The Downfall of the Cowboys

AFC Champs (again)

The Patriots won their 6th AFC Championship by beating the San Diego Chargers 21 - 12 on a frigid Sunday night in Foxborough. Despite a disappointing night for Tom Brady (22-33, 2 TD's, 3 INT's) the Patriots were able to hold the banged-up Chargers to only four field goals, not allowing any touchdowns. It's the team's 5th Conference title since Robert Kraft purchased the team back in 1994 - twice as many as any other NFL team within that span. The perfect Patriots leave for Arizona on Sunday in advancement to Super Bowl XLII where they will face the red hot New York Giants. As you remember, the Patriots edged the Giants 38-35 in New York back on December 29th. The Giants haven't looked back since earning hard-fought victories on the road over Tampa Bay (24-14), Dallas (21-17) and Green Bay (23-20).

New England will be making their sixth all-time appearance in the big dance (second to only Dallas who has appeared in 8). The Patriots last three Super Bowl victories were decided by merely a field goal, and everyone can expect another close contest with the Giants.

To help keep all us Patriot fans humble, consider this: The Giants haven't lost a game on the road in 10 games. But as inclement weather seems to be the only thing to slow down the Patriots, Glendale's expected temperature on Super Bowl Sunday should be in the 70's where the Patriots average 41.5 per game.

I'm hoping for a blow-out, but my senses tell me this will be a nail-biter! I look forward to checking in with you live from Arizona!

The Beauty of Playoff Fantasy Football

Just a quick update on my 2007 Fantasy Football team on it's way to becoming league champion. Again, the team that scores the most points throughout the playoffs and Super Bowl is declared league champion.

My team, NH Assault, is currently in first place (no surprise) with 101 points. Here is the roster as promised for all my diehard fans out there!

QB - Payton Manning
QB - Tom Brady (protected from roster)
QB - Eli Manning
QB - Jason Campbell (brain-fart - eliminated)
WR - Randy Moss (protected from roster)
WR - Terrell Owens (protected from roster)
WR - Chris Chambers
WR - Hines Ward (eliminated)
WR - Greg Jennings
RB - Earnest Graham (protected from roster)
RB - Brandon Jacobs
RB - Maurice Morris
RB - Heath Evans
RB - Fred Taylor (protected from roster)
TE - Dallas Clark (brain fart)
TE - Jaramy Stevens (eliminated)
TE - Marcus Pollard
Defense - San Diego (a whale's......)
K - Stephen Gostowski (protected from roster)
K - Matt Bryany (eliminated)

Fantasy Playoffs

Okay, 29 minutes until my fantasy league's playoff draft. Here's how it works.

The top four teams advance to the playoffs.

You can protect 6 players from your current roster.

The final rosters, after the draft, will be 20 players.

The weekly rosters are expanded by one spot from the regular season, which can be used on any position.

Scoring is the same as the regular season.

The Champ is the team who scores the most points for the whole playoff run.

I finished the regular season in First place at 12-5, (Editor's Note: I was at my grandmothers house for a family dinner with no notes, laptop or magazines during the regular season draft), and will be protecting Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Earnest Graham, Fred Taylor and Stephen Gostowski. Not too shabby!

This draft has a whole new strategy. What players/teams will go deep in the playoffs? Who do you protect? How to use the extra roster spot? I currently have seven Internet browsers up with player news and states, draft chat room, excel spreadsheet for roster/teams, and the TV is tuned to the NFL Network. I'm ready for a draft. I hope this goes as well as the regular season draft! You know I'll keep you posted!

Perfect Patriots

I'd like to wish you all a very happy New Year! I hope 2008 is your best and most successful year in history.

How bout them perfect Patriots? Saturday night was easily one of the best football games I can remember witnessing. Props to the G-men - they brought it! (How about Eli looking like Payton with his four touchdown passes?) Everything about this game felt like the playoffs. The media circus was incredible. In my three years of roaming the sidelines, I have never seen so many photographers at a regular season game. Even the post-game conferences for Brady and Belichick were moved to a larger space to accommodate the media frenzy. And it was well worth the hype.

The Patriots seem to always shine at their best when in the national spotlight. All three Super Bowl contests, decided by only 3 points, came right down to the wire. And while we weren't relying on the leg of Adam Vinatieri this time around, we were all on the edge of our seats until the very last play.

The Patriots have set so many records this season, they may have set the record for setting records! On Saturday night alone they:

A) Became the 4th team in NFL history to record an undefeated/untied regular season

B) Set NFL all-time single season scoring record (589 points). Note: their scoring differential was +315... also a new league record

C) Set all time record for consecutive regular season wins (19 wins)

D) Brady set single-season touchdown pass record (50 touchdowns) Note: Brady also set Patriot single-season passing yardage record (4,557 passing yards)

E) Moss set single-season touchdown reception record (23 touchdowns)

I guess you could say they had a pretty good year (they even set the record as most watched show this season).

It's on to the playoffs where everyone is 0-0. The Patriots will either play the Titans, Steelers or Jaguars on Saturday night (January 12) at 8:00. If history repeats itself, you can expect one hell of a game!