Big Win Tuesday. Now, Will the Jets Make a Move?

Posted on February 2, 2012 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment
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Ondrej Pavelec makes another huge save.

TAMPA — Tuesday night in Philadelphia, the Winnipeg Jets won a huge hockey game.

In fact, when Bryan Little scored the shootout winner, it was more than just a win in the 51st game of a long season. It might have been the most important win of 2012.

For 65 minutes on Tuesday, the Winnipeg Jets went toe-to-toe one more time with the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Centre and for the third time this season the Winnipegs emerged victorious. Chris Thorburn scored his first goal of the year in regulation time (and it was a goal scorer’s goal); Little fired the only goal of the shootout; Blake Wheeler played 23 minutes, had five shots on goal and was an absolute beast; and Ondrej Pavelec made 27 saves as the Jets beat the Flyers for the third consecutive time.

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Blake Wheeler playing like a beast.

“That was a big two points for us,” Jets head coach Claude Noel said after the game. “We were wearing down in the third period, but we found a way to win the game.”

It’s true. A Jets team without Dustin Byfuglien, Alexander Burmistov and Evander Kane did wear down in the third period, but they played well enough defensively to hang in long enough and get the bonus point in a shootout. For the first two periods, however, the Jets actually outplayed the Flyers in Philly and they definitely deserved that extra point.

However, they still can’t score. The Jets have scored only 21 goals in 13-plus (counting overtime) games in 2012, but if they continue to check as well as they did against the Flyers on Tuesday, they’ll win a lot more games than they lose.

So here’s the deal with the trade deadline just three weeks away: as they head into Tampa tonight, the Jets are 23rd overall in goals scored at 2.47 per game. The team’s leading scorer, Blake Wheeler, has nine goals and 33 points. He is 87th in scoring in the NHL. The team’s leading goal scorer, Evander Kane, has 18 and is tied for 29th in the NHL but was in the midst of a 10-game goal scoring drought when he suffered a concussion and was lost indefinitely.

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Evander Kane's return will help.

The Jets have scored 126 goals in 51 games this season. Within the Eastern Conference, only the Islanders (120 in 49) and Sabres (120 in 51) have scored fewer. Of course, while the Jets have 126 total, they scored nine in one game against Philadelphia. The Jets are actually one game away from being the lowest-scoring team in the Eastern Conference. As a group the Jets are also a minus-18.

In the month of January, the Jets went 4-8-1. To date, the Jets are 23-22-6 on the season. Last season, as the Atlanta Thrashers, they were 23-19-9 after 51 games. In 13-plus games (counting two overtimes) this month, the Jets have scored a meagre 21 goals.

Now, to be fair, they played part of the month without Kane, Zach Bogosian and Alex Burmistrov and they played the entire month without their all-star, Dustin Byfuglien. At the start of the season, everyone knew this team was thin, but January has proven that little nugget beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Now it’s February and it starts tonight here in Tampa. It has become quite clear that the Jets need scoring help. This is not a team that takes nights off. It’s work ethic is pretty much beyond reproach. Still, the people who run this team know it can’t score. And it becomes especially weak up front when certain players — like Byfuglien, Kane and Burmistrov — go down with injuries.

So as the 2012 trade deadline looms (Feb. 27), what should Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff and his brain trust do? Does he move his veteran grinders and build for the future? Or does he deal prospects and draft picks, try to find a scorer and take a run at the playoffs?

Right now, the Jets could use three things:

1. A scorer, obviously, but that’s not an easy thing to acquire. For example, if Ryan Getzlaff or Bobby Ryan are actually available in Anaheim, who could the Jets trade to get them? Who would interest a team like the Ducks? Making trades are an art AND a science and big ones don’t just happen over a glass of cognac at the all-star break. We are not naive enough to believe these trades are made easily. You have to give to get and the asking price just might be too much.

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Designated Fighter Chris Thorburn.

2. A tough guy. The Jets don’t always open up enough space for the guys who can put the puck in the net. They’re also at a point where they need Chris Thorburn and Mark Stuart to fight for them. Yes, yes, we all want fighting eliminated from hockey, blah, blah, blah, but the fact is, fighting has not been eliminated and the Jets don’t have a guy who can stop a player like Shawn Thornton of the Bruins from running their goalies and pounding the crap out of defensemen they need in the lineup. They also need a guy who can drop the gloves on the road, win a fight without getting hurt, not hurt the team’s skill level by being in the box for five minutes and give the club a pick-me-up.

3. Depth. Two injuries and this team can’t recover. The Pittsburgh Penguins have the personnel to stay in the hunt without Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang. The Jets lose Dustin Byfuglien and Zach Bogosian and it’s downhill all the way.

When the team arrived in Winnipeg at the start of the 2011-12 season, Cheveldayoff and company made it clear that the new organization would be patient. They would not do anything rash and would build with youth and draft picks. After all, they have 3-5 years of sold-out buildings and they know their fans will also be patient and wait for them to build a legitimate contender.

Trouble is, they’ve talked all year about making the playoffs. The two aren’t necessarily exclusive, but…

Posted By: Scott Taylor on February 2, 2012.
*Views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions of River City Sports.

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Why I’m Betting the Pats on Sunday

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Scott Taylor| 2 Comments
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Tom Brady

I believe Tom Brady is a winner. It’s not a lot more complicated than that.

I’m not sure the New York Giants can cover Brady’s tight ends and I don’t think the New England Patriots’ defense is as “bad” as the experts at ESPN tend to think.

And that’s at the heart of why I’m placing my money at the sports book at the Mirage in Las Vegas on the Pats.

Super Bowl XLVI will be much more than just a football game. For one thing, next Sunday’s battle will be indoors and that means weather won’t have anything to do with the outcome. Not that it favored one team over the other anyway – both teams play outdoors in the Northeast – but it means that skills won’t be compromised or even eliminated by cold, rain, wind or snow.

This is also a revenge game and there isn’t any greater motivation than revenge. Both coaches and both quarterbacks competed against each other in Super Bowl XLII. However, there will be no Michael Strahan back this time to get Brady out of his rhythm. The Giants beat the Patriots 17-14 in 2008. The Patriots are still steaming over that one.

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Justin Tuck

However, to be fair, the Giants defense is still formidable and it will be up to the Pats offensive line to try and find a way to shut down Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck and Jason Pierre-Paul.

