God Previews Saturday’s Playoff Games
(I got this playoff preview engraved on some stone tablets, which I have transcribed today. Enjoy.)
Arizona at New Orleans
Aaron Rodgers thanked Me after Neil Rackers missed his field goal last week. Little did he know, I work in mysterious ways. The missed field goal was only there to torment the people of Green Bay, who have placed a cheese idol above Me. Now my second son, Kurt Warner, who will be seated at My left hand someday, faces the Saints in New Orleans. It is a tough one for Me: On one hand, Saints. On the other, Cardinals, which is almost as good as having a team called the Popes.
I have already punished New Orleans excessively for its debauchery. On the other hand, I really do like that Warner fellow. 9-3 lifetime in the playoffs is no coincidence, non-believers! I don’t want to spoil anything, but Arizona should cover the seven-point spread. New Orleans 41, Arizona 38.
Baltimore at Indianapolis
Something happened a long time ago in Cleveland. The old Browns franchise was under the thumb of Paul Tagliabue. And the owner, Art Modell, he swore a pact to the devil to get him out of Ohio and into a new state-of-the-art stadium in Baltimore. And now that franchise, baptized anew as the Ravens, shall henceforth be cursed by a loss to the ancient inhabitants of Baltimore, the Colts.
Actually, I kid. Even I would forsake Cleveland! But the Ravens do not have the pass defense to deal with Peyton Manning. It’s going to look like a rain of frogs when he starts whipping the ball around. Meanwhile, Joe Flacco might as well change his name to Job Flacco, because Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis are going to sorely test him today. Indianapolis 27, Baltimore 17.