Super Bowl XLIX: Patriots vs Seahawks

Destiny, rising in the face of adversity and desire; these are the things that great teams believe in, do and aspire too which is something both the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks possess.

These two NFL heavyweights will lock horns come Sunday evening for arguably the biggest prize in sport, the Lombardi Trophy. The Patriots are looking to capture their 4th championship in franchise history and more importantly their first since 2004. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick will also be looking to exorcise demons from previous Super Bowls as it was in this exact stadium back in 2007 where the Patriots were minutes away from pulling off the perfect season before losing to the Giants and finishing the campaign 18-1.

Despite all their achievements and all the success the Patriots organisation has achieved it appears that Sunday's game is going to define a legacy. If Brady and Belichick win then it is a 4 Super Bowl win and 6 appearances, both have the most playoff wins for a QB and for a head coach and both hold numerous other records that help stake their claim as the greatest ever. If they don't defeat Seattle then other fan bases will continue to jibe the Pats with "Spygate", "Deflate gate" and about any other gate they can think of.

The Patriots are usually the masters of rising up in the face of adversity and punching it right in the throat which is something you could say they've done more so than ever this season but Seattle have had to combat this themselves. After a lacklustre start to the season the defending champions were heavily criticised including the almighty legion of boom and despite the fact that many experts were touting a possible return to the Super Bowl for these Seahawks secretly I believe and from what I saw about 90% of people really did feel that Dallas or Green Bay would knock off Seattle in this postseason but it never happened.

The Seahawks rose from the ashes last week to pull off one of the greatest playoff comebacks in NFL history as they rallied back from 16-0 down to take the game to overtime at 22-22 before Russell Wilson finished off the game to Jermaine Kearse with a beautiful touchdown leaving Green Bay shell shocked and wondering what if (I doubt any of their players will be watching the game tomorrow). So now Russell Wilson, Marshawn Lynch and this amazing Seattle Seahawks defense, who came up big especially in the red zone last week, will have a chance to repeat against a team who were in fact the last NFL franchise to pull off such a feat.

It's that among many other factors which makes this game so exciting and so damn hard to predict! This will arguably be Seattle and New England's toughest games of the season. The Patriots themselves pulled off a memorable playoff comeback against Baltimore in the divisional round so we know how much heart and determination both of these teams have. They also put in a stellar performance in last weeks AFC Championship game against the Colts to blow out the opposition 45-7 with LeGarrette Blount running wild and the Pats defense coming up big with huge intensity and fantastic play for near enough the entire 60 minutes.

The Patriots defense is probably the second best in the league and the truth is that they are not that far behind Seattle's but with this Seahawks D being so tough and so nasty it just puts them head and shoulders above the rest. Now Tom Brady has faced many great D's in the past and he will have been studying Seattle night and day for the past fortnight so he will be prepared and he has the tools to defeat the legion of boom.

The LOB's and this Seattle defenses kryptonite for me is Rob Gronkowski as despite how good the likes of Kam Chancellor, Earl Thomas, Richard Sherman, Jeremy Lang and Bobby Wagner are they've never come up against a player like Gronk as this man can do anything. Now despite Gronk's abilities to block, catch and just about to near enough anything my key to the game is this Pats o-line protecting Tom Brady as well as whether they can be effective enough to help get the run game going.

In Brady's past two Super Bowl losses the Giants front 3 was able to create tons of pressure to force a collapse in the pocket and get to Tom. If that happens again on Sunday it will be hard for the Pats to win especially as we've seen how brilliant that the likes of Bruce Irvin and Michael Bennett are in the pass rush. They have the skills to crash up the middle and replicate the success the Giants had against Brady but this Pats o line ranks 4th in giving up the fewest sacks this season so them doing their jobs will be crucial.

If they can indeed hold up strong and give Brady time in the pocket as well as create a successful run game with Blount also being a key factor then the Pats have the tools to win this game. The recipe to New England's success on offense this season has been quick passes, slants and the abilities of their small, nibble receivers creating plays after the catch so Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola will have big roles to play. This is something that Seattle have sometimes struggled against in the past with TY Hilton of the Colts being an example. Edelman, Amendola can both run similar corner routes to this one and because all are so good but with different qualities it makes for an exciting head to head when this Pats offense goes against the Seattle defense. Add Gronk in the mix as mention previously along with the big bodied Brandon LaFell who's having a breakout year at wideout for the Patriots, he has become one of Brady's most trusted weapons, and this Patriots offense will be giving the Seattle defense a few sleepless nights of their own. (Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan fans will appreciate the pun).

The Pats defense will be having a few restless nights of their own as they know how devastating Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch can be. Beast mode is the best running back in the league and thrives for the big games whilst Wilson always seems to keep calm in high pressure situations and also always manages to pull out a big play when needed. Doug Baldwin for me is a very underrated receiver and will pose the Pats defense threats but because of his slant running type nature New England will be well equipped for this. 

