Sunday, January 19, 2014

AFC AND NFC CHAMPIONSHIP PREDICTIONS!!

     The Ravens aren't in the AFC Championship for the first time in 3 years, but that doesn't mean Baltimore area football fans won't enjoy what's about to transpire on Sunday afternoon.  This could be one of the final (if not THE final) playoff showdowns between Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.  What makes this game interesting is not only the fact that each quarterback is an unquestionable future hall-of-famer, but that each of their respective teams has developed a complete offense from top to bottom including a power running game and a high octane passing attack.  Peyton Manning won his first ever playoff game in weather below 40 degrees last weekend against the Chargers, but that was a Chargers team with an injured workhorse running back as Ryan Matthews played through a sprained ankle and finished with only 26 rushing yards on the day.
     The Patriots pose a far greater challenge to the Broncos as they're a great cold-weather playoff team with a coaching staff that knows quite well how to beat Peyton Manning's offenses.  Both teams have lost a sizable list of defensive pieces since the beginning of the season, and that should produce a high-scoring offensive battle royale.  Which one of these top two offenses will come out on top?  You may have already made up your mind about which team will win this game, but indulge me for a bit and let's take a look at major matchups and key factors that should give us a better understanding of what to expect from the AFC's top two teams.

PATRIOTS AT BRONCOS

     There has been a definite theme to the Denver Broncos' 2013 season: high powered offense with lackluster defense.  It may seem perplexing how the elite 2012 Broncos defense could fall so hard in 2013, but it certainly wasn't perplexing to me.  Since last season, the Broncos lost Elvis Dumervil and spent much of the season playing without Von Miller who is out for the rest of the season with an injury.  Taking away any teams two best pass rushers in a pass-happy league is a recipe for a defensive collapse.  Great pass rushers can cover up deficiencies in a secondary, and their absence can reveal those deficiencies in a hurry.  Despite having the 8th ranked run defense in the league, the Broncos pass defense ranked near the bottom of the league at 27th in passing yards allowed per game.  The Broncos defense also allowed the 11th most points per game this season, and that might have been a major problem if the Denver offense hadn't scored 606 points in 2013.
     The Patriots offense didn't score anywhere near 606 points.  That, however, doesn't mean that they weren't one of the highest scoring teams in the league this season.  Only the Bears and Broncos scored more than the Patriots this season; it just happens that the Broncos scored a LOT more. What's more impressive about the Patriots' offensive production is that their offensive personnel and changed so drastically over the course of the season, and somehow Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and company found a way to remind dominant and consistently win games.  When Gronk went down again, the Patriots placed a new emphasis on power running that absolutely flattened the Colts last week.  It wasn't as though the Patriots had great defensive personnel to back up their offense either as season ending injuries took down players such as Vince Wilfork and Jerrod Mayo.  Thus, the theme of the Patriots' 2013 season should be something like the following: finding ways to win with whatever tools are available.
     The last meeting between the Patriots and Broncos was far away from Denver and decided by a razor-thin overtime margin.  As close as that game was, it demonstrated the interesting offensive characteristics and capabilities of both teams.  First, it demonstrated that the Broncos don't require a great performance from Peyton Manning to put up a lot of points in a hurry as Knowshon Moreno was nearly unstoppable running the football.  Second, it demonstrated that the Patriots can put up points just as fast or faster even when faced with 24 point deficit at halftime due to the surgical precision of Tom Brady and a well-coached opportunistic Patriots defense.
     The Patriots defense is not elite by any stretch of the imagination.  The unit has certainly lost plenty of star players, but one way or another, they're more effective than the Broncos defense.  That brings me to the key factor that will likely decide this game: the Broncos' loss of Chris Harris.  Last week the Broncos held the Chargers scoreless in the first 3 quarters of the game, and it looked as though the game could end in an utter blowout.  By the 4th quarter, however, the Broncos lost one of their starting cornerbacks to a torn ACL, and the Chargers came roaring back in a hurry to shrink the Broncos' lead to just one touchdown.  The Chargers defense failed to get Phillip Rivers the ball back one more time, and the Broncos obviously won the game, but it became apparent that the Broncos defense was suddenly an entirely different animal with a backup corner playing.  That same backup won't be starting this week, but that only means an extremely OLD cornerback will be starting instead.  Champ Bailey is still serviceable at his position, but I highly doubt his 35 year old legs will be able to contend with the quickness of Danny Amendola or Julian Edelman. 
     When it comes to the playoffs, I tend to believe that the most complete teams are the most successful teams.  That idea only becomes more apparent the deeper we go into the playoffs as the competition has been whittled down to only the strongest teams, and any glaring weaknesses are usually exploited by elite opponents.  The Patriots are simply the more complete team going into this game.  Their defense is stronger than that of the Broncos, and their offense is easily just as potent with the recent surge in their power running game.  Don't get me wrong, I will be rooting for Peyton Manning to get his chance to get his second and final ring and ride off into the sunset just the way that Ray did in that perfect storybook fashion, but my brain says the Patriots are going to win this game.  This will not be a particularly cold game, so that won't be in the Patriots' favor, but I simply don't see how the Broncos will be able to slow down Tom Brady and LeGarrette Blount enough to win this game.  No matter who wins, I have a feeling this will be an epic showdown the world of sports will long remember and possibly a defining moment in the careers of either or both of these future hall-of-famers.

FINAL PREDICTION:  PATRIOTS 38-33.

     The great thing about this Championship Sunday is that the two best teams from each conference are playing.  I know it's always fun to see an underdog make it all the way through the way the Ravens did in both of their Super Bowl runs, but this is a chance to see one of the best rivalries of the last decade and a half as well as the best NEW rivalry of the last few seasons.  The 49ers and Seahawks have become what the Ravens and Steelers used to be a few years ago.  They're both saturated with big, physical, talented players, and they're built for smash-mouth running and suffocating defense.  Both teams also possess talented young quarterbacks still on their rookie contracts, and that allows each team the salary cap space to maintain an extreme level of talent and depth surrounding Colin Kaepernick and Russell Wilson. 
     The 49ers haven't won in Seattle for years now, and the homefield advantage the Seahawks possess is in large part to blame.  It's difficult to communicate inside that historically loud stadium, and the Seahawks organization goes to great lengths to make sure of that.  The most recent example of this is the fact that the Seahawks organization wouldn't even SELL tickets to the NFC Championship to residents of the state of California...sounds like they're a little scared that opposing fans might take over their stadium in the way Ravens fans invaded every stadium of the playoffs last post-season. 
     The last time the 49ers played in Seattle Seahawks Stadium, they were basically shut down and embarrassed in every phase of play.  Anquan Boldin was shut down, Vernon Davis failed to pose much of a matchup threat, and Michael Crabtree--well he wasn't even playing.  A lot has changed since the last time these teams faced one another in Seattle, so let's take a look at exactly what is different now.

