So I'm on a pretty nice superbowl prediction streak. Its been 2 years in a row I predicted the Superbowl matchup and winner, before the season began. Here is my evidence, I created each of those topics. For fun I threw in the 05 and 06 Superbowls as well, that I predicted only days before the SB, not before the season, but both were accurate.
Past:
2005 Superbowl: Date posted - 1/30/2006
http://maddendude.blogspot.com/2006/01/superbowl-xl.html
2006 Superbowl: Date posted - 2/6/2007
http://maddendude.blogspot.com/2007/02/superbowl-prediction.html
2012 Superbowl: Date posted - 9/10/2012
http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/2000205-sports-and-racing-general/64008473
2013 Superbowl: Date Posted - 2/4/2013
http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/2000211-sports-and-racing-nfl/65364616
Anyways, its time to pick my 2014 season Superbowl winner. I predict it will be San Francisco beating New England.
Patriots -- Most complete team in the AFC when healthy, have a reliable defense when healthy. Belichick will out scheme Manning given servicable talent on defense..which he should have next year. Von Miller isn't going to turn a complete ass of a defense into a decent one. KC doesn't have the testicular fortitude to win the AFC. Indy is too inconsistent although Luck will have a good regular season. Bengals have such a talented team, its a shame they are wasting it with their terrible playcalling. Regardless they'll get beat by KC, Den, or NE. The X-factor teams are Houston, Pitt, and Balt. If Balt can establish their running game better (near last in the league this year), they'll have a winning season. They have talent on defense still. Dunno whats the deal with Ray Rice, I know he was injured. If Rice can get 1700+ overall yards, they'll be a decent offense, Flacco is not bad. Pitt still has too many holes and isn't solid enough to make a legitimate run. Theres ZERO chance the Chargers make the playoffs. If Houston gets Manziel, and Manziel live up to expectations, which I think he can, they'll be a good team, with a similar record to Balt.
Niners -- Its pretty obvious its going to be either the Niners or Seahawks. Cam sucks. he's only good against crappy teams. Kaepernick will make the biggest improvement next year, more than Wilson and Cam. He'll be on par with Wilson, maybe slightly beneath. Both will be better QBs than Cam. They might not put up as many yards and TDs but they'll make more big plays in big games than Cam. No other team is balanced enough to compete. Saints D is overrated, Rob Ryan sucks ass. An improved Kaepernick will be enough for the Niners to beat the Seahawks. They might just lose both regular season games, but they'll win in the playoffs when it matters, doesn't matter where they play. This is the 2nd best defense in the league, in a close 2nd to Seattle. The SF offense has so much potential, it was being held back by an aging Gore and a struggling Kaepernick. I expect them to get fresh legs at RB, perhaps Lattimore can be the next guy, and I expect Kaepernick makes enough progress. Their defense is still severely underrated in the general publics eyes. Top 3 doesn't do them justice. They are clear #2 and carolina is #3. Niners will have the extra hunger and Seattle will have slightly less hunger.
And Niners should beat the Patriots just like 2012 regular season. Here is my 2014 prediction of what will happen to Kaepernick.
Showing posts with label San Francisco 49ers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label San Francisco 49ers. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 04, 2014
Sunday, January 05, 2014
2013 NFL Playoffs - Round 2 Predictions
New Orleans at Seattle Seahawks
I've been saying all year long that the Seahawks are the best team in the league. I predicted a Denver-Seattle superbowl since last years playoffs, and I still stand by my statements. It will be vitally important for New Orleans to put up touchdowns early in the game to not only quiet the crowd but build their own confidence, and take away Seattle's confidence. If they get behind early and have to play catchup, they play right into Seattles hands. Meanwhile its important for Seattle to have a balanced offensive attack. Once they get the running game going, the passing game opens up, then read option, play action, trick plays, etc. all open up. Like I said before the first meeting, I like the Seattle offense against the Saints defense over the Saints offense against the Seattle defense. I think the Saints defense will step up and make it a close one, but Seattle has so few weaknesses and so many strengths, I'm taking Seattle by 6.
Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots
Andrew Luck is such a unique QB, he reminds me more of Aaron Rodgers than Manning. While belichick is the ultimate mastermind, I think the Colts pass-rush will step up and slow down Brady just enough for Luck to win the game. I think the Patriots and Colts have been the two toughest teams to predict the score. The Patriots D has been banged up all season. They've been involved in almost every flukey game this season. They beat the Saints on a horrible non-holding call. They lost to the Jets on a penalty. They lost to the Panthers on a horrible non-PI call. They beat the Browns on a horrible call. They beat the Broncos on a fumbled punt. But they have had a very average to below-average defense all year long. I just see the Colts as a more balanced team. I dont trust this heavily 1-sided teams in the playoffs. I'm taking the Colts by 2.
San Francisco 49ers at Carolina Panthers
The Niner defense has clear weak points that teams have been exploiting week after week, but all these teams seem to have had major flaws. They've been scraping by alot of these teams, but one team they could not get lucky against is Carolina. Kaepernick will struggle against the better defenses in the league. Carolina might just have a better front 7 than San Francisco. As much as I don't like Cam, I have to take him over Kaepernick. He has proven multiple times this season he has the ability to lead a game winning drive. Carolina has the speed at linebacker to keep up with Kaepernick. It will be a heavily defensive game, just like the first game, but I think both offenses will look deep in their playbooks to score points. Carolina by 2.
San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos
This is one of the easier predictions of the post-season. Denver should have absolutely no problem taking care of business. Had the Bengals not had 2 stupid interceptions and 2 fumbles in their own territory, they would have taken the game. Playing a slow conservative game against the Broncos is simple not going to work unless they have a tough defense to compliment it. The Broncos are hungry and you have to be a Superbowl calibre team to stop them. Broncos by 10.
First Round Recap:
-I was 3/4 in the first round. I was off by 1 in the Niners and Colts games, and off by 5 in the Saints game. I really thought the Bengal defense would've been able to carry them, as long as Dalton didn't blow it. I severely underestimated how inept he actually is.
-Andy Dalton is terrible, I'm officially off the Dalton bandwagon. Last season what I saw in him was a good arm, ability to make all the passes, decent accuracy, good chemistry with many weapons, and average vision which I thought would improve. Now what I see out of him is, a good arm, average accuracy, poor decision making, average vision that hasn't improved in 3 years, and decent chemistry with weapons. It sounds harsh but the Bengals lost solely because of Andy Dalton. I hear Dilfer on ESPN saying it was a team loss, that the defensive line got owned all game long? If you take away Brown's 58 yard carry, which came after the Bengals just had a turnover on downs and it was pretty much a guaranteed loss, the Chargers had 138 yards rushing on 39 attempts, that's 3.5 ypc. Compare that to the Bengals' 113 yards on 25 attempts for 4.5 ypc. The Bengal defense came up with 2 critical stops in the 3rd and 4th quarter, holding SD to field goals, keeping the game close. It really all came down to Dalton.
-The Saints didn't put up as many points as I thought they would against the Eagles, but when they needed to score points, they did, including a 5-minute time-killing drive at the end to set up the game winning field goal. A good point about Foles, one of the reasons he doesn't throw alot of interceptions is because he takes many sacks. He took a few critical drive-killing sacks that really hurt them.
-Andrew Luck, wow. Some people knock him for digging the hole in which they had to climb out. Yes he made some dumb passes that were picked, but the 3rd one should've been caught, instead bounced out of the defenders hands. His adjustments during the game are what separate him from other QBs, he can correct his own mistakes and make all the adjustments needed during the game. A QB that can consistently perform in the clutch is a Superbowl winning QB. I have no doubt he will win multiple Superbowls by the time his career is over.
