Can't Wait

By Dan Rodgers

At the post-game conference following the Jets win over the Patriots in the second round of the AFC playoffs, LB Bart Scott was congratulated on the victory and the reporter said, "See you in Pittsburgh." Scott's response, "Can't wait."

Of course, now the entire Jets organization is using it and Sports Center is currently mocking the hell out of it and it's hilarious.

We'll see how that goes this Sunday at 6:30. The Jets travel to Pittsburgh for the second time this season and look to beat the Steelers to advance to the Super Bowl for the first time since Super Bowl III.

Two notable injury updates are that Pitt DE Aaron Smith will not play and NY QB/WR/KR Brad Smith is likely to play.

Two game breakers in this one will the Steelers safety Troy Polamalu and Jets receiver Santonio Holmes. Holmes returns to Pittsburgh for the second time this year and faces the team that dumped the Super Bowl MVP for a fifth round pick. Holmes didn't have a big game last time so he will look to get some payback against his former team.

Polamalu is the kind of guy that can give Chezmo tons of issues. He blitzes whenever he wants and is probably the best player left in the playoffs. He is phenomenal against the pass and a great tackler. Chezmo needs to know where he is on the field at all times.

I think my Jets have a solid chance of beating the Steelers as they did so earlier in the season. I expect some big plays out of both defenses.

As for the NFC, I'm in love with the Packers. I think they'll cover their field goal spread (-3).

Rodgers That

Superstitious? Well...

By Dan Rodgers

A lot of people are superstitious. Some people believe in things that pertain to their religion and some people just have certain habits that work for them. The postseason for professional sports is a time when many people get superstitious. Some athletes wear the same underwear, some have the same pregame ritual or eat the same food.

Fans have it a little differently because we don't play the game. This NFL season the Jets were 12-0 when I wore my Wayne Chrebet #80 jersey and they were 0-5 when wearing my personalized jersey, Leon Washington or Santana Moss. (Yes, every player's jersey I have is no longer with the team)

For the game against the Pats, I went to get ready and couldn't find my Chrebet jersey. I realized I had left it at my girlfriend's place after doing laundry. I resorted to wearing my Leon jersey because his team was also playing. As you know the Jets won the game, but my girlfriend showed up to the bar in the Chrebet jersey.

I am leaving for Las Vegas in eight hours and I didn't pack my Leon jersey. Basically, I've determined that clothing superstitions aren't worth it but are fun to think about. HOWEVER, I have yet to shave and I absolutely refuse to do so until the Jets are out. Last year I didn't shave but I had to go to Memphis for a Bar Mitzvah. So my mother made me shave and the Jets lost their next game (AFC Championship game to Colts).

In the end: keep your playoff beard no matter what. Don't shave it for your job, your girl, your family or anything else you could possibly think of. Anything else you want to believe, go for it but it might not be worth it.

Chezmo ends Brady Bunch's season

By Dan Rodgers

Mark Sanchez, commonly known as Chezmo in my group of friends, has beaten Peyton Manning and Tom Brady on the road in back-to-back weeks.

The Jets advance to the AFC Championship for the second time in as many years and it's Rex Ryan's third straight year there. In a post-season filled with rematches, the AFC Championship will provide us a rematch of the Jets @ Steelers. The Jets defeated the Steelers 22-17 in their regular season match, but of course that doesn't count because King Head and Shoulders wasn't available to play.

It will be interesting to see how the Jets approach this week because they don't have any grudge against the Steelers that I know of. In fact, it might have been better motivation right now for the Jets if the Steelers had beaten them earlier this season. Regardless, look for Rex Ryan to make it "personal" because he lost to the Steelers in the 2008 AFC Championship game as the Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator.

Look for more on both conference's title games later this week.

Rodgers That

GO JETS!

I will not really write about this game. The Jets are +9 and I think they'll cover. Their keys to victory are to run the hell out of the ball and for Sanchez to not turn it over. Oh wait, everyone is saying that? Yeah, because everyone picks out the obvious stuff. The most important thing that needs to happen for the Jets to win: disrupt Brady's flow and timing. Don't allow him to take a three-step drop and release. Make him second guess himself.

The Jets can run and score all they want, but if the Pats aren't stopped it won't matter. Limit Brady's possessions like they did with Manning last week.

The Pats will look to force Sanchez into turnovers, stop the run and look for favorable matchups in the passing game. Rob Gronkowski figures to be a huge X-Factor for the Pats given his size and receiving ability. On the defensive side of the ball, Kyle Arrington is going to have to be a difference maker against the Jets passing offense. The Jets will look to expose him.

I would say the offensive factor for the Jets is Shonn Greene. He is a tough, physical runner that the Jets will need to rely on to pound the ball and wear down the New England defensive front. On defense the two things I'll be looking for are the non-existent pass rush and Antonio Cromartie's play. Cro is talking a lot and was exposed on a deep route against the Colts. The Jets will need to generate a pass rush without blitzing to more effectively throw Brady off of his game.

Were you a fool?

By Dan Rodgers

So I was at my buddies place watching the Chicago game thinking to myself, "Oh my gosh! What are all my readers going to do without my insightful posts regarding the NFL Playoffs?"

Well, all I can say is that I hope you weren't one of the suckers that fell into the Seattle trap. They faced another double digit spread, but this one wasn't the same as the last. Chicago has a much worse offense, but a defense that is world's better than the Saints. If you are a good decision maker, you wouldn't have bet on the game; HOWEVER, if you are an intelligent sports bettor then you would have placed a decent sized bet on the Bears to beat the crap out of the Seahawks.

Sure, it's easy for my to say this now you might think. I did pick the Bears in my personal NFL pool, and I would have "best bet" them if I wasn't more confident in the Pack (which I was).

The guy who is in first place (shocked it's not me?), thinks he is the man but this was an easy pick. He was riding the Seahawks until they didn't cover instead of taking a halfway decent look at the game. Seattle is just a downright bad team and last week was an absolute fluke. You might say, "Chicago is inconsistent, Cutler sucks a lot and QB's in their first playoff game in the last eight or so years are like 5-19."

WELL, I combat that by saying, Seattle is terrible. They are playing in freezing temperatures and the Bears are used to that. They are playing a good defense, something the Saints definitely didn't have. Seattle threw the kitchen sink at New Orleans because everyone was writing them off, but team's like Seattle can't continue to pull that out because they aren't good.

Whatever, Seattle sucks, Chicago will lose to Green Bay next week and the Pack will represent the NFC in the Super Bowl like I predicted in the preseason. Gosh it feels good to be right...

Rodgers That