Super Bowl XLVIII

Tonight sees the Seattle Seahawks take on the Denver Broncos in the 48th edition of the Super Bowl. The glitz and glamour of the NFL will take centre stage at the Big Apple tonight when these two teams face off at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

It is the ultimate battle of the unstoppable force vs the immoveable object as the high scoring Broncos offense clashes against Seattle's tough and hard working defense! Who will come out on top when Peyton Manning and his illustrious core of receivers face Richard Sherman and the Seattle's Legion of Boom secondary? Well luckily for all us NFL fans there isn't long to wait.

With the weather being very cold you would automatically expect defense to be favoured as getting your offense going in the temperatures that New York currently has to offer will be difficult. The cold weather element will definitely make this Super Bowl unique as nowadays we are use to seeing the sports biggest spectacle being held in places such as Arizona, Miami or at indoor stadiums.

Peyton Manning's record in the cold isn't exactly great but he has defied the odds many a time in his career especially since joining Denver. The future hall of fame quarterback is seeking a 2nd Super Bowl ring after winning a record 5th league MVP award last night. Peyton will be hoping to hoist the Lombardi trophy high in the air at the stadium his younger brother Eli plays in just like he did back at Lucas Oil stadium a few years ago when the Giants defeated the Patriots. 

Peyton can cement his legacy as arguably the greatest quarterback to play the game tonight by winning the Super Bowl in a season which has seen his team become the first offense in NFL history to score over 600 points. To win the big game on the back of that and against the best defense in the league would shut up any critics he has.

Seattle will be no pushovers though and if they do manage to win tonight it will leave Peyton on 12 playoff losses with an unwanted record of most playoff losses ever by a starting quarterback. We all know about this Seahawks defense with Richard Sherman leading the way. With the likes of himself along with Earl a Thomas and Kam Chancellor along with their talented pass rushers like Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett the a Broncos can expect a tough game will lots of pressure. Denver's offensive like has held up well all year and personally for me was the decisive factor in the teams AFC title victory over New England a fortnight ago as they protected Manning which gave him time in the pocket to make valuable plays.

As mentioned above we all know what the Seattle defense can do. Denver's run defense is very good and hauled LaGarrette Blount two weeks ago but Marshawn Lynch is a whole different kettle of fish! 'Beast Mode' can turn it on at any given moment so the Denver run D needs to be alert and at it's best all night. The secondary has issues but is lead by Champ Bailey who could easily make critical plays against a Seahawks offense which is being questioned a lot by many.

Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson is a great game manager and holds the NFL record for most touchdown passes by a rookie with no other than Peyton Manning. Wilson has all the intangibles to get it done and we've seen him make the deep ball when he needs to but his receiving core isn't fantastic so the Seahakws will be hoping that free agency acquisition Percy Harvin can be the X factor for them tonight!

They gave up high picks to claim Harvin from Minnesota but he has been plagued by injuries all year round. Personally with the Broncos not doing much special teams work due to kicker Matt Prater always clearing the back of the end zone at Mile High I feel this could be a weakness for them tonight in New York and with Harvin's returning skills well he could make them pay.

Ball and Moreno need to play like they did against New England in order for the Broncos passing game to not be obvious therefore giving them a chance to succeed against the tough Seattle secondary. You can expect a lot of slant routes and it'll be interesting to see how the Seahawks play against this. Seattle's defense hasn't come up against such a talented receiving core all year as the Broncos possess both Julius and Demaryius Thomas along with Eric Decker and Wes Welker but the test of NFC West rivals San Francisco last week should stand Seattle in good stead for tonight's matchup.

One things for sure and that is that the two best teams in the league have reached the Super Bowl which these days doesn't happen often so I can't wait! I predicted Seattle to make the big game so I'm going to stick my neck out and say that defense reigns supreme tonight giving the 12th man, Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks franchise their first ever Super Bowl victory!

Prediction: Seattle Seahawks 21-20 Denver Broncos

Championship Sunday!

