Black Holes and Snowy Mountains

Two fairly decent games resulted in the Indianapolis Colts vs. the New Orleans Saints in the Super Bowl.

New York Jets 17, Indianapolis Colts 30 (predicted: New York Jets 17, Indianapolis Colts 27)

The Colts weren’t looking very impressive in the first 28 minutes of the game before a momentum-shifting drive to end the first half swung the balance firmly in favor of the Colts. With stars Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark held to 55 and 35 yards, Peyton Manning made short work of the Jets No. 1 ranked defense with rookie Austin Collie (7 catches, 123 yards, 1 TD) and second-year veteran Pierre Garcon (11 catches, 151 yards, 1 TD).

The Colts defense stepped up and pitched a second-half shutout, frustrating Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez. Jets running backs combined for 86 yards after leading the AFC in rushing during the regular season.

Minnesota Vikings 28, New Orleans Saints 31 (predicted: Minnesota Vikings 35, New Orleans Saints 31)

In one of the most rollercoaster playoff games in recent memory the Saints knocked the Vikings out of the playoffs on a 40-yard field goal in overtime. In a game with nine fumbles (6 by Minnesota, 3 by New Orleans), nothing seemed certain as the two teams seemed like their own worst enemy, especially Minnesota. Twice in the red zone their chance was fumbled away, ultimately costing them a trip to the Super Bowl.

In what’s becoming a running theme, Brett Favre ended his third straight season with a bad interception, this time throwing across his body in an attempt to reach Sidney Rice to end the fourth quarter and a promising Vikings drive. He never got the ball back as the Saints won the toss and got the win.

1-1 in the Championship round, 3-10 overall.

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The Jets, Colts, Vikings, and Saints all play for a trip to the Super Bowl in the conference championships.

New York Jets 17, Indianapolis Colts 27

A lot of noise has been made in the buildup to the AFC Championship about the Jets and Rex Ryan’s schedule planned out all the way to the Super Bowl. For some reason they’re the trendy pick even though the Colts are 8-point favorites. I don’t put much weight behind Vegas odds (see: 2007 Super Bowl), but this outpouring of Jets support seems more due to everyone loving the underdog than any real expectation of making it to the Super Bowl.

Peyton Manning and the Colts rolled over for the Jets in week 16, and although the Jets can cling to the “We gave the Colts their first loss!” mantra, it’s time for a serious reality check. The Colts have been playing great defense and are managing the clock with effective short passes and disguised runs. The Jets have been getting by on a decent running game and by underachievement of opponents. Which do you think will prevail in Indianapolis?

Minnesota Vikings 35, New Orleans Saints 31

This one is a virtual toss-up. Both teams have offenses capable of scoring from anywhere on the field at any time during the game. I’m giving this one to the Vikings mostly because the Saints are due for another huge letdown after their victory over the Cardinals. The Vikings defense is more than capable of making enough plays to maintain a slight lead.

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The Cowboys got trounced while the Jets pulled off a huge upset victory in San Diego. New Orleans rolled through the Cardinals and Peyton Manning pulls to .500 in the playoffs over Baltimore.

Arizona Cardinals 14, New Orleans Saints 45 (predicted: Arizona Cardinals 17, New Orleans Saints 24)

So much for a close game. Although the Cardinals scored a touchdown on their opening drive the Saints didn’t let up on the gas the rest of the evening. The Cardinals didn’t even look like they left Arizona for most of the game. To cap it off, Kurt Warner had to go to the locker room before the half after a massive block when Warner tried to make a tackle. It’s a disappointing end for Arizona, who had visions of repeating last year’s improbable run to the Super Bowl.

Baltimore Ravens 3, Indianapolis Colts 20 (predicted: Baltimore Ravens 17, Indianapolis Colts 20)

Baltimore could not get anything going against a surprisingly resilient Indianapolis defense. The Colts’ playoff debut in 2010 is reminiscent of their Super Bowl season in 2006, when their defense was mediocre in the regular season but tightened up in the playoffs (well, not counting the epic Championship game against New England). The Ravens could not get to Peyton Manning, who got more than a little lucky when an Ed Reed interception was stripped by Pierre Garcon and recovered by the Colts.

Dallas Cowboys 3, Minnesota Vikings 34 (predicted: Dallas Cowboys 28, Minnesota Vikings 27)

I guess baby steps are good for the Cowboys. They won their wildcard game to get out of the media doghouse, but then promptly got stomped in Minnesota. Seriously… the Cowboys were never a threat after Tony Romo’s fumble early in the first quarter. Better luck next year.

New York Jets 17, San Diego Chargers 14 (predicted: New York Jets 14, San Diego Chargers 31)

Another pathetic playoff exit from the Chargers, this time the blame is on the high-flying offense on which the Chargers’ hopes rested. Specifically Nate Kaeding, who has the “crucial playoff field goal miss” down pat at this point. The Jets advance to Indianapolis on a running game and a stingy defense.

Sometimes I wonder what I was thinking when I made my predictions. Oh well. 2-2 for the divisional round, 2-8 overall. Ouch.

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To add to the list of high-tech ways to donate money that have risen to great prominence in the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake, here’s another. Indie+Relief, a software sale on January 20th in which all proceeds will be donated to relief in Haiti, has a fairly hefty offering.

