It's the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs, and it is indeed where the division of the NFL's upper caste occurs. Sometimes a chump team sneaks past a contender. Sometimes, a contender simply blows a game. Sometimes a QB gets his knee torn up. Ish happens.
The joke is usually only funny for a week, which is when the heavyweights come to the table. To advance now is to outgun Peyton Manning or to outfox Bill Belichick... no mean feat. The conference finals in the NFL generally have a pretty strict No Bozos policy.
Then you look at the NFC....
Don't get me wrong- I root for a team that came from nowhere to become the Improbable Dynasty. Anything can happen in the NFL, and usually does.
Washington has a coach who can ice half a fist in championship karat. Seattle went 12-4. Chicago gives up 13 points in a bad game. Carolina has been to the dance before. None of them has a chance of winning the whole enchilada.
That doesn't mean that one of them won't do it. Someone from the NFC is guaranteed a spot in the final game. I just wouldn't bet any of them against the Patriots or the Colts. None of them can match the Patriots when it comes to a big game, and Indy's failings have been no greater than the others still left in the chase.
I've been wrong before, and I'm sure that my view is not the majority view... but I see the essential Super Bowl being conducted next week in Indianapolis' sissy domed stadium.
If New England wins, they'll admit that no game had them more shook than the Indy game in January. If Peyton wins, it'll all be downhill once he peaks at the defeat of his personal Heartbreak Hill.
Once you ascribe to that line of reasoning, you are sort of going backwards from deciding the best team issue with the rest of the playoffs once Brady and Manning settle their differences in the conference finals. I'm assuming New England beats Denver, which may not even happen.
Anyhow... here's how I see it being worked out.
- Seattle vs Washington
The mere presence of these two teams in the playoffs has probably bankrupted more than one long-range sports gambler who saw Michael Vick or Donovan McNabb being in the playoffs this year.
I envision Seattle prevailing... if for no other reason than they probably hate saying that, no, actually, they live in Washington STATE. Look for them to take out a lifetime of frustration over this on Southeast Jerome.
Seattle, 18-17
- Chicago vs Carolina
Carolina seems to be an overwhelming favorite to me, so I'll wish for Chicago to give them a 11-10 Urlachering in what I'm hoping will be miserable weather, while making the sensible bet on the Pants.
Carolina, 17-13
- Pittsburgh vs Indianapolis
The chances of Kimo Sabe conducting a repeat performance of his Jack The Ripper act on Manning's anterior cruciate ligament seem pretty small... which is too bad, because it is the only way I see Pittsburgh beating the Colts.
Again, who I root for and whoI bet on are two very different creatures... even when The Chin is involved somehow.
Indy, 28-13
3 comments:
Dear Monponsett,
Looking good! Great predictions! Monponsett youare good!
hugggggggggs, natalie
Your picks seem reasonable, and I tend to agree with them, but I'm going to go out on a limb here and pick the steel chin's to upset the peyton placers 27- 24 :>)
Look for the steelers to beat Indy and the Pats to beat Denver. Then the Pats play Pitt in Foxboro next Sunday.
In the NFC, look for the Bears to beat Carolina and Seattle over Washington. The Bears then lose to Seattle in Seattle.
Going out on a limb???
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