Let’s go back a few weeks, to the Conference Championship Weekend. After not really being on I made the following prediction:
Super Bowl XLII Prediction
New York Giants: 17
New England Patriots: 21
New England needs one more win to make history all over again this year. They beat the Giants a month ago and they will beat them again. The Giants, coming off a huge win at Green Bay, know they did not play a great game against a great team. They played an OK game against a garbage team. New England, at its worst, is better than anyone else at their best.
Look for New England to be just a tad conservative early but to put this one out of reach early. New York will make a charge toward the end, but the Patriot defense will do what it always does: win this game and break history.
I think I was only a little off on my prediction. The Giants played one of the best defensive games they have played on season long. The Patriots had no answer for the Giants defense and, though they did put two touchdowns on the board, they were never really able to put this game out of reach like they have all season long.
Couple that with Tom Brady peeling himself off the turf every other play and it was no wonder the Giants made a game of this. Of course, the Patriot defense did what they did all year long. Except on one play late in the fourth quarter that could very well define this superbowl. The Patriots defensive front could not put the final nail in the coffin of what could have been the game ending sack. Instead Giants quarterback Eli Manning was able to get out of the grasp of defender Richard Seymour, spin free, step up and heave a pass down the field in the general direction of wide receiver David Tyree.
The result of this play, quite possibly the most awesome catch ever, in football history ever, was that the Giants offensive drive stayed alive, the Patriot defensive front lost all confidence and Champion swagger and the Giants were allowed to place themselves into position for the game winning catch by Plaxico Burress.
I wasn’t quite sure I had seen the play correctly. The Patriots were supposed to win by at least two touchdowns and, if this play stood, they would be losing by a field goal with only about 30 seconds to play. Were there any flags? Nope. This one stood. And the Giants were a few plays away from being NFL champions.
I cannot quite say what I felt about this play. I really do not like the Patriots. I really could not care less about the Giants. I kind of wanted to see the Patriots make history while at the same time I wanted to see the Giants spoil the Patriots’ chances. It was a bittersweet ending to quite possibly the best superbowl ever (behind superbowl XXXIV when Kurt Warner led the Rams to victory over the Titans).
But really what hurts the most, without a doubt, is that I now owe my brother a steak dinner because he called this game about a month ago. Way to go Mike. Claimjumper anyone?
So the participants of Super Bowl XLII have stepped up and declared themselves. Congratulations to the New England Patriots and the New York Giants. They have won their respective conferences and have a date to face of with each other in just under two weeks.
Yesterday’s games were sort of odd. For the record:
AFC Championship
Actual Scores
San Diego Chargers: 12
New England Patriots: 21
My Prediction
San Diego Chargers: 10
New England Patriots: 35
NFC Championship
Actual Scores
New York Giants: 23
Green Bay Packers: 20 OT
My Prediction
New York Giants: 14
Green Bay Packers: 28
Wow! There is not much else to say about this week’s games except the two front runners, the Patriots and the Packers, did not at all play up to the level they were supposed to (or could have) played up to. Tom Brady stunk worse then a sweating skunk on a Brooklyn Summer day. He threw three interceptions, was totally out of sync with his receivers and seemed to not be able to conduct his offense at all.
On the other hand, the Chargers made one of the most critically and spectacularly stupid decisions ever made in championship football. They sat future hall of fame running back LaDanian Tomlinson for most of this game with no real reason for doing so. In the end, the Patriots horrid offense was still good enough to beat a Chargers team that was minus one great player. This says a lot about the Patriots.
In the eventing game Brett Favre decided that his game was only two and half quarters long and packed his stuff up midway through the third quarter. Yes, I know the temperature was a mild -4 degree Fahrenheit with a wind chill factor of -24 degrees. But the Packers live in the cold. They invented football on ice. Brett Favre should have had this game in the bag.
Instead he handed to game, literally, to the totally outmatched New York Giants. They couldn’t muster up nothing. So rather than putting a kife in them, in overtime, the Packers decided to give them the ball in Packer territory. Yeah, ok. Any quarterback could have won the game in that circumstance. In the end, the Packers showed they are not nearly as good as the Patriots, who, despite playing as bad you can on offense, can still win a football game.
