The Final Drive: 2012 Divisional Round posted by Joe Anello

I have to say, I was skeptical that these four games could live up to the hype, especially after last weekend. But I’m happy to say I wasn’t disappointed in the slightest. I even gave myself a cushy lead for later poor postseason predictions. But I’ll tell you about that later. Right now it’s time for The Final Drive of the Divisional Round!

I’m not sure I can put into words how freaking EPIC this game was. It was such a fantastic start to the weekend’s action. The Saints came out embarrassingly flat, with three turnovers early, including a horrendous pick over the middle from Drew Brees, who never saw the safety coming. The Niners turned those possessions into points, notching 17 with not even a minute gone by into the second quarter. Brees fought back as you knew he would, finding his big targets Jimmy Graham and Marques Colston on consecutive drives to pull within three at the break. It was hard to say the Niners had the momentum though. I mean, when the other team turns it over four times in a half and you’re only up a field goal? That’s a problem. San Fran’s special teams even got another turnover from Darren Sproles early in the third, but they could only manage to put up a field goal. Eventually that was going to come back to bite them. San Francisco wasn’t even trying to run the ball for the first three quarters, an offensive plan that befuddled me, to say the least. Alex Smith was getting all sorts of pressure from the Saints, who were simply sending more rushers than the Niners had blockers. (Just math, really.)

Saints Defense Cakes It posted by Richard Kagan

You have future Hall of Famer QB Drew Brees practically giving you the game scoring TD after TD late in the game.  However, the 49'ers answered back.  They won 36-32 thanks to a Saints defense that played terrible in the last 3:00 of the game.  Despite 5 to's the Saints were in this thing, ready to face the winner of Giants/Green Bay game.  But hold it, Alex Smith throws a couple of passes, and the offense burst a couple of long plays, a stout defense wouldn't have allowed. 

It's almost as if the Saint's Defense knew that Brees could score at anytime so it played soft, the time they could least afford to.

Honestly, the Saints were the better team but they were outplayed by a courageous, tough San Francisco team coached by a firece head coach in Jim Harbaurgh.  If Harbaugh played for the Bears they way he coaches, they would have made the playoffs with him.  He really had his team fired up and playing on every play.  The Saints took some plays off and it backfired on them and so, in the end, they were beaten. Quite simply, you can't allow a team to drive down, no, walk down the field in the late 1:30 to score a TD and win the game.  I never saw anything like that.  It seemed as if New Orleans had their bag packed for another game.  Now, they will pack for the end of the season.  I was not as impressed with the 49'ers as I saw the ineptitude of the New Orleans' defense.  You wasted a great effort by Drew Brees.

The Opening Drive: 2012 Divisional Saturday posted by Joe Anello

After six long days of waiting, the NFL playoffs are back today with a great match-up in the NFC and a highly publicized showdown between Jesus and Satan in the AFC. It’s a great day for some football. That means it’s a great day for The Opening Drive!

(13-4) New Orleans Saints at
(13-3) San Francisco 49ers
4:30 PM ET, FOX

Off for a week, it’s easy to have forgotten about the Niners and their tremendous regular season which earned them that rest. Alex Smith had a solid year (finally), but he hasn’t been all that impressive to me when I’ve gotten the chance to see him. He has a few decent weapons, but the Saints’ focus should be on running back Frank Gore and tight end Vernon Davis, Smith’s main outlets. ‘Frisco’s offensive line is underrated and should have the clear advantage in the running game, but how are they going to put up points? Michael Crabtree is (sorta) good, but he’s not dangerous enough to put up a monster game and abuse the Saints secondary all day. If they’re going to win, Jim Harbaugh’s defense will have to contain this next man.

Drew Brees is pretty freaking good. However, he still has the ability to toss an interception or two while trying to get the big play deep. If he can avoid those turnovers against the Niners, he’ll keep his Saints on top. He’ll have a lot of resistance on the front though, as San Fran can get up the field and rush the passer. Definitely keep your eyes on the two Smith’s, Justin and Aldon, who can both get pressure on the outside where the Saints’ line is weakest. Where the Niners are going to have issues defensively is in the secondary, Carlos Rogers has had a great year, but he doesn’t have as much support at corner. That’s not a recipe for success against Brees, who has Robert Meachem, Marques Colston and Devery Henderson. Still, that’s not even the Niners’ biggest problem. They like to keep linebackers Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman in the game as much as possible, which is going to create ugly match-ups with Jimmy Graham and Darren Sproles. I think the Saints win those battles more often than not.

The Final Drive: 2012 Wildcard Weekend posted by Joe Anello

Are you exhausted yet? There was TOO MUCH DRAMA! (That’s a lie. There’s never too much.) Both nights of Wildcard weekend ended in tremendous excitement, wrapping up with a dramatic overtime ending that didn’t even warrant explanation of the new rules. I’m still appalled. Let’s just get The Final Drive started.