-Niners barely sneak by Green Bay, the dropped pick on the flat or the FG that went through the defenders arms, both could've saved the game for the Packers. I have great respect for the Niners defense, but I honestly feel like this is the luckiest team as of late. The big frank gore run against Seattle, the Matt Ryan bobbled catch picked for a TD, the cardinals defensive collapse at the end, despite playing tough all game long, and now this. I don't think the Niners can get lucky against the Panthers. If they can get through the Panthers and Seahawks, then I will be proved wrong. I wish the Packer D was healthy, it feels like Matthews is the only player on the Packer D that has the speed to keep up with Kaepernick. If they want to get passed the Niners they need to draft another speedy outside linebacker or defensive end. That's how Seattle and Carolina built their team and thats why Kaepernick struggles against them.
I've been saying all year long that the Seahawks are the best team in the league. I predicted a Denver-Seattle superbowl since last years playoffs, and I still stand by my statements. It will be vitally important for New Orleans to put up touchdowns early in the game to not only quiet the crowd but build their own confidence, and take away Seattle's confidence. If they get behind early and have to play catchup, they play right into Seattles hands. Meanwhile its important for Seattle to have a balanced offensive attack. Once they get the running game going, the passing game opens up, then read option, play action, trick plays, etc. all open up. Like I said before the first meeting, I like the Seattle offense against the Saints defense over the Saints offense against the Seattle defense. I think the Saints defense will step up and make it a close one, but Seattle has so few weaknesses and so many strengths, I'm taking Seattle by 6.
Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots
Andrew Luck is such a unique QB, he reminds me more of Aaron Rodgers than Manning. While belichick is the ultimate mastermind, I think the Colts pass-rush will step up and slow down Brady just enough for Luck to win the game. I think the Patriots and Colts have been the two toughest teams to predict the score. The Patriots D has been banged up all season. They've been involved in almost every flukey game this season. They beat the Saints on a horrible non-holding call. They lost to the Jets on a penalty. They lost to the Panthers on a horrible non-PI call. They beat the Browns on a horrible call. They beat the Broncos on a fumbled punt. But they have had a very average to below-average defense all year long. I just see the Colts as a more balanced team. I dont trust this heavily 1-sided teams in the playoffs. I'm taking the Colts by 2.
San Francisco 49ers at Carolina Panthers
The Niner defense has clear weak points that teams have been exploiting week after week, but all these teams seem to have had major flaws. They've been scraping by alot of these teams, but one team they could not get lucky against is Carolina. Kaepernick will struggle against the better defenses in the league. Carolina might just have a better front 7 than San Francisco. As much as I don't like Cam, I have to take him over Kaepernick. He has proven multiple times this season he has the ability to lead a game winning drive. Carolina has the speed at linebacker to keep up with Kaepernick. It will be a heavily defensive game, just like the first game, but I think both offenses will look deep in their playbooks to score points. Carolina by 2.
San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos
This is one of the easier predictions of the post-season. Denver should have absolutely no problem taking care of business. Had the Bengals not had 2 stupid interceptions and 2 fumbles in their own territory, they would have taken the game. Playing a slow conservative game against the Broncos is simple not going to work unless they have a tough defense to compliment it. The Broncos are hungry and you have to be a Superbowl calibre team to stop them. Broncos by 10.
First Round Recap:
-I was 3/4 in the first round. I was off by 1 in the Niners and Colts games, and off by 5 in the Saints game. I really thought the Bengal defense would've been able to carry them, as long as Dalton didn't blow it. I severely underestimated how inept he actually is.
