NBA 2012 Playoff Predictions Round 1

The NBA season has been a crazy one! We've witnessed the many great things and the many flops. Linsanity emerged out of nowhere, the Bobcats being the worst NBA team ever, and much more! But, I'm really excited for the playoffs! This time of year always give me the chills and it's fun watching everyone. Although the Raptors aren't in again, all these teams are going to put forth some great series. These first round matchups could be the make or break of a franchise! We'll see! I'll be glued onto my television screen all day!

Anyways, here are my predictions for the East!

(1) Chicago Bulls vs (8) Philadelphia 76ers: I'll take the Bulls in 5 games for this 1st round matchup. I don't think the 76ers can handle them. The Bulls have a much more talented team overall and a defense that will give Philadelphia some problems. The 76ers wanted the Bulls in round 1 but I'm pretty sure they'll regret it soon.

(2) Miami Heat vs (7) New York Knicks: The Heat wreaked havoc this season and are poised for another long playoff run. To be honest, I still hate the team as a whole but I do love watching them. They're exciting to watch because they play well together. The Knicks are going to have a tough time here. I'll take the Heat in 5 as well. I think they are a much more scarier team than the Bulls and the Knicks are gonna find themselves an early exit. They'll be competitive but they won't win.

(3) Indiana Pacers vs(6) Orlando Magic: Playing without Dwight in this series is just enough that the Pacers will sweep them! Mark my words. I don't believe in magic this year and the Pacers are a young and upcoming team. They'll be running and gunning all over them.

(5) Atlanta Hawks vs (4) Boston Celtics: The Celtics are the higher seeded team due to the division title but the Hawks are given the home-court advantage. Although it has been a rough season for the old men in Boston, I do think they'll pull it out in the end. I'll take the Celtics over the Hawks in 6 games.

West side!

(1) San Antonio Spurs vs (8) Utah Jazz: The Jazz surprised many people this year. After the rollercoaster ride last year with the departure of Sloan and the trade of Williams. It seemed like eternity that this team would make it back to the postseason. Well, they definitely proved me wrong! Unfortunately for them, they're facing the Spurs. I think Utah will be competitive but lose in 7 games.

(2) Oklahoma City Thunder vs (7) Dallas Mavericks: This is an awkward first round matchup. Many believed this would be the west finals like last year but the shortened season really took a toll. I'll go out on a limb here and disagree with everyone else! I really do think the Thunder are going to win the series BUT I'll take the MAVS anyways. Mavs in 7 games! Go Vince Carter!

(3) LA Lakers vs (6) Denver Nuggets: The Lakers will win this series without a doubt. I think the experience, size and Kobe will be the deciding factors. I do think Denver will be competitive so I'll give them a few games. I'll take LA in 6!

(4) Memphis Grizzlies vs (5) LA Clippers: This is going to be the most exciting series!! I may be a bit biased since I love the Grizzlies but hey, who wouldn't want to watch two young teams climbing up the NBA ladder? Lob City will have problems with the Grizz and this is why I think Memphis will take it in 7 games. Home court is crucial!

I hope everyone agrees with me and if not, I wanna read your predictions!

Barbosa Deal

Today, amongst all the trade rumours, the Raptors and Pacers pulled off a deal. The Pacers would get Brazilian speedster Leandro Barbosa and possibly Anthony Carter for a 2nd round pick.

This came to me as a shock at first. For all the Raptor fans out there, you may be thinking that this may be the worst trade possible! Well...it isn't. I was ready to scream at my computer screen at the first thought of it because Barbosa is worth more than what we attained. However, I went through a couple forums, read some articles, got some insight on how the Raptors would benefit, and actually, this was a really good move.

By trading away Barbosa and Carter, the Raptors do free up some cap space. With Indiana way under the cap, they were able to absorb their contracts. The Raptors don't get salary in return, which is what BC always wanted. They also get a 2nd round pick and will now have three picks altogether which may create another trade or bring in some nice pieces for the future. Eric Smith tweeted another good argument saying "they(Raptors) now have $7.6 mil in cap space to spend BEFORE July 1 if they wish (about $12 mil total)." The Raptors may be able to pull of some deals prior to the free agent signing which is ultimately a good idea because it can open up trades and gives the Raptors more flexibility on Draft night.

