Playoff Predictions: Super Bowl

Super Bowl XLVIII is just two days away. The two best teams in the league, the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks, will go head to head at Metlife Stadium where, according to accuweather.com, the temperature will be in the low forties with thirteen mile per hour winds. That's good weather for football! This game features a Denver offense that put up the most points per game and a Seattle defense that allowed the fewest points per game, in the regular season, per cbssports.com. One aspect of this game that I'm very interested in is how it will officiated. If you haven't noticed, Seattle's defensive backs get away with a lot of extra contact and holding of opposing receivers, while Denver's offense runs illegal picks like they're playing basketball. Neither team gets penalized nearly as often as they should. But, this being the Super Bowl I'm sure the refs will let them play, and rightfully so. Without further ado here is my prediction for Super Bowl XLVIII.

Denver Broncos vs. Seattle Seahawks: Peyton Manning leads his high powered offense against Richard Sherman and the stingy Seahawks defense. While the 'Hawks defense is great, there's no question Manning is going put up points. And when that happens, I don't think that Russell Wilson has the weapons to go throw-for-throw with Manning. Seattle's game plan should be to run the ball early and keep Denver's offense on the sideline, that's the way to beat a great quarterback like Peyton Manning. However, I don't think they'll be able to do it. Broncos 24 Seahawks 20

Team Needs: NFC

Key positional needs for each NFC team this offseason.

NFC North
Chicago Bears- DL, SS, OLB, CB
Detroit Lions- CB, WR, TE
Green Bay Packers- TE, FS, CB, ILB
Minnesota Vikings- QB, OLB, DE

NFC East
Dallas Cowboys- DL, FS, CB
New York Giants- LB, DL, OG, WR, TE
Philadelphia Eagles- WR, SS, OLB
Washington- DL, SS, CB, ILB, TE

NFC South
Atlanta Falcons- OT, DE, TE, ILB
Carolina Panthers- WR, OG, CB, Safety
New Orleans Saints- OLB, OT, CB, K, WR
Tampa Bay Buccaneers- OT, OLB/DE, WR, TE

NFC West
Arizona Cardinals- OT, TE, OLB
San Francisco 49ers- WR, DL, CB
Seattle Seahawks- WR, TE, OL
St. Louis Rams- WR, OL, FS

Team Needs: AFC

With Super Bowl less than two weeks away I think it's an appropriate time to start talking about the upcoming offseason. There are several teams that already have new coaching staffs and general managers, so really the offseason has already begun. I've listed the key positional needs of each team, by division, starting with the AFC.

AFC North
Baltimore Ravens- WR, OT, TE, C
Cincinnati Bengals- SS, OT, OLB, WR
Cleveland Browns- QB, RB, OG/C
Pittsburgh Steelers- OT, CB, WR, FS, RB

AFC East
Buffalo Bills- OLB, TE, OT
Miami Dolphins- OT, OG, RB, CB
New England Patriots- OG/C, TE, DL, CB
New York Jets- WR, TE, OG, DB

AFC South
Houston Texans- QB, DL, ILB
Indianapolis Colts- OL, CB, RB, DT, ILB
Jacksonville Jaguars- QB, OT, DE, RB
Tennessee Titans- FS, QB, DE

AFC West
Denver Broncos- DL, CB, ILB, C
Kansas City Chiefs- OG, TE, WR, DL
Oakland Raiders- QB, OL, RB, DB, DL, WR
San Diego Chargers- CB, OLB, OG, WR