The first game of the weekend started off awfully sloppy, with plenty of penalties and “jitters” as described by Nessler and Mayock. As the game drew on though, the Texans clearly established themselves as the better team by man-handling Cincy. Rookie lineman J.J Watt, who has shown an inherent talent and awareness to deflect passes at the line of scrimmage made the play of a game by boomeranging Dalton in the second quarter. Watt timed his jump perfectly and made the catch and rambled 29 yards to paydirt. Then he sacked Dalton to end the first half as the Bengals were driving. It was hilarious afterwards to see Dalton with the “Why didn’t you tell me that lineman wasn’t actually fat? I never would have thrown it his way had I known” face. I blame the scouts on that one. The Bengals performance could be encapsulated with their second half opening drive: they were stopped on second down for a loss, then flagged for 12 men in the huddle, then Dalton wasted a time-out as he couldn’t hear the play-call in Reliant’s noise. Those wheels came off. Missed chances to take away the ball from Houston, poor tackling on defense allowed Houston to let Arian Foster loose and control to flow of the game. T.J. Yates never had to make a big play, so the Texans got the win.

Joe's 2012 Gameday Preview: Wildcard Saturday posted by Joe Anello

It’s time. Time for the select few to battle out for the most coveted prize in the NFL: the Lombardi Trophy. The playoffs begin today with the Wildcard round. I’m so excited I can’t even finish this introduction! Let’s just get right to these games, shall we?

As has become tradition in the NFL, the opening game of the Wildcard round is sorta… crappy. The Bengals are a slightly above average team that defied their lowly preseason expectations. Andy Dalton started strong as a rookie, but his production has certainly fallen off in recent weeks. A.J. Green will be healthy enough to make a difference, but I don’t think Dalton has enough developed talent around him to light up the scoreboard. Cedric Benson is a workhorse running back, but he’s never been explosive. Cincy’s offense is decent, but I’d give the edge to Houston’s defense in that match-up. They’re fast and aggressive and can slow down the Bengals enough to give their own rookie quarterback a chance.

Speaking of, we’ve got freaking T.J. Yates starting a playoff game with FREAKING Jake Delhomme backing him up. So if Yates’ shoulder isn’t completely healthy or hinders his play, the Interception Machine will be coming on the field. The thought alone gets me all excited. For the rest of Houston’s offense, Arian Foster and Andre Johnson will both be healthy (ish) for the first time in forever, giving Yates a full complement of weaponry at his disposal. After the Cincy defense gave up two giant runs to Ray Rice last week, Foster will be licking his chops. They won’t be a juggernaut, but that offense should be able to get 21-24 on the Bengals’ D, which will be enough to get the win.

The Final Drive: Week 16, 2011 posted by Joe Anello

It was a Christmas Eve of meaningful NFL action as all the remaining playoff spots were nearly filled and draft orders are beginning to finalize. Miss any of the action? No need to worry, because the Final Drive starts right now!

Indy… what are you doing??? After all the speculation, you could single-handedly win yourself out of a franchise quarterback. Knock it off. (Or play more scrubs.) To Houston, I say congratulations. You’re in the playoffs. Now get ready to go home before anyone else.

This was about as disappointing a loss as you could find on Sunday. For a division-leader that could have locked up their playoff berth to lay down to a team that had nothing to play for is unacceptable. The Teebs magic was all used up apparently as Timmy tossed four interceptions, two of which were boomerangs. I wish I had been able to watch this one. It would have felt SO good.

It was looking awkward when the ‘Phins were up 17-0 at halftime, but Brady rallied and made sure his team clinched a first-round bye. I’m expecting the Patriots to take the number one seed in the AFC, but I don’t feel very confident about their postseason chances.

PFFT. I’m glad this turned out to be less of a game, because if it had been overly dramatic I wouldn’t stop hearing about it all week. And the rumors that the Jets aren’t completely sold on Sanchez for next year? Frosting on the cake baby. And this picture of Jacobs and Ryan jawing afterward? Weird.

The Opening Drive: Week 16, 2011 posted by Joe Anello

Christmas Eve or not, there’s no way I’d let a schedule of great NFL action slip past my nets! The playoff positioning is settling in, but there’s some unresolved business in the NFC East with two pivotal games on Saturday. There’s plenty to talk about in week 16, so let’s get right to it!

John Skelton gets another chance to prove how little publicity the Cardinals can garner, despite his Tebowian winning ways. They travel to Cincy to take on the Bengals, who are desperate to climb back into the playoffs after stumbling the past few weeks. (I mean, they didn’t exactly blow out St. Louis.)

Can a game between a 7-7 and 8-6 team be any more unnecessarily hyped? I know there’s playoff hopes on the line and it’s between the two New York squads, but please, can we settle down slightly? The Jets defense has been utterly mediocre and Mark Sanchez has regressed. Give me Eli and the inconsistent Giants in this one.

This one would be almost not worth writing about except for Big Ben’s injury. Instead, the ancient Charlie Batch will get the start against the lowly Rams, a team that is now in the running for the first pick in April’s draft. I’m picking the Steeler defense in this match-up… because not much else excites me.

