Rematch in the Super Bowl

We still have to wait one more week for one of the biggest sporting events in the world, but I want to get a head start on the keys to victory for both teams and my prediction.
Let's begin with the New York Giants, a team that won their final three games to squeeze into the playoffs and now has a shot to win a second Super Bowl in the last 5 seasons. Eli Manning is playing the best football of his career and with the emergence of Victor Cruz and the stellar play of Hakeem Nicks there seems to be nothing that can stop this offense. The key will be if the Giants can run the ball to not only balance their offense but to keep Tom Brady of the field. Time of possession is important against the Patriots. The Patriots often go no huddle on offense which seems to tire out the defense. If the Giants can keep their defense fresh while running time off the clock their chances greatly increase. The Giants also want a close game. Even when New York had been down late in games, they seemed to never panic and they leaned on the leadership of Manning.
As for the Patriots, they have to keep doing what they are doing. Tom Brady has been flawless in the playoffs. Their only concern on offense is stopping the Giants "front four" from getting pressure on Brady. New York's pass rush is good enough to disrupt the Patriots high powered offense, so it's up to their offensive line to give Brady protection in the pocket. New England's defense caught a lot of fire heading into the playoffs. But after two solid performances against the Broncos and the Ravens, they are playing with confidence. If they stop the Giants running game they improve their chances of winning.

So after listing the keys for both teams it's time to pick a winner.
The Patriots are the favorite just as they were back in 2008 when they faced the Giants. The Giants won that game and they seem to have a better team this year than they did 4 years ago. I'm picking the Giants by 3 points. Their defense will be the X-Factor and Manning will be able to control the game and its tempo.

second round of NFL playoffs

As we witnessed last weekend, anything can happen in the playoffs. The Falcons scored only 2 points, rookie QB TJ Yates led the Texans to a victory, not to mention Tim Tebow played the best game of his already famous season in an overtime thriller. What lies ahead is still unknown, but for now lets look at this weekend's match-ups.
Saints vs 49ers: The Saints travel to San Francisco this weekend for a very interesting game. A dynamic offense will face off against one of the league's best defenses. Harbough has instilled an old fashioned system in San Francisco of running the ball and playing flawless defense which landed the 49ers the #2 seed in the NFC. On the other hand, the Saints are arguably the hottest team in the NFL, and no one is playing better than Drew Brees. The Saints have the offense but I'm going with 49ers this weekend for a few reasons. First off, the Saints seem to struggle when they don't play in doors. The long grass may hinder their speed and athleticism just enough to keep the game close, and that's exactly what the 49ers want. In a close game, the 49ers rarely lose, not to mention they have the best kicker in the game in David Akers. If the Saints have to settle for field goals they will be in trouble, that is why I'm picking San Francisco.

Giants vs. Packers: Many believe that if the Packers aren't going to repeat as Champions, they will lose at the hands of the Giants this weekend. The Giants are rolling and are peaking at the right time during the season. A lot believe they will upset the Packers, but I think that is how Green Bay would want it. With the Giants being picked by people to win, it takes the pressure off of the Packers and adds more pressure to New York. I can't go pick against the defending Super Bowl Champs. Their defense has had problems but they have been able to come up with key turnovers and stops, while their offense continually puts up points. Packers win a shoot out at Lambeau Field.

AFC match-ups
Texans vs Ravens: Texans are feeling pretty good about their first round blow-out win over the Bengals but now they travel to Baltimore where it's cold, and the Ravens rarely lose. I like the running game of Houston but I'm not sure that will be enough to get the job done. If the Ravens slow down Arian Foster, I'm not sure if TJ Yates and Andre Johnson can do it with the passing game. Ravens win this game easy with Ray Rice running and catching the ball, and their defense shutting down the Texans.

