Peyton Manning's Legacy

All of Sunday Night, and pretty much all of Monday, this is what I've heard:


"Peyton Manning is a choker."

"Peyton can't get it done on the big stage."

"Tom Brady would've done better."

"All that offense and Peyton only scored 8 points? He's terrible!"

"He's not even better than his brother."

"Can we finally stop talking about Manning in the "Greatest of all time" talks?"

"Peyton will never win another Super Bowl."

Nonsense and ignorance from people who don't know any better. Before I address this, I'm going to talk about Manning's Legacy. And for the record, no, I'm not a Broncos fan. My team is The Colts. I am merely defending one of the greatest.


I've really heard people place all the blame on Peyton. How can ALL the blame fall on Manning? Did he make some poor throws? Absolutely. Did he force some throws? Absolutely. Could he have played better? Yes, but that point is debatable. I don't think any QB with an O-Line that bad could've had a better game. We act like Manning threw for 90 yards, or something. He still had 280 yards passing and set a new record for completions in the Super Bowl. Manning deserves some of the blame, but ALL? Let's be serious for a minute.

Manning didn't lose the game. Seattle's defense won it and won BIG. There is a clear difference. If you couldn't see that, then you weren't watching the same game I was. When a QB doesn't get enough time in the pocket to make plays, of course he's going to look bad. Seattle's defense shut down everything Denver's offense was trying to do. What worked so well for Denver in the regular season and those first two playoff games, Seattle took it all away from them and the only thing Denver could do were screen plays and dink-and-dunk down the field. Why else did people think they were running those plays? Nothing else was working. That defensive line made it impossible for Denver's offense to run without any sort of rhythm. From the offset, they let the Broncos know what kind of night they were in for.

Manning could've gotten the ball out of his hands faster and take sacks rather than just throwing it up. But is it his fault the offensive line got dominated and couldn't block? Is it his fault that he had pressure in his face all night and he couldn't stand and deliver in the pocket? Is it his fault the defense couldn't tackle and were getting abused? Is it his fault that his receivers looked scared out there, dropping passes and plays where they didn't even try for the ball? I guess Manning was out there playing defense and should've done something to stop Percy from returning that opening 2nd half kickoff. Denver as a team, clearly didn't come prepared and got blown off the field.

Let's give Seattle's defense credit for shutting down the highest scoring offense in NFL History, rather than saying "Manning choked, or saying he doesn't play well in the postseason. Don't be ignorant. If Manning had gone out there and threw for 80 yards with 4 picks, then we'd have a conversation. To be fair, I don't think any other AFC QB would've performed well against that defense with an O-Line that poor.

Peyton is still Top 5 All-Time as far as I'm concerned. One of the greatest to ever play the game. But he had a bad game. QB's have bad games. This happens. We're going to negate everything Peyton Manning has done in his career and base his Legacy off this game? A game which his entire team was unprepared, got out coached, and got beat up by and extremely physical, fast, and sound defense? He'll be back next season with a Vengeance.

People say a Super Bowl Ring is the only thing that matters. Dan Marino doesn't have a ring, yet's he's a Top 5 All-Time QB. Terry Bradshaw has 4 rings, yet you rarely hear his name in Top 5 talks. Why? Marino is clearly the better QB, but Defense wins Championships. Brady has 3 rings. People rarely bring up the fact that he had a great defense and run game that led him to those rings.

If Brady went out there and only scored 8 points and his team lost by 35, who would people blame? Brady, or everybody else?

One person can't do it alone. Teams win games. The media will slander Peyton from now until next season. Peyton's Legacy is fine. He will still go into the Hall of Fame, and still go down as one of the greatest of all time. Anybody who says otherwise doesn't know Football.





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By: Gerald "Showstopper" Prophete

Super Bowl 48 XVLIII Predictions

The Biggest game of the season and this will be my boldest prediction yet made. The Seattle Seahawks will beat the Peyton Manning lead Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII 27-24. The MVP will be Richard Sherman due mostly to his mouth campaigning prior to the game but will also include a pick six! You know Peyton Manning might not get into a verbal sparing match with Sherman but the sheriff will surely take a shot or two in his direction and that will be the wrong thing to do. Sherman's 20 picks since 2011 is enough to lead the NFL.

This is the Super Bowl and clearly it took more than one player to get here. How about five different Denver players with ten or more touchdowns in the same season (first time in NFL history) but Seattle's defense comes in with the number one overall ranked defense and  DEFENSE wins championships! Here is a nugget from ESPN stats and info (This is the 16th time that the defense that allowed the fewest points in the NFL has made the Super Bowl since the merger. The previous 15 teams went 12-3 in those Super Bowls.)

With all that useful information now digested, my heart is leaning with Peyton and his legacy but my football IQ is taking the Seahawks. I have seen Peyton break every regular season passing record, yet we know how the story ends with us confused and shocked that Peyton let another title run get away. 

In the year when the NFL really enforced the new defenseless receiver rules and basically any rule favoring the offense it will be great to see a DEFENSE win the title!   

Seahawks 27-24


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By BigMouf Sports

Super Bowl XLVIII

The time is finally here. This Sunday, we're going to find out which team is the best team in the NFL. The Denver Broncos, #1 in points and total yards go up against the Seattle Seahawks, #1 in points and yards allowed.


This is THE battle of Offense vs Defense. Peyton Manning, the leader this season in TD's and Passing yards against the best defense in these playoffs. How do they stack up against each other?

Here's what I'm saying, I don't think the Seahawks have enough defense to stop the Broncos offense. You can bring up the Saints game and how they shut down Brees in the first half, but this is a different Beast of a team. Not only do the Broncos have a better passing attack, but they have a solid running game as well. The one flaw with Seattle's defense in these playoffs has been the ability to stop the run. They gave up 161 against San Francisco and 130 to Kaepernick alone. Seattle's defense is built to contain the pass, but they are vulnerable against the run.

But what has really surprised me is Denver's defense. Throughout the whole season, their achilles heel was their secondary and they have come out in these playoffs and shut it down. The San Diego offense that was so dangerous throughout the regular season was shut out through 3 Quarters. Tom Brady and the running game that had what, 4-5 TD's on the Colts, was quieted down. That Denver defense has definitely surprised while the Seahawks offense has been underwhelming.

And that brings me to Russell Wilson. There've been a lot of people retracting statements about how good they thought Russell Wilson was. He has definitely regressed towards the end of the season.

In his first 12 games: 198 completions, 305 attempts, 64.9 completion%, 22 TD's, 6 INT's, 108.5 QBR

Last 5 games: 68 completions, 120 attempts, 56.7 completion%, 4 TD's, 3 INT's, 77.4 QBR

Since that New Orleans regular season game and on, he hasn't played to how well he was throughout the first half of the season which is understandable for a young QB. He's backed by an elite defense. He went 9-18 for 103 yards against the Saints, but against San Francisco, he went 16-25 for 215 yards. His defense has pretty much won both games for him as Seattle depended on some big plays and turnovers to get into scoring position: That TD Bomb on 4th Down, that kick return right after the 49ers TD, Lynch's 40+ yard run. They can't maintain a consistent drive from what I've seen. It could be due to the lack of weapons, but I think it's a lack of play calling. The QB is not devoid of blame either.

