After weeks of waiting, it's finally time for the Super Bowl. As I wrote earlier, I love this matchup; the spread's 2.5, and there's a good argument that it should be a pick-em. It's one of the closest Super Bowl games I've seen in some time, and that's what I emphasized in my predictions; as usual, I have a complete breakdown of the game over at The Good Point with Mark Milner, and I also have a shorter pick posted over at Robert Carnell's blog. For those just looking for a score, I'm going to go with Pittsburgh 24, Green Bay 21. I also have a rundown of the CFL figures involved in the game over at 55-Yard Line. Finally, let's carry on from the conference championship games with a theme song for each team!
Showing posts with label 2011 NFL playoffs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2011 NFL playoffs. Show all posts
Sunday, February 06, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Setting up the Super Bowl: a tale of two solid teams
As a diehard football fan, I thoroughly enjoyed Sunday's NFL conference championship games. Both the Packers-Bears and Jets-Steelers games offered some compelling drama, with both looking out of range early on and then getting close down the stretch thanks to solid comeback attempts. In the end, Green Bay and Pittsburgh prevailed, and that sets up a very intriguing Super Bowl matchup Feb. 6 between two of the NFL's most storied teams. The early indication is that the Packers are three-point favourites according to the Super Bowl spread courtesy of BetUS, and that line also carries plenty of stories with it.
It's interesting to me that Green Bay's coming into this as a solid favourite. Their performance was perhaps the more impressive one of the weekend, as they never really let Chicago get too close, but Aaron Rodgers wasn't up to the incredible standards he'd set earlier in the postseason (the ones that motivated me to pick the Packers last weekend). Rodgers finished a respectable 17 of 30 for 244 yards, but he didn't throw a touchdown pass and was picked off twice. If the Bears hadn't had plenty of quarterback issues of their own between Jay Cutler, Todd Collins and Caleb Hanie, this might not have been a Green Bay triumph.
Granted, Pittsburgh wasn't all that impressive Sunday either, and they were outscored 16-0 in the second half. In fact, Ben Roethlisberger's performance under centre was even worse by the numbers (10/19,133 yards, 2 picks). Still, the Steelers did a much better job on the ground, and their defence reinforced the plaudits it had received all year. Based on what both squads have done so far, I don't necessarily think there's a huge advantage one way or the other. To me, everything sets up for a very close contest and a fascinating game.
It's interesting to me that Green Bay's coming into this as a solid favourite. Their performance was perhaps the more impressive one of the weekend, as they never really let Chicago get too close, but Aaron Rodgers wasn't up to the incredible standards he'd set earlier in the postseason (the ones that motivated me to pick the Packers last weekend). Rodgers finished a respectable 17 of 30 for 244 yards, but he didn't throw a touchdown pass and was picked off twice. If the Bears hadn't had plenty of quarterback issues of their own between Jay Cutler, Todd Collins and Caleb Hanie, this might not have been a Green Bay triumph.
Granted, Pittsburgh wasn't all that impressive Sunday either, and they were outscored 16-0 in the second half. In fact, Ben Roethlisberger's performance under centre was even worse by the numbers (10/19,133 yards, 2 picks). Still, the Steelers did a much better job on the ground, and their defence reinforced the plaudits it had received all year. Based on what both squads have done so far, I don't necessarily think there's a huge advantage one way or the other. To me, everything sets up for a very close contest and a fascinating game.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
NFL conference championship predictions, metal-style
Just a note that Mark Milner and I have our conference championship picks up over at The Good Point. There should be a couple of great games today; I'm looking forward to seeing how the condition of Soldier Field affects the Bears - Packers matchup, and the Jets and Steelers should be a perfect clash for those of us who like hard-hitting defence. The above link has my full breakdown of each game, so rather than write the same stuff over again, here's a song for each team to get you ready for the games:
Pittsburgh: Judas Priest - Metal Gods
This classic track from the British Steel album seems thoroughly appropriate for a team from the Steel City. Also, it isn't tough to imagine James Harrison and the rest of the Pittsburgh defence ripping men apart.
New York: Iron Maiden - Aces High
The best non-crappy aerial song I could think of (and yes, there was no way in hell we were going with Benny and the Jets or Jet Airliner here). Besides, Rex Ryan's blitz-happy defence definitely lives by a do-or-die philosophy.
Chicago: Dio - Holy Diver
I've got a feeling Jay Cutler has been down too long in the midnight sea. Life with him as your starting quarterback is definitely riding the tiger, and there's always the chance of a sudden interception knocking you off. (Also, as a rivalry game, this might get as violent as the Hot Fuzz/Killswitch Engage version of this).
Green Bay: Dream Theater - In The Presence Of Enemies, Part I
As everyone has reminded you this week, Packers - Bears is the NFL's oldest rivalry, so that definitely qualifies as enemies. Moreover, though, Aaron Rodgers' incredible draft-day fall definitely qualifies him as forgotten, a body scorned and broken. He may have been initially rejected, but right now, he's looking like a pretty good chosen one.
Pittsburgh: Judas Priest - Metal Gods
This classic track from the British Steel album seems thoroughly appropriate for a team from the Steel City. Also, it isn't tough to imagine James Harrison and the rest of the Pittsburgh defence ripping men apart.
New York: Iron Maiden - Aces High
The best non-crappy aerial song I could think of (and yes, there was no way in hell we were going with Benny and the Jets or Jet Airliner here). Besides, Rex Ryan's blitz-happy defence definitely lives by a do-or-die philosophy.
Chicago: Dio - Holy Diver
I've got a feeling Jay Cutler has been down too long in the midnight sea. Life with him as your starting quarterback is definitely riding the tiger, and there's always the chance of a sudden interception knocking you off. (Also, as a rivalry game, this might get as violent as the Hot Fuzz/Killswitch Engage version of this).
Green Bay: Dream Theater - In The Presence Of Enemies, Part I
As everyone has reminded you this week, Packers - Bears is the NFL's oldest rivalry, so that definitely qualifies as enemies. Moreover, though, Aaron Rodgers' incredible draft-day fall definitely qualifies him as forgotten, a body scorned and broken. He may have been initially rejected, but right now, he's looking like a pretty good chosen one.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Divisional round playoff predictions
The NFL playoffs are always one of my favourite times of year, and if last week's games are any indication, we're in for a good playoff season. My picks for this round are up over at The Good Point, so go check those out! The game I'm most interested in is the Steelers-Ravens clash, which gets under way shortly. From an impartial perspective, it's one of the NFL's most interesting divisional rivalries, featuring two teams that have been quite good for the last decade and more. They play similar styles, and for those like me who enjoy great defence, they're some of the best franchises to watch. Of course, I'm not entirely impartial, as I've been a Steelers' fan for most of my life, so I'm definitely decked out in my black and gold today as you can see below. Feel free to hurl insults, but the B.C. chapter of Steeler Nation is reporting for duty.
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