Smoke & Mirrors!

Before I get back to desperately cramming for my Wednesday Econometrics Field Exam, here are a few thoughts on the most important event of the weekend:

1. Not convincing or provactive in the manner in which they won it, but the Pats knocked off probably the scariest team in the playoffs, partly from luck (trying a 54 yarder to tie the game when earlier he had gone for it on 4th and 11 in lieu of a 47 yarder, not knocking down a 4th down pass and instead coughing it up on the return, etc). However, good teams have a way of making other good teams seem a little worse. I feel like the Pats got away with on here. Check the post's title...

2. Pats-Colts, round III. Going into the weekend, there were 2 very balanced teams and 2 very one-sided teams. Now it is time for balanced to play strength. Count me as one of the less than impressed crowd at the Colts defensive resurgance. They've played well (heck, better than reasonably expected), but they most have been doing with... this post's title. Herm Edwards is a moron when it comes to adjustments and gameplanning, and backed into the playoffs so hard that the damn team was beeping. The Colts added an extra linebacker and was pinching their corners and safeties in for better position on the run, so naturally Herm decided to run up the gut on 1st and 2nd down then have Trent Green get massacred on 3rd down by Dwight "run straight at the quarterback even if he hands it off" Freeney and Robert "JV Freeney" Mathis. As for the Ravens O not being able to do anything, well, Jamal Lewis has been terrible since his 2000 yard season and Steve McNair reverted to his early season form. The Colts D doesn't frighten me. I am terrified of their offense, however.

3. As terrified as I am of the offense, I will be a little more sane about it if Rodney Harrison is playing. Part of the reason the Pats lost to the Colts was Harrison getting injured in the 1st quarter, which threw their defensive gameplan into disarray (that, combined with the abandonment of the run in the second half). Hawkins and Sanders have definitely jelled pretty well over the course of the season, but those last few games of the season when Harrison game back really did seem to add some extra life to the defense.

4. I never liked the Eagles, so I was pretty pleased to see Reid inexplicably punt after the false start. Punting just prolonged the amount of time that was left until the game was decided, rather than possibly contributing to winning. Especially with that defense.

Alright, I'm off to go study for seven hours or so. Woo hoo!