Super Bowl XLII Prediction
New York Giants: 17
New England Patriots: 21
New England needs one more win to make history all over again this year. They beat the Giants a month ago and they will beat them again. The Giants, coming off a huge win at Green Bay, know they did not play a great game against a great team. They played an OK game against a garbage team. New England, at its worst, is better than anyone else at their best.
Look for New England to be just a tad conservative early but to put this one out of reach early. New York will make a charge toward the end, but the Patriot defense will do what it always does: win this game and break history.
Day 2 is done and the conference championships are set. Though this did not play out like I thought it would. In either game. For the record:
Game 1
Actual Scores
San Diego Chargers: 28
Indianapolis Colts: 24
My Prediction
San Diego Chargers: 12
Indianapolis Colts: 38
Game 2
Actual Scores
New York Giants: 21
Dallas Cowboys: 17
My Prediction
New York Giants: 10
Dallas Cowboys: 17
So what can I say. I knackered this one up pretty good. I was totally wrong on both side of the house. I suck at this predicting thing.
On the other hand we got to see Peyton Manning’s human side, the Chargers show they that can win in the playoffs AND with backups (Antonio Gates was hurting, Philip Rivers and LaDanian Tomlinson were both out of this game with injuries). The Chargers earned this win with hard work, clean execution and smart play calling. The Colts lost this game with terrible execution. Tony Dungy, you are still my main man, but your players left entirely too much on the field. Super Bowl Champions don’t play that way.
The Giants… well, what can be said about the New York football Giants? The Cowboys certainly helped the Giants with their receivers’ inability to catch a ball and break tackles. Bu the Giants, much like the Chargers, earned this win with every fiber of their being. I had no idea they had it in them. I wonder what next weekend will bring?
Conference Championship Predictions
San Diego Chargers: 10
New England Patriots: 35
New England should have had their explosive offensive game this week against the Jaguars. They didn’t. Tom Brady needs to get a high scoring victory heading in to the Super Bowl to feel like the superman he is. Look for the Pats to open it up on offense and close it off on defense. It gets words if the leaders on the Chargers offense don’t have a chance to show up
New York Giants: 14
Green Bay Packers: 28
Not quite as many points next week as this week for the Packers who have a legitimate chance at knocking the powerhouse Patriots in the Super Bowl. I would guess we are going to be seeing some very cold weather at Lambeau Field which certainly favors the Pack. But the Giants have surprised a lot of people this year. Could they shock the Green Bay faithful? No. Green Bay sticks it to the Giants in the cold Wisconsin air.
Is it just me or does football seem to be getting better and better as the season progresses? Oh wait, it is the playoffs. That’s right. For the record:
Game 1
Actual Scores
Seattle Seahawks: 20
Green Bay Packers: 42
My Prediction
Seattle Seahawks: 14
Green Bay Packers: 31
Game 2
Actual Scores
Jacksonville Jaguars: 20
New England Patriots: 31
My Prediction
Jacksonville Jaguars: 21
New England Patriots: 24
Ice ice baby. Green Bay played in another ice bowl today against the Seattle Seahawks ad they absolutely destroyed the team from the Northwest. Green Bay, after starting very slow and allowing 14 early points, put on a show the entire game. Brett Favre had the game of his life and looked like a little boy playing street ball. It was a clinic. Anyone that had a chance to watch this game can say that Favre looked like he was just out there having fun. The Seahawks? Not so much.
In the evening game the Patriots did what the Patriots do. They won scoring touchdowns while keeping the Jaguars losing by scoring field goals. I remember hearing an old wrestling coach of mine telling me “You never take second place. The guy that took first handed you second.”. This is what the Pats did for the Jaguars.
Tomorrow looks promising. I hope Peyton comes ready to light it up against the Chargers. You know they will be looking to avenge their mid-season loss to this stout San Diego team that is looking to show everyone that they can win in the playoffs. And the Giants will be looking to prove that they are no fluke as they take on a tough Dallas team that is looking for their groove with TO back in the lineup.