Finally, after speculation began at the Winter meetings, the Cubs dealt for Matt Garza, trading away a bunch of prospects who I didn't know existed (which is good, because if I did, they'd probably have a ton of potential. But I suppose I could've said the same thing about the Lou Brock trade way back when, if I was alive. Apparently, the shortstop they traded was a top prospect, but we have Starlin Castro, so...
Anyway.) With this trade, the Cubs acquired a solid pitcher the staff, one that we desperately needed, and who could be an ace of the staff. Let's look at his stats last year, shall we?
32 starts, 15 wins, 10 losses, 3.91 ERA, 150 SO, 1.25 WHIP
In the AL East, playing against a great division along with the requisite games against the AL, which is a lot better than the NL talent wise. Those are good numbers. Now he's in the NL Central- a weak division- and gets to play all those lesser quality NL teams. This is a move the Cubs needed to make to even stay relevant in the division. They got their ace (or a quality 2nd or 3rd starter, depending on how you feel), responding to Milwaukee's acquisition of Zach Grienke (who's better, but still, it's a step). Pitching was a major need, and their staff was unquestionably improved by this deal.
That's your hot stove news. Onto some Playoff Football. Glorious. Saturday and Sunday Football...it's like a dream come true.
Saints (-10.5) at Seahawks
Guh, the Seahawks are in the playoffs after "winning" the NFC West after "winning" against the St.Louis Rams in a terrible game. Now they enter the playoffs under .500 facing off against the defending Super Bowl Champions. It doesn't take much to see that Seattle won't last long in the playoffs; they are pretty terrible on both sides of the ball. The Saints may not have a running game, but the Saints should be able to pass the ball effectively enough and also should be able to blitz/terrify the bajeezus out of Matt Hasselback and the anemic Seattle offense. Saints win and cover. Yes, on the road. Seattle is that bad. If the Saints lose this, then...I don't even know. My faith in humanity might be lost.
Jets at Colts (-3)
Along with Packers-Eagles, this is the hardest one to pick. The Jets have played up and down all year, and are liable to lay an egg at any moment. The Colts have been similarly inconsistent, are dragging an injured team into the playoffs, and don't have the same efficiency we've seen out of them in years past. I'm tempted to go with the Colts (out of sheer Jets hate), but I know the Jets are going to be psyched up for this game after the Colts beat them last year. It's tough to say this, but I think the Jets win outright.
Ravens (-3) at Chiefs
The Chiefs benefited from an easy schedule and a weak division (which they only went 2-4 against) in order to succeed this year. They have a good run game and a decent defense, but the rest is nothing special. Last week, they were playing the Raiders for seedings and got blown out. The Ravens were also playing for seeding and won an ugly game. Even at their worst, the Ravens were able to grind out a win in their trademark boring fashion. With that in mind, I'll take the Ravens to win and cover. They have more talent than the Chiefs on both sides of the ball. The Chiefs are good enough to beat the bad and mediocre teams, but now they face a solid team, and that will be a bit too much for them, unless the Ravens literally bungle the game away.
Packers at Eagles (-3)
This looks to be the best game of the weekend, and also the hardest to figure. Both teams have explosive (at times) offenses, turnover oriented defenses that blitz A LOT, and hilariously terrible coaches, when it comes to clock management. The Eagles, though, have slowed down lately, seeming to struggle in the cold weather. The Packers have been on a roll lately, and their ferocious defense, I think, can contain Mike Vick. Both teams will put up points, but I have more faith that the Packers can get that one stop. So, Packers win but don't cover. Hope the sparks fly in this one.
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