Hello again, sportz freaks! I hope you are all as excited as I am about this upcoming weekend's slate of NFL playoff games. I have been making predictions in the post-season since 2003 and on this site since 2010, and I'm hard-pressed to recall a year in which the final four was more enticing than the one that lies before us on Sunday. In the NFC, it's a battle of new-age quarterbacks in a white-hot rivalry between Seattle and San Francisco. The AFC offers a struggle between "old-school" pocket passers as we get yet another chapter in the historic Manning-Brady rivalry. If that doesn't spell ratings, I'm not quite sure what does. I think I've wasted enough time, so let's get down to picking. I went 3-1 last weekend, bringing me to 5-3 overall in the playoffs. A nice 2-0 sweep on Sunday would be great. Let's get started, shall we?
So, We Meet Again. Will Brady or Manning Win Latest Bout in Classic Rivalry?
Brace yourselves, folks. This may be the very last time we see Peyton Manning and Tom Brady square off in the post-season, and it couldn't come with more on the line than Sunday's contest. The Broncos (14-3, 8-1 home) are feeling good about themselves after ousting the red-hot San Diego Chargers last weekend. Except for a late surge by the Bolts, Denver handled them for the majority of the game and more importantly, they were able to close out at the end: something they couldn't do back in week 12 against New England. Manning didn't look his best, totaling just 230 yards with 2 TD's and a pick, but the ground game kept them moving and the defense played surprisingly well. It wasn't their most impressive victory of the season, but it certainly removed some of the doubt fans may have had about this team after last year's debacle against Baltimore.
Switching sides, New England continues to impress me week in and week out. Brady has the Pats (13-4, 4-4 away) scoring 28.6 points per game and all without the likes of Wes Welker, who is now in Denver, and Rob Gronkowski whose season ended in week 14. Unheralded stars such as Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola and last week, LaGarrette Blount are shining brightly for perhaps the most surprising New England team we've seen since Belichick and Brady first came onto the scene. Their 43-22 thrashing of the Colts last Saturday was nothing short of impressive, as the somewhat underrated Indianapolis defense had absolutely no answers for the punishing ground game New England unleashed. If they can remain just as balanced on Sunday, this will be an extremely tough task for the Broncos.
I think that these two teams are quite well-matched, but if I'm to be honest, I can't help but look back at the meeting between Denver and New England in week 12 to help make my decision. The Broncos got up early, leading 24-0 at the half and slowly but surely squandered the lead away before eventually falling in OT. It's extremely concerning to think that such Denver can give up that type of lead so quickly, and even more-so given the fact that Brady has come back to win games his entire career. This being said, however, I think what week 12 really tells us is that the Broncos are the superior football team here. What? How can that be? You just said that the Pats beat Denver outright and did it in comeback fashion! Well, that's just it. I think a couple of things happened on that cold, November night. And no, none of it had to do with the temperature. For one, New England had its' raucous home-crowd fueling it back to victory. Secondly, the Broncos lit New England up for 24 points and 270 yards in the first half. From there, they cruised and got a bit too comfortable with their lead. This is something I do not expect to happen on Sunday. The Broncos are too good at home, and I am really starting to believe that Peyton is on a mission. What better way for him to get one shot at the Lombardi trophy than knocking off his long-time rival?
Prediction: Manning, Brady Shine Brightly, but Manning Outlasts Brady to send Broncos to Super Bowl: 34-27.
How the West Will Win: Which Pacific Foe Will Book a Trip to Metlife?
In what may perhaps be a passing of the torch, so-to-speak, the end of the Denver-New England will make way for a match-up between two quarterbacks with a majorly contrasting style to that of Manning and Brady. Colin Kaepernick and Russell Wilson have battled for two long years now, and could very well be the future of this league. But are they, really? Kaepernick has played well during the 49ers eight-game win streak, but nothing spectacular. Wilson has been even more mediocre, averaging less than 200 passing yards per game in the last four with four td's and three interceptions. It's funny how a quarterback will always steal the spotlight on a good team, when truthfully Seattle and San Francisco have not gotten by with new-age offenses, but rather old-school ground and pound football and solid defense. I guess they're not as modern as we thought.
We begin this conversation by discussing the white-hot San Francisco 49ers. Though a wildcard, the Niners are 14-4 on the season and have won eight straight contests, including three straight on the road. They are 8-2 away from home this season, and moreover, Kaepernick is unbeaten on the road in the post-season. Sure, beating the 'Hawks at Century Link Field is no easy task, but Jim Harbaugh's team has shown us that they are not afraid to enter hostile territory. This is an extremely confident 49ers team, and one that has a lot to prove in Seattle on Sunday. They have certainly showed that they can compete with the Seahawks, outlasting them 19-17 in week 14. However, this is a team that was blown-out by the Seahawks 29-3 in week 2, and have been outscored 71-19 in their last two trips to Seattle. If Kaepernick and company want to head back to the Super Bowl, they're going to have to get it done in the most brutal of conditions.
While not quite as hot, the Seattle Seahawks have definitely been the best team in the NFC this season, and perhaps the NFL. They are 14-3, while boasting an impressive 8-1 record at home. What has to be at least of some concern is that two of their three losses have come in the past five games, one of which was against this same San Francisco team. As mentioned, Russell Wilson has been less than stellar in this stretch, but the Seahawks are still winning games based on defense and an undeniable effort on the part of Marshawn Lynch. Another solid day for Mr. Skittles will have to be in order if Seattle hopes to play for the grand prize.
This impending match-up between NFC West rivals, in my opinion, is an absolute toss-up. The two teams are extremely similar on both sides of the ball, as well as on the sidelines. The noise will certainly be a factor, but I don't think it will be as bothersome as people may think. So since I have been having such a hard time deciding, I'm going to rely on one stat to make my decision. Since 2008, only four #1 seeds have played on Super Bowl Sunday, and of those four, just one has come from the NFC. In addition, just once (2010) have both #1 seeds played in the big game since Super Bowl XXVIII, twenty one years ago. If I'm going to pick Denver, then I am also going to go with my gut which tells me that the Niners will head back to the Superbowl.
Prediction: San Fran Survives Gruesome Battle, Stun Seahawks 26-20.
Well, there you have it. I'm going with a Denver-San Francisco showdown in Super Bowl XLVIII, although in recent memory this is the first time I can recall a year in which I'd feel less satisfied by any of the possible match-ups. Regardless of Sunday's winners, the Super Bowl is shaping up to be quite spectacular. Enjoy the games folks, and I'll be back next week to discuss more football.
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