Month: January 2016

Posted on in Football, NFL

Super Bowl 50 Predictions: Pre-Media Day

I normally talk Super Bowl once and never come back to it, but this time, I feel I need to write after Opening Night. Opening Night begins Monday, February 1st, at 8:00pm, and then comes Media Day the next morning. I think that Media Day is always a good time to see and find out how the players and coaches plan to come in to the Super Bowl with in terms of their mindset (don’t get too carried away like Marshawn Lynch, though). Anyways, here are my predictions for Super Bowl 50, pre-Media Day:

The Players

Expect the players of the Carolina Panthers to come out and show their exciting side of themselves. The team is a bunch of party freaks, honestly, because that’s what the season has been like. The Denver Broncos players, on the other hand, know what it is like to face challenges, and they will come laser-focused and ready to go. I think Denver could use their ability to stay calm to their advantage.

The Coaches

Both Broncos Coach Gary Kubiak and Panthers Coach Ron Rivera have been part of a Super Bowl team. Kubiak was a backup QB and Offensive Coordinator for the Broncos during their Super Bowl runs in ’97 and ’98, and Ron Rivera was part of the ’85 Chicago Bears team as a linebacker, and that team may have been the greatest football team ever.

The Game

After Media Day, you can get an even better feel of what the teams want to do in the game, and how they will come out and pursue their goal. So far, if I had to make a prediction based on how I’ve seen these teams play, I would have to go with the Broncos, knowing they’ve come up big in many, many games this year. QBs Cam Newton and Peyton Manning will light up the field, but the Panthers defense, led by CB Josh Norman, won’t be able to stop the receiving core of WRs Demariyus Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, and TE Owen Daniels. Manning gets the MVP, and retires as the GREATEST OF ALL TIME! Final Score: 41-34, Broncos

 

 

Posted on in Football, NFL

The Divisional Round: Will The Powerhouses Fall?

Many of us are waiting anxiously to see what powerhouse teams like the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers can do after their extra week of rest and relaxation. Well, here I am to give you the record straight, with my predictions below:

AFC Divisional Round Predictions

(2) New England Patriots vs. (5) Kansas City Chiefs

TE Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots got a shot in the knee because of his recent knee injury from practice earlier this week. That causes a lot of concern because their offensive line is playing terribly right now and the Kansas City defense is hotter than hot right now. Their offense has figured out how to win without their big-time stars. Chiefs win. Final Score: Chiefs, 29-26.

(1) Denver Broncos vs. (6) Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh simply put has too many injuries. Broncos win with Peyton Manning returning to legendary form. Final Score: Broncos, 48-34.

NFC Divisional Round Predictions

(1) Carolina Panthers vs. (6) Seattle Seahawks

Russell Wilson vs. Cam Newton is turning into Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady in a rivalry sense, as the 2 QBs have nearly identical playing styles, and so the teams’ defenses. This will be one game that could get ugly and physical, and Carolina loves that. Final Score: Panthers, 28-23.

(2) Arizona Cardinals vs. (5) Green Bay Packers

Now 3 weeks back in the desert, Green Bay got manhandled and saw their QB Aaron Rodgers get sacked 8 times and picked off twice and fumbling twice, and backup QB Scott Tolzien got sacked as well, and the Pack scored just 8 points, so clearly, Arizona has a crazy good defense, and that was WITHOUT Pro Bowl Safety Tyrann Mathieu, The ‘Honey Badger’. The offense is number one in the league, with a balance in run and pass, scoring 38 points in that game. This game will be closer, but ‘Zona will still win. Final Score: Cardinals, 44-31.

 

Posted on in Football, NFL, Superbowl

Wild Card Weekend: It’s Finally Here!

Wild Card Weekend, the weekend in which a team with a losing record can upset a heavy favorite. It is finally here, and boy will it be one to remember. Anyways, all the hype shall be settled on the field, so here is how I see it all unfolding.

AFC Wild Card 

(4) Houston Texans vs. (5) Kansas City Chiefs

Both of these teams started terribly, and yet here we are seeing them in the playoffs. The Chiefs started 1-5 and have won 10 straight, and Houston started 2-5, and finished 9-7 for the year, winning the AFC South. Honestly, as great as KC has been, the Chiefs on the road in the playoffs is never something good for them. Houston wins. Final Score: 26-23, Texans

(3) Cincinnati Bengals vs. (6) Pittsburgh Steelers

It’s hard to believe that one of the most exciting teams in NFL history is the 6th seed in the playoffs, but unfortunately for Pittsburgh, that’s just how the season turned out to be. Now, Cincy could have been the #1 or #2 seed in the AFC, giving them a week of rest and letting that carrot-top QB Andy Dalton who can’t seem to spell the word playoffs right another week of well-deserved rest, but instead, they blew a lead in Denver and lost to the now #1 seed Denver Broncos. The new QB is that kid AJ McCarron that went to Alabama and won TWO National Championships as member of Nick Saban’s Tide, yes him, AJ McCarron gets the nod, but the NFL pressure has seemed to crack on him in big games (as seen in Denver). Steel City fans will be waving their Terrible Towels to victory. Final Score: 41-34, Steelers

NFC Wild Card

(3) Minnesota Vikings vs. (6) Seattle Seahawks

Get all the coats you own and wear them to this game, because a -15°F game is not fun for a football fan. Anyways, I think Seattle has a disadvantage because their passing game has been as deadly as Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber, and it may continue, but this will be an exciting game. Minnesota did crazy things last week, with fake punts and suffocating defense that helped them stop the Green Bay Packers. Minnesota will win, but Russell Wilson will have the game of his life. Final Score: 41-36, Vikings

(4) Washington Redskins vs. (5) Green Bay Packers

Just when you thought the Packers were unstoppable, they turned bad. A 6-0 start ended as a 10-6 overall season including losing 3 games at home, something that you almost never saw happen. The Redskins, on the other hand, are seemingly unstoppable in terms of winning lately, on a 4-game win streak, 3 of those coming on the road. Captain Kirk and the Redskins will sure like to see themselves in the NFL Divisional Round, and they should. Final Score: 38-28, Redskins