This weeks’ matchup should be a good one with the Steelers and Ravens meeting in what can be categorized as a backyard brawl.  There’s been plenty of smack talk flying both ways and we’re going to capitalize on it.  So join us!  Kickoff at 5:30 pm PST.

In this episode we take a look at the AFC North, one of the more interesting divisions in the NFL.  We discuss the oft-arrested and troubled Cincinnati Bengals and of course make fun of them.  We predict good things for both the Browns and the Steelers, and decide the Ravens really don’t have a place in the conversation.

Hosts: Kevin, Rich, Ryan

 

 AFC North [24:02m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

San Diego Chargers 17, Tennessee Titans 6: For being criticized all year, 2nd year starter Philip Rivers has sure played well the last few weeks. With LaDainian Tomlinson shut down for much of the afternoon, the Titans made Rivers beat them. He did just that, throwing for 292 yards and a touchdown. It wasn’t pretty, but the proverbial monkey that finally came off the Chargers’ backs should allow them to play more relaxed against the Colts. For as lousy as Norv Turner has been during parts of 2007, his staff never panicked over a halftime deficit. Unlike Marty Schottenheimer’s playoff efforts, the Chargers finally found the discipline needed to close out a playoff game. Can they go into Indy and beat the World Champs? It’s certainly a possibility. The Chargers have beat Indy two of the last three meetings, including the 2005 victory that derailed the Colts’ undefeated season.

Jacksonville Jaguars 31, Pittsburgh Steelers 29: The dream upset scenario of “Jags over Pats” almost didn’t happen, as the Jags squandered a huge lead in the 4th quarter, only to win it with less than 30 seconds left. You have to admire the testicular fortitude of Jags coach Jack Del Rio, who called a quarterback drew on 4th and 2 that put the Jags in position for Josh Scobee’s game winner. So, now we have the next test for the Jaguars: The undefeated Patriots. A win at Gillette Stadium could go down as one of the biggest upsets in the NFL history.

Now that the playoff seeds are set in stone for the AFC, lets take a look at all the teams and see what’s in store for us as the 2007 NFL playoffs are set to kick off.

New England Patriots: The NFL’s first 16-0 team is riding high, having not lost since about this time last year. They’ll be staying put at Gillette throughout the playoffs and will undoubtedly be tough to beat. If the weather starts to turn frightful in New England, however, look for other teams to have a considerable advantage. The Patriots won’t throw the ball 50 times in sleet and snow, so it’ll turn out to be a battle of running games. The AFC has plenty of fine running backs (Fred Taylor, Joseph Addai, LT, Maurice Jones-Drew) that are all considerably better than Laurence Maroney.

Indianapolis Colts: My oh my, look who has returned. The World Champions from a year ago have returned as the number two seed yet again and, unlike last year, have gotten absolutely no hype whatsoever due in part to the whole “Patriots not losing a game” thing. The Colts have been riddled with injuries all year, having to resort to guys like Crasphonso Thorpe (I know, who?) to play wide receiver and guys who I’ve never heard of on their defensive line. The good news is that they’ll be fully healthy (with the exception of Dwight Freeney) come two weeks from now when they host their playoff game in the sterile environment of the RCA Dome. Nobody’s talking about them but look out for Indy. With Bob Sanders back and the always dangerous Peyton Manning the Colts might quietly put the rest of the AFC to shame.

San Diego Chargers: The first seed from last year returns as the number three seed in a season that was riddled with inconsistency and confusion. How good is this team? Nobody really knows. They still have the best running back in the game (sorry Adrian Peterson) and their defense is one of the best in the NFL. In the playoffs it comes down to a team’s ability to establish the run and stop the run; both things the Chargers do well. Thus the pressure will be on second year starter Philip Rivers who hasn’t had a great season but has come on strong as of late. People talk about teams they do and don’t want to play; can we consider the Chargers one of those teams? They’ve won 10 of their last 12 games. Read the rest of this entry »

There are certain teams in the NFL that just won’t get new uniforms. For teams such as the Packers, Colts, Chiefs, Raiders and Bears, uniforms remain constant over time. The Pittsburgh Steelers are also among those teams. But this past weekend, the Steelers ran out of the tunnel with an old school look that got the players talking about making a switch.

When you look at the Pittsburgh throwback it really doesn’t look all that different. The main difference comes with the color of the helmet. The current helmet is black where the throwback helmet is yellowish gold. The helmet was worn during the 1962 season, but was scrapped a year later when the team decided to go back to black.

Another neat feature about the throwback is the white pants. As you know the Steelers currently wear gold pants with a solid black stripe on the side. The throwback pants are white with a a gold stripe outlined by two black stripes. I am a big fan of the all-white uniform, so it would be interesting to see the Steelers do a combo like that.

Now it’s time to talk about the actual throwback jersey. It does have the same design as the current jersey but the only difference is the color of the numbers and names. The 2007 jerseys have the numbers and letters in white but the the throwback jersey has them in gold. Aside from that, both unis have the same same stripes on the sleeves in gold.

All in all, I am a huge fan of the throwback helmet. The jersey itself is very similar to the one they have now but I think the white pants would add a nice touch for certain games. The players liked the throwbacks so much, they went to management and asked if the team could wear them for the 2008 NFL Season. That leaves me to see what the away jersey would look like. If you missed the Steelers in action Sunday, don’t worry. The Steelers will wear the unis again on Monday Night Football against the Ravens on November 5th. If you would like to make a purchase of the throwback jerse,y you can do so here.

Hosts: Sonny, Ryan, Kevin and Rich.In this episode, the entire Sportable staff discusses the AFC North. With this division featuring three legitimate playoff contenders, where’s that leave the Cleveland Browns and why the hell is Rich expecting such big things out of them? Can the Pittsburgh Steelers get back into the playoffs? Or will the Baltimore Ravens, lead by the best defense in the NFL, reign supreme again? All that and more in the latest episode of the Sportable Spot.

You can find Episode 33 here. (Download mp3)