I'm not saying Wilson is bad. He's still a good QB with a strong arm and smooth ball release. He needs to get his running under control as he tends to run wildly within the pocket and lose a lot of yards. And he needs to get the ball out of his hands quicker and be more accurate. In these 2 playoff games, he's missed a lot of throws, his timing and mechanics seem to be off. Look what Denver's defense did to Brady and Rivers. Wilson's O-Line is healthy, but Denver pass rush has played well at getting to the QB and bottling up the run. Wilson will have to adjust to the pressure, but I don't think the Denver Frontline will completely shut down Beast Mode, but it'll be a big test for them. They haven't allowed over 100, hell even close to 90 yards, on the ground in these playoffs.

Peyton Manning is probably the smartest QB of all time. He can read a defense in a second, audible, make changes at the line, step up and fire against the blitz, etc. Basically, he was so smart, there were times where he knew what the defense was going to do with one look. He knew exactly where the ball was going and who it was going to. Seattle's secondary will have its hands full. Can they cover Decker, Demaryius, Welker, Julius, Tamme, Moreno, etc? Denver has too much offense. I'm almost certain Seattle's defense will get exposed. They play tight pass coverage, but unlike The Saints, the Broncos offense is more physical than finesse. I believe Seattle will take away the screen game and contain the big play, but can they stop Denver in those bunch formations, the pick plays, the crossing routes, slants, etc. How well are their coverage skills when it comes to that?

Also, history shows that Peyton Manning has performed well against a #1 ranked defense, or more to the point, a #1 ranked pass defense. If Peyton has a sub par 1st half, you better believe he'll make the adjustments and come out on fire in the 2nd half. Kansas City, for the 1st half of the season, was #1 in almost every single defensive category. What happened when they went up against Peyton Manning? Peyton had 383 yards and a TD on them.

I can't wait to see this game. The #1 seed in the AFC vs The #1 seed in the NFC. The perfect battle of Offense vs Defense. Both teams are physical, but when it comes down it, I'm going with the Broncos. Seattle's played some good passing teams, but they have not faced a team, a passing attack like this. These Broncos are quite possibly the greatest offense in NFL History. The Seattle Seahawks are one of the best defenses in quite some time. But there will be no 12th man in Metlife. Peyton Manning is walking in with a ton of ammo on this one, and I don't think the Seahawks defense can contain it. It'll be a close game, but I'll be honest, it would not shock me in the least if The Broncos blow them out.

Also, people are saying this game is a make or break game for Manning. As far as I'm concerned, Manning is already the Greatest QB ever to play, in my opinion. His smartness, his reads, playing style, ball placement, etc. Rings are not THE deciding factor in determining a QB's greatness. If they were, Terry Bradshaw and Troy Aikman would make Top 5 lists instead of guys like Dan Marino, Brett Favre, or John Elway. Players don't win it on their own, it's a TEAM achievement. Win or lose, this game won't change my opinion of Peyton Manning. Winning this ring will be a notch in his belt to cap off the greatest season for a QB.


I got the Broncos winning 31-20.



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By Gerald "Showstopper" Prophete

AFC/NFC Championship Sunday Predictions

Championship Sunday. One of the greatest Sundays in Sports. After this Sunday, we'll know who's going to be in the Super Bowl. We've got the two future Hall of Fame QB's going at it for the 4th time in the playoffs and we've not 2 young QB's backed by elite defenses playing in the most hostile environment. What more could ask for?

AFC Championship Game, 3 p.m., CBS

New England Patriots @ Denver Broncos

You've probably heard a lot about things this week about how Tom Brady is 10-4 vs Peyton Manning, including 2-1 in the playoffs. You've probably heard how much better Tom Brady is than Peyton Manning and all this other noise. I've said this countless times, and even in the Brady vs Manning blog post I did earlier. Brady had the better teams around him, Peyton never had a consistent running game, or a defense that caused turnovers and made big stops when it had to be done. Brady has. His defenses were stacked and his running game was consistent. All this talk about how Brady does more with less, and how Peyton has consistently had star receivers. Did you ever think that Peyton made the talent he has around him. If he brings Denver to the Super Bowl, that'd be 2 different teams he brought to the Super Bowl which is a detriment to how good he really is. Don't take this as me bashing on Brady. Again, I've got Brady in my Top 5-10 QB's of all time, but he gets way overhyped and too much of the credit when he doesn't deserve it. That's my two cents, so let me get to the game.

The only concern the Patriots should have on offense is that they have no consistent deep threat. They run those constant out routes, slant patterns and they love to work the middle with Edleman and Amendola, but they have no legit deep threat. Dobson and Thompkins aren't consistent enough. Their running game will play a big part on how this game goes. If their running game does as well as they did  against the Colts, it'll be hard for Denver to compete. But I think Denver will keep the Patriots running game in check. Blount is a physical running game, but you can't expect him to do what he did against the Colts again against a better rushing defense like Denver, and I don't expect him to. I think most of the game will be in Tom Brady's hands and how he works the middle and those out routes and throwing bullets for his receivers and moving the football on Denver's defense. Edleman has been their best receiver in efficient route running and yards after the catch. He'll need to have a big game for the Patriots to pull this one out.

Moving to Denver, part of what won the San Diego was their defense. A major weakness for Denver all season long was their pass rush and getting consistent pressure. Their defense showed up against San Diego, but New England's offensive line is a little better than that. I think it'll be harder for Denver to get consistent pressure on Brady. Both teams have come a long way since that Week 12 game where that Patriots offense got overwhelmed by Denver's defense leading to a quick 24-0 lead for the Broncos. Speaking of that game, Denver rushed for over 200 yards back in that game. I'm not saying Moreno will have 200 yards again, but Denver's running game will be key in moving the football, adding those yards up, and those short yardage plays. What should worry Denver on offense is dropped passes. Denver's receivers are good at getting open and running routes, but they can't hold onto the ball. Decker and Welker dropped TD passes in the San Diego game that could've put the game away long, long ago. Holding onto the ball will be crucial when it comes down to late game situations and coming up clutch.

What is going to be important is how Peyton performs against this defense. His pre snap reads have to be on point. There are times where just takes a glance over the defense and automatically knows what they're doing and how to beat it. His receivers need to hold onto the ball. If Denver will want to consistently move the football, when Peyton delivers the ball, these guys need to hold onto it. I think Denver will have trouble defending these plays over the middle, covering those slant patterns and out routes. Denver wins if that defense shows up, gets consistent pressure and forces turnovers. The Patriots win taking advantage of match ups on Denver's secondary and running the football effectively.

Brady may have a winning record against Manning, but he has a losing record against the Broncos (5-6) and 3-10 on the road against winning opponents since 2009. The last time Brady was in the AFC Championship on the ROAD, he played Peyton Manning and he LOST that game. Interesting enough, the winner of the Brady/Manning playoff games have gone on to win the Super Bowl. It's going to be great game. Can't wait to see it.

Prediction: Broncos defeat Patriots

NFC Championship Game, 6:30 p.m., FOX

San Francisco 49ers @ Seattle Seahawks

For the 2nd year in a row, I've discounted the 49ers and picked against them throughout the playoffs and they have proven me wrong. That defense has been extraordinary during these playoffs. Containing Aaron Rodgers at Home, and shutting down Carolina. Carolina scored 10 points in the 1st half, never scored again. Kaepernick has played well, but the strength of this team comes from their defensive capabilities. 