“Look at ’07. That was pretty much the reason why we were in the game, because we kept him off-rhythm,” Tuck told a news conference in East Rutherford, N.J. on Saturday. “Obviously he is the main reason why they are successful.

“The way to kill the snake is to take off his head. The way to kill an offence as potent as that one is making sure you take care of Brady. Our defensive front will put a lot of pressure on itself to make sure that we do our best to get after him.”

It’s obvious to the Giants that this year’s Super Bowl is all about the Pats quarterback. He’s either going to win it or the Giants D-Line is going to win it and as good as the Giants have been the past two weeks, I still like Brady.

This time, however, the Patriots aren’t 18-0 heading into the Super Bowl. They’re 15-3 and they know what it’s like to lose. Although in Brady’s case, losing hasn’t come very often. His playoff record is 16-5 and he’s tied with Joe Montana for most career playoff wins.

Need more reasons?

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Aaron Hernandez: Can the Giants cover the Pats tight ends?

Super Bowl XLVI will be the fifth time Brady and his head coach Bill Belichick have appeared together in the Super Bowl, They have already won three times.

This season, Brady was second overall to Drew Brees in passing yards with 5,235. He was second to Aaron Rodgers in yards per completion at 8.6 yards per catch. He was fourth in passing percentage behind Brees, Rodgers, and Tony Romo(?) at 65.6 per cent. He completed 401 passes in 611 attempts. He was third behind Brees and Matthew Stafford in number of completions.

Now there has been talk that Brady is nursing an injury. The training staff say it’s an injury to the non-passing shoulder, but the way he missed some of his targets in the AFC Championship game (and I will concede that he was lucky to win that one), I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d been hurt much worse than the club’s medical staff let on.

Still, he survived the championship game with a 23-20 victory and even he will admit that he has struggled in the last four or five Pats playoff games. However, he says he’ll be at his best in the biggest game of the year.

“You try to be at your very best in the biggest game,” Brady said in his final news conference before heading off to Indy. “My teammates really count on that. Certainly, I count on that. There’s a lot of preparation that goes into that.

“Playing with confidence and anticipation and understanding the game plan and going out and executing it when it matters the most. That’s what it’s going to take.”

When you set out to lay your money down at a Vegas book – or even on a Sport Select ticket in Canada – you try to take every fact and intangible into consideration. When I look at the Giants I see a team that wasn’t very good during the regular season but has peaked in the playoffs. I see a terrific quarterback (Eli Manning) with a Super Bowl championship on his resume, a pair of efficient runningbacks (Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs) and a big-play receiver (Victor Cruz) who can change a game. I also see a sensational defense that’s at the top of its game.

But I don’t see Tom Brady and to me, he will be the difference next Sunday.

lombardi trophy Why Im Betting the Pats on Sunday

The Prize

We’ve had a great year in 2011-12 and I figure this wager will just top it off. The Doc and The Coach will have their picks and, of course, all of their rationalizations here at RC Sports Blog on Thursday.

So here’s the deal: The NFC champion New York Giants will meet the AFC champion New England Patriots for the National Football League Championship and the Vince Lombardi Trophy at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis at 5 p.m. CST this coming Sunday.

When it starts and ends my money will be on the favorite (3 points) New England Patriots to win 35-27.

Posted By: Scott Taylor on January 31, 2012.
*Views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions of River City Sports.

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The Week That Was…

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Scott Taylor| 1 Comment

It’s been a crazier week than normal in the World of Sports. It’s time to weigh in on the seemingly non-stop lunacy:

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Tim Thomas

1) Tim Thomas didn’t join his team when the Boston Bruins were honored at the White House this past week.

The guy is free to do what he pleases but it cannot be argued that he put his political views ahead of his teammates.

In the meantime, I don’t need to say anything about Tim Thomas. I’ll leave that to American goaltender Cory Schneider, a one-time popular member of the old Manitoba Moose:

“I have no problem with his personal beliefs, but [Thomas] can suck it up for an hour, say, ‘hi,’ and be with the team, and avoid all of this,” Schneider told The Vancouver Province.

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Cory Schneider

Schneider, who hails from Marblehead, Mass., and played collegiately at Boston College told The Province that he believes Thomas “should be more appreciative of the opportunities he’s been given by playing in the United States.”

“Respect the [presidency],” Schneider said. “He plays for Team USA and he has no problem making millions of dollars in the USA, but he can’t go say ‘hi’ to the President? You get a lot of benefits living in the U.S. and he should have a little bit of respect for that.

“It’s about putting your own agenda aside to do something with the team whether you like the guy or not.” 

2) I guess you can call it “The NHL All-Star Game” if you want to, but here in Winnipeg, anyone who watches it will probably be watching it on a dare. With not one single Winnipeg Jets player in the game to go with the fact Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Nick Lidstrom, Jonathan Toews, Teemu Selanne, Ilya Kovalchuk, Brad Richards, Loui Eriksson, Patrik Elias, Marty St. Louis, Nicklas Backstrom, Vinny Lecavalier, Bobby Ryan and Anze Kopitar were either not chosen or are just not participating (for whatever reason), this is an “All-Star Game” in name only.

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Nick Lidstrom: All-Stars? Anyone?

When you’ve reached the point that one-hit wonders like Jamie Benn, Jason Pominville, Alexander Edler(?), Dion Phaneuf (gawd, the voting is stupid), Logan Couture and Dan Girardi are all-stars and there is not ONE Winnipeg Jet, this game is a misnomer. The fact it will be a no-hit 14-12 afternoon of pond hockey doesn’t even matter anymore. If there aren’t all-stars or a player in the game from every team, what’s the point?

Oh, I know, all it is is an excuse for NHL executives to have a party. I get that. Still…

Here in Winnipeg, people just can’t understand the NHL’s stupidity: Or, if nothing else, the NHL’s inability to grasp a feel-good story.

When it comes to the Jets, the NHL dropped the ball on this one. Frankly, the Jets should have had a whole line at the all-star game in Ottawa. The Return of the Jets to Canada was the feel-good sports story of the year in this country and if the NHL wanted to milk a feel-good story, it should have had a few Jets for the international media to talk to at the mid-winter classic.

Now they can just talk to real all-stars like Alex Ovechkin, Teemu Selanne, Jonathan Toews, Ilya Kovalchuk and Sidney Crosby. Oh yeah, they aren’t there either.

Like always, the NHL missed a great PR opportunity because as happens far too often, the NHL still doesn’t know a really good story when one steps on its throat.

