NFL Playoff Scenario (AFC – NFC Seeding)

Going into the last week of the regular season, NFL.com has provided a comprehensive seeding scenario based on the result of Week 17. Both AFC and NFC matches are detailed.

UNITED – READING Preview

Reading will travel to Old Trafford today knowing they’ve come up big at Stamford Bridge with a point against Chelsea, as well as holding United to a 1-1 draw at their first meeting at the Madejski stadium earlier in the season.

Manchester United coming into the game having a 4-points lead at the summit of the Premiership table, knowing another win would ensure they keep riding high. Especially with Chelsea not performing well (although their mouth is still performing well), another win and a New Year present from Chelsea would give United a 7 points lead going into 2007.

With Scholes and Vidic missing out the game due to suspension, expect Giggs and Ronaldo to start on both wings, and Fletcher and O’Shea in the middle. Brown again will again start at the defense for Vidic alongside Ferdinand, who was rested at the game against Wigan. Expect Rooney and Saha to start from the beginning at attack. Gary Neville will be back captaining the side alongside Evra –who’s performing good lately– at full-backs.

It will be a typical English games with high balls and crosses, and with Ronaldo at the top form of his game, expect United to take an early lead and settle into the game. Reading, although showing great resilience and spirits during their first campaign in the Premiership, might be putting pressure on themselves expecting another front-page storyline, but I believe this year’s United squad has the necessary characters and discipline to come out on top of their game.

mindcubes’ long tail: UNITED 4 – READING 0

Raiders Hold the Key to the AFC Playoff

Yes, that sounds absurd!!

But if you look at the remaining AFC teams and their records, if the Oakland Raiders do beat the Jets, there will be a four way ties at 8-7 in the AFC. If that happened, considered all other AFC teams winning, it’ll be the Broncos and the Bengals going into playoff as number 5 and 6 seed.

However, if the Bengals lost to Pittsburgh, the improbable will happen, that is the Tennessee Titans will take one of the spot — and I think that’s the first time in the NFL history that a team with a 0-5 start heads into playoff. So, really is what the Raiders can do will impact or rather mess-up the whole AFC playoff picture.

Looking at Jets record at home 3-4 (and 5-2 on road), they obviously playing better away, it doesn’t seem to be too impossible for the Raiders to pull off that possibility. But then again, Raiders is 0-7 on the road, and 1-10 in the AFC ! What a year for them! Although you never know, football is wicked, and only when it ticked to 0-0 can you know who came out on top.

Let’s watch and see!! Oh yeah!!

Quake Hit Taiwan on Boxing Day

It was exactly two years after the awful tsunami that took many lives. Another quake, that led to a tsunami warning hit Taiwan at the magnitude of 6.7 Richter and 7.1 measured by U.S. Geological Survey. It again took casualties and a number of injuries, as well as a significant telecommunications disruption across Asia.

The event though happened, as far as I understood, without any publicized warning.

Two years gone, and with a number of life changing events, aren’t there any lessons learnt from it, apart from bigger Chinese economy, trade liberalization, etc. ? Natural disasters are key events in human life, but why don’t they get attention as key priorities?

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MAN UNITED 3 – WIGAN 1

With three goals during the first 15 minutes of the second half, United ensured a 4-points lead over Chelsea (who were held 2-2 earlier at home by Reading) at the summit of the Premierships table with a 3-1 win at home against Wigan Athletics on Boxing Day at Old Trafford.

Two goals from Cristiano Ronaldo, who came off the bench, with the first one a powerful header from Scholes’ corner proved to be the catalyst of the game, which saw a magnificent save from Kirkland denying Rooney in the first half. It was a spirited performance by Wigan before Ronaldo’s goal and the ensuing penalty a couple of minutes later, courtesy of gutsy play from Ji-Sung Park who fought for the ball in the middle of the penalty box before harshly being brought down. Solskjaer added a clinical third after a wonderful play from Rooney.

United made 5 changes from the team that beat Villa a few days earlier with Wes Brown coming in for Gary Neville, Silvestre coming in for Ferdinand, Solskjaer coming in for Saha, Park Ji-Sung on the left wing for Giggs, and O’Shea coming in for Ronaldo. United dominated the possessions with Rooney could’ve added the 4th only for the crossbar to deny it. It was a great win for United especially going into the festive programme. It was for the first times in many years I’ve seen United depth was able to deliver, although the key really is in Scholes controlling the tempo in the midfield.

Great jobs lads!!! Next, Reading!

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UNITED – WIGAN Preview

With Scholes and Vidic suspended, and Carrick still being side-lined through injury, United need to depend on their bench production in a Boxing Day battle against the spirited Wigan Athletics, who was too unlucky not to come out with at least a point against Chelsea.