The Niners are a run heavy team, with Kaepernick running the read and Gore back there. The Niners, in these playoffs, have averaged 146.5 yards on the ground, but are 7th in passing yards. And this is why I've discounted the Niners; I just don't trust their passing game. Kaepernick is not a pure pocket passer. He's got a great arm, but he's inaccurate and can make some pretty wild throws. He thrives on running the ball and setting up the pass. Seattle's defense is out of this world and I don't see Kaepernick running wild out of the pocket for big chunks of yardage. He'll hard to stop on 3rd and short, but for the most part, this game will come down to whether or not he can make consistent throws from the pocket and with Boldin out there, he won't have to do much work. Boldin's gonna be the most physical receiver on the field Sunday. He can get physical with the Seahawks secondary and come down with the football and make plays. Crabtree will attract attention, but for the most part, I don't see him exploding for a big game. His presence alone will be troublesome, but I think Crabtree will be kept in check and Kaepernick and Boldin need to be on the same page like they were against Carolina. If they get it going like that, their passing attack will be hard to stop. But it's their defense is what will decide the game. They've done a great job getting pressure, containing the run, and not giving up the big play. They'll have to do all of this to stop Seattle. Follow Arizona's formula; consistent pressure on Wilson, jamming receivers, tight coverage, and denying separation and shut down that offense.

Speaking of defense, we all know how elite Seattle's defense is, especially on their Homefield. Look at how they kept the Saints offense contained throughout that game. They pretty much held them to 8 points, with that 7 coming in garbage time. The key to this game will be Marshawn Lynch running the football well and going off. Seattle has to win the turnover battle against San Francisco. Against New Orleans, they caused turnovers, got great field position and easy scoring opportunities. I think people are discounting Russell Wilson in this game. Difference between him and Kaepernick, is that Wilson is a better pocket passer. He can stand and deliver the football. He'll have to make plays with his feet, because that Niners pass rush will get to him and when they do, he'll have to extend the play with his feet and move the football. The Seattle secondary are physical, and hard-hitting machines and will have to contain the 49ers receivers. Another good thing Seattle did against the Saints was not give up the big play. If they can do that against a passing attack like the Saints, I'm sure they can do that against San Francisco.

Running the ball will be crucial for both teams. Lynch ran the ball well against New Orleans and will have to ball out against San Francisco's tough defensive line and linebacking core. I trust Russell Wilson a little more delivering the football and making accurate throws over Kaepernick. Kaepernick, however, is lucky to have a receiver that can go up and get the ball like Boldin. Both defenses will have to come strong as well. At Home, Seattle's defensive energy will be too much and the Niners are going to struggle to move the ball early on. I think Seattle's defense will get consistent pressure, get into good field position and get easy scoring opportunities. People really underestimate Seattle at Home ever since the Cardinals beat them. Kaepernick is 0-2 in Seattle, both games were blowouts. I could see this being a close game, but it wouldn't shock me if Seattle is up by double digits at the half. I picked Denver and Seattle to meet in the Super Bowl at the beginning of the season, that's what I'm staying with.

Prediction: Seahawks defeat 49ers

Arguably the 4 best teams in the playoffs made it to their respective Conference Championship Games. We're going to find out who the best team is, and which team came prepared with the better game plan. We're going to find out who's going to Super Bowl. I hope you're as excited as I am.

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By: Gerald "Showstopper" Prophete

NFL Divisional Round

Ok, I didn't do too good with the Wild Card picks (1-3), even though two of them could've easily gone the other way. But I put too much stock in the fact that the Saints had 0 wins in road playoff games and the fact that Green Bay had the Homefield advantage.

But this time, it's Divisional Weekend. Chock full of 3 rematches from the regular season and another Colts/Patriots matchup, this time featuring Tom Brady vs Andrew Luck. 

4 great games to go through. Let's dive right in!

New Orleans Saints @ Seattle Seahawks

Saturday, 4:35 p.m., FOX

The last two meetings between these two teams didn't end very well for the Saints. They were one and done out of the playoffs by a 7-9 Seattle team, and then there's the Monday Night game where Seattle absolutely obliterated New Orleans 34-7. The reason being is that Seattle is physical and New Orleans is more finesse, and physicality beats out finesse every single time. This time around the Saints are people's favorite to knock out Seattle. Because let's be honest. The #1 seed in the NFC hasn't been very lucky in the last few seasons. Over the last 6 seasons in the playoffs, the #1 seed in the NFC has been one-and-done 4 out those 6 times. The teams to avoid that fate were the Saints in 2009 and the Falcons last season. Also, the #1 seed is 2-5 against the #6 seed in the last 7 seasons.

But let's get to the game. In my opinion, the only way New Orleans can win this game is to control the clock and run the ball extremely well controlling the line of scrimmage. The noise is going be a HUGE factor because it's distracting and messes with the play calling, but if the Saints can control the clock, run the ball and keep Seattle's offense on the bench, they have a shot at winning. The Seahawks have the #1 ranked defense in total yards allowed and against the pass, and they have a #7 ranked rush defense. All across the board, Seattle is physical, hard hitting, great rushing the passer, disrupting rhythm, and defending the pass. They haven't allowed a lot of big plays this season, but the Saints are on a mission. They need to get the running game going like they did against Philly and control the clock. I'm not so sure it's a good idea to attack the air early and often. Establish the running game with Ingram, get Sproles involved in the screen game and impose your will early.

The Saints defense did a good job against the Eagles offense, but this Seattle offense is another beast. The Seahawks offense is averaging almost 30 points per game at Home. Their offense finds ways to put up the points. Russell Wilson is dynamic with his play making ability, his ball release is smooth and gets better each game, and he's so good at finding the open man and throwing on the run. The kid is talented on so many levels. The Saints have the #5 ranked defense, but the last time these teams played, the Seahawks offense made it look easy. Not so sure, it'll be easy this time around. What I don't trust is can Seattle's offense be consistent. They've got the weapons on offense; Kearse has stepped in as a viable deep threat since Rice went down, Miller, Tate, Percy Harvin has been rumored to return, and of course Marshawn Lynch. They need to establish a rhythm early. They can keep stalling, or going 3 & Out. Once the Saints get the momentum, it'll be damn near impossible to get it back.

I don't think it'll be a blowout this time around, but I wouldn't be so surprised if a blowout did actually happen. The Saints need to establish the running game. Run the ball well, control the clock, and Brees has to go to work and play mistake free ball and not leave points on the board. The Seahawks have a habit now of starting slow. You can't start slow if the Saints establish a rhythm early or else the game will already be over. Bottom line, the Saints can't go finesse. They need to play physical against an even more physical Seattle Seahawks team. But at the end of the day, the crowd noise will be a factor and I believe Russell Wilson, Marshawn Lynch, and Co. will find a way to get it done. But I'll say this, it's hard to get the best of Sean Payton twice.

Prediction: Seahawks defeat Saints

Indianapolis Colts @ New England Patriots

Saturday, 8:15 p.m., CBS

Such an intriguing game. Once again the Colts and the Patriots meet in the playoffs. This time, it's Andrew Luck vs Tom Brady. There's been a lot said in the media about how Brady didn't even watch the Colts amazing comeback victory over the Chiefs, or that Brady isn't worried about Luck. Well, I'll say this; they should be worried.

They should be worried that the Colts defensive line is furious, physical, and can really rush the passer. They should be worried that the Colts play their best Football when they're playing from behind, and even when the Colts fall behind 14+, the game isn't over until the clock reads 0.

They should be worried that Brady's deep threats are unreliable and the Colts can play single coverage and lock up, while only having to worry about Edleman, and limiting Brady's options makes their passing attack inconsistent.

They should be worried that Luck is a very mobile QB, has a knack for knowing when to run to pick the yardage and making smart plays.

They should be worried that the Colts now have 3 deep threats; Hilton, Rogers, and now Deion Branch. Giving Luck a veteran receiver will be a key addition to making the Colts passing attack tough to stop. 

