To quote Goose from Top Gun, “itʼs the bottom of the ninth, the score is tied, itʼs time for the big one”. To say this season has been unpredictable would be the understatement of the year. Tom Brady getting knocked out for the season in the first quarter of the first game started the ball rolling.



- Indy started slowly
- Denver were given a win by a bad call
- Dallas lost their hot start because of Brad Johnsonʼs noodle arm
- the three “darkhorse” teams in the AFC (Cleveland, Jacksonville, and Houston) had a combined record of 17-31
- the team that could only win one game last season somehow cranked out 11 and won their division.

Alana started off very strong and had me worried but once I was able to embrace the unpredictability I was able to get back into the race and eventually grab the lead. But then just when I started to believe in the Buccaneers, Jets, and thought the Chargers, Dolphins, Vikings, and Eagles would fade away. Big mistake.

All of a sudden, my lead shrunk to two heading into the playoffs. Determined to pull
away in post-season, I felt very confident in my Wild Card picks. My 3-1 record made me feel vindicated and I was able to lengthen my lead to three.

But then I made a mistake. I talked about the lead and instead of remembering that the unpredictable ruled the NFL in 2008-09, I went with what I thought were rational picks and was 0-4 over the Divisional weekend. Alana won three of the four games. Goodbye lead.

After splitting the Championship weekend picks were are all tied up heading into the big game. Whatʼs on the line? The winner gets to choose the next 10 movies we go and see. With chick flicks coming out every week the stakes are high.

Alana ensured she wouldnʼt miss this opportunity for a little smack talk so here is her Super Bowl installment...

So it all comes down to the last game. The stakes are high, both in professional sporting and the inter-couple rivalry world. This one is for all the marbles, or a superbowl ring, or a laundry free 6 months depending on where you happen to be in relation to the actual event. I've always enjoyed superbowl eventhough I've never really been a big football fan.

Unlike any big sporting event, a culmination of the hard fought season, the Superbowl carries with it a whole new set of celebrations. There is, of course the 'tailgaiting food'; bowls of recipe perfected chili, smoked bbq ribs, saucey chicken wings, and potato skins, the effects of which linger long after the super bowl party subsides. Wash it all down with enough beers to make the Monday workday a write-off. There is the tradition of big half-time displays, hillarious commercial programming, and over hyped post
suberbowl sitcoms.

Out of all the superbowl celebrations, I celebrate two specific things. The first is the good ol'fashioned rivalry. Everyone has a team on superbowl, even if you haven't watched a football game since the previous year's Superbowl, you want to be a part of it. The second, and the thing I cherish the most about Superbowl is that it marks the return of Sundays and Monday nights, and with it, my fabulous fiance.

Being with a football nut like Jayson is like being with a travelling salesman, everyweekend for 5 months they're in New York, Tampa Bay, Washington, Green Bay etc, at least enough mentally that they might as well be there physically. Superbowl is not only a major sporting event, it is a welcome home party thrown by all the wives that share my fate. Welcome home boys, here's your to-do list!

I'm not one to brag, but I'm going to take this opportunity to pat myself of the back for my record this season. If you haven't been paying attention, Jayson and I are tied. I've been making picks based on the better looking quarterback, coin toss decisions, tarot card predictions, and google search laughs, and have come out equal to Jayson who has been making predictions based on statistics and superior football knowledge.

I already consider myself the winner, partially because I've tied my emotionally attatched- to-the-football-network-husband-to-be in picks this year, but also because I've picked the Pittsburgh Steelers to win since the very beginning. Even through Jayson's request for me to pick another team because of his disdain for the Steelers.

Go Steelers!

Pittsburgh (-7) vs. Arizona

Pittsburgh has done a very good job keeping the turnovers down in the playoffs. They are plus-five in the turnover category after only coughing up the ball once in two games. Ben Roethlisberger has not thrown an interception and has come up with a couple of big plays to give the Steelers momentum. He is however only completing just over 50% of his passes.

Although Iʼm reading that the Steelers to expect receiver Hines ward to be 100% Iʼm not buying it. Weʼll see him on the field but Iʼm not convinced heʼll be effective. The key for the Steelers will be their ability to run the football. Willie Parker rushed for almost 150 yards in their win against the Chargers but was held to under 50 versus the vaunted Ravens defense.

The Cardinals on the other hand have been able to stop the run successfully. In their three playoff games theyʼve held their opponents to under 100 yards each game. Theyʼve been able to get a decent pass rush and their turnover ratio has been off the charts. Even if you take away the six turnovers they got against Carolina, theyʼre still plus-four.

On offense Iʼm expecting the Cardinals to abandon the tight end in their offense. Instead Iʼm looking for them to bring in another offensive lineman to create a six man front in an effort to provide Warner and extra second or two in the pocket. The Steelers have a fierce pass rush with James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley. I expect them to get pressure on Warner but I believe the willy veteran will make the throws when needed and the Cardinals will get a couple of touchdowns in the first half.

Watch for Arizonaʼs running backs to get involved via the screen game. Itʼs not likely that Edgerrin James will have a big game running the ball but there is a chance he and Tim Hightower could find the end zone on a screen pass.

Another thing that is worth mentioning...the Steelers rank towards the bottom of the league in punting. Watch for special teams to help decide the outcome of this one.

The Steelers have the best defense in AFC and the saying in football has often been “defense wins championships”. But this is the year of the unpredictable.

So when the cards are down and all of my money is on the table Iʼm taking the Cardinals (no pun intended). I like the fact that Iʼm getting seven points to take the better offense and I feel Arizonaʼs big play capability is what will end up being the deciding factor.

Jayson - Arizona; Alana - Pittsburgh

WILDCARD - JAYSON (1-1-0); ALANA (1-1-0)
OVERALL - JAYSON (112-98-8); ALANA (112-98-8)