Last night I drove back from Sheffield over the Woodhead. With the snow all but gone at street-level and the rain having abated its furious onslaught, I figured I’d be in for a leisurely journey. Sat – or, should I say, propped – next to me in the passenger seat was a 128kg multi-gym – a present for my brother’s 21st next week.
I got out of Hillsborough after sitting in a traffic jam for half of
Lungs and finally met-up with fast-moving traffic on the A628 home. But then, by total accident, I entered Narnia through a wardrobe so enormous, its gaping maw covered the entirety of Barnsley. Under normal circumstances, the replacement of Barnsley with a fine piece of furniture would probably have excited me, but last night, in a car that had a stopping distance of three miles, I was less than pleased. Confronting me was a fog so dense that I literally could see no further than two cat’s eyes ahead. Whenever a car came in the opposite direction I was totally blinded and all surrounding reference points were obscured by a blaze of white fire. I remember laughing to myself: this is how all those accidents you hear about but rarely see happen. I feared for my life. I was literally driving blind. Thankfully, a combination of care and luck saw me arrive home safe. I stepped out of the car into a wall of cold – look’s like the winter’s not done with us yet.
With top meteorologists predicting another snowfall, roads and schools could face another period of disruption. After all, Britain’s not coped well in the face of adversity since the end of WWII. Last week, Gritit, a Durham-based grit merchant, was the victim of grand-theft-sodium-carbonate*. 8 tonnes of salt were stolen from their storage ground, further proving that British incompetence is present, irrespective of class, occupation or background. Salt has leapt up in value in light of recent shortages and although the haul has a potential price-tag of 28k, no one thought of increasing security of what is now effectively white-gold dust. Looks like it will be a frugal springtime for the boys at Gritit, but who else stands to be left out in the cold?
*Squaresoft has purchased the rights to the video game. Speaking metaphorically, two of the four remaining teams in the NFL will be sent skidding home on their keisters when the winners and losers of the NFC and AFC championship games are decided.
In New Orleans, the number one seeded home team The Saints, take on the hard-hitting, high-scoring Vikings who are marching to Missouri, led by future Hall of Fame Quarterback Brett Favre. Drew Brees, Favre’s counterpart, has had the kind of stellar season we have come to expect of him. His gaudy numbers, although aided by a talented and deep receiving corps, will no doubt springboard him to consideration for enshrinement at Canton should he maintain his current form for another season or two.
The Saints boast the number one offence; the Vikings number two. The Saints are the number one seeds; the Vikings number two. The Saints are at home; the Vikings are on the road. So who has the edge?
Here’s a positional breakdown of the two teams, and my personal opinion on who will come out on top.
Quarterback: Brett Favre. Drew Brees. There isn’t really a more appetising match-up than this. Both men are playing their best football this season and both have ignited offences that although started the season strong, waned in the closing stages and looked set to exit the playoffs early. Favre has a reputation of being the games archetypal gunslinger, but having just enjoyed a season in which he threw 33 touchdowns and a trifling 7 interceptions on his way to a plus 107 passer-rating (the best of his 18 year career) he seems to have left his critics’ gripes behind him. Brees is a pure pocket-passer. His O-line has been strong for most of the season and his jersey rarely touches the turf. But his playoff experience is limited when compared to Favre who’s been to the big game twice, winning it once. For that reason I’m going for the 40-year old Favre. But if the Saints disrupt his rhythm early on, look for him to revert to his old ways. It’s on his shoulders.
Running Backs: Both teams are stacked with talent. Minnesota can lay claim to having the league’s most explosive rusher on their roster in the form of Adrian ‘All Day’ Peterson. But number 28’s form has dipped of late, whereas the Saints muscular rushing corps has stepped-up and provided a simply beautiful compliment to their prolific passing attack. Reggie Bush of the Saints is starting to achieve what was expected of him when he was drafted second overall by the Saints three years ago. That Saints team rode all the way to the NFC championship game before losing out to a stifling Bears team. Without the devastation of Katrina and the hopes of a city in need of good news to push them on, The Saints have leant on talent that was absent in their previous run and if they are to emerge victorious this weekend, their running game will have to turn up. I’m betting that they will, and despite AP’s undeniably threat, I think the Saints have the depth and desire to win the battle on the ground.