Barbosa would have rot here with the Raptors anyways. We would lose more games than win(obviously) and then we would be left deciding whether or not to sign him. Barbosa did express a LOT of intrest to resigning in Toronto so that may be a great move. Maybe Colangelo thought about nabbing a 2nd rounder now and then eventually signing Leandro to a deal come July 1st. Remember, this is only a rental for the Pacers and this is why a 2nd round pick was huge. No team would ever give up a 1st for a rental player unless it was like Dwight or some other superstar. I would rather get a 2nd rounder than nothing at all.

On the other hand, the Pacers get a nice scoring punch off of the bench. He can provide a nice boost of energy and score pretty much when he pleases. George Hill has been playing good ball lately while Collison hasn't developed as much as they liked! Barbosa is a good option! One other thing that intrigues me is the history that Barbosa and Granger have. Remember they had a little scuffle about each team's end game shenanigans? Haha, good times. Anywho, I bet Granger is happy to have him on his side now as they look to make a deep playoff push.

It is sad to see the Brazilian Blur leave after all he has done for the Raptors. All he did was provide a boost off of the bench, a scoring punch, a defensive demeanor, excitement to the ACC, and a veteran presence. He did all the things that the team needed. I did expect a trade to happen to either Barbosa or Jose because of the way they were playing but I didn't really want to see it happen. Both teams got better....kinda. Well, the Pacers got better and we just got more money. That is all.

Good luck to Leandro! I'll miss you in Toronto and hopefully you come back when the free agency period starts!

Ellis-Bogut

WOW! As the trade deadline approaches and all these rumours start heating up, we were lucky to have a blockbuster deal fall onto our laps tonight! The Milwaukee Bucks and the Golden State Warriors decided on a deal that would send Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson to GS for Monta Ellis, Ekpe Udoh, and Kwame Brown!

 To me, both teams got something they needed and wanted but I think Milwaukee got the better end of the deal!

Let's talk about the Warriors here first though. Okay. We all knew Monta wasn't apart of the long term plan in Golden State. His name was being thrown out there in numerous trade rumours and I guess it was a mutual feeling. The Curry-Ellis experiment could only last so long. Now, the Warriors nabbed themselves a legit centre! When healthy, Bogut provides everything you want out of your big guy. He can score around the hoop, post-up, rebound, block shots, provide an inside presence, etc. He just does everything! He's the definition of a centre! You put him alongside David Lee and you now have one of the toughest frontcourts any opposing team can handle! Andris Biedrins will now ride the bench like no tomorrow! It's sad how he couldn't come back to the player he once was!

 As for, Captain Jack, he's back! He hasn't been doing anything at all for the Bucks this year and maybe a change of scenery might help him out! We all know what he's capable of doing. He can flat out score and be reliable in clutch situations. Let's see if he'll do grasp the opportunity and run with it! Watch out for Klay Thompson to fill the void that Monta Ellis left. Klay Thompson has the potential to become a potent scorer in this league. All he needs is more experience under his belt. With this trade, it opens up the court and he may be in line for a great second half as he will be looked on to provide more of the scoring. Overall, the Warriors look solid BUT they did give up a hefty price.

Now, for the Bucks side:

Fear the Deer!!! They do lose Bogut who is unarguably one of the best 5's in the league but his injury would've sidelined him throughout this year anyways. They want a playoff push and this may be the best way to do it. Adding Monta Ellis gives them another player that attracts double teams. He can light it up in any given moment and he's as quick as anyone in this league. He gives Milwaukee what they have been lacking this whole year; a shooting guard! Carlos Delfino and Mike Dunleavy are great role players but they really need that legit starter to make a good run! I'm looking forward to watching this backcourt tandem of Jennins and Ellis. Brandon Jennings is one of my favourite players and pairing him up with another scorer only gives opposing teams to pick their poison. So electrifying, no?

