Wild Card Playoff Round - Who Are You Picking?

mtreff4 · Post by **mtreff4** » Sat Jan 07, 2012 7:15 am

NFL Playoff time is the best. There are always shockers and unexpected hot teams out there that make a run.

That being said, I think if the Steelers can get by Tebow they are going all the way.

Superbowl: Steelers over Packers 27-23.

Tom Kessenich · Post by **Tom Kessenich** » Sun Jan 08, 2012 3:46 am

I missed on the Bengals/Texans. For nearly a half the game was unfolding as I anticipated but J.J. Watt's Pick 6 was the turning point. Dalton wasn't the same after that. Arian Foster was studly and Yates made the one big play he needed to on the TD pass to Johnson. Very nice win by Houston.

Saints-Lions went according to form. Lions fought hard but the Saints are just too damn good - especially at home. I've been saying for weeks that people shouldn't sleep on the New Orleans running game and the Saints showed why again last night. Pierre Thomas is seriously underrated. I'm definitely interested to see if the Niners can slow them down next week. Right now, New Orleans looks to be the most complete offensive team in the NFL.

Today, we'll see if Tebow's career ends at home or whether he can regain his magic. Manning vs. Ryan should be a shootout.

The Franchise · Post by **The Franchise** » Sun Jan 08, 2012 6:24 am

Mularkey is just awful. That's two 3rd and long to start the game. You have no chance to win like that. Giants offense looks shaky to start. You need to take advantage of that and get crowd out of the game. Be aggressive damn it !!!

Need to get Ryan in the shotgun so he can decipher the defense and get into a rhythm.....

751542 · Post by **751542** » Sun Jan 08, 2012 7:16 am

"Manning vs. Ryan should be a shootout" ...FAIL!

Tom Kessenich · Post by **Tom Kessenich** » Sun Jan 08, 2012 7:25 am

Originally posted by RAPTORS9:
"Manning vs. Ryan should be a shootout" ...FAIL! Oops.

Shrink Attack · Post by **Shrink Attack** » Sun Jan 08, 2012 7:30 am

Originally posted by Shrink Attack:
quote:Originally posted by The Franchise:
This may seem strange, but I think the way Atlanta needs to combat the Giants pass rush is to spread them out and go no-huddle. You need to be aggressive and not play scared. The Giants secondary is a joke and if you try running the ball and run your base offense your playing right into the Giants hands.

I don't disagree with this premise, but you're neglecting one critical element: The Atlanta Offensive Coordinator is Mike Mularkey and he's an idiot.

I have watched just about every single snap of every single Falcons game this year and I'm not exaggerating when I say I can predict the offensive play call 80% of the time. Ryan does MUCH better in the no-huddle scheme, but Mularkey often refuses to go to it and instead insists on trying to establish Michael Turner up the middle again and again and again no matter how ineffective it is. Ryan always seems to be facing 2nd and long and/or 3rd and long every series.

In that Overtime loss against the Saints, the Falcons faced a 4th and inches at their own 29 yard line. I knew Mularkey would run Turner up the middle...I knew it, everyone in my row knew it, the Saints knew it, Tom Kessenich's grandmother knew it. Everyone was screaming, "DON'T GIVE THE BALL TO TURNER UP THE MIDDLE!!!". Did that make Mularkey move off his stubborn insistence to not alter his game plan based on the flow of action? Nope. Turner up the middle for a LOSS.

I sure wish some stupid NFL Owner would hire Mularkey away from my football team. [/QUOTE]As I said, Mularkey is an idiot. He'll continue to run Turner up the middle. This against one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL.

Have we seen no-huddle? Of course not. That's where Ryan is most effective. Why would Mularkey want to do that? He has a plane to catch to Miami for an interview, and pass plays slow down the clock. :rolleyes:

[ January 08, 2012, 01:35 PM: Message edited by: Shrink Attack ]

Shrink Attack · Post by **Shrink Attack** » Sun Jan 08, 2012 7:42 am

And you can't blame this on Matt Ryan. Mularkey is not even giving him the chance to win the game.

Ry's Guys · Post by **Ry's Guys** » Sun Jan 08, 2012 8:08 am

F'ing TERRIBLE! How do you do that again?

Shrink Attack · Post by **Shrink Attack** » Sun Jan 08, 2012 8:20 am

Originally posted by Bullgod:
F'ing TERRIBLE! How do you do that again? Because you're Mike "I do the same thing every time" Mularkey

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Sun Jan 08, 2012 8:45 am

Originally posted by Shrink Attack:
quote:Originally posted by Bullgod:
F'ing TERRIBLE! How do you do that again? Because you're Mike "I do the same thing every time" Mularkey [/QUOTE]I hate to say this Paul, but it HAS to be hard being a Falcons' fan right now. They have underperformed once again and worse yet this potent offense didn't score a single point against a Giants' defense that has a good front four but a lot of backups in the secondary. The fact that they were so non-aggressive on offense is going to haunt them all off-season.

Wow, what an egg they layed here. I really expected better. I picked the Giants to win, but I really thought Atlanta could get it done on the road and come to Lambeau for a rematch of last year's second round game.

Bummer for you loyal Falcons fans.