I hate Channel 4 and Big Brother "highlights" :veryangry.

Someone please tell me that Hasselbeck repeated his "We want the ball and we're gonna score" trick that he pulled in Green Bay a few years ago. That would be class. :D

:(

Proper Chicago weather next week please.

So the weather is the only thing that will help them :hmph:

Terry Bradshaw hit the nail on the head, the major difference was the QB's and that is not saying a greal deal.

No, I just prefer watching play-off games involving NFC teams with blizzards. Looks cool.

They sell blizzards in New Orleans, plus Hurricanes (drinks) :p

The Patriots are amazing. San Diego completelyu dominated, but some stupid mistakes, some bad coaching, some stupid decisions, and we win. Unbelievable. Brady's last pass to caldwell was unreal. we are, I will admit, lucky bastards.

A win is a win :p

I've suffered for years!!

GOOD AS GOULD!!!!

Still can't believe we won that game. Why didn't the San Diego player just bat the ball down on 4th down rather than catch the ball and then fumble it? Why didn't they run a quick pass play to the sideline with eight seconds left? Why couldn't San Diego get a time out off when the saw Faulk lined up to take the snap on the two point conversion? Great stuff.

Prepare for what the sports guy calls the "Manning face." Or, more likely, Vinatieri nails us.
Still, I wouldn't bet against the Pats. It's surreal, being a Palace fan, also supporting such a team. Bets coach, best gameplans, best game adjustments, best QB, best franchise model, best resolve. We turn rejects like Gadney into world beaters over and over again. It all spells dynasty baby!

Wow went to bed astounded that we ( the pats) were only 4 down and wake up with a win. Tom brady is amazing, he always seems to find a way to win. Never dull with New England.

Was he talking about Hass and Grossman? If so then he was right. The Seahawks started 3-0 and were doing well and playing well, Hass and Alexander inclueded, but after Hass got injured against the Vikes he was never the same once he come back. Not sure if it was all done to injuries though, guess we will have to wait and see untill next season and see how he starts.

San Diego blew it when Schottenheimer wasted a timeout be challenging the interception then fumble. It was a stupid challenge and cost SD a timeout.

If they'd had that they'd have had plenty of time to get into field goal range at the end rather than rushing... but I still don't know why they went with central passes rather than trying to hit the outside like the Patriots did a few seconds earlier. If you watch the plays again though, notice the doubling up on Antonio Gates to stop Rivers targetting him for the big play.

The Pats are brilliant and I was cheering like a madman when they scored the TD and got louder when Gostkowski nailed the field goal!

Good to see LT throw his toys out the pram afterwards too :D

Also, I'd like to see the Saints make the Superbowl... but will only support them thereafter if they aren't playing the Pats :D

Cant believe both Seattle and my shoe in Chargers both lost. Both teams should have won but fair play to Brady and the Patriots who are just playoff machines.

Am now gonna cheer on New Orleans and hope that Payton Manning balls's up again. Not sure why but i have an intense dislike for the colts.

I hate the Colts and their stupid suburban 'mom and pop' whitebread 'fans' with their cosy indoor dome and nothing city (who's ever been to Indianapolis? clap-clapping along to whatever moronic message they put up on the scoreboard. Just as bad as those Orange County SUV driving San Diego morons holding up bolts for chrissake.

The playoffs need to be ouotdoors and ••••kking freezing, not indoors played in front of middle-aged gits who probably wind up the day with a quick trip to Pottery Barn.

Given how many teams play in domes, you're never going to get all the play-offs outside. And why should they be? Some of the outdoor fields are awful surfaces in September, let alone January. Even the Pats ripped up grass and put in field turf and even that isn't great... but at least the players aren't tripping over divots!

However, the AFC matchup is the first EVER AFC conference final to be held indoors.

I thought the turning point of the match came at 14-10, when the Chargers stopped a Patriots drive outside of field goal range only for a stupid personal foul from a defender whose name escapes me to gift a 1st and 10. New England drove into field goal range, Gostkowski kicked it to make it 14-13, and the momentum began to swing.

And what a miserable ending to an otherwise great weekend of football it was. I can't put into words how dull I find New England. That's despite the fact that, if someone handed me a green card, flight ticket, and guarantee of a flat and a job I'd move to Massachusetts tomorrow. (Preferably Boston, if any generous millionaires are reading.) Seriously, they could bore a professional paint dryer to tears. And they'll probably go on and win it all now. Instead of watching LT light up the Super Bowl, we'll have No Frills Belichick and Robobrady sending us all to sleep for the fourth time this century. Whoopdefriggindoo.

Anyway, the other games were great, chiefly because the teams I wanted to win all advanced. I can understand people disliking Manning but the way he works the field is incredible, and you couldn't help but be impressed by the Colts' run defense on the day. Saints are the story of the season so it was good to see them go through, and Chicago was the first place in the US that I ever visited - a city I instantly fell in love with - and I've followed them closely every since.

This time out, however, I want New Orleans to go all the way. It'd be a truly incredible story and the perfect ending to a dream season for Sean Payton. There are so many individual success stories which fit with it: Drew Brees capping an almost unbelievable first year in Louisiana; the McAllister-Bush running back combo; Jeff Faine doing a superb job at centre; Marques Colston's stunning emergence from nowhere; the defense's ongoing improvement.

The good thing is I can see the Saints beating the Bears. The bad thing is that I envision New England sneaking past Indy (possibly with that rarity of rarities: a shanked Vinatieri field goal, and against his former side to boot) then grinding out victory in The Big One. But then, you knew that part already.

would be sweet. be nice to first beat Indy and then have all that Katrina crap (city reborn, hope at last, what it would mean to the city to win it all, greatest comeback story ever blah blah blah) ended by New England grinding out win.

Can't see us beating the Colts though. Unless Rodney Harrison is back. Then we might just do it.