In the meantime, the NHL has another problem, a credibility problem. Regardless of how they want to spin it, the NHL would have a better “all-star” game if, say, somebody invited those players who chose NOT to go to Ottawa, to appear for big money in Vegas or New York or L.A. on the weekend. Now that would have been a game.

Meanwhile, other than a nice excuse to have a small mid-season convention in a member city, the 2012 “No-Star Game,” is a sad joke.

And here is what makes it truly sad: The ONLY thing the media has talked about for two days is which player would be selected last when the teams are picked. That’s it. That’s all they got.

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Arizona's Platinum Uniforms

3) Nike, which did wonders with the University of Oregon Ducks uniform this year (Man, I loved those Rose Bowl helmets), has now turned its attention to college basketball.

These unis are called “Hyper Elite Platinum,” and they will be worn by Connecticut, Kentucky, Duke, Florida, Syracuse, Arizona and NorthCarolina. They’re different and kind of fun and they’ll look pretty decent on national TV.

Here is the schedule for when these uniforms will be worn:  UConn vs. Notre Dame (1/29), Kentucky vs. Tennessee (1/31), Duke vs. Maryland (2/11), Florida vs. Tennessee (2/11), Syracuse vs. USF (2/22), Arizona vs. UCLA (2/25) and UNC vs. Maryland (2/29).

I like them. Once.

Posted By: Scott Taylor on January 26, 2012.
*Views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions of River City Sports.

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Wondering What 162-0 Might Feel Like

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment
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From MLB

Yes, it was a shocker. Even for those of us who live and die with every Detroit Tigers pitch, swing and off-field transaction.

Yesterday, in a deal that involved not only general manager David Dombrowski but also owner Mike Illitch, the Tigers announced that they had signed free agent Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder to a nine-year $214 million contract.

Major League Baseball called it the fourth richest contract of all time.

With the signing, the Tigers can now do various things with their batting order and fielding alignment. They can use Fielder and Miguel Cabrera as co-first-basemen.co-designated hitters. Fielder plays 81 games and is the DH for 81 games and vice-versa.

Or they can play Fielder at first, move Cabrera back to third (his original position) and go and find another DH such as Vladimir Guererro or Johnny Damon, to replace the injured Victor Martinez. Of course, as Harold Reynolds suggested on MLB Network last night, there is no reason Cabrera couldn’t play leftfield as he did in his last season with the Marlins.

Regardless, this makes the middle of the Tigers batting order massive. After all, Fielder once hit a home run to the upper deck at old Tiger Stadium — when he was a 12-year-old goofing around with his dad, Cecil.

I guess we’ll go out and have a Little Caesar’s Pizza to celebrate. And help Illitch pay the bills.

Wow, I always wondered what 162-0 might feel like.

Just kidding. Jeesh. 160-2.

Posted By: Scott Taylor on January 24, 2012.
*Views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions of River City Sports.

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10 Things on My Mind After a Sunday on the Couch…

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

When you spend an afternoon watching football on television — oh, my gawd, I’ve just spent a month of them — you think about crazy stuff.

Like did CTV finally put the Olympic rings on its logo bug in the corner of the screen? Did it finally occur to them that this is and Olympic year? Or, how in hell can a referee come to the conclusion that Ahmad Bradshaw didn’t fumble with 2:21 to play on his own 20 yard line? I guess, a referee that blew his whistle w-a-a-a-a-y too soon.

Those are the things you think about when a game takes almost 4 1/2 hours to play.

In fact, I wrote down 10 of the things I was thinking about…

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Steven Tyler

1. How can Steven Tyler be a judge on American Idol when he can’t sing a lick? I guess the same way Mike Milbury can pass judgment on the job being done by an actual working NHL general manager after Milbury himself destroyed two franchises — and one, the Islanders, still hasn’t recovered. It has nothing to with his ability to sing. It has everything to do with the fact he passes judgment on other people.

2. Did I miss something? Did Joe Flacco not outplay Tom Brady by about a mile and a half? Damn, Flacco was good yesterday.

3. Was Brady hurt more than anyone would let on and while the Patriots said it was his non-throwing shoulder, when he missed a wide-open Rob Gronkowski by 20 feet, it looked as if he had bigger problems than that.

4. Boy is young Winnipeg Jets star Evander Kane getting beaten up this week. He really must have done something to piss off a city that is so madly in love with its Jets that, when you actually think about it, not one of them could possibly do anything wrong. I’m not sure Kane did anything at all, but suddenly people all over Winnipeg are convinced he did.

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Ahmad Bradshaw

5. Just watched the replay of the Bradshaw fumble again. It was a fumble. Sorry. In fact, that call was so bad it looked like the fix was in. I’m sure the officials can find a way to justify it with the old “quick whistle” excuse but I agree with Niners coach Jim Harbaugh: “It looked like a fumble,” Harbaugh told Comcast SportsNet Bay Area. “Every play that happened in the game except that one was played out to the conclusion of the play.” That call was just horrible. Maybe the officials just believed that after they screwed the Giants twice in Green Bay last week, it was time to make it up. There had to be some reason.

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Dwight Howard

6. Guess the Orlando Magic aren’t thinking about trading Dwight Howard anymore. At 11-4, the Magic are the No. 2 team in the East, a half a game ahead of Miami. Meanwhile, Howard is averaging 20.2 points and 16 rebounds a game. I wouldn’t trade him either.

7. The best thing that happened this week to the rest of MLB’s American League? The Texas Rangers paid $52 million to negotiate with Yu Darvish and then $60 million over six years to sign him. Now they say they’ve pulled out of the Prince Fielder Sweepstakes. If I were the Tigers or the Yankees or the Angels, I’d fear Prince Fielder — especially in a lineup that already boasts Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz, Ian Kinzler, Adrian Beltre and Michael Young — a lot more than a Japanese pitcher who just might be the next Diasuke Matsuzaka, or maybe even Hideki Irabu.

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Tiger

8. Flipped over to watch the golf tournament from PGA West on Sunday and dozed off. Can’t wait for Tiger to show up at Pebble Beach on Feb. 6. At least there will be something to watch. Man golf is dull without Woods. Of course, we should be OK this week. The Golf Channel should have plenty of coverage from Abu Dhabi where Tiger opens his 2012 season.

9. Even though he said, “You don’t have to worry about me jumping off a ledge,” I still feel sorry for Baltimore Ravens kicker, Billy Cundiff. Missing a 32-yard field goal at the NFL level (whether it’s to send a game to overtime or was just pooched sometime in the first quarter) has to make you sick to your stomach. Not surprisingly, I got three Facebook messages which essentially read: “The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have announced the signing of kicker Billy Cundiff.”

