Please somebody pass the butter, the Washington Capitals are officially on a roll. The Capitals won their fifth straight game last night by defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in a skills competition the NHL calls a shootout.

The Caps sailed into the Sunshine state and right into the perfect storm, a storm that saw their ship rise instead of sink. Washington arrived in Florida one point behind the Lightning for first place in the southeast and just six points behind the Flyers for the overall lead in the eastern conference.

With 17 fathers and two brothers along for the ride on the annual “Mentor Trip,” the Caps sail back to DC with all four possible points, in first place and now sit just two points behind the Flyers for the No.1 seed in the east.

The Capitals continue to defy experts in winning games ugly and without the benefit of scoring a ton of goals in the process. Many of those same experts are beginning to concede that the Caps are a different team and one that could do some damage in the playoffs with this new defensive style of play.

The Caps have surrendered just eight goals over their last five games and are getting stellar goaltending play from Michael Neuvirth and last night Braden Holtby. Holtby was magnificent in relief of Neuvirth, who did not start the second period after taking a shot off the mask early in the first period.

There was no update from Bruce Boudreau today about Neuvie’s condition, or Nicklas Backstrom who left the game with a hand injury.

“Right off the bat he comes in and there’s a power play,” Coach Bruce Boudreau said of Holtby. “I think he has three great chances. Gagne had a fabulous chance and when he saved that, you knew he was going to be on. If they had scored on that first or second shot, whatever it was, he could have said: ‘Man it’s my first game back in three weeks.’ But it didn’t and he’s a competitive guy. That’s why we’re happy we’ve got three good young goalies.” (Washingtonpost.com)

The Capitals have been the cardiac caps this week. They are tying and winning games very late in the third period and into overtime.
Last night Alexander Semin tied the game with 5:32 remaining and Ovechkin scored the only goal of the shootout in gaining the extra point and the win. On Sunday, Semin again scored but this time in overtime, beating a Panthers team that outplayed the Caps for much of the game.

Last Thursday against the Blues, Jason Arnott tallied the game winner with just 5:19 remaining in the game. Brooks Laich scored the latest goal of the third period in this recent nail biting heart-thumping run. Laich scored with just .48 seconds left in the game and the Great 8 won it in overtime.

The Caps won that game in overtime when Alexander Ovechkin traveled the length of the ice, deeked a few defenders, and beat a stunned rookie goalie for the win.

Washington has averaged just two goals per game in their last nine but they are getting points from their top players once again. Ovechkin has 18 points in his last 15 games and is currently riding a five game point scoring streak.

The other Alex has been MVP like in the last week. Alexander Semin has six goals in his last ten games, scoring the game tying and game-winning goal in consecutive nights.

Need more proof that Semin is a strong candidate to be Caps MVP this season ( I can’t believe I said that), Washington is 16-0 when he scores a goal. He has seven goals (two hat tricks) and nine points in just four games against the Bolts.

Last night against the Lightning, Semin’s multiple curl and drag shot that beat Bolts goalie Dwayne Roloson, was simply magnificent.

Roloson was well on his way to becoming the third goalie in the Capitals 36 year history to shut them out three times in one season, but Semin stepped up and beat the 41-year-old net minder to tie the contest.

“I was more worried that Roloson was in a zone,” Bruce Boudreau said. “I’ve played against him too many times and when he gets in that zone, no matter what happens, he’s impossible to beat.” In case you were wondering, Tommy Salo and Ken Dryden were the others to accomplish the feat.

The Caps were lucky last night at times but when you play defense as they do, luck is the byproduct of working hard in the corners and along the boards. Washington does those two things consistently, and does them well.

Washington caught a break on a goal that was disallowed because the referee said Caps net minder Braden Holtby was interfered with. If you saw the replay then you know Washington got lucky with the call.

Luck is allowing the first goal on the road and coming back to win. Luck is also beating a team that is 25-2-1 when leading after two periods, which the Lightning was prior to last night’s contest.

Washington also works hard in overcoming those stats. They won their 20th game of the season when allowing that first goal (20-16-4) last night. They also did not allow the Lightning a shot on goal for the final eight minutes of the game. They earned their victory last night and they got lucky too.