     49ERS AT SEAHAWKS
    
     The 49ers made a fool out of me the last two weeks.  I thought they weren't built to outscore the Packers in one of the coldest football games in NFL history.  I also that that if their offense only scored 23 points on a poor Green Bay defense, then there was no way they'd put up enough point on the road against a Panthers team that held them to 9 points in San Francisco a month earlier.  I now know better.  In both of these cases, the 49ers were simply the more complete team.  The 49ers have a better combination of offense and defense than both the Packers and Panthers.  The Seahawks are also a more complete team than both the Packers and Panthers, but their offense impresses me far less than that of the 49ers now that Michael Crabtree is back. 
     There's no doubt in my mind that Marshawn Lynch will put up a good chunk of yards on the ground against San Francisco.  It's likely that Lynch could put up at least 100 yards and 1-2 rushing touchdowns.  The problem for Seattle is that they don't have a great number of offensive weapons BESIDES Lynch and his backup, Turbin.  The Seahawks are 26th in passing yards per game, and they'll be without Percy Harvin who suffered an early concussion last week against the Saints.  What SHOULD scare Seattle fans is just how little offensive production their team achieved at home against a Saints defense that isn't nearly as strong on the road.
     Last week Russell Wilson threw for a pathetic 103 passing yards with no touchdowns, and he was sacked 3 times.   It should be noted that the Saints possessed the 2nd ranked pass defense in the league this season, but that didn't stop Wilson from throwing for 310 yards and 3 touchdowns against that very same Saints defense in Week 13 of the regular season.  Russell Wilson didn't need to throw for over 300 yards last week to beat the Saints, but the fact that the Seahawks only won by a margin of 8 points should be at least somewhat troubling for anyone in Seattle.  The Seahawks allowed 15 4th quarter points by Drew Brees, and showed definite defensive weaknesses when they needed to keep the ball away from a dangerous elite quarterback.
     The 49ers had an even lower ranked pass offense than the Seahawks during the regular season.  That hasn't seemed to matter in the playoffs, however, as Colin Kaepernick got right back to his previous post-season form with 98 rushing yards and 227 passing yards against the Packers while Anquan Boldin put up an impressive 136 receiving yards and Kaepernick scored two touchdowns against a tough Panthers defense.  Two major keys have led to an upswing in the 49ers offensive production on the road in this post-season.  The first is the return of Michael Crabtree.  Crabtree doesn't always put up fantastic statistics, but his presence helps to stretch opposing defenses, take pressure off of Boldin and Vernon Davis, and further open things up for the 49ers power running game.  The second factor has been the change in the style of play of Colin Kaepernick.  Earlier in the season, Kaepernick was encouraged to play from the pocket more as it was less risky than frequently running the football.  As a result, Kaepernick's statistics took a hit, and many were wondering is he had regressed.  In the post-season, however, each game could be the last any team plays if they don't win, and that means it has behooved the 49ers to allow Colin Kaepernick to play the athletic style of football that got his team to the Super Bowl last season. 
     I can see exactly how many fans, players, and commentators would give this game to the Seahawks.  The Hawks have been nearly unbeatable at home this season, and the 49ers were one of their many victims in that ferocious Seattle stadium.  This, however, is not the same 49ers team as the one the Seahawks faced in Week 2.  The 49ers have won their last 8 games, and they won their last 3 games on the road against the Cardinals, Packers, and Panthers.  The Seahawks don't appear to be nearly as dominant as they were prior to Week 14...when they last faced the 49ers and lost.  I get it, Seattle has an incredible homefield advantage, but the 49ers are on a road roll right now.  Like the Ravens of last season, there's no homefield advantage strong enough to beat the hottest and currently most complete team in the NFL.  I'm going with the underdog here.

FINAL PREDICTION: 49ERS 24-20.

     I know I'm going against the popular opinion with both of these picks, but the Seahawks and Broncos simply don't appear as strong as their opponents this week.  Once again, I could be proven totally wrong, and this season I'm ok with that.  If I'm wrong about these picks, it doesn't mean that my reasoning wasn't sound, it just means that anything can happen in the NFL, and no one can predict the future.  Besides, I'm currently ranked 149th in the entire country in NFL.com's fantasy playoff challenge.  As it stands, if both the Broncos and Seahawks prove my predictions wrong, it means all of my fantasy players advance to the Super Bowl, and I have a legitimate shot at winning the grand prize.  I guess you could say I've hedged my bets this week.  I stand by my picks though, and I'm looking forward to some good food, good beer, and great NFL playoff action.

