Round 1 Playoff Recap

Atlanta vs. Arizona

It was way better than we could have ever dreamed. That's what I kept telling myself regarding the Falcons season, even as I watched Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald, and Edge James (!) end our magical run that produced the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, NFL Coach of the Year, a legion of new Falcons fans, and a legitimate resurrection after the combined assassination attempt by Michael Vick and Bobby Petrino.

Demitroff, Smith, and co. had every reason to fail this year...and they overcame it all. They even made a certain blogger eat certain words...and enjoy it. Congrats to the Carolina Panthers, who are going to blow the doors off of the Cards next week.

Indy vs. San Diego

Well shit. Another week of Phillip Rivers. Another week of Lil' Darren Sproles. Another week of Norv looking absolutely lost on the sidelines. On the plus side, another week of Darth Vader/LDT jokes, another week of an 8-8 team in the playoffs, and no more worrying about if we were headed for the "2 Mannings. 1 Trophy" Super Bowl, complete with approximently 23,743 interviews with Archie "I never won nothing" Manning.

I knew this game would be close since these two always seem to play each other well, and you could tell that even Peyton knew he'd never get the ball after losing the toss. I hate Rivers, but he managed that overtime exceptionally well, and once they got that phantom defensive holding call, it was all over.

Baltimore vs. Miami

Blowout central. What can I say about Miami that hasn't been said about Afgahestan? They looked bombed out and depleated. My favorite part of the game were the postgame comments by the Ravens. Ones like this one:

"I don't think it's Chad Pennington's fault...It's probably Ed Reed and Rex Ryan's fault."
- Terrell Suggs

Or this one:

"It's kind of expected at this point. It doesn't impress us. It's kind of like, 'Oh, Ed got a pick.' It's kind of like Ray [Lewis] makes a tackle, or a head coach saying we have practice tomorrow. It's kind of expected."
- Trevor Price

And the weirdest part is how right they are. I was listening to this game on the radio for whatever reason, and as soon as I heard Ed Reed get that pick, I muttered under my breath, "House." Hey, maybe I'm psychic!

Philly vs. Minnesota

Tevaris "The Axe Murderer" Jackson strikes again, dooming his own team by agreeing to be the started. All respect to Wanderlei Silva, but you may have to give up the nickname. No one, and I mean NO ONE, puts an axe to his own team like young Mr. Jackson. Sure, you've got a great run defense, a stifling pass rush, and the best running back in the NFL. But, between Jackson and Brad "I was outcoached by Andy Reid?" Childress, it's like the greatest tag team ever. Only the opposite.