Despite losing Bogut, the Bucks added Ekpe Udoh and Kwame Brown. Kwame Brown gives the Bucks another big body to use. He can provide some veteran leadership, I guess. There's really nothing much more to say about him.... On the other hand, Ekpe Udoh is a guy every team needs. Although his offensive game is limited, his rebounding and defence makes up for it. His shot-blocking ability is pretty darn good. Now, you put him in a defensive system with Milwaukee and there you have a guy who can provide instant energy. Look for him and Larry Sanders to become the young, new, up and coming defensive duo.

Why nobody love me?

I may be a little too excited for the Bucks on this trade but really, who can't be? They'll definitely have one of the more exciting teams in the NBA. I do know that they'll be in the thick of things come playoff time. As for the Warriors, they now have the third best big man combo after the Lakers and Grizzlies in my opinion. Yeah, I think they are better than NY, CHI and any other team with a dynamic frontcourt duo. Maybe you'll disagree but hey, that's the beauty of having your own opinions. Express your feelings in anyway you want!

 Bucks win. Warriors win..kinda. BUT hey, both teams are happy so we should all be happy! Great swap to start off the trade deadline fiasco!

Who said this trade deadline was going to be dead silent? I didn't expect this to happen but I really anticipated a splash to be made! Hopefully a bunch of other teams follow up and make a deal with as much magnitude as this one! It only brings excitement to the fans and creates a buzz around the league!

Who's next? Is it Dwight? Is it Nash? Is it Pau? I can't wait for more noise to be made by teams as we approach the deadline!

The Little Engine

Sad news for the basketball world today, but even more-so, this is some sad news for me. TJ Ford recently told reporters and the whole basketball world that he was going to step away from the game. After taking another big blow in a recent contest versus the Knicks, it was evident that his basketball career was coming to a close. He is and will always be one of my favourite players, let alone favourite Raptors ever. And although he isn't one of the household superstars in our game today, I, along with many others, look at him as an inspiration story.

Do you remember TJ in his days at Texas University? He made history for the school and for the NCAA. He was undoubtedly one of the best up and coming players. A First Team All-American and named the Naismith College Player of the Year! He was the first basketball player to get his jersey retired by the University of Texas. The future was so bright for him that only he could stop it.

Do you remember him being drafted 8th overall in what is the one of, if not, the best draft in NBA history? Scouts raved about his potential to become one of the biggest stars in the NBA. His small stature was not a factor. His quickness and his play-making ability was off the charts. His capability of running a team was so superb that he was compared to the likes of Magic and Bird. Now, that's some company to be a part of. He was eventually named to the All-Rookie 2nd team but he completed only 55 games.

The memories go by too fast that only a few of us will remember all the accolades he received. I doubt many people remember of even knew that he was a part of those things. Even I needed to do my research here.

But, there is one thing that all of us will always remember. It's the dreaded spinal cord injury he suffered in his rookie year. This was the turning point in his young career. This was where his world spun and looked as if it was the end. It looked very unlikely that he would be able to return to full strength on the court. The injury may have jeopardized his career altogether and all the potential that everyone saw, faded away.

He missed the whole entire 2005 campaign recovering from the spinal cord injury. It seemed as if the whole basketball world had forgotten about him but he worked everyday for as long as he could. He was determined to make a comeback and put himself onto the spotlight again.

In the 2005-2006 season, he made his miraculous comeback! It didn't even look like he missed a beat. His quickness was still there and he was playing at an all-time high. No one expected it. Or at least, no one expected it as soon as it was. He defeated the odds and went on to average a solid 12.2 ppg, 6.6 apg, and 1.4 stls. He was then shipped to my Toronto Raptors and his years there were probably the best of his career!

I remember him running up and down the court and Chuck always raved about his motor. He did not stop. He was giving 110% every game and he excelled as the starting point guard. The "little engine" was a nickname that I knew him as. I loved watching him play. He meshed with Bosh quite well and we won the Atlantic Division for the first time in our history! He was a big part of it. He and Jose Calderon created the best point guard duo in the NBA and it looked like the sky was the limit for the team! Despite losing in a 6 game series to VC and the Nets, the Raptors were primed to make some noise for years to come!

