NFL Championship Games: ZZZZZZZZ Edition

 Bucs-Packers:

Prediction: Hard-fought game, but the Packers are the better team and on their own turf, so they should stick it out.

Reality: WHAT DOES IT TAKE? WHAT DOES IT FRIGGING TAKE FOR THIS TEAM TO WIN AN NFC CHAMPIONSHIP? We've tried playing teams that aren't as good as ours, we've tried playing teams with no offense, we've tried playing teams with the homefield advantage for once. Nothing works. Regardless of how good this Packers team was, the Bucs' defense was better, and made for a truly disappointing end to the season. Now Tom Brady goes to another super bowl, and the Packers, who deserved to, don't.

Bills- Chiefs

Prediction: I'd LIKE the Bills to win but the Chiefs are the better team, especially with Mahomes back

Reality: Yeeeahhh, this one wasn't even close, was it? As good as Josh Allen was, Patrick Mahomes was better, and had some explosive TD plays all night. Yes, Eric Fisher won't be heading to Tampa in 2 weeks, but Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce and the whole gang were on fire tonight, and dwarfed a Super Bowl-caliber Bills team. 

So now we're looking at a Bucs-Chiefs Super Bowl. Brady vs. Mahomes. How absolutely boring. This is the kind of outcome that people predicted early in the season that I shrugged off because it couldn't be that cut and dry. But, sure enough, the Chiefs repeat as AFC Champs, and Brady and the Bucs sniveled their way to another Bowl themselves. I guess I'm rooting for the Chiefs again? I dunno, it's a conflictingly bland matchup, and I'm glad I can just watch it as yet another Super Bowl I don't have a vested interest in than to actually have a horse in it. 

Whatever. It's a Super Bowl at home, but this isn't really the genuine Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is it? It's a team that Tom Brady has hijacked in an effort to win a seventh ring that he doesn't need. The only excited Bucs fans that are gonna be there in 2 weeks will be bandwagoners.  And yes, maybe a few diehard fans, but this isn't really a homegrown, earned team like the 2003 one was, is it? 

Whatever. We're nearly back at baseball season. You'll hear less of my grumblings over time. 

NFL Division Games: I Think I Like How This is Looking Edition

 

Rams-Packers:

Prediction: The Packers at Lambeau will walk all over the Rams. It won't even be close. 

Reality: ....yeeeeeahhh. Though it was a tense, tight game for a bit, the Pack pulled away late and despite the best attempts by Sean McVay and friends, it wasn't close. Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams, Aaron Jones, Robert Tonyan and A.J. Dillon are looking pretty dominant, and looked even scarier on Saturday. I'd love to see this team finally make another Super Bowl, but it all comes down to how tough their NFC Championship opponents will be. 

Bills-Ravens:

Prediction: The Ravens have the momentum, and they have the toughest running QB in the AFC. It'll be close, but the Ravens will show up and take it late.

Reality: Not that. The Ravens only scored a field goal all night. Lamar Jackson was taken out with a concussion, and Lamar Huntley had to finish the game for them. Meanwhile, Josh Allen continues to play like Josh Allen, Diggs and Singletary had big games, Taron Johnson had that incredible interception return for a touchdown, and the Bills massive seem to be more excited than they've been in years. I hope something happens for them this year. I really do.

Chiefs-Browns

Prediction: It won't especially be close. Chiefs win again.

Reality: It was actually kinda close, in that the Browns were within a touchdown, and if things had gone differently, they could have come back and won it all. But the way the Chiefs had the ball in the late 4th, it was never gonna happen, even without Pat Mahomes. I'm sincerely hoping that Mahomes is back next week for the Chiefs, even though I'm not sure how serious the concussion was. At the very least, the Chiefs still have a lot of nice pieces doing well for them, and the Browns have a finish they can be proud of as the regroup for 2021. Still...if the Chiefs don't have Mahomes next week, the Bills might have to start packing for Tampa.

Saints-Bucs

Prediction: It'll be close, but the Saints have the edge in terms of the way the teams are built, so they'll pull out in the end. 