They should also be worried that the Colts have what it takes to pull off the upset.

The Patriots are going to do what they like to do best. They're going to run those check down plays, those quick slants and out routes to wear down the Colts defense. I'm not too sold on the Pats ability to throw it deep. Thompkins and Dobson have missed a good portion of the season, and will take a while to get back into the swing of things. Even healthy, I'm still not ready to trust Amendola, so it'll be interesting to see him perform. The Patriots have two dangerous weapons; Edleman and Blount. Edleman has been a dangerous weapon in the slot game with his speed and ability to get separation. Blount has been an exceptional power runner hitting those holes, getting physical with defenders and picking up that yardage. The Pats don't have Gronk. If they did, I believe this would be an open and shut case, because as much as I love the Colts, they wouldn't have had an answer to stop him. The Pats offense will literally dink and dunk the Colts defense to death and occasionally work the middle.

I believe the Colts defense can contain this offense. They will need to play physical defense. That bend, don't break mentality isn't going to work against this team up in Foxboro. They need to get physical with the receivers, disrupt Brady's rhythm and force him into bad throws. Likewise with the Pats defense against Luck. At Home, the Pats thrive on that defensive line getting consistent pressure, making the QB make some bad throws, and generating sacks. Their pass defense isn't elite, but the thing about this defense is that when it's time to make a key stop, they step up and make that stop. 

It'll come down to whether or not Luck and the offense can keep up with the Patriots offense. The Colts defense needs to get to Brady often and early because if the Pats just run the ball and dink and dunk them to death, the score will be 14-0 before you can blink. The Colts offense need to establish consistent rhythm and not get into a position where the Pats defense has them reeling. I believe the Colts defense will make those key stops late in the game. I believe the Colts are being severely underlooked heading into this game and will shock the world. I've got the Colts in this one. 

Prediction: Colts defeat Patriots

San Francisco 49ers @ Carolina Panthers

Sunday, 1:05 p.m., FOX

This might be the most physical match of the weekend. The last meeting between these two? A 10-9 victory by Carolina over Kaepernick. You can argue that Crabtree and Davis were injured and that Kaep's poor performance was because of that, but no, Carolina's defense came to play that day and shut down Kaepernick's running ability and only limited him to 91 yards passing. 

From what I've seen and heard, Carolina has been talked about the least. People are saying Carolina's not ready and San Fran is gonna breeze right through them. I think people are underestimating Carolina's defense and especially that offense. Carolina is #2 in opponents points per game (15.1), the #2 ranked defense in the league, and #2 rush defense. Their defensive line is probably the best in the league right behind Seattle, if not, better than Seattle. Their speed off the edge, the way they swarm the ball, and cause turnovers is scary. They had 20 INT's at Home and led the league in sacks with 60. That defense is on another level. It's going to be tough for the Niners to establish the running game, and creating running lanes to get Gore going. The Niners will have to impose their will through the air. Get Crabtree going early because I think he can cause some problems for Carolina's secondary like he did against Green Bay. They need to get Davis going across the middle and do more to get Boldin the ball. He only had 23 yards receiving in the last match. But that offensive line will have to give Kaep the proper time in the pocket. 

Now, we get to what can make or break the game for Carolina; their offense. The Niners defense is ranked #5, #7 against the pass, and #4 against the rush. Will Steve Smith be healthy enough, and how will Ginn, Lafell, and Olsen match up against the physical Niners defense. And then there's Cam. Cam is dangerous in and out of the pocket. Compared to Kaepernick, Cam has more shiftiness and is a better pocket passer than Kaep. It'll be harder for the Niners defense to take down Cam, than it would be for Carolina's defense to contain Kaepernick. Cam's got one hell of an arm. When it comes down to it, I can see Cam making those razor sharp throws, throwing lasers and moving the chains. But how consistent can the offense be? The Niners pass defense has been known to susceptible to the big play ball themselves, but I don't see the Carolina offense being consistent when it comes to ball movement, running the ball, or controlling the clock.

This is going to be a physical low scoring game between two defensive teams. I expect to see multiple defensive stops, 3 & outs, etc. It'll come down to which offense can make that big play to turn the game around. The Niners are 7-2 in their last 9 games, one of those losses coming from the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers defense is more physical, and more hard hitting that San Francisco has been this season. I don't think Kaepernick can consistently produce against this Panthers defense, but I can see Cam doing what Kaep can't; consistently use his feet to make plays outside of the pocket and connect on the throws when they count. Neither team will be able to get a running game going, so it will fall on the shoulders of the defense and both QB's to get it done. I'm taking the more physical squad to take this one. I've got Carolina.

Prediction: Panthers defeat 49ers

San Diego Chargers @ Denver Broncos

Sunday, 4:40 p.m., CBS

Ever since the Chargers won their game, all people have said are how the Chargers are going to play once they get to the AFC Championship. Not if, but when Peyton Manning chokes, how his legacy will be remembered. These people are taking Denver out of the equation before the game has even been played. It's clear the Chargers have a psychological edge over Peyton Manning. The Chargers are 2-0 against Peyton in the playoffs, and then factor in when they went up to Denver and beat them earlier on in the season.

The formula is there to stopping Denver. Control the clock, run the ball, and pressure the hell out of Peyton Manning. This is what San Diego did in their last meeting. Ryan Matthews had a great game running the ball, the Chargers were eating up chunks and chunks of the clock on some drives, keeping Peyton Manning and that offense off the field and they took advantage of the lack of pass defense and made plays to win that game. This is how they have to attack Denver this time around. There's almost no pass rush in Denver and when you give Rivers time in the pocket, he's going to find those receivers because Denver's pass defense isn't very good either. Keenan Allen has to show up and make plays, Green, Woodhead, Gates, Ryan Matthews has to have a big game. Chargers need to wear out the left side of the Denver's defense like they did last time.

But what it really comes down to is whether or not San Diego's defense can stop Peyton Manning. They sure as hell exposed Andy Dalton and made him look like he didn't belong anywhere near a playoff game. They pressured him constantly, Dalton was making bad throws left and right. Denver needs to control the line of scrimmage. They've got to give Peyton Manning time in the pocket. When Peyton has the time, it's easy pickings; Demaryius, Decker, Julius, Tamme, Caldwell, Welker is coming back, and you have Knowshon Moreno running the ball as well as he has been this season. Can San Diego's defense stop the onslaught of Denver's offense? They did last time, but if they really think Denver is going to perform the way they did last time, they're out of luck. They love running pick plays  in those bunch sets to get their guys open. Demaryius is hard to stop one-on-one, Decker has emerged as a dangerous #2 and with Welker back in the slot, he's a tough matchup for anybody.

The San Diego Chargers have a psychological edge and almost everybody is counting on the fact that Peyton Manning will choke and will go one-and-done again. But Peyton Manning is coming off probably the greatest regular season for any QB in the NFL History. I don't think he's ready to go home just yet. I don't like San Diego's chances. Denver's offense is too much for San Diego to handle, but Denver's defense will also have a hard time stopping Rivers if they can't get any consistent pass rush. Regardless of all the negative talk about Denver, that'll only give them enough to use it to their advantage. Broncos move on to host the AFC Championship Game.


Prediction: Broncos defeat Chargers

Enjoy The Games!

By: Gerald "Showstopper" Prophete

Week 17 Playoff Clinching Scenarios

Week 17 is setting up to be HUGE.



AFC:

The Patriots have a chance to grab the #1 seed and clinch Homefield throughout the playoffs.

The Broncos could drop to the #2 seed.