-Andy Dalton is terrible, I'm officially off the Dalton bandwagon. Last season what I saw in him was a good arm, ability to make all the passes, decent accuracy, good chemistry with many weapons, and average vision which I thought would improve. Now what I see out of him is, a good arm, average accuracy, poor decision making, average vision that hasn't improved in 3 years, and decent chemistry with weapons. It sounds harsh but the Bengals lost solely because of Andy Dalton. I hear Dilfer on ESPN saying it was a team loss, that the defensive line got owned all game long? If you take away Brown's 58 yard carry, which came after the Bengals just had a turnover on downs and it was pretty much a guaranteed loss, the Chargers had 138 yards rushing on 39 attempts, that's 3.5 ypc. Compare that to the Bengals' 113 yards on 25 attempts for 4.5 ypc. The Bengal defense came up with 2 critical stops in the 3rd and 4th quarter, holding SD to field goals, keeping the game close. It really all came down to Dalton.
-The Saints didn't put up as many points as I thought they would against the Eagles, but when they needed to score points, they did, including a 5-minute time-killing drive at the end to set up the game winning field goal. A good point about Foles, one of the reasons he doesn't throw alot of interceptions is because he takes many sacks. He took a few critical drive-killing sacks that really hurt them.
-Andrew Luck, wow. Some people knock him for digging the hole in which they had to climb out. Yes he made some dumb passes that were picked, but the 3rd one should've been caught, instead bounced out of the defenders hands. His adjustments during the game are what separate him from other QBs, he can correct his own mistakes and make all the adjustments needed during the game. A QB that can consistently perform in the clutch is a Superbowl winning QB. I have no doubt he will win multiple Superbowls by the time his career is over.
-Niners barely sneak by Green Bay, the dropped pick on the flat or the FG that went through the defenders arms, both could've saved the game for the Packers. I have great respect for the Niners defense, but I honestly feel like this is the luckiest team as of late. The big frank gore run against Seattle, the Matt Ryan bobbled catch picked for a TD, the cardinals defensive collapse at the end, despite playing tough all game long, and now this. I don't think the Niners can get lucky against the Panthers. If they can get through the Panthers and Seahawks, then I will be proved wrong. I wish the Packer D was healthy, it feels like Matthews is the only player on the Packer D that has the speed to keep up with Kaepernick. If they want to get passed the Niners they need to draft another speedy outside linebacker or defensive end. That's how Seattle and Carolina built their team and thats why Kaepernick struggles against them.
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
NFL Playoffs
NFC
San Francisco 49ers vs Green Bay Packers
The 49ers should be able to win this game without problem. The Green Bay defense is simply too weak to keep up. Not just the talent on the field but Green Bay will be thoroughly outcoached by Harbaugh and staff. I don't think even Rodgers can bail them out of this one. Niners by 4.
New Orleans Saints vs Philadelphia Eagles
I dont think the Saints will have too much problem taking care of the Eagles. Eagles have the worst passing defense in the league. Kyle Orton had 65% completion with 358 yards, 2 TDs, and 2 Ints. Brees should have a field day. While I don't trust the Saints run-d and their ability to stop McCoy, I'll take the Saints offense over the Eagles offense any day. Saints by 7
AFC
Kansas City Chiefs vs Indianapolis Colts
The Colts' success purely depends on the success of the pass-rush. Their pass-rush is how they were able to beat all the great teams that they did. If they haven't earned your respect after beating KC, Denver, SF, and Seattle, I don't know what else you want. Luck is still developing but clearly he has the clutch gene. I think the linebackers are fast enough to keep up with charles, and I think the pass-rush can obliterate Alex Smith. I love the KC defense, but I simply don't think Alex Smith has it in him to perform in the clutch. I think this will be a close game that comes down to the end. Colts by 2.
San Diego Chargers vs Cincinnati Bengals
While the Chargers have upset ability, I don't think the Bengals will lay an egg at home. People love to criticize Dalton but don't realize how good the defense actually is. 5th in the league in rushing defense, 5th in the league in passing defense. Put Dalton's inconsistency up against the Chargers' 29th ranked passing defense, and he should be okay for this game. Bengals by 4.
