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Banned
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Re: Official Playoff Prediction Thread
Instead of making my own predictions (which will be biased and more than likely inaccurate) I will be using WhatIfSports to sim the games using accurate weather and lineups.
Wild Card Playoffs
(5) New York Jets AT (4) Cincinnati Bengals
- On a 20 degree day with flurries in the air, the #1 ranked defense in the NFL shut down the Bengals for the 2nd straight week. Behind 5 sacks and a Darrelle Revis interception, the Jets defeated the Bengals for the 2nd straight week. Mark Sanchez threw for 153 yards and 2 TD, while Thomas Jones rushed for a 102 yards. Carson Palmer had another poor week against the Jets, going 10-22 for 100 yards with a pick.
Jets, 14-10
(6) Philadelphia Eagles AT (3) Dallas Cowboys
- The Eagles met the Cowboys for the 2nd straight week on Saturday night and this one started out completely the opposite of last weeks. Leonard Weaver and LeSean McCoy rushed for touchdowns to give Philadelphia a 14-0 lead after one quarter. Dallas would battle back to take the lead at the half, but a 14 play, 79 yard Philadelphia scoring drive early in the 4th quarter took the momentum right back. David Akers booted two late field goals for the win. Donovan McNabb and Tony Romo both struggled, as the defenses pounded them for 8 sacks (4 each). Patrick Crayton caught the lone Dallas touchdown.
Eagles, 28-22
(6) Baltimore Ravens AT (3) New England Patriots
- The road teams continued their dominance of the Wild Card round, as the Ravens once again went on the road in the first round of the playoffs and beat an AFC East team. Joe Flacco went 19-29 for 222 yards and a touchdown pass to Todd Heap. His counterpart Tom Brady went 20-35 for 221 yards with no touchdowns and an INT. Trailing 14-6 at the half, New England reeled off 13 unanswered points going into the final 5 minutes of the game. However, Billy Cundiff kicked a 47 yard field goal with 4:05 remaining, then, after a New England punt, nailed a 44 yard field goal as time expired to upset the Patriots.
Ravens, 20-19
(5) Green Bay Packers AT (4) Arizona Cardinals
- A home team finally takes one, as the Arizona Cardinals avenge their week 17 loss to Green Bay behind a dominant rushing attack led by rookie RB Beanie Wells, who rushed for 122 yards on 14 carries. The Cardinals out rushed the Packers 198-109, and Aaron Rodgers threw two interceptions to Antrel Rolle. Arizona K Neil Rackers was almost his team's entire offense, booting six field goals. The Packers led the game 17-16 heading into the fourth, but couldn't get anything going offensively in the final frame.
Cardinals, 25-17
Divisional Playoffs
(4) Arizona Cardinals AT (2) Minnesota Vikings
- Brett Favre and the Vikings ended the Cardinals' playoff run in the Divisional Round behind 163 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns for Adrian Peterson. His 49 yard scamper opened the scoring in the first, and set the tone for a dominant performance. Arizona QB Kurt Warner had respectable numbers, but couldn't get it done when it mattered, as Warner had two chances on 4th down (thanks to a Viking's offsides) on the Cardinals' final drive, but tossed two incompletions to end the game. He finished 19-32 for 206 yards with a TD and an INT.
Vikings, 30-24
(6) Baltimore Ravens AT (1) Indianapolis Colts
- The Colts took a lot of flak for resting their starters late in the season and ending their chance at a 16-0 record. Those doubters were proven right Saturday night, when Indianapolis fell to the 6th seeded Baltimore Ravens 20-17. Peyton Manning was effective (19-27, 248, 2-0), but Baltimore's Ray Rice (109 yards) and Willis McGahee (34 yards, 1 TD) kept the ball out of Peyton Manning's hands. Billy Cundiff was the hero again, as his 23 yard field goal with :21 seconds left won it for Baltimore, who advances to their second consecutive AFC Championship after being the sixth seed heading into the playoffs.
Ravens, 20-17
(5) New York Jets AT (2) San Diego Chargers
- The Chargers avoided an upset and will face the Ravens in the AFC Championship game after defeating the Jets in a hard fought battle. Mark Sanchez started out great, hitting Jerricho Cotchery for a 69 yard touchdown just 20 seconds into the game. However, it all went downhill from there for the rookie, as he finished 8-28, 157, 2-1. Philip Rivers is headed to his 2nd AFC Title Game after going 18-31, 308, 2-1. His 52 yard touchdown pass to Antonio Gates with less than seven minutes remaining gave San Diego the lead for good.