Despite Russell Wilson's ability to use his legs and considering how underrated his throwing ability is at times which was something the Broncos underestimated in last years Super Bowl I feel this Patriots defense has all the tools to combat the Seattle offense. Just like Wilson is a new type of QB these Patriot linebackers in the form of Jamie Collins and Dont'a Hightower are new breeds of linebackers and are equipped to disrupt as well as get after Russell Wilson. whilst the likes of Vince Wilfork, Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich definitely have a chance of frustrating beast mode.

Add the Pats secondary to this defense which includes brilliant safety Devin McCourty along with Darrelle Revis wanting to prove he's the best corner in the game on the biggest stage of them all when he goes against Richard Sherman tomorrow and you can see why this is the best Patriots defense since 2007. Remember the last time the Pats were in a Super Bowl Julian Edelman played at corner; now they have key contributors such as Brandon Browner, Logan Ryan, Kyle Arrington and Patrick Chung who all have risen to the occasion thanks to the inspiration and leadership from the likes of Revis and McCourty. For the Seahawks to win they'll need to run the ball effectively through Lynch so that Wilson can try to deceive the Pats D by using his own legs and with his throws but if that doesn't happen they'll become a bit more predictable which will help the Patriots in attempting to stop this Seattle offense.

Now everyone is talking about Seattle repeating or the fact that this is the game to cement Belichick but more so Tom Brady's legacy and to be quite honest it is a little bit. It is incredible that he would have to win this to make on Sunday to have 4 Super Bowl wins from 6 appearances in the big one just to prove the doubters wrong but personally I see this as being the career game for Rob Gronkowski who will help Brady, Belichick and the Patriots achieve their dreams once again. Gronk, the man who played for the university of Arizona, has waited 3 years for this since the Super Bowl loss to the Giants when he hobbled around on one ankle and has missed the past two playoffs with other injuries so it's only fitting that the biggest game of Gronk's career will be played in Arizona, a place he loves and a place where he hopes his dreams will be fulfilled come Sunday night. Seattle may be favourites and I do agree with that assessment but I've been adamant all season that if Gronkowski stays healthy the Patriots will win the Super Bowl so despite the fact that Pete Carroll is up against his former team as well as that the all mighty legion of boom are the best defense to come along since 1985 Bears I am standing by that prediction now more than ever.

Prediction: Patriots 27-23 Seahawks

        

AFC Championship: Colts vs Patriots

Tonight sees the Indianapolis Colts travel to Gillette Stadium to take on the New England Patriots for the AFC Championship. The winner will go on to Super Bowl XLIX in Arizona in 2 weeks time to face either Seattle or Green Bay. By the time the Colts and Patriots game kicks off the winner will know who their opponent will be in the big game but the question is who will represent the AFC in that game?

Well in a playoff game with the stakes so high it is tough to predict and that's despite the fact that the last 3 times these teams have met have ended in victory for the Patriots by a margin of 21 points of more including last years playoffs when the Pats walked over their opponents 43-22. The key to New England's last two wins against the Colts have been the running game with LeGarrette Blount torching the Colts for 166 yards and 4 touchdowns in that playoff game last year and back in week 11 of this season when we saw the emergence of Jonas Gray who's 37 carries went for 201 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Since then though Indianapolis' run defense has got much better and besides a crazy 4th down run completion by C.J. Anderson last week when they faced Denver the Colts did a great job of stopping the run which forced the game on to Peyton Manning's shoulders. That was the key factor in last week's win for the Colts as unfortunately for Manning in spite of Manning's undeniable greatness when it comes to the bright lights of the postseason he does falter with last weeks loss being his 9th one and done appearance in the playoffs.

Now if the Colts want to send the Patriots home packing just like they did to the Broncos last week then there will have to be a different game plan as forcing the game on Tom Brady's shoulders will just end in disaster. That was the scenario that Brady faced last week when the Pats rallied back from two 14 point deficits to overcome the Ravens in one of the greatest playoff victories in the franchises history. If New England do go on to win the Super Bowl then that game will be a defining moment in this teams history and in the dynasty created by Belichick and Brady as despite all the adversity they have faced this year and in last week's game in particular when it matters most they know how to come up trumps.

For the Colts to indeed have a chance of causing an upset then they have to limit their turnovers. Andrew Luck threw 2 interceptions last week and in his career versus the Patriots he has thrown 8 interceptions in 3 games which is the most against any opponent he has faced during his 3 year career. Luck has the potential to pull off magic and gets better year by year and also game by game; a player like him thrives in moments like this and he himself could go down as one of the best to play the game when his career comes to and end but going up against Tom Brady who is making his 9th appearance in an AFC Title game with the chance of playing in a 6th Super Bowl is going to be one of the biggest challenges of this young mans career.