Reality: FOUR PICKS? FOUR PICKS OFF OF DREW BREES? Lord almighty, that is not the way you wanna round out a career. That is just terrible. Brady, Evans, Suh...they all outdid them, and the defense came out in droves. Even if Brees had the better first half, Brady and the Bucs had the momentum. And once again, the Saints fans get absolutely tortured in January. I hate it. I absolutely hate it. 

Next week- Packers-Bucs, Chiefs-Bills. Three teams I enjoy and one Brady-fronted dud. I'd love a Packers-Bills Bowl, I'd be fine with a Super Bowl I rematch, and I will be very angry if the Bucs end up going to a damned Super Bowl. 

NFL Wild Card Round: Subverting Expectations, And Also Not

 

Bills-Colts

My Prediction: The Bills will steamroll Indianapolis and it won't be close.

Reality: Not...as such. This was a really close game, and really entertaining to watch. Yes, there was the angle of 'THIS COULD BE PHILIP RIVERS' LAST GAME' and such, but even still Rivers was hanging in there, and making solid throws even well into the death throes of his team's efforts. But...it was impossible to stop the Bills from still outscoring them, as Diggs and Beasley still had great showings. The last quarter was tense as hell, but the final hail mary was a wash, and the Bills had a crucial playoff win at home, their first in 25 years. I couldn't be any more here for it, and I hope their good luck continues.

Seahawks-Rams:

My Prediction: It'll be hard fought, but there's no way the Rams will beat the Seahawks at home with a no-name starting at QB.

Reality: I was...kinda right? The Rams didn't win with Wohlford at QB, they won with Jared Goff there. Even if Goff isn't quite what he was supposed to be when they drafted them [why do I sense another QB trade with Philly coming on?], Goff still led the Rams to a win despite his lack of throwing prowess. Simply because Russell Wilson couldn't get stuff done, and because Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey kept blocking him at every turn. Therefore, the Rams, who could get past the Seattle defense in its depleted state, came away with the victory. Of course. 

It's looking like the Rams will have to go to Green Bay next week, as they're currently the lowest seeded team still in the race, so I wish McVay and the gang the best of luck. They've won at Lambeau before, but not with a scattered team like this. 

Bucs-Washington

Prediction: Yes, the Buccaneers are going to win, but it'd be nice if Washington put up a biiiit of fight.

Reality: That's kinda what happened. The Washington Nonames were forced to start Taylor Heinicke at QB, as Alex Young was hurt, as he tends to be. So...Taylor Heinicke against the greatest QB of our times...what do YOU think happened? Honestly...Heinicke had some prime time moments, scored some TDs, showed some promise for whatever squad signs him as a backup in 2021, but...this game belonged to Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Antonio Brown, Leonard Fournette, and the entire crew of veterans in Tampa. It wasn't gonna be close, and props to Washington for making it close, but...this was inevitable. 

Ravens-Titans

Prediction: Derrick Henry game v2. Titans are the better team, Ravens had more struggles during the season, Titans will win out.

Reality: The Lamar Jackson that should have showed up in last year's Titans-Ravens game showed up today, with some amazing running plays and touchdowns, plus some great work from the defense keeping Henry at bay. The Ravens looked more confident than they've looked in the playoffs in years, and deserved that win. 

Bears-Saints

Prediction: Saints won't even make it close.

Reality: I mean, that first half was kinda close. It was a game of defenses and stalemates, and it was a really dull game to broadcast on Nickelodeon. But, the Saints came alive in the second half and put Trubisky and the Bears away, as predicted. They'll play the Bucs next week, and that'll be interesting- Brady v. Brees for a crack at Rodgers [or...Goff?]

Browns-Steelers

Prediction: Okay the Steelers will probably win but man it'd be nice if the Browns found a way to get ahead somehow.

Reality: WHOA. THIS IS MORE LIKE IT. It's not a complete drubbing because the Steelers still scored 37 points and it's not a good sign for how the Browns will handle the Chiefs next week, but MAN THAT WAS SATISFYING. The Browns got their first playoff win in years, Landry and Chubb had big games, Baker Mayfield proved he can deliver in the playoffs, and a team that was undefeated til mid-November was sent home early. This is why I started watching football again, to see fun stuff like this again. It may not last long, but it's good to see the Browns victorious in the postseason for the first time in my lifetime. 