There is also some luck attached to the fact that the Lightning and Flyers lost four games in a row at the same time. However, Washington did their part by taking advantage of that lucky break. They won the games that have allowed for these “capital” gains in the standings.

Every year experts say in order to be a successful playoff team you must, play good defense, have good goaltending, get a little lucky, and score timely goals———-Currently looks like a four-for four scenario to me Caps fans.

Washington and their 17 fathers and two brothers come home to play the Edmonton Oilers tomorrow night. Before you start thinking this could be an easy win, remember, defensive teams do not win easy, they win ugly.

Washington is on to something and for once in many years, it appears to be happening at just the right time.

It was the most unlikely of scenarios, as the Bears were down to their 3rd string emergency quarterback, Caleb Hanie. Starter Jay Cutler got injured in a first half, where he was constantly under pressure. He did try to play the 2nd half, but it was apparent that he didn’t look or feel alright. Veteran backup Todd Collins replaced him, but he was no more effective and he too got banged up against the Packers defense. That meant that everything rested on the shoulders of a 3rd year undrafted rookie free agent out of Colorado State. And due to the rules of inactive players, by putting Hanie in the Bears ensured they couldn’t turn back to Cutler or Collins no matter what happened.

While he was the unlikeliest of heroes Hanie answered the call for the Bears. Completing a crucial 2nd and 13 pass from the 33 yard line, that went 32 yards and set up a one yard touchdown run. Despite the Packers having everything go right up until that point, the Bears were just one score away from tying the game. You could see the momentum switch at that point, as the Bears defense allowed just 17 offensive yards in three 4th quarter drives (not counting the kneel down at the end of the game), the Bears did have 30 yards in penalties, but even with two free first downs the Packers couldn’t move the ball. Hanie wasn’t perfect though, as he threw a costly pick 6 with six minutes to go. The young quarterback rebounded though, as on the Bears ensuing drive he completed four straight passes to go 60 yards in a 1:20, and put the Bears back within one score.

Hanie would lead one more drive for the Bears, and he got them down deep into Packers territory, but threw a decisive interception on a 4th and 5 play from the 29 yard line. While some people may question Hanie on that last drive, the real questions should be directed at HC Lovie Smith and OC Mike Martz. Facing a 3rd and 3, they called a timeout, switching away from a run that looked like it was going to work, for an end around play that lost two yards. That put Hanie in a bad situation and further away from the first down. Not to take away from the Packers defense, but that timeout just didn’t make sense as it allowed Green Bay some time to think and come up with the big play. The result could have been the same regardless, but there is no doubt that it didn’t help Hanie’s odds of converting the 4th down.

The Packers will now head to Dallas to take on the Steelers, and while they’ve been impressive for the majority of the postseason, they will need to answer why they were so bad in the 4th quarter yesterday.

Pittsburgh Survives A New York Comeback Attempt: It really was the tale of two halves, as the Steelers jumped out to a 24-0 lead, and the Jets answered with 19 straight points, 16 of which came in the 2nd half. In the first half the Steelers were able to run and throw at will, and their defense completely had the Jets number.

The 2nd half belonged to the Jets as they moved the ball pretty effectively against the Steelers defense. Mark Sanchez looked very poised and in control in the 2nd half and hit on the throws that he was throwing incomplete in the first half. Although the Steelers still stopped the run, Shonn Greene had some nice gains on crucial plays for the Jets, setting up 3rd and short situations, and making things easier for the offense. On defense the Jets finally had an answer for the Steelers running game, and came up with some big sacks against Roethlisberger as well. A crucial interception on a broken play, kept the Steelers from scoring and putting the game out of reach. After being stopped on a 4th and goal at the one yard line, the Jets defense showed blitz and a bad snap led to a safety.

While the Jets dominated the majority of the 2nd half a few little victories were the difference in this game for the Steelers. While the 4th and goal stop was wasted with safety, and ensuing drive in which the Jets scored, the Steelers defense made them fight for every yard each drive. Combined the two drives for the Jets took over twelve and a half minutes, which resulted in 9 points (2 of which weren’t the fault of the defense). That 4th and goal stop was crucial as it forced the Jets to ‘regain’ the yards they already had and waste more time off the clock. And while the Pittsburgh offense was ineffective for much of the 2nd half, Roethlisberger came up big when it mattered. He completed two big first down passes, that ensured that the Jets would never get the ball back, and sent the Steelers to their 8th Super Bowl.

1. Run The Ball: It’s not going to be easy as the Steelers have the best run defense in the league, but the Jets bread and butter is running the ball. If the Jets have any shot of winning this game, they have to be able to move the ball on the ground. If they can get 100+ yards they have a good chance of winning this game.

2. Mark Sanchez Needs To Play Like A Franchise QB: The Jets are a great football team despite having average (at best) quarterback play. For the Jets to win this championship game they need Sanchez to live up to the hype and have a great game. He stepped up in the second half of the Patriots game and he will need to do the same today. If Sanchez has a big game, then New York could upset the Steelers.

3. Attack The Offense: The Jets need their defense to come up with some big plays. New York doesn’t have the offense to win this game on their own, so this defense will need to step up to slow down the Steelers offense. Not only will the Jets have to slow down the Steelers offense, but I think they will need a couple big turnovers to win this game.

Pittsburgh Steelers:

1. Blitzburgh: Mark Sanchez really has been pretty average thus far in his career, and when you put pressure on him he will make big time mistakes. The Steelers need to do what they do best and blitz him nonstop. Pittsburgh needs to keep the pressure on the young quarterback, and they should expect a couple of turnovers.

2. Attack the Safeties: The Jets have the best corners in the league, but their safeties can be beaten. The Steelers need to attack the center of the field and get some big plays against those safeties.

3. Stop The Run Cold: The Steelers have the best run defense in the league, and they have to ensure they get the job done today. If the Jets find a way to run tonight, it could be a long day in Pittsburgh, but if the run defense comes though then Mark Sanchez has to win this game, which he probably isn’t capable of doing.

Prediction: Steelers 27-17

1. Use the Deep Passing Game as A Decoy: After last week’s game against the Falcons, everyone in Chicago is expecting Aaron Rodgers to air this ball out and try to get the big play. If I’m the Packers I’d use those expectations to my advantage. I would continuously send receivers on deep routes and run a series of draws and short passing routes underneath. If Chicago commits the safety to stopping the deep pass, then the field will be open to turn a short 6 yard pass into a big gain. Conversely if they give their corners safety help then I’d attack deep to Greg Jennings. I’m guessing they won’t want to get beat by the pass, so you probably will have some openings underneath. The Packers have to take advantage of that and force the Bears into changing their defensive strategy.

2. Attack The Bears Offensive Line: In two games against the Bears, the Packers have 9 sacks on Jay Cutler, yet they only split the series and barely beat them the last week of the season. The sacks though did kill a number of drives for the Bears, and the constant pressure did slow them down somewhat. Green Bay has to keep the pressure on, and not let Cutler feel comfortable at home.

3. Run the Ball Effectively: The Packers just haven’t been able to move the ball on the ground against the Bears defense, and that has to change if they want to win today. Green Bay will need both Starks and Kuhn to pick up the tough yards, and extend drives for them. They simply can’t continuously get stuffed, forcing 2nd and 3rd and long plays. The Packers could also use some long drives to eat up the clock. The Packers don’t need a huge game on the ground, but I’d say they have to pick up 80+ to win today.

Chicago Bears:

1. Get Devin Hester Involved: Unfortunately I don’t really see Hester getting an opportunity to contribute on punt returns, so you will have to find even more ways to get him involved. I would first and foremost make him your primary kick returner today. Daniel Manning does a nice job, but Hester is something special. And if they are going to be kicking away from him in the punting game, Hester should’t get too tired fielding kickoffs, and the Packers either concede good field position or put it in Hester’s hands. I’d also try to get Hester on some crossing routes in the open field with other receivers running routes to clear out the zone. If the Bears utilize Hester as a weapon, they could really open up this game, and force the Packers to change their strategy.

2. Run the Ball/Rely On the Screen: That Packers pass rush is incredible so the Bears have to find a way to keep Cutler from being killed back there. I would use the run and short screen passes to slow down the Packers blitz. Matt Forte is extremely effective catching the ball out of the backfield, so I’d make him one of your offensive centerpieces early on in the game.

3. Control the Line of Scrimmage on Defense With Your Front Seven: The Bears have to be able to both stop the run and get pressure on Aaron Rodgers solely with their front seven if they want to win. The Packers wide receivers are too good to offer safety help in the running game, or pull someone off coverage for a blitz. If Chicago can win the battle up front then they have a real shot in this game.

Prediction: Packers 23-20

Certainly the major sports news topic in recent days has been the no-hitter tossed by the Phillies Roy Halladay against the Cincinnati Reds in Game 1 of their National League Divisional Series matchup.  I’ve listened to quite a bit of debate on where Halladay’s feat ranks against previous individual postseason  performances.  Since I’m a “mature” sports fan, I always like to look at how things used to be.  Indeed, I’ve posted a few  blogs here on fanspeak under the heading “Nostalgiaspeak” (found under the “More” tab).  So I think it’s only fitting that I take a look at some other past outstanding performances in MLB postseason play.

I took a cursory look at the information on Baseball Reference.com, limiting my review from 1940 to the present.  Not that I go back that far – I was born in 1953.  And not that there is any other particular significance to 1940.  I just thought, what the heck, 70 years is a pretty good sampling.  I also limited my review to one-game pitching performances.  I realize there have been individual at-bats (World Series-ending homers by Bill Mazeroski in the 1960 and Joe Carter in 1993 and Bobby Thomson’s 1951 playoff game  ”shot heard round the world”) or great fielding plays (catches by Willie Mays and Ron Swoboda) that were truly spectacular.  Numerous players have put up amazing numbers, either hitting or pitching, throughout a particular postseason or series.  But I think that it’s the single game, dominating pitching performance of the nature of Halladay’s, that stands out above the rest.

Taking a look at Halladay’s no-hitter, it almost seemed effortless.  The only thing that kept him from throwing a perfect game was an 5th inning walk on a 3-2 count.  He almost always pitched ahead in the count and rarely even went to three balls in any count.  It didn’t seem like any extraordinary fielding plays were needed to preserve the no-hitter as is often the case.  In short, it was a brilliant performance.  What is truly amazing is the fact that this gem was thrown in his first-ever appearance in the postseason!

In the debate over whether Halladay’s no-hitter was the most spectacular individual postseason performance, the first comparison drawn is to Don Larsen’s perfect game for the Yankees against the Brooklyn Dodgers in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series.  Before Halladay’s game, it was the only no-hitter ever thrown in postseason play.  With the Series knotted at two games apiece, there was some question if Larsen would even be given the start in Game 5.  He had only lasted 1.2 innings in his previous Game 2 start.  But Manager Casey Stengel decided to go with Larsen and the rest, as they say, “is history”.

But no-hitters aside, there have been plenty of masterpieces thrown in the postseason.  There’s one game in particular that some people are suggesting was even more impressive than Larsen’s or Halladay’s.  That is Jack Morris’ performance for the Twins against the Braves in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series.  It was a 10-inning, complete game, 1-0 shutout.  While he did give up 7 hits, it is argued that to go out in the 7th and deciding game and pitch 10 innings of shutout ball, giving his team the opportunity to clinch the series in walk-off fashion in the bottom of the 10th, puts his performance right up there for consideration as the best postseason performance ever.

But going back a bit further in history, a compelling argument could be made for another 10 inning, complete game, 1-0 shutout.  It also occurred in the 1956 World Series, in Game 6, one day after Larsen’s perfect game.  Unheralded Clem Labine got the start for the Dodgers with his team now trailing the Yankees in the Series, three games to two.  Similar to Morris’ game, Labine scattered 7 hits and kept the Dodgers in the game.  What was really impressive was the fact that he had to out-duel Bob Turley of the Yankees, who himself pitched 9.2 innings of shutout ball until Jackie Robinson hit a single to drive in Junior Gilliam to give the Dodgers the win.  The win kept the Dodgers’ hopes alive, although the Yankees did prevail in Game 7.

When considering other memorable World Series games, near the top of the list has to be the one-hitter turned in by Jim Lonborg of the Red Sox against the Cardinals in Game 2 of the 1967 Series, a 5-0 shutout win for Lonborg .  He took a no-hitter into the 8th inning, giving up a double with two outs in that inning.  His only other blemish in that game was a 7th inning walk.  Of course the Cardinals went on to win the Series four games to three, keeping the “Curse of the Bambino” alive.

Speaking of World Series 1-hitters, there was the performance turned in by Claude Passeau (who?) of the Chicago Cubs in Game 3 of the 1945 Series.  He pitched a 3-0 shutout against the Tigers, giving up the only hit in the 2nd inning.  He also walked a batter in the 6th inning who was immediately erased on a double play so Passeau only faced 28 batters that day, one over the minimum.  The Tigers went on to win that Series and what is additionally noteworthy is that it is the last time that the Cubs appeared in the World Series.

Another pitcher who tossed a 1-hitter in a World Series game was Bill Bevens of the Yankees against the Brooklyn Dodgers.  He threw it in Game 4 of the 1947 Series.  But this wasn’t your ordinary 1-hitter type of game.  For starters, Bevens lost the game on the only hit he gave up, a two-out, two-run, walk-off double by Cookie Lavagetto.  Why was it a TWO-RUN walk-off double you say?  It turns out that Bevens gave up 10 walks that day!  The Dodgers were able to manufacture a run in 5th inning on two of those walks, a sacrifice bunt and a fielder’s choice.  Nonetheless, the Yankees took a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the 9th.  It was the first time (and the only time other than Larsen’s game) that a pitcher took a no-hitter into the 9th inning in a World Series game.  Two walks by Bevens set the stage for Lavagetto’s game winning hit.   The Yankees did however go on to win that Series in 7 games.

Some other impressive World Series pitching performances, albeit not quite up to the challenge of those games discussed above, include 2-hit shutouts thrown by Warren Spahn of the Braves against the Yankees in Game 4 of the 1958 Series and Whitey Ford of the Yankees against the Reds in Game 1 of the 1961 Series.  Additionally there was the Game 1, 4-0 shutout of the Tigers turned in by Bob Gibson of the Cardinals in the 1968 series.  While he did give up 5 hits, he struck out 17 batters that day.  A truly dominant performance.

In addition to Halladay’s no-hitter, there have been some impressive non-World Series performances as well.  Chief among those would be the Braves’ Kevin Millwood 1-hitter against the Astros in Game 2 of the 1999 NLDS, and Bobby Jones’ 1-hitter for the Mets against the Giants in Game 4 of the 2000 NLDS, which clinched that Series for the Mets.  And who can forget the 1-hitter tossed by Roger Clemens of the Yankees against the Mariners in Game 4 of the 2000 ALCS in which he struck out 15 batters.  Some have argued that, taking all factors into consideration, that stands as the most dominating postseason pitching performance.  Not being a Clemens fan, I of course would discount that one since we really don’t know how much “help” he had that day??

So, which one deserves to be considered the most spectacular postseason performance?  In my mind, I think that the two no-hitters and the Morris and Labine 10-inning complete game shutouts are the top candidates.  Two games are in the more current time frame and two were from a different era.  Three of the games were World Series games and Halladay’s was the first game of the postseason.  It all depends on how you weigh the different factors applicable to each game.  To me, a World Series game carries greater weight than a non-Series game.  Vitally important too, is what that particular performance meant to the pitcher’s’ team at that given point in time.  And I think you have to give great weight to how the accomplishment relates to baseball’s established standards of excellence (ie. no-hitter vs. 7-hit shutout).

Which is the best?  While Labine’s 10-inning, 1-0 shutout win kept his team alive in the World Series it does not equal Morris’ similar shutout that gave the Twins the title.  And although in most any other scenario, a no-hitter trumps a 10-inning complete game shutout, I think the fact that Morris performed his feat under the pressure of pitching in the 7th game of the World Series makes his accomplishment just a little more impressive than Halladay’s postseason-opening no-hitter.  I know that Larsen’s accomplishment “only” gave his team a 3-2 lead in the Series, but I have to go with his performance as being the best of the bunch.  After all, what is better than perfection?

AL Central: The Central has quickly become a two man race as the Tigers have fallen 9 games out of first place and don’t look like they can recover. The White Sox hold a slim lead in the division, but they desperately need to find some bats to supplement their quality pitching staff. I don’t know if Chicago has enough to hold off the Twins in the race for the Central. Minnesota is a more well rounded team, and could get a great September boost when Justin Morneau rejoins the team. While it is possible the 2nd place team could be in contention for the Wild Card, I really believe it is coming out of the East this year. I like the Twins to squeak this division out during the last week of the season.

AL West: This division race is pretty much officially over. If the Rangers don’t win this division it would be a major upset. The Angels are absolutely reeling right now and have fallen to 3rd place in the division (and under .500). The A’s could make a run, but they are really built for next year and the future. I would not be shocked if they close the gap, but I don’t see anyone overcoming the Rangers and their incredible offense.

NL East: Since the trade deadline this has become firmly a two team battle, as both the Mets and Marlins have fallen out of the race. The Phillies are in second place, but should get some key players back from injuries down the stretch, that should push them over the top. The Braves desperately want to win in Bobby Cox’s swan song, but will need to fend off a strong Phillies team. Atlanta might need to make a waiver wire deal to ensure their spot atop the East. Unlike in the American League, the Wild Card race is fairly wide open, so whomever loses the East could still be in the playoffs.

NL Central: The Central like the East is down to two teams, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds hold the division and are the better all-around team, but the Cardinals have the better star power plus the experience making them a safer bet down the stretch. Both teams could be looking for some outside help, but the Reds should be able to hold on to the division. They have a better farm system and will get some much needed extra arms to help close out the season. St. Louis isn’t fully out of it, but I don’t know if they have the offense to overcome the Reds (and right now their pitching staff isn’t too hot either).

NL West: The West is still fairly wide open as I think 4 teams still have a shot at the division. The Dodgers and Rockies still have a ways to go, but I wouldn’t count them out for late season pushes. The Dodgers were the most active team at the deadline bringing in 4 veteran upgrades. While the team hasn’t responded yet with too many wins, that influx of talent could help them in the closing weeks. The Rockies didn’t add any pieces at the deadline, but they are a young team that keeps getting better each week. Unless the Padres or Giants really run away with this division, I wouldn’t count out the Rockies if they are within 5 games in final two weeks. As for the Padres or Giants I got to go with San Francisco. They have better starters, in addition to a better lineup (though not by much). The Padres did add some bats at the deadline though neither has yet to significantly contribute. Both teams could still look at some waiver wire pickups, but I still think the Giants will end up on top.

Between Ray Allen’s eight three-pointers and Rajon Rondo’s triple-double, the LA Lakers would have had to bring their absolute best work Sunday night.

Unfortunately for the Lakers, they didn’t. Not only that but, Kobe Bryant, Ron Artest, Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum combined for 21 fouls. Ron Artest fouled out, and the others nearly did as well. For most of the fourth quarter, Kobe Bryant was nursing five fouls, which essentially opened the floodgates for Rajon Rondo, as Bryant was assigned the task of guarding him throughout the game.

The Celtics playing in LA has been an interesting dichotomy – the Celtics have been the best road team in the playoffs, and the Lakers were previously 9-0 at home. In game 1, the Lakers dominated the underperforming Celtics, and the reverse happened in game 2.

At some point, both teams will show up, and it will make for an epic game. At this point, though, the Celtics have all the momentum as they head home for game 3. Ironically, after looking back at Phil Jackson’s perfect 47-0 series record after winning game 1, that figure now seems entirely irrelevant.

It is interesting to see how well Rasheed Wallace and Nate Robinson have played in the playoffs. Wallace had a quiet seven points and seven points in just 18 minutes, but he led all players with a +/- of +17. That statistic, point differential when on the court, can be misleading at times, but in this case it probably isn’t – Wallace has been a very solid player this post-season, and one could argue that he should be starting over Kevin Garnett. As for Robinson, he has been a spark for the Celtics off the bench, and he proved against Orlando in game 6 that he can be serious threat in the fourth quarter. It seems that everything is coming together for Boston at the right time.

