Just When You Thought You Knew the NFL Playoffs........

by Anthony Defeo on Jan 15, 2012 10:52 PM EST

Last weekend, everyone thought they knew that the Steelers would go to Denver and take care of business against the Broncos in the wild card game last Sunday evening. Tim Tebow simply wouldn't have a chance against the league's number one defense. The Broncos were 8-8 and had no real business being in the playoffs in the first place. The 12-4 Steelers could just set a date for the following Saturday night against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium.

316 Tim Tebow passing yards later, the Steelers were stunned and out of the first round of the playoffs.

A lot of people thought they knew that the Saints were playing better football than anyone in the league down the stretch, and even though they had to go to Candlestick Park to take on the 49ers in the divisional playoffs Saturday afternoon, the odds makers suggested that New Orleans was the better team. And since it's an offensive league, and the '9ers were led by quarterback Alex Smith, Drew Brees held the ring and the passing records, and the better quarterback would prevail.

Brees did throw for 462 yards, but the Saints turned the football over five times, and the 49ers led most of the game. Even though Brees did lead the Saints on two late touchdown drives, Smith turned out to be the hero as he matched Brees touchdown drive for touchdown drive in the closing moments, including the game-winning pass to Vernon Davis with nine seconds remaining.

Everyone thought they knew that the 49ers would be traveling to Lambeau Field next Sunday to take on the defending champion Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game. The Packers finished the year 15-1, and no way were the New York Giants, who were 9-7 in the regular season, going to end the Packers' bid for a second straight Lombardi. The home teams won the first seven games of the postseason, and the Packers would Lambeau leap that number to a perfect 8 for 8.

Well, the Giants not only won, but they dominated pretty much from start to finish as they took care of Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, 37-20, and are headed to Candlestick Park for the NFC Championship Game. You think we Steelers fans were feeling pretty down last Sunday, imagine how the Cheeseheads are feeling right about now. They thought they knew homefield advantage. Not against the G-Men in recent playoff meetings.

I think I know that the Patriots will take care of the Ravens in the AFC Title Game, and that, unfortunately, Jim Harbaugh will make it to the Super Bowl, but I'm not counting on anything.

I don't know crap.

Tweet Comment 17 comments | Add comment | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Go Giants!

Every other team sucks.

"If you havin' dragon problems I feel bad for you son, I got 99 arrows but my knee took one."

by Riddlah. on Jan 15, 2012 10:53 PM EST reply actions

I hate everyone in the playoffs except the Giants

But I hate Brady and the Pats like no other. I am now having to wish for the damn Ravens in the SB against the Giants with the Giants winning. That scenario isn’t great either as Eli will then have as many rings as BB.

by Majabe on Jan 15, 2012 11:49 PM EST reply actions

100% agree.

Stay thirsty my friends.

by SteelerMessican on Jan 16, 2012 8:15 AM EST up reply actions

I don't hate the 49ers...yet

and for some odd reason the Harbaugh there doesn’t irritate me nearly as much as his brother. Maybe because he really IS a great coach. Basically the same team as last year, and he’s playing to go to the SB. Not only that, but I fully expect him to win it. What he’s done with A. Smith is nothing short of a miracle. Nobody would have expected him to make that player into a franchise QB, but that is starting to look like the case.

For me, the 49ers are kind of like they were back when Walsh took over. Losers who are starting to play good football. I’ll reserve my hate for them until they become a problem yearly.

by lkwdsteel on Jan 17, 2012 12:54 PM EST up reply actions

Trent Dilfer won a Super Bowl...

…and NOBODY ever called him a franchise quarterback, before, during, or afterwards.

Don’t annoint A. Smith yet as the second coming of Peyton; he made the throws any decent quarterback would, and should make.

The Niners of 2011 are Singletary’s team, which he assembled; he lost them through his coaching style. Their success should not be layed totally on the shoulders of Younger Whinebaugh, though I do give him credit for rescuing A. Smith from the mental hell he had been inhabiting.

United we Stand, melded like Steel
To Roger Goodell, We'll never Yield.

by PaVaSteeler on Jan 17, 2012 3:17 PM EST up reply actions

I didn't mean to annoint him

but the improvement he made this year compared to last. If he can build on it, then the 49ers will be in the hunt for a while. That is a young and scary team.

by lkwdsteel on Jan 27, 2012 12:14 PM EST up reply actions

I would really like the Niners if it weren't for their coach and the fact that they have 5 SBs

That said, I will pull for them or the Giants over either AFC team.

Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever
-Napoleon Bonaparte

There’s a lot of stuff we wouldn’t have to clean up if the city provided basic human rights, like a Port-A-Potty.
-OWS Protester

Cornell University Class of 2014

by LV Steelers Fan on Jan 16, 2012 12:15 AM EST reply actions

We still know the one truth...

Defense still wins championships.

by JDSpartan on Jan 16, 2012 12:55 AM EST reply actions

this

all i asked for after we were kicked out is that the super bowl wouldnt be won by a team in the mold of the packers or saints. and so far i havent been dissapointed

by hasay on Jan 16, 2012 5:20 AM EST up reply actions

Actually we know no such thing

While it is a good thing for those of us who like defensive football, that three of the final four teams are very good defensively. Let us not forget that the fourth team remaining is the one handpicked by the commissioner for success in this league. Should a defensive minded team win again this season, then I fear even further rules limiting the ability of a defense to be effective while continuing to give unprecedented advantage to the offenses in the league. This game has already changed too much from when I was a youngster. At the current rate, we’ll be watching a glorified Arena Football League game in the NFL very, very soon.

by King Coebra on Jan 16, 2012 8:46 AM EST up reply actions

the 4th team is there because the Broncos are not a good team

The fact that they beat us doesn’t change that. I don’t know if the Ravens will win or not, but I can see either the 49ers or Giants beating them (especially San Fran).

by lkwdsteel on Jan 17, 2012 12:51 PM EST up reply actions

I dont know. Other than the Texans/Ravens game the rest were pretty high scoring affairs.

by axiomatic on Jan 16, 2012 10:55 AM EST up reply actions

agree

go giants, love the way their D is playing right now and they got Bradshaw and Jacobs healthy again. Jacobs reminds me of a taller Bettis. Plus, they remind me of the 05 steelers winning on the road and no one giving them a chance.

by lamberts58 on Jan 16, 2012 2:11 AM EST reply actions

but their first game was at home

by GDEUCE on Jan 16, 2012 5:22 AM EST up reply actions

this is looking like a revenge season for the Pats

Defeating teams that knocked them out in recent years. As long as those teams keep winning, the pats will keep winning. Looking like a Pats 17-13 victory over NYG. The only way this doesn’t happen is if 9ers win. The football gods cannot be any clearer on this and this sucks. Brady worship will ascend to an alltime high.

Stay thirsty my friends.

by SteelerMessican on Jan 16, 2012 8:24 AM EST reply actions

I am fearing a Harbaugh Super Bowl

I can easily see the Ravens beating the Patsies. I can also see the Niners taking care of the Giants….. I would not be surprised at any outcome this weekend….. I just see that Pats as having a major flaw and the other 3 teams capable of playing great defense and running the ball with authority.

by imike29 on Jan 16, 2012 3:31 PM EST reply actions

Every year it's the same thing from the media

they fall in love with the prolific offensive teams – but fail to grasp that a great offense means nothing if your defense is horrible. 2 out of 3 of the “dream” teams are gone, and the Pats are next on the list. They will lose, if not to the Ravens then definitely to the 49ers or Giants.

You can’t get away with having a horrible defense when the playoffs roll around. A good defense can slow down a great offense, but a bad defense can make a mediocre offense look great. The Packers never did solve their pass defense this year – and by averaging 300+ yards per game given up, it was a matter of time before it burned them. The Giants played well, but they had loads of help from a Packers defense that was just plain awful.

As for the Broncos over the Steelers – props to Denver for beating us, but if we had the ability to rotate D-linemen that game instead of having to crowd the line of scrimmage to stop the run, then I can’t see them doing that damage through the air. I live in Denver, and even the Bronco fans I’ve talked to were amazed at how lucky they’ve been at catching teams at just the right time. If both teams were healthy, not even the most die hard of them thinks they would have won. That luck ran out against a healthy Pats team. The Steelers need to make changes next year, but not because they haven’t the talent to win it all. They must make changes because some of the key players have aged to the point where health is less likely than being injured.

by lkwdsteel on Jan 17, 2012 12:46 PM EST reply actions