WATERCOOLER CHAT: NFC WIDE OPEN BATTLE
FOOTBALL
In the NFL, the Atlanta Falcons hosted the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football. The tale of two quarterbacks on their way to greatness. Drew Brees, the defending Super Bowl champion, Sportsman of the year, athlete of the year versus Matt Ryan, the young hot shot quarterback from Boston College leading the Falcons to a 12 – 2 record, who already has been given the nickname of “Matty Ice†because of heading late comeback wins on final drives. Brees and the Saints came out on top. Despite throwing back-to-back interceptions to defensive linemen in the 4th quarter, Brees showed why the defending Super Bowl MVP is one of the elite quarterbacks in the league. He orchestrated a drive culminating in a touchdown to take a 17 – 14 lead with less than four minutes to go. The Falcons then got the ball back and faced a 4th down around midfield and punted the ball with 3 timeouts left. Instead of the prevent defense, they should have blitzed Brees. They had gotten to him all day, and there was no reason to abandon that play, when they needed a stop the most. This game showed that the  NFC is a wide-open battle for a trip to the Super Bowl.
WATERCOOLER CHAT: WRAP UP OF WEEKEND GAMES
FOOTBALL
In the NFL, the New York Jets took on the Chicago Bears. The two teams, who have been known for their defense this year, did not play itself out the way it was expected. Each quarterback showed off their talents, but because the Jets defense couldn’t get any pressure on Jay Cutler, he tore them apart. The shootout was very uncharacteristic of the two teams, but fittingly the final play that knocked the Jets out was an interception on the sideline by the Bears’ Chris Harris. But even with the Jets loss in the Windy City, Rex Ryan was smiling and laughing at his press conference because his team, once again, backed into the playoffs. With the Redskins pulling off the win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in overtime, the Jets have clinched a Wild Card spot in the playoffs. Chicago 38, Jets 34. Washington 20, Jacksonville 17.
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The New York Giants looked for redemption from last week’s epic collapse against the Eagles, but didn’t find the promise land. If they won, they were in the playoffs, but the Green Bay Packers had a similar goal. If they win their final two games, then they are in the playoffs. The Giants continued their yearlong problems of holding onto the ball and were the victims of 6 turnovers. And when you turn the ball over that many times, you are not winning. Aaron Rodgers, in a new helmet, to protect him from concussions, was phenomenal in his first game back since sustaining a concussion 2 weeks ago. He threw for over 400 yards and four touchdowns, distributing the ball to nine different receivers. The Giants now need to win next week and get a little bit of help to get into the playoffs. And to add insult to injury, they were stranded in Wisconsin, because Newark Airport shutdown all flights coming into the airport. Green Bay 45, Giants 17.
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The St. Louis Rams are looking to make the playoffs after an abysmal 2009 season. The only way however, is to win the NFC West because the division is home to some of the worst teams in the NFL. Led by the rookie quarterback out of Oklahoma, Sam Bradford, the Rams look next week for a win over the Seattle Seahawks to go 8-8 on the season and host a home playoff game. But, the 49ers’ stole the show. 49ers head coach, Mike Singletary blew up on the sideline at quarterback Troy Smith and ended up benching him soon after. The ugly incident on the sideline ended up being the last straw for the San Francisco front office and fired Singletary immediately after the game. Right now, they don’t have a direction, so the front office said they will be looking for a general manager before they hire a head coach. Look for the team to get a head coach with a good pedigree, but not necessarily someone who will make headlines or cost the team too much. St. Louis 25, San Francisco 17.
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The NFL also postponed their Sunday night game until Tuesday because of the same snow concerns that caused the Giants to be stuck in Wisconsin. The matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles will now take place on Tuesday night on NBC.
