Good post fella. And I agree totally as I don't know how far the Cowboys could have gone without Romo or Owens as another example of your point. And wouldn't you just know it that if one of the favoured sides had injuries to key players the journos would have almost definately used it as the reason ....

Even without looking at the Dolphins in the article how can he write off teams like the Bills and the Broncos?

What would he have said about the Saints this time two years ago?

"With an uncertain future in the city, a rookie head coach and Aaron Brooks behind center the Saints look to have another difficult year ahead of them."

Whoops, 13-3.

Before the draft and free agent signings it is too early to write off any team.

Cam's gone.

I won't shed any tears as I think Parcells need to bring in his own man, but I do feel sorry for the bloke. His playcalling was questionable at times, but he must be the only NFL coach in history not to get a single lucky break so far into a season. (Thanks for finally ending that streak in week 15, Mr Billick...)

Have you seen the stadium where they are holding the Superbowl in February?! The University of Phoenix Stadium looks quite amazing. Only opened in August 2006.

I am actually REALLY excited about being in the States for this. I guess you really get a feel from it being in the country with all the hype and build up.

Dave, if your experience is anything like mine you'll shake your head in disbelief that most people are excited about new adverts rather than the game.
Remember early on when he wouldn't flinch about going for it on 4th down either. Wonder if it might have been a bit different if he'd broken his duck earlier.

Good man. Doesn't make someone a good coach, but he deserved better.

Hey guys, I've done a bit of research on the Jaguars - Steelers game because the line looked very generous to me and put the following bet into the betting goldmine thread. What thoughts do you have on the game?

NFL - Jacksonville Jaguars vs Pittsburgh Steelers
5 Jan in Pittsburgh
Jacksonville -1.5 @1.91
Skybet

The Steelers were one of the strongest teams early in the season but are limping into the playoffs, losing three of their last four (and four of their last seven). They have the NFL's top-ranked defense for the season, but in the last four have given the opposition averages of 28.5 points and 373.0 total yards, which is more than 15 points and 140 yards above their averages for the first 12 games.

Star running back Willie Parker (broken leg), defensive end Aaron Smith (torn biceps), left tackle Marvel Smith (back) and backup tackle Max Starks (sprained left knee) are all out. Troy Polamalu (knee), a pro-bowl defensive back for the last four years, is still sore after coming off injured in the last game, which quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (ranked second in the NFL) missed with a sprained ankle. Players not practicing yesterday were Polamalu, cornerback Bryant McFadden (ankle), receiver Willie Reid (shoulder), cornerback Allen Rossum (hamstring), cornerback Deshea Townsend (foot) and receiver Hines Ward (knee). Polamalu, Townsend and Ward are expected to be ready for Saturday's game

Jacksonville beat the Steelers three weeks ago on December 16 in Pittsburgh 29-22 and dominated more than the scored reflected. They held the Steelers to 217 total yards and sacked Roethlisberger five times. Jacksonville's Fred Taylor (147 yards) and Maurice Jones-Drew (69 yards) combined for 216 out of the Jaguars' 421 yards (the most rushing yards Pittsburgh has had against them since 240 - also against Jacksonville - in 2000). Taylor and Jones-Drew are ranked second in the NFL for rushing, Taylor is coming off five straight 100-yard games and has 915 yards and seven touchdowns in 10 career games against Pittsburgh.

Jaguars quarterback David Garrard can also throw and passed for 197 yards with three touchdown in the game against Pittsburgh. His record for the year is 9-2 and he has passed for 2,509 yards with 18 touchdowns and just three interceptions (12 touchdown passes in his last six games) finishing third ranked in the NFL. Roethlisberger also had three touchdown passes against Jacksonville last month, but finished just 15-of-32 for 142 yards. The Jaguars have held the opposition below 150 passing yards in four straight games.

The Steelers still had Willie Parker (the NFL's fourth-leading rusher) for the December game and he ran for 100 yards, but his season ended four days later when he broke his leg in a game at St. Louis. Parker has been replaced by Najeh Davenport, who was held to 27 yards last week against Baltimore. The only major injury for the Jaguars is linebacker Mike Peterson's broken right hand, but he also missed last month's game at Pittsburgh.

The Jaguars won six of seven games coming into the playoffs before losing their meaningless last game where they rested most of their key players. Before that game the Jaguars had also covered the line seven in a row. Jacksonville has covered in each of the past four years against Pittsburgh.

Sounds like fair analysis.

Still not sure I'd be confident to pick any team going into Pittsburgh other than the Patriots.

The way I see it, you're lucky to go into Pittsburgh and win once.

To do it twice in a season... that's some feat. Steelers will be well pumped for this one, and still have big enough weapons to go toe-to-toe with Garrard, Jones-Drew and Taylor. Plus play-off games are very different to those in the regular season. Garrard could go to pieces, whereas Big Ben's done it all before.

The new Dallas stadium is going to look the part as well and should be ready for the 2009 season, with it hosting the Superbowl in 2011.

Fair points above, but the Jaguars have won their last three games against the Steelers, two of those in Pittsburgh.

Wasn't counting it out. Think you make some very good points. :)

Didn't mean to sound disagreeable, your opinions are completely valid. :p

I'd also be more confident if it was the Patriots (I'd need to be - the spread would be a lot less generous ;) ) but I think with the way they match up against the Steelers I'd just about have the Jaguars as my second choice over anyone else playing there.

One for all you Dolphins. Very interesting and VERY worrying for me as a Jet.

I think the great man is gonna drag your bunch of wallies out from the depths.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story;jsessi...o&confirm=true

If the Jets can manage it then I'm sure as hell the Jags can!!! :D

NFL Note - No team ever beaten Pittsburgh at home in the regular season then in the play offs.

Reaper Counternote - I'm sure there are a lot of teams that have this stat - it's quite a strange combination to host a team in the play offs that you've already played and lost to, given that in theory you have to be good in order to make the play offs hence don't lose that many to begin with.

Interesting POV regarding the value of the franchise and what Huizenga might earn out of this.

well that was all pretty decisive I suppose!

Good article on Cam here:

http://www.miamiherald.com/616/story/366394.html

Not so good piece on Belicheat below. Granted, he is a sneaky, underhand, unsportsmanlike sun of a gun, but to suggest he deserves no credit for a team going undefeated just reads like the sourest of grapes:

http://www.miamiherald.com/615/story/366794.html

Enough about that two-bob Fish outfit with the feet up in January :)

Not long now until the Skins dismantle the Seahawks (fingers crossed) :)

Greg Cote was also the guy who suggested that British fans should travel to America rather than have a game at Wembley. Don't think I've read one of his articles since.

In the middle of listening to a mammoth pre-play-offs Simmons podcast. Think the guy from footballoutsiders.com is pretty interesting, but at just short of 80 minutes the podcast is far too long (that's two days worth of trips to the train station and back for me). Anyway, they seem to think that the Buccaneers-Giants game should be the least close of the weekend, and they also expect the Seahawks to beat the Skins (sorry to all respective fans).

They also said that Jacksonville's offence was statistically better than the Patriots in the second half of the season, although they made a point about the weather the Patriots had to deal with in the same time-frame.

Utterly sh*t article about Belichick. Wish I hadn't wasted time reading it.

Just because the players are already good, does not mean the coach should not get some credit for welding them together as a team. Just take Welker as an example. Plenty of "experts" questioned why the Pats had signed him. Now, many coaches are questioning why they DIDN'T make him an offer!