As always one should take caution when donating to a charity, but I don’t think there’s much to worry about with this one. While there are a number of developers and software companies I haven’t heard of, there are plenty of reputable and well-established ones to match. Delicious Monster and PostBox, Inc. are just a few examples.

The sale is for one day only, January 20th 2010. If you’ve been on the fence about one of the pieces of software being offered, consider buying it and supporting a worthy cause.

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The Divisional round raises the stakes as the first-round bye teams get into the mix. The Chargers will reveal if the week off slowed their momentum, while the Saints, Colts, and Vikings will show if the bye week can cure a late-season slump.

Arizona Cardinals 17, New Orleans Saints 24

I don’t think this is going to be as high-scoring as most people are predicting. Both the Saints and Cardinals have defenses that are competent, and a lower score would only make this matchup more intense as both offenses are capable of exploding at any moment.

Baltimore Ravens 17, Indianapolis Colts 20

Peyton Manning is 7-2 lifetime against the Ravens, but unfortunately has also made a career out of early postseason exits. The Ravens knocked out the Patriots in Foxboro in convincing fashion, and now get to play a team not known for its prowess stopping the run. The Colts defense will be the unit under the most scrutiny in this game, as its no secret that keeping the ball away from the Colts offense should be Baltimore’s priority.

Dallas Cowboys 28, Minnesota Vikings 27

I’m just hoping the Vikings lose so we can say goodbye to Brett Favre for good. The Cowboys head to Minnesota looking like the most complete team in the playoffs; their defense is playing better than it has all season (and arguably in years) and the offense isn’t turning the ball over. Favre and the Vikings have had a week to rest after they bludgeoned the Giants 44-7 in week 17, but looked vulnerable in the weeks prior.

New York Jets 14, San Diego Chargers 31

The Chargers don’t seem to get as much attention as the other teams remaining in the playoffs even though they’re probably the class of the AFC. They’ve knocked the Colts out of the playoffs twice in two years, and finished the season on an 11-game winning streak. They should be able to outplay the low-scoring Jets at home despite New York’s defensive skill.

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Upsets rocked the AFC as the wildcards both came out of their respective road games with victories. In the NFC the results were exactly the opposite; only the division winners remain in contention.
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The 2009-2010 formally wrapped up on Sunday with the typical smattering of meaningless games, blowouts, surprising victories, and teams put out of their misery.
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The divisional round features a rematch of three week 17 games, none of which were particularly enlightening. The marquee Dallas/Philadelphia game should be entertaining, while Joe Flacco gets another shot at the Wes Welker-less Patriots.

New York Jets 16, Cincinnati Bengals 24

Nobody really understands how the Jets got into the playoffs in the first place, but Carson Palmer and the Bengals should be able to put together enough offense to force New York into an early vacation. Rex Ryan’s tears should freeze on his face.

Philadelphia Eagles 42, Dallas Cowboys 38

The Cowboys shut out the Eagles to win the division and force this game to Dallas. However, the Eagles have traditionally done well against the Cowboys late in the season and Tony Romo’s late-season woes are well documented. The Cowboys are due for a shootout.

Baltimore Ravens 17, New England Patriots 23

New England hasn’t lost a playoff game at home in the Tom Brady era. Don’t expect that trend to buck against a streaky Baltimore team. Wes Welker’s season-ending injury hurts, but the Patriots will figure out how to make use of their available personnel just like they have been for years. New England’s bigger worry should be who they play next; on the road to San Diego or Indianapolis will be a tough game for a team who has performed poorly on the road this season.

Green Bay Packers 35, Arizona Cardinals 31

The Packers are firing on all cylinders and stumbled upon an unexpectedly stingy defense when they switched to the 3-4 in the offseason. Aaron Rodgers has improved on his shortcomings in close games and has Green Bay in a winnable situation against a Cardinals team they’ve beaten before.

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Online banking has really taken off in recent years, and with it has come the rise of e-mail phishing scams. However, it doesn’t help that your own bank is compounding the problem instead of working towards a solution.

Phishing is the practice of conning an unsuspecting victim into giving away sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and banking details usually via fake e-mails. Phishing has gotten so bad that Robert Mueller, former head of the FBI, was nearly phished himself. The problem with phishing is that with a cursory glance the message and links provided look perfectly legitimate, which is exactly what the attacker relies on.
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The last week of the regular season means teams are resting their starters and most predictions are basically a toss into the wind. Oh well.

Indianapolis Colts 13, Buffalo Bills 16
New Orleans Saints 17, Carolina Panthers 23
Atlanta Falcons 23, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 28
San Francisco 49ers 31, St. Louis Rams 16
Pittsburgh Steelers 23, Miami Dolphins 21
New York Giants 28, Minnesota Vikings 24
New England Patriots 20, Houston Texans 27
Chicago Bears 31, Detroit Lions 14
Jacksonville Jaguars 18, Cleveland Browns 20
Philadelphia Eagles 34, Dallas Cowboys 28
Kansas City Chiefs 21, Denver Broncos 18
Baltimore Ravens 28, Oakland Raiders 10
Washington Redskins 24, San Diego Chargers 31
Tennessee Titans 46, Seattle Seahawks 14
Green Bay Packers 28, Arizona Cardinals 31
Cincinnati Bengals 17, New York Jets 21

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