Next week, the plot thickens, and hopefully a good final picture forms. 

Football Predictions: Week Six

Sorry I've been away for most of the week, but being a college student is busy as hell. Long story.

Bottom line is I'm back, hopefully for good. And this week feels like the right week to be back into predicting. A lot of really nice match ups this week. Might as well get right into them, as nobody reads this paragraph anyway.


Jaguars vs. Titans:
Who Should Win: Titans, as they have the better record. This matchup is between two teams who aren't doing too well, as the Jags are 0-5, and the Titans aren't doing much better. However, the Titans have a few things the Jaguars don't. For instance- one win, a quarterback that isn't god-awful, and one or two receivers that are good and aren't rookies. Saying that the Titans have a more polished team than the Jaguars is not saying much at all, but the Titans have the shot going in.
Who Will Win: Titans. I only include the 'who will win' column because in a lot of match ups, the team that is projected via standings to win is not as good as the team that will likely win. Well, here this column s just used to basically say the same shit as the last column. Master Bortles, I bid thee the best of luck.
Overall: Titans over Jags. Likely to be low-scoring.

I rarely ever use captions, but check out the cameraman's expression. 

Ravens vs. Buccaneers:
Who Should Win: Ravens. Meanwhile, in the AFC North, the Ravens are having something that very nearly resembles a comeback season. I say very nearly because the division is so close together that it's kind of hard to say that anyone's having a comeback season. The Ravens are 3-2, and doing pretty well, especially given the circumstances that their best receiver got ousted. Meanwhile, the Bucs are 1-4. Kind of surprising that Mike Glennon still has his job.
Who Will Win: Ravens. This isn't too shocking, as the Ravens are indeed the better team, even if the Bucs have people like Vincent Jackson and Doug Martin to at least do some good things. I say this because if they had a better roster, the Bucs would be doing better this season. They have some good elements, but the crap elements keep overtaking them. Meanwhile, Joe Flacco and the Ravens (as the TV ads are no doubt referring to them as) will have no trouble steamrolling over them.
Overall: Ravens over Bucs.

Broncos vs. Jets:
Who Should Win: Broncos. I was with a Jets fan yesterday, and a friend of mine asked him a question that Jets fans are no doubt used to hearing at this point: "D'you think they'll wait til the end of the season to fire Rex Ryan?' Yep, it's one of those kind of seasons for the Jets. Their only win was against the Oakland Raiders, who have already done the right thing and left their coach stranded in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with nothing but John Madden's autobiography. Meanwhile, here they are, going up against the Denver Broncos, who are, despite the loss, still one of the best teams in the NFL. Now the question will likely be 'Will Rex Ryan survive the entire game?'
Who Will Win: Broncos. It's not simply because the Jets suck, although that does factor into it. It's because the Broncos had a colossal week last week, and Peyton Manning sees no sign of slowing down anytime soon. Plus, the receivers and defense are way more tested than the ones in Metlife. Put it this way: the outcome that you think is going to happen is likely going to happen.
Overall: Broncos over Jets. Brace yourself, Rex Ryan.

Lions vs. Vikings:
Who Should Win: Lions. Like usual this point in the season, the NFC North is a little jammed. Two teams in the front, two in the back, not too much middle ground. The Lions are currently driving the bus, and judging by the fact that the other team driving the bus will likely be steamrolling through Miami today, they will likely be sharing the steering wheel next week as well. Judging by the standings, it looks like the Lions are the favorite, which is not to count out the Vikings, who are definitely in it if they keep playing Bridgewater.
Who Will Win: Lions. This game could be incredibly close, and there is a chance that the Vikings could take it. However, I'm betting on the fact that the Lions, who have been red hot so far, will continue to be as good as they've been. Matt Stafford has never looked this good. This guy was a wimp five seasons ago. And now he's one of the better QBs in the league. Look for him to have an even bigger game today if all goes well.
Overall: Lions over Vikes.

