Archive for the ‘Super Bowl XLVI’ Category
2012 Playoff Predictions and Super Bowl XLVII Picks
Super Bowl XLVII Logo
The 2012 NFL season is now just seven days away from kick off with the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants hosting their NFC East rivals Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium next Wednesday night.
I will be posting a preview of the game next week but for now it’s time to reveal my Playoff predictions and Super Bowl picks for this year.
And so early as though it may be, here are my Playoff seeds.
AFC
1. New England Patriots
2. Baltimore Ravens
3. Houston Texans
4. San Diego Chargers
5. Pittsburgh Steelers
6. New York Jets
NFC
1. New York Giants
2. Green Bay Packers
3. New Orleans Saints
4. San Francisco 49ers
5. Chicago Bears
6. Philadelphia Eagles
AFC Wildcard Round
(3) Texans vs (6) Jets
Arian Foster
Without much competition in the AFC South, I see the Texans winning back-to-back division titles with their star running back Arian Foster set for another big year.
The Jets passing game will be the key to their season and I think they’ll somehow find a way to sneak into the Playoffs even with the Mark Sanchez/Tim Tebow quarterback controversy that’s likely to unfold.
Prediction: The Texans superior offense along with their emerging defense gives them the edge over the Jets.
Texans win
(4) Chargers vs (5) Steelers
Philip Rivers
The San Diego Chargers have brought in plenty of talented players this offseason and that should help them to overtake the Denver Broncos and win the AFC West.
After a disappointing playoff loss to the Denver Broncos last year, the Steelers are looking to bounce back this time around with much of their success depending on the availability of Rashard Mendenhall and Mike Wallace.
Prediction: The Steelers are a team on the decline which is why I see the Chargers getting the win in this one.
Chargers win
NFC Wildcard Round
(3) Saints vs (6) Eagles
Michael Vick
As shocking as it may sound, I still think the Saints can win the NFC South even without their suspended head coach Sean Payton because Drew Brees and his offense are just that good.
The Philadelphia Eagles are the most talented team in the NFL on paper and if they can keep Michael Vick healthy and play solid defense, I see them taking the final wildcard spot in the NFC.
Prediction: This game could break all types of offensive records and I see the Eagles winning in an upset.
Eagles win
(4) 49ers vs (5) Bears
Brandon Marshall
After coming so close to the Super Bowl last season, 49ers quarterback Alex Smith will be tasked with taking one step further this year and will also have arguably the best defense in the NFL to support him.
As long as the Bears can find a way to keep Jay Cutler and Matt Forte off the sidelines, they should at the very least earn a wildcard spot for the postseason.
Prediction: In what would likely be a throwback defensive minded game, the Bears win a close one.
Bears win
AFC Divisional Round
(1) Patriots vs (4) Chargers
Rob Gronkowski
Tom Brady threw for more than 5,000 yards last season and he should put up similar type numbers again this year with weapons including the best tight end tandem in the NFL in Gronkowski/Hernandez.
The Chargers defense would surely have to step up if they were to make it this far into the Playoffs and they would certainly be in for a long day going up against Brady and co.
Prediction: As a Chargers fan, I should really be going for the upset but I just don’t see that happening.
Patriots win
(2) Ravens vs (4) Texans
Ray Lewis
The Ravens defense will be missing 2011 Defensive Player of the Year Terrell Suggs for much of the season but they have more than enough talent elsewhere on defense to make up for his absence and win the AFC North.
After getting past the Jets in the last round, the Texans would come up against their old foes from last season’s Playoffs in the Baltimore Ravens in another battle at M&T Bank Stadium.
Prediction: Just like last time, it’s hard to pick against the Ravens in this matchup.
Ravens win
NFC Divisional Round
(1) Giants vs (6) Eagles
Jason Pierre-Paul
The defending Super Bowl champion Giants get my number 1 seed in the NFC and with last season’s roster still mainly intact, I see them having a much better regular season showing this year.