Down 21-14 halftime last week after throwing an interception just before the half which resulted in a Ravens touchdown to put them behind Baltimore then went 28-14 ahead with another touchdown after the break. Tom Brady had to come up with something big, something magical against an opponent who have been a thorn in the Patriots' side in recent years gone by and he did just that. Brady orchestrated a touchdown drive which ended with a 2nd and goal touchdown pass to Gronkowski to put the Pats within 7 and just over 6 minutes remaining in the 3rd quarter and that's when the Patriots started to pull out all the stops.

Belichick used his genius to pull out new formations that frustrated his opposite number Jim Haubaugh so much that he ran on to the field which resulted in a 15 yard penalty. That inspired offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to dial up the trick play and play of the game when Brady threw behind the line of scrimmage to Julian Edelman who threw a dime to Danny Amendola down field for the 51 yard touchdown to tie the game. Amendola was the standout performer for me especially after his fumble at the beginning of the first quarter, it appeared that he would struggle once again but he stepped out of the wilderness to play the best game of his NFL career to date when it mattered most.

On 3rd and 6 down 31-28 he got crucial yards after the catch with brilliant play to break a tackle and make the key conversion with just over 7 minutes left in the 4th in that touchdown drive which won the game for New England. That drive was the career defining moment when Brady pulled in to that bag of magic one more time to lead the Patriots down the field and finish the drive with a perfectly thrown pass to Brandon LaFell in between 2 defenders to put New England 35-31 ahead with 5:13 remaining (that touchdown put Brady ahead of Joe Montana for the most touchdowns of all-time in the playoffs with 46) .At the time the Pats didn't know that it would be that score which would win them the game but it was. Brady and Belichick had done it again and the Patriots have a fantastic chance to end their 10/11 year wait for a Super Bowl victory.

Now I have to say that offense gets not all but the vast majoirty of the praise especially when you have a first ballot hall of famer under centre putting up points. After all Tom Brady has the most playoff wins of any QB ever and Bill Belichick is now tied with the most wins amongst any head coach in NFL history which obviously helps but after a shocking first half performance last week the Patriots defense stepped up when it mattered most with the likes of Devin McCourty who intecepted Joe Flacco to give the Pats defense some momentum, Jamie Collins who was a beast and showed why he has the talent to become of the best linebackers in the league, Patrick Chung (3rd and goal he broke up a pass to Owen Daniels to hold the Ravens to a field goal and only go ahead by 3 points: 31-28) and Duron Harmon who's late interception in the final quarter essential killed the game are all unsung heroes. Even Darrelle Revis had a torrid time against Steve Smith in the first half but in the second half he proved why he is in the top 3 best corners in the league with a bounce back performance.

Defense doesn't completely win championships like the cliche goes but you need your D to come up big when it matters most which is what New England's did last Sunday and come today's game they will need to up their play for the entire contest in order to help give this Patriots team a shot at another Lombardi. The same goes for the Colts defense as they will have to maintain the high level of play they pulled off last week against Denver which showed physicality and passion in order to stop this Pats offense. In their last encounter back in week 11 when the Patriots won 42-20 the run game as well as Rob Gronkowski tore the Colts defense apart simply because they were more physical and just outright stronger than their opponents. Vontae Davis is one of the best 3 corners in the league so he will need to be at his best to inspire this Colts defense if they are to pull off victory and that is exactly what he did last week as he inspired his partner Gregg Toler to put in a stellar performance which made the Broncos offense look ordinary.

Doing that against the Patriots will be a slightly more challenging task but after winning in Mile High last week the Colts have the momentum that all teams need when it comes to the postseason. The same goes for New England as they will feel they have the momentum required to go all the way. For me the key to this game again is Rob Gronkowski; as I've said for weeks now if he is healthy the Patriots will win the Super Bowl but of course productivity comes in to play as well. His blocking will help the run game when the Patriots attempt to do so and they will hope it will work better than last week considering Brady thew 50 pass attempts and dragged the team out of a tough spot but here is the key for me: When Gronk has 40 plus receiving yards the Patriots are 11-1 including the postseason and 2-2 when he has been held to less. If Gronk gets going then this one is over especially as this season Indianapolis main weakness has been tight ends so when going up against the best in the league it could be the difference maker.

Of course we know Andrew Luck has 40 touchdowns and is having a career year, he has TY Hilton, Moncrief, Nicks along with fellow wide out Reggie Wayne who can still make plays and Boom Herron who has taken the running game in to his own hands in the past two weeks but in playoff games of this magnitude home field advantage is a big thing and despite the Colts' brilliant performance last week versus Denver I think a win over Belichick and Brady in their own back yard with a Super Bowl place at stake is too big of a task for the Colts to overcome in this stage of Luck's career. Luck is a brilliant quarterback and Indianapolis will have to score at least 30 points to win this one but I don't see that happening; Under Andrew Luck the Colts will have great moments and in his career he will raise the Lombardi trophy on probably more than one occasion but the Patriots are prepared for this situation, Brady and Belichick have striven so much for this moment and are determined to lead the franchise to a 4th Super Bowl title to cement their greatness in NFL history... A win tonight gives them that chance and they'll be sure to capture it.