Patriots vs. Bills:
Who Should Win: Patriots. This matchup could be one of the biggest stories of the day. The Pats are fighting for the lead in the AFC East, and they're fighting with the underdog Buffalo Bills. Most of the people writing the predictions are going to say that the Patriots will win, because Brady this and Gronkowski that, and Belichik this, and Manuel's a sophomore, and blah blah blah. HOWEVER...
Who Will Win: Bills. I believe that the Bills will take down the Patriots today. Why? Because Tom Brady might not be QBing for New England. If they bring in Jimmy Garappolo against the Bills, then the Patriots will lose. Garappolo is like a wimpier version of Matt Cassel, and that's saying something. Plus, the Bills have been winning more and more underdog match ups, so who's to say they can't win this one. It would offset the balance of power in the NFL. And I so badly want the Pats to lose.
Overall: Bills over Pats.

Panthers vs. Bengals:
Who Should Win: Bengals. The Bengals have had an unbelievable start, and the Panthers have...had an okay start. I really don't know what's up with them. They'll win some games, and Newton's apparently not playing well. I don't really don't know. The Panthers are an enigma to me. The Bengals are looking really good this year, and are likely going to dominate today.
Who Will Win: Bengals. Not much to say that hasn't been said in the last paragraph.
Overall: Bengals over Panthers.

Steelers vs. Browns:
Who Should Win: Steelers. Two of the bottom-ish teams in the division square off. The Steelers have been winning a few games, but still are lacking in a lot of the stuff that made them great earlier in the decade. The Browns are...alright, though they have a lot of work to do. Statistically speaking, the Steelers should take it.
Who Will Win: Steelers. I'm not gonna be bold and predict the Browns, because I honestly don't think they're going to win. The Steelers have a surging Roethlisberger, which is nice, because I was just beginning to count him out. The Browns just keep using Hoyer when they should just be putting in Johnny Football, so he can screw up some more. But yeah, Steelers are likely going to win.
Overall: Steelers over Browns.

Packers vs. Dolphins:
Who Should Win: Packers. This matchup could be handled very quickly, however I'm going to handle it very diplomatically. You see, the Packers have been winning a lot of very big match ups lately, especially huge division match ups, against Minnesota and Chicago. They would be ahead of the division if the Lions hadn't schooled them a few weeks ago. The Dolphins, on the other hand, are playing pretty poorly. Tannehill is probably not the answer for QB, and they can't think of a better one.
Who Will Win: Packers. It's not because the Dolphins are outmatched. I feel like they're going to try very hard today, but the Packers will be trying harder. Rodgers is gonna have a great game, etc.
Overall: Packers over Dolphins.

Chargers vs. Raiders:
I'm sorry, but do I even need to predict this one?
No, I didn't think so. Sorry, dad.
Overall: Chargers over Raiders.

Bears vs. Falcons:
Who Should Win: Bears. Stats-wise, the Bears should take this one, as they're still tight in their division, and they have won some nice-sized match ups. The Falcons are a little weak this season, even if they do have a lot of the right materials.
Who Will Win: Falcons. Now, you may call me crazy for calling this one, but please remember- I really don't want the Bears to win. The Lions are already enough of a problem in the NFC North. If I have to deal with Lions AND Bears (OH MY!), I would be a bit more nervous. So I think it would be nice for me, as a Packers fan, if the Bears got their asses kicked by Matt Ryan.
Overall: Falcons over Bears.

Cowboys vs. Seahawks:
Who Should Win: Seahawks. If this season had gone according to plan, I would be a lot more confident in this matchup. I would just be saying 'Cowboys suck, Jerry Jones is a loser, ha ha, go Seahawks', and calling it a day. But nope, the Cowboys have decided that they want to be good at football this year, and the Seahawks have decided to lose some games right off the bat, just so they seem human. So this game may be very tough to call, because either outcome is possible. In terms of who should win, it's obvious- Seahawks will be predicted to win everywhere.
Who Will Win: Seahawks. This game will be very, very close. Russell Wilson and Tony Romo will be trading barbs, and Lynch and Murray will be scoring a ton of touchdowns. It will come down to the last few minutes of the game. Maybe even overtime. I just see the Hawks taking it.
Overall: Hawks over Cowboys.

Redskins vs. Cardinals:
Who Should Win: Looking at the Stats, this should be easy to call. The Cardinals came out to a huge lead, which surprised everybody. The Redskins dropped like a brick, which surprised nobody.
Who Will Win: Cardinals. Even if Drew Stanton is probable, it looks like the Cardinals have this one, because RG3 still isn't playing like he was in 2012, and not even Pierre Garcon alone can save this team, as much as he'd like that.
Overall: Cards over 'The Team Formerly Known as the Redskins'.