Tomorrow is Championship Sunday and nobody can argue against the fact that the four best teams in the national football league have made it to what is one of the biggest and most highly anticipated double headers on a NFL Sunday in years! The AFC matchup sees two of the greatest quarterbacks to play the game go head to head once again as Tom Brady and the New England Patriots go on the road to take on the Peyton Manning led Denver Broncos. Then straight after that two arch enemies of the of the NFC West will have a rubber match with a place at Super Bowl XLVIII at stake as the red hot San Francisco 49ers walk in to the cauldron that is CenturyLink Field to face the Seattle Seahawks. Now it is time for me to look at these two games and give you my insight as well as my predictions for these two games.

NFC Championship game: San Francisco 49ers vs Seattle Seahawks

The NFC Championship game sees the 49ers travel to Seattle for the third matchup of the season between these two bitter rivals. We have the two best defenses in football going up against each other in what is set to be a mouthwatering affair and as well as that both of these teams have two of the best young quarterbacks in the league in the shape of Colin Kaepernick and Russell Wilson respectively.

Earlier in the season the Niners walked in to CenturyLink Field for the week 2 game and were blown out 29-3. The 49ers offense was manhandled and the defense was blown away in a 4th quarter which saw them give up 17 points. Since then the Niners managed to defeat Seattle 19-17 to tie the series up on the year and when you include the teams two playoff victories over Green Bay and Carolina they have now won 8 straight. Colin Kaepernick is 3-0 on the road in the postseason and for a young QB already has valuable playoff experience after helping the team reach the Super Bowl last season; Joe Montana and Steve Young were 1-7 on the road in the postseason combined!

No team has made it back to the Super Bowl after suffering defeat the previous year to then go on and win it the next since the 1972 17-0 Miami Dolphins and the only other exception was the team who they lost to in that Super Bowl the year before; the 1971 Dallas Cowboys. So it is safe to say Jim Harbaugh's team are up against it statistically tomorrow especially when you consider that the Seattle Seahawks have only lost one game at home since Russell Wilson became the teams starting quarterback and after they defeated the Saints last week his record at home is now 16-1.

The second year quarterback also set a record this year when he recorded 24 years in his first two seasons in the league. Even head coach Pete Carroll holds an impressive 24-8 home record as the teams leader since he took over at the beginning of the 2010 season. When Carroll and Harbaugh face off there are always fireworks as these two head coaches just don't like each other so whether there will be hand shakes at the end of tomorrow nights game is anybody's call. You can guarantee there will be plenty of over dramatics tomorrow night from these two men in the form of jumping, excessive celebrating, shouting and fist pumping but I'm not complaining because passion is what makes sport so amazing and when you have two of the best teams in the league facing off against each other you want it to be a bit personal as it adds that extra bit of spice to the game.

In most games you can pinpoint a certain area that will go a long way to determining the result but in this Niners-Seahawks encounter it is hard to put your finger on the key points. Both defenses are tough, both defenses are hard hitting and both defenses are nasty I mean honestly I would not want to be an offensive player on either team tomorrow. Personally with the Legion of Boom at their disposal I think the Seattle defense is slightly better than that of the 49ers but that's not taking anything away from the likes of Patrick Willis and Navarro Bowman of the Niners as those two linebackers are probably the two you'd choose to try and help stop Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch.

As we know the two Smith's Justin and Aldon aren't exactly bad themselves and the Niners secondary has the likes of Carlos Rodgers, Eric Wright and Eric Reid who ain't no slouches. Seattle's defense though as I said is slightly better and not just because of the likes of Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas in the secondary. Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett are great pass rushers and will look to disrupt any rhythm the 49ers offense looks to get going. Despite me giving the Seahawks an edge on defense the thing that makes this matchup interesting is that I believe the 49ers offense is better than that of their NFC West counterparts.