Prediction: Colts 27-37 Patriots

Preview: Ravens vs Patriots

The New England Patriots will host the Baltimore Ravens in another high stakes playoff game with the winner heading to the AFC Championship game in 8 days time. The Ravens are one of the only teams in recent memory to walk in to Foxborough and enjoy great success with two playoff victories over the Patriots in the 2012 season when they went on to win the Super Bowl and back on the 10th January 2010 when they dismantled New England 33-14. 5 years later and these two teams are going to lock horns once again with both hoping that today's game will be the catalyst for a run to the Super Bowl.

Both Baltimore and New England have faced adversity this year and both have shut up their critics which is what makes this game so exciting as well as so tough to predict. The Ravens went in to Pittsburgh last week and knocked off their biggest rivals in the wild card round 30-17 when many predicted they would fail. In recent years we've seen how wild card teams get hot at the right time and go on a run whereas teams with a bye sometimes struggle to shake off the rust of not playing and pay the price with a sluggish performance. This was something that happened once or twice to the Indianapolis Colts in the Dungy-Manning era but for Belichick's Patriots you can be assured that his team will be fired up and ready to go.

Tom Brady said the other day that this is the 2014 Patriots vs the 2014 Ravens each with their own unique identity and whilst I completely agree with that assessment let's be honest Brady himself, Belichick and the whole of the Patriots locker room definitely won't be short of motivation when it comes to facing Baltimore. The thought of defeating an old enemy one more time is something that Brady and Belichick will be eager to do but it won't be easy and even 'Terrific Tom' himself hasn't been particularly terrific in past meetings with the Ravens as he has thrown 3 touchdowns to 7 interceptions in the teams last 3 playoff meetings.

Flacco on the other hand has been a worthy adversary for Brady and co as you can see from the stats above so it is safe to assume that today's game will be a close duel once again. The difference this time round for New England is that this is the best defense hands down since 2007/2008 and in my opinion this is the best overall roster since then as well which is what makes me believe that New England will find a way to get the job done tonight. Joe Flacco has been incredible in the post season and since he entered the league in 2008 he has proven himself to be a very good quarterback but the physicality and natural ability of this Patriots defense that possesses so many game changers will be something Flacco hasn't faced before in Foxborough.

We're talking about Flacco facing past defenses that have had Ras-I Dowling on the roster, Sterling Moore who basically made a once in a lifetime in the Patriots' lone win against Flacco in the postseason and that year Julian Edelman even lined up as a corner in the Super Bowl which says it all about how the Pats were struggling on defense as they did rank 31st that year too. The defense now has Devin McCourty excelling after switching to safety and is one of the best in the league with Patrick Chung, Brandon Browner, Logan Ryan and the gem of the secondary Darrelle Revis who has proven himself to be the best corner in the league not named Richard Sherman. Up front you have Vince Wilfork who has bounced back from a season ending achilles injury last season with Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich both capable of generating a pass rush as well as stopping the run and then at linebacker Dont'a Hightower and Jamie Collins are phenomenal young players with so much potential who are already two of the main players and leaders of this New England defense.

Jamie Collins is one of the best young players I've seen in recent memory and number 91 can do practically anything from man coverage to zone, dropping back to cover the pass as well as stopping the run. He makes big plays, sniffs out the danger, forces turnovers and quite frankly he has the speed, talent and intelligence to be one of the best linebackers in football. With a physical secondary along with other players we've mentioned including the tandem of Collins and Hightower the Patriots can disrupt the Ravens offense just like their old defenses have done in the past to Tom Brady. Defense wins championships and although it is an old sporting cliche quite honestly more often than not it is proven to be true but when you have an offense led by Tom Brady and a healthy Rob Gronkowski well that does certainly help.

The Patriots will be raring to go and I stand by my bold statement that if Gronk is healthy the Pats will win the Super Bowl. He is an absolute nightmare for opposing defenses and I'm sure coordinators lose sleep over thinking of ways to try and stop him or if it is even remotely possible. Gronk's ability to make big plays, draw double coverage which makes Julian Edelman and Brandon LaFell become so effective and his ability to block in the running game proves why he is the most valuable player to the Patriots. The running game will be key tonight as if the Patriots get it going it will make the passing game run more effectively which will give Tom Brady the opportunities to pick holes in a Ravens secondary that has obvious weaknesses. History may not bode very well for New England against Baltimore but the past is the past for a reason as the 2014 Patriots are equipped to go all the way this year and end a 10 year wait for a 4th Lombardi; if they do their jobs tonight they'll be one game away from a 6th Super Bowl appearance in the Brady-Belichick era.

