2012 NFL Season – Super Bowl LXVII

Conference Championship record: 0-2  Postseason Record – 4-6

Har-Bowl!  Super Baugh!  Oh Brother!  Enough of the hype of the Harbaugh brothers and other pointless hype that always comes from the Super Bowl. (The game doesn’t even count in the standings).   It’s time to get down to football.

San Francisco 49ers vs. Baltimore Ravens (Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA)  Kickoff 5:20 Local time

Date & Time	Favorite	Spread	Underdog
2/3 6:30 ET	San Francisco	-4	Baltimore

They say that San Francisco 49ers’ Quarterback Colin Kaepernick runs like a gazelle.  The Ravens’ defense runs after quarterbacks like hunters starving for gazelle meat.  Here.

Joe Flacco is an underrated quarterback who can throw the ball far and with accuracy.  The 49ers’ defense is equally underrated and want to make some noise on the big stage.

It will all go down to special teams.  The San Francisco 49ers have placekicker David Akers.  Edge: Ravens.  Take the Ravens and the Points.  It will be a Harbaugh-ible game!  (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)

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2012 NFL Season – Division Round

Last Week: 2-2 (.500)  Playoffs: 2-2 (.500)

You win some, you lose some.  The ones I lost (Minnesota and Baltimore) came close to covering the point spread.  But close only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades, and with impatient people who just want to go home.  Once again I will give insight into the games.  Please don’t laugh.

1/12 4:30 ET Baltimore (+9.5) at Denver
Thirty years ago, John Elway had an opportunity to play for Baltimore (Colts). He demanded to be traded and was traded to the Denver Broncos. There was what seemed to be an annual tradition of the Broncos playing the Browns for the AFC Championship. The Broncos won all those games and the-then Browns soon after moved to Baltimore and became the Ravens. None of this has anything to do with Saturday’s game, except that John Elway is now the Executive Vice President of Football Operations for the Broncos and Art Modell (former owner of the Browns/Ravens) recently passed away and the current Ravens have a “Art” patch on their uniforms in his honor.  The Broncos will continue to be a pain to Art Modell post-mortem.  Take the Broncos and give the points.

1/12 8:00 ET Green Bay (+3) at San Francisco

This would have been the rematch of last year’s NFC Championship game, except that the Packers somehow lost to the eventual Super Bowl Champion New York Giants.  While the stats would suggest to take the 49ers and give the points, I have a feeling that Aaron Rodgers and the Packers find a way to win this one.  Or maybe not.  Take the 49ers and give the points.

1/13 1:00 ET Seattle (+2.5) at Atlanta

I’ll keep my logic simple.  This will be a hard fought defensive battle.  In battles like these, the team with the better running game usually wins.  Few things are harder than tackling Marshawn Lynch.  Here is a video of him in the 2010 Wild Card game against the New Orleans Saints:

Take the Seahawks and the points.

1/13 4:30 ET Houston (+9.5) at New England 

Once upon a time, this game would have been a close game and it would have been in Houston because they had the best record in the NFL for most of the season.  But football is a 16-game season and the Texans fell apart after their twelfth game.  The Patriots have been on a roll aside from a hiccup against the 49ers a few weeks ago.  Take the Patriots and give the points.

 

2012 NFL Season – Wild Card Round

Week 17: 11-5 (.656) Best Bets: 2-1 (.688)
Season to Date: 123-130-3 (.486) Best Bets: 26-24-1 (.520)

The hot last two weeks was not quite enough to bring me ro the ,500 mark.  There’s always next year.  But this year is the playoffs and a new chance to show my smarts (or lack thereof).   For the playoffs I will give insight as to how each game is going to go.  This is a chance to see how a real life presidential candidate thinks.

Date & Time     Favorite          Spread          Underdog

1/5 4:30 ET         At Houston          -4.5                Cincinnati

The Texans are reeling, having lost three out of the last four games.  The Bengals look impressive against the Browns and Chiefs, but not as impressive against playoff-caliber teams.  Houston survives this game only to get slapped around next week.  Take the Texans and give the points.