Giants vs. Eagles:
Who Should Win: Eagles.
Who Will Win: Eagles. Please don't let me look like a pompous asshole on this one.
Overall: Eagles over Giants.

MONDAY NIGHT: 49ers vs. Rams: (I'll fill this in later)

Well, those are my predictions. Let's see how it all turns out.

Football Predictions: Week 13

I am writing this the night before, because today (sunday) is a very big day for this blogger, and I'm gonna be out of posting territory for the day. Luckily, I prepared ahead of time, so you're getting these predictions anyway.

Jaguars vs. Browns:
Who should win: Browns. Because, if anything, they need the win. The Browns had a very up-and-down season, and a win here would set the rest of the season up, maybe for a possible wild card run, or simply to stay out of last. Really, this win is easier said than done, as the Jags have won one or two in the past few weeks, but the Browns have some raw materials in waiting.
Who will win: Browns. I'm not saying it 100% will happen, but it can happen. The Browns are a better team than the Jaguars, and they have a better track record, and a better quarterback in Jason Campbell, because screw Gabbert. If they have their A game today, they'll go far.
Overall: Browns over Jags.

Titans vs. Colts:
Who should win: Colts. You can say all you want about how unreliable this team can be, but right now they are ahead of the division by one or two games, and they are likely going to waltz right to the playoffs. Luck definitely has it in him, even if he's been inconsistent as of late. The Titans, while a bit tough, are definitely beatable.
Who will win: Colts. The Titans don't really have enough good players to compete. I mean, Ryan Fitzpatrick has done a nice job taking the place of Jake Locker, but he has his flaws, which may have been the reason why Buffalo let him go. The Colts, while younger, have played the Titans before, and now know how to get around them. This should be an interesting one.
Overall: Colts over Titans.

Bears vs. Vikings:
Okay, let me pretend like this is gonna be close.
Hm. Pretending over.
Who should win: Bears.
Who will win: Bears.
Overall: Bears over Vikings, by a wide margin.

Dolphins vs. Jets:
Man, I feel like I've seen all of these matchups before this season.
Who should win: Jets, because as of right now they're having the better season. Even with a so-so Geno Smith, they're rocking the house.
Who will win: Jets, because the Dolphins are still hurting, and they will continue to hurt. Besides, these are two teams that were thought to be on opposite spectrums at the start of the season, and both shocked. That being said, the outcome probably won't shock.
Overall: Jets over Dolphins.

Cardinals vs. Eagles:
Who should win: Eagles. I say this because we always look like we're going to win.
Who will win: Cardinals. I say this because we never do.
Overall: Cards over Eagles.

Buccaneers vs. Panthers.
This isn't even funny.
Who should win: Panthers
Who will win: Panthers. Come on, gimme something tough.
Overall: Panthers over Bucs.

Patriots vs. Texans:
None of these are very difficult stop it.
Who should win: Patriots
Who will win: Patriots
Overall: Pats over Texans.

You know what? I'm so tired and unfazed by these easy ones that the next few are just gonna be mini-predictions.

Falcons vs. Bills: Falcons win in a squeaker.
Rams vs. 49ers: Niners take it easily.
Broncos vs. Chiefs: I say Chiefs take this one back, as they deserve a win finally.
Bengals vs. Chargers: Bengals easily.
Giants vs. Redskins. I say the Giants take it, which means they might actually have a chance in the standings.
Saints vs. Seahawks. I say the Seahawks take it in some sort of overtime. It'll be very close.

So, those are my (rushed) predictions. Hope some of them are true.

Football Custom of the Day: Revis Edition

Man, somebody looks happy to be out of Rex Ryan's hair.

It'll be interesting to see how Revis fits into the Bucs' team. Already this is a nice, tight young team, with a totally underrated quarterback, a couple of nice young players, and a lot to prove.

Still, I hope the Bucs at least exceed expectations heeded by the last couple seasons of not making the playoffs.

Coming Tomorrow- Hey, wow, one of the few people the Ravens actually held onto.