San Francisco 49ers vs Green Bay Packers
The 49ers should be able to win this game without problem. The Green Bay defense is simply too weak to keep up. Not just the talent on the field but Green Bay will be thoroughly outcoached by Harbaugh and staff. I don't think even Rodgers can bail them out of this one. Niners by 4.
New Orleans Saints vs Philadelphia Eagles
I dont think the Saints will have too much problem taking care of the Eagles. Eagles have the worst passing defense in the league. Kyle Orton had 65% completion with 358 yards, 2 TDs, and 2 Ints. Brees should have a field day. While I don't trust the Saints run-d and their ability to stop McCoy, I'll take the Saints offense over the Eagles offense any day. Saints by 7
AFC
Kansas City Chiefs vs Indianapolis Colts
The Colts' success purely depends on the success of the pass-rush. Their pass-rush is how they were able to beat all the great teams that they did. If they haven't earned your respect after beating KC, Denver, SF, and Seattle, I don't know what else you want. Luck is still developing but clearly he has the clutch gene. I think the linebackers are fast enough to keep up with charles, and I think the pass-rush can obliterate Alex Smith. I love the KC defense, but I simply don't think Alex Smith has it in him to perform in the clutch. I think this will be a close game that comes down to the end. Colts by 2.
San Diego Chargers vs Cincinnati Bengals
While the Chargers have upset ability, I don't think the Bengals will lay an egg at home. People love to criticize Dalton but don't realize how good the defense actually is. 5th in the league in rushing defense, 5th in the league in passing defense. Put Dalton's inconsistency up against the Chargers' 29th ranked passing defense, and he should be okay for this game. Bengals by 4.
Saturday, December 07, 2013
San Francisco Gameplan:
-Run the ball non-stop throughout the entire game. Seattle's 1 weakness is its run defense. They give up a solid amount of yards-per-carry. Thats why Seattle's gameplan is to take shots and get ahead early...to make the other team abandon the run. Thats why Seattle ends up winning in so many blow-outs against good teams. Seattle is built with speed up front. Their speed makes for gang-tackles on every play, to make up for their lack of power. Niners need to lineup in I-form and just pound it. Use the power and strength of the O-line, dont be intimidated by speed. When they least expect it, take shots, and complete those big passes to Davis or Crabtree that we always see. But immediately after, go back to the run. Kaepernick should have 22 attempts, and 70% completion, and half of those should be 15+ yard first down passes.
Seattle Gameplan:
-Make SF play your game, not vice-versa. Like I said, Seattle forces their game on other teams to cover up their weaknesses. They look invincible on TV, but they do have weaknesses.
Result:
I still think Seattle is the better team because I dont particularly like Kaepernick's passing progression throughout the season. I dont think Harbaughs done a good job of facilitating it. If kaepernick got better at the same pace as Russell Wilson, the niners would be the clear number 2 team, borderline number 1, in the NFC. I think the team is that good. I also think Gore is not as good as he used to be. He benefits from huge holes created by his O-line. I dont think "home field advantage" or "extra effort" will be enough for the niners. I'm still taking seattle by a large margin lol.
Seattle 28 San Francisco 13
Random thoughts about the game:
-Harbaugh likes to keep it conservative throughout the season, then towards the end he likes to open up the playbook in the passing game. This does 2 things: It gets Gore fresh for the playoffs, and it doesn't let Pete Carroll to get too much game-film on his playbook. Guys say he's the most paranoid coach in the NFL, and his biggest paranoia is Seattle. The point: This IS the superbowl for the niners. Harbaugh will bring out everything. The players will be playing like its a playoff game.
-Seattle is cruising to 1st seed. This game is essentially meaningless in the standings. But it does two things: San francisco is essentially down right now....they've lost to every good team they've faced. I can't imagine their confidence being too high. Seattle has a chance to go for the kill. If the niners lose this game, I dont see them having enough guts to come back and win again in the playoffs at seattle, I can even imagine a team like Detroit giving them trouble...they wouldnt be able to stop CJ, and the Detroit run-D will be able to shut down gore. Its also personal for seattle. But with very little playoff implications for them, I can't imagine seattle treating it like a playoff game, whereas SF will.