Prediction: Ravens 23-31 Patriots

Belichick could get his 20th win in the postseason tonight which would leave him tied for 1st all-time

NFL Playoffs: 2014 season

With the regular season reaching its climax the playoffs are now set to begin with wild card weekend. 8 teams play this weekend whilst 12 are dreaming of appearing at Super Bowl XLIV on February 1st. There are four stellar games on display for all of us NFL fans this weekend whilst the likes of the New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos and Green Bay Packers are on a bye waiting to see who they will go up against in next weeks divisional round. Let us have a look at all the teams in the playoffs, the legitimate contenders and their chances to lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy with my predictions and thoughts on who will win it in Arizona in less than a month!

NFC contenders:

Seattle Seahawks (12-4) NFC West winners: Home field advantage and a first round bye
Green Bay Packers (12-4) NFC North winner: First round bye
Dallas Cowboys (12-4) NFC East winners

NFC pretenders:

Carolina Panthers (7-8-1) NFC South winners
Arizona Cardinals (11-5) wildcard
Detroit Lions (11-5) wildcard

Seattle Seahawks: 

Can the Seahawks repeat?

The NFC's road to the Super Bowl will go through Seattle for a second successive season after the Seahawks reeled off a 6 game winning streak to end the season in style and take the number one seed. The defending champions are looking to establish a dynasty and become the first franchise to win back to back Super Bowls since the Patriots did it in the 2003 season and then the 2004 season. It is hard to bet against Pete Carroll's team considering their many qualities as well as their 24-2 record at CenturyLink Field since Russell Wilson became the team's starting quarterback.

The defense has got back to its devastating best following a sluggish 2-2 start to the season. They lead the league in many categories giving up a league best of just 15.9 points a game and only 254 points in the teams 16 regular season games making them one of just 5 teams to give up less than 300 points on the year as well as being the only defense to give up less than 300 net yards per game (267.1). These stats along with the fact that the team ranks 4th in turnover differential shows how hard it is to compete against this defense and personally I think only the Packers or Cowboys are equipped to dethrone the current champions.

We know how good their defense is with the playmakers they have and whilst their offense may not have many superstars but they have two of the best at their respective positions in the shape of Wilson and running back Marshawn Lynch. Wilson had back to back seasons with 26 touchdowns and although that has dropped to 20 this season his interceptions are down to just 7 on the year and the 2014 has seen him rack up the most passing yardage in a season since he has come in to the league. Wilson is one of the best game managers in the game and grows as a leader as well as a QB all the time so with Lynch behind him, who is tied for first in the league, with 13 touchdowns on the year then we can see why this team has many tools to beat any opposition and with this team firing on all cylinders at the right time Seattle could well be appearing in another Super Bowl.


Green Bay Packers:

Can Rodgers guide Green Bay to his second Super Bowl?

The Green Bay Packers just missed out on the first seed in the NFC following an uncharacteristic slip up against the Bills towards the end of the season. After their week 8 loss in New Orleans when the Packers were blown out by the Saints 44-23 the Packers had a bye week and then came out on a vengeance racking up 5 wins in the process scoring 201 points meaning they averaged 40.2 points per game during that streak before the collapse in Buffalo. That slip up allowed Seattle to snatch the first seed which could prove crucial if these two teams go head to head in the NFC Championship.

Luckily for the Packers is that should Seattle lose or at least until they have to face Seattle they will play at Lambeau Field where they finished the season 8-0. Should the Cowboys defeat the Lions on Sunday then Dallas, who are 8-0 on the road this season, will travel to Lambeau and face off in a thrilling contest. It appears likely in most people's eyes that Green Bay will face Dallas with the winner traveling to Seattle in the NFC Championship and that is a sentiment I would agree with.

Aaron Rodgers walking in to Seattle with the Super Bowl on the line will definitely mean that we see the real A-Rod as opposed to the timid Aaron Rodgers that was rattled and came unstuck back in week one of the regular season when the Pack were blown out 36-16. Rodgers is for me the most complete quarterback in football as he can make all the throws and when he is in the groove there is nobody better. I also agree with an article I read recently regarding the MVP race which suggested Rodgers could and probably would have hit 50 touchdowns with over 5,000 passing yards this season had the Packers not blown out so many teams by halftime this campaign. Rodgers finished the regular season with 38 touchdowns (ranked 3rd) to just 5 interceptions and a overall QB rating of 112.2 which ranked second only to Tony Romo. With Rodgers' talent, the weapons he has around him on such as Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and Eddie Lacy on the ground along with a defense that leads the league in turnover differential with +14 then it is easy to see why Green Bay are equipped to make a run at a Lombardi this month.