A WORD ABOUT THE RAVENS COACHING STAFF

     I can't say I wasn't upset the Ravens didn't at least appear to make an attempt to request an interview with Norv Turner for the vacant offensive coordinator position in Baltimore.  Maybe the Ravens already knew the Browns wouldn't grant a divisional opponent permission to interview one of their coordinators, but it still hurts to see one of the best OC's in the game slip through our collective metaphorical fingers (wings?).  I was at first a bit troubled by the idea of the Ravens hiring Kyle Shanahan after I heard many Redskins fans complain about him this season.  I later realized, however, that Shanahan coordinated 4 top 10 offenses in the last 6 seasons.  That fact may have to do with the amount of talent surrounding him on most of those offenses, but I'm willing to entertain the idea that the guy at least knows what he's doing more than Jim Caldwell considering the fact that Caldwell had only been an offensive coordinator for 7 games before this season.  
     The idea of hiring Kyle Shanahan doesn't scare me.  What ACTUALLY scares me is the idea that the Ravens brought in Shanahan to interview simply because his offensive style would mesh well with Juan Castillo's horrendous blocking schemes.  This is troubling because it appears as though John Harbaugh has gone totally off the deep end if he thinks that one should choose an offensive coordinator to fit an offensive line coach rather than the other way around.  Castillo did the worst job coaching the Ravens offensive line of any offensive line coach in team history.  Why Harbaugh appears to want to design the Ravens offense around his failed collection of ideas is totally beyond me.  I wanted to give Harbaugh at least some credit for the Ravens success during Flacco's first 5 seasons, but it appears as though the Ravens mostly won in spite of Harbaugh and not because of him.  After all, the Ravens were a team completely STACKED with talent before Flacco and Harbaugh arrived.  The only problem was that the Ravens lacked a serious quarterback.  Steve McNair became a Ravens in 2006 and suddenly the Ravens fought to a 13-3 record and a first round by in the playoffs.  
     It's not as though Steve McNair was some incredibly productive quarterback.  The veteran passed for just over 3000 yards in 2006, but that was enough to win games given the sheer amount of talent surrounding him.  Baltimore was a team that simply needed a competent quarterback as the missing piece to their puzzle, and when Flacco arrived, the Ravens got exactly that.  Since then, the Ravens have often been held back by the decisions and friends Harbaugh brought to the organization including Greg Mattison, Cam Cameron, and most recently Juan Castillo.  
     Now the Ravens have no Ray Lewis and no Ed Reed.  Their senior leadership in the locker room is gone with seemingly no one left to pick up the baton and run with it.  If Harbaugh's team can turn things around in 2014, then I will redact my criticism of him and chalk 2013 up to a post-Super Bowl hangover.  If Harbaugh can hire the correct offensive coordinator and successfully compell better results from Juan Castillo, then he's truly a great coach, but for now I am left scratching my head at his cronyism and hunger for absolute power on this team at the expense of strong leadership from the players.

AS ALWAYS
GO RAVENS!!! (GO GET A REAL OC!) 
    

Sunday, January 12, 2014

NFL DIVISIONAL ROUND PREDICTIONS: SUNDAY GAMES

     Ok, I'm back on track with two successful playoff predictions to take my record to a still-embarrassing 3-3 this post-season.  It's too bad everyone and their mother picked the Patriots and Seahawks to win their respective games on Saturday, so there's simply not much to brag about.  I can tell you, however, that getting predictions correct sure beats the alternative. 
     The Patriots showed once again that they're a team with a complete offense that can run the ball just as well as it can pass.  That might just come in handy at the AFC Championship next week.  Andrew Luck showed us that he is strikingly similar to his Colts predecessor with a healthy dosage of passing yards and a pair of touchdowns--but also another handful of interceptions and an inability to win playoff games in harsh, cold environments.  Luck is unquestionably talented, but his team simply wasn't build to go on the road and win playoff games this season.  It's actually quite unfortunate for the Colts that they traded away a first round pick for Trent Richardson as he has proven himself a total bust after showing early explosion and promise as a rookie in Cleveland.
     The Seahawks did exactly what everyone thought they would do when they suffocated the Saints offense for the vast majority of their game in Seattle.  Drew Brees' elite regular season stats simply don't seem to mean much when they don't translate into serious post-season success.  The man is the only quarterback in the history of the NFL to throw for over 5,000 yards in 4 seasons, and 3 of those seasons were this year, last year, and the year before that!  As you can probably guess, I'm not sold on the idea of dome teams finding consistent success in the post season.  It's possible for them to go to a Super Bowl if they manage to secure homefield advantage through the playoffs, but that scenario isn't particularly common, and it's far more common for tough, outdoor teams to fare better in the post-season.  The Seahawks did lose Percy Harvin for next week because of a concussion, and that will likely prove a major factor as both of the Seahawks possible future opponents play defense far better than a Saints.  The Saints defense, in fact, actually held its own against Seattle's offense...well at least much better than I think many people anticipated.  Seattle will have to put up a far more impressive offensive performance if it hopes to beat either of the other two top defenses in the league next weekend.  Speaking of the other top defenses, let's get to tomorrow's predictions!

SUNDAY NFL PREDICTIONS

49ERS AT PANTHERS

     If I can predict this game correctly, I'll feel that I've finally gotten back on the right track with my prediction analysis process.  The Panthers played the 49ers in San Francisco in Week 10 of the regular season and won an incredibly tight game 10-9.  It's always difficult to win on the road in the NFL, but to travel to the opposite coast and do so in Candlestick Park is an unquestionably impressive feat.  Logic would dictate that if the Panthers beat the 49ers in San Francisco earlier this season, than Carolina should definitely once again handle the 49ers at home.  The problem is that, as I mentioned yesterday, the 49ers offense is a totally different animal with its #1 wide receiver back.       
     Yes, Anquan Boldin fans, Michael Crabtree is unquestionably the most talented receiver playing for the 49ers.  Crabtree is acrobatic with great hands and can actually separate from defensive backs.  Boldin took over a couple of games this season with sensational receiving performances, but he basically disappeared last week against a lackluster Green Bay secondary.  More importantly, Anquan Boldin only managed 23 receiving yards at home against the Panthers defense, and that was after the 49ers had a bye week to rest up and prepare for Carolina. 
     With the return of Michael Crabtree, the 49ers simply no longer require a great performance from Boldin to win games though he still has produced in the receiving department.  Boldin is still an excellent blocker to aid in San Fran's running game, and he can still go up and make catches in heavy coverage, especially if Crabtree and Vernon Davis draw heavy coverage and stretch the field.  The 49ers might just be the most complete team left in the NFC or even the NFL at this point, but they're so similar to the Seahawks and Panthers that picking the 49ers based on their perceived completeness could be unwise...especially since they once again must go on the road.
     The 49ers are arguably the NFL's hottest team as they've won their last 7 games.  The Panthers, however, have a legitimate claim to that very same title as they've won 11 out of their last 12 games.  Their only loss in the last 12 games came against the Saints in New Orleans.  The Panthers then proceeded to beat the Saints in Carolina and put to rest any doubts that the Panthers are the better of those two teams.  Suffocating defense is the reason for much of the Panthers' success this season.  The Panthers defense allowed exactly 12 points per game at home this season.  That 12 point average is less than half of the 25.875 points that the Panthers offense scored at home this season, and that could make things frustratingly difficult for the 49ers. 
     The 49ers have been on quite a tear as of late with their 7 game winning streak.  Michael Crabtree has only played in 6 of the last 7 games, so we'll only use stats games during that period.  The 49ers have scored an average of 22.5 points per game since Crabtree's return, and some of those games have been against teams with defenses of similar strength to that of the Panthers.  In the last 6 games, the 49ers played the Seahawks in San Francisco and the Cardinals in Phoenix.  San Francisco only managed to score an average of 21 points per game, but their strong defense allowed them to win anyway.  But will the 49ers be able to put up enough points on the road against a team that held them to 9 points at home earlier this season?
     One thing I noticed after looking over Michael Crabtee's game log for the 6 games he's played in this season was the sharp drop off in his receiving production when he's facing top 10 ranked pass defenses.  I know this flies in the face of what I previously wrote about Crabtree being the 49ers' most talented receiver (I still believe that to be true) but his only truly dominant games came against the 21st and 24th ranked pass defenses in the NFL.  Sure he looked great against the Packers, but what made that feat impressive was the environment in which he played that game, not the players he faced.  Maybe it's Crabtree's presence that opens up things for Boldin and not the other way around, but I don't expect Michael Crabtree to put up big receiving numbers against the Panthers on Sunday. 
     The 49ers will likely be without Carlos Rodgers for a second straight week, but they should still have a strong secondary.  I'm willing to bet Steve Smith will play for the Panthers after hurting his knee two weeks ago against the Saints.  The 49ers simply had more players listed on their injury report and less time to recover before this game.  I don't see any concrete evidence to suggest that the 49ers can't pull off a win in Carolina, but the fact that the Panthers handled the 49ers offense so well earlier this season and the fact that Michael Crabtree mostly disappears against top defenses makes me think that the well rested home team with a great defense and running game will win this game.  The 49ers are quite similar to the Panthers in a variety of ways, but the Panthers are simply better at home than the 49ers are on the road.  The 49ers looked great last week, but they were playing against a poor Green Bay defense and still only managed to put up 23 points.  The 49ers could once again make me look like a fool for better against them, but everything I've evaluated here tells me that Cam Newton and company will once again top the 49ers.  This one, like the last meeting between these two teams, should be painfully close.