10. Speaking of the Bombers, many Winnipeg football fans are upset that the Bombers haven’t done anything at all to get better this off-season. Why worry? They didn’t do anything at all last winter and they went to the Grey Cup.

Posted By: Scott Taylor on January 23, 2012.
*Views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions of River City Sports.

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Our NHL All-Star Break Award Winners

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment
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Alex Ovechkin

It could be argued that Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin are the two most talented players in all of hockey.

But of course, Crosby has been out for almost an entire year with a concussion and Ovechkin, although he’s trying to change his game, hasn’t quite come to grips with his coaches’ demand for a more defensive approach to the sport.

As a result, for different reasons, hockey’s two greatest talents have been missing.

For fans and fantasy players, that’s not great news. For other players, however, it’s an opportunity to step up, score some goals, become leaders and make a name. One man’s disappointment is always another man’s opportunity.

As a result, a whole collection of new, young stars has risen to the top in the National Hockey League this season. Names that might not have been well known a year or two ago are now getting the respect that their coaches, teammates and a whole lot of scouts believed they always deserved or, at least, would earn.

nhlasg2012logo Our NHL All Star Break Award WinnersWe’re now just a week away from the NHL’s Mid-Winter Classic, the All-Star Game in Ottawa. At that game, you will no doubt be introduced to a number of young players who could, one day, take up the mantle that has been left virtually untouched since Crosby’s injury.

You will no doubt also recall some old names that have been stars in this league and are clearly stars once again. The one thing that this year’s all-star game will bring clearly to mind is the names of the players who should be honored at the end of the 2011-12 season.

In order to set you up for the big game in Ottawa, here’s a look at the players who should be honored at the mythical midway point of the campaign. These are our seven major award winners for the opening half.

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Evgeni Malkin

The Hart Trophy, Most Valuable Player: Our winner is Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins and our runners up are Claude Giroux of the Philadelphia Flyers and Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers. nhl.com gave us a pretty clear outline of what Malkin has done in order to almost single-handedly keep the banged-up Penguins in the heart of the Stanley Cup playoff race:

“Since Crosby exited the lineup on Dec. 5, the Penguins have limped to a 9-9-0 record in his absence. If not for the heroics of Malkin things could be a whole lot worse. In those 18 games without Crosby — and not to mention Kris Letang one of the NHL’s best offensive defenseman who returned to the lineup after a two-month absence on Thursday — Malkin has 15 goals and 15 assists. He has factored in 30 of the Penguins’ 53 goals during that time (56.6 percent) and has been on the ice for a whopping 34 (69.8 percent) goals during that stretch.”

Malkin has also taken over as the NHL’s scoring leader (54 points) and he’s kept the Penguins within the Top 6 in the Eastern Conference.

Our runners-up are Giroux who is more responsible than anyone in that Flyers lineup for keeping Philly in the Top 5 in the East and Lundqvist, because the Rangers have 62 points and are first in the East for only one reason: goaltending. 

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Henrik Lundqvist

The Vezina Trophy, the Best Goaltender: Well, if he’s almost the MVP, Henrik Lundqvist is certainly the best goalie. The runners-up are Jonathan Quick and Jimmy Howard.

Lundqvist has played 34 games and has a 1.93 goals against average to go with his .936 save percentage. He’s 20-10-4 and has saved the first-place Rangers on more than one occasion.

Howard has played 39 games and is 28-10-1 with a 1.98 goals against average and .926 save percentage while Quick is 20-11-9 with a 1.92 GAA and a save percentage of .934. Frankly, if the Rangers aren’t first in the East and Lundqvist doesn’t make so many game-saving stops, I’d look at Quick as the best goalie in the game this year.

Of course, there is also that two-headed monster in Boston. Tuukka Rask is 11-4-1 in 16 games with a 1.61 GAA and a .946 save percentage while Tim Thomas is 19-9-0 in 30 games with a 2.02 GAA and a .936 save percentage. Turn those two guys into one and you have the best goalie in the world.

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Adam Larsson

The Calder Trophy, Rookie of the Year: There are three players I love for this award at the midway point of the year. Edmonton’s Ryan Nugent-Hopkins leads all rookie scorers with 13 goals and 22 assists. Adam Henrique in New Jersey is next with 13 goals and 21 assists. And then there is New Jersey’s Adam Larsson, a big, powerful defenseman who is logging 22-25 minutes a game.

If I had to vote today, Larsson would get my vote. It’s tough enough to learn to become a regular defenseman in the NHL. Larsson, the No. 4 pick overall last spring, has not only learned, he’s instantly become one of the best rearguards on a defensive minded team. In fact, he’s the No. 1 defenseman in the Devils lineup right now.

At 6-foot-3, 210-pounds he has all the tools to play the position but the fact he can skate, hit and clear the front of his own net, makes him, potentially, one of the great players of the future in the NHL today.

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Zdeno Chara

The Norris Trophy, Best Defenseman: We still love Nick Lidstrom and always will, but this year, Zdeno Chara, all-star captain and leader of the Boston Bruins, has been remarkable. He won his first Norris Trophy in 2008-09, and has been the Bruins rock ever since. He is currently on a pace to set career highs in assists, total points, and plus/minus, all while being the most imposing force on defense in the game – anywhere on the planet.

Our runners up are Nick Lidstrom (of course) of the Detroit Red Wings, and Shea Weber of the Nashville Predators for reasons that are obvious.

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David Backes

The Selke Trophy, Best Defensive Player: There is only one choice for the Selke this year and while Ryan Kesler, Pavel Datsyuk, Jonathan Toews and Patrice Bergeron will get a load of support from the media voters, there is only one guy who passes the best defensive forward test at every level.

Centre David Backes of the St. Louis Blues covers the opposition’s best line on every shift. He starts most shifts as the centre in his own end and wins most of his faceoffs – and almost all the important ones. In fact, Blues coach Ken Hitchcock sends Backes out on to the ice 63 per cent of the time when his team has to start with a faceoff in its own end.

Backes also leads his team in scoring with 14 goals and 19 assists, is a plus-13 and is the leader on the power-play AND the penalty-kill. He’s also a leader on a team that is a remarkable 28-12-6 this season. He was snubbed by those selecting the players to attend this year’s all-star game and he’s been snubbed by the media mob that wants to give Toews an award, but won’t give him the Hart Trophy. Still, quite clearly David Backes is the best defensive forward in the game.