Dallas Cowboys:

Big D finally has something to smile about

The Dallas Cowboys have finally made the playoffs for the first time since 2009 as they go in pursuit of their first championship since 1995. Personally I am glad the Cowboys made the postseason and that is for one reason... Tony Romo! I for one am a Romo supporter and Tony himself hasn't had his fair share of them in years gone by but he has stepped up this season coming off a back surgery and on a year when many were predicting an awful campaign from Dallas. Now Romo's supporting cast has definitely helped him but all the great quarterbacks have had support in their careers whether it be on their side of the ball or a defense that has stepped up during runs to a championship.

Romo had the leagues leading rusher behind him this year in DeMarco Murray who ran for 1,845 yards, a league best 15 touchdowns and was also the only back in the league who averaged over 100 yards per game (115.3). He has Dez Bryant in the passing game with the two having amazing chemistry, a revamped offensive line that has made his life a hell of a lot easier and a defense that has completely turned themselves around following a horrendous 2013 campaign to a defense that can make plays and force turnovers; they rank 9th in turnover differential with +6 and have 18 interceptions on the year ranking them in 7th.

Romo himself had a very good year and a fantastic December which put his name in the MVP conversation in December he completed 74.8% of his passes with 12 touchdowns and to just one interception for a 133.7 passer rating which is the highest passer rating in NFL history for the month. Overall on the year Romo had 34 touchdowns (ranked 4th) to just 9 interceptions which matched his career best in a season where he has started every game and funnily enough that was in 2009 which was the last time Dallas made the postseason and where Romo got his lone playoff win. Romo led the league with a passer 113.2 and his fantastic 2014 season has propelled himself to second on the list all-time for career passer rating leaders at 97.6 which puts him 0.1 ahead of Peyton Manning and only behind Aaron Rodgers on the list, his main rival for the MVP award. Now we could talk all day about how Romo and the Cowboys have improved but that will count for nothing if they don't at least beat the Lions on Sunday and give themselves a shot of mixing it with the big boys in the form of Green Bay and Seattle and based on the talent of this team I think Jason Garrett's men will get that chance.


AFC Contenders:

New England Patriots (12-4) AFC East winners: Home field advantage and a first round bye
Denver Broncos (12-4) AFC West winner: First round bye
Pittsburgh Steelers (11-5) AFC North winners

AFC Pretenders:

Indianapolis Colts (11-5) AFC South winners
Cincinnati Bengals (10-5-1) wildcard
Baltimore Ravens (10-6) wildcard


New England Patriots:

Will Gronk ride Brady all the way to his 4th Super Bowl?

Year in year out the New England Patriots are the one NFL franchise to is in the Super Bowl conversation but for a decade the big prize has alluded them. This year Bill Belichick has, in my opinion, his best and most talented roster since the 2007 season when they almost pulled off perfection. Since that 18-1 season which ended in heartbreak the Pats have made close runs losing in the past two AFC Championship games to Baltimore and Denver with a second Super Bowl to the Giants before that back in 2011. The Patriots started the 2014 season with a lack of identity and a 2-2 record with many people questioning Tom Brady's performances, boy look how wrong they were, and Belichick's team facing adversity once again.

Fast forward to today and the Patriots are many people's picks to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl come February 1st and a lot of people's picks to be Super Bowl winners. Tom Brady only cares about winning and that was proven the other day when he once again restructured his contract. The Patriots have assembled talent along with a winning formula to post another winning season and clinch home field advantage over Denver which may prove crucial in deciding who wins the AFC in the next few weeks. The defense is one of the best in the league ranked second in turnover differential (+12), one of 5 playoff teams giving up less than 20 points a game (19.6) and with the best corner in the league not named Richard Sherman (Darrelle Revis). Add the experience of Revis to young guys coming in to their prime such as safety Devin McCourty, linebackers Dont'a Hightower and Jamie Collins who has been a revelation this year along with other key defensive pieces and it is clear to see why this defense is the best assembled since the old guard that has the likes of Tedy Bruschi, Willie McGinest, Ty Law and Rodney Harrison.

Brady's talent as a quarterback was never in doubt as he has always put his team in contention to win championships as after all he has the most postseason victories with 18 to his name and most important of any stat Brady has the highest winning percentage amongst any quarterback to ever play the game at .773. He has 160 wins to just 47 losses and is one of only 3 quarterbacks in the leagues history have a winning percentage of above .700 which are Joe Montana at .713, 117 wins to 47 losses, and Robert Staubach .746 with 85 wins to 29 losses. Brady is seeking the elusive 4th Super Bowl championship that would surely make him the greatest quarterback of all-time and this season is his best chance in recent memory because of one name... Rob Gronkowski! Gronk's busted ankle limited him almost completely against the Giants in the 2011 Super Bowl and injuries in the past 2 seasons have meant that he has missed the playoffs but Gronk is putting up his best numbers since 2011 after regaining full health and has caught 12 of Brady's 33 touchdowns this season. Brady leads the league in red zone touchdowns and that is down to the fact that he rarely turns the ball over, just 9 picks on the year, and that Gronk is his favourite red zone target plus the fact that he is a nightmare matchup for any defender in the league meaning he gives time for the likes of Julian Edelman and Brandon LaFell, who has been critical players for this Pats offense too, to come up trumps (11 TD's in total). Add these offensive weapons to a running game that includes the versatile Shane Vereen, young running back Jonas Gray and the return of LeGarrette Blount along with the talent of defense already been mentioned and it is clear to see why the New England Patriots could well end up Super Bowl Champions in Arizona in less than a month.


