Pigskin Bloggers

AFC Championship Game

Bolts Blog:”You NE fans all quiet till the end…then pop. No big rips this game. Difference…bottom line. FG’s to TD’s. Charger proud.”

Agganis Lives: “You better have bought a round for the D at the postgame party, Tom. They bailed you out big on the Chargers; remaining two possessions.”

Coztanza’s Commentary: “Throughout the season, many pundits noted New England’s lack of a running game as a potential weakness. It was really all part of Bill Belichick’s master plan. A year ago, the Pats rode Lawrence Maroney too hard during the regular season, and he wore down. He was ineffective against the Colts and the Chargers in the Playoffs. This year Belichick knew that he had the talent to rely exclusively on the pass in the early going with good weather. He made sure to keep Maroney fresh almost to an extreme for bad New England weather in January. It sure paid dividends in the AFC Playoffs as Maroney had a pair of 100 yard games.”

NFC Championship Game

Big Blue Notes: “Eli Manning has taken a lot of crap from a lot of people about his play. Criticism was certainly just, but there were people who had given up on him. In the three biggest games of his life he has played his best football. He hasn’t put up his best stats, but he has played his best football. That deserves respect, something Eli Manning has never gotten from his supporters nor his detractors. I have been critical of our quarterback like many fans have. I saw physical talent, but always worried about his toughness. I won’t worry any more. Winning three playoff games on the road, the last in conditions not suited for any sport aside from ice fishing, is plenty tough.”

Agganis Lives: “Kicking a ball 47 yards in below-zero chill has to be like kicking a brick. Tynes is no Pro Bowler, but if we’re discussing a top 10 greatest clutch kicks in NFL history, he’s earned a place in that discussion. That high snap on the last-second try in regulation left him without much of a chance, and how Coughlin could woof at him after the near miss from 43…wouldn’t blame Tynes if he’d told Coughlin to talk to the hand.”

Coztanza’s Commentary: “In the NFC we saw bad Brett Favre rear his ugly head. Any observer could sense that something bad was about to occur. Green Bay could not run the ball, and the Giants were having great success moving it against the Packers defense. These conditions were tailor made for Favre to try and do too much. We saw this recklessness in recent years with overmatched Green Bay teams. Favre decides that he has to be the hero, and his fearless gunslinger mentality shines through.”