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Teemu

The Lady Byng Trophy, Most Gentlemanly Player: I don’t even have a runner-up for the Lady Byng. There is only one player who is even in the mix: Teemu Selanne.

The fact that he plays the game with passion, is the 15th leading scorer at age 41, seldom gets a dirty penalty, is beloved throughout the league and is such a class act at every possible level that there is no greater gentleman in all of hockey, makes this award a no-brainer. In fact, he should get it as a lifetime achievement award for being both a great player and a great human being.

I frankly, don’t care about anyone else. As one of my colleagues, Jonathan Willis, recently wrote: “This award really should go to a guy like Selanne, who has shown over a long career that he’s a superb player and someone who has exhibited exceptional sportsmanship throughout his career.”

Can I get an Amen?

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Paul MacLean

The Jack Adams Trophy, Coach of the Year: Absolutely no doubt about it, Paul MacLean of the Ottawa Senators is the coach of the year. Our runners-up would include Ken Hitchcock of the St. Louis Blues and Mike Babcock of the Detroit Red Wings.

MacLean, the former Winnipeg Jets rightwinger has the Senators in fourth place in the East with a record of 27-16-6. A man who learned his coaching philosophy as a player and as an assistant to the very accomplished Babcock in Detroit, MacLean has taken an Ottawa team that was 32-40-10 (13th in the East) last season and nearly equaled that win mark by the all-star break.

There is no doubt that MacLean’s efforts have taken a team that was expected to miss the playoff this year and turned it into a team that is now three points out of first place in the entire NHL.

Babcock has Detroit in first overall with 63 points and what makes him great is his ability to handle some huge egos and make the gifted Red Wings play as a team. Meanwhile, Hitchcock replaced Davis Payne early in the season and in a very short time coaxed the Blues into fourth in the West.

By the way, I have no problem with those people who promote the efforts of Alain Vigneault in Vancouver, Barry Trotz in Nashville and John Tortorella with the Rangers. They’ve all done great work.

Posted By: Scott Taylor on January 20, 2012.
*Views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions of River City Sports.

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We Both Like New England. After That…

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment
tom brady photos1 219x300 We Both Like New England. After That...

The Brady

There will be four starting quarterbacks playing in this Sunday’s NFC and AFC championship games. Three of them were first round draft picks. Which one wasn’t?

If I didn’t know, my first guess would be Alex Smith. After all, as he toiled under a handful of second-rate offensive coordinators and off-and-on head coaches, Smith spent six seasons bouncing from the bench to the action and back to the bench. But the reality is this: Smith was the first overall pick in 2005 NFL draft out of the University of Utah.

So then, my second guess would be Joe Flacco. He doesn’t put up big numbers and he’s kind of inconsistent, playing on a team with a  monster defense that scares the crap out of most opponents. But no. He was the first round pick of the Ravens (18th overall) out of the University of Delaware in 2008.

Uh, oh. I know it wasn’t Eli Manning. He was the No. 1 overall pick by the Giants out of Mississippi in 2004. Knew that.

It’s amazing, isn’t it? After all of his championships (three Super Bowl titles), his huge numbers, his long list of record-setting performances and all his awards (two-time Super Bowl MVP), not to mention he was actor Bridget Moynihan’s baby-daddy and he’s married to super model Giselle Bundchen, Tom Brady was a sixth-round pick, (199th overall) by the Patriots in 2000 and didn’t even get a chance to play until Drew Bledsoe got hurt.

Amazingly, he is still the best all-around quarterback in football today and he will lead the Patriots into another Super Bowl this Sunday when New England demolishes Baltimore.

However, neither The Doc nor I can agree on what’s going to happen when two No. 1 overall picks meet in San Francisco. Will it be the Manning and the Giants or Smith and the Niners? For that answer, you’ll have to read on.

Last week the Doc was 2-2 (173-91) straight up and 1-3 (148-116) against the spread. The Coach was 2-2-(176-88) straight up and 2-2 (144-120) against the spread.

The Doc will write this week’s justifications and The Coach will do what he does best: Make snot-ass remarks.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON

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Rob Gronkowski

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP

Baltimore Ravens (13-4) at New England Patriots (14-3)
Line: Patriots by 7

This game is tougher to pick than the Vegas spread makes it out to be. On Wild Card Weekend in 2010, the Ravens went into New England and whooped them 33-14 with Ray Rice rushing for 159 yards and 2 TDs so the Ravens have a little history on their side…but that’s about all that’s on their side. Sure the Ravens bring a defense that features some heavy hitters like Terrell Suggs, Haloti Ngata and Ray Lewis and a ball hawk like Ed Reed. They’re not going to give up 40 points like the Broncos did, but they will struggle containing Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez and Tom Brady’s also coming off a record setting performance and he is on a roll and I expect him to have another big game. The Patriots are heading to Indy. (Coach sez: As good as the Baltimore defensive secondary is, and it is good, they will not have an answer for Brady and his two tight ends).

DR FOOTBALL: PATRIOTS TO WIN AND COVER.

THE COACH: PATRIOTS TO WIN AND COVER.

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Eli Manning

NFC CHAMPIONSHIP

New York Giants (11-7) at San Francisco 49ers (14-3)
Line: 49ers by 2.5

I like the 49ers. Their defense is solid and their offense showed it can score. putting up 36 points in an exciting win over the Saints. But there’s something going on with the Giants. They made Green Bay pay for every mistake it made and they made every big play in the game in a huge win at Lambeau. QB Eli Manning was calculating and used all his weapons effectively in a game where very few people gave them a chance. The last time these two teams met, back on Nov. 13, the 49ers won 27-20, mostly without the services of their best player, Frank Gore. While the Giants’ defense has been good lately, their run defense is below average (19th in the NFL). One has to think that with a healthy Gore, the 49ers will head to Indy as well. (Coach sez: The Giants beat Green Bay on the road. That defense will roast the Niners).

DR FOOTBALL: 49ers TO WIN AND COVER.

THE COACH: GIANTS TO WIN.

Posted By: Scott Taylor on January 19, 2012.
*Views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions of River City Sports.

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We All Say Dumb Things…

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment
dumb 300x240 We All Say Dumb Things...

Dumb

As the headline suggests, we all say dumb things. That certainly includes me. I’ll even say them on the radio.