Broncos vs Patriots: My heart tells me to pick "my donkeys," but my mind tells me otherwise. The Patriots are the number one seed in the AFC for a reason and the though the Broncos beat the Steelers last week, it's hard to think that Tebow can play that well two weeks in a row. What I like about this game is that the Broncos match up well with the Patriots. Solid defense that could perhaps slow down a high powered offense led by Tom Brady, and one of the league's worst defenses allows the Broncos a chance to run the ball and put points on the board. The key to game will be turnovers. If the Broncos turnover the ball even once, you have to like the Patriots chances to win the game. My heart says Broncos, but Tom Brady is too good. But I will say this, though I'm picking the Patriots, I won't be shocked if the Broncos win the game. There is something special about this Broncos team, and like Tebow has proven time and time again, "anything can happen."

national title is overshadowed by Tebow Mania

I would like to devote a whole blog post to the upcoming National Title game between Alabama and LSU, but after the weekend, it seems like I need to devote some time to the one they call Tebow.
The Denver Broncos were back in the playoffs, but after losing their last three games of the season, their chances looked bleak to beat last year's AFC Champs, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Steelers were plagued with injuries so the Broncos were playing them at the right time, however, Pittsburgh was still 8 point favorites on the road. The even bigger story leading up to the game was if Tim Tebow could rally after playing some of his worst football and "pull the trigger", as John Elway had told him to.
Let's just say Tebow pulled the trigger and some. For once, I watched a Tebow who wasn't afraid to throw the ball before his wide receivers were turned around. He had complete and utter confidence in his teammates to make plays consistently during the game as he threw for two touchdowns, including the game winning 80 yard pass and catch to win the game in OT, and ran in for a score in the first half. Say what you want, but it seems like Denver has committed to fact that they will try to build around this guy, plus you can't argue with playoff victories. That being said, Tebow still has a lot of work to do, but for now his attention is on the Patriots, who by the way have one of league's worst defenses. After beating the number one ranked defense in the NFL, the sky is the limit for Tebow and these pesky Broncos.

Ok, now onto Monday night's game in New Orleans.
Anyone catch that?? In case you didn't, LSU will be playing right in their backyard. Does anyone remember the last time LSU won the BCS National Championship? It was the 2007 college season, where LSU beat Ohio State in the Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.
LSU finds itself in a similar situation only this time they play a team they have already beaten this season.
Though it is difficult to beat a team twice, can you really argue against home field advantage? In a game where the teams are more similar than different, it comes down to coaching and game situations. Don't expect a lot of points on the board, we aren't watching the New Orleans Saints play in the dome. Les Miles has proven that even with players suspended, and shuffling two quarterbacks that he can get the job done. I expect the LSU Tigers to win the game by no more than 3 points.
What is even scarier is LSU just signed the top quarterback recruit in the 2012 class, so we could very well see them play in this game again next year.

NFL Wild Card Weekend may bring a few surprises

On the brink of the college national championship game between LSU and Alabama, we are given the gift of Wild Card weekend in the NFL consisting of two teams starting rookie quarterbacks, three teams that have won a Superbowl in the last 5 years (New Orleans, NY Giants, Steelers), and of course...Tim Tebow. But more important than the underlying stories, who will move on in the NFL playoffs after the weekend.
Let's start with the NFC. Detroit at New Orleans presents maybe the most intriguing matchup of the weekend. Two dynamic passing attacks, two of the league's best quarterbacks, and these teams have already played one another earlier in the season. The Saints won the first matchup between these two teams. Detroit struggled in the fourth quarter after only being down 1 score. They committed too many penalties and they were missing two of their best pass rushers. Look for this game to be a little closer than their first meeting but it will be the same result. The Saints are too good at home, and Drew Brees is playing some of the best football of his career.
The next NFC matchup is between the NY Giants and Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons had a somewhat disappointing season but snuck into the playoffs where as the Giants finished off the season red hot in order to win the NFC East division. Eli Manning and their passing attack will cause problems for the Falcons and they won't be able to win a shootout in cold weather in New York. Giants over the Falcons.
Now to the AFC. Bengals vs Texans. Two rookie quarterbacks, who have already faced each other once this season. The Texans won their first meeting, and they win this weekend as well. Their rushing attack will be too much for the Bengals on the road.
Then we have the Denver Broncos taking on the Pitt. Steelers. Tim Tebow finished out the season as a turnover machine and the Steelers are plagued with injuries. The difference, the Steelers play their best football in the playoffs. This won't be a blow out, but the Steelers will win this game, probably late in the fourth quarter by a field goal, and the Broncos dismal passing attack won't be able to relish another comeback.
Well...there you have it. Saints, Giants, Texans and Steelers will be the winners on the weekend.