Updated Mock Draft

1. Houston Texans- Blake Bortles, QB, Central Florida
2. St. Louis Rams (via Washington)- Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M
3. Jacksonville Jaguars- Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina
4. Oakland Raiders- Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville
5. Cleveland Browns- Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M
6. Atlanta Falcons- Greg Robinson, OT, Auburn
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Khalil Mack, OLB, Buffalo
8. Minnesota Vikings- Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA
9. Buffalo Bills- C.J. Mosley, OLB, Alabama
10. Detroit Lions- Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson
11. Tennessee Titans- Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix, FS, Alabama
12. New York Giants- Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan
13. St. Louis Rams- Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M
14. Chicago Bears- Louis Nix III, DT, Notre Dame
15. Pittsburgh Steelers- Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan St.
16. Baltimore Ravens- Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Florida St.
17. Dallas Cowboys- Kony Ealy, DE, Missouri
18. New York Jets- Marqise Lee, WR, USC
19. Miami Dolphins- Zack Martin, OT/OG, Notre Dame
20. Arizona Cardinals- Cyrus Kouandjio, OT, Alabama
21. Green Bay Packers- Eric Ebron, TE, North Carolina
22. Philadelphia Eagles- Scott Crichton, DE, Oregon St. 
23. Kansas City Chiefs- Jace Amaro, TE, Texas Tech
24. Cincinnati Bengals- Ryan Shazier, OLB, Ohio St.
25. San Diego Chargers- Justin Gilbert, CB, Oklahoma St.
26. Cleveland Browns (via Colts)- Odell Beckham Jr, WR, LSU
27. New Orleans Saints- Jason Verrett, CB, TCU
28. Carolina Panthers- Allen Robinson, WR, Penn St.
29. New England Patriots- David Yankey, OG, Stanford
30. San Francisco 49ers- Ra'Shede Hageman, DT, Minnesota
31. Seattle Seahawks- Brandin Cooks, WR, Oregon St.
32. Denver Broncos- Travis Swanson, OC, Arkansas

Playoff Predictions: Championship Round

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

Prospects who may have left school too soon

Every year we see underclassmen prematurely leave for the pros. The fame and money these young men may receive in the pros -- and agents convincing them it's in their best interest to turn pro -- is so alluring that it clouds their judgment, and they tend to suffer because of it.  Leaving school early can result in players being a bust (if drafted early), millions of dollars in salary differences, and the loss of a college degree. Am I being over dramatic? Sure, maybe a tad. But I'm trying to make a point! Here are the underclassmen in this year's draft who I believe would have benefited more from another year at school.

Vinnie Sunseri, SS, Alabama- Sunseri missed the second half of the season with a knee injury that required surgery. Even if he hadn't suffered the injury, I still wouldn't think he's ready for the pros. He's too weak in pass-coverage and that won't fly in the pass happy NFL. He's a backup and special teamer at best.
Projected Round: 5-6, 4-5
Aaron Lynch, DE, South Florida- Lynch transferred from Notre Dame to South Florida after his freshman season in 2011. Due to transfer rules he was forced to miss the 2012 season. He is a skilled player but failed to dominate the American conference the way many anticipated. Had he returned for his junior year, a solid season would have done his done wonders for his '15 draft stock.
Projected Round: 4-5, 4
George Atkinson III, RB, Notre Dame- As a Fighting Irish fan, I never envisioned Atkinson as NFL caliber running back. One more year in college (whether it be with the Irish or another school) would have done him good considering his lack of production. He's big (6'1", 220lbs.) and has track star speed, but doesn't make an impression on the field. He didn't do himself any favors when he was suspended for violating team rules, either.
Projected Round: 7, 7-FA
Kapri Bibbs, RB, Colorado St.- After just one season of seeing the field -- granted it was a very impressive season -- redshirt sophomore Kapri Bibbs is going pro. Bibbs ran for 1,741 yards and 31 touchdowns in 2013, but one great season against lesser competition isn't going to cut it. If he's looking to get drafted early, he needs to dominate for more than one season and do so consistently. He probably should have returned to school.
Projected Round: 6-7, 7
Martavis Bryant, WR, Clemson- Bryant caught 42 passes for 828 yards and seven touchdowns -- all career highs-- in 2013. A lot of that success stemmed from the double coverage Sammy Watkins drew. If Bryant returned for his senior season and put up good numbers without Watkins he would have improved his draft stock next year.
Projected Round: 3-4, 2-3
Kelcy Quarles, DT, South Carolina- Quarles had an impressive season, earning All-SEC First Team honors. The knock on Quarles is going to be that his success was due in the large part to teammate Jadeveon Clowney requiring extra blockers, freeing up Quarles to one-on-one matchups and less attention. I think he should have returned for his senior year and shown that his production wasn't because of his other-worldly teammate.
Projected Round: 3, 2-3
Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Florida St.- You might be surprised to see Benjamin on this list and to be fair, I ranked him last because he's the most pro-ready of this bunch. He has all the talent and ability, but I think he should have returned for his junior season. In my opinion, one great season isn't enough to warrant the kind of hype he's receiving. Do it consistently, year in and year out. He didn't dominate as a freshman and he's still a raw route runner. I would have liked to see him return and improve his overall game. This year's draft class is stocked at wide receiver and he may have been the consensus number one wide out if he came out next year.
Projected Round: 1-2, 1

