Conference Championships - Sunday, Jan. 20

All times are US/Eastern

AFC #3 San Diego @ #1 New England 3:00 p.m. CBS
NFC #5 N.Y. Giants @ #2 Green Bay 6:30 p.m. FOX

july said:

I guess widdle July is feewing bettuw.

Maybe when you get to be a big girl you can talk football.
[Edited 1/16/08 8:57am]

2Jay said:

Well, there's no need to talk dirty . . . we got Brandon Lloyd too, if that makes you feel any better.

Someone needs to shove a cork in Rivers' mouth and teach him how to behave like an adult.


And remember the 12yr old Pat's fan that got booed at the Indy game? She's being rewarded with tickets to Sunday's game with her whole family. I'm glad, I can't believe a young girl who won an award for football was booed because she's a Pat's fan! Grow up!

namepeace said:

Enjoy the rest of the playoffs.

Far from a perfect day Moss faces media storm, but too early for judgments

Wednesday January 16, 2008

FOXBORO, Mass. -- So much for a perfect world.

For a team that has lived a nirvana-like existence this season -- at least since the Spygate drama died down -- the sight

and sound of Randy Moss standing in front of his locker Wednesday morning holding court on his alleged battery of a

South Florida woman represents the Patriots' most unwelcome piece of news in months.

Since the day Moss arrived in Foxboro last spring and began a career renaissance that turned historic, this was the kind

of headline that so many of his doubters and critics had braced for. It was Moss in trouble. Moss on the defensive. Moss

creating a distraction for the team that has long forbidden such things, rendering them as rare as a detailed Patriots' injury

report.

The shorthand, of course, is that the old Randy Moss and some of his issues had finally caught up with the new Randy

Moss, the one whose remarkable transformation into exemplary teammate and model citizen had played out before our

very eyes these past eight-plus months. Some people were no doubt already getting their I-told-you-so's locked and

loaded.

But the shorthand is many times wrong, and if the Duke lacrosse case and the shooting death of Sean Taylor have taught

us anything, it's that a rush to judgment in matters such as these are a fool's path. Moss repeatedly reminded us of that

with a sense of candor and passion seldom, if ever, seen or heard in New England's locker room in the Bill Belichick era.

"You all are going to make judgments,'' Moss said to the media. "You all are going to say whatever you all want. But

make sure, and very sure, before you rush to judgment, that you know what you're talking about before you say it. Find

out all the facts before you start criticizing me or judging me.''

It's good advice, and everything about this story at the moment sounds like a classic case of he-said, she-said, with the

key fact being no criminal charges have been filed in the matter. Moss claims that there was no battery, only an

unspecified "accident'' in which the woman involved -- a friend of his for 11 years -- got hurt. He said she's seeking a

financial settlement in the "six-figures,'' which he went on to label as "extortion.''

"If she's hurt and needs money, that's on her,'' Moss said. "But for something friendly, an accident to occur, I mean it

happens. Stuff happens.''


Randy Moss set the all-time NFL record with 23 touchdowns this season.

But up until now in Moss' New England tenure, stuff hadn't happened. Plenty of stuff happened to Moss in his seven

years in Minnesota, and some in his two desultory seasons in Oakland. But his time with the Patriots had represented the

ultimate in fresh starts. Until Wednesday's mess, he had hit every note perfectly, both on and off the field in New England.

Moss displayed most of his angst Wednesday when asked about the impact that his legal situation could have on the

Patriots' well-oiled victory machine. That's when he was his most sincere sounding, full of remorse that he was involved in

anything that could bring taint to his new team, or distract it from the task at hand in Sunday's AFC title game against

visiting San Diego.

"That's the one thing I want to do,'' said Moss when asked if he looked forward to clearing his name. "Because

throughout this whole season, everything has been positive. Why would I bring something negative on? Come on.

"This is something negative, a black cloud hanging over my head. That's something I did not want coming into the season,

anything negative. Everything I tried to do -- from getting here early, and making sure I eat the right food, all the way to

practicing and playing good, I wanted all that to be an A-plus.''

