Think back to the start of the season

If I told you that we would make the playoffs but the following teams would not: Eagles, Falcons, Vikings, Packers and Rams. If I then told you we would have to beat the following to get to the superbowl: Giants and then most likely the Bears and Seahawks in some order. What would you have thought? I for one would have thought we had another superbowl in the bag. Having to go on the road makes it tough and all but the road could be a lot harder.

 

I knew at the beginning of the season that the Giants would go far. Hopefully no farther than next week. I didn't think the Rams and Packers would make it. And I sure as hell didn't think the Bears would be in it. It really is unusual how it turned out. We have a good road record and I don't think we should have any problems once we get past the Giants.

 

NYG had a good early 04 run, so that they surged this year doesn't surprise me. They might've made the playoffs last year with Warner, even if he was struggling a bit at the point they benched him.

Bears are a bigger surprise. I never bought into MN or Philly as elite teams for this year. Lot of people picked AZ to win out west, which I still don't totally understand.

 

I still thought the Iggles were the team to beat. Even if Owens were dumped they had been the best for several years and most of them without Owens.

I still do not buy that the Giants are that good. Tiki is the main thing they have and he is small and prone to fumble.

I really thought the Vikings would be good. Culpepper was awesome last year. I never thought he would fall off the edge of the earth like that.

 

I thought Eli would remain terrible for at least one more season, so I didn't see them doing much given what I thought were inadequate moves on the offensive line. Plus remember that they got one extra home game (still can't believe the networks aren't making a bigger deal about that, but maybe the NFL warned them not to).

 

Agreed.

 

Think how the skins must feel. They did not win the division because they got ripped off on that two point conversion call in Tampa and the Giants got an extra home game. Of course we got ripped by that call on the two point conversion as much as the skins did.

 

without looking any facts up to back it, im almost positive tiki didn't lay it on the turf much at all this year. and he's not really that small. he's an elite back, no doubt about it.

 

They commented on Tiki yesterday - something like 396 touches and one fumble. If that's fumble prone then Foster is an absolute fumbling machine which I don't think he is - trouble early on, but better as the season progressed. I think it's possible for us to win if the Good Panthers show up and play their hearts out, but NY worries me as does our team's penchant for hot & cold play which seems to infect the entire team at the same time.

 

Foster has 377 career carries and three lost fumbles.

Tiki has 1890 career carries and 22 lost fumbles.

Tiki has only one fumble this year but he has not played us yet.