FINAL PREDICTION: PANTHERS 24-21.


CHARGERS AT BRONCOS 

     This could be one of the most difficult games to predict this season because it features a matchup between divisional rivals that split their games this season.  The problem is that the Broncos beat the Chargers in San Diego and the Chargers beat the Broncos in Denver.  Sure, Peyton Manning didn't have Wes Welker last time the Chargers traveled to Mile High Stadium, but even though Welker has returned, Von Miller's season is over because of a knee injury.  I could rattle off statistics about how many points the Broncos have put up at home this season versus how the Chargers have fared on the road, but most of the Broncos' home games aren't relevant because they featured comparatively high game temperatures to those of the last month.
     It's true that Peyton Manning has never won a playoff game in temperatures below 40 degrees, but tomorrow's game will be far from the coldest in which he's played.  Denver's forecast is for a high of 42 degrees and a low of 30 degrees.  It should be roughly 37 degrees at the beginning of the game, and that's much warmer than the temperatures in Denver over the last couple of weeks.  It may be that Manning is finally over-prepared for the weather of a cold playoff game.
     The Chargers certainly don't shy away from road games in inclement weather.  Philip Rivers performed well against the Broncos defense one month ago despite bitter cold temperatures.  The Chargers then went on to hand the Bengals their only home loss of the season last week despite miserable cold rain.  Part of the Chargers' ability to beat the Bengals was their insistence on sticking with the running game to set up the pass.  The Broncos have also run the ball well this season, and that has helped them to take pressure off of Peyton Manning when his offensive line has failed to give him enough time to consistently drop back to pass.
     The Chargers were successful in putting a lot of pressure on Peyton Manning and forcing him to make poor throws in their last meeting in Denver.  I believe their success came in large part from the absence of Wes Welker.  With Wes Welker in the game, Manning has of one the best short route running receivers in the game to whom he can find and target quickly.  That ability to release the ball quickly and connect with Welker is what helps to take pressure off of Manning.  Without that short and intermediate threat, the Chargers were able to take away a strong dimension of the Broncos offense.
     The Broncos are rested, they're loaded on offense, and they're at home.  It's not a warm weather game, but it's also not going to be rainy or particularly cold for Denver in January.  Oh! I almost forgot to mention that Ryan Matthews is questionable and won't be 100% if he does end up playing as he's suffering from a sprained ankle from last week's game.  Matthews' absence or lack of good health will likely take away a big dimension to the Chargers' rushing attack and, thus, their offense.  Danny Woodhead is good, but he's a complimentary back and not capable of carrying this team's running game himself.  Peyton will have his first cold playoff win of his career.

FINAL PREDICTION: BRONCOS 28-23

WHETHER OR NOT MY SUNDAY PREDICTIONS ARE CORRECT, LET'S HOPE FOR SOME HEART-STOPPING GRIDIRON ACTION THIS SUNDAY!

AS ALWAYS
GO RAVENS!!!....PLEASE GET BACK TO THE PLAYOFFS SO THIS CLOSING MAKES MORE SENSE!