It's way too early to know if this story is anything more than a blip on the screen for the Super Bowl-favored Patriots. But

even he is aware enough of his reputation to know he might not get the benefit of the doubt.

"It's hard, because of everything I've been through, mostly the negatives off the field,'' Moss said, when asked about

swaying public opinion toward his innocence. "It's really hard for me to sit up here and say that I'm innocent. Battery -- I

didn't hit no woman. I've never laid my hands on a woman. So for you to say battery, now I think if there was such a thing

in the court system as an accident, then that's what I'm guilty for. But for you to say I physically, or in an angry manner --

whatever the manner may be -- put my hands on a woman physically, I've never done that.''

There was no way to know on Wednesday how to judge guilt or innocence in this case. But for Moss and the undefeated

Patriots, staying on message was impossible on this day. The perfect season remains intact in New England, but nirvana

was suddenly nowhere in sight.

CarrieLee said:

Jeez, get over yourself, Brady Fan #1!

live4lust said:

Even I were an Indy fan, a Packer fan, a Dolphin's fan...I would say the same thing! He's immature and even his own coach and team were upset with him. So put that in your pipe and smoke it!

july said:

I don't know if this is true, Randy doesn't have the best reputation, but I do think it's funny that this is coming up right before the playoffs. She clearly tried to extort money from him and he wasn't having it so now it's in the news. Anyone can get a restraining order these days, now if he violates it that is something entirely different, but right now everyone needs to stay quiet till the truth comes out.

And it's not going to effect the outcome of Sunday's game.

CarrieLee said:

I was referring to your comments about the little girl; I don't like Rivers, either. He's a punk-ass lil bitch.

But you better get used to no one liking the Patriots but New Englanders.

live4lust said:

Oooooh THAT. Well I dunno, I thought it was a bit immature to boo a young girl just for wearing a Pat's jersey. If she were my age then yeah whatever, but she's a young girl who's into football and being awarded for being good at it. I just didn't think it was appropriate.

CarrieLee said:

Well, I went to a Titans game a few years back where the PP&K winners were introduced and a lot of fans booed a winner who wore a Colts jersey. The kid was good enough to take it for what it was, but it's still not right.

Booing a singer for wearing the opponent's jersey is one thing. Booing a kid is another.

CarrieLee said:

I don't expect it to be much of an issue either on the field. I'm sure the Patriots or their staff don't like fielding questions about it though. There always seems to be some sort of storys like this that pop up around the Super Bowl during the two weeks before. This is the AFC championship game. The team is huge mediawise. I'm not surprised someone tried to work an angle on Moss. Or anyone of the Patriots. I'm sure Spygate will pop up again before the Super Bowl, and probably even that Tom Brady has had a child and is not married tot he mother. The media is combing them like Presidential Candidates.

AFC Championship Preview: San Diego Chargers at New England Patriots



The New England Patriots handed the San Diego Chargers two devastating losses last year.
The magnitude of those wins would pale in comparison to a San Diego victory on Sunday.

New England -14 point favorite for Sunday’s game.

Though the AFC championship game matches the NFL's hottest teams of the past two months, the Patriots enter as huge favorites to knock off the banged-up Chargers and reach the Super Bowl for the fourth time in seven seasons.

"They've always kind of been that benchmark team that everybody looks to," San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson said, "and so it's just a great opportunity to get a chance to play against possibly the greatest team to ever play."

All the records achieved by Tom Brady, Randy Moss and their team during an undefeated regular season won't mean much if the Patriots don't get back to the Super Bowl, having won it all following the 2001, 2003 and 2004 seasons.

The regular season saw New England score an NFL-record 589 points while Brady set a league record with 50 touchdown passes and Moss broke one with 23 TD receptions, but that offense is facing a much improved San Diego defense. The Chargers have given up averages of 13.1 points and 285.1 yards over the last eight weeks - all wins - while forcing 26 turnovers and totaling 26 sacks.

"This defense will challenge us more than any defense we've faced all year," Brady said. "And I hope we play as well as we can, that's the only way I think we're gonna be able to advance through this round is to play our best football."

This is the round that ended the Patriots' run last season, blowing an 18-point lead in a 38-34 loss at Indianapolis, and many hoped to see a rematch this weekend but San Diego spoiled those plans with a 28-24 road win over the Colts last Sunday.

