Entry Number 9

Flashback to the Redskins circa 5th Grade
Did our eyes deceive us…or did the Washington Redskins actually WIN their playoff game against Tampa Bay? It couldn’t be. Clinton Portis rushed for a total of 53 yards. Mark Brunell passed for 41 yards, and the Redskins offense put up a stellar 122 total offensive yards. The Giants had more offensive yards in their shutout loss to Carolina (which we’ll recap later). But defense wins games, right?

And that our defense did. Our ‘Skins D held the Bucs to 10 points and even helped out the offense by scoring a TD. Overall, a mighty effort by Marcus Washington, LaVar Arrington, and even Sean Taylor (minus the spitting incident)…and this Saturday, we’re facing the Seahawks in Round 2! Hoooray!

All we need is for our offense to get going again. We know you can score. And by score, we don’t mean that in a Minnesota Vikings sexboat kind of way.

This past weekend, playoff experience mattered, as all teams with previous NFL experience won their games easily. While the Redskins were missing for the last five years, it was ultimately Joe Gibbs’ 16-5 record that out-coached a lesser-experienced John Gruden and rookie QB Chris Simms.

Carolina absolutely punished Eli Manning and the Giants, shutting them out 23-0.

New England showed why they won the last 3 out of 4 Super Bowls, holding off the measly Jags for a win. SI Sportsman of the Year Tom Brady led his team to V-I-C-T-O-R-Y once again.

Poor Carson Palmer. On the 2nd play of Cincy’s drive, he tears his ACL and his MCL and is out for…well, we hope not too long. The Bengals gave a commendable effort, but they were no match for Troy Polamalu (SC needed you AND your hair at the Rose Bowl) and the Steel Curtain. Big Ben and company rolled over Cincy 31-17.

I Heart College Basketball
It was also a weekend of upsets, as yet previously undefeated NCAA ball teams fell to their lowly counterparts. Villanova’s undefeated season came to an end as the 2004 Cinderella West Virginia Mountaineers comeback to beat the Wildcats 91-87. Don’t sleep on WVU. The Mountaineers from Morgantown returned their key players from last year: Mike “I heart t-shirts” Gansey, Johann Herber, Patrick “My Daddy is the coach” Beilein, and everyone’s favorite Pittsnogle. They should make a run again in the Big Dance come March.

So who does that leave in the league of the undefeated? #1 Duke (well, DUH!), #2 Florida (Sophomore F-C Joakim Noah is not only talented, but could also enter a Troy Polamalu look-alike contest), and…the #11 Pittsburgh Panthers (stupid Big East!)?! Pitt’s “Are we for real” test will soon come against Rick Pitino and #10 Louisville (pronounced Lou-uh-vul, not Lou-ee-ville).