American Sports Thread

[anportmorforjfc]

Predictions for the Weekend lads? Going for:

Packers
49ers
Patriots
Ravens

[DrinkingHarp]

Predictions for the Weekend lads? Going for:

Packers
49ers
Patriots
Ravens

NFL Lines Divisional Playoffs - NFL Football Line
Divisional Playoff Games
NFL Game Lines 1/14 - 1/15, 2012
Date & Time Favorite Line Underdog Total
1/14 4:30 ET New Orleans -3.5 At San Francisco 47.5
1/14 8:00 ET At New England -13.5 Denver 50.5
1/15 1:00 ET At Baltimore -7.5 Houston 36
1/15 4:30 ET At Green Bay -7.5 NY Giants 52.5

[J70]

Giants (hitting form at right time and were very unlucky to lose last month)
Broncos (Patriots haven't won a play-off game in four years, despite excellent regular season form. Denver could easily pull off another shock. Or they may get hammered!!)
Ravens
Saints (probably the best team in it right now)

[Muck Savage]

Lads i sat up for Alabama and LSU last Night,and it put me to sleep. Was i alone there?
Id have loved to have seen Oklahoma State in the mix,they would have made it more exciting.

As i said earlier, crap game. However, remember if OK state were in the game it would have been LSU not Alabama. I'd like to have seen Stanford there, they were better than OK state in the Fiesta bowl but for a poor kicker!
Still believe a playoff would be great, December Madness! They have 4 BCS bowl games and add two more, maybe cotton bowl and another one you have 6 there for a Q/F, S/F and then final.

[RealSpiritof98]

49ers up against it agin the Saints but that poor defense bound to catch them out some time

[AZOffaly]

Lads i sat up for Alabama and LSU last Night,and it put me to sleep. Was i alone there?
Id have loved to have seen Oklahoma State in the mix,they would have made it more exciting.

As i said earlier, crap game. However, remember if OK state were in the game it would have been LSU not Alabama. I'd like to have seen Stanford there, they were better than OK state in the Fiesta bowl but for a poor kicker!
Still believe a playoff would be great, December Madness! They have 4 BCS bowl games and add two more, maybe cotton bowl and another one you have 6 there for a Q/F, S/F and then final.

I agree with this. Disappointed the game wasn't a better spectacle, but these things happen. However, I think the NCAA are just cutting off their nose to spite their face with this. Imagine the top 8 BCS schools in 4 quarter finals, 2 semi and a final?

[GalwayBayBoy]

Lads i sat up for Alabama and LSU last Night,and it put me to sleep. Was i alone there?
Id have loved to have seen Oklahoma State in the mix,they would have made it more exciting.

As i said earlier, crap game. However, remember if OK state were in the game it would have been LSU not Alabama. I'd like to have seen Stanford there, they were better than OK state in the Fiesta bowl but for a poor kicker!
Still believe a playoff would be great, December Madness! They have 4 BCS bowl games and add two more, maybe cotton bowl and another one you have 6 there for a Q/F, S/F and then final.

I agree with this. Disappointed the game wasn't a better spectacle, but these things happen. However, I think the NCAA are just cutting off their nose to spite their face with this. Imagine the top 8 BCS schools in 4 quarter finals, 2 semi and a final?

You would imagine they could easily do this. Sure there is about a 6 week break from the end of the regular season until the BCS title game as it is. Could easily fit in a round of quarter-finaks and semi-finals.

[ExcellentDriver]

The only thing America is talking about:

[Celt_Man]

Amazing, what a man Tebow is, but also what a team Denver are. Some massive plays by the D and from Thomas.
Celt_man, i'd say they might have been worried that if they missed and there was a second or two left on the clock that Prater would have nailed it the other way, he has a big leg in that thin air and sure he was hitting the upright from the kickoffs.

So if the Steelers went for a FG and missed then Denver would have had the ball from the place the FG attempt took place??

the finer point of NFL elude me at times

Yes. A missed field goal is a turnover of possession, and the ball would have been placed at the spot the kick was taken.

Aha I see... Cheers

[magpie seanie]

Looking forward to the NFL this weekend. SF have been brilliant on defense all year but I just think Drew Brees and co are on fire and almost unstoppable. US Murph on Off the Ball said they're "only" averaging 25 odd points away from the Superdome - I reckon 25 points wins this game. NO's defense is not great but neither is SF's offense. I go 27-23 to New Orleans. In the later game I expect New England to rip Denver apart. I thought Denver had a good chance last week and of course NE's defense is shaky but I guarantee Tebow doesn't get 300 yards on 10 completions this week. Belichick will have him taped. 37-21 to the Patriots. I suspect Baltimore/Houston is going to be a real grind fest. Two top defenses against two QB's who will struggle with the passing game. Both offenses will run the ball with their studs and it could be a special teams effort or a great catch by AJ or Torry Smith that decides this. Baltimore, just 23-16. Final game sees the Giants travel to Lambeau where the Packers have home field (dis)advantage. For all their brilliance the Pack can't run the ball and don't stop the run. Doesn't matter when you throw for 400+ yards and get a few turnovers but can Rodgers and co continue to lacerate secondaries in frigid conditions? Possibly but I'm not going to be surprised if they struggle. I like the Giants as they have loads of possible big play makers on both sides of the ball. Their secondary is poor but maybe they can overcome that by winning in the trenches. Giants 33-31.

[Capt Pat]

Saints, Packer, Patriots and Ravens should be the winners.

[Capt Pat]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHB0o9lCizQ

Tim Tebowie

[Minder]

How bout them Niners?

[Minder]

What a finish

[Minder]

Davis TD was carbon copy of the TO touchdown catch with few seconds remaining against Green Bay in 97, I think.