The Colts & Bengals still have a chance at getting the #2 seed and a first round bye.

The Steelers, Dolphins, Chargers, and Ravens all need to win their games to have a chance at the #6 seed.



NFC: 

The Panthers and The 49ers have a chance to grab the #1 seed and clinch Homefield throughout the playoffs.

The Panthers can still grab a first round bye and get a #2 seed.

After all the Seahawks have done this season, they could still lose the division to San Francisco AND lose their first round bye.

Even after all the injuries and how bad both the Packers and Bears have looked, both teams could still end up winning the division.

The Cardinals could make the playoffs and in turn, the Saints could possibly miss the playoffs!




SO MANY playoff clinching scenarios. You can check it out how all of it works here:


http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000303368/article/2013-nfl-playoff-scenarios-for-week-17?icampaign=Playoffpicture_news




Week 17 is going to exciting for sure!



Read. Comment. Share.



By: Gerald "Showstopper" Prophete

The NFL MVP Is...

You know, there are some people out there that really don't know what "MVP" really means. To me, MVP means the player that's been "VALUABLE" to their team and the player who's literally playing like he's the best player in the league, and in a class by himself.

I read this absolutely biased article earlier today with Skip Bayless defending an average year by Tom Brady, comparing him to Michael Jordan. Seriously. If we're gonna compare anybody in the NFL to Jordan, it's Joe Montana. Why? 1 simple reason. Jordan is 6-0 in the NBA Finals, like how Joe Montana is 4-0 in the Super Bowl. I could go on, but this isn't a MJ vs Montana article. I won't go deep into that article Skip wrote.

Feel free to read that ridiculousness here:

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/10167799/skip-bayless-clutch-play-tom-brady

I wasn't going to make this article until the season was over, but that nonsense got to me, so I had to say my peace. I'll let my article speak for itself.

Brady is Top 5 all time, IMO, but has NOT been playing at an MVP level this season. You can throw out all the stats you want. The man hasn't even been playing better than Philip Rivers.

I can see people making cases for Jamaal Charles, Russell Wilson, Lesean McCoy, and Drew Brees. But, I think even most people would agree, there's only 1 person that deserves the MVP….

Yes. Peyton Manning. 

Why? Let's start simple; He leads the league in passing yards, TD's, passing yards per game, completions, and passing plays that go over 20 yards. He's only 2nd in pass plays that go beyond 40 yards, and in total QBR right behind Nick Foles. 

He has 47 TD passes. Not only is he about to retake his Single Season TD record, but he's about to shatter the one Tom Brady set in 2007. And also, he's been named Sportsman of the Year. The man is practically having a perfect season. 

Peyton and his team have damn near dominated almost every team they've come across. They dropped 40 & 50 in 3 games, and have only scored 20 points only 3 times. They're 54 points away from tying the 2007 Patriots for the most points scored in a single season. Let's go deeper. 

- In all his games this season, Peyton has had 3, 400 yard games, and 8, EIGHT, 300 yard games. Statistically, his worst game was in New England, and that's because Knoshown Moreno ran for 200 yards, and was averaging 6 yards per carry. If my running back was having that kind of production, I wouldn't throw the ball that much either. 

- Peyton has thrown for 4 or more TD's in 7 games, including his 7 against Baltimore, and his 5 against Kansas City.

- Peyton's completion% has been 60% or higher in 12 games. He had a 59.18 completion% against the Colts and 52.78 against the Patriots. 

- Peyton's QBR has been 90, or higher except for 1 game (@New England.)

- Peyton has the 3rd highest QBR when throwing from the shotgun formation, and when setting up play action. 

- Look at what he's done for guys like Decker and Demaryius Thomas. Demaryius could easily be in talks of the top receivers this season with Megatron, Gordon, AJ, Alshon, & Dez. Decker had the best game of his career against the Chiefs where he 4 TD's in one game. Julius Thomas has emerged as a star. This is why I never understood why people say, "Peyton's always had top notch talent around him." Yeah, because he MADE the talent around him. 

Let me explain. When Dallas Clark was with Peyton, he was consistently in Top 5 TE talks each season. Where is he now? When the Colts went to the Super Bowl in 2009, guys like Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie were big play guys. Where are they now? Brandon Stokley was one of the best slot receivers under Peyton. What's he doing now? Who even knew about Eric Decker, Demaryius, and Julius Thomas before Peyton came to town? Look at how they're performing with a QB like Peyton Manning. The only receiver Peyton didn't make was Reggie Wayne. Reggie is a great player before, during and after Peyton Manning. TWICE, Peyton took an injured, and average Colts team to 12-4 records. What happened when Tom Brady went down in 2008? The Patriots went 11-5. 

- As far Skip goes, and declaring that Brady's comebacks were Jordan-esque, I'll say this, notice how all of Brady's "comeback wins" this season were decided on last second plays, or referee involvement. Harsh, but true. Games against Cleveland and New Orleans could easily be losses if not for questionable referee calls. Against Denver, a fluke special teams play wins them the game. Against Houston, a clutch kick from almost 60 yards away seals the game for them. 

Was Peyton ever down before this season? You might not notice because of the final box scores, but Denver had to dig themselves out of holes early. 

- Peyton's team was down early 21-7 to the Cowboys. What happened? Denver won 51-48.

- Peyton was down 33-14 to the Colts. What happened? Well, they lost. But they almost engineered one hell of a comeback, getting within 6 late in the game.

- Peyton was down 21-7 to the Redskins, 21-10 to the Titans, and 21-7 to the Chiefs in Kansas City. What happened? Chiefs were outscored 28-7 the rest of the way, and the Redskins and Titans ended up getting BLOWN OUT. 

It's amazing what Peyton has done for this team. You forget, before Peyton arrived in Denver, they were an 8-8 RUN FIRST team. Peyton came along and now, they're on their way to a second consecutive #1 seed and have become the most dominant passing attack in the last 2 seasons. His QB IQ is through the roof, the way he attacks the blitz and defensive backs, fitting his passes into such tight windows, throwing guys open, taking advantage of the match ups, and the overall way he commands the offense. He's an offensive supercomputer at Quarterback.

You can say Peyton's a choker (false), and you hate the guy all you want. But would Denver be this good without Peyton Manning? How good would they have been if Tebow was still there? Denver is an average team without Peyton Manning. Peyton Manning makes them a juggernaut, and a force to be reckoned with. That's what makes an MVP. 

I can see people arguing for Russell Wilson, and Jamaal Charles and the way they've carried their teams, but Peyton Manning far and away has been the best player this season. He's got the stats to prove it. He is the MVP. 

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By: Gerald "Showstopper" Prophete

NFL Week 13 Predictions

Just when you thought Divisions in the NFL were wrapped up, teams have been playing well and made some comebacks and still have something to play for. We've got some good games that could decide which teams move up in Divisions and Wild Card spots, and BIG one on Monday Night. Let's get right into it.

Tennessee @ Indianapolis

- The Colts all of a sudden find themselves in a battle in the AFC South. The Titans are 5-6 and two games out 1st place of the 7-4 Colts. Indy has dropped their last 2, significantly because of poor play from their offensive line. The thing about the Colts offensive line is that they don't give up too many sacks because Luck is able to get rid of the ball, but there are plays where the Line just crumbles and Luck is pressured, hit, and knocked down. Luck is the most hit QB in the league right now. Their offense isn't even the same without Wayne. Wayne is one of those players that made everybody around him better. Now, there's just Hilton and Fleener and other inconsistent receivers. But somehow, they came from behind on the road against Tennessee and beat them in their last meeting. Their defense comes alive in the second half when the game is close and make a run. They did it against Houston, Seattle, and Tennessee.