Saturday, January 11, 2014

NFL DIVISIONAL ROUND PREDICTIONS: SATURDAY GAMES

  ROUGH START TO THE PLAYOFFS
 

     There's no question I was humbled with a 1-3 start to my playoff predictions.  I must admit that I simply didn't put in the sheer amount of time that I had in years past as my current job and work schedule leave me with far less opportunity to spend 16 hours a week researching and writing.  With that said, I'm also reminded that no one can be perfect or even nearly perfect in their football predictions all the time, but there definitely some points that, had I put more thought and time into my research and analysis, I possibly would have realized and taken into account.
     The first major point I should have taken into consideration (and this is something of which I was well aware) was that the Bengals, as an organization, have not won a playoff game in 23 seasons.  It doesn't matter how good they've been at home, and it doesn't matter that they beat the Ravens the week before because the Bengals have simply failed to win playoff games for about as long as I've been watching football on television.  I know that a team's historical record shouldn't have much bearing on current predictions since the vast majority of Bengals players from the last 23 seasons are no longer on the team.  With that said, a more relevant statistic is the fact that the Bengals have the second longer tenured head coach in the NFL behind Bill Belichick in Marvin Lewis.  One way or another, Lewis has never been able to prepare a team adequately to win a playoff game during his time as an NFL head coach.  The Bengals, most recently have been to the playoffs for the past 3 seasons in a row and have won the AFC North division twice in the last 5 seasons and STILL somehow haven't managed to win a single post-season game.
     The second point I should have taken into account was the fact that Andy Dalton threw 4 interceptions the week before at home against the Ravens.  Dalton played poorly in that game and the only thing that kept his team from losing was the fact that the Ravens offense was playing far more poorly.  It should have, thus, come as no surprise to me that Dalton would produce another handful of turnovers against the Chargers.  I assumed that the Chargers simply weren't particularly good as they only squeaked into the playoffs because some late game blunders by the referees in their game against the Chiefs' second string players.  I figured that if the Chargers weren't good enough to convincingly beat a team of backups at home, then there would be no way they'd upset a team that went unbeaten at home during the regular season.  It's possible the Chargers simply looked past the Chiefs knowing that Kansas City would be sitting most of its starters.  One thing is for sure: the Chargers most certainly did NOT look past the Bengals.  The Chargers exposed the Bengals defense for what it truly was at this point in the football season...depleted.
     The third thing I should have taken into account doesn't pertain to the Bengals game, but it does pertain to yet another game I misjudged.  The Eagles were favorites at home to beat the Saints as the Saints have never won playoff game on the road in the history of their franchise.  Had I simply taken a more thorough glance at various offensive and defensive units of both the Eagles and Saints, I would have picked the Saints without question.  I'm embarrassed that I missed this, but the Eagles had the worst ranked pass defense in the league and the Saints had the second ranked pass defense in the league.  As great as the Eagles' rushing was this season, it wasn't strong enough to operate without the serious threat of the pass.  Nick Foles is a more talented young quarterback than most people give him credit, but Foles has to put up a lot of yardage and a lot of points in order to beat good teams, and there was no way Nick Foles was going to light up the second ranked pass defense in the league.  It was certainly a close game, but in the end, the Eagles defense wasn't good enough to stop an elite quarterback.  Oh! And had I looked but a little bit closer I would have learned that the Eagles' home record this season (4-4) was only barely better than the Saints' road record (3-5).  The Saints aren't a great road playoff team, but they can definitely beat a team with the worst pass defense in the league regardless of the setting.
     The fourth thing I should have taken into consideration became abundantly clear in the 49ers and Packers game.  The 49ers have Michael Crabtree back healthy and that made all the difference in the world against a lackluster Packers secondary.  It didn't matter that Boldin didn't have a big day because Crabtree was in rare form.  I should have totally disregarded the 49ers' 30th ranked passing yards per game average because Crabtree wasn't on the field for most of the season.  That statistic should have been thrown out by my old standards.  I also should have taken into consideration that the 49ers are simply a more complete team than the Packers with stout defense and solid running game.  The game came right down to the wire, but the 49ers were able to keep the Packers out of the endzone on Green Bay's final drive, and Green Bay wasn't able to halt the 49ers' final drive to set up the game winning score.  The new pass-friendly rules have clearly not changed the time-tested adage that to win in harsh playoff environments a team needs to be able to run the ball and play stout defense.
     Hats off to the Chargers, 49ers, and Saints for reminding me that the real reason I had so much success predicting playoff games in the past two seasons was the extra time I spent evaluating every little detail.  I took in-depth looks at injury reports, thoroughly examined matchups, and spent hours looking at statistics.  I can't promise I'll get every prediction right, but I'll do my best to stick to the methods that made my last two post-seasons of predictions so successful.  Now, enough of last week, it's time to get to Saturday's games!

SATURDAY NFL PREDICTIONS

 SAINTS AT SEAHAWKS

     I feel a tad more confident predicting this game as the Seahawks absolutely pummeled the Saints the last time these teams met in Seattle...but somehow that makes me uneasy.  To make sure that my confidence in Seattle is justified, let's take a look at some statistics, shall we?
     The Seahawks haven't exactly been red-hot recently.  Since their bye week, the Seattle has alternated wins and losses.   To understand the Seahawks current state, we must examine their two losses over the last 5 games.  The first of these losses came on the road against their biggest rival, the 49ers.  This loss may have surprised some, but it didn't surprise many as the 49ers have beaten the Seahawks in close games in San Francisco in recent years even though the Seahawks absolutely obliterated the 49ers in Seattle.  In this particular game, both the 49ers and Seahawks had similar passing numbers.  Kaepernick and Wilson both threw for under 200 passing yards with one touchdown, one interception, and two sacks.  The 49ers, however, rushed for nearly double the yards (163) that the Seahawks produced on the ground (86) and that was the difference maker in what proved to be yet another tightly contested game in San Francisco.
    The next game the Seahawks lost was at home against the Arizona Cardinals.  The Cardinals shocked the world with their 17-10 victory in Seattle as the Seahawks had gone otherwise unbeaten at home this season with what was thought to be the biggest homefield advantage in the NFL.  Seattle still probably DOES have the biggest homefield advantage in the NFL, but they happened to run into the team with the first ranked run defense in the league.  It didn't matter that Carson Palmer threw 4 interceptions because the Cardinals held the Seahawks to only two scoring drives in the entire game.  The Cardinals also dramatically won the time of possession battle as they controlled the ball for over 37 minutes as compared to 22 minutes for the Seahawks.
     Maybe the Seahawks simply had a poor undisciplined day against the Cardinals with 9 penalties for a total of 102 yards, but one thing is for certain: the NEW ORLEANS SAINTS ARE NOTHING LIKE THE 49ERS AND CARDINALS.  The Saints don't typically excel at stopping the run, and that's one thing a team must do if it hopes to beat the Hawks in Seattle.  The Saints have the 2 ranked pass offense in the league with an average of 307.4 passing yards per game, but the Seahawks have the #1 pass defense in the league and only allow 172 passing yards per game.   It's not as though Brees hasn't thrown for big chunks of yardage on the road either as he has put up some big numbers away from New Orleans.  The issue is that Brees threw 9 of the total interceptions from this season in road games, and struggled against teams with impressive defensive lines including the Rams, Panthers, Jets, and most importantly, the Seahawks!
     Drew Brees didn't throw any interceptions when his team last played the Seahawks, but he didn't need to in order to lose that game.  The Seahawks defensive backs absolutely blanketed the Saints receivers with coverage, and Brees threw for an uncharacteristic 144 passing yards.  The Saints already don't do particularly well on the road, but the do ESPECIALLY poorly against elite pass defenses on the road, and there's no better pass defense than that of the Seahawks.
    The bottom line is that the Seahawks are great at stopping the only thing that makes the Saints offense special: the pass.  The Saints have the 25th ranked running game in the league, and as we learned before, a team has to be able to run the ball if it hopes to beat the Seahawks.  Some might say the Saints will have more success against the Seahawks after having played them and gotten a chance to re-evaluate their game plan going into Seattle, but I simply don't believe the Saints have the defense to stop the Seahawks' running game nor strong enough rushing attack to keep the Seahawks' defense on its toes.  No NFL game is a lock, but the outcome of this game appears quite clear.