Sadly, the next year was kind of a setback. It all happened because of another injury. This time, Al Horford smacked TJ Ford on a fastbreak by accident and he fell hard. That injury sidelined him for numerous games and it wasn't the same after that. Colangelo dealt him to Indiana in a blockbuster trade that saw Jermaine O'neal come to the Raptors. TJ Ford did okay at best in his first season as a Pacer but then slowly faltered. Indiana was tough for him and his minutes diminished game by game to the point where he was a DNP on occasional nights. There were some questions about his attitude and his capability to adapt to the lack of playing time but he fought through it. He then signed with Spurs this past off-season and looked good. He was signed to fill the backup point guard role and to mentor rookie Cory Joseph.

Unfortunately, another hard fall and emotional scare on Wednesday was the last straw. He was knocked down by Baron Davis and then inadvertently stepped on by teammate Tiago Splitter. He lied down on the court for several minutes before being helped off.

This is some hard news to digest because of all the things TJ Ford went through. If he didn't get injured in his rookie year, there would be no doubt that he'd be one of the better point guards in our game today. If he didn't get hit by Horford, there would be no doubt in my mind that Calderon would be the one moved. I really loved his time in Toronto as well as in the NBA. He was an exciting player to watch. A true inspiration because of the things he went through. He's definitely going to be missed. He showed that even though it may seem like its over, it really isn't. Perseverance and hard work brought him back to the game he loved. I hate seeing someone like him to have his career cut short because of injuries.Watching the retirement announcement earlier today really moved me. I'm gonna miss this guy!

There is definitely more gas in the little engine.  He said that we won't see the last of him and I'm sure of it.

Linsanity

I'm pretty sure everyone knows or at least heard about the big craze that the basketball world is on top of right now. He's a trending topic on twitter. He's the headline of many newspapers. He's even a YouTube sensation! And on top of that, he's Asian too! And no, his name is not Yao Ming. Don't worry if you didn't know him before this week! That's perfectly normal! Many others never heard of him either! But, if you still don't know him or even know of him, even with the help of the title of this post, you must be living under a rock. This man has been the biggest story lately and has taken the basketball world into a state of amazement. His name is Jeremy Lin.

Let's take a look at his journey before becoming the latest craze.

"Rejected by Stanford, so I went to Harvard"

He's a 6'3 point guard out of Harvard. It fits all the Asian stereotypes now doesn't it? Asian + Harvard = Genius. Anyways! He was the best player on his team and then decided to take his talents to the NBA. He went undrafted in the 2010 NBA draft but did show enough potential to garner a summer league team. Donnie Nelson called him to play for the Dallas Maverick summer league team. He went head-to-head with fellow rookie, John Wall and ended up playing really well. And after the summer league concluded, he was offered a few contracts with some NBA teams.

He decided to spend his rookie year last season with the Golden State Warriors. Unfortunately, he didn't really get an opportunity to play. He was only put onto the court for 29 games and only totaling an average of less than 10 minutes a game. The reason wasn't that he couldn't play. It was just a tough environment to be in for an undrafted rookie because of the gluttony of guards the team had. Playing behind the likes of Stephen Curry, Monta Ellis and other decent veterans is obviously a tough task to compete with. When all was said and done for the 2011 season, he ended up with averages of 2.6 PPG, 1.5 AST, and 1.1 STL. It wasn't the most successful rookie campaign ever but he did well under the circumstances he was put in. With the limited amount of playing time he was given, he was able to make the best out of his opportunity on the court. Uh oh, I'm foreshadowing! Watch out!

Now this is where the real story begins.

Sadly, he was cut by the Warriors. Again, it wasn't about the team thinking he was useless or anything. He was let go in hopes that the Warriors could reel in free agent center, Deandre Jordan, whom eventually re-signed with the LA Clippers. The Warriors front office did really like him on the team but business is business. You gotta do what you gotta do.