*Projected Rounds: My Projection, www.NFLDraftScout.com Projection
**Stats courtesy of www.sports-reference.com/cfb  

Post-Bowl Games 2014 Prospect Rankings: 51-100

51. Jarvis Landry, WR, LSU (6'0", 195lbs.)
52. Davante Adams, WR, Fresno St. (6'2", 216lbs.)
53. Gabe Jackson, OG, Mississippi St. (6'3", 340lbs.)
54. Troy Niklas, TE, Notre Dame (6'7", 270lbs.)
55. Trevor Reilly, DE, Utah (6'5", 255lbs.)
56. Tajh Boyd, QB, Clemson (6'1", 225lbs.)
57. Jeremy Hill, RB, LSU (6'2", 235lbs.)
58. Antonio Richardson, OT, Tennessee (6'6", 327lbs.)
59. Kyle Fuller, CB, Virginia Tech (6'0", 194lbs.)
60. Shayne Skov, ILB, Stanford (6'3", 244lbs.)
61. Paul Richardson, WR, Colorado (6'1", 172lbs.)
62. Dee Ford, OLB, Auburn (6'2", 240lbs.)
63. Marcus Roberson, CB, Florida (6'0", 195lbs.)
64. Jack Mewhort, OT, Ohio St. (6'6", 308lbs.)
65. Carl Bradford, OLB, Arizona St. (6'1", 243lbs.)
66. Chris Borland, ILB, Wisconsin (5'11", 246lbs.)
67. Chris Smith, DE, Arkansas (6'2", 268lbs.)
68. DaQuan Jones, DT, Penn St. (6'3", 318lbs.)
69. C.J. Fiedorowicz, TE, Iowa (6'6", 265lbs.)
70. Carlos Hyde, RB, Ohio St. (6'0", 235lbs.)
71. Dion Bailey, SS, USC (6'0", 200lbs.)
72. Anthony Steen, OG, Alabama (6'2", 310lbs.)
73. Ahmad Dixon, SS, Baylor (6'0", 205lbs.)
74. E.J. Gaines, CB, Missouri (5'11", 195lbs.)
75. Charles Sims, RB, West Virginia (6'0", 213lbs.)
76. Christian Jones, OLB, Florida St. (6'3", 232lbs.)
77. A.J. McCarron, QB, Alabama (6'4", 214lbs.)
78. Jackson Jeffcoat, OLB, Texas (6'5", 250lbs.)
79. Kelcy Quarles, DT, South Carolina (6'3", 298lbs.)
80. Telvin Smith, OLB, Florida St. (6'2", 218lbs.)
81. JuWaun James, OT, Tennessee (6'6", 318lbs.)
82. Dominique Easley, DT, Florida (6'2", 285lbs.)
83. Ed Reynolds, FS, Stanford (6'2", 205lbs.)
84. Zach Mettenberger, QB, LSU (6'5", 230lbs.)
85. Weston Richburg, OC, Colorado St. (6'4", 300lbs.)
86. Marcus Smith, DE, Louisville (6'3", 252lbs.)
87. Kareem Martin, DE, North Carolina (6'5", 265lbs.)
88. James Hurst, OT, North Carolina (6'6", 305lbs.)
89. Keith McGill, CB, Utah (6'2", 205lbs.)
90. Michael Sam, DE, Missouri (6'2", 255lbs.)
91. Louchiez Purifoy, CB, Florida (6'1", 190lbs.)
92. Jared Abbrederis, WR, Wisconsin (6'1", 190lbs.)
93. Lache Seastrunk, RB, Baylor (5'10", 210lbs.)
94. Joel Bitonio, OT, Nevada (6'4", 315lbs.)
95. Anthony Johnson, DT, LSU (6'2", 295lbs.)
96. Terrance Mitchell, CB, Oregon (6'0", 190lbs.)
97. DeMarcus Lawrence, DE, Boise St. (6'3", 245lbs.)
98. T.J. Jones, WR, Notre Dame (5'11", 190lbs.)
99. Jeremiah Attaochu, OLB, Georgia Tech (6'3", 242lbs.)
100. Bishop Sankey, RB, Washington (5'10", 203lbs.)

