Saturday, January 04, 2003

Got a bunch of stuff to do today, and I might not get back on the ol' iMac before 3:30 CST, so I think I'll give you all my picks for this weekend's NFL playoff games.

Colts vs. Jets When I was a little kid, before I was afflicted with Falconitis, my team was the Baltimore Colts. Johnny U, Ray Berry, John Mackey. When they moved to Indianapolis, they became less likeable, and not counting the year they almost went to the Super Bowl with Jim Harbaugh, I haven't rooted for them much since, oh, 1970. Peyton Manning is a good, not great QB who is mistake prone and gets on my last nerve with his constant flailing around behind the line of scrimmage. Just run the fucking play, Peyton, Can it be that much worse than what you would audible? Anyway, while the Colts are tough, they're a dome team on the road, and the weather in the Meadowlands isn't supposed to be all that great. Plus, the Jets have that "team of destiny" look about them; whether or not that destiny is Super Bowl or ignominious defeat at home in the Wild Card round is anybody's guess. I'll take the Jets, 26-21.

It's always hard to predict your favorite team's games. You want them to win, of course, and you have that little, foolish optimism that all hardcore fans have (some have a large, foolish optimism). However, unless they play the game of their lives, and who's to say that might not happen (and I said the same thing back in '98), the combination of Favre, snow, Lambeau mystique, and their own inconsistent offense and weak defense will send my boys home in defeat. It pains me to say it, but it's looking like Packers 20, Falcons 16. I think they will cover the 6 1/2 point spread.

I'll pick Sunday's games later.

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