"Going out on the road and winning in Indy shows the kind of mental toughness they have," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "They've got a very talented team. I think everybody realizes that."

A day before the Chargers' latest win, New England ran its season record to 17-0 with a 31-20 victory over Jacksonville. A win Sunday will make the Patriots the first team in NFL history to post an 18-0 record, topping Miami's Super Bowl-winning 17-0 season from 1972.

San Diego was the team that took the league's best record into the playoffs last year at 14-2, only to lose 24-21 in the divisional round by allowing the visiting Patriots to score 10 points in the final 4:36.

The Chargers went into that game as five-point favorites, about a 20-point difference from the spread for this playoff rematch.

"Our whole season's at stake; so's theirs," Belichick said. "I don't think anything that's happened in the past has much bearing on it."

Belichick's team is favored by at least two touchdowns against a San Diego squad which has three of its most important players on offense all hampered by injuries.

The one of greatest concern to the Chargers (13-5) is the sprained knee of quarterback Philip Rivers, who is listed as questionable after he was knocked out of last week's win. The same happened to Tomlinson due to a knee injury, though he expects to play Sunday. Pro Bowl tight end Antonio Gates is still hampered by a dislocated big toe after playing through it last week, getting limited to two catches.

"We're getting ready to play the best team in the National Football League. We need to rally the troops and get everyone as healthy as we can be," Chargers running back Michael Turner said. "I've been saying it since August, we want to be at our best. I hope we haven't played our best game yet. That's what we're trying to get done this week."

San Diego had one of its worst games of the season in Week 2 at New England, losing 38-14 during a disappointing 1-3 start after being considered a Super Bowl favorite.

The Chargers recovered to win 10 of their final 12 regular-season games, making many believe this is a much different team than the one that was not competitive against the Patriots four months ago as they were outgained 407-201.

"If you look at our team, we are playing a whole lot better than we did in Week 2," said Chargers cornerback Antonio Cromartie, who led the NFL with 10 interceptions.

"This is Week 20 now and we're a whole different team. We've been undefeated since I think Week 12. It's a big thing for us just to keep it going."

Cromartie had one of San Diego's two key interceptions of Peyton Manning last week, and he wasn't even a starter back when these teams met on Sept. 16.

Brady threw three touchdown passes - two to Moss - in that game as he completed 25 of 31 passes. The league MVP and Offensive Player of the Year was even more accurate last week, going 26-of-28 for 262 yards with three more TDs despite Moss being held to one reception as he was constantly double- and triple-teamed.

Since that gameplan apparently did not work, Moss could be a bigger factor Sunday, especially if he wants to make up for unintentionally being the latest distraction in a Patriots season filled with them.

Moss broke his usual midweek silence to refute allegations that he committed battery against a woman, saying she made the claim to get money from him. A Florida radio station reported the woman filed for an order of protection against Moss and a temporary injunction was issued.

"It's very unfair to athletes if a person makes a false claim. You know, there's nothing that we can do," Moss said. "The only thing that we can do is either pay up or sit back and listen to what's being said or what's being written.

"For someone to make a false claim about me, I'm kind of furious."

This could just be another motivating factor for a Patriots team which seems to thrive when faced with controversy, having been propelled to a perfect regular season following the Week 1 Spygate scandal involving the New York Jets.

While the offseason addition of Moss, as well as Wes Welker, helped send the New England offense to another level, Chris Chambers had a similar effect on the Chargers.

San Diego is 10-2 since acquiring the wideout from Miami, helping spread the field for Rivers and the Tomlinson-led rushing attack. Chambers, who caught one of Rivers' two TD passes last week, and Gates are considered much tougher to defend than any receivers the Patriots had to handle last week as they gave up 270 passing yards to Jacksonville.

Rivers was having a solid game last week before getting hurt, going 14-of-19 for 264 yards with three TDs and one interception, though it appears unlikely he will be at full strength Sunday even if he plays. San Diego does have a capable backup in Billy Volek, the former Tennessee Titans starter who rallied the Chargers to victory last week and ran for the winning touchdown.