NOTE: If you don’t follow American Football, the significance of having a powerful running game in the playoffs can not be underestimated. Effectively running the ball allows you to control the clock – the game clock keeps running while the possession is kept in bounds. Winning this tactical battle is essential to shaping the game to your will. Also, a solid rushing (running) attack means defenders can’t ignore your runners and focus solely on the receivers. With teams built around aerial potency as these two are, keeping your opponents guessing as to how you plan to attack them can swing the game in your favour.
Receivers: At the start of the season, after the addition of Favre, the Vikings were still considered weak at receiver. They brought the aging superstar in to manage a run-first offence – not to force the ball into the hands of inexperienced wide-outs. But by selecting Percy Harvin out of Florida in the first round and teaming him with the phenomenal Sidney Rice, Minnesota found a way to stretch the field without taking risks. Perhaps the most important component of this group, with the exception of Favre, of course, is Tight End Visanthe Shiancoe. If you don’t follow American Football, the Tight End lines up on the edge of the Offensive line – that’s the line of five men that face the defence in the middle of the field. It’s the Tight End’s responsibility to block the oncoming defence or to catch passes thrown his way. They are usually well-rounded athletes of incredible size. Shiancoe is no exception. His fantastic play has earned him the respect of his peers and he stacks up well against opposite number Jeremy Shockey of the New Orleans Saints. Shockey won a Super Bowl with the New York Giants before they traded him away and chose to go forward with Kevin Boss. New Orleans are loaded at Wide Receiver – unfairly so. With game-breakers lining-up in the form of Marques Colston, Devery Henderson and deep threat Robert Meacham, New Orleans know how to spread the ball around to great effect. As talented as Minnesota’s emerging stars have proved themselves to be, I have to back the Saints in this area – they are just too well-drilled.
Offensive Line: Almost a dead-heat here, but the fact that Favre, who owns not only the record for most TD passes thrown, but also the less-than-great accolade of having thrown more Interceptions than anyone in history, has managed to minimise his mistakes and curb his gung-ho attitude, is thanks in large part to the effectiveness of his offensive line. Minnesota gets the nod, but only because of Favre’s production.
Defensive Front-seven: This is a hands-down victory for the Vikings. Defensive Lineman Jared Allen has been in superlative form. He’s a sack machine – he loves dumping QBs on their backsides the wrong side of the line of scrimmage. Minnesota is good at stuffing the run – which they’ll need to do so their secondary can concentrate on containing those big receivers. New Orleans on the other hand, is about as soft-bellied as they come; ranking 21st against the run. The Saints defence is opportunistic but inconsistent. They started strong, and showed-up in the playoff victory over Arizona, but they will need to be firing on all cylinders to shut-down the high-octane offence of Minnesota.
Defensive Backfield: Tough call here as although New Orleans ranks badly against the pass, they have some serious playmakers: they may allow a lot of yards, but they do have a penchant for big plays. Darren Sharper – former teammate of Favre – has been in fine form this season with three defensive touchdowns. That’s pretty awesome. This unit could see a lot of action if Favre comes out slinging. I think they’ll lose out to his hot hand and cool head, but still rate them above the Vikings in terms of game-changing ability.
Special Teams: BOOM! Something’s got to happen here. I’m thinking the Saints top this category when the ball’s in the muscle-bound mitts of runaway Reggie Bush.
Who's got the edge?I’m going to go out on a limb and pick the Vikings. I know they’re away from home and facing up to a super-charged offence, but I can’t get away from the fact that they are the more balanced of the two teams. Whatever happens in this game, the NFC’s super bowl representative will be the central character of one of the greatest fairytales in sport: New Orleans has never even been to the big game and this is pretty much the only thing the city has got going for it right now. The people love the Saints – so does the rest of America. Favre is 40. He’s retired twice. He’s a living legend and if he can add a second jewel to his super bowl crown, he will truly be the king of Canton.
Tune in tomorrow when the Jets and Colts go under the microscope.
Look out for THE HARE newspaper in Manchester city centre: available at Night and Day; Tiger Lounge; and Bar Centro.