Last week, on the Rise Up Show with Big Will and Miss Melissa on Streetz 104.7, I said three really dumb things. I didn’t say them all at once. I spread them out over the week so I could sound even dumber, more often.

I don’t normally say really dumb things, but when I do, it eats at me for days. This time, dumbness has eaten at me long enough. I said it, it was dumb, and with that, let me apologize for…

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Another Jose Calderon brick.

1. On Tuesday morning, I said I liked the way the Toronto Raptors played basketball. I said that. I said it out loud to a listening audience on Streetz that really likes basketball and knows a lot about the game.

I had just watched the Raptors beat the Minnesota Timberwolves, 97-87. Man they looked good. Amir Johnson beat up Kevin Love and had 11 points and 19 rebounds. Andrea Bargnani scored 31. Jose Calderon ran the offence and shut down Ricky Rubio on D and he didn’t even throw up too many of those Jose Calderon clang-bang bricks. It was a nice effort.

So I went on the radio and said that the 4-5 Raptors were playing “good basketball,” and should break out of their early-season struggles.

Yeah, right. What a bonehead.

The Raptors proceeded to lose 93-78 to the dog-ass Washington Wizards, 98-91 at home to the D-League level Sacramento Kings, 95-90 at home to Indiana, 77-64 in Chicago and 93-84 to Atlanta (which really isn’t embarrassing at the worst of times). In that entire stretch of five straight losses, the Raptors had, maybe, three good quarters and Bargnani, clearly their best player despite those stupid spaghetti commercials he does, injured a calf muscle and missed three games.

When I said I liked the way the Raptors played, they were 4-5. By today’s admission that I was really dumb to say that I liked the way they played, they are now 4-10.

So dumb.

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Buck's Re-signing is not so obvious.

2. On Friday morning, I said two really dumb things. The first one was a doozy:

I said, “Blue Bombers general manager Joe Mack held a news conference yesterday to say that his off-season priorities were to sign a new offensive coordinator, quarterback Buck Pierce and offensive lineman Brendan LaBatte. Thank you Captain Obvious.”

Well, after a sober second thought, it wasn’t so obvious. The offensive coordinator part is obvious and Brendan LaBatte is really obvious, but Buck Pierce? Not so much.

Pierce wants big dough to return. Mack doesn’t really have to pay him big dough. With the seven other CFL teams set at quarterback next season, no other team is going to sign Pierce for the amount of money he wants ( a base of at least $200,000). Meanwhile, Mack knows that Pierce had virtually the same numbers as Michael Bishop did back in 2009 and we all remember that the local mainstream media laughed at Michael Bishop. There is no need to sign Pierce for more than he’s worth with Alex Brink and Joey Elliott ready to go.

In fact, you could argue that if Mack signs LaBatte and the offensive line continues to get better, Brink and Elliott could provide head coach Paul LaPolice with a great training camp battle at the QB’s position.

Joe Mack was not Captain Obvious because Buck Pierce, for too much money, is not an obvious signing.

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Tom Brady: Shoulda had more faith.

3. Also on Friday, I said the New England Patriots would beat the Denver Broncos by two touchdowns. What an idiot.

Sure, I picked New Orleans and Green Bay to win on Friday morning during our weekly Streetz NFL picks with Tahl East, but we both hedged those bets. Neither one of us was quite convinced that the Packers or Saints were a guarantee, and we both said so. In fact, we both took New Orleans while holding our noses.

But New England? I came right out and said “the Pats win by two touchdowns.”

Wrong. They won by five touchdowns. And if Tom Brady and Bill Belichick hadn’t called off the dogs late in the game, it could have been seven or eight. New England was so much better than Denver it wasn’t even a fair fight.

I should have known better. And, yes, it was dumb to think that Denver could finish within two touchdowns of that New England team.

Because Baltimore won’t, either.

Posted By: Scott Taylor on January 17, 2012.
*Views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions of River City Sports.

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The 10 Most Surprising Players of 2011-12

Posted on January 14, 2012 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment
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Sid the Kid

Sidney Crosby is still out of the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup, nursing a concussion that has essentially kept him away from the NHL for an entire calendar year.

Sean Avery didn’t impress New York Rangers head coach John Tortorella in training camp so Tortorella decided to waive him through the league. Rangers fans screamed for Avery’s return and Tortorella gave hockey’s bad boy a second chance. Torotorella was correct in the first place. Avery came back, was dreadful and was waived through the league again.

Martin Brodeur was, for most of the 2000s, the best goalie in all of hockey. A Team Canada fixture and a stalwart in the net of the always-contending New Jersey Devils, Brodeur has started to show his age in recent years and this season, it looks as if the train has stopped at the station for the final time. Brodeur is now 35th in the NHL in goals against average (2.98) and 42nd in save percentage (.891). At 12-10-1 in 26 games, he’s just not the same goaltender.

These are just a few of the surprises that have been foisted upon National Hockey League fans and fantasy players in the first half of the 2011-12 season. But there have been more – many more!

While the fates of Crosby, Avery and Brodeur and might soon be decided, there is a whole slew of players who have surprised the experts this season – both in good and bad ways.

Here is a quick look at the 10 Most Surprising Players in the NHL this season. And, remember, they are not always surprising for the right reasons:

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Teemu

1. Teemu Selanne, Anaheim Ducks: While some players have long retired at the age of 41, the Finnish Flash is like fine wine. He improves with age. After 18 seasons in the NHL, Selanne is now 14th in scoring with 15 goals and 28 assists. He picked up two goals last weekend and then two assists on Tuesday night and a goal and an assist on Friday night. He’s well ahead of legitimate, young NHL scoring stars such as the Kings’ Anze Kopitar, the Islanders John Tavares, Chicago’s Patrick Kane, Washington’s Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom New Jersey’s Ilya Kovalchuk. No wonder Anaheim GM Bob Murray, a guy who says he’s ready to break up the Ducks and start over, called Selanne “an untouchable” this past week.

2. Jason Spezza, Ottawa Senators: OK, so from the day he entered the NHL, everyone had high hopes for Spezza. But for years he’s been a victim of his own potential. Playing for some marginal coaches on some horrendous lines, Spezza put up with a lot of baloney in Ottawa. He never reached that gigantic potential he was said to have but you can bet there was no coach ready to take responsibility for Spezza’s failures. Then along comes Paul MacLean and everything changes. Last year, Spezza had 21 goals and 36 assists. It was a decent season, but not as spectacular as his big year in 2007-08 when he had 34 goals and 58 assists. This year, however, the 28-year-old from Toronto who was the second overall pick in 2001, has a chance to record his best season as a pro. After 45 games, he has 18 goals and 28 assists and is seventh overall in NHL scoring. The arrival of MacLean, who put him on a line with Daniel Alfredsson and let him do what he does best, has made Spezza a star again – and a starter in the All-Star game.