FINAL PREDICTION: SEAHAWKS 27-17


 COLTS AT PATRIOTS

     The Patriots are not unbeatable.  They have endured major blows to their roster this season including the recent losses of Brandon Spikes and Rob Gronkowski as well as the earlier losses of Vince Wilfork and Jerod Mayo.  The Patriots, however, remain an elite team because of their incredible coaching staff.  The question that remains is whether or not the Colts are a strong enough road team to take down Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in Foxboro after the Patriots have had a bye week to rest and prepare for a dome team with a second year quarterback.  For the time being, forget your preconceived notions about which of these teams is better, and let's examine statistics to get a truly accurate idea of the probable outcome of this game.
      The first thing that I notice as I look at the Colts' record over the course of this season is the fact that they rose to the occasion against some of the best teams in the NFL including the Broncos, 49ers, Seahawks, and Chiefs.  I also notice, however, that the Colts also lost to the Dolphins, Bengals, Chargers, Cardinals, and Rams.  Losing to the Bengals in Cincinnati wasn't a huge surprise given the Bengals record at home this season, but it may shed light on the type of team that tends to beat the Colts on the road OR at home.
      With the exception of the Miami Dolphins, every team beat the Colts this season had a great run defense.  Colts lost to teams with the 1st, 5th, 9th, and 12th ranked rush defenses.  It's not as though the Colts have a great rushing attack.  The Colts, in fact, ranked 21st in rushing yards during the regular season, but the recent emergence of Donald Brown has brought life to their ground game over the past month.  Brown hasn't had a ton of carries, but he has averaged an impressive 5.3 yards per carry on the season and 5 yards per carry last week against the Chiefs.  It's not surprising, therefore, that in the aforementioned 4 losses to teams with elite run defenses, Donald Brown was held to an average of 1.95 yards per carry.  It's clear to me that the loss of Reggie Wayne earlier this season has meant that the Colts have relied on at least the threat of the run to help open things up for their passing game without their most reliable receiving weapon.  The Colts defense, after all, isn't elite.  They a respectable 13th in pass defense, but near the bottom of the league in rush defense at #26.  
     More important than their overall defensive ranking is the Colts' level of defensive play on the road.  This game is, after all, going to played far away from the controlled temperature and Colt-friendly crowd of Lucas Oil Stadium.  The Colts played well in their last road game against the slumping Chiefs, but I'd rather not look at their performance against a slumping team in order to help predict how they'll do against the Patriots.  The Colts last road game against a winning team was against the Bengals in Cincinnati.  Andrew Luck actually had a great game, but his defense most certainly did not.  Despite Luck's 4 touchdown passes and 326 passing yards, the Bengals won because the Colts couldn't stop the Bengals ground attack that put up 155 yards and allowed the Bengals to dominate the time of possession battle.
     Unfortunately for the Colts, the Patriots also have an elite (9th ranked) running game to compliment their 10th ranked passing attack.  What the Patriots DON'T have is a great run defense.  The Patriots rank near last in the league at stopping the run, and they struggled two weeks ago to stop the Bills from running the football as the Bills put up 169 yards and and 393 total offensive yards.  The more amazing aspect to those stats is that Bills game was played in Foxboro.  The Patriots still managed to beat the Bills by two touchdowns, but the the vulnerability against the run remains apparent.  
    The Colts and Patriots aren't ultimately that different.  They both have great quarterbacks, but the Patriots' quarterback better.  They both have the ability to run the ball, but the Patriots run the ball better.  Both teams struggle to stop the run, but fare better against the pass.  The Patriots are unquestionably better at moving the ball on offense while the Colts are marginally better on defense.  Two things, however, give the Patriots a serious upper hand in this game.  The first is the fact that the Patriots have major homefield advantage against a dome team with a young quarterback with only a single home playoff win under his belt.  The second major advantage is that he Patriots are well rested despite their list of major offensive and defensive weapons that have gone down with injuries this season.  With the exception of one road loss to the Miami Dolphins, the Patriots have only lost to teams with strong defenses this season.  The Colts defense allowed 44 points AT HOME last week, I have a hard time believing that Andrew Luck will have nearly the same fortune of facing a team that could collapse offensively the same way the Chiefs did in the wild card round.  
     The Patriots are undefeated at home this weekend, they're well rested, and the only non-divisional opponents they've lost to this season have had elite defenses...and even those losses came right down to the wire (especially the controversial loss in North Carolina).  The Colts found some luck last week against a team that did everything it could to give the game away in the second half.  This is the point at which their luck runs out.  Aqip Talib will take away T.Y. Hilton and that will be enough to slow down the Colts' offense.  The Patriots will have little trouble putting together a balanced offensive attack against a porous Colts defense in Foxboro.

FINAL PREDICTION:  PATRIOTS 38-21.

     If all goes as I predicted, I shouldn't pat myself on the back to much as Sunday's games bring much bigger tests of my analytical and predictive abilities.  Regardless, I'll take any win I can get after going 1-3 last weekend.  This weekend is about redemption, and hopefully I'll gain that redemption using more thorough examination of each upcoming game.