Fortunately, he was signed by the Houston Rockets! Jeremy Lin was again put into a situation where there were a lot of guards on the team. They weren't as talented as the Warriors backcourt but there were more bodies competing in Houston. Lowry, Dragic, Flynn, and Lin were all fighting for that spot. Through two days of training camp, he was cut to make room for Samuel Dalembert. GM Daryl Morey did think that Lin had potential but he really needed that force in the middle.

And then, Jeremy was unemployed. Fortunately, it was only for three days! With the injury to rookie Iman Shumpert, the New York Knicks called to Lin to provide insurance at their point guard position. Lin was eventually sent to the D-League to play a couple games and develop there. He tore it up! He was the best player on the court and he recorded a triple double which lead to a recall from the Knicks a few days later. The Knicks were underachieving and they needed a big spark to come from anyone. But the question was: Who would step up?

And then.... it all started....

February 4 vs New Jersey
Imagine this. Let's say that you're a young player in the NBA with limited experience.You're team is in dire need of a decent point guard. Then i'll throw you out there against one of the best point guards in the NBA in Deron Williams. And did I mention that you'd be playing on the biggest stage in basketball? Tell me how you are supposed to play in this kind of pressure? Ask Jeremy Lin. It didn't even seem like there was any pressure. He came off the bench in this game and logged in a career high 36 minutes! The night was unexpected to say the least. He surprised the New York crowd with dazzling moves and his tenacity to get into the paint. He poured in a career high 25 points and dished out 7 dimes. At some times throughout the game, he made Deron Williams look lost. The Nets, his teammates, and the crowd were all shocked at the performance. Even he was a little surprised with his effort saying,“This night, it just hasn’t really sunk in yet to be honest. It’s like I’m still kind of in shock about everything that happened but I’m just trying to soak it all in right now.” (Thanks to Yahoo! Sports for providing me with that quote)

February 6 vs Utah
Jeremy Lin put up good numbers against the Nets two nights before and he was awarded with the starting gig on this night. But who really thinks that he'll put up another good performance? I certainly didn't. Although he turned the ball over 8 times, he made up for it by scoring 28 points and giving out 8 assists. With Amare out and Melo getting hurt in the early minutes of the game, they needed someone to carry the heavy load. He was carving the Jazz up from all over the court and he looked like an everyday starter. It was another solid performance by Lin and more importantly, a consecutive win for the struggling Knicks! By this time, the basketball world woke up and we all saw a little glimpse of the rising guard.

February 8 vs Washington

Coach D'Antoni was again pleased by the effort of Lin through his two games so he decided to keep in the starting lineup. Yet again, he made the right choice. It was a summer league rematch versus John Wall. Jeremy Lin ended up with 23 points and 10 assists! With this performance, he was making headlines and was trending on twitter. The "Linsanity" was born and everyone was onto it. "Lintendo", as some call him, has been playing at another level. See what I did there? I amuse myself sometimes.
He came out of nowhere and was starting to answer all the questions the Knicks were longing to answer. I think they've finally found their guy.

Feburary 10 vs LA Lakers
When asked about Lin, Kobe responded by saying that he didn't know who Lin was. I didn't know if that was a shot at Jeremy Lin or if he was actually being honest about not knowing him. But, by the end of their game, Kobe definitely knew about him. Jeremy took the Lakers by storm and provided instant scoring from the get-go. He had a magnificent first quarter and then eventually ended the game with two daggers from three point land. MVP chants from the crowd were pouring out and this was a defining moment for Lin and the Knicks. The Yellow Mamba defeated the Black Mamba and the Knicks won their fourth straight game!


Feel-good stories like these don't come around too often. Jeremy Lin is a perfect example of hard work and dedication will help you achieve your dreams. He came out of nowhere and provided an extra boost for the Knicks. He's the Tim Tebow of the NBA. He's providing hope to a fan-base that has been hurt for the last decade. He's bringing the life and excitement back to Madison Square Garden. Yeah, he may not be a household name but he's unquestionably making a name for himself. He has opened up everyone's eyes. He's showing us that anything is possible and although he may not be the first person to go through that example, he's undoubtedly one of the reasons why people continue to believe in this statement. I have hopped on the Jeremy Lin bandwagon and will probably stay on it for a long time. It's a great story and I hope it will not only continue for the rest of this year, but continue for the rest of his career. Let the Linsanity continue.