-Niners homefield is overrated, lets get that out of the way. Both Indy and Carolina were able to beat them at San Francisco. But regardless of how dumb the email sounds, I think the fans will come out extra loud...but i just dont see it effecting the seahawks.
-Run the ball non-stop throughout the entire game. Seattle's 1 weakness is its run defense. They give up a solid amount of yards-per-carry. Thats why Seattle's gameplan is to take shots and get ahead early...to make the other team abandon the run. Thats why Seattle ends up winning in so many blow-outs against good teams. Seattle is built with speed up front. Their speed makes for gang-tackles on every play, to make up for their lack of power. Niners need to lineup in I-form and just pound it. Use the power and strength of the O-line, dont be intimidated by speed. When they least expect it, take shots, and complete those big passes to Davis or Crabtree that we always see. But immediately after, go back to the run. Kaepernick should have 22 attempts, and 70% completion, and half of those should be 15+ yard first down passes.
Seattle Gameplan:
-Make SF play your game, not vice-versa. Like I said, Seattle forces their game on other teams to cover up their weaknesses. They look invincible on TV, but they do have weaknesses.
Result:
I still think Seattle is the better team because I dont particularly like Kaepernick's passing progression throughout the season. I dont think Harbaughs done a good job of facilitating it. If kaepernick got better at the same pace as Russell Wilson, the niners would be the clear number 2 team, borderline number 1, in the NFC. I think the team is that good. I also think Gore is not as good as he used to be. He benefits from huge holes created by his O-line. I dont think "home field advantage" or "extra effort" will be enough for the niners. I'm still taking seattle by a large margin lol.
Seattle 28 San Francisco 13
Random thoughts about the game:
-Harbaugh likes to keep it conservative throughout the season, then towards the end he likes to open up the playbook in the passing game. This does 2 things: It gets Gore fresh for the playoffs, and it doesn't let Pete Carroll to get too much game-film on his playbook. Guys say he's the most paranoid coach in the NFL, and his biggest paranoia is Seattle. The point: This IS the superbowl for the niners. Harbaugh will bring out everything. The players will be playing like its a playoff game.
-Seattle is cruising to 1st seed. This game is essentially meaningless in the standings. But it does two things: San francisco is essentially down right now....they've lost to every good team they've faced. I can't imagine their confidence being too high. Seattle has a chance to go for the kill. If the niners lose this game, I dont see them having enough guts to come back and win again in the playoffs at seattle, I can even imagine a team like Detroit giving them trouble...they wouldnt be able to stop CJ, and the Detroit run-D will be able to shut down gore. Its also personal for seattle. But with very little playoff implications for them, I can't imagine seattle treating it like a playoff game, whereas SF will.
-Niners homefield is overrated, lets get that out of the way. Both Indy and Carolina were able to beat them at San Francisco. But regardless of how dumb the email sounds, I think the fans will come out extra loud...but i just dont see it effecting the seahawks.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
NFL Power Rankings
The season is winding down and at this point, we've seen what most contending teams have to offer. When making these power-rankings, I think in terms of head-to-head matchups, in other words, 'if both these teams brought their best, who would win'. Other things are balance, leadership, likelihood to advance in the playoffs, talant on the depth chart, injuries, and anything else.
Tier 1
1. Seattle Seahawks - As I've mentioned before, I think this is the best team I've seen in years. They remind me alot of the super-bowl winning Steelers teams of the recent past. Dominant defense, dominant running-game, creative playmaking QB. When this team brings its best, they can beat anyone. I can list a bunch of stats or I can link you to this article that does it for me. Its just a matter of watching them play. Every aspect of the team is balanced and exceptional. They can win in so many different ways. Their biggest challenge will be New Orleans. Beyond that, I think they can convincingly beat Denver in the superbowl.
