Saturday, January 17, 2015

All Four Super Bowl Previews IX

As my faithful readers are aware (both of you) I look forward to this post as soon as the preseason begins. I'm not even sure what it is about this post; I enjoy analyzing the differences of each possible game, I (obviously) like (incorrectly) predicting the outcome of games, and I particularly enjoy picking the losers of each game. As this is the ninth (I'm just as shocked as you!) episode - the links to the previous edition are getting a bit long and will now appear at the end of the post. I will, however, update my Super Bowl Preview record. Last year I accurately predicted that Seattle would be in the Big Game. Additionally, I was one of the few people who said that in the match-up between the Seahawks and the Broncos the Seahawks would not only win, but win easily. Those two accurate predictions improve my to 13 for 24 which brings me back to 54% since I began this in 2007! Ok, on to the predictions for this year:

Interestingly enough: all four remaining quarterbacks wear the #12!

Alright, here are this year's games from least compelling to most:

Colts vs Seahawks
No one really wants to see what amounts to a rematch of last year's Super Bowl. Of course, once the networks get ahold of this match-up and over hype the fact that these two Quarterbacks were from the same draft class then people are gonna start caring. Otherwise, there isn't too much to get excited about here. Andrew Luck lead the league in passing and the Seahawks Defense looked like last year's defense down the stretch. As I pointed out last year: no quarterback who lead the league in passing for the year has ever won the Super Bowl! If Luck even makes it (which I doubt) he will be only the fifth QB who lead the league in passing to make the Big Game. All five of them will have lost (Luck 2014, Brady 2007, Gannon 2002, Warner 2001, Marino 1984). Just like last year, this game would be over by half-time and Russell Wilson will have his second consecutive Super Bowl ring - in his third year in the league!
Winner: Seahawks
Losers: RGIII, Tannehill, Luck, Weeden, and Foles, the other "future elite" QBs drafted in 2012.

Colts vs Packers
Not sure there is much of a story-line with a match-up between an Aaron Rogers at 75% vs Andrew Luck and his hyper pass offense. Rogers would be trying for his second ring and Luck attempting to win his first. The Colts rank #1 in passing offense while the Packers rank 8th in passing defense. Essentially, the Colts would be playing right into the strength of the Packers and, as we know from last year, Defense wins championships! Luck leaves his first Super Bowl performance with a dubious 3 INTS, a sack/fumble, and only 2 TDs.
Winner: Packers
Loser: The companies who thought it was a good idea to "save some money" and air their commercial after half-time.

Patriots vs Seahawks
Unsurprisingly, I picked the Patriots to make it to the Super Bowl last year. I also predicted the Seahawks. So if this game is the game that occurs then, really, I predicted it a year in advance! While I had picked this as the least compelling game last year it has moved up in the rankings. The Patriots are better and the Seahawks aren't quite as good. Even though this is Russel's second consecutive trip to the Super Bowl It's hard to imagine Belichick being unable to scheme a defense that wouldn't confuse Wilson or the offensive coaching staff (just like he did with his offensive moves against Harbaugh and the Ravens). The Patriots have a new weapon this year: a running game! This will prove useful in their quest for a fourth ring since 2001. This is a tough game to call: Both teams lost to the Chiefs, but the Seahawks lost to the Chargers whom the Patriots defeated, but the Seahawks beat the Packers; a team the Patriots lost to. In the end, I think the Seahawks D will be able to slow the Patriots offense to a greater extent than vise versa.
Winner: Seahawks
Loser: People who think QBs need to have been in the league more than 3 years before they get to be in the elite/best ever conversations.

Patriots vs Packers
A rematch of the 97 show-down (that was never really a game) pits two teams against each other that now have completely different personnel (including coaches). Defending the Packers becomes slightly easier for Belichick and Co because of Roger's limited mobility due to his injured calf and because the Packers showed some of their trickery when they beat the Patriots in the regular season. They'll have to pull out something new to if they want to confuse the Patriots D again because Belichick won't allow the same tricks to work twice (unless the Defense wants to walk home from Arizona.) When the final whistle blows, I think the Packers will have needed a fully healthy Aaron Rogers to over come the Patriots D.
Winner: Patriots
Loser: All non-Patriot fans and Brady-haters. Also, anyone who still wants to argue that Peyton is better than Tom

The game I expect to see is the one I predicted last year (Kinda like when Anakin was before the Jedi Council and he saw the ship before it appeared on the screen): Patriots v Seahawks. Rogers was able to over come the Cowboys and I think his D can put an end to Wilson's bid at a second ring. The Colts suffered a serious drubbing at the hands of the Patriots week 11. While it won't be as much of a blowout the Patriots will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.

Those are my thoughts, what are yours? Here are the links to my previous predictions, analysis, winners, and losers:

2007, Colts over Bears;
Game Predicted: Saints over Colts.
Predicted Winner of the Actual Super Bowl match-up: Colts;

2008, Giants over Patriots;
Game Predicted: Accurately predicted the Giants vs the Patriots.
Predicted Winner of the Actual Super Bowl match-up: Patriots;

2009, Steelers over Cardinals;
Game Predicted: Steelers over Eagles.
Predicted Winner of the Actual Super Bowl match-up: Steelers;

2010, Saints over Colts;
Game Predicted: Purposeful lack of prediction.
Predicted Winner of the Actual Super Bowl match-up: Colts;

2011, Packers over Steelers;
Game Predicted: Accurately predicted the Packers and Steelers
Predicted Winner of the Actual Super Bowl match-up: Steelers;

2012, Giants over Patriots;
Game Predicted: Giants over Ravens.
Predicted Winner of the Actual Super Bowl match-up: Patriots

2013, Ravens over 49ers;
Game Predicted: 49ers over Patriots.
Predicted Winner of the Actual Super Bowl match-up: 49ers

2014, Seahawks over Broncos;
Game Predicted: Seahawks over Patriots.
Predicted Winner of the Actual Super Bowl match-up: Seahawks

1 comment:

Jenna said...

after last night's Patriots-Colts game, might you like to rethink your Super Bowl champions???