NBA All-Stars 2012

As we may all know by now, the NBA All-Star starters were implemented last week. I'm not a really big fan of fan votes to be honest. Many people don't deserve to be a starter, let alone an All-Star, but their popularity and huge fan-base really carries them. Anyone remember when AI made it as a member of the Detroit Pistons?! He was horrible that year but yet his fans took him to the All-Star game.

"I flex my biceps" - TBJ

As for this year, I'll give the fans credit for their choices. The East is shaped up looking pretty darn good. Lebron James and Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat were virtually no brainers here. Dwight Howard and Derrick Rose were also clear-cut choices for the respective positions. All four of these guys aren't only popular to the NBA fan-base but they are well deserving superstars. No one can argue about the choices here. The only tiny, little, minor knock I have against the fans was the choice of Carmelo Anthony. Yeah, we all know what he's capable of. He can probably do anything offensively possible. He's definitely a star player and a game changer but does he deserve the starting gig in what is a down year for the Knicks? He's not an all too bad of a choice here but I would've given it to Chris Bosh.

 For the West, I honestly think that this was the best starting 5 you could get. LA dominated the starting 5 with 4 players. Chris Paul and Blake Griffin have created nice chemistry with each other and the Clippers are rolling! Chris Paul is my clear-cut favourite point guard in the West and he deserves this spot. On the other hand, Blake Griffin is a 50/50 toss up with Kevin Love. I don't mind Griffin as the starter. He's exciting and is quickly becoming one of the top tier players in the league. Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum were the other two LA stars. Kobe is scoring the lights out this season and has no signs of slowing down with the wrist injury. Bynum is playing great basketball right now and is showing why the Lakers should keep him and not deal him for Superman. The last spot was given to Kevin Durant who in my opinion, is playing on the best team in the NBA. Again, another no-brainer at this slot. You can't go wrong with the choices here. Good one!

The reserves were announced today and I think they're okay. The East looked like this: Chris Bosh(MIA), Joe Johnson(ATL), Luol Deng(CHI), Paul Pierce(BOS), Andre Iguodala(PHI), Roy Hibbert(IND), and Deron Williams(NJN). I love the new faces that the coaches selected. Deng, Iguodala and Hibbert are all making their first appearances and they absolutely deserve every second of it. Bosh and Joe Johnson were locks in my opinion because of everything they have accomplished this year. Deron Williams is an all-star caliber player BUT I think Brandon Jennings deserved this spot. Maybe I'm being a little biased but hey, he's playing too well. Maybe next year buddy. And sadly, Josh Smith got snubbed again. When will he ever be on the team?! It's taking way too long now! I swear he's going to be snubbed every year. It's actually a crime to keep him off for this long.

As for the west reserves, it ended up looking like this: Kevin Love(MIN), LaMarcus Aldridge(POR), Russell Westbrook(OKC), Steve Nash(PHO), Marc Gasol(MEM), Dirk Nowitzki(DAL) and Tony Parker(SAS). The West is looking good. Kevin Love, Aldridge, and Westbrook were easy choices to make. The tougher decisions lied around the others. I can see why Nash was voted in. Despite playing on an underachieving team, he has done everything humanely possible to keep them competitive. It doesn't seem he'll be slowing down anytime soon either. I'm proud of Marc Gasol being on this list. One Grizzly had to get it and I'm glad it happened. He stepped up in the absence of Z-Bo and Memphis is rollin'. Tony Parker personally suprised me. I actually haven't been following the Spurs all too closely this year and I was in shock to see his name pop up today. It's a good shock though. I didn't know he was putting up the numbers he was and the Spurs are atop the Southwest division. And then it comes down to Dirk. Sadly, the Finals MVP does not deserve a spot on the team. He hasn't been producing the way he normally has in past years. But on the other hand, it's hard to leave out a player like him.