Expect Fletcher to come in again for Carrick, with Silvestre or Brown coming in for Vidic, and O’Shea coming in for Scholes. It will be a tougher battle for United especially with the midfield duo missing, although with Ronaldo at the peak of his game, and Rooney coming in fresh after being rested at Villa, United would be looking for an early goal to settle the game in.

mindcubes’ long tail: MAN UTD 3 – WIGAN ATHLETICS 0. It won’t be pretty but the lads will get it done.

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Race to the AFC Wild Card (UPDATED Week 16)

Tennessee Titans are on their magical way to the playoff race with an amazing 30-29 victory over Buffolo Bills, after an 0-5 start! Denver, at 9-6 meanwhile would clinch the number 5 seeds with a victory at home against the 49ers at New Year’s Eve.

Here’s the complete picture for the rest of the team at 8-7 (including Jets at 8-6 who will be playing the Dolphins on the Christmas Day’s MNF).

Bengals (8-7 overall, 6-5 in AFC, 4-3 at home, 4-4 on road)
Dec. 31 Pittsburgh (7-8 overall, 4-7 in AFC, 2-6 on road)

Jets (8-6 overall, 5-5 in AFC, 3-4 at home, 5-2 on road)
Dec. 25 at Miami (6-8, 3-7 in AFC, 4-3 at home)
Dec. 31 Raiders (2-13, 1-10 in AFC, 0-7 on road)

Jacksonville (8-7 overall, 5-6 in AFC, 6-2 at home, 2-5 on road
Dec. 31 at Kansas City (8-7, 4-7 in AFC, 5-2 at home)

Kansas City (8-7 overall, 4-7 in AFC, 5-2 at home, 3-5 on road)
Dec. 31 Jacksonville (8-7 overall, 5-6 in AFC, 2-5 on road)

Tennessee (8-7 overall, 5-6 in AFC, 4-3 at home, 4-4 on road)
Dec. 31 New England (11-4 overall, 7-4 in AFC, 6-1 on road)

Broncos (9-6 overall, 8-4 in AFC, 4-3 at home, 5-3 on road)
Dec. 31 San Francisco (6-9 overall, 1-2 against AFC teams, 2-5 on road)

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BENGALS 23 – BRONCOS 24 !!!

What a game!! As Kenard Lang of the Broncos said, this only happened on PlayStation game!! Who would imagined the Bengals would’ve missed the snap on the extra point that would’ve sent the game into overtime with psychological advantage for the Bengals. Nevertheless, at 9-7 a win against the 49ers at home on the final week of the regular season would ensure Broncos a wild-card spot at the number 5 seed.

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It was a great performance by Cutler, showing his strong arms and a better decision making, especially on when to take the sack. The defense also came up big with 2 interceptions, from both corners, Bailey who now leads the league in interceptions with 9 picks, and Darrent Williams who has his first pick of the season.

Awesome Broncos!! One more job to be done and we’re in the playoff!! Remember the Steelers last year!!!

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Super Scholes Kept United at the Summit

A magnificent goal from Scholes midway through the second half ensured United a victory at Villa Park, before a late second goal from Cristiano Ronaldo (his brace) kept United at the summit of the Premiership with a 3-0 win against a spirited Aston Villa. Scholes’ goal could go down as the goal of the season. It was a Gigg’s corner head-cleared by Villa’s defense before it fell to Scholes on 30 yards out, which was volleyed home magnificently by the midfielder.

It was not, however, the prettiest performance by United, especially in the first half where Park Ji-Sung is pretty much not effective, considered his lengthy lay-off due to injury and a surprise start at the right wing, in place of Ronaldo, who was shifted to the left, of which Giggs was playing up-front in place of Rooney., who was given a breather by Ferguson. United, though were lucky to escape the early break where Villa could’be been 1-0 up had it not for the crossbar to denied the header, and for van der Sar to make a great save off the line from the following effort.

The second half though is a different story, especially after another magnificent goal from United, this time it was the Man-of-the-Match Ronaldo who danced from the halfway line against no less than 5 defenders before a sublime effort blocked by Villa’s defender at the edge of the penalty box, though it fell back to Ronaldo who smashed home a thunder to the left corner of Kiraly’s goal. That goal, changed the course of the game, and United were in full control afterwards.

The third goal is classic United. It started all the way in the left of the defense sending through beautiful passes involving Ronaldo, Giggs, Neville, and finished coolly by Ronaldo, who was denied earlier with an offside from a similar play. Three goals up, and United were not to be denied this season going into the festive’ season leading the Premiership for the first time in three years with 2 points advantage over Chelsea.

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It’s a Foxy X’Mas! Happy Holidays!

Hey guys!! Happy Holidays from mindcubes!!

from Spread Firefox has posted an awesome wallpaper, a foxy Christmas that is!

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