Everyone Loves To See Boston (Foxboro) vs. New York (Jersey)

Once the Patriots finally finished off the Chargers, it was only a matter of a few hours before we knew what team would be the final obstacle of the season. After two horribly missed field goals and a short stint in overtime, the New York Giants continued to ride the wave of momentum that had carried them through Tampa Bay and Dallas in the previous weeks and will oppose New England, two excruciatingly long weeks from now.

Last week I was strongly hoping the
Chargers would beat the Colts so the Patriots wouldn't have to see the Manning Face again until next year, and for a while today the Chargers were playing well enough to make me regret that decision slightly. Today I was mildly rooting for the Giants to come out on top, since the Patriots already beat the Giants in their home stadium with 60% of their ass-kicking offensive line. That said, of course the Giants can give them a game; almost every team they've faced since their 56-10 Bills beatdown in Week 11 has played them tough. However, I think the Patriots played half-assed in the first half the first time these teams met, and there should be nothing half-assed about how they come out in good weather in Arizona.

But full-on predictions are premature right now. The keys to today's games:

--> Obviously, the Patriots red zone defense is the biggest reason they won, keeping the Chargers out of the end zone and forcing four field goals.
--> Underrated, though, is the fact that the team finally realized Tom Brady's passing offense was, to be kind, fucking pathetic on the day. The team almost looked as dominant offensively running in the three TE set as they do in good weather in the shotgun spread.
--> 2007-08 Brett Favre morphed back into 2005-06 Brett Favre in the second half of the NFC title game. Eli Manning was solid. But the real key was the Giants could run, and the Packers couldn't.
--> If only the Packers had fallen on the R.W. McQuarters fumbled punt return instead of trying (and failing) to pick it up and run, we might be in the first moments of revving up for the Brady vs. Favre Verbal Fellatio Bowl. John Madden would have had an erection for the next two weeks straight.

As Big Daddy Drew so expertly predicted, the matchup everyone wants never comes true. Of course, he's not exactly pleased to be right.