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Can Patriots continue win streak?
By ajc.com | Friday, January 11, 2008, 09:12 AM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Locally, the NFL news has centered around the Falcons’ search for a coach and general manager. The search seems to take a disappointing turn each day with big names reportedly withdrawing from consideration day after day.
Nationally, the news has centered on the Divisional Playoffs with eight teams still in the hunt for Super Bowl XLII. The AFC games match unbeaten New England against upstart Jacksonville and Indianapolis, last year’s Super Bowl champion, against San Diego.
In the NFC, it’s Dallas vs. the New York Giants and Green Bay vs. Seattle. There seems to be an interesting storyline connected to each game - will the Patriots continue to win, why isn’t Indianapolis getting any respect, will Romo be affected by his quick Mexican getaway with Jessica Simpson and can Favre do it again.
The home teams are New England, Indianapolis, Dallas and Green Bay, but don’t forget that two home teams lost in this same round of the playoffs last year. Who are your picks this weekend? Let us know and explain why they will win.
Comments
By Brady Bunch
January 11, 2008 10:28 AM
Pats spread out the Jags and shut down MJ-D; Pats 31 Jags 13
Cowboys get hat trick and over-power Giants; Stars 27 G-men 17
Favre runs out of magic, Hasselback makes good on OT promise of 04; Seahawks 24 Pack 20
Colts give Addai 30 carries to control clock and frustrate SD defense; Ponies 20 Bolts 14
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By Mauricio Dieck
January 11, 2008 11:23 AM
My picks for play Off are as follows
Indy 34 San Diego 20 Super Manning Dallas 28 Giants 10 Romo 4 TD
New England 24 Jacksonville 16 Brady good game 3 TD and dont allow points until the last five minutes of fourth quarter
Seattle will be beated for the packers ….23- 6 packers win, packers defense create turnovers
thanks
Mauricio Dieck
Falcon Fan from Monterrey, Mexico
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By Chris Foster
January 11, 2008 1:22 PM | Link to this
I got New England, The Chargers, The Giants, And The Packers. Brady Randy Moss all day long. Tomlinson is a beast. And Needs to be controlled. Tony Romo’s
Distracted and Terrel Owens Injury now’s the time for the Giants to bounce back from New England. And Green Bay out plays Seattle in every way, shape, and form.
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By Junkyarddawgs97
January 11, 2008 1:57 PM
Patriots 31, Jags 14.
The extra week off for New England will make a huge difference and the big ‘upset’ everyone’s calling for won’t actually happen.
Gotta love Seymour and Stroud, two of the great recent Dawg defensemen, being in this game!
Cowboys 27, Giants 26.
The Cowboys are a distracted team, but I predict a late comeback - the Giants will have a lead late in this game. Just gut instinct.
Colts 38, Chargers 7.
The Colts will blow them out. Rivers is awful and even with injuries, a well rested Colts team will blow out a team coached by Norv Turner.
Seahawks 21, Packers 10.
The ‘Hawks defense is highly underrated and Hasselbeck will end the game with better numbers than Favre. Holmgren returns to Green Bay a winner.
This will be the only upset of the weekend.
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By Najeh Davenpoop
January 11, 2008 2:03 PM
Go Jags.
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By Adam
January 11, 2008 2:33 PM
pats beat jags 28-14, indy beats volts 35-21, packers beat seahawks 24-17, giants win in an upset 24-21 in OT
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By yo daddy
January 11, 2008 6:54 PM
jags upset the pats 24-20
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Seau's Super Bowl Shot
Only Reason For His Return
By DAVID HEUSCHKEL | Courant Staff Writer
January 10, 2008
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — - Patriots linebacker Junior Seau made it through November, something he hadn't done in any of the past three seasons.
Before this season, the last time he played a football game in December was 2003.
The last time he played in January? That was 13 years ago. The drought will end Saturday night when Seau and the Patriots take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in an AFC divisional playoff game at Gillette Stadium.
In his 18th season, Seau is playing with the same enthusiasm he did as an 18-year-old at Southern California. He celebrates his 39th birthday Jan. 19, the weekend of the AFC Championship Game, and a Super Bowl ring would make the perfect belated gift for a man who has waited 12 years to get back to the playoffs.
The Patriots pursuit for perfection has coincided with Seau's quest for a championship. Only a handful of players, excluding 40-something kickers and punters, have played as many regular season games as Seau (257) without winning a Super Bowl.
"I'm not here for anything else," Seau said Wednesday. "I'm not here to practice. I'm not here to go to meetings. It's a great game, and I do love the game, but you would love to finish it the way you dreamt of finishing it when you were a kid."
It was the main, if not only, reason that Seau signed with the Patriots in August 2006 four days after making an emotional announcement at a press conference in San Diego that he was retiring. He had even signed a one-day contract with his hometown Chargers so he could say he finished his career with the team he spent his first 13 years with, the final 12 as a Pro Bowl linebacker.
Although he will always be remembered for his time with the Chargers, Seau acts as if he has been with the Patriots a lot longer than two seasons.
"I think he definitely appreciates the opportunity," safety Rodney Harrison said. "He's always the first one here, one of the last guys to leave. I walked in [Tuesday], I couldn't sleep. I was up around 5 a.m. and I was here around maybe 5:45, 6, and Junior was here already. That just shows that he isn't taking anything for granted. He knows this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
Harrison, 35, was teammates with Seau for nine seasons in San Diego. He called him "a consummate pro and a guy that probably is the most influential person in my career."
Harrison recalled one instance years ago when he thought Seau wouldn't return after being carted off the field.
"I thought he was probably lost for the season," Harrison said. "So he goes in and, whatever they did up in there, he comes back five minutes later. [His] first play back, he goes and gets a sack and he gets up and he's cheering. He's pumping that arm and it was pretty amazing to show that heart and the character of that guy."
Seau's career looked to be over after he sustained a broken forearm attempting to make a tackle against the Bears on Nov. 26, 2006. Walking off the field, he waved to the crowd at Gillette Stadium to show his appreciation for the way he was accepted. But he didn't stick around.
With his arm in a sling, Seau said he went straight to the airport and caught the first flight to San Diego.
Though his body was showing signs of breaking down during his three seasons with the Dolphins in 2003-05 and one with the Patriots, Seau said he never doubted he could come back.
"I never doubt myself playing the game of football," Seau said. "One thing I've always said to not only myself, but people around and in the locker room, is never allow the world to put barriers on you as a person, or as a player, or as a human being, as to what you should be doing, what you should be saying at any age you may be. I believe that with good health, experience and God-given talent, do what you want to do and do it with a positive light and everything else will work out."
Seau played the second half of the 1994 season and three postseason games with a pinched nerve in his neck. Super Bowl XXIX was another painful memory as Seau and the Chargers lost 49-26 to the 49ers.
"Sitting in the airport, it was embarrassing," Seau said. "I've always dreamt to have another opportunity and another chance, and that's why I'm here."
Contact David Heuschkel
at dheuschkel@courant.com
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