Turner spelled Tomlinson admirably, rushing for 71 yards on 17 carries, and fellow running back Darren Sproles contributed a 56-yard touchdown reception. Tomlinson has rushed for just 70 yards on 28 carries in the playoffs, and he was held to 43 on 18 attempts at New England in Week 2.

"It's nothing serious, just a hyperextension," Tomlinson said. "I think they've got me listed as questionable, but I'm pretty sure I'll be able to play."

An effective running game could be a big key for San Diego, considering Rivers and most of the Chargers are not used to playing in cold weather. Though there is no snow in the Foxborough forecast for Sunday, the temperature could dip into the teens by game time.

San Diego has not played in below-freezing conditions this season.

"They'll handle the weather," Patriots fullback Heath Evans said. "I've said it before, sometimes we wish we could play the weather, because that's pretty easy to beat, you can get warm. It's playing a tough team like this that's going to create the issues."

NFC Championship Preview: New York Giants at Green Bay Packers



Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers enjoy one of the best postseason home-field advantages in the NFL.

The New York Giants, however, might not be intimidated by the frigid conditions at Lambeau Field because of their outstanding play on the road.

Green Bay -7 point favorite.

Favre looks to add another chapter to his legendary career and lead the Packers into their fifth Super Bowl on Sunday by winning the NFC championship game against the Giants, who are riding the longest single-season road win streak in league history.

For only the second time in his career, Favre will play an NFC title game at Lambeau Field. Green Bay beat Carolina at home in 1997 en route to its first Super Bowl victory in 29 years, and the only one of Favre's career.

"It's been 11 years, I think, since ... I have to kind of refresh my memory on it," Favre said. "Times have changed a bunch, I guess."

The Packers, who lost Favre's second Super Bowl appearance in 1998, are 13-2 all-time in playoff games on the "Frozen Tundra" of Lambeau Field.

"Home-field advantage is what we are focused on," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "I think it is an advantage for any football team. It is definitely going to be cold here Sunday."

It may not be an advantage against the Giants (12-6), who are truly on the road to the Super Bowl. Two playoff victories have run their streak of road wins to a league-record nine straight, dating to a season-opening loss at Dallas.

New York now looks to set another NFL mark by winning 10 road games in one season, breaking the record it shares with the 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers.

"I think it is just a matter of the grit, the determination, the character, the leadership, the toughness, and the mental toughness," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "In a lot of ways when we come out and we get booed, we are kind of interested in how high the volume of the boos are."

The Giants avenged two regular-season losses to the Cowboys with a 21-17 win at top-seeded Dallas last Sunday in the divisional round. New York is one win away from its fourth Super Bowl appearance and first in seven years.

"This is an opportunity that can make all the dreams that you have ever had since you're a little kid come true with a couple wins," New York receiver Amani Toomer said.

The fifth-seeded Giants' win also allowed the second-seeded Packers to host the NFC title game instead of traveling to Texas.

That Favre is getting another chance to reach the Super Bowl is a bit of a surprise, given his subpar play in 2005 and 2006. The Packers (14-3) had their only losing season with Favre in 2005, going 4-12, and appeared to be headed for another after going 4-8 to start the next season.

But Green Bay rallied to win its final four games, and although it missed the playoffs, the run was a factor in convincing the 38-year-old future Hall of Famer to return. It has certainly paid off as the three-time league MVP threw for 28 touchdowns and 4,155 yards - the third-highest total of his career.

"I don't want to sound like I'm totally surprised," said Favre about being one game away from another Super Bowl. "But I knew it could happen. The question was could I last."

Favre was extremely effective in last Saturday's 42-20 divisional victory over Seattle. He completed 18 of 23 passes for 173 yards and three touchdowns as the Packers bounced back after trailing 14-0.

That deficit was a product of two fumbles from running back Ryan Grant, who recovered to turn in the best rushing effort in Packers' playoff history. Grant ran for 201 yards and three touchdowns.

Grant is someone the Giants are very familiar with. Due to its glut of running backs, New York dealt Grant to the Packers for a sixth-round draft pick shortly before the season opener after he spent two years with the Giants on the practice squad.