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Claude Giroux

3. Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers: In 2006, Giroux was the No. 1 draft pick of the Philadelphia Flyers, 22nd overall. This guy had enjoyed two straight 100-point-plus seasons with the Gatineau Olympiques of the Quebec League, had wonderful speed, great moves and soft hands and yet it took 21 selections before the Flyers could grab him because so many teams thought, that at 5-foot-11, 170 pounds, he was just a little undersized. Still, the Flyers were prepared to wait for him to reach his potential and it appears that the potential has been reached. Last year, Giroux had 25 goals and 51 assists. This year, he has 18 goals and 31 assists, is tied for second in scoring in the NHL and has missed four games with a head injury. Right now, 23-year-old Claude Giroux might be the best young player in the NHL.

4. Jason Pominville, Buffalo Sabres: Last year, Pominville had 22 goals and 30 assists in 73 games. It wasn’t his best season in the NHL and it even appeared as if his play was tailing off. The concussion he suffered early last season might have been a reason for his declining numbers — he had 80 points in 2007-08 and then 66 in 2008-09, 62 in 2009-10 and 52 last year. This year, however, with the captain’s C on his jersey, Pominville has suddenly awakened. After 43 games (he has played in every Sabres game this season), the former second-round draft pick (55th overall in 2001) has 15 goals and 29 assists and is 10th in scoring in the NHL. Most NHL followers expected Pominville to be a good player for the Sabres. No one expected him to be in the Top 10 in scoring, let alone a participant in the all-star game.

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Colton Orr vs. Arron Asham

5. Colton Orr, Toronto Maple Leafs: On Jan. 5 of this year, Orr was waived through the league and sent to the Toronto Marlies of the AHL. While in Winnipeg two weeks ago, just before he was waived, Orr said to me,” The game is changing again. They don’t need guys like me like they used to.” Orr is an “enforcer.” Some might say, a “goon.” And yet, he was an integral part of the Leafs plans until head coach Ron Wilson decided he didn’t need a fighter who had only played five games. Leafs GM Brian Burke said sending Orr to the Marlies was one of the most difficult things he’s ever done. Even Burke knows that Orr’s demotion was an admission that fighting is being used on a very limited basis in the game these days.

6. Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals: Perhaps the most skilled player in the NHL, Ovechkin has 18 goals and 16 assists in 42 games this season and is 46th in league scoring. This is a 26-year-old hockey player – make that superstar – who had 32 goals and 53 assists last year, but 109 points in 2009-10 and 110 points in 2008-09. Something is either wrong with Ovechkin or wrong with the game when a player with this much skill is held to only 34 points in 42 games at the age of 26. Of course, most observers will tell you he’s being held back by his own coaches, coaches who are more interested in stopping the other team from scoring than scoring goals themselves.

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Erik Karlsson

7. Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators: Make no mistake, most hockey experts that Karlsson would be a good one when he arrived from Sweden as Ottawa’s first round pick (15th overall) in 2008. But like so many young defensemen, it’s taken him a few seasons to adapt to the speed and grit of the NHL. But this year, Karlsson has adapted. Last year, he had 13 goals and 45 points in 75 games and was a dreadful minus-30. This year, he already has six goals and 43 points and is a plus-eight on an Ottawa team that moved into fifth in the Eastern Conference after a 3-0 shut out of the New York Rangers on Thursday night. He’s a starter in the all-star game and when you’re the 15th leading scorer in the NHL and tops among defenseman, no one can argue.

8. Dwayne Roloson, Tampa Bay Lightning: Certainly, people thought Dwayne Roloson was just about done. But after the way he played last season at age 41 – 18-12-4 with a 2.56 goals against average and a .912 save percentage – many people, including Lightning GM Steve Yzerman, believed Roloson had something left in the tank. But this season has been a nightmare for the 16-year NHL veteran. He is 72nd in goals against with a 3.68 mark and 71st in save percentage at .880. The reflexes had just disappeared. At 6-10-2 in 23 appearances this season, Roloson does not even resemble an NHL-level goaltender. Yzerman gambled and kept Roloson one season too long.

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Jordan Eberle

9. Jordan Eberle, Edmonton Oilers: It’s his second full season in the NHL and this former first round draft pick (22nd overall in 2008) has matched his scoring output from last year. Last season, Eberle had 18 goals and 43 points. This year, after 41 games, Eberle has 17 goals and 43 points and he’s helped make Ryan Nugent-Hopkins the early favorite for rookie of the year (on a line with Nugent-Hopkins and young Taylor Hall, they are known as the “Diaper Snipers.”). Eberle is tied for 10th in NHL scoring. Not one rightwinger in the Western Conference has more points than he does and the rightwingers on the all-star team from the West are a pretty nice group — Jarome Iginla, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa and Corey Perry. Right now, Eberle has a sprained knee and probably won’t play until after the all-star game, but when he does come back, he’ll no doubt take a run at a 70-point season.

10. Ondrej Pavelec, Winnipeg Jets: At 24, he’s still a young NHL goalie, but Pavelec doesn’t appear, on the surface at least, to be a very good one. He’s 40th in the NHL among ALL goaltenders in save percentage with a .910 mark and 50th in goals against with a mark of 2.92. But he’s a fan-favorite in Winnipeg and a guy who has single-handedly won a half dozen of the 15 victories on his record (he’s an average 15-15-5 on the season). What makes Pavelec so surprising is his ability to play at home in the tiny MTS Centre in front of Winnipeg’s loud, proud fans but on the road, he’s a wonky goalie. Pavelec has a 3.50 goals against average and a .896 save percentage away from home, both well below average. At home, however, he has a 2.32 goals against average and a .925 save percentage. If he could play on the road as well as he does at home, he’d be one of the best goaltenders in the NHL. As it is, he’s in the bottom third of the league. Go figure.

Posted By: Scott Taylor on January 14, 2012.
*Views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions of River City Sports.

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How Far Can the Tebow Dream Soar?

Posted on January 12, 2012 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment
Tebow Broncos 300x206 How Far Can the Tebow Dream Soar?