The Final Drive: Week 14, 2011 posted by Joe Anello

Heart attacks were felt across the nation on Sunday (especially by me), leading to plenty of hospitalizations. While you’re incapacitated, why not get the full scoop on week 14’s heart-stopping action?

So maybe the Texans aren’t absolutely screwed with T.J. Yates at quarterback. Who knew? They probably won’t make a lot of noise in the playoffs depending on the seeding, but they should stay competitive. Unfortunately for Cincy, there may be too many “respectable losses” on their record.

If the Titans weren’t in the middle of a playoff chase, I’d say it was time to start Jake Locker. Though with Hasselbeck’s injury, it might happen anyway. Kudos to the Saints for not falling into the “Trap of the Week.”

Oh Tony Sparano, we hardly knew ye. Wait, I did. You were a mediocre coach. Its obvious management was waiting for him to lose just ONE more game after that streak of wins they went on. Dropping one to the Eagles wasn’t going to cut it.

Sparano wasn’t the only coach let go today, as Todd Haley was relieved of his duties in Arizona following this shellacking. When you make Mark Sanchez look good… nothing good can follow. The Jets inch closer to the playoffs with a surprisingly lop-sided win.

The Opening Drive: Week 14, 2011 posted by Joe Anello

After the Big Ben-flavored drama on Thursday night, week 14 in the NFL season keeps on trucking in Sunday’s slate of games. While some will take a first glance at most of the games and shrug them off as meaningless, there are some hidden contests that could be much better than fans may expect. Plenty of options for “Trap of the Week.”

Houston’s been running along surprisingly smoothly since the loss of Matt’s Schaub and Leinart. However, T.J. Yates won’t have the home crown behind him as he takes on a desperate Bengal squad this week. I’m not sure the Texans will have enough success on the ground to make up for Andre Johnson’s absence.

Boom. Trap it up. New Orleans is on the road after a pretty convincing whupping of the Lions last week. Tennessee is very quietly eking their way into the AFC playoffs with all-around solid team play. New Orleans may be trying to keep pace with the Niners, but they don’t NEED this game like the Titans do. Drew Brees could have one of his famous “Throw for 345 yards, 3 TD’s and 3 INT’s” days, giving the Saints points, but not a win.

The Final Drive: Week 13, 2011 posted by Joe Anello

Week 13 in the NFL saw a variety of last second comebacks, including more “Jebus and Teebs” magic and a scare for the undefeated champs. Need to know more? Welcome to The Final Drive.

(7-5) Denver Broncos 35
(2-10) Minnesota Vikings 32

This is really starting to piss me off. Can’t SOMEONE knock this guy off the horse for ONE week? To be honest, this was probably Tebow’s best statistical game. He did complete 10 of his 15 passes. However, you can thank the defense for a timely turnover and Matt Prater for two clutch field goals. They are the real heroes.

I told you 20.5 points was too large a line! It was just begging to be betted on. Indianapolis played its best game in some time, out-gaining New England and controlling the ball. Unfortunately their two turnovers cost them this one, making their 21 fourth quarter points too little, too late.

Ow. That kinda hurt. After riding high with those “moral victories,” those pesky Bengals finally got put down by the cream of the AFC North. They might still get in for a wild card spot, but I don’t see them making much noise yet.

What a fantastic freaking game this was. Defenses were scarce aside from a few key plays, leaving these quarterbacks plenty of opportunities to light up the scoreboards. I don’t think I want to see what Tom Coughlin’s face looked like this morning. I swear that old man is so mad all the time his face probably takes 2-3 days to un-furiate.

Brees confident he'll remain with Saints (AP)

Drew Brees said he would be "beyond stunned" if he and the New Orleans Saints are unable to agree on a contract extension during this offseason, echoing comments by coach Sean Payton this week. Brees added he doesn't believe his next deal will prevent the Saints from bidding for some other key members of their record-setting offense who will become free agents, including Pro Bowl... [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Saints hire Spagnuolo as D-coordinator

The New Orleans Saints have agreed with Steve Spagnuolo to becometheir new defensive coordinator, FOXSports.com has learned. [read full article]

From FOXSports.com News for NFL

Report: Two shot for cheering on 49ers

A Georgia man allegedly shot at two football fans in arestaurant parking lot -- critically injuring one --because he took offense to their cheering for the San Francisco49ers as they faced off against the New Orleans Saints. [read full article]

From FOXSports.com News for NFL

Davis' late TD lifts 49ers over Saints (AP)

[read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Brees, 49ers defense formelite matchup (AP)

For nearly 59 minutes, coach Mike Singletary's bold proclamation that San Francisco would stop Drew Brees and the high-powered New Orleans Saints looked prophetic. Then with one late drive worthy of the Super Bowl champions, Brees eked out another victory for the Saints. Garrett Hartley's deflected 37-yard field goal fluttered over the cross bar after time expired to cap the winning drive... [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports