Eagles-Cowboys Postgame Analysis

The Cowboys look very, very, very scary.

That is what I thought after I watched them overpower the Eagles en route to a 34-14 victory, and frankly, I think that that's what everyone watching this game thought.

Of course, I was also thinking similar thoughts when I saw them beat the Eagles on the road in Week Nine.

They then proceeded to lose three of their next five games to the Packers, Giants and Chargers.

But they have now won five games in a row since losing to the Chargers four weeks ago, and seem to have become the team that we thought they'd be last year.

They look solid on offense and are making plays on defense from their front three-to-the-secondary.

They made the Eagles offensive line look like a Pop Warner team, handled the Eagles blitzes with a solid performance from their offensive line, and put up 426 total yards on offense while also possessing the ball for nearly 40 minutes.

True, Tony Romo did get away with a Brett Favre-esque throw or two.

Correct, their secondary allowed Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick to throw for a combined 284 yards and two touchdowns.

And yes, they did get some lucky breaks in this game, most notably an interception by Romo that was overturned and a fumble by the Eagles' Leonard Weaver inside the two-minute mark when McNabb and co. were in Cowboy territory.

But Wade Phillips' team already had a 17-point lead when that fumble occurred, and while McNabb may have thrown for a lot of yards, in general Dallas' secondary played well.

And Dallas also went 9-16 on third down conversions, while the Eagles went a mere 2-11 in comparison.

Beating the Vikings in the Metrodome will be a far more difficult task for the Cowboys than beating an Eagles team that they had already beaten the week before in Jerry's World.

But as ESPN quoted Jones as saying after the game, 'The Demons are gone!'

The Cowboys may have lifted a monkey off of their back tonight after winning their first playoff game since 1996, and more importantly, failing to choke like they did against Seattle and the Giants a couple of years ago.

Because of that, it is plausible that they can ride their confidence to a Super Bowl just like the Giants did in 2007 after facing a similar amount of media scrutiny thanks to their discombobulated performance the following year.

Dallas can beat Minnesota if they can get the same solid pass rush on Favre that Saints quarterback Drew Brees experienced in Week 15 and McNabb faced last week and tonight.

Taking advantage of a dumb Favre decision and getting a big game out of receivers not named Jason Witten will also be needed, as I don't expect Felix Jones to rush for 148 yards against Minnesota's sturdy defense.

It will be tough, but a Cowboys victory over Minnesota is very possible, especially considering Favre's history of bad performances in the playoffs.

Romo hasn't played great in the playoffs as well, but I think that that has changed after the magnificent performance that he put on tonight.

New York Jets-Cincinnati Bengals Postgame Analysis

There are many interesting things to ponder after watching the New York Jets outclass and outplay the Cincinnati Bengals by a score of 24-14 .

For one, it seems like being a rookie in the playoffs is a no longer much of a liability for an NFL team.

Many analysts like myself said that Mark Sanchez would struggle in his first NFL playoff game, but that was anything but the case. He not only played great, but also significantly outperformed the Bengals' Carson Palmer.

Sanchez went 12-15 for 182 yards and a touchdown, and could have added one more TD to his stat line if not for a ball that went through the grasp of the perennially shaky-handed Braylon Edwards (Browns fans must have had a fun time watching that play).

Of course, Sanchez's receiving core performed much better than Palmer's, as Jerricho Cotchery made two great catches near the sideline.

He also did not have to throw against a shutdown corner like Darrelle Revis (he stayed away from Bengals standout corner Leon Hall if I'm not forgetting a play or two here or there) or deal with a superb pass rush like Palmer had faced from Bart Scott and co.

However, in the end Sanchez hit his receivers with accurate strikes when they were open and displayed steady footwork, whereas Palmer's footwork was consistently shaky, and thus resulted in passes that were either too high, too low or too far behind his receivers.

Palmer's subpar performance (18-36 for 146 yards, a touchdown and an interception-granted one that wasn't solely his fault) and the poor play of Cincinnati's defense canceled out a great performance from running back Cedric Benson, who consistently displayed great vision and made the right cuts throughout the game on his way to 169 yards rushing on 21 carries.

Two easy field goals missed by kicker Shayne Graham didn't help the Bengals either, though it is not the reason for their loss.

The Bengals didn't get many breaks in this game and couldn't make a play here or there to continue a couple of drives and keep Graham off the field, while the Jets were able to overcome their one bad break (punter Steve Weatherford being injured-kicker Jay Feely did a decent job punting for him).

Cincinnati squandered a great kick return by Bernard Scott at the game's outset thanks to a Laveranues Coles fumble and proceeded to lose their two challenges in the first quarter thanks to bad decisions by head coach Marvin Lewis. That followed an interception that was thrown by Palmer in the second half but at least partially the result of a lack of execution by Chad Ochocinco.

Meanwhile the Jets committed no turnovers and weren't rattled after a penalty erased a field goal by Feely and another one thereafter forced them to punt.

Sanchez made the plays that he needed to make, their running game was productive produced big plays, and they exploited the Bengals' inability to cover Jets tight end Dustin Keller with two big plays, one on a deep crossing route which resulted in a 45-yard touchdown, and the other on a simple drag route in the flats which resulted in a 43-yard gain and put the Jets in field goal territory.

The Bengals' lack of pass-catching playmakers was evident in this game, and while they still had a chance to win late in the game, it definitely would have been hard for them to move down the field if Graham's field goal had been made with just under four minutes to go.

Texas-Alabama Postgame Analysis

While Alabama beat Texas in this game, and thus deserves to be considered the better team, the fact of the matter is that I will remember Texas' performance much more than the Crimson Tide's.

The Tide's defense was dominant at times (and especially late in the fourth quarter when they recorded their one and only sack that resulted in a fumble that was recovered by Alabama on the Texas three yard line), but gave up yardage on the edge.

'Bama's fierce D was overshadowed by a Texas unit that played remarkably well in the second half and almost prevented Alabama from scoring after they recovered the fumble.

Texas' secondary in particular was remarkable, as they gave up only six receptions for 58 yards for the entire game and held standout 'Bama standout receivers Julio Jones and Marquis Maze to one catch each. Obviously 'Bama got very conservative on offense in the second half, but quarterback Greg McElroy was sacked five times, and replays often showed that 'Bama receivers were having trouble getting open.

On the other side, Crimson Tide's secondary gave up a few big plays to Longhorns receiver Jordan Shipley.

And while Crimson Tide running backs Mark Ingram (22 carries for 116 yards and two TD's-he's clearly a better NFL prospect than Stanford's Toby Gerhart) and Trent Richardson (19 carries for 109 yards and two TD's both had outstanding games, I think most people will instead remember the gutsy performance of Texas freshman quarterback Garrett Gilbert in relief of the injured Colt McCoy, who couldn't have expected to play in this game, yet played pretty well overall (15 completions on 40 attempts for 186 yards with two TD's and four interceptions-two of which came when the game had already been decided) against a blitz-happy 'Bama defense.

That statement is especially true if you consider the fact that Texas offensive coordinator Greg Davis handicapped him with conservative playcalls and runs that resulted in long second and third down situations, in addition to often leaving him with an empty backfield that forced him to hurry his throws before the play could develop.

Gilbert missed throws here and there, but also hit two deep strikes to Shipley and threw some nice screen passes and passes over the middle (his receivers often let him down with drops too) and didn't back down from the pressure that he received (the Texas o-line may have only given up one sack, but 'Bama's pass rush still had a massive effect on this game).

Alabama was clearly the better team in this game and would have probably looked much more impressive offensively if they didn't get so conservative in the third quarter (they looked good offensively in the first half).

But Texas put themselves in a position to win this game after an 18-point deficit, without McCoy.

Because of that, most people will remember this game for Texas' effort. Don't be fooled by the final score (37-21), Texas had a shot at winning this game at the end, and in the same fashion as they did in 2006 with Vince Young. Many people were obviously pulling for that to happen, and especially sports writers, as it would have made for a great storyline.

It wasn't meant to be though, and I give all the credit in the world to 'Bama coach Nick Saban, who kept his team calm after a rocky start and has now led two schools to a national championship (and more importantly is a national champion at Alabama after only three seasons at the school).

It is sad though that the game dictated that Alabama play so conservative on offense, as most people will remember their conservatism and push the smooth first half runs of Ingram and Richardson (including his 49-yard streak for a touchdown in the second quarter) to the back of their minds.

A Word on McCoy and Ingram: I am not the type of guy who drools over star players. In general I believe that they are covered too much, and because of that their story often gets old while other deserving players don't get the time in the spotlight that they deserve as well (you would think that there were only four college quarterbacks this year-Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy, Sam Bradford and Jimmy Clausen-by how much ESPN and co. covers them). With that said though, I now have much more respect for McCoy than I already did (I consider him to be just as good of a person as Tebow) after he gave a postgame interview to the often pushy and tough to deal with (just ask Charlie Weis) Lisa Salters.

McCoy congratulated Alabama after the game, and like Troy Smith after his loss in the national championship in 2007, was cool and collected. And in Ingram's case, he sounded like the same humble Ingram that we have come to love in his postgame interview. They both serve as great examples for student athletes everywhere, just like Tebow did during his career. Their candid embrace after the game only further demonstrates that.

Three-step drops:

1) ESPN's broadcast of this game was so-so: My critique of ABC (er, ESPN's) coverage of this game is mixed. On one hand I liked the call to have Pete Carroll as an analyst and thought that Kirk Herbstreit gave his best commentating performance of the year (he always does a great job of breaking down the game with intensity and enthusiasm, which I appreciate in this day and age of terrible color commentators). And Brent Musburger did a great job as always as the game's announcer too.

On the other hand though, they missed the flyover before the game and weren't able to have a mic close enough to Keith Jackson when he talked to both captains before the coin toss, which was disappointing. I know that they did not expect Jackson to say anything, but it was still disappointing. I will not give the benefit of the doubt to ESPN for missing the flyover though, as that's completely unacceptable. Thus I will give their performance a B-.

2) Alabama's uniforms are classic, and thus very nice: I like Alabama's crimson uniforms much more than Texas' burnt orange. Like USC's cardinal and gold, 'Bama's home unis scream tradition and simplicity, and I like that. Texas' unis aren't bad, but for a school with a powerhouse football program, they sure aren't anything spectacular.

3) Leave the BCS alone!: I wouldn't throw a hissy fit over a plus-one playoff format being created, but please, lets forget about trying to implement an eight or sixteen game playoff. That would make the regular season virtually meaningless, much like the NFL season is. The BCS makes every game count for the teams that are in contention for the national championship. The system is exclusionary, yes, but it also promotes the highest level of competition, which the NFL does not. Lets think about that before we potentially destroy a fantastic thing.

Texas-Alabama Halftime Analysis

Mack Brown and offensive coordinator Greg Davis may have cost Texas the game with a terrible playcall. I understand that they thought that Bama's defense would drop back with 15 seconds left and that they could get some cheap yardage underneath, but they forgot to realize about Bama's defensive line and the fact that they would be stuffing the middle thanks to Terrence Cody.

Texas would have been better off if they rolled out quarterback Garrett Gilbert and had him throw to a receiver running a drag or comeback route, and that also would have most likely gotten them more yardage in comparison to if the shuffle pass would have been caught (and not intercepted by Bama for a touchdown).

Bama is clearly in the driver's seat now with a 24-6 lead going into halftime, and they have to be thankful that they're special teams mishaps (both of which resulted in turnovers which gave Texas great field position inside the Bama 40) haven't come back to haunt them. That is due to both their great inside rushing defense and conservative playcalling by Davis (and rightfully so, as Colt McCoy got hurt on the fifth play of their first drive on a second down).

The only shot that Texas has to win this game if McCoy doesn't come back is if they get a big play or two on special teams, an interception or two on defense that results in their offense getting the ball in Bama territory. Davis is goanna have to attempt to stretch the defense with Gilbert and have him take dead aim at receiver Jordan Shipley while also continuing to run the ball outside with Tre' Newton and D.J. Monroe (Davis should completely abandon their inside running game, as its getting them nothing). Their defense also has to gamble right away, as their secondary needs to go for interceptions instead of deflections.

Alabama just needs to keep giving the ball to running back Mark Ingram, and continue to be aggressive on defense. They should easily win this game if they can get their passing game going, and they should at least do better in that area than they have done so far. You know that Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban reminded his team that the game is not over, while also telling them that they are 30 minutes away from a national championship if they continue to execute on defense and avoid special teams mishaps.

Prediction: Alabama should win this game easy in the second half, barring a return and miraculous Tiger Woods 2008 U.S. Open-Terrell Owens 2005 Super Bowl performance from McCoy. Alabama wins this game 41-13, and Brown is ferociously criticized afterwards for his management of this game, while Saban gets off the hook for his fake punt gone awry.

I am predicting that Bama wins

Its tough to think of Arenas as a bad guy

In this article I attempt to defend Gilbert Arenas' character by talking about his unique personality, intelligence and charitable contributions

In the grand scheme of things, what Gilbert Arenas is accused of doing is not the worst thing in the history of mankind, nor the NBA.

He kept guns in his own locker at the Verizon Center, and allegedly left four of them in teammate Javaris Crittenton’s locker with a note reading “Pick one,” before Crittenton loaded a gun of his own and had a brief exchange with the All Star guard.

Arenas then found humor in the situation through comments on his Twitter page and by pretending to shoot his fellow Wizards in the moments proceeding their game against Philadelphia on Tuesday.

He did not actually fire a weapon (see Stephen Jackson), nor kill a fellow human being with one (see Jason Williams).

Because of that, it is tough for me to get riled up about the incident like some sports writers have, or politicize it like Al Sharpton has done.

To say that Arenas is insensitive towards families in the Washington D.C. area that have been affected by gun violence, or that it is unacceptable to ever joke about guns may be correct, but in this situation it is also too narrow-minded.

I have no doubt that Arenas knows about Washington D.C.’s high-crime rate and the fact that many families around the world have been torn apart by gun violence.

I’m sure that he keeps up with what happens in Washington, as he not only is the founder of a charity which helps the area, but also comes across as an extremely bright and artistic individual. His past blog entries and unique ability to promote himself indicate this, as well as how he has conducted himself with members of the media and fans in the past.

Arenas’ antics were meant solely for Crittenton, but were soon shared with the entire world through the media.

He would have probably done a plethora of things differently if he had known what the outcome of his actions would be, just like Plaxico Burress would have not possessed a gun if he knew that it would get him a prison sentence.

Both Arenas, Burress and potentially Crittenton are just the latest in a long line of athletes to make significant mistakes, and they certainly won’t be the last.

But the thing that upsets me the most about the Arenas situation is the fact that he was, and still is, a man who had a unique ability to bond with fans.

He has given a lucky fan his jersey after games, revealed himself as a colorful individual in interviews, and talked of his fondness for playing Halo on Xbox Live.

And he also corresponded with fans through his blog (which was deleted sometime ago) and Twitter page.

Arenas has never come across as an athlete like Tiger Woods or Michael Phelps who rely on a P.R. quarterback sheet to inflate their image and guard what they say, but instead as a man with a unique personality who was wiling to share it with fans.

Perhaps it is Arenas’ lack of P.R. handlers that caused his indefinite suspension and inability to comprehend how others viewed his errors in judgment.

The sad thing is that both fans and sports writers need more athletes like the pre-gun incident Arenas, athletes who want us to see that they are interesting and have lives outside of the game.

Arenas may have taken this to an inappropriate extreme both in the present and the past, but I have always appreciated his sincerity.

And an even sadder thing is that Arenas is now being labeled as a thug by many individuals who know very little about him.

NBA fans know that Arenas is far from a thug through how he has conducted himself on and off the court and from his work in the Washington D.C. area (he established the Zero Two Hero Foundation in 2005 which has aided schools and children in the D.C. area, as well as Hurricane Katrina victims).

I don’t think of a thug when I see Arenas on TV, and this incident hasn’t changed my mind.

Nobody benefits from an NBA without Arenas, and the public may have been safer when Maurice Clarett went to jail in 2006, but I don’t think that that will be the case if Arenas ends up behind bars.

Arenas is now just another athlete who made a bad decision and has to deal with the consequences of it, and deservingly so.

But we need to judge his whole character before labeling him as a lawless thug, with that label based on one incredibly stupid decision that by all accounts was not intended to harm anybody.

One of the worst NFL game's I've ever seen

I am watching the Bengals-Jets game right now, and it is perhaps the worst NFL game I have watched in my life. The Bengals have a lineman playing tight end, are doing a terrible job of running the football, and are calling uncreative passing plays that don't stretch the field and are easy to defend against (ie wide receiver screens). The Bengals have done a great job of overcoming adversity this year and I admire them for that. However, when it comes to tonight (Jan. 3, 2010, 5:30 pm-8:30 pm), they have wasted a significant portion of my life with terrible football. I sure hope they can play better next weekend against the Jets in Cincinnati, or I will end up wasting another three hours of my life.

Headed to the mall for Black Friday

I am about to head to the mall right now for Black Friday, and am really looking forward to it. I have always tried to have a good fashion sense, but since the spring of 2008 I've tried to step it up by wearing lots of Polo gear. Pretty much all of my pants and fancy shirts are made by Ralph Lauren. This year's going to be no different. I'm trying to wear Polo all day and all night, whether I'm going to school, the club or the golf course. I'm also trying to pick up some Burberry and Bvlgari gear to really stop playing with these Peter Cady haters. I really like Burberry's signature Beige, brown and red scarfs and handbags, and the sophistication of Bvlgari's handbags. I also may look for a new pair of Nike shoes, but thats low on my list of priorities. I'm finna get off the ball like Jeff Saturday and hit the mall, and I encourage you to do so to on Black Friday in order to help out the economy both at the micro and macro level.