      On a Ravens related note, I'd like to address some things that were stated in the State of the Ravens press conference earlier this week.  Yes, Ozzie isn't afraid to cut great players, and, yes, Terrell Suggs could ultimately end up not being a Raven next season if his contract situation isn't taken care of in the off-season.  I believe, however, that Suggs wants to follow in his mentor's footsteps and retire a Raven.  Age isn't catching up to Suggs at all.  This season actually isn't entirely uncharacteristic for him.  Suggs actually has had up and down years for the Ravens since he's been in the league, and a season in which you record 10 sacks is not a down season...even if his stats dropped off in the second half of the year.  I'm confident that Suggs will be amicable regarding a contract extension because an extension ultimately benefits both parties.  There's still the danger that Suggs could be insulted by the prospect of a pay cut for next season, but he also shouldn't be too surprised given the fact that he did unquestionably take a major dip in performance in the second half of the season after appearing to be a candidate for defensive player of the year in the first half.
    The Ravens most likely won't keep James Ihedigbo, Arthur Jones, Jacoby Jones, Ed Dickson, Dallas Clark, or Michael Oher.  The only one out of that group that I truly hope the Ravens retain is Jacoby Jones.  Jones is approaching 30 and has never put up elite receiving statistics, but he came in clutch for the Ravens once he recovered from his early season injury.  There's truly no better return man in the came than Jacoby Jones.  As my family members can tell you, there were numerous occasions this season where the Ravens were in tight games and I happened mutter "jeez, we could really use a huge return from Jacoby right now", and that's exactly what he gave us.  No, I don't have a crystal ball, but Jones is simply that much of a threat to go yard pretty much any time he returns a kick or punt.  That kind of explosive potential is something that the Ravens simply can't afford to lose right now.  If I were in charge of the Ravens off-season moves, I'd find a way to extend Jones' contract by a year in an effort to lower his cap number and create more space to help sign players such as Eugene Monroe, Daryl Smith, and Dennis Pitta.
     Ozzie Newsome's decision making isn't perfect, but it's still nearly the best in the league if not the best overall.  The Ravens already have 2 Super Bowls in 18 seasons and it says something about their standards that 8 wins and barely missing the playoffs is an incredible disappointment despite incredible roster changes and losses.  Juan Castillo did a poor job this season, but there's no way the Ravens are going to stand for him utilizing that same system again this season.  If somehow they do, Steve Bisciotti will fire him and hold John Harbaugh totally responsible.  With that said, let's see what happens with the offensive coordinator position and how the Ravens fare in the draft and the free agent market.  It's entirely possible that with better personnel and pressure to fix things, Juan Castillo may actually do a total 180 and turns things around for Flacco's protection and the Ravens running game.

LET'S HOPE FOR SOME PLAYOFF MAGIC TOMORROW
AS ALWAYS
GO RAVENS (GET SOME NEW LINEMAN AND A NEW WR!!!) 


 


 

Sunday, January 5, 2014

SUNDAY NIGHT NFL PREDICTION: 49ERS-PACKERS

     I must apologize for not posting my Bengals-Chargers prediction.  I attempted to put far more time and thought into that prediction after spending less time on my Saints-Eagles analysis and winding up being incorrect.  I did, however, post my Bengals-Chargers score prediction on Facebook shortly before the game just for the record. 
     I'm writing to you now while watching the Bengals-Chargers game, but I believe the game I'll be writing about will be far more interesting.  The Packers are in a rather interesting situation at this point in the year as they played such a sizable chunk of their season without Aaron Rodgers and somehow made their way into the playoffs anyway.  Ultimately, I believe Rodgers absence strengthened the Packers as it forced them to find ways to win without their most important player.  That, however, in no way makes this game a slam dunk in favor of Green Bay.
     The most unusual factor that makes this game difficult to predict is the possibility that the 49ers switch back to read-option offense.  The 49ers experienced a tremendous amount of success last season after Colin Kaepernick replaced Alex Smith and the 49ers utilized the read-option to score their way to a Super Bowl appearance against the Ravens.  The 49ers, however, went away from the read-option in the regular season as it puts the quarterback in a vulnerable position when choosing to run the football.  The knee injuries endured by Robert Griffin the 3rd served as warning to the 49ers about what can happen to even the most athletic of quarterbacks if teams take their chances running the read-option.
     The second major unusual factor to this game is the impending arctic conditions that look to be some of the coldest in NFL history.  The temperature appears as though it will be quite low at 5 degrees at the start of the game.  The wind chill, however, figures to make this game feel vastly colder, and thus, high winds could heavily affect the direction and length of passes.  I heard Scott Garceau from 105.7 The Fan explain that the 49ers with a stout defense and hard-nosed running game are built for tough road playoff games.  That may be true, but to truly develop a good idea of who has an edge going into this game, we'll have to take a closer look at a few other major factors. 

     Possibly the most important factor going into this game is the health of each team's personnel for each team.  If you'll recall, last year I predicted that the 49ers defense would struggle to get to Joe Flacco because Justin Smith was essentially operating with one arm as his other arm had a partially torn triceps tendon.  That proved correct as the Ravens put up over 30 points on a previously dominant 49ers defense.  Over the course of the last week, Justin Smith once again missed a large amount of practice, but he's listed as probable for the game and that's absolutely huge.  Aldon Smith's ability to rush the passer suffers without Justin Smith eating up blocks in the middle.
     San Francisco's defense is elite once more this season as they rank 5th in the NFL in total yards allowed per game.  That defense will come in handy when facing a Green Bay team that has somehow managed to rank 6th in passing yards and 7th in average rushing yards per game this season despite the extended absence of Aaron Rodgers. 
     This, like the Colts game is one where statistical analysis is tough to rely upon for the Packers because so very much of the team's statistics were recorded with their most valuable player gone.  It is for this reason that I'll have to go make my prediction based on less mathematical factors...and that makes me totally uneasy.  I already got the Eagles game incorrect possibly because of a lack of in-depth statistical analysis.  I would like to utilize more statistical analysis for this game, but it simply doesn't make sense to do so for either team's offense.  After all, 49ers could run the read-option and their offensive numbers collected over the course of the season wouldn't mean much for a prediction of this game.
     The Packers struggled against the 49ers in the playoffs last year as their offense lacked the balance needed to attack a strong San Francisco defense.  The Packers now have far more offensive balance with an elite running back, Eddie Lacy, and great firepower with the return of Rodgers.  The 49ers are an elite running team, but they lack the power through the air that they possessed last season.  This season the 49ers have the 30th ranked pass offense, and they'll be particularly bad playing in frigid weather with high winds.  Anquan Boldin had a great game against the Packers in the season opener, but Kaepernick may have tough time simply delivering him the ball on a night like this. 
     In the end, I must go with the home team in this matchup.  The Packers are used to this weather like almost no other team in the league.  Rodgers showed us last week why he's an elite quarterback, and I have faith that that he'll take care of business tonight.

PACKERS 24-21

I ONCE AGAIN APOLOGIZE FOR THE TIMING OF THIS POST.  THE BENGALS AND EAGLES MADE A FOOL OUT OF ME AND I'M NOW 1-2 AND OFF TO MY WORST PREDICTION START OF THE HISTORY OF PURPLE NIGHTMARE.  LET'S HOPE TONIGHT BRINGS BETTER LUCK.