It’s one thing getting the upset over the Saints on the road, but the Eagles would face an even tougher task in this one as the Giants defensive line would be likely to have a field day going up against Michael Vick.
Prediction: In an east coast rivalry game, the Giants get the win and advance to the NFC Championship.
Giants win
(2) Packers vs (5) Bears
Aaron Rodgers
People seem to have forgotten that the Packers lost just two games last season and still have the reigning MVP in Aaron Rodgers along with a defense that will be much better in 2012.
The Bears would love nothing more than to eliminate the Packers from the Playoffs on their own turf at Lambeau Field and would be forced to count on quarterback Jay Cutler to step up and lead them to victory.
Prediction: In a game between two of the biggest rivals in the NFL, it’s the Packers who come out on top.
Packers win
AFC Championship Game
(1) Patriots vs (2) Ravens
Joe Flacco
In a rematch of last year’s AFC Championship Game, the Patriots take on the Ravens at Foxborough again.
Prediction: With time running out, undrafted rookie Justin Tucker would (ironically) kick the winning field goal.
Ravens win
NFC Championship Game
(1) Giants vs (2) Packers
Charles Woodson
In yet another rematch from last season’s Playoffs, it would be down to the two top teams in the NFL.
Prediction: The Packers learn from their mistakes and get the win to sends them to New Orleans.
Packers win
Super Bowl XLVII
(AFC Champs) Ravens vs (NFC Champs) Packers
Aaron Rodgers
Two teams with completely contrasting styles meet at the Mercedes-Benz SuperDome on February 3rd, 2013.
Prediction: In a potential Super Bowl clash for the ages, I’d give a slight edge to the Packers.
Packers win Super Bowl XLVII
So that’s my Super Bowl pick as well as my Playoff predictions for the 2012 season.
Although I would like to see my choices be as accurate as they can be, I hope I’m wrong about the Chargers chances and they somehow manage to win the Super Bowl!
And for anyone looking to put a bet on the Packers winning the Super Bowl, check out http://www.paddypower.com/bet as they have the best odds at 13/2!!!
Super Bowl XLVI: Preview
Super Bowl 46
We are now just one day away from Super Bowl XLVI. The New England Patriots are set to take on the New York Giants and it all kicks off tomorrow night starting at 10:30 pm on Sky Sports 1. The game will also be shown on BBC 1 starting at 10:55 pm.
I shall now give my preview for the game along with my prediction for the outcome.
Key battles to watch out for during the game
1. Tom Brady vs Giants pass rush- The first key battle to watch is Patriots quarterback Tom Brady against the Giants pass rush. The Giants fearsome pass rush has to be one of the main reasons why they have gotten to the Super Bowl. Their best pass rushers are Jason Pierre-Paul, Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka.
The Giants will use a different number of these players on every play and they each head into the game with the same goal: Get pressure on Tom Brady. Brady will have to be at his best if he is to avoid this Giants pass rush and find his targets down-field.
2. Rob Gronkowski vs Kenny Phillips- This will be another key battle to watch out for. Gronkowski has been cleared to play despite suffering an ankle injury in the AFC Championship Game. While he is almost certainly not 100% healthy, he should still cause problems for the Giants defense.
I expect Giants safety Kenny Phillips to be given the task of covering Gronkowski throughout the game as I don’t see any of the Giants linebackers having the coverage skills to to stop him. Kenny Phillips must have a better performance in this game than he did in the NFC Championship Game when he allowed 49ers tight end Vernon Davis over 100 yards receiving and two touchdowns.
3. Giants wide receivers vs Patriots secondary- This is where the Giants should have the upper hand. Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham should all have big games as they go up against this poor Patriots secondary.
Although they have stepped up in the Playoffs, the Patriots secondary is still a weakness that the Giants and Eli Manning will be looking to exploit. Devin McCourty and co. will have to play the games of their lives if they are stop the Giants wide receivers.
4. Giants rushing attack vs Patriots defense- The Giants had the worst rushing attack in the NFL during the Regular Season with just over 89 yards per game on the ground. However, they have improved in the Playoffs and are averaging 117 yards per game on the ground.