1/5 8:00 ET        At Green Bay       -7.5               Minnesota

The temperature in Minnesota will be around 20 degrees Fahrenheit at kickoff.  This would be good news if Minnesota played outdoors and was at home.  It will be about the same temperature in Green Bay, where they do play outdoors.  The Packers should win, but Adrian Petersen should keep it close.  Take the Vikings and the points.

1/6 1:00 ET       At Baltimore         -7                   Indianapolis

Once upon a time, the city of Baltimore would love nothing more than to see the Colts win a playoff game.  The city will be bumming after the Colts win in Baltimore this Sunday.  Mainly because the Colts are Indianapolis’s team while Baltimore has the original Browns team (now called the Ravens).  Take the Colts (Indianapolis) and the points.

1/6 4:30 ET       Seattle                     -3                 At Washington

Seattle fans see “Seattle at Washington” and wish this game was being played in the state of Washington and not the District of Columbia.   Unfortunately, this is the end of the road for my Washington Redskins.  😦  The Seahawks will run and throw all over the ‘Skins and win easily.  Take the Seahawks and give the points.

NFL Year in Preview

Before I make my predictions for the year, I would like to say that the weekly predictions will not be posted here this year.  The weekly picks will be made every Thursday on my other blog.  You can follow the picks every week by clicking here:

AFC East: 

NY Jets

New England

Miami

Buffalo

AFC North:

Pittsburgh

Baltimore

Cleveland

Cincinnati

AFC South:

Houston

Jacksonville

Indianapolis

Tennessee

AFC West

Oakland

San Diego

Denver

Kansas City

 

NFC East

Philadelphia

Dallas

Washington

NY Giants

 

NFC North

Detroit

Green Bay

Chicago

Minnesota

 

NFC South

Atlanta

New Orleans

Tampa Bay

Carolina

 

NFC West

Arizona

St.  Louis

San Francisco

Seattle

When the smoke clears, Super Bowl XLVI will be between the Baltimore Ravens (They make the playoffs as a wild card) and the Detroit Lions.  The Lions win their first Super Bowl in overtime 23-17.

The Nanny State and Dead Birds

Two different subjects in one post

The Nanny State: It seems that we are becoming a nanny state.  This concerns me greatly.  A few of my friends growing up had nannies and they scared me.  They were nice people, but the way they dressed scared me and I hope America doesn’t go down this road.

Is this how you want your future to end up? Me neither!

Dead Birds:

There have been a rash of birds dying in recent weeks.  A convocation of Eagles died last weekend in Philadelphia last Sunday.  There were two more dead bird sightings today.  An unkindness of Ravens were found dead in downtown Pittsburgh.  A cast of Falcons got dirty and died in Atlanta tonight.  Things are not looking good for a flock of Seahawks flying around a Bear den in Chicago.

We need laws to protect birds.  We do not need laws to protect stupid people.

NFL 2009 Division Round Playoffs

I actually had a good week picking last week’s games, going 3-1.  After getting the Jets-Bengals game wrong to start the weekend, I rung up three consecutive wins.  If I keep this up, I could replace Frank Caliendo on Fox’s Pre-Game show or Elinor Clift on The McLaughlin Group.

Arizona Cardinals (+7) at New Orleans Saints

What happens when two high-powered offenses collide?  The game usually becomes a defensive struggle.  The Saints will probably win it, but it will be low scoring enough for the Cardinals to cover.  Take the Cardinals and the points.

Baltimore Ravens (+6.5) at Indianapolis Colts

The focus will be on the Colts’ high octane offense against the Ravens’ stifling defense.  The game will be decided though on the Colts’ unheralded defense stopping Ray Rice and flustering Joe Flacco often enough to force him to turn the ball and the Colts defense scoring a touchdown.  Take the Colts and give the points.

Dallas Cowboys (+3) at Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings struggled at the end of the season while the Cowboys picked up steam.  The football gods will rub more salt into Redskins’ fans wounds and make the Cowboys win in a laughter.  Take the Cowboys and the points.

New York Jets (+7) at San Diego Chargers

Both teams come into this game as hot as global warming the sun.  Mark Sanchez returns to the state where he was born and raised.  He’ll do the things that need to be done to allow the Jets to win. (Hand the ball off to Thomas Jones, throw a screen pass to Thomas Jones, etc.)  Take the Jets and the points.

Last week: 3-1  Playoffs: 3-1