Saturday, January 4, 2014

NFL WILDCARD PREDICTIONS: SATURDAY GAMES

     The NFL post-season is upon us once more.  The Ravens won't be a part of the playoffs this time around, but I hope that Ravens Nation has accepted that fact and is looking forward to the upcoming draft and free agent acquisitions that the Ravens can use to strengthen their roster for next season.  Let us put aside for the next month our hopes and worries about the Ravens, and let us, as football fans, simply kick back and enjoy the bone-crushing hits, toe-tapping touchdown passes, heart-stopping last second field goals that made us fall in love with this sport in first place!
     The playoffs hold special significance for me as a blogger because they give me a chance to take more a in-depth look at a smaller number of games.  My success rate prediction playoff games is dramatically higher (my all-time record is 20-2) than that of my regular season predictions (I get about 67-70% of those correct on any given year) because I have the benefit of an entire season's worth of statistics with which to work.  A bigger sample size of any particular statistical category tends to be more useful when making predictions, but that's no secret.  The real tricks are determining which statistics are relevant and learning to totally ignore those which are not.  Those abilities are what have set Purple Nightmare apart from the rest of the world of NFL predictions for the last 2 years.  Thus far, I've frequently picked against Las Vegas oddsmakers and only got one game wrong in each of the last two post-seasons.  Let's see if this season will yield the same success.

NFL WILDCARD PREDICTIONS: SATURDAY

 CHIEFS AT COLTS

      The Colts are a great example of why one needs to be particularly discerning when selecting which statistics to utilizes for predictive analysis.  The Colts had essentially two phases to their 2013 regular season:  Phase #1 with Reggie Wayne, and Phase #2 without Reggie Wayne.  Wayne was unquestionably the best receiving weapon on the Colts' roster, and his season-ending injury during the Colts' win over the Broncos means that we must only utilize statistics recorded after Indianapolis' bye week.
     Unfortunately for our statistical analysis, predicting this game will require far less research than most other playoffs games because the Colts and Chiefs just played one another in Kansas City a few weeks ago...and the Colts won big time.  This game is less about how the Colts have done recently, and more about how the Chiefs have performed when facing actual playoff teams. 
     The Kansas City Chiefs have, during the last 7 weeks, only beaten two of the worst teams in the league, the Redskins and Raiders.  Other than the Raiders and Redskins, the Chiefs have only faced playoff teams since their bye week and lost to each one of them.  That isn't to say that the Chiefs have looked awful during that time period.  Kansas City even should have, in the opinion of many, beaten or at least had the chance to beat the Chargers last week  but did not do so because of glaring officiating errors.  What made the Chief's overtime loss to the Chargers so impressive was the fact that the Chiefs sat most of their key players while San Diego played its starters. 
     It could be that the Chiefs will come out with a strong effort against the Colts after having sat their starters for the final week of the regular season, and it could be that the Chiefs are much better than many of us expected given how well their second string played against the Chargers in San Diego.  I, however, believe the close game against the Chargers had more to do with the Chargers' preparatory apathy towards a game in which they assumed they'd be facing weak players, than the actual strength of the Chiefs. 
     The Colts appeared to have had the Chiefs figured out in their recent meeting in Kansas City.  The Chiefs defense appeared to be extremely strong earlier in the season, but has surrendered an startling amount of points since they began facing serious teams.  The Chiefs have, in fact, allowed an average of 27 points per game in their last seven games.  Yes, it's true that the Chiefs have suffered through injuries to some of their defensive stars, but some of those injured players such as Tamba Hali remain questionable leading up to tomorrow's game.  I'm sure Tamba Hai and Justin Houston will play, but their play won't be enough to give the Chiefs their first win over a team with a winning record this season...on the road...against a team that beat them 23-7 only a few weeks ago.  I'd like to be able to work in more statistics to this one, but the most important stats are the most obvious ones:  the Chiefs are 0-5 against playoff teams since their bye week, and the Chiefs already lost to the Colts recently. 
     The absence of Reggie Wayne may have actually been a blessing in disguise for Indianapolis.  The future hall-of-famer's knee injury has forced the Colts to figure out how to utilize younger receiving weapons and their rushing attack to score.  It's not that Andrew Luck and company are unbeatable.  They've lost 2 games at home this season, and have looked uneven at times.  The Colts have, nevertheless, taken down almost all of the league's most elite teams including the Broncos, Chiefs, Seahawks, and 49ers.  They beat the Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium, and they'll beat them in Lucas Oil tooThe Chiefs will be more well rested, however, so this one should be more competitive

PREDICTION: COLTS 27-21.


SAINTS AT EAGLES

     I'm sorry to say that this game also doesn't warrant a ton of different types of statistical analysis.  The Saints have, at times, appears to be a dominant team this season.  They have, however, not looked dominant on the road.  The Saints have only won 3 road games this season, and not a single one came against a playoff team.  The Saints have, in fact, only won one road game since their Week 7 bye and that road game was against the lowly Atlanta Falcons--and the Saints only BARELY won.  Since then, the Saints have faced the Seahawks, Rams, and Panthers on the road, and they've given up an average of 26 points per game in each of those three contests while only scoring an average of 12 points per game.  Hell, even if we include the Saints' road win against the Falcons in our statistics of their road wins after the bye week, the Saints still only scored an average 13.25 points per game while still allowing 22.75 points per game.
     The Saints as an organization have never won a road playoff game and this weekend won't break that trend.  Weather conditions in Philadelphia should be fairly poor for a dome team such as the Saints.  Such weather could only favor an Eagles offense that appears to play incredibly well when conditions are sloppy.  Lesean McCoy is having a career year, and Nick Foles has played efficiently and with few errors.  The Eagles don't have an amazing defense, but the Saints offense is simply to poor on the road to keep up with Chip Kelly's scoring machine.  The Eagles have scored an average of  33.25 points per game in the second half of the regular season while allowing an average of 21.375 points per game.  The moral of this story?  Forget how the Saints perform at home because it means nothing regarding how they'll do on the road and especially the road in the playoffs.

PREDICTION: EAGLES 31-23.

    I'm excited to watch the first round of NFL playoff games, but I must admit that I'm much more excited about what Sunday has in store for viewers.  No, I don't believe the Chargers are going to win in Cincinnati, but I'm thoroughly excited about seeing the 49ers take on the Packers what is shaping up to be one of the coldest playoff games on record.  

GET READY FOR THE PLAYOFFS, FOOTBALL FANS!!!

AS ALWAYS
GO RAVENS (NEXT YEAR)!!!