Now....Close your eyes and let's imagine an all-star game without Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett. Can you?! NOPE! YOU CAN'T! It'll be weird without them. Their streaks are both over and its nearing the end of the road for some of the greats in our game. Time flies eh? AND I just want to say that Josh Smith and Brandon Jennings were definite snubs this year! There are many more but they were tough to include. Do you think the teams are as good as they get? We won't know until we actually watch but one thing is going to be certain. It's going to be a good weekend.

Week 2 of the 2012 NFL Playoffs

As we all know by now, the NFL wild card round has concluded this past weekend. All the games gave us some exciting and stunning moments!

Denver's miraculous victory over the Steelers was certainly a surprise for everyone outside of all the Denver die hard fans. The game came down to overtime and left me in awe. A first play touchdown in OT was a great way to cap off a great performance overall. All I know is...TIM TEBOW IS FOR REAL! yeah, he's been putting out 4th quarter miracles throughout the year but the playoffs are a different story. All the criticisms that this man takes is uncalled for although he does lack the skills of a real QB....Just kidding! He has all the right tools to develop into a dynamic QB. He's unique and keeps the opposing defense guessing. The kid has talent and get's the job done. It's as simple as that.

My Texans beat out the Bengals too. It came to little to no surprise for me. I just thought Arian Foster would be too much for the Bengals to handle and I was right. Dalton seemed to have felt the pressure but I'll give him props for hanging in there. He displayed great poise throughout the regular season to earn some respect.

The Giants put a pounding on the Falcons over the weekend. I was surprised about the score but not surprised about the outcome. I picked the Giants to win and I expect them to keep rollin'.

The Saints are simply on fire and the Lions didn't put a good effort out there. It was a high scoring affair and that was no shock. 45-28 was the final score there.



THIS WEEK

Denver vs New England - Can Tebow continue his awesome play? In my opinion, yes he can. New England's defense is nothing to be scared of compared to the Steelers. Pittsburgh was a little banged up and that may have had a major part in their loss but Denver has to be credited too. Their defense played well and kept Big Ben in check the whole day. BUT, sadly...I don't expect Tebow's magic to continue this week. The Patriots offense is much more proven and talented than the Steelers offense. If Tim Tebow struggles early, the Broncos will not get a chance to come back because the deficit will be too big. Put your money on the Pats.

Baltimore vs Houston - I love this matchup! Arian Foster should put off a good performance but the Ravens powerhouse D is scary. With TJ Yates, the Ravens could blitz often and put pressure on the young man. Although the Texans are playing really well, I really think the Ravens will run away with this.(I hope not). Ray Rice should be the focal point like he is always and Flacco should be decent. Expect a very hard fought game. I'm taking the Ravens to win this game. It breaks my heart though. I'm a big Texans fan. I hope they win but it's a long shot.

Green Bay vs NYG - Another great matchup! I'm going to go out and predict that the Giants will WIN this football game. Why? They are red hot right now. Elisha, yes I said Elisha, is playing great! He's doing everything! And with the weapons that he can work with, I don't expect a let-down even against a good D. Aaron Rodgers is still Aaron Rodgers and he should be able to exploit the different matchups and take full advantage of mismatches. He always plays well and the Packers are the reigning Champs. I just feel a really big upset in this one! I'll take the Giants and ride the momentum train with them!

New Orleans vs SF - Drew Brees vs Alex Smith. At the beginning of the season, you wouldn't be able to put these guys in the same sentence but they have been playing really well for their teams. Smith has been playing decent and steady while Brees was breaking records. It isn't a great comparison by numbers but if you compare the way they lead their teams, it would be a pretty good argument. The 49ers D is probably more of the reason why they have made it this far but you gotta give credit to Alex! I do expect a hard fought game to be played here and this is another one that I will feel is an upset. Is the Saints beating San Fran an upset? That's weird to say isn't it? I'll take the Saints in this game even though I expect Gore and company to tear it up!