- The Titans have been inconsistent as of late. Locker is out for the season and Fitzpatrick is in. He's played well, but he'll need to play better if he wants to make a miracle run in the South. Their defense is still solid, getting good pressure on the QB and disrupting rhythm. But don't underestimate the Colts Defensive Front. Mathis leading that charge makes them a stagnant force up front at getting pressure. They held CJ to just 86 yards rushing in their last meeting. Fitz will have to get rid of the ball quick and make quick decisions. They'll need to get that running game going and take shots down the field. The Colts secondary is quite susceptible to the big play ball. They acquired Corey Lynch to add some depth to the secondary because of injuries and Laron Landry's nagging injuries. 

- The Titans have playing well, but their defense is what seems to keep them in games and Fitz can be inconsistent and make some erratic throws. The Colts need to throw early and impose that will, run the ball with Donald Brown a lot as he's been their most consistent back this season. The Colts surely can't lose 3 in a row and let Tennessee get one step closer to 1st place. The Colts O-Line needs to have a good game and they can't turn the ball over. I can't see the Colts losing a game like this in front if their Hometown.

Prediction: Colts defeat Titans

Jacksonville @ Cleveland

- Did anyone else call The Jags beating Houston? I know I did. But moving on, the Jags playing on the road in Cleveland will be tough. The Browns defense is pretty aggressive and stingy. The Jags have gradually gotten better. Henne is finding his receivers and Jones-Drew has been playing well in the backfield. He hasn't taken off with the running game, but he's been doing well in screen pass plays and receiving. Their defense is still vulnerable, and the Browns offense, even in a loss, played well against Pittsburgh. Josh Gordon has 200 yards receiving. If the Jags can contain Gordon, they'll still have enough offense to put up points on Jacksonville. If this game was in Jacksonville, I'd pick the Jags, but playing in Cleveland is tough. The Dawg Pound, even when their team hasn't been playing well, is hostile territory and the Browns usually play well in front of their home crowd. The Jags definitely have gotten better, but I don't think they can go into Cleveland and beat the Browns. 

Prediction: Browns defeat Jagaurs

Tampa Bay @ Carolina

- Last month, this didn't look like a good matchup for the Bucs, but now it looks to be a very interesting one. The Bucs are 3-0 since starting 0-8. Their defense has played well, with 9 turnovers in their last 3 games. Glennon has been playing amazingly as well throwing 5 TD's to 1 INT in this 3 game stretch and the Bucs offense has averaged 30 points per game in their last 3 games. Their defensive line has gradually gotten better and getting pressure. The Panthers look to be vulnerable last week when Miami was throwing on them in the early going, and forcing some pressure on Cam and containing that offense. The Panthers now face a defense that can consistently stay on him and get some pressure. How will that Bucs defensive line fair when Cam Newton makes plays with his feet? If they can contain Cam in the pocket, and limit his running, that's already half the battle. 

- I believe the Bucs secondary can match up well with the Panthers offensive weapons. How will Carolina's defense fair against the Bucs offense? The Panthers have the 3rd ranked defense overall and against the run, but as we've seen last week, their strength comes from their defensive line and the pressure they can get. Their secondary is beatable and susceptible to the big play ball. With V. Jack and Underwood, the Bucs will have to get the passing game going early and often because Carolina's defensive front will be all over that running game. Screen passes will definitely be utilized by the Bucs. 

- Division Games are always tough. The question is can the Bucs defense stop Cam Newton? He's solidified himself as a playmaker in and out of the pocket and his ability has led his team to 7 straight wins. The Bucs offense will have to be aggressive like how Miami started out, and their gritty defense will have to bring the heat against Cam. But I don't think the Bucs are consistent enough to move the ball against Carolina. The Panthers playmakers are going to struggle initially to get it going, but once they find a rhythm offensively, it'll be an open and shut case. I've got Carolina going to 9-3 setting them  up for a HUGE showdown next Sunday Night against Drew Brees in The SuperDome. 

Prediction: Panthers defeat Buccaneers

Chicago @ Minnesota

- Quite a difference one player can make for a team. Jay Cutler gives the Bears their best chance to win, and without him, the Bears have gone 2-2 in their last 4 games. The Rams defense absolutely dominated them and Austin ran wild once again and that offense put up 41 points. The Bears are still technically in the hunt for the NFC North, but they need to win this game. The Vikings are the worst defense in the league, but they still have Adrian Peterson. As we saw last week, the Bears are poor against the run. They've given up 192.3 yards on the ground in their last 3 games. The way QB's have played against the Bears, Ponder might have a good game against this 13th ranked pass defense. 

- McCown has been playing well in Cutler's absence throwing 7 TD's to 1 INT. He's been making smart plays, throwing on the run, and consistent ball movement. The Vikings secondary is susceptible to big passing plays. I can see McCown moving the ball well on this defense. Only way the Bears win this one is by forcing turnovers. The Bears defense has given up almost 30 points per game this season. They need to go back to aggressive play, get some pressure off the edge and force Ponder into erratic throws and turnovers. If they can force turnovers, and contain Adrian Peterson, the Bears can win, but the way their defense has looked, it'll be a tall task.

Prediction: Bears defeat Vikings

New England @ Houston

- Before this season started, you would think this would be a great game to decide divisional seed rankings, but the Texans are a mess at 2-9. They just lost to the Jags in their own building. Steadily, they're declining. And in come Tom Brady and the Patriots.  The Texans, even at 2-9, still have the top ranked defense and allow the fewest pass yards in the NFL. Crazy, right? But I believe the Texans defense will have problems matching up with the speed of the Patriots offense, the slants, the outs, the quick strikes and such. They'll have to win the battle up front and get the pressure on Brady. The way The Broncos defensive line dominated the Pats O-Line in the firs 2 quarters of play should be a lesson. 

- If the Texans had trouble moving the ball against the JAGUARS, then they'll have trouble moving it against The Patriots. The Texans have had trouble find ways to consistently move the ball by air, or by ground. The Texans need to take advantage of favorable match ups and try to control the clock. That being said, I don't think Houston has a shot. The Patriots secondary has played solid defense the last few games and this will be a test for Keenum. I don't think it'll be a blowout like people are saying. Houston's defense will show up to play against an inconsistent Patriot offense, but it'll up to the offense to put up points. Houston is clinging to some hope of ending this season on a high note, but The Patriots are a better team all across the board.

Prediction: Patriots defeat Texans 

Arizona @ Phildadelphia

- Quietly, this is one of the more interesting games this Sunday. The Cardinals have flown under the radar at 7-4 and are prepared to knock San Francisco out of the #6 seed, but they have to beat Philadelphia to do so. Chip Kelly has this team playing good Football. Nick Foles has been virtually flawless through his starts with 16 TD's and 0 INT's. They've got the #2 ranked rushing attack and the league leading runner, Lesean McCoy. This offense has found some life averaging 33.3 points per game over their last 3 games. But I believe this will be a true test for their offense going up against a stingy defense like Arizona. They've allowed 16.3 points per game in their last 3 games, and they're 3rd ranked rushing defense has allowed 62.7 yards on the ground in their last 3 games. Their defense can get pressure and their secondary has played well, with 15 picks on the season. 

