It's Championship weekend! In one game we have a battle of legacies and in the other we have a fierce rivalry fueled by the uncanny similarities between the two respected ball clubs. I was four for four last weekend and I like my chances this time around (of course, it only gets easier the less teams there are). Here's what I think will happen this weekend.
Denver Broncos vs. New England Patriots: The headlines read "Brady vs. Manning" but they should read "Belichick vs. Manning" because that's where the real matchup is. Belichick is a defensive mastermind; look at what he did when these two teams last faced each other in Week 12 -- when the Patriots trailed by 24 points at half time and came back to win 34-31 in overtime -- Belichick played his defense in such a way that it forced Manning to hand the ball off. Denver ran for 280 yards and Manning threw for a season-low 150 yards. The Pats will win this game by letting LeGarrette Blount continue to run wild, and Tom Brady will take advantage of a poor Denver pass-defense that lost it's starting cornerback Chris Harris for the rest of the season. Meanwhile on defense Belichick will force Manning to hand the ball off and take advantage of any errant throws. Tight end Julius Thomas was inactive in the last meeting, but watch for linebacker Jamie Collins to follow Thomas around all game.
Patriots 31 Broncos 26
Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers: This game can be summed up in one word: physical. These two teams like to physically impose their will on their opponents, talk a lot of trash, and, oh yeah, they hate each other. These is one of the better rivalries in the league right now, and the last time the 49ers played in Seattle they got their butts whooped by a score of 29-3. I believe San Fran is the better football team, but I don't believe they'll be able to win in Seattle where the 12th Man reigns supreme and the refs allow the Seattle defensive backs to inconsequentially interfere with the receivers. The Seahawks will do just enough to win the game.
Seattle 20 San Francisco 17
About Me
- Justin Sullivan
- Simply put, I am a football fanatic. I'm well-informed on the game- its players, statistics, history, rules, etc. I love the sport and I enjoy sharing my point of view.
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