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Viva Murillo!

The cool thing about the playoffs is that everyone is watching. While we might think that’s the case during the regular season, there are people who only follow their home team, or (believe it or not) don’t watch football at all. But now most eyes are on the games, and next month everyone will watch the game. And that can be pretty fun for us, because watching and talking football with more casual fans can provide fresh perspectives. For example:

* Washington at Seattle. I was watching this game with a friend who hardly ever watches football. She knows enough that she can follow it, but if it wasn’t a playoff game she’d probably be doing something else. But in the middle of the game, while I’m wondering if the Seahawks were really going to let the game slip away, she says “You know, that analyst is really good.”

Now, I make a point of not listening to play-by-play guys. Most of the time the games are on mute, or there’s too much noise going on to hear them. On Monday night, I usually have music going on in the background. I just can’t stand to hear their absurd banter, and their mistakes really grate on me.

But once she said that I started paying more attention. And you know what? She was right. That analyst, the guy I never liked, the guy I thought was a waste on the microphone, is good. He explains the game without adding too much, but his perspectives make sense and are enlightening. You can tell he’s really paying attention to what’s happening on the field and likes the sport. It’s not just a job to him, and that might be why he’s good at it. She was right, and I was wrong.

Final analysis: Cris Collinsworth is a good analyst, and I’ll probably listen in when he does more games.

* Jacksonville at Pittsburgh. I didn’t watch this game with any casual football fans. The only analysis I can offer is that you shouldn’t let that little card that tells you when to go for two override common sense.

* New York at Tampa Bay. I’m in Tampa, and I really thought the Buccaneers were going to run away with this one. The night before I spent some time with a flight attendant friend of mine who was working the charter trip for the Giants. We’re talking with a group of friends, and after some wine I was trash-talking. Eli can’t do this, Eli can’t do that, etc.

Now, this woman doesn’t watch much football. But she told me that she knew the Giants were going to win, because she’s worked those charter flights for a while and she’s talked to Eli. Two years ago he looked nervous, and last year he looked better but still a bit shaky. But this year, he’s a different guy. “He gets it,” she said.

I said he would throw three picks; she said he wouldn’t throw any. We made a small bet, and I lost. The Buccaneers lost big.

Final analysis: Don’t question someone who has more contact with the football players than you do.

* Tennessee at San Diego. My dad likes football, but he’s not obsessed by it. He watches the games, but he pays even more attention during the playoffs. We watched the game, and although it looked like the Chargers might blow it, Rivers stepped up and they won. But the interesting part was after the game, during the press conferences. My dad watched Norv Turner speak and said “There’s something wrong with the way that guy talks. He acts like he lost the game.” Then he watched Rivers talk and said “That guy’s a little too cocky for someone who finally came through. He’s not the star of the team.”

And he was right. There was always something not right about Norv Turner for me, and now I know what it is: He acts like a loser. I’m not saying he’s terrible, and I give them credit for winning a playoff game. But really, it’s the way he acts. He doesn’t exude the kind of confidence you expect from a head coach. His tone in the press conference was more like a losing coach making excuses. And I’m not sure I would have picked up on that by myself.

As far as Rivers goes, my dad didn’t even see the game against the Broncos where he was caught mocking Denver on camera. He didn’t have to. I like Rivers, but he could benefit from being more humble. The Chargers already have a leader, Philip. Just do your part, like you did on Sunday.

Final analysis: Listen to your dad.

The next round should be even better. This is the last time we’ll get games on Saturday on Sunday, so make a weekend of it and enjoy.

Feel free to share your playoff observations below. You can also reach Michael Murillo at vivamurillo@gmail.com.

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