- It'll be interesting to see how the Eagles utilize McCoy against this Arizona defensive line. The combination of Foles/Cooper has been on fire lately and if they come out and throw the ball, I can see them having consistent ball movement. With Patrick Peterson likely covering Desean, it'll leave opportunities for Cooper to make plays, but with Peterson covering Desean 1-on-1, the Cardinals will probably play more man and tight coverage making passes harder for Foles. But I can see the Eagles throwing across the middle and calling some slants. The stats don't show it, but the Cardinals defense has been very effective. They're 4th in takeaways per game, averaging 2 takeaways per game away from Home.

- The Cardinals offense has been getting the job done as well. Palmer has come alive with 8 TD's and 2 INT's in his last 4 games with a passer rating over 100. They're running the ball well, and with Fitz and Floyd on his team, the passing game has gradually found its flow and has gotten better compared to how the season started. They're putting up 31.3 points per game over their last 3 games. They're not flashy, but they can move the ball on this Eagles defense that's giving up almost 300 yards of offense per game. The Eagles pass rush will have to consistent with pressure and make Palmer make erratic throws.

- This should be an interesting one. The Eagles have only won 1 game at Home, and that was against Washington. I believe Foles will struggle against this Cardinals defense and it comes down to which defense can show up. The Eagles need to contain Palmer and that offense and find ways to exploit the Cardinals defense and not turn the ball over. Coming off a bye, and playing good Football, I think the Eagles will find a way to win. 

Prediction: Eagles defeat Cardinals

Miami @ NY Jets

- Two 5-6 teams battling for they're playoff lives in a division rivalry. The Dolphins started out aggressively against the Panthers, throwing the ball down the field and forcing pressure on Cam and generating turnovers. Now, they go on the road and face one of the best defensive lines in Football. The Jets are 4-1 at Home and have played well, beating teams like New England & New Orleans, but losing to Pittsburgh. Dolphins have a habit of starting games out Hot, but fizzling away. Case in point, the game last week and the Patriots game. They come out aggressive and they seem to cool down and blow the lead in the 2nd half. The Dolphins have been progressing, but they need to be consistent in the passing game. Mike Wallace for example; where has that been all season? If he played like that all season long, maybe Miami would be better right now. 

- Only way Miami can win this game is control and the clock and come out throwing the ball on the secondary. But to do that, their offensive line needs to buy Tannehill time. Miami may just have the worst offensive line in Football. Tannehill's been the most sacked QB in the league (44) and they're not going to be able to run the ball on the Jets because they have the top ranked rushing defense in the league. They'll have to take advantage of favorable match ups in the secondary, maybe throw in some screen passes. As far as the Jets go, as a unit, they play better at Home. Geno needs to not force the issue, make smart plays, and not turn the ball over. They'll need to ground and pound and take advantage of Miami's defense, but they shouldn't underestimate them. 

- Both of teams are looking for a win to catch Baltimore in the race for the #6 seed. The Jets have the Homefield Advantage and their defense is what keeps them in games and what ultimately closes games out. Miami's offensive line will need to be prepared, but I've got to give this game to The Jets.

Prediction: Jets defeat Dolphins

Atlanta @ Buffalo

- Even when the Falcons play well, they still struggle to produce on offense and play defense. This game isn't Buffalo though, it's in Toronto. I forgot they actually had games up there. Either way, I don't think it's a true Homefield for Buffalo and we know how good they play teams in their building. The Falcons gave everything they had at the Saints, but still lost by 4 points. They've been on a 6 game losing streak, turning the ball over, not running the ball well, and inconsistency in the passing game. This could be due to the loss of Julio, but they were struggling in games even when they had him. Harry Douglas has really stepped up in his absence though.

- Now, they face a rather underrated Bills team that could easily have 7 wins under their belt if certain things had gone their way. Things went downhill when EJ went out and Bills dropped 4 out of 6 games. Now, that he's back, the offense is flowing better, he's not running as much as Thad Lewis was and throwing from the pocket more, finding players downfield and their running game is ranked 5th in the league with Spiller and Jackson back there. Their defense has been quietly performing well. They lead the league in Sacks AND Interceptions. They can get pressure on the QB and their secondary plays good coverage and utilizes different schemes to make passing difficult. 

- The Falcons are going to have to do a better job at giving Matt Ryan time in the pocket and they've got to get that running game going. They've got the worst running attack in the NFC. Ryan can't do it all by himself. Receivers need to make plays, Ryan himself needs to not turn the ball over and the Falcons defense has to bottle down and make some plays. They're giving up 28.1 points per game and 30.3 in their last 3 games. It's hard to choose. Buffalo is a dangerous team having only lost 2 games by double digits, but Atlanta has to end this streak of losing eventually. Off a coin toss, I got the Bills.

Prediction: Bills defeat Falcons

St. Louis @ San Francisco

- UPSET ALERT!

- The Rams are 5-6, and don't look now, but they're still not out of playoff contention. They need A LOT of things to go their way, but as for now, they're still in it. Their defense has been out of this world amazing. Their defensive line has always been impressive, but their last few games have been dominant. Their pressure and speed off the edge and they make lines collapse and swarm around the ball has been phenomenal. Almost 3 sacks a game and allowing 19.0 points per game over their last 3 games. All this is complimented by their offense. Clemens has come in and played well, but that's not the full story. Tavon Austin is being used properly and Zac Stacy has been great running the ball. The Rams have averaged 186 yards on the ground in their last 3 games. They need to utilize more plays to get Austin in the open field. Once he gets out in the clear field, he's too fast to catch up to. 

- The Niners have been up and down this season. They've gradually gotten better and offensively and been playing better defense, getting pressure, and forcing turnovers. Kaepernick has only thrown 7 INT's all season. He's been running a lot like last season and hasn't become a pocket passer. Carolina's defensive line shut down their running attack and when Kaepernick became a pure pocket passer, he only had 91 yards passing on that defense. Kaep and Boldin connected twice last Monday Night. They need to get the ball to Boldin more. The Rams aren't a top run defense but they still haven't given up 100 yards in their last 3 games. The Niners O-Line needs to be on top of their game protecting Kaepernick and giving him time in the pocket. If this is a repeat of the Carolina game, the Niners offense is gonna have a long day producing offensively. 

- The Rams need to focus on ball control and controlling the clock. The Rams need to run the ball a lot and get Tavon Austin going early and start aggressive. That Rams defensive line has been imposing over their last few games and in a division game like this, it's their chance to get a huge win on the road.  Neither team turns the ball over a lot, but the Rams have been on a roll lately. Clemens hasn't been asked to do a lot, but with Austin & Stacy playing well, I believe the Rams have the upper hand in this game. I'm not sure if the Niners can produce and get the ball off against this defense. The Niners have a better team across the board, but the Rams have been playing well as of late and they're looking to play spoiler and move one step closer to the maybe capturing the #6 seed. This will be a slugfest and I've got St. Louis in this one.

Prediction: Rams defeat 49ers

Cincinnati @ San Diego

- The Bengals are slowly beginning to lose control of this division. They're 7-5 and the Ravens are quietly creeping up at 6-6. A win here is almost a MUST. They play the Colts next, then Minnesota, on the road against a Pittsburgh team that is still technically in the hunt and they close out the season at Home against Baltimore. The Bengals are a different team away from Home. Barely winning in Buffalo, barely winning in Detroit, losing by a safety in Miami and losing other road games to Chicago, Baltimore, & Cleveland. Their defense is what's making plays. They're 6th in points per game allowed, averaging almost 3 turnovers in their last 3 games, forcing 4 against Cleveland. Geno Atkins is still a big loss on the defensive side of the ball and we're gonna see if they can generate pressure on Rivers.

