when they were in the playoffs with an actual winning
record a few years back. Make no mistake: Seattle had chances on
offence, and Cutler gave the defence plenty of opportunity to come up
with big plays (hate to say it, Jordan Babineaux, but your botched
interception would've completely changed the game), but those dropped
passes killed 'em. And guess what: Seattle still got it respectable by
out-scoring the Bears 21-7 in the fourth quarter. Championship teams
don't let that happen. Not in the playoffs. Just ask the Packers.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/story/2011/01/17/sp-nfl-playoffs-divisional-roundtable.html#ixzz1BJa6ujOH

Subject: Reds lock up Votto: reports Mon Jan 17, 2011 5:50 pm

Canadian first baseman Joey Votto has agreed to a three-year,
$38-million US contract extension with the Cincinnati Reds, according to
multiple reports Sunday.

Votto, who hails from Toronto, would need to take a physical before
the deal is completed. That's expected to happen Monday, reports said.

Reds general manager Walt Jocketty hasn't commented on the reported
deal, which would allow the 27-year-old Votto to reach free agency after
the 2013 season.

Votto was named the National League's most valuable player in
November after a season in which he established career highs in batting
average (.324), homers (37), runs batted in (113) and on-base percentage
(.424).

He later won the Tip O'Neill Award as the top Canadian baseball
player of 2010, and on Saturday he was added to Baseball Canada's Wall
of Excellence.

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