Ballgame’s Points

Something interesting happened this year. I stopped writing about my team. Because the Patriots’ season (of redemption) was derailed — by Bernard Pollard or Kevin Faulk or karma itself — before it had a chance to get rolling, I simply couldn’t bring myself to reprise my role as a de facto Pats [Read More...]

Before we jump into championship Sunday let’s set the record straight: Vegas definitely knew something the rest of us didn’t last weekend. About Arizona. And yes, about Carolina. On a weekend when there were three road underdogs with realistic chances to win outright (that would have been Baltimore, Philadelphia and San Diego…), oddsmakers had Carolina favored [Read More...]

A few leftover thoughts from wild-card weekend… It seems many were underwhelmed with Philadelphia’s win in Minnesota, citing Donovan McNabb’s turnovers and Andy Reid’s play calling. Fact is the Eagles registered a 12-point win on the road in the playoffs and McNabb consistently moved the ball even though the Vikings run defense stifled Brian Westbrook [Read More...]

As we draw closer to the start of the 2008 NFL playoffs, two facts are evident: 1) there is no clear Super Bowl favorite, 2) four road favorites in the wild-card round is unprecedented. In other words, buckle up. The wackiest and most unpredictable regular season this decade is about to enter do-or-die mode, and [Read More...]

What a season. The Falcons and Dolphins rose from the ashes to win 11 games a piece and make the playoffs. 11 wins for the Patriots wasn’t good enough to get in. New England became the first team to miss the tournament with an 11-5 record since the league expanded the playoff format to [Read More...]

You can call the NFL schedule makers prophetic or merely lucky, but they got it right this year. Week 16 of the 2008 slate features three games of great importance — Steelers-Titans, Panthers-Giants and Ravens-Cowboys. Each will go a long way towards sewing up the playoff picture, and all are shaping up to [Read More...]

With the Giants falling, the Panthers and Steelers rising, and Tennessee leading us to believe the Jets game was an aberration, there is a logjam of championship-caliber teams at the top of the poll. Check it out. 1. Tennessee Titans (12-1) The Titans have responded well since the Jets disaster, pounding the Lions and [Read More...]

Usually at this point in this season — 12 games down and four to go for each team — most division races are heating up. Not this year. In the NFC, the Giants have home-field throughout the playoffs secured while the Cardinals are already preparing for a home game in the first round, courtesy of [Read More...]

Everyone prepare yourselves. The first seismic shakeup in the power poll has occurred. This comes on the heels of a wild Week 12 that included the unbeaten Titans getting rocked by the Jets, continued resurgences in Dallas and Indianapolis, and a return of the Patriot air assault. The result? A marked [Read More...]

Anyone who doesn’t pay for Showtime is sleeping on — hands down — the best football show out there: Inside the NFL. Each week James Brown hosts (and mediates) a forum of Phil Simms, Chris Collinsworth and the inimitable Warren Sapp. The show, formerly of HBO, accomplishes everything NFL fans are looking for on a [Read More...]