It is hard to argue against Phil Jackson’s 47-0 series record after winning game 1, but at this point Boston looks like a better team. The LA Lakers massive foul trouble is indicative of that. Across the board, the Lakers’ key players could not guard the Celtics’, which accounts for a roster fraught with players with five-plus fouls. The likes of Kobe Bryant, a superstar that tends to have calls go his way, was on his way to fouling out at the onset of the fourth quarter. Guarding Rajon Rondo is clearly a difficult task, and that will take the Boston Celtics a very long way.

Future Looking Brighter for Sanchez:  Mark Sanchez has had a tough rookie year and has been the weakest quarterback in the playoffs so far. He had shown flashes of being a good quarterback, but that was mostly against weaker competition and had also cost the Jets a few games this season. Of late though he’d been fairly mistake free, not because of major improvement in his game, but rather because of a much simpler passing attack. Sanchez was pretty much regulated to ‘safe’ intermediate and short throws so far in the playoffs. Yesterday though Sanchez had his best game of the playoffs (and his young career), he showed much better decision making and poise in the pocket. He didn’t try to force the ball in to coverage, and really showed something against a big team in the biggest game of his career. Now Sanchez has some things to work on, accuracy being the primary concern, but in 2-3 years Sanchez could become a pretty good starting quarterback.

Saints Go Marching On:  Who would have thought it would have been the Saints defense and special teams that sent them to the Super Bowl? While their defense got torched with yards and penalties, they came up with enough big plays to win yesterday. And how huge was the Peterson fumble right before half after the Bush muffed punt? That Saints defense all season has just been relentless in getting takeaways, and showed it again last night. Gregg Williams and company deserve most of the credit for that victory, because Favre had a great game yesterday. Think of what he would have done if he actually had time in the pocket? The Saints pass rush completely dominated the Vikings offensive line and had Favre on the ground quite a bit. The Saints defense was the key to the game, and is why they will be making their first Super Bowl appearance.

Just How Tough is Brett Favre?:  Now I realize all the talk now is about that last interception, and on whether or not it was Favre’s last game (again). But really we need to acknowledge that yesterday’s loss was on two things:  the offensive line play, and lack of ball control. Not only did the Saints recover a fumble inside the Vikings 20 yard line, but Minnesota coughed it up twice when they were at the Saints 10 yard line! And the offensive line, which had begun to collapse at the end of the season, looked awful yesterday. They couldn’t handle the stunts and blitz packages New Orleans was throwing at them, and Favre paid the price. Not only was he getting hit hard (and sometimes illegally), but he was injured and in obvious pain. Favre played well enough to win that game by a couple of touchdowns, but his 0-line and the fumbles cost them dearly.

-Size doesn’t matter:  Usually when size is referenced regarding a game with the Chargers on the field, people are talking about Darren Sproles, but the true “Small Wonder” yesterday was Jim Leonhard. Leonhard at 5’8″ was covering guys 9 inches taller than him and making plays all over the field. He had one interception and a forced fumble that was ruled incomplete (not sure if I buy that call). Leonhard’s play epitomizes the Jets defense and their attitude, and is so fun to watch.

-Revis Recount: I realize that Player of the Year awards are based solely on regular season performance, but I think Darrelle Revis is the rightful winner of the Defensive Player of the Year award and not Charles Woodson. No disrespect to Woodson, but these playoffs have separated the two corner backs by a wide margin. Woodson could do nothing to stop one of the greatest playoff passing performances we’ve ever seen, including some big catches by his man (for most of the game) Larry Fitzgerald (and those were with some safety help as well). Revis shut down Chad Ochocinco in week 1, with his only real catches coming when the Jets went into prevent (Revis also had a big interception). Yesterday Revis was just as dominate, he didn’t shadow a single receiver but took away which ever player he was on. Despite giving up 6-7 inches he made a great play on that deep jump ball to Vincent Jackson, and had the wherewithal (plus a little luck) to intercept the ball and pick up a few return yards. Revis also made a great play on that screen to Tomlinson in the 1st quarter, stopping him for a four yard loss. And he was just one block away from returning that missed field goal for a touchdown before half, on a great heads-up play.

-Rookie leads the Jets to victory:  Nope not Mark Sanchez, their top pick and the guy that is so hyped in the media, 3rd round running back Shonn Greene is the real offensive hero (well him and the offensive line). Greene averaged 5.6 yards a carry for 128 yards, including that big 53 yard touchdown run in the 4th quarter. Greene has been huge down the stretch for the Jets and runs like a veteran, not some rookie.

