If you would've told me I would go 1-1 in my predictions yesterday but the game I got wrong WASN'T the Jets, I would've thought you were loco. Somehow that's exactly what happened. Didn't expect Matt Hasselback & Marshawn Lynch to make the entire Saints' defense their bitch. With a chance to go 3-1 & brag that I am wiser than any NFL expert ever, here are my predictions for today's games.
(Home team in CAPS)
Baltimore Ravens over KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
I know, I know. Although this wouldn't be nearly the upset that Seattle over N.O. was, this still feels eerily similar to yesterday's game. Home team as the underdog although they have one of the strongest home fields in the league. Road team that looks superior & has faced & beaten stiffer competition. Yikes. Will I make the same mistake twice?
The Chiefs were an amazing 7-1 at home this season. Here's the thing. Guess how many playoff teams they faced there? Two? Nope. One? Not even. That's right. They faced ZERO. They beat up on the likes of Buffalo & Arizona. In fact, they've only faced two playoff teams the whole year (win @ Seattle, loss @ Indy), making their 10-6 record very deceiving. Meanwhile, Baltimore is battle-tested, going 12-4 this year w/ road victories over the Jets & Pittsburgh. Yes, KC has been successful running the ball, averaging an NFL-best 164 yds/game, but the Ravens can counter that with their 5th-ranked rushing defense. The crazy look in Ray Lewis' eyes should be enough to pump some fear into Jamaal Charles' heart.
Green Bay Packers over PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Yeah, I'm a Giants fan but I promise you, this is a bias-free post! GB sucked it up on the road this season, only managing a 3-5 record. One of those losses, a 7-3 defeat to the Lions, happened when Aaron Rodgers got concussed & missed the entire 2nd 1/2. Their next road loss happened a week later at New England, where they only lost by 4 despite playing without Rodgers entirely. Throw in another loss that happened in OT & that 3-5 road record could've looked very different.
What Mike Vick has done this year is major OMG status. People seem to be focusing on the fact he has an INT in his last five games while he didn't have any in his first seven. Fair enough. But the dude also has 10 passing TD's & four rushing TD's in that same span. Whether he's a lil dinged-up or not, that Philly offense is still extremely dangerous. The problem for Vick is he's facing a GB defense that has certified studs (in the metaphorical sense, not physically), including potential Defensive Player of the Year Clay Matthews. GB's offense is no pushover either, featuring one of the deepest receiving corps in the league. I'm more confident that the Packers can slow down Philly on offense than vice versa. If GB can pull this one out, I like them to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.
So the quest to 3-1 continues. Yes, I realize I picked all four road teams to win this weekend. Hey, shit happens. Besides, this is the NFL, where a 7-9 team knocks off the defending Super Bowl champs.
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