At the Water Cooler : Conference Championship Sunday

Oh, gang. What a Championship Sunday we had!!! It’s one thing to have two games that are surrounded by legitimate anticipation; it’s completely another thing to have two games that live up to that anticipation. And in my book, both of the games did. Let’s dive right in.

AFC Championship

New England Patriots at Denver Broncos (Broncos won, 26-16)

Really, how can you not be excited for Peyton Manning? Answer me that. The guy has overcome so much just to play again, let alone play again at a record-setting level. He’s one of the good guys, a walk-in Hall of Famer, and it’s just good for football (and football fans!) to have him playing in another Super Bowl. Way to go, 18.

As far as the game goes… it was also all about 18. He had a brilliant game. Plus, the Broncos defense held their own against the Tom Brady and the Patriots, and that’s no easy feat. The Broncos deserve this trip to the Super Bowl in every way.

NFC Championship

San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks (Seahawks won, 23-17)

As predicted, this was a tight race between two division rivals, a hard-hitting game to say the least. The Niners dominated the first half, holding the Seahawks to a mere 3 points at the half. But the Seahawks came back in the second half and caught some breaks from the refs and are on their way to the Super Bowl.

Wondering what to expect on the blog between now and Super Bowl Sunday? Good question! We’ll start by wrapping up the 12 Posts of Playoffs this week, dive headfirst into a hardcore overview of the basics next week, and do a little Super Bowl preview in case you need a quick reference guide for the game. By the time February 2nd arrives you’ll be so full of football wisdom you won’t know what to do with yourself.

Actually, when February 3rd arrives you really won’t know what to do with yourself.

But let’s cross those off-season bridges when we come to them. For now, we have a GREAT Super Bowl to look forward to and lots of learnin’ to do before then! See you all tomorrow!

Halfway Point : AFC

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We have arrived at the halfway point of the season, which means it’s a good time to reflect on how the first half has gone thus far. It’s also a good time to keep in mind that I’ll be increasingly more despondent with each week that passes, lamenting the fact that the NFL season is going by much too fast.

I mean, HALFWAY. It’s just too soon for that!

At any rate, it’s been a great first half of the season so far. Unless you’re the Jaguars.

AFC EAST

1. New England Patriots (6-2)

The Patriots are ruling the roost once again in the AFC East, despite the fact that almost no one from the original starting roster still plays for the team. Starters? Recognizable names? Hands in the shape of hands? Who needs ’em?!

2. New York Jets (4-4)

The Jets season has been considerably better than anticipated thus far – the all-out demolition the Bengals unleashed this past Sunday notwithstanding. And whenever a Jets season includes a win against the Patriots, it’s a good season. There’s a fair chance Rex Ryan may even earn himself Coach of the Year honors if they keep this up.

3. Miami Dolphins (3-4)

Those three wins came in the first three weeks of the season…a time of joy and optimism that feels so long ago for Dolphins fans.

4. Buffalo Bills (3-5)

I feel like I’ve said this a lot in the past few years…but the Bills aren’t as bad as their record indicates. There is a lot of talent on that roster, and they are consistently “in” games. And, once they get starting QB E.J. Manuel back, they have a chance to develop something special. Probably for next season.

AFC NORTH

1. Cincinnati Bengals (6-2)

That the Bengals two losses have come against the Bears and a legit Browns team and their wins have included outplaying powerhouses like the Patriots and Packers says something about their trajectory for the rest of the season. And having the ultimate clincher, Mike Nugent, at kicker doesn’t hurt either.

 2. Baltimore Ravens (3-4)

In my opinion, the best thing the Ravens have going for them this season is the Mighty Wings commercial, which cracks me up every time. (If you’ve never seen the original NFL Bad Lip Reading do yourself a favor and watch it right now.)

3. Cleveland Browns (3-5)

Remember when the Browns traded their best player and everyone felt like the sky was falling? It seems a sad twist of fate that Cleveland was finally making progress in the AFC North after that and had found a spark at quarterback…and then lost him for the season. Still, this is another group that isn’t (quite) as bad as their record indicates.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-5)

The Steelers are every bit as bad as their record indicates. And if I were Shaun Suisham, I’d probably start running right now. In whichever direction Mike Tomlin is not. (Although, to his credit, he did kick a nice game-winner against the Ravens the week prior.)

AFC SOUTH

1. Indianapolis Colts (5-2)

This Colts defense is scary good. As is Andrew Luck. I picked the Colts as my pre-season Super Bowl pick (against the Seahawks, with the Hawks winning it all) and right now I’m still feeling pretty good about that pick. They might not have the best record in the AFC but they sure do seem to have all of the components of a team poised to go all the way.

2. Tennessee Titans (3-4)

Look for the Titans to build on the good momentum they had going earlier this season before Jake Locker got hurt. Their next two are extremely winnable (at St. Louis and home against the woeful Jags) before they are tasked with facing Indy twice in three weeks to follow.

3. Houston Texans (2-5)

What happened, guys? You used to be so good! But defensive beast J.J. Watt is still so good – SO GOOD! – both on and off the field. He is the hope in Houston.