"Ryan performed and played very well during the preseason," Coughlin said. "We had a position, as anybody who scouts or knows football can relate to, that had five or six NFL football players and that was one of them, that was the position for us."

Not surprisingly, Grant is still friends with many current and former Giants.

"I'm very close with a lot of guys on the team, close to Tiki (Barber)," Grant said. "I learned a lot from him, a sense of composure, professionalism and little things on the field."

There's also a friendship between Favre and New York defensive end Michael Strahan, who notably broke Mark Gastineau's NFL single-season record of 22 sacks when Favre laid down for him in a 34-25 Packers' win that closed the 2002 season.

Strahan, who hasn't sacked Favre in two meetings since that game, faced a similar decision to Favre about whether to retire after New York went 8-8 and lost to Philadelphia in the first round of the playoffs last season. The seven-time Pro Bowler held out of training camp before returning for his 15th season with New York as he searches for his first Super Bowl title.

With Favre on the other side, there's been less attention on much-maligned Giants quarterback Eli Manning. The top overall draft pick in 2004, Manning had his leadership skills criticized by Barber and his playmaking ability questioned during a season in which he tied for the NFL lead with 20 interceptions.

After losing his two previous playoff games, Manning has shined in New York's two wins with a total of four touchdown passes and no interceptions. He threw for two TDs and 163 yards in the win at Dallas last Sunday, just hours after brother Peyton and Indianapolis were eliminated by San Diego.

"I don't think I am doing anything different," Manning said. "I am just trying to take what the defense is giving me. It is just a matter of being in a good situation in the game."

The Manning family is expected to make the trip to Green Bay to see if Eli can reach the Super Bowl just one season after Peyton played in and won his first.

The weather, which calls for temperatures in single digits as well as snow flurries, could dictate the effectiveness of both teams' passing attacks.

"I think you prepare by practicing and getting ready for their defense," Manning insisted. "You don't worry about the weather. There is no point in being concerned about it."

Another factor affecting Green Bay's vaunted passing attack is the state of New York's depleted secondary.

The Giants played last Sunday without cornerbacks Sam Madison (abdominal) and Kevin Dockery (hip flexor), and their status for Sunday is uncertain. Rookie cornerback Aaron Ross left the Dallas game with a shoulder injury in the second half, but returned to practice Wednesday.

When the teams met in Week 2, Favre took advantage of a New York defense still adjusting to new coordinator Steve Spagnuolo by completing 29 of 38 passes for 286 yards and three touchdowns as Green Bay won 35-13 at Giants Stadium.

Both teams have undergone plenty of changes since that game, with the Giants' defense in particular showing major improvement and finishing with a league-high 53 sacks.

Also, Grant and New York running backs Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw did not have a single carry in that game. All three figure to be featured prominently in the cold, snowy conditions in the rematch. The Giants' tandem helped New York average 134.3 yards rushing in the regular season to rank fourth in the NFL.

The venerable franchises have met five times in the playoffs - all NFL championship games between 1938-62, with Green Bay winning the last four meetings. New York lost 37-0 in 1961 in its only postseason visit to Lambeau, then named City Stadium, and also lost 16-7 the next season at Yankee Stadium.

Good friggin luck @ K/O in GB.

It's going to be cooooold @ Lambeau Field.

Gameday Weather: Gillette Stadium Foxborough, MA

Sunday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 24. West wind between 9 and 17 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 4. Wind chill values as low as -10. West wind between 11 and 14 mph.

Gameday Weather: Lambeau Field Green Bay, WI



Sunday: Sunny and cold, with a high near 3. Wind chill values between -25 and -35. West wind between 10 and 13 mph.

Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around -6. Wind chill values between -15 and -20. West northwest wind between 3 and 8 mph.

Oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god it's here!!!

I"m on my way to the bar, Go Pats!!!

I can't believe I've been reduced to rooting for New England...

CarrieLee said:

"n'Joy" ya' self Ms.C, don't get too hammered.

babynoz said:

StarMon said:

I think she's been gone for a while, now.

july said:

Fans filling up the stadium, getting into their seats for the NFC Championship.