Upset Specials Served January 17, 2011

An improbable run in an even more improbable victory.

I know I’m late to the party when it comes to the Seahawks and their improbable victory over the Saints, but don’t the cool people usually show up late anyway?  It was impressive how the Saints were exposed as an incomplete team in such a wholesale fashion, especially by the first 7-9 team to make the playoffs since the AFL-NFL merger.  How wretched it must have been for New Orleans to watch that happen when their team won the last Super Bowl.

The deepest meaning of this is that it insures that I won’t have to watch that stupid “personality” commercial about customizable Saints NFL gear next year.  Come on NFL, do you really think that “Breesy” is that unique?  People in San Diego were all over that and every other “Brees” pun YEARS before Drew Brees ever played a snap for New Orleans.  But hey, everybody loves a disaster victim and the beach life here in San Diego doesn’t exactly fit that image.  Also, New Orleans won a Super Bowl with him. *sigh*

The Jets beating the Colts was supposedly an upset, but Indianapolis could be in a slowly drawn out decline.  When was the last time the Colts finished a season with fewer than 10 wins?  They finished 2001 with a record of 6-10, but that was the only year from 1999 to present that they failed to make the playoffs.  All those years of making the playoffs means lower end draft picks, and it could just be that they aren’t working out for the Colts.

Aaron Rodgers has dominated on the road.

The Packers are also in the business of handing out unexpected losses this winter, besting both the Eagles and Falcons on the road.  These Angry Birds will have to wait until next season to break out their catapults though, as the Packers have secured the eggs behind impenetrable walls built by Aaron Rodgers.  This guy turned into a playoff stud, absolutely torching Atlanta with 31 completions out of 36 passing attempts.  Who does that these days?  Holy smoly.  I honestly thought the Falcons and Eagles would be big players in the way the NFC playoff picture shaped up and in a way I was correct.  Just not in the way their fans were hoping.

The upset I actually had the most interest in: the New York Jets over the New England Patriots.  I don’t like either team, even if just for the fact that both have recently sent my team packing in the playoffs, several times.  In this case, it seemed like the Patriots were exactly where the Chargers were in 2006.  Looking unstoppable, 14-2 record (same as the ’06 Chargers, both best in the NFL) and coming off that first week bye.  Then laying an egg at home to the underdog.  Fans of New England, now you know EXACTLY how I felt in 2006 when your team came to San Diego and won.  Actually, that isn’t entirely true.  You didn’t have to sit there and watch your players make disastrously poor decisions that cost them the game. Okay, that mini-rant is over.  Rex Ryan has done something in New York, whether I like him or not.  His team comes to play.

I won’t make any clandestine predictions for the rest of the playoffs, but I can offer opinions.  As you have seen, seeding and regular season strength have no bearing on these January performances.  I do think the Packers look incredibly good on the road and the Bears will have their hands full.  The Steelers will not forget the 22-17 loss the Jets handed them in December, and will likely play a better game.  Revis is looking tough to beat right now though, so anything is possible.  We’ll see.