2.New Orleans Saints - I think there are two teams in the NFL who are elite on both sides of the ball, and both those teams I put at 1 and 2. In a pass-happy league, they are the 2nd best passing offense and have the 3rd best passing defense. The key-word is balance. Head to head I think the difference between the saints and seahawks is the running-games. I think Lynch would be the difference maker. I would take the Saints O vs Den D as opposed to Den O vs Saints D. Its really as simple as that. People still have the image in their minds that the Saints defense is soft. They are a completely different team this year. Last year they were by FAR the worst defense in the league. They gave up the most rushing yards a game, and 2nd most passing yards a game, as well as the 2nd most points per game. This year they are the 5th best scoring defense.
3. Denver Broncos - Even though I think this is too much of a 1-sided team, this is one of the best offenses I've ever seen. Its comparable to the 07 patriots. But even the 07 patriots fell victim to a great pass-rush. But the fact is, when trying to beat the broncos, you need to have some degree of luck, hoping that Manning makes mistakes and you play a flawless game. I think the elite 4-man rush combined with the lock-down defensive backs of the Seahawks can slow the Broncos just enough to let the offense outscore Manning.
Tier 2
4. Carolina Panthers - One of the best, if not the best defense in the league. Combined with a solid run game, combined with a nice set of receivers, veteren leadership with the one and only Steve Smith, and a QB who continues to get better. I'm not a fan of Newton, but I gotta give it to him, he's been playing better and better. I think this teams weakness is its passing defense. Brady was able to exploit it, and Brees will be able to as well. I wouldn't be surprised if the Saints take both games versus Carolina. But I think their defense will keep em in any game. They robbed the patriots but what goes around comes around, the Patriots robbed the Saints, Saints robbed the Niners, Niners robbed the Packers. The Packers' cheap victory is yet to come. I feel like thats how they'll beat the Lions.
6. San Francisco 49ers - Its as if you have to be a niners homer or niners hater. It makes no sense. This is where they deserve to be. Tier 2 of NFL teams. A great defense no doubt, a good running game, and banged up receivers who are returning soon. Davis, Crabtree, Boldin, Manningham should be an effective bunch when all healthy. I'm not a big Kaepernick fan, I'll post about this later, but I think he's good enough in that offense, with that playcalling to put up more points than most opposing teams. More points than KC, not as many points as carolina. I think this is where they belong.
7. New England - Still an elite offense, especially with Gronk back. The defense is just way too banged up. They were playing scrubs against carolina. But the fact is the Belichick and Brady combo is always a threat to win and always a threat in the playoffs. They got robbed against Carolina, otherwise that would mean they'd have beaten the Saints and Panthers. Brady's offense made the Panthers defense look weak. Since about half-way through the 2nd quarter, the Patriot offense looked like they were going to drive at will.
8. Kansas City Chiefs - Kind of the same reasons as the Panthers, great defense, good rushing attack, good coaching, good receivers, but I would take Newton and Kaepernick over Smith. Simple as that. I think Newton and Kaepernick's playmaking abilities would be enough to allow their teams to score points while their defenses hold solid. I dont think Alex Smith would be able to move the ball effectively on any of the 6 teams above. I trust the New England offense vs KC def more than I do the KC Offense vs New England D.
Tier 3.
9. Indianapolis Colts
10. Green Bay Packers
11. Cincinnati Bengals
12. Detroit Lions
13. Chicago Bears
Tier 4:
14. Arizona Cardinals
15. New York Giants
16. Philadelphia Eagles
17. Dallas Cowboys
Tier 1
1. Seattle Seahawks - As I've mentioned before, I think this is the best team I've seen in years. They remind me alot of the super-bowl winning Steelers teams of the recent past. Dominant defense, dominant running-game, creative playmaking QB. When this team brings its best, they can beat anyone. I can list a bunch of stats or I can link you to this article that does it for me. Its just a matter of watching them play. Every aspect of the team is balanced and exceptional. They can win in so many different ways. Their biggest challenge will be New Orleans. Beyond that, I think they can convincingly beat Denver in the superbowl.