Denver Broncos:

Can Peyton silence the postseason doubters and go one better this time around?

The Denver Broncos are looking to get back to the Super Bowl again following the blowout defeat in the big game to the Seahawks at the climax of the 2013 season. With a revamped defense that includes the likes of Von Miller, TJ Ward, Aqib Talib and DeMarcus Ware to go with an offense that has managed to establish a run game in recent weeks to go with the passing attack led by Peyton Manning then it is obvious as to why the Broncos are the most legitimate threat to the New England Patriots.

Another Manning vs Brady classic would be something millions of NFL fans would enjoy but Peyton hasn't looked too much liked himself in recent weeks as many suspect he is carrying an injury but despite that along with 4 picks in a week 16 defeat to the Bengals Manning is having another good year statistically having thrown 39 touchdowns, only second to Andrew Luck who finished with 40, to 15 interceptions. The running game inspired by newbie CJ Anderson and the return of Ronnie Hillman will help take the load of Manning and the passing attack if need be. If effective it will make the passing game that includes both Demaryius and Julius Thomas along with Wes Welker and Emmanuel Sanders more successful, somehow, which will cause problems for opposing defenses especially their divisional round opponent as they will almost definitely be in for an element of surprise especially with Manning being well rested for the Broncos opening playoff game a week on Sunday.

With Denver's first home game at Mile High where they finished 8-0 during the regular season and the fact that this team leads the league with the Packers in touchdowns at 58 who would bet against John Fox's team making the trip to Gilette Stadium to face the Patriots in a second consecutive AFC Title game on January 18th especially after the arms race these two had in the offseason and the rivalry they have endured in the past few years I for one can envision the two locking horns once again.


Pittsburgh Steelers

Coming off a career year big Ben and the Steelers are a force to be reckoned with.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a dangerous football team and are my dark horses in the AFC for this years playoffs. With a defense that has started to play football that great defenses of past Steelers teams gone by would be proud of along with an offense that includes a two time Super Bowl winning quarterback who has two very dangerous weapons then there are areas you can highlight for why this Pittsburgh team could pull off a surprise or two and make a deep run in this years postseason.

A 4 game winning streak to end the season saw the Steelers clinch the AFC North and return to the playoffs for the first time since 2011 to set up a home playoff game against divisional rivals Baltimore in what will be a hard hitting old-style playoff game. The weaknesses in Baltimore's secondary should be exploited by the brilliance of Ben Roethlisberger who had an outstanding regular season throwing 32 touchdowns to just 9 interceptions for a passer rating of 103.3 (ranked 3rd and one of only 4 QB's to have over 100.0). He also threw for 4,952 passing yards leaving him tied for 1st with Drew Brees and just shy of the illustrious 5,000 mark and is averaging 310 passing yards per game. This is a big thanks to his brilliant rapport with breakout star Antonio Brown who himself racked up a league best 1,698 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns (tied 2nd) meaning he caught over a third of Big Ben's TD's and accumulated way over a third if not almost half of his passing yardage.

Now we spoke about supporting casts and MVP awards earlier with the likes of Tony Romo and Aaron Rodgers and personally when I look at Big Ben's stats I wonder why his name hasn't been touted around more especially as he is ranked 3rd in pass completion percentage only below Drew Brees (2nd) and Tony Romo (1st) and again only 3rd in yards per attempt to Aaron Rodgers (2nd) and Tony Romo (1st). It is safe to say that despite the injury to running back Le'veon Bell, suffered in the finale vs the Bengals, who offers a different dimention to this offense that this Steelers team can cause trouble in the postseason but there one cause for concern that they lack which the other 5 teams I have looked in depth at possess is the fact that this Steelers team doesn't force a lot of turnovers and is minus 1 in differential so that is something they will need to address if they are to go deeper in to the playoffs.

PREDICTION:

Wild Card weekend:

Cardinals vs Panthers: 

Carolina wins in a close battle between two of the leagues best and in form defenses just because Cam Newton has the ability to make big plays at the QB position with his raw talent whereas his counterpart Ryan Lindley will be exposed in the bright lights of the playoffs

Ravens vs Steelers:

Big Ben trumps Joe Flacco in the battle between two Super Bowl winning QB's because the Steelers will expose the cracks in this Baltimore defense.