- Speaking of Rivers, he just got finished lighting up Kansas City and dropping 41 on them. The absence of Hali & Houston played a big part. When Rivers wasn't pressured, he stepped up and fired the ball down the field, making plays and delivering the ball with such precision. He still leads the league in completion% and he's still been playing well. The Chargers have exceptional playmakers on offense; Woodhead, Allen, Royal, Matthews, etc. How will the Bengals be able to defend against these receivers? It starts up front. If Cincinnati can generate pressure and throw Rivers off his game, they can contain this big play offense. Speaking of which, they need to defend the big play and the slant routes where they might utilize Woodhead. They'll also need to tackle and wrap up these Chargers players as they are dangerous in yards after the catch. 

- The Bengals offense isn't as explosive as the Chargers, but they have the playmakers. They've got AJ, Jones, Gresham, Sanu, Bernard and such. But they're a little inconsistent when it comes to making plays. The Chargers secondary got torched by Alex Smith as well. The Bengals will come out throwing early and attacking this secondary with its playmakers. The Chargers defense will have to step up and contain these receivers. The Bengals are 2-4 on the road, but the Chargers have a habit of blowing leads late in games, especially at Home. If they get a lead, they need to hold on to it. I think the Bengals will struggle against San Diego and without consistent pressure off the edge, the Bengals secondary will have to step up, and I don't think they have against this Chargers offense.

- San Diego is 5-6 with 4 of their final 5 games at Home. If there was ever a time for them to bring it Home and get into the playoffs, this is it. 

Prediction: Chargers defeat Bengals

Denver @ Kansas City

- I was ready to pick the Chiefs to get revenge for Denver ending their undefeated streak, but after what Rivers did to them, imagine what Peyton Manning will do to them. Hali is questionable, and their leading edge rusher and league leading sack leader, Houston, is expected to be out 2-3 weeks. Already, that's a blow to KC's defense. If there's no pressure in Manning's face, he will find receivers and he will annihilate that defense. Even in the cold weather in Kansas City. The Broncos are seething after blowing that game in New England. They knew they should've won that one, but it slipped through their fingers. Moreno has 200 yards on the ground in a loss and the Chiefs have given up almost 150 yards on the ground in their last 3 games. I can see the Broncos running a little more and passing when necessary in those bunch formations they love to run. Rodgers-Cromartie is questionable for Sunday and without him, Denver's pass defense is vulnerable, if it wasn't already. 

- While we're on Denver's secondary, Alex Smith performed well against them up in Denver. A couple of missed opportunities here and there. Look at how New England was able to exploit Denver's secondary when Rodgers-Cromartie went out. Receivers were getting more separation across the field making passing easy. Smith will have to take advantage of match ups, start out aggressive and get the ball to his best players; Charles and Bowe to move the ball down the field. Denver is vulnerable in the secondary. Pounding the ball with Charles is the way to go here and Alex himself will have to extend the play and make some plays with his feet. I posed this same question last time; If the Chiefs fall behind by 14, can Alex Smith bring them back? They didn't come back in Denver, could they keep up with Denver in a shootout? They kept up with San Diego, so it's possible.

- The last time these teams met, Denver won the battle at the line of scrimmage containing that KC pass rush. They'll need to adjust with Houston out there and make up other ways to get pressure on the ball and contain Manning and that offense. But, no pressure on Manning, and that offense will move the ball on the KC defense. I believe this will be high scoring, but I like Denver in this one. This AFC West Showdown is gonna be a good one.

Prediction: Broncos defeat Chiefs

NY Giants @ Washington

- Last Monday Night's game is a clear indication of what the Redskins season has been; inconsistency on offense, poor blocking on the offensive line, and their defense can't make any stops, or force turnovers. The Giants lost a heartbreaker against Dallas on a last second FG. The Giants are still offensively competent enough to put up points against this poor Redskins secondary. Only way the Redskins win is if they control the clock and run the ball. They do have the #1 rushing attack in the league, so they'll have to utilize that. They need to control the clock and their offensive line will need to buy Griffin some time in the pocket. Washington is LAST in the league in points in the 1st Quarter. They've have not gotten off to a Hot start this season with all sorts of problems.

- The Giants have slowed down on the turnovers, but they still turn the ball over a lot, averaging almost 3 a game. The Redskins defense isn't good at forcing turnovers, but average on generating pressure. Eli will have to make smart plays and not throw picks like he's accustomed to. Their offense was contained by Dallas' defense, but came alive in the 2nd half. I can see the Giants pass rush generating pressure and getting to RG3, knocking him down and roughing him up. Griffin is scared to run nowadays and he's being exposed as an average pocket passer. I don't like the Redskins in this game. 

Prediction: Giants defeat Redskins

New Orleans @ Seattle

- This is the BIG one. Monday Night Football with Drew Brees & The Saints visiting Russell Wilson & The Seahawks. Remember the last time Drew Brees was in Seattle? The Seahawks were 7-9 and put 41 on The Saints eliminating them for the playoffs. You have one of the league's best offenses against one of the leagues best defenses. The winner here will have a good chance at locking up the #1 seed and Homefield throughout. 

- So, what are the match ups and X-Factors in this game? The Seahawks lost Browner and Thurmond. That will prove to be interesting to see if Brees goes at that backup early. So, how will the Seahawks defense matchup vs the Saints offense? The Seahawks have one of the best D-Line's in the league. They're speed off the ball and ability to generate pressure is among the best in the league. That's how Brees and Co. fell to New York. The Jets won off getting pressure with their defensive front and containing that passing attack. The Seahawks hit hard and are the 2nd ranked pass defense in the league. Brees loves working the middle of the field and utilizing those little screen passes. The Seahawks defense love to close gaps and shut those kinds of plays down. Even with Jimmy Graham playing as well as he has been, and with Moore, Colston, Thomas, Sproles, etc. they're going to be cautious in the passing game and not force anything against this beastly defense.

- How do the Seahawks offense matchup against the Saints defense? Wilson has quietly flown under the radar in terms of QB play. He's thrown 8 TD's to 2 INT's in their last 4 games with a 64 completion%. He's been great at extending the play and making plays with his feet, throwing on the run, and his ball release and arm strength on the deep ball just seem to get better and better. Their offense is ranked 12th, but their 2nd in points per game with 27.8 with Saints 3rd in that same category. How about that? The Seahawks are ranked higher in points per game than the Saints. They're running the ball well, ranked #2 in total rushing yards per game. Rob Ryan has had this defense playing well. Their defense line has played well with getting pressure and forcing turnovers, putting them as the NFL's 5th ranked defense. The Seahawks will be able to run the ball and throw the ball on this Saints defense. Their defensive line will have to win the battle of scrimmage and get to Wilson and disrupt his rhythm. 

- The X-Factor in this game is Percy Harvin. Bringing him back a week earlier to get his feet wet was obviously a smart move. When he gets in the open field, he's dangerous and a tough man to bring down and will definitely boost the Seahawks special teams as well. Brees is 6-0 at Home, but 2-3 away from the Super Dome. Saints are averaging 21.2 ppg, compared to the 33.2 ppg they score at Home. Seattle has only allowed 15.4 points per game at Home all season. In Seattle, with the 12th Man, the Seahawks are entirely different team and their energy on both sides of the ball goes up by 20. Their defensive pressure is gonna contain Brees' offense. Saints are more finesse, but the Seahawks are a more physica Football team. At 10-1, the Seahawks have been overlooked and maybe they'll get respect with a statement win over the beloved Saints. I know one thing; I can't wait to see this one. 

Prediction: Seahawks defeat Saints

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By: Gerald "Showstopper" Prophete