Russell Wilson is very efficient but in recent weeks he has been quiet whereas Colin Kaepernick continues to light it up in the postseason and since the return of Michael Crabtree to this San Francisco offense Kaepernick has looked a lot more dangerous. The passing game of the Niners has got going since Crabtree returned and that has given Kaepernick the ability to effect the game with his legs once again. He outplayed Cam Newton last week and personally I feel he is underrated as a passer and I would even say he is a better passer than Newton. Russell Wilson can make big plays though as he is very talented and not just a game manager so if Seattle need to cut him loose to make things happen I'm sure Pete Carroll will have no hesitation in doing so.

The only downside for Seattle offensively though is that offseason acquisition Percy Harvin has never got going this year due to injury problems and the concussion he suffered last week which rules him out of tomorrow's game pretty much sums up his 2013 campaign. Harvin was signed to be the playmaker that would give the Seahawks a different dimension offensively but that plan hasn't come to fruition. Baldwin, Kearse and Golden Tate are good receivers but in comparison to the 49ers wideouts they are no match. Anquan Boldin, Michael Crabtree and tight end Vernon Davis can cause Seattle problems tomorrow and Frank Gore is a very good running back who's name I haven't even mentioned yet!

With that being said though I feel that on the day Pete Carroll will get the edge over Jim Harbaugh because Carroll knows what it takes to beat the 49ers when his team is hosting them. Harbaugh is a great young coach and has taken his team to three straight conference championships but to get his team back to the Super Bowl could be a step too far. The Niners are hot and are on a very good streak but to walk out of Seattle with the NFC title is such a tough challenge. Seattle got the home loss out of the way during the regular season and have managed to refocus themselves for the task ahead that is the playoffs. It won't be a blow out and it will be a tightly contested affair which will come down to one or two critical plays in a matchup which will decide who takes the ultimate bragging rights in the NFC West and more importantly a trip to MetLife Stadium in 2 weeks time!

Prediction: 49ers 24-27 Seahawks


AFC Championship: New England Patriots vs Denver Broncos

The hype around this matchup is incredible as Tom Brady and Peyton Manning face off in the 15th installment of a quarterback rivalry that has lasted for over a decade. With both of these QB's in the later years of their 30's you would probably say that this could be the last time that these two face off with the stakes being as high as they are for tomorrow.

But as we know you should never count out Tom Brady or Peyton Manning. Manning has finally got to where he wants to be and that is within reach of a third Super Bowl appearance; he is having a monster season having broken Tom Brady's regular season record for passing touchdowns by throwing 55 and breaking Drew Brees' passing yards record by racking up 5,477. These stats will count for nothing though if the season doesn't end with Peyton hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in the air.

Tom Brady is quite simply Peyton Manning's kryptonite and there is no doubt about it because history doesn't lie. Even in recent memory you only have to look back at the week 12 encounter at Gillette Stadium where Tom Brady and co wiped out a Broncos lead of 24-0 to win the game 34-31 in overtime. That victory gave Brady his 10th victory over Manning in their 14 games against each other including the postseason. Let us look at the stats between the two in the encounters:

Now I will be the first to point out that tomorrow's game between Denver and New England is not just about these two men as it is between two teams who are both hungry to play in the biggest sporting spectacle on earth but whoever wins out of Brady or Manning will have their picture posted on websites across the world for the next fortnight. Brady's 10-4 career head-to-head over Manning says it all and his touchdown to interception ratio shows his efficiency. Brady leads in all categories but one and has a passer rating that is higher by 11! The only category that he doesn't lead in is passing yardage and you could argue that it is because Manning is behind in most games so his teams have chased the games meaning he passes more but enough of that.

No offence to Peyton Manning fans but they love to use statistics to fight their corner. I don't want to take anything away from Manning because he is one of the greatest to play at the position but unfortunately for him if the Broncos lose tomorrow that leaves Manning on his own with a record that nobody wants and that is a quarterback with the most losses in the postseason. 12 losses when it matters lost is unprecedented and that does not look good on anyone looking to leave a legacy.