2.New Orleans Saints - I think there are two teams in the NFL who are elite on both sides of the ball, and both those teams I put at 1 and 2. In a pass-happy league, they are the 2nd best passing offense and have the 3rd best passing defense. The key-word is balance. Head to head I think the difference between the saints and seahawks is the running-games. I think Lynch would be the difference maker. I would take the Saints O vs Den D as opposed to Den O vs Saints D. Its really as simple as that. People still have the image in their minds that the Saints defense is soft. They are a completely different team this year. Last year they were by FAR the worst defense in the league. They gave up the most rushing yards a game, and 2nd most passing yards a game, as well as the 2nd most points per game. This year they are the 5th best scoring defense.
3. Denver Broncos - Even though I think this is too much of a 1-sided team, this is one of the best offenses I've ever seen. Its comparable to the 07 patriots. But even the 07 patriots fell victim to a great pass-rush. But the fact is, when trying to beat the broncos, you need to have some degree of luck, hoping that Manning makes mistakes and you play a flawless game. I think the elite 4-man rush combined with the lock-down defensive backs of the Seahawks can slow the Broncos just enough to let the offense outscore Manning.
Tier 2
4. Carolina Panthers - One of the best, if not the best defense in the league. Combined with a solid run game, combined with a nice set of receivers, veteren leadership with the one and only Steve Smith, and a QB who continues to get better. I'm not a fan of Newton, but I gotta give it to him, he's been playing better and better. I think this teams weakness is its passing defense. Brady was able to exploit it, and Brees will be able to as well. I wouldn't be surprised if the Saints take both games versus Carolina. But I think their defense will keep em in any game. They robbed the patriots but what goes around comes around, the Patriots robbed the Saints, Saints robbed the Niners, Niners robbed the Packers. The Packers' cheap victory is yet to come. I feel like thats how they'll beat the Lions.
6. San Francisco 49ers - Its as if you have to be a niners homer or niners hater. It makes no sense. This is where they deserve to be. Tier 2 of NFL teams. A great defense no doubt, a good running game, and banged up receivers who are returning soon. Davis, Crabtree, Boldin, Manningham should be an effective bunch when all healthy. I'm not a big Kaepernick fan, I'll post about this later, but I think he's good enough in that offense, with that playcalling to put up more points than most opposing teams. More points than KC, not as many points as carolina. I think this is where they belong.
7. New England - Still an elite offense, especially with Gronk back. The defense is just way too banged up. They were playing scrubs against carolina. But the fact is the Belichick and Brady combo is always a threat to win and always a threat in the playoffs. They got robbed against Carolina, otherwise that would mean they'd have beaten the Saints and Panthers. Brady's offense made the Panthers defense look weak. Since about half-way through the 2nd quarter, the Patriot offense looked like they were going to drive at will.
8. Kansas City Chiefs - Kind of the same reasons as the Panthers, great defense, good rushing attack, good coaching, good receivers, but I would take Newton and Kaepernick over Smith. Simple as that. I think Newton and Kaepernick's playmaking abilities would be enough to allow their teams to score points while their defenses hold solid. I dont think Alex Smith would be able to move the ball effectively on any of the 6 teams above. I trust the New England offense vs KC def more than I do the KC Offense vs New England D.
Tier 3.
9. Indianapolis Colts
10. Green Bay Packers
11. Cincinnati Bengals
12. Detroit Lions
13. Chicago Bears
Tier 4:
14. Arizona Cardinals
15. New York Giants
16. Philadelphia Eagles
17. Dallas Cowboys
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