Chris’s Mailbag
One of the best parts about blogging for no money and pure
pleasure is connecting with my readers and fellow sports fanatics…
Even though I will
continue to make millions dollars after I retire because ESPN or one of it’s
competitors will give me a ridiculous amount of money to become apart of their
Sunday Pregame Show, WE ARE GOING TO WIN THIS GAME!! IF NOT I WILL KILL SOMEONE
I HAVE DONE IT BEFORE!
--R. Lewis, Baltimore
(Slumps in chair)
…
(Agrees with first part of statement)
…
I am starting to get a weird feeling that the Ravens have a
shot at winning this game. Anyone else? They desperately want another chance at
New England and as good as Peyton Manning is…he is notorious for playoff
clunkers…especially in the cold.
I also envision Willis McGahee coming back from his injury
(he is back practicing), and fumbling (doesn’t he always seem to fumble?) on his
first carry by a “Ray Lewis type of tackle” by Ray Lewis, causing Denver fans
to wish that McGahee stayed injured. At first, I thought Denver was going to
blow Baltimore out, but is the “Play for Ray” factor enough for them to pull
this off? I am still saying Denver…but I’m not as confident.
Which leads me another point Ray, I don’t know why you are
so celebrated as an athlete and inspirational leader, when it is rather clear that
you did in fact directly contribute to the death of another human being.
Don’t think so? Read this.
This sucks. I don’t
even get a chance to show the world that the 49ers were correct with their
logic when they selected me over Aaron Rodgers. Now I have to watch him school
Colin Kaepernick and beat my team by two touchdowns.
--A. Smith, San
Francisco
My deepest condolences Alex. If you can find any solace in
this, I still think you should be the starting quarterback and I eventually
think Kaepernick will cost your team a Super Bowl. But not so fast!
Part of me says: As much as I want to say Green Bay will win
this game based on the “Aaron Rodgers is better than Colin Kaepernick”
principle, Green Bay is just simply not that good this year. Aaron Rodgers is
all-world, but his line can’t block, there is no running game to speak of, his
receivers are average, and they just don’t have the same mojo. San Fran’s
defense is vicious, and by the end of this game Aldon Smith will know Rodgers’
body better than his girlfriend (rumored to be fiancee) Destiny Newton does.
Another side of me says: Aaron Rodgers has been waiting for
this moment since he painfully got passed over by team after team during the
2004 draft. This has set up to be the ultimate sports “Eff You on National
Television” moment. Maybe somehow Green Bay’s line decides to block and Rodgers
does Aaron Rodgers things and picks a part the best defense in the league.
Scenario I hope for: Colin Kaepernick performs like a
nervous first-year starting quarterback playing in his first playoff game—surviving
the first half with some sloppy play but managing to keep the game within reach.
Then in the second half he overthrows a wide open Vernon Davis over the middle
for a pick six on the first drive…then on the next he bails from the pocket too
early, scrambles around like he doesn’t know where he is, and then Clay Mathews
punishes him for his decision to abandon the pocket and strip-sacks Kaepernick,
which turns into another Green Bay touchdown. All of the sudden Green Bay is up
21-3 and the San Francisco crowds slowly and desperately starts chanting
“Al-ex…Al-Ex…Al-Ex…Al-Ex…Al-Ex…”
In comes Alex Smith! The betrayed! The forgotten! The
ultimate “I can’t catch a break” athlete in sports! Alex Smith trots in and all
of the sudden something magical happens. He starts shredding an average Green
Bay defense. Vernon Davis is Vernon Davis again. Even Randy Moss forgets that
he is old and washed up gets in on the action. Smith leads two drives that
result in touchdowns, and then after San Fran stuffs a porous 3rd-and-short
effort by Alex Green, he gets the ball back with three minutes left in the
fourth quarter at his own 10 yard-line, down 21-17. The world can’t believe
what is taking place.
Davis for 17…Moss for
14…Crabtree for 23…Smith scramble for 7…Gore out of the backfield for 12…Smith
scramble for 27!!! No time on the clock!! 49ers win! Alex Smith is the hero!
I’m pulling for you Alex!
What’s going to
happen if I stink it up again in the playoffs?
--M. Ryan, Atlanta
Well Matt, provided that you are playing a rookie
quarterback (should we even call Russell Wilson a rookie anymore?) at home, you
have the best wide receiver tandem in the league, maybe the best tight end
ever, and you are 0-3 in the postseason…I can’t imagine anything good would
come out of you stinking again. This would definitely not help the “Matt Ryan
comes up soft in big games” legend that you have built up since college.
It’s time Matt Ryan. It’s time you graduate the “young
quarterback that MAY be the next great one” class. It’s time you overcome a bad
defense and submit one of those “they won because of Matt Ryan” performances.
It’s time you say stomp on the “Seattle may be the best team in the NFC” wave
that has grown this entire week.
Part of me says: Seattle is just simply a better all-around
team.
Part of me says: Traveling across country again into that
dome is a bigger disadvantage than I may have initially thought.
Part of me says: I hate Pete Carroll.
Final Verdict: Seattle has become my “team that I have
fallen in love with” team this year, but I’m taking Matt Ryan (will probably
regret this) to finally show up in January and win at home.
Do you think we will
win by two, three, or four touchdowns tomorrow?
--T. Brady, Gisele’s
Pants
Tom, I think this game will be over at halftime, much like the first time you played them.
I think for the first time since your last Super Bowl victory, your team has a
running game. I think unlike Baltimore, Houston has no confidence that they can
go into your place and pull off the road upset. In fact, I would not be
surprised if Matt Schaub pulls a Christian Ponder and decides not to play
because he fears that if he does play, he will play so poorly that the front
office will have to consider moving in another direction next year.
But to answer your question Tom, I’m thinking somewhere
along the lines of a 35-10 victory. You can go back to Gisele.
Appear in Chris’s mailbag next week and submit questions to Chris at ccollinsjr@comcast.net
-Chris Collins
Follow Chris @ChrisCollins127
Follow Chris and PJ @IceBathReport
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