Brady's legacy will be uncanny if he and the Patriots win the Super Bowl this year. The same applies for head coach Bill Belichick; he claimed his 19th victory as a coach in the playoffs when New England eased past the Colts last week which now leaves him tied in second place with Don Shula. If the Patriots win tomorrow Belichick will tie Tom Landry for the most playoff wins with 20 and if dare I say it the Patriots win the Super Bowl that would be the perfect way for Belichick to break the record and it will leave him on 21.

Back to Brady and his legacy; he is so close to being the greatest quarterback of all-time and if he guides an injury depleted Patriots side that has so many similarities to 2001 Super Bowl winning side it will be the perfect way to cement his name as the greatest to play the game. Brady is tied for Super Bowl appearances with John Elway having played in 5. He and Elway have both won 3 of those which leaves Brady just one shy of Montana and Bradshaw's record of 4 Super Bowl wins. Brady holds the record for playoff wins by a quarterback with 18 so a win tomorrow against Denver and a Super Bowl victory would see Brady end the 2013 season with 20 playoffs wins, 4 Super Bowl victories and 6 appearances in the big game which in my opinion leaves no debate as to who is the greatest quarterback to grace the NFL.

As I have pointed out though this is a team game and it will take a big performance from the New England Patriots to topple the Denver Broncos tomorrow. The Patriots are playing up to the title of underdog and why not because it puts pressure on the opponents. Personally I feel that they are underdogs as despite the fact that Brady can pick holes in a vulnerable Broncos secondary he goes up against a Broncos run defense that has improved in weeks gone by and they know that they have to stop the likes of Blount, Ridley and Vereen in order to win this game. On the flip side Peyton Manning and the Broncos offense is firing on all cylinders and the likes of Welker and Decker along with Julius and Demaryius Thomas will pose problems for a New England defense haunted by injuries.

For Denver to win this game is to score early because taking the pressure off Peyton Manning is a must especially in a conference championship which sees Manning take to the field in a game of his magnitude for the first time since the 2009 season (Brady on the other hand is making is 8th conference championship appearance). Now this may sound silly as it always applies but turnovers are the decisive and key factor for me. My explanation is that if the Patriots turn the ball over I feel they can still win this game but if the Broncos turn it over it'll cost them and they will lose. The more pressure on the Denver Broncos tomorrow and the more likely it'll be that they fall.

New England's defense is led by the defensive mastermind that is Bill Belichick and despite injuries to Jerod Mayo and Vince Wilfork the younger guy on the team like Chandler Jones and Hightower have been big for this team. Last week saw the emergence of Jamie Collins and he will be looking to build on his success from that win over the Colts. Rob Ninkovich and Dane Fletcher also deserve a mention too and then there's the secondary which possesses the likes of Aqib Talib, Devin McCourty, Alfonzo Dennard and Logan Ryan who can all hold their own against the firepower of the Broncos offense.

If the Pats defense can continue to force turnovers it will give them a very good chance of walking out of Mile High as winners tomorrow. Earlier on in the season I predicted that the two would meet in the AFC title game at Mile High and here it is. At the time I didn't anticipate that the Pats offense would become the ground and pound juggernaut that it has done in recent weeks led by LeGarrette Blount who continued wrecking havoc last week when he ran in for 4 touchdowns and 166 rushing yards which tied a franchise record. If the ground game gets going again with the one-two punch of Blount and Ridley it will open up Shane Vereen in the backfield for Tom Brady and also give him plenty of play-action opportunities which we saw tear Denver apart earlier in the season. Julian Edelman will obviously be crucial to any success the Patriots have tomorrow night and it is also the perfect time for Danny Amendola to step out of the shadow of Wes Welker by outplaying his opposite number. I could sit here night and day writing comparisons but the fact of the matter is that this New England Patriots vs Denver Broncos game will be one for the ages and a playoff game that will be remembered for years to come as well as possibly playing a critical role in deciding an argument that has gone on for years. Brady vs Manning part 15: Let the games begin!

Prediction: Patriots 31-30 Broncos

Patriots move to 4-0; on to the next one!

Easy work on Sunday night!