-The ‘need’ of a Franchise Quarterback?:  Every April when the draft comes along we hear how teams NEED to draft a franchise quarterback to be successful. Well the Jets listened, but their success is IN SPITE of their ‘franchise’ quarterback, not because of it. He was just plain awful this season, and really can’t handle anything 15 yards plus down the field. He doesn’t do well with pressure, can’t scramble around, and can really only succeed with three types of throws: screen passes, sideline passes, and short to medium throws off play-action. Now I’m not trying to beat up on Sanchez. While I’ve never been a fan, I think there is a chance that he could develop into a very good QB down the road, but right now he is a well below average quarterback and the Jets are winning. Back-to-back weeks New York has gone into a ‘franchise’ quarterback’s home stadium and made them look silly.

Speaking of looking silly:  How big of an idiot is Phillip Rivers? How can he go up and yell at the Refs, who you know are actually watching the play and in position to see it. Rivers is 20 yards away and has about 19 bodies between him and the ball, yet somehow he thinks he knows what happened and can disrespect the officials. The worst part about it, is its not an isolated incident. Year in year out, week in week out, Rivers constantly yells and screams at the officials for any calls he doesn’t like or ones they don’t make. Funny I never see him scream at them when his players aren’t called for holding or offensive pass interference (I guess he only wants the refs to call a perfect game in his favor). Look from home we see that the refs aren’t perfect, they’ll miss calls, and they will blow some calls, but it does even out in the end (not to mention they were 100% right with this call). And if you have an issue with their calls, there is a system in place to deal with it. First there is this thing called instant replay, also after the fact a team can always appeal to the league if a call was really blown. Its one thing to voice your displeasure at a call, but quite another to yell and scream at them. If this was baseball, he would have been thrown out of the game, and if it was basketball he’d be called for a technical (and potentially thrown out of the game). Why does the NFL, (and media) allow Rivers to get away with this childish behavior? I hope next year they start issuing unsportsman like penalties on Rivers (I mean they do it on coaches and other players). And Phil as all your yelling and screaming EVER reversed a call? NO, why because officials aren’t going to let the players run the show. So grow up and leave your attitude back in preschool where it belongs, its time to be a man and a role model for all those out there watching.

The Dallas Cowboys will continue their late-season success

The Dallas Cowboys have now won four straight games including a 34-14 romping of the division rival Philadelphia Eagles. That thrashing of the eagles was also the Cowboys’ first playoff victory with Tony Romo as quarterback, and it was the team’s first playoff victory since 1996.  The Cowboys, though, can not give even most of the credit to Romo, as their defense has played an integral role in the team’s overall success over the past few weeks.

The Cowboys find themselves in the playoffs mainly because of their defensive play. Over the last four weeks, the unit has not allowed more than 17 points, and three of the games they have gone up against two of the best offenses in football – the New Orleans Saints and the Eagles twice. For this reason, the Cowboys should be considered the favorite against the virtually untested Minnesota Vikings.

The 12-4 Vikings enjoyed a successful regular season with Brett Favre in command, but they had a notably soft schedule. Their resume is sparse, as their only impressive wins – or wins against teams with winning records – came against Green Bay twice, Baltimore and Cincinnati. All three were low playoff seeds, and only Baltimore is still alive this post-season. In short, the Vikings have much to prove even after notching 12 victories.

Both teams are of the same mold: They have tough, talented defenses (Minnesota’s D ranked 6^th overall) and quarterbacks that continually walk a narrow line between brilliance and implosion. The Cowboys and Vikings can expect consistently solid play from their defenses, but predicting the unpredictable  play of Favre and Romo can be enigmatic. Both are aggressive gunslingers that can easily decide the game with their fantastic or horrific play.

Favre and the Vikings have had an ideal season, but they have stumbled as of late. At this moment, the Cowboys are a superior team, and both Romo and their defense have played at a consistently high level. The Cowboys are the hottest team in the NFL right now (aside from maybe the Chargers), and they will hand Favre and the Vikings a disappointing early exit from the playoffs. Final score: Dallas 30 Minnesota 20