I feel that if the Giants are going to have any chance of winning this game, then they simply must get over 100 yards rushing. That’s going to be a tough task for Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs, especially considering that the Patriots defense held Ray Rice and Ricky Williams to just 89 yards rushing in the AFC Championship Game.
5. Bill Belichick vs Tom Coughlin- Alas, the battle of the Head coaches. Tom Coughlin won this battle the last time these two teams met in the Super Bowl and something tells me that Bill Belichick will be extra motivated to avenge that loss. Bellichick is known for his rigorous preparation for games and I see that being no different for this one. Coughlin is known for looking angry and confused as he watches on from the sideline.
Although Coughlin is great in his own right, I thinks it’s clear who the superior Head coach is. If the game is to come down to a battle of wits between the two Head coaches, then it is certainly advantage to the Patriots.
Prediction
I’m afraid it all comes down to this: Can I really see Brady/Belichick losing to the Giants in the Super Bowl again? Sorry Giants fans, but I’m afraid the answer is no. Giants 23 Patriots 27
So there is the preview and prediction, hope everyone enjoys the big game. Thanks for reading.
Super Bowl XLVI: 10 things to know about the big game
Lucas Oil Stadium
With Super Bowl XLVI just two days away, here are 10 things you need to know about the big game.
1. Venue - The game will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts. It is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and has a capacity of 70,000.
2. National Anthem – The national anthem will be sung by Kelly Clarkson. Let’s just hope she can remember the lyrics, unlike last year when Christina Aguilera forgot the words and then forgot how to sing at the end.
3. Halftime show – The halftime show will be performed by Madonna. That’s right folks, this years’ halftime show will be performed by 1980s pop icon Madonna. The only problem that I foresee is that it’s now 2012 and Madonna is somewhat past her prime.
4. Rematch – It’s a rematch of Super Bowl XLII which the Giants won 17-14 thanks to a late touchdown by Plaxico Burress. Unfortunately, Burress is no longer with the team. He was released just a little over year later after unintentionally shooting himself in the leg in a nightclub. He was subsequently sentenced to 18 months in prison.
5. Super Bowl XLV - Last year’s Super Bowl was won by the Green Bay Packers, who defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25. It was the most watched Super Bowl in history, as well as the most watched program in U.S. television history with 111 million U.S. viewers.
6. Cost of a Super Bowl commercial – $3.5 million. You guessed it, the cost of a thirty-second commercial to be shown in the Super Bowl is $3.5 million. This is a record price for a Super Bowl commercial and poses the question: How big is the worldwide audience that will be watching? That brings me nicely onto my next point.
7. Worldwide audience - The worldwide audience is estimated by some to be as many as 1 billion. The game will be shown in 232 countries and will be broadcast in 34 different languages.
8. Beer- Americans drink 325.5 million gallons of beer on Super Bowl Sunday. To put that into perspective, that’s almost half as much as Irish people drink on St. Patrick’s Day.
9. Chicken Wings – Ever wonder how many Chicken Wings are eaten in America on Super Bowl Sunday? Why it’s 1 billion of course. Now that is a lot of Chicken Wings.
10. Super Bowl Party – Finally, we move onto the Super Bowl Party. Most people will be watching the game at a Super Bowl party, which is usually fun because there are only three things that are needed: A) Super Bowl B) Beer C) Chicken Wings.
Those are 10 things you need to know about the big game, so be sure to check back tomorrow for a preview/prediction of Super Bowl XLVI. Thanks for reading.
1. Eli Manning
Eli Manning
Position: Quarterback
Age: 31
Experience: 8th season
Height: 6 ft 4 in
Weight: 218 lbs
College: Ole Miss
Drafted: 2004 Draft Round 1 Pick 1
Super Bowl experience: Won Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl MVP XLII
Season stats: 4933 yards, 29 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, 61% completion, 92.9 QB rating
Overview: Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, I think it’s now time for Eli Manning to be mentioned as an elite quarterback. With his big brother Peyton missing his first ever season in the NFL, Eli had arguably the best season of his career and looks to have finally become one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Eli didn’t get as much praise as he perhaps deserved after the Giants won Super Bowl XLII, but if the Giants can win this one, he will surely silence those few doubters that still remain.