Tom Brady led the New England Patriots to a fantastic 30-23 road victory against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football. It ensured that the Pats moved on to 4-0 for the third time in Bill Belichick's tenure and it was the head coach's 209th win which moved him to joint 5th all-time with Chuck Noel. It was a back to the future performance for Tom Brady who just seems to keep on getting better with age even despite being surrounded by a cast of rookie receivers. The future hall of fame quarterback is pulling off a great achievement with this receiving core and he is helping turn these players in to legitimate NFL wideouts so early on in their careers; Brady finished Sunday night's game with a season high of 316 passing yards completing 20 out of 31 passes.

Not for the first time this season we saw the Patriots defense come up big with Aqib Talib being the stand out performer versus Atlanta as he hauled in an interception early on as well as the providing the game-sealing defensive breakup in the end zone to stop the Falcons late comeback attempt. Unfortunately Vince Wilfork suffered a season ending injury when he tore his achilles on Sunday night which has come as a massive blow for this Patriots team. The franchise has the 'next man up' approach but he will be a big miss. Thankfully for New England its entire defense has been contributing so far this season which has been a big factor in this four game winning streak; they are tied for 6th in forced fumbles recovering 3 out of 5 and are tied for 10th in interceptions with five picks. This defense is for real and despite Wilfork's absence Belichick will find a way to make things work.

Tom Brady has won 140 games to just 39 losses which is outstanding. He has 45,820 passing yards and a fantastic touchdown to interception ratio of 341-125. With this limited offense people dared to doubt the Golden Boy but he has built up a good rapport with the likes of Aaron Dobson and Kenbrell Thompkins as well as utilised Julian Edelman and even connected with Mike Mulligan for a touchdown on Sunday night. The running game has looked good with a well-run combined attack which saw Blount rush for 64 yards and a score, Ridley get 53 yards as well as Bolden chip in with 17 from 6 carries.

The offense will get stronger when Rob Gronkowski and Danny Amendola return from injury; two valuable weapons who Brady can rely on and will help take this team to another level. Tom Brady is working miracles at the moment I mean could Peyton Manning, Drew Brees or Alex Smith make things work with this receiving core? No. The Patriots are a Super Bowl contender if they have a healthy roster heading in to the playoffs and after starting the season 4-0 they’re on course for an impressive regular season.

Season Prediction: With the way things currently stand the next chapter of Brady and Manning could be on the cards in a potential mouth-watering AFC Championship game. Picture a Star Wars scenario with Wes Welker as Anakin Skywalker and he has left to join Emperor Peyton Manning on the dark side. Brady, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and his young receivers, they can represent Luke Skywalker, will go on the road to Mile High in a high stakes affair with the winner going to New York to play in Super Bowl XLVIII. Regular season: 13-3

who would prevail?

3-0 an omen or just a coincidence?

On the last two occasions that the New England Patriots have started a season 3-0 they have gone on to reach the Super Bowl. The 2004 season saw the team defend their Super Bowl crown from 2003 as the team went on to repeat their success from the year before and become back to back champions. In 2007 it appeared they would achieve something greater than that period of dominance as the team dominated the league entirely by finishing the 2007 regular season undefeated 16-0 and advancing to the Super Bowl with an 18-0 record before unfortunately falling at the final hurdle.

2004's team was built around one of the best defenses in the league and on offense Tom Brady was efficient despite not having any real standout receiving options but it was the collective efforts from the likes of Troy Brown, David Givens, Deion Branch and David Patten which helped the team succeed. Brady in 2004 threw 28 touchdowns to 14 interceptions and 5 touchdowns to 0 interceptions in that post-season; It wasn't until the 2007 season when we saw Brady throw over 30 touchdowns for the first time in his career as he went on to break the regular season record for passing touchdowns with 50.

Despite the 2007 team being a more complete team than any of the Patriots' three Super Bowl winning teams they lost to the Giants in Super Bowl XLII as they missed out on being undefeated for the whole year. They are still arguably one of the greatest sporting rosters of all-time let alone in the NFL but the Lombardi trophy eluded them on that particular occasion. Here we are six seasons later and there have been many changes in New England especially ahead of the current 2013 season as the team entered a period of transition with many of Tom Brady's receiving options being rookies as opposed to an explosive receiving core from 2012 which featured the likes of Wes Welker and Aaron Hernandez.

