Sunday Playoff Games: Philly at NY; SD at Pitt

I only got to watch a quarter of each game, so I don't have much to say about either one. I expected the winner of the Giants/Eagles game will end up in the Super Bowl, so I expect Philadelphia to beat Arizona. In the AFC, I expected the winner of the Tennessee/Baltimore game to represent in the Super Bowl. But QB Big Ben Roethlisberger looked like he had no ill effects from his week 17 concussion. Pittsburgh can definitely win next week. They beat Baltimore twice this season, by a combined total of 7 points, but it's hard to beat a team three times in one season. That game could go either way.

NY Giants 11, Philadelphia 23.

From Big Blue View:

that game absolutely, positively sucked. Possibly the least enjoyable football game I’ve ever watched, and that includes Super Bowl XXXV. I’m honestly not even that upset that they’re not going to win another Super Bowl – as we determined earlier in the season, that didn’t have to happen for this year to be a success. What I am pissed off about is who we lost to – there isn’t a single team in the league I’d rather lose to less than the Eagles, including the Cowboys, simply b/c the majority of my friends are Eagles fans, and b/c I’m also a Mets fan. The city of Philadelphia could sink into the Schuylkill for all I care at this point. If they end up winning the Super Bowl, I’m seriously not gonna be able to be friends with most of those people anymore.

From Bleeding Green Nation (includes a bonus Packer 4th and 26 reference):

The can be no doubt about the two defining moments of this game for me. Two times in the 4th quarter the Giants had 4th down and less than one and both times the Eagles defense didn't give up an inch. Those are the kinds of defensive stands that legends are made of. For my money, they belong with "4th and 26" as some of the great moments in Eagles playoff history. 4th & 1 x 2?

Credit for those two stops has to go to Broderick Bunkley, who drove his man back and the play both times. The guy has had a great year locking down the interior of that Eagles' D and he deserves some national attention. His effort on those two plays should earn him that.

San Diego 24, Pittsburgh 35.

From Bolts From the Blue:

This is not  the way we wanted our season to end, but these last six weeks leading up to today have been the most exciting six weeks of football I can recall.  We rode the highest of highs after twelve weeks of truly heart wrenching football.

From Behind the Steel Curtain:

Not a bad time for the offense to turn in the best game of the year. Willie Parker rushes for 146 yards and looks better than he has in two years. Santonio Holmes has long put to bed the inconsistencies he was dealing with earlier in the year; Hines is Hines. Miller continues to get worked into the offense more predominantly; Ben protected the football.