Bengals vs Colts:

Two teams who have various weaknesses and will be exposed by better teams but the fact that Andrew Luck is the shining light for Indianapolis will be enough for them to progress at least one round in this years playoffs.

Lions vs Cowboys:

Stafford is 0-17 on the road against winning teams and 3-31 against winning teams overall in his career at Detroit so it is the safe bet that this talented Dallas team continues to make noise by setting up a mouth watering encounter against the Packers in the divisional round.


Divisonal round:

Colts vs Patriots:

Tom Brady and the Patriots have knocked the stuffing out of the Colts in recent encounters which won't change if Indianapolis ends up coming to Gillette Stadium where the Pats finished 7-1 during the regular season. Andrew Luck can weave his magic wand all he wants but his lack of a run game will be too much of a burden to give the Colts any real chance of winning this one.

Panthers vs Seahawks:

On Madden 15 the intro gets you to construct a game winning drive with Cam Newton against Seattle in the NFC title game and that is why it is a video game folks! The Panthers D may provide a stern test for Russel Wilson and the Seattle offense which is something it will need with either Dallas or Green Bay to play in the title game but the lack of offensive weapons for Carolina will be thwarted by the Seahawks and give them the win.

Steelers vs Broncos:

Big Ben vs Peyton could well go down as a playoff classic. Last week I said to a friend I believed that whoever wins the AFC North title on Sunday when the Bengals took on Pittsburgh, providing the Ravens don't make the playoffs, would make the AFC title game but now that Baltimore are in the postseason, despite the fact I think they'll lose to Pittsburgh, I think the Broncos will win. The return of Bell won't be enough to save the Steelers but it will be enough to give the Broncos a run for their money and ultimately a massive scare!


Cowboys vs Packers:

8-0 on the road vs 8-0 at home... An unstoppable force meets an immovable object (that's been used way too many times). A game that could truly be predicted by a flip of a coin but ultimately the playoffs will always have shocks and I think Dallas will triumph in Lambeau in what many would consider an upset to set up an NFC Title game against Seattle and leaving Aaron Rodgers to wonder what if for another season.

Championship games:

AFC Title: Broncos vs Patriots:

Manning vs Brady. Episode 17 would be their 5th installment of the playoff wars. Brady has defeated Peyton in 11 of their 16 encounters but they are 2-2 in the postseason and with a shot at a Lombardi at stake it would maybe be the highest stakes ever between these two. The teams have battled all offseason to build rosters capable of going all the way and I think that just because of home field advantage, if the Pats stay healthy, they will ultimately defeat the Broncos and go on to Arizona.

NFC Title: Cowboys vs Seahawks:

The chances of their being a second successive Super Bowl where the two number one seeds face off seems virtually impossible and while I think it is tough to bet against Seattle the fact is that unless Marshawn Lynch has another installment of beast mode, which granted he can at any given moment, then this Cowboys team is very well capable of winning at CenturyLink for a second time and shocking the world once again. They have all the tools including the know how to win on the road, something some people would argue the Packers don't have, which is why I feel Dallas can win the NFC.





Super Bowl XLIX: Cowboys vs Patriots

Behold the 49th installment of the Super Bowl will see the Dallas Cowboys take on the New England Patriots with Bill Belichick and Tom Brady facing NFC East opposition for a third consecutive time in the big one but this time it isn't the Giants. Both defenses have the ability to cause turnovers but Bill Belichick's winning teams thrive off of this and that is something that this Pats team has. As much as I am a fan of Tony Romo and fight his corner unfortunately I think if he makes it to the big one the moment where he may throw an infamous pick will come around and ultimately "cost" Dallas the game. Eli Manning albeit nowhere near the greatness of his brother Peyton in the regular season has proven he has the ice cold veins to be clutch in the big moments which prized away a potential two futher Lombardi's for Belichick-Brady. As well as that is the fact that the Giants had a head coach in Tom Coughlin who quite frankly is a footballing genius himself and proved a worthy adversary for coach Belichick whereas I feel Belichick would definitely outsmart Jason Garrett and that's with no disrespect intended but 98 times out of 100 Belichick outsmarts any given opponent and that same figure is the same when it comes to Tom Brady and beating any given opposition. In this scenario and my prediction for the 2014 NFL playoffs the Patriots end a 10 year hiatus to finally win their 4th championship providing that Gronk is healthy as I firmly believe and have said all along that with Gronk healthy the Patriots will win the Super Bowl. It sounds like such a huge statement and a bold prediction but the one thing that has derailed the Pats in recent years was injuries to Gronk so taking that in to account with everything mentioned above this is what I believe will happen.

Number 4 around the corner?