San Diego Chargers out-heart Peyton and Colts, 28-24

Indianapolis Colts fans—your excuses tonight are your own.     You had every opportunity to advance to face your rival the New England Patriots in the NFL Playoffs.   Instead, the off-season has arrived via the express courtesy of a 28-24 shock against an undermanned San Diego Chargers squad.  

All credit to San Diego, who was led by Billy Volek and Michael Turner.   Who?   What?    Yes, these two came off the bench thanks to matching knee injuries to quarterback Philip Rivers and running back LaDainian Tomlinson.     Turner was really the star of the day, rushing for 71 yards on 17 carries, while Volek came through on a touchdown drive to seal the victory, going 3-4 passing for 48 yards.

In a very exciting and much anticipated game, the Chargers never backed down and never quit, even though by all rights it was Indy’s game to have.     Colts quarterback Peyton Manning did throw 2 interceptions, but both were tips.   Peyton played very well otherwise, and in fairness it cannot be said he was a cause of failure for the Colts.

However, what can be questioned whole”heart”edly is the mettle of these Colts.    They were considered before last year unable to win the big one.     They of course won the Super Bowl last year so maybe they get kind of a pass, however, they lost to a team in San Diego that wanted it more, had played last week, was on the road, and was without their quarterback and running back stars.    That my friends, calls for a victory.    With all that stacked in their favor, they could not pull it off.     San Diego with a huge win in pocket, goes with house money to New England to try to slay the 17-0 beast that is the Patriots.

Photo–peytonmanning18.com

Dallas Cowboys haters rejoice, Giants roll, 21-17

The New York Giants have done the bidding for every Cowboys hater in this great land of ours.     There is no other team that more people would like to have seen gone down this side of the New England Patriots.    That moment has arrived, weeks earlier than we at Dallas Cowboys Hater Nation dared dream.     For those of us New York Giants fans, this one is for all the years, all the suffering, all the beatings, all the arrogance, all the sense of entitlement.    

The gutsy performance, spearheaded by the injured Giants defense, flustered Tony Romo out of his game and took the Cowboys offense with him.     Eli Manning has now won back-to-back playoff games, the first two of his career.    If anyone were to tell you that one Manning would be left to go to the Championship game round, and that Manning would be Eli, you would have laughed.    But yet, here we are.    Eli and the Giants packing their bags to go to hallowed Green Bay for a showdown with Brett Favre.

Wade Phillips can pack his bags because he is so fired it is unbelievable.    He was probably gone anyway, but this is just the excuse Jerry Jones was looking for anyway.     The 21-17 Giants win was the first meeting ever in the playoffs between these two long-time rivals, and marked the first time since the divisional playoff round play began (1990) that a #1 seed went down (they were 17-0 until now).

Poor Jerry Jones.   He was clapping and stomping on the sidelines right next to Wade Phillips.    Who does he think he is, Mark Cuban?     Anyhow, a loss of composure all around, and truth be told, the Cowboys were not themselves the past month or so anyhow.     One could see this coming, versus a tough division rival that knows them well, their quarterback out partying with Jessica Simpson, etc.    If you want to be Joe Namath, well son, you still have some work to do.   

Photo–content.clearchannel.com