Posted on Dec 29, 2008 - 08:12 AM

It’s NFL Playoff Time (With a Decidedly Southern Feel)

Some random thoughts as the 12-team field in pursuit of Super Bowl XLIII is now set:

You can debate all you want over whether the season-ending meltdowns by the Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets were inevitable (they were, IMHO), but make no mistake: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers completely spit the bit. Gagged. Choked. Their task? Beat the lowly, inept Oakland Raiders at home, and secure a playoff spot. The result? A devastating 31-24 loss, and an extended offseason on the links (come on up, boys; we've got some great winter deals here right now). Jon Gruden's got some 'splainin' to do for this one.
I'm a diehard Jets fan (and I died pretty hard watching this team the past five weeks, believe me), but I can't help but root for Chad Pennington and the Miami Dolphins. The best any rational football fan could have hoped for as Pennington assumed the reins of a team coming off a 1-15 season was that this Bill Parcells disciple would simply help make 2008 a respectable showing. Eleven wins and an AFC East championship later, Pennington has the Dolphins in prime position to make the most improbable Super Bowl run in NFL history. Will it happen? Probably not, but the fact we're even discussing the possibility is testament to the phenomenal job Pennington, first-year head coach Tony Sparano and the rest of the Dolphins organization have done to orchestrate a stunning turnaround. In Pennington's case, it couldn't have happened to a more consummate professional. Good luck, Chad.
Yet as superb a job as Sparano and Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh have done to get their respective teams in the playoffs this year, my nod for NFL Coach of the Year goes to first-year Atlanta Falcons coach Mike Smith. With Michael Vick's departure and the media circus that came with it last year, this team was a complete mess. Enter Smith, of whom only serious NFL insiders had any inkling of his capabilities. And all he did was ask a rookie quarterback (Matt Ryan) to lead them to the promised land. They're not there yet, but that they even sniffed a playoff berth in the first place is truly remarkable. The Falcons will be a tough, tough out in the playoffs.
Myrtle Beach will be Pittsburgh South for the month of January. Three years ago, during the Steelers' march to the Super Bowl, the Grand Strand looked like a bumble bee convention with all the black & gold jerseys being worn around here. I mean, they were everywhere. Expect more of the same this year, as Steeler Nation makes its presence known again and Pittsburgh advances to the AFC Championship.
I like the Giants' chances to return to the Super Bowl. But I like the Carolina Panthers' chances even more. They're two very similar teams with common strengths, and the Giants won an epic battle between the two at Giants Stadium in Week 16. I expect the venue and the matchup to repeat in the NFC Championship Game. The difference? Playmakers: the Panthers have theirs (Steve Smith), and the Giants don't have theirs (Plaxico Burress). Panthers win in overtime this time, and advance to the Super Bowl to face the Steelers.

Time to weigh in, Beach Bloggers. Who do you like to make it to the Super Bowl?