Chargers, 27-20
(6) Philadelphia Eagles AT (1) New Orleans Saints
- The Philadelphia Eagles are headed to the NFC Championship game for the 2nd consecutive year as the #1 seeds in both conferences are out. In what was the most exciting playoff game yet, Donovan McNabb (17-30, 248, 3-0) led the Eagles to their 6th NFC CG under his leadership. LeSean McCoy had two touchdowns, as did DeSean Jackson to aid Philadelphia. The Saints had three rushing touchdowns (one by each of Pierre Thomas, Reggie Bush, and Mike Bell). Bush's 44 yard TD scamper late in the game made it close, but wasn't enough, as New Orleans' defense let the offense down in the loss.
Eagles, 42-37
Conference Championship Games
(6) Baltimore Ravens AT (2) San Diego Chargers
- The Baltimore Ravens are headed to their 2nd Super Bowl after upsetting the #3, #2, and #1 seeds in the AFC Playoffs. Trailing 33-17 with with less than five minutes remaining, Joe Flacco connected with Derrick Mason for an 18 yard touchdown and Ray Rice converted the two-point conversion to make it 33-25. After a San Diego punt, Rice scored from 18 yards out and Mason converted the two-point conversion to tie it. In overtime, Baltimore won the toss, then won the ballgame when Flacco connected with Todd Heap, who took it 66 yards for the conference winning touchdown. Flacco (17-36, 249, 2-1) was outplayed by Philip Rivers (17-30, 359, 4-0), but made it count when it mattered. Baltimore completely shut down San Diego's running game (27 carries for 40 yards), which prevented the Chargers from effectively running out the clock late in the game. Baltimore's running game, on the other hand, was electric, led by Ray Rice's 140 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Ravens, 39-33
(6) Philadelphia Eagles AT (2) Minnesota Vikings
- The Philadelphia Eagles are headed to their third Super Bowl, taking the exact same route as the Ravens and beating the top three seeds on the road. Brian Westbrook finally made a significant impact for Philadelphia, as his 91 yards and 3 touchdowns were the difference in the win. The Vikings had a 21-7 Halftime lead behind three Brett Favre TD passes. However, Favre threw 2 interceptions in the second half (both to CB Asante Samuel), allowing Philadelphia to take control. Westbrook scored from 1 yard out with just under two minutes remaining and the Vikings' last ditch efforts to tie the game ended when Sidney Rice fumbled in Eagles' territory with :44 seconds left. Adrian Peterson rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown in the loss.
Eagles, 35-28
Super Bowl XLIV
(6) Philadelphia Eagles vs. (6) Baltimore Ravens
- In the most unlikeliest of scenario's, the two lowest seeds in each conference met for the first time in Super Bowl history. Both teams lost in the Conference Championships last year as the 6 seeds, but were able to prevail in nail-biting fashion in 2009-2010. The game itself was one sided for much of the night, as Philadelphia dominated the first 25 minutes of play, taking a 20-0 lead behind two Donovan McNabb touchdown passes. However, Ray Rice would single-handedly carry the Ravens back into it, as he scored on 64 and 66 yard touchdown runs to make it 20-17 early in the third. The Eagles would respond, as McNabb hit Jeremy Maclin for a 15 yard touchdown to give Philadelphia a ten point lead. The Eagles' defense would tighten the reigns, and a David Akers field goal gave them a 30-17 lead with just 3:26 remaining. Joe Flacco (18-30, 197, 1-1) would lead the Ravens down the field for a one yard LJ Smith touchdown with 1:51 remaining. After failing to recover an onside kick, Baltimore got the ball back after stuffing Brian Westbrook on a 4th and 1 from the Ravens' 35 yard line. After an 11 yard completion put Baltimore near midfield, Flacco would be sacked twice by Eagles' DE Trent Cole, and the Ravens were unable to line up in time to take another snap. The time expired and the Philadelphia Eagles won their first ever Super Bowl. Donovan McNabb (26-39, 369, 3-0) was named MVP.
Eagles, 30-24
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01-05-2010, 07:08 PM
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