From the mind of Mike McKanna

Now that the championship round set, here’s where it stands – three defensively strong teams and the greatest offensive juggernaut since the Roman army. I absolutely love all the talking heads who are backtracking on their picks with the tag line “see, defense wins championships!”  Yes, defense is important and especially in the playoffs. However, playing smart, fundamental, efficient football trumps all. And all the teams that remain are doing just that and have beaten the teams that didn’t.
   Without anything to back it up other than some buddies I said it to, I called the Giants win. History was on their side and with the tragedy in the Packer family, it looked like they just didn’t have it in them. The other games weren’t really important for me except to learn the winners, with the exception of one.
   What Bill Belichick and Tom Brady and company set out to do to the Denver Broncos and Tim Tebow was to state their utter displeasure and embarrassment that the matchup even occurred. In fact, if the commish didn’t pick up on the message, then he cares very little for his brand and product. The playoffs need a twist. The records are what matters in football and not division championships. The fact that Denver won their pathetic division by backing in much like the Seattle Seahawks did last year is of no importance. What is important is that an 8-8 team hosted a team with more wins than they had. Though the Steelers were beat up and had paid no attention to how the Pats beat the Broncos weeks before, it is a sham that just because a team wins a division they should get to host a playoff game with a chance to embarrass themselves, their fans, and the league. Teams should not be rewarded/punished for their geographical difference. The Steelers played a tough season and in a very tough division and deserved to host a playoff game. Would it have changed the outcome of the game? Possibly, but what the Denver Broncos would have had to prove is that if they were to be thought of as deserving to be in the playoffs – they would have had to win on the road against better records. That would have made them worthy.
   The Pats would have much rather faced a worthy adversary that is broken and still fighting like the Steelers would have; instead they got a hyped up disaster that rolled over and peed all over itself. Take heed, the Pats are not finished. They will wax the Ravens and their AARP card-carrying defenders and roll on to seal their seat in the annals of NFL greatness in Indianapolis on Feb 6, no matter who they face. Preferably, I’d like a rematch with the Giants – just to wrap it in a nice tidy little present. But, that will take its next step on Sunday.