Playoff Prediction: Divisional Round

I was an abysmal one for four last week. I expect to improve upon that as we enter the second round of the playoffs. Plenty of great matchups on the best weekend of the season. Here's how I see it all playing out.

Seattle Seahawks vs. New Orleans Saints: The Saints went on the road and beat a tough Eagles team last week. However, playing in Seattle is a completely different monster. The infamous "12th Man" -- combined with the ferocious Seahawks defense -- will make things extremely difficult for Drew Brees and Co. Marshawn Lynch leads the league's 4th best rushing attack against a Saints defense that's ranked 18th against the run. My money's on Seattle. Seahawks 27 Saints 17
New England Patriots vs. Indianapolis Colts: No disrespect to the Colts, but I just don't see them winning this game. They're simply not good enough. The Patriots running game will be able to dominate and Brady will find the holes in the secondary. I expect Aqib Talib to hold T.Y. Hilton in check. And don't forget the Patriots thrive at home. Patriots 30 Colts 20
Carolina Panthers vs. San Francisco 49ers: This is the matchup I'm looking forward to the most. Two fast, physical defenses that boast the two best linebacking corps in the league. I expect to see a lot of trash talking and extra curricular activity after the whistles. The Panthers won't have Steve Smith at full health, and without him this offense isn't such a threat. 49ers 26 Panthers 23
Denver Broncos vs. San Diego Chargers: San Diego did a great job defeating the Bengals in Cincinnati, a feat no other team accomplished this season. I believe that San Diego has a slight chance to win this game because I believe Phillip Rivers can score plenty of points against this weak Broncos defense, but he won't be able to score more than Manning. Broncos 38 Chargers 27

Post-Bowl Games 2014 Prospect Rankings: 1-50

With the conclusion of yet another exciting bowl season in college football -- the last before the new four team playoff goes into effect in 2014 -- it's time to update my Top 100 2014 Draft Prospects. The list has been altered based on players' performances in the big games and how they translate to the next level.

1. Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville (6'3", 205lbs.)
2. Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA (6'4", 248lbs.)
3. Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M (6'5", 306lbs.)
4. Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina (6'5", 274lbs.)
5. Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson (6'1", 205lbs.)
6. Greg Robinson, OT, Auburn (6'5", 320lbs.)
7. Khalil Mack, OLB, Buffalo (6'3", 248lbs.)
8. Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan St. (5'11", 197lbs.)
9. Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M (5'11", 210lbs.)
10. C.J. Mosley, LB, Alabama (6'3", 232lbs.)
11. Blake Bortles, QB, Central Florida (6'4", 230lbs.)
12. Cyrus Kouandjio, OT, Alabama (6'5", 312lbs.)
13. Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M (6'5", 225lbs.)
14. Eric Ebron, TE, North Carolina (6'4", 245lbs.)
15. Kony Ealy, DE, Missouri (6'5", 275lbs.)
16. Louis Nix, DT, Notre Dame (6'3", 350lbs.)
17. Marqise Lee, WR, USC (6'0", 195lbs.)
18. Stephon Tuitt, DE, Notre Dame (6'6", 320lbs.)
19. Justin Gilbert, CB, Oklahoma St. (6'0", 200lbs.)
20. Zack Martin, OG/OT, Notre Dame (6'4", 308lbs.)
21. Ryan Shazier, OLB, Ohio St. (6'2", 230lbs.)
22. Cyril Richardson, OG, Baylor (6'5", 340lbs.)
23. Ra'Shede Hageman, DT, Minnesota (6'6", 311lbs.)
24. Jace Amaro, TE, Texas Tech (6'5", 260lbs.)
25. Trent Murphy, DE, Stanford (6'6", 261lbs.)
26. David Yankey, OG, Stanford (6'5", 314lbs.)
27. Derek Carr, QB, Fresno St. (6'3", 218lbs.)
28. Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Florida St. (6'5", 242lbs.)
29. Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan (6'7", 315lbs.)
30. Travis Swanson, OC, Arkansas (6'4", 318lbs.)
31. Allen Robinson, WR, Penn St. (6'3", 210lbs.)
32. Jason Verrett, CB, TCU (5'10", 176lbs.)
33. Odell Beckham Jr., WR, LSU (5'11", 193lbs.)
34. Kyle Van Noy, OLB, BYU (6'3", 245lbs.)
35. Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE, Washington (6'6", 276lbs.)
36. Timmy Jernigan, DT, Florida St. (6'2", 298lbs.)
37. Calvin Pryor, FS, Louisville (6'2", 208lbs.)
38. Jordan Matthews, WR, Vanderbilt (6'3", 205lbs.)
39. Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh (6'0", 285lbs.)
40. Ka'Deem Carey, RB, Arizona (5'10", 207lbs.)
41. Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio St. (5'11", 192lbs.)
42. Will Sutton, DT, Arizona St. (6'0", 305lbs.)
43. Marcus Roberson, CB, Florida (6'0", 195lbs.)
44. Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix, FS, Alabama (6'1", 208lbs.)
45. Scott Crichton, DE, Oregon St. (6'3", 265lbs.)
46. Deone Bucannon, SS, Washington St. (6'1", 215lbs.)
47. Xavier Su'a-Filo, OG, UCLA (6'3", 305lbs.)
48. Brandin Cooks, WR, Oregon St. (5'10", 186lbs.)
49. LaMarcus Joyner, CB, Florida St. (5'8", 195lbs.)
50. Tre Mason, RB, Auburn (5'9", 205lbs.)

Playoff Predictions: Wild Card Round

The playoffs have finally arrived! This is the NFL there's no best of seven here, it's one and done. It's Wild Card weekend and we have four matchups intriguing matchups: Colts vs. Chiefs, Eagles vs. Saints, Bengals vs. Chargers, and Packers vs. 49ers. Here are my predictions for each matchup.

Indianapolis Colts vs. Kansas City Chiefs: The Colts are playing at home, which is normally an advantage, however after having trouble selling all their tickets there may be some empty seats resulting in less noise while the Chiefs' offense is on the field. Indy went on the road in Week 16 to beat K.C. 23-7, so I know they have plenty of confidence this time around. The Chiefs rested most of their starters last week and I think that extra rest will pay off. I have a hunch Kansas City wins this game. Chiefs 24 Colts 19.
Philadelphia Eagles vs. New Orleans Saints: This is the game I'm most looking forward too this weekend. A matchup between two high-powered offenses that overshadow their defenses. I think LeSean McCoy will have another big game for the Eagles and help keep Drew Brees on the sideline. Eagles 31 Saints 27
Cincinnati Bengals vs. San Diego Chargers: This is a no brainer. San Diego barely beat a K.C. team last week that rested almost all of the starting players, and they were given a huge assist from the officials. The Bengals will handle the Chargers and I expect Dalton to clean up his game and minimize the interceptions. Bengals 31 Chargers 17
Green Bay Packers vs. San Francisco 49ers: Come 4:40 p.m. tomorrow it's expected to -2 degrees with a feel of 25-below. Bad news for all involved, but especially for the 49ers who are accustomed to sunny California. However, San Fran boasts the league's third best ground game while the Packers have the 25th ranked rushing defense. 49ers 24 Packers 20