Are you ready for some football?? (Play-offs that is...)

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Houston Texans

This is an intriguing matchup.  Both teams are looking for rare post season victories, and will be playing with a chip on their shoulder.  Houston has not won a game in nearly a month, when they beat Cincinnati to clinch the AFC South title and secure the franchise’s first playoff appearance.  While the Bengals are looking for their first playoff victory in over 20 years.

Texans’ head coach Gary Kubiak used last week to rest some of his starters in a meaningless game against the Tennessee Titans.  Probably a smart move considering they were guaranteed the number 3 seed, and have been plagued by injuries all season.  First and second string quarterbacks Matt Schaub (foot) and Matt Leinhart (collarbone) were lost for the season in consecutive weeks.  Linebacker Mario Williams was lost for the season with a torn pectoral muscle, a crushing blow to the defense.  Running back Arian Foster and Pro Bowl wide out Andre Johnson are expected to play but have been nagged by hamstring tweaks all season.  Even third string rookie quarterback T.J. Yates suffered a bruised shoulder in the last of the season.  Nonetheless, he has performed well since filling in, completing over 60 percent of passes with 3 TDs and 3 ints.  The Texans’ also have the NFL’s second rank defense, which should allow them to take more chances on the offensive side of the ball.

First year Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Green is posting a phenomenal rookie campaign and admits “(The Dec. 11 loss is) in the back of our mind.”  While fellow rookie quarterback Andy Dalton is having the type of season that makes Bengals fans go, “Carson who?”  This is only the third playoff appearance for the Bengals since 2005 and would be the first playoff victory since Jan. 6, 1991.  Dalton and Green will be playing with something to prove to their teammates, fans, and the rest of the league.  The prized quarterback has been fighting the flu and will be ready to play come Saturday.  The poor Bengals defense will have to improve after allowing 221 yards on the ground last weekend against AFC North Champion Baltimore Ravens.  While their upcoming opponent boasts the second ranked NFL ground game.

The Bengals are 0-7 against playoff teams this season.  And when these teams met in December, Houston turned the ball over 4 times and still managed to pull a win out thanks to some late game heroics by Yates.  Moreover I think the pressure of their first playoffs will be too much for the rookies in their first year.  Even though the Texans are starting a rookie QB as well, he is surrounded by more veteran leadership.  I expect for them to take better care of the football, and win this game as well.

SCORE PREDICTION:  20-17 Texans Win

NBA Week 1: The best Christmas gift I received this year

Take a trip with me down memory lane, back to when you were just a child.  It is 5:30 in the morning and the sun is peaking through the blinds of your bedroom window.  You take a split second to actually wake up, get your bearings, and wipe the sleep out of your eyes.  Then you realize IT'S CHRISTMAS!  Time for everyone to get up, including your parents who were up until 4am wrapping gifts and placing them under the tree.

If you are as big of a basketball fan as I am ...the NBA returning for a shortened, post-lockout, season was the closest I have been to this feeling since I was 6 years old.  Except, I woke up around 10:30am, and I could not care less who else was watching with me.

Now, just over a week later and about 6 games in, us fans (or "analyst") have had enough time to evaluate who we think (or "know") will win reign supreme as NBA champs come June.  Although it is too early to be sure, early evaluations of team play say that the Miami Heat (5-1) is the team to beat in the Eastern Conference and the young Oklahoma City Thunder (5-2) is the emerging team in the Western Conference.


Eastern Conference 

The Highs:  If the Heat's can continue to execute their new offensive philosophy termed "pace and space" by coach Eric Spoelstra, while limiting turnovers, their athleticism will over power teams.  Combine that with LeBron's new 'attack the rim' style of play, and some new pieces around the Miami's 'big 3' and I like the Heat's chances to come out of the East.  The Heat should expect to see a lot more zone defenses in the coming weeks, with teams hoping to protect the rim and force more outside shots.  League MVP Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls, are also boasting a 5-1 record and look like they are poised to make a run deep into the playoffs.  Carlos Boozer is playing more like the player the organization expected, and the addition of Rip Hamilton makes them a deeper team on both ends of the floor.  The Boston Celtics, after starting 0-3 on the road, have won three straight to improve to 3-3 on the year.  Rajon Rondo has obviously put in a lot of work on his jump shot as even his form is improving.  With Paul Peirce back on the court, they should be looking to get things back on track in Boston.  This could be the last shot for the veteran Celtics, and I expect their best shot this season.

The Lows:  I think most of the NBA world realizes where the New York Knicks stand in the East, middle of the pack at best.  But don't tell that to a Knicks fan!  Either way, the Knicks (2-3) have not lived up to expectations in the least bit thus far.  I expect Carmelo and Amare to get the team on the right track; however they are going to need some help from their role players going forward.  I think the Nets realize more than ever the importance of putting together a deal for prized center Dwight Howard.  At (1-5) this looks to be another season down the drain the New Jersey Nets.  Lastly, the Washington Wizards remain the only winless team in the NBA.

Western Conference

The Highs:  Kevin Durant and the Thunder are looking good, despite a recent 2 game losing streak.  They are one of only a few teams that did not change much during the off-season.  Durant is a man on a missiona and is an early favorite for league MVP. However, Russell Westbrook still takes too many shots and this could become their downfall because he has the ball in his hands so much.  A surprise to some, the Portland Trailblazers are off to a quick start.  At (4-1) the Trailblazers could be a dark horse in the West this year.  They passed the test of the Thunder in Oklahoma City, and look to take that momentum into the thick of the season.  Portland boast its' own version of the 'big 3' with LaMarcus Aldridge (22.2 ppg), Wesley Matthews (15.4 ppg), and Gerald Wallace (14.4 ppg).  With superb sixth man Jamal Crawford and Nicolas Batum coming off the bench, I could realistically see the Blazers finishing with 50+ wins this year.  With new coach Mike Brown, the Los Angeles Lakers are (4-3) after a week.  Kobe Bryant has something to prove this year after a disappointing finish to last season.  Metta World Peace is back to scoring in Mike Brown's system, a variation of Phil Jackson's triangle, and is expected to carry the load of scoring off the bench for Lakers this season.

The Lows:  The defending champion Dallas Mavericks are missing C. Butler more than ever right now it seems.  At 2-4 the Mavs are struggling to find their way but I expect them get it going sooner than later with the shortened season they need to do it quickly.  The Los Angeles Clippers sit at 2-2, and while they are extremely exciting to watch with addition of Chris Paul, they have a bit to prove to become the team to beat in Los Angeles.  Zach Randolph and the Memphis Grizzlies caught the injury bug and are having trouble getting rid of it.  Randolph is out 6-8 weeks with a knee injury, while first round draft pick Darrell Arthur will miss the rest of the season with a torn Achilles tendon.