Despite some doubt surrounding the Patriots going in to the start of the year the team managed to grind out two early season victories over the Bills and the Jets before a solid win over Tampa Bay last week 23-3. At 3-0 is it possible to assume the Patriots could make it to MetLife stadium in February 2014 for an eighth Super Bowl appearance? Well it is impossible to ever rule the Patriots out as they will always contend with Bill Belichick and Tom Brady but it is too early in the season to make Super Bowl predictions for any team in the league as there is still a long way to go.

In spite of that this Patriots team is improving week by week with Bill Belichick's defense on fire so far as they are second in points allowed, 11.3 per game, along with being tied for eight in total defense, 309 yards per game. The Patriots D has had many standout performers this year from the likes of the young Chandler Jones to unsung heroes such as Rob Ninkovich and Kyle Arrington. Aqib Talib and Jerod Mayo have also been impressive for New England and Vince Wilfork is as consistent on defense for this team as Tom Brady is on offense.

New England's defense is tied for eighth on third-down conversions allowed and they are the only team in the league to have allowed zero points in the fourth quarter which is incredible considering that run stretches over three games. With a big game against Atlanta coming up tomorrow night the form of the Patriots defense will stand them in good stead and considering they are doing well in turnovers and in the red zone, two things Belichick' defenses have always relied on, it is clear to see this group have lots of potential. The defense has created seven turnovers in three games leaving them tied for fifth in the league and is tied for having the 12th best red zone defense

How will 2013 end for the Patriots?

Since the 2009 season Tom Brady has needed a defense to help out the Patriots as in recent years the offense has carried the team at times but now it appears the offense is playing catch up to the defense when you look at the start of this 2013 season. The good news for all those involved with the Patriots is that with Tom Brady you have a future hall of fame quarterback leading the offense and a man who is hungry for his 4th Super Bowl ring so if anyone can make a set of rookie wideouts in to productive NFL receivers early on in their careers it is him.

Last week we saw Brady and Kenbrell Thompkins combine for two scores as the rookie showed off the type of display we saw from him during preseason. Aaron Dobson has showed he has lots of potential and racked up the most receiving yards out of the receivers last week. There will be lots of pressure of those two and Julian Edelman who Brady has relied on even more in recent weeks after Danny Amendola joined Rob Gronkowski on the sideline but the Patriots will walk in to the Georgia Dome in high spirits and confident of walking out 4-0.

On the past two occasions the teams have made the Super Bowl when starting 3-0 they have won their fourth game but regardless on tomorrow night's result it is clear to see this Patriots team will grow week by week. The more game time these rookie receivers get the more they will improve as a unit and tomorrow night will be a valuable experience. The Patriots will have to deal without Gronkowski and Amendola tomorrow night; With the Falcons at 1-2 it is a tough game to call which could go either way whilst having the potential to be a thriller but to win tomorrow night the Patriots needs to improve on its red zone woes as the Falcons pose a stronger threat than any other team they faced so far.

Looking ahead at the rest of the 2013 season if the Patriots roster is healthy come the start of the playoffs they have to be considered a contender represent the AFC at Super Bowl XLVIII. Rob Gronkowski will open up the field for the other offensive weapons which will be beneficial for the rookies plus it will give the likes of Edelman and Amendola the ability to have a bigger impact on the field. From an offensive point of view the running game will also be critical to the team’s success as they look to get something going from there various options with Shane Vereen, Legarrette Blount, Brandon Bolden, and Stevan Ridley all on the roster.

There is no coincidence in the Patriots' success as the franchise has been strong for over the last decade and although the Super Bowl is a long way away with the potential on both sides of the ball New England has a lot to be excited about for the future so if things go to plan 2013 could potentially finish with a fairytale ending for all those involved with the franchise.