 4. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-8)

There is no hope in Jacksonville. Only 190 days until the Draft, Jags fans. Hang in there.

AFC WEST

1. Kansas City Chiefs (8-0)

The Chiefs are the only unbeaten team in the NFL right now, and the only team to have gone from dead last the previous year to uncontested first the next. The addition of Andy Reid as head coach and the always-reliable Alex Smith at quarterback seems to have given their crazy talented roster the boost it needed to make the most out of all that talent.

2. Denver Broncos (7-1)

It looks like it’s going to be a fight to the finish between the Chiefs and the Broncos this season. They go head to head on Sunday, November 17th, and, spoiler alert, I can already tell you that will be the Normal Girl Game of the Week. It promises to be a great one!

3. San Diego Chargers (4-3)

The Chargers are far from out of playoff contention, although they will almost certainly have to fight for a wildcard spot if they do get in since this division is all Chiefs and Broncos. The key for the Chargers will be to stop losing games in the second half. It’s uncanny how frequently this happens to them.

4. Oakland Raiders (3-4)

When your quarterback can run a touchdown in from 93 yards out, you’ve got a fighting chance to win games in unconventional ways. Which is the method in which the Raiders might have to win the rest of their games.

Any AFC fans out there? Who’s your team and how do you feel about the season thus far? Playoff predictions? Let’s hear it!

Preseason Lowdown : Complete Roundup

We’ve spent the past four weeks breaking down every team in the NFL. Just in case you missed anything or want to reference a specific post in the future when the preseason predictions come apart at the seams, here’s one last look at every Preseason Lowdown:

AFC EAST

Preseason Lowdown : Buffalo Bills

Preseason Lowdown : Miami Dolphins

Preseason Lowdown : New England Patriots

Preseason Lowdown : New York Jets

AFC NORTH

Preseason Lowdown : Baltimore Ravens

Preseason Lowdown : Cincinnati Bengals

Preseason Lowdown : Cleveland Browns

Preseason Lowdown : Pittsburgh Steelers

AFC SOUTH

Preseason Lowdown : Houston Texans

Preseason Lowdown : Indianapolis Colts

Preseason Lowdown : Jacksonville Jaguars

Preseason Lowdown : Tennessee Titans

AFC WEST

Preseason Lowdown : Denver Broncos

Preseason Lowdown : Kansas City Chiefs

Preseason Lowdown : Oakland Raiders

Preseason Lowdown : San Diego Chargers

NFC EAST

Preseason Lowdown : Dallas Cowboys

Preseason Lowdown : New York Giants

Preseason Lowdown : Philadelphia Eagles

Preseason Lowdown : Washington Redskins

NFC NORTH

Preseason Lowdown : Chicago Bears

Preseason Lowdown : Detroit Lions

Preseason Lowdown : Green Bay Packers

Preseason Lowdown : Minnesota Vikings

NFC SOUTH

Preseason Lowdown : Atlanta Falcons

Preseason Lowdown : Carolina Panthers

Preseason Lowdown : New Orleans Saints

Preseason Lowdown : Tampa Bay Buccaneers

NFC WEST

Preseason Lowdown : Arizona Cardinals

Preseason Lowdown : St. Louis Rams

Preseason Lowdown : San Francisco 49ers

Preseason Lowdown : Seattle Seahawks

Preseason Lowdown Roundup : AFC South and West

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Missed one of the preseason lowdown posts this week? No problem! Here’s a roundup of everything we covered:

Preseason Lowdown : Houston Texans

Preseason Lowdown : Indianapolis Colts

Preseason Lowdown : Jacksonville Jaguars

Preseason Lowdown : Tennessee Titans

Preseason Lowdown : Denver Broncos

Preseason Lowdown : Kansas City Chiefs

Preseason Lowdown : Oakland Raiders

Preseason Lowdown : San Diego Chargers

Looking for the AFC East and North? Here’s last week’s roundup. Want to earn your History Buff badge? Check out these divisional breakdown posts from last year (which also make for an interesting read if you’re wondering how preseason predictions pan out – spoiler alert: not so well).

See you all next week for the NFC East and North (!!!).

Preseason Lowdown Roundup : AFC East and North

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It’s been so good to return to normal around here. If you missed any of this week’s Preseason Lowdown posts, here’s the roundup:

Preseason Lowdown : Buffalo Bills

Preseason Lowdown : Miami Dolphins

Preseason Lowdown : New England Patriots

Preseason Lowdown : New York Jets

Preseason Lowdown : Baltimore Ravens

Preseason Lowdown : Cincinnati Bengals

Preseason Lowdown : Cleveland Browns

Preseason Lowdown : Pittsburgh Steelers

ALSO:

If you find yourself needing a refresher on something specific before the season gets underway, be sure to check out the Sitemap to quickly find what you’re looking for! All of the posts are laid out clearly and organized by category. From advanced to basics to definitions to teams and beyond, you’ll find a whole heap of information from previous posts.

Looking for something that isn’t in a previous post? Tell me! Leave a comment on this post or shoot me an email. I’d love to learn more about your question and answer it in an upcoming post.

Hope everyone is having a great Friday! See you all next week for the lowdown on AFC South and West.