Tim Tebow: Is it Magic or Faith?

He pulled off the miracle last Sunday at home. Can the Chosen One do it again?

Tim Tebow’s brilliant pass to Demaryius Thomas (a Gator to a Golden Knight) for an 80-yard touchdown on the first play of overtime gave the 8-8 Denver Broncos and almost unthinkable 29-23 win over the 10-6 Pittsburgh Steelers in the final game of Wild Card Weekend. With the victory, the Broncos stunned the football world and yet their reward is another impossible task: the New England Patriots, a team that beat them 41-23 in Denver on Dec. 18.

Now were this game in Denver, I might be inclined to continue to believe in the magic and the hype, but it’s not in Denver and it involves an opposing quarterback who is not only perfectly healthy (last week the Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger couldn’t walk, let alone run) but has won big games before — Tom Brady. We’ll find out this weekend if Tebow just magical or if this is the result of pure, unadulterated faith.

This week, Tebow will face one of the worst defenses ever to be part of a 13-3 team and yet he’s still going to have to put up a huge number of points because we all know Brady will. This could mean the end of the Denver Dream, but if it doesn’t, then the sky is definitely the limit.

This week it’s Division Playoff Weekend and even though Vegas has handed us four prohibitive favorites, there is always a chance something wild, wonderful and wacky could happen. Unlikely, sure, but there is always a chance. After all, the Broncos won last week.

And last week the Doc was 3-1 (171-89) straight up and 2-2 (147-113) against the spread. Coach was 2-2 straight up (174-86) and 2-2 (142-118) against the spread.

This week, The Doc is on holidays, so the responsibility for our weekly NFL picks falls at the feet  of The Coach alone. And make no mistake, The Coach has picked up the mantle. Of course, if The Doc gets off the beach (or out of the bar) to send in his picks, we’ll add them later. (Note: The Doc left the bar. His picks are included).

SATURDAY AFTERNOON

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Drew Brees

New Orleans Saints (14-3) at San Francisco 49ers (13-3)
Line: Saints by 3.5

At his news conference this week, New Orleans coach Sean Payton said this about the 49ers: “They’ve been very consistent all year. The formula has been outstanding defense. They’re the No. 1 team in taking the football away and they’re the No. 1 team in protecting the football offensively. Those are significant numbers.” Indeed. Especially in the playoffs. However, the Saints simply ripped up NFL defenses. Drew Brees and the Saints set NFL records for total yards on offense (7,474) and yards passing (5,347, including sacks). Brees also blew up Dan Marino’s 27-year-old record of 5,084 yards passing by throwing for 5,476. He had 468 completions, breaking Peyton Manning’s 2010 mark of 450, and completed 71.6 percent of his passes, breaking his own 2009 record of a 70.6 completion percentage. Meanwhile, little Darren Sproles set an NFL record with 2,696 combined yards, easily breaking the previous mark of 2,690 set by Derrick Mason with Tennessee in 2000. The Saints simply have too much offense.

DR. FOOTBALL: SAINTS TO WIN AND COVER

THE COACH: SAINTS TO WIN AND COVER 

SATURDAY NIGHT

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Tom Brady

Denver Broncos (9-8) at New England Patriots (13-3)
Line: Patriots by 13.5

Back in December, QB Tim Tebow played very well early in a game with New England and built a 16-7 first quarter lead. But the lead was short-lived and the Patriots won handily 41-23. That game was in Denver. This one is in Foxboro and it’s unlikely Brady and his powerful Patriots offense will start so slowly  Still, that game against New England was probably Tebow’s best performance until last week’s game with Pittsburgh. Rev. Tim threw  for 194 yards and ran for 93 more and scored two touchdowns. But it was clear by halftime that the Broncos simply weren’t good enough and despite the fact New England’s defense is banged up and porous, this Patriots team is still too much for Denver. Even with Tim Tebow at quarterback.

DR. FOOTBALL: PATRIOTS TO WIN BUT NOT COVER.

THE COACH: PATRIOTS TO WIN AND COVER 

SUNDAY AFTERNOON

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Joe Flacco

Houston Texans (11-6) at Baltimore Ravens (12-4)
Line: Ravens by 7.5

It’s hard not to like the Ravens in a romp, but the numbers give me pause. Baltimore was only 4-3-1 against the spread at home during the regular season.  In the final four games of the season, Baltimore’s offense was not very good at all. They put up only 24 points at home against Indy, the worst team in the NFL, 14 on the road against San Diego, 20 against the Browns and 24 against Cincinnati. Not awful, but certainly not outstanding. Baltimore’s defense wasn’t great either (I know that because Baltimore was my fantasy D). Terrell Suggs and Co. gave up 34 to San Diego on Dec. 18. Not good. Right now, Houston’s defense might be better than Baltimore’s. In fact, Houston is playing quite well under the circumstances. T.J. Yates ain’t no Matt Schaub, but he was certainly good enough last weekend in the Wild Card playoff game against Cincinnati. Meanwhile, Houston’s D was ranked second in the NFL right behind Pittsburgh. If the Ravens were on the road, I’d have a different opinion of this one.

DR. FOOTBALL: RAVENS TO WIN AND COVER.

THE COACH: RAVENS TO WIN BUT NOT COVER.

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Aaron Rodgers: Maybe it IS faith.

New York Giants (10-7) at Green Bay Packers (15-1)
Line: Packers by 7.5. 

The Giants were terrific on both sides of the football in last week’s 24-2 thrashing of the Atlanta Falcons, but that was on a balmy day in New Jersey. This week, the Jints have to play at Lambeau and it’s supposed to be very cold and very windy. Still, the Giants think a great deal of themselves. ESPN radio picked the Giants to win and All-Pro defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul guaranteed a victory: ”We are very confident,” Pierre-Paul said following the Atlanta game. “Last time [the Packers] came in here and they beat us, which they shouldn’t have, and we are just going to go out there and play some great football. It’s going to be cold and the atmosphere will be theirs, but we’re going to be ready to play.” Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers is rested and ready and he’s demolished the Giants in their last two meetings, putting up 776 passing yards against them. The Packers also know that New York is going to run Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs at them all day long. Still, despite the Giants swagger — and their running game — it’s hard not to like Green Bay.

DR. FOOTBALL: PACKERS TO WIN BUT NOT COVER

THE COACH: PACKERS TO WIN AND COVER 

Posted By: Scott Taylor on January 12, 2012.
*Views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions of River City Sports.

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