2.Jason Pierre-Paul
Jason Pierre-Paul
Position: Defensive end
Age: 23
Experience: 2nd season
Height: 6 ft 5 in
Weight: 278 lbs
College: South Florida
Drafted: 2010 Draft Round 1 Pick 15
Super Bowl experience: None
Season stats: 86 tackles, 16.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles.
Overview: Jason Pierre-Paul is easily one of the best athletes in the NFL. I use the term athlete because it’s pretty clear from watching him play that he’s a special kind of player. At 6 foot 5 inches and 278 lbs, Pierre-Paul runs a 4.71 40 and has combined that speed and power to make him one of the most feared pass rushers in the NFL. In just his second season, Pierre-Paul led the Giants in the Regular Season with 16.5 sacks and was named as a First-team All-Pro. Expect to see him line up at various positions on the Giants defensive line and the Patriots o-line must find a way of stopping Pierre-Paul if their passing game is to have any success. Watch out Tom Brady.
3.Osi Umenyiora
Osi Umenyiora
Position: Defensive end
Age: 30
Experience: 9th season
Height: 6 ft 3 in
Weight: 255 lbs
College: Troy
Drafted: 2003 Draft Round 2 Pick 56
Super Bowl experience: Won Super Bowl XLII
Season stats: 25 tackles, 9 sacks, 2 forced fumbles.
Overview: The stats for Umenyiora can be somewhat misleading. Although he only had nine sacks in the Regular Season, he only played in nine games in the Regular Season, starting just seven. After a Regular Season hampered by injury, he finally seems to be healthy again and has been a key force for the Giants defense during the Playoffs. He leads the Giants with 3.5 sacks in the Playoffs and will be looking to have just as big of an impact in this game as he did in Super Bowl XLII when he had four tackles and a recovered fumble.
4.Justin Tuck
Justin Tuck
Position: Defensive end
Age: 28
Experience: 7th season
Height: 6 ft 5 in
Weight: 271 lbs
College: Notre Dame
Drafted: 2005 Draft Round 3 Pick 74
Super Bowl experience: Won Super Bowl XLII
Season stats: 37 tackles, 5 sacks, 1 forced fumble.
Overview: Despite missing four games of the Regular Season through injury, Tuck still managed to have a solid season with 37 tackles and 5 sacks. He usually lines up as the left defensive end for the Giants four man front, but like many of the Giants other defensive lineman, he is capable of switching positions in order to get pressure on the quarterback. Tuck currently has 1.5 sacks in the Playoffs and is a crucial player on the Giants defense. He’ll be hoping to get pressure on Tom Brady in this game just as he did in Super Bowl XLII, when he had six tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble.
5. Victor Cruz
Victor Cruz
Position: Wide receiver
Age: 25
Experience: 2nd season
Height: 6 ft
Weight: 205 lbs
College: UMass
Drafted: Undrafted in 2010
Super Bowl experience: None
Season stats: 82 catches, 1536 yards, 9 touchdowns.
Overview: 2011 saw the emergence of Victor Cruz. After going undrafted in the 2010 Draft, Cruz signed as an undrafted free agent with the Giants. After a huge preseason game against the New York Jets in which he had 145 yards receiving and three touchdown catches, Cruz went on to make the final roster. After playing in just three games last season, he suffered a hamstring injury and was then placed on injured reserve. Cruz returned this season and had quite an impact for the Giants. He set a record with the most receiving yards in a season in Giants history with 1536 yards and he also had 9 touchdowns. He has continued that impressive form into the Playoffs where he has become Eli Manning’s favorite target. He currently has 345 yards receiving and four touchdown catches in the postseason. Expect to see him have a huge impact in this game as he goes up against the Patriots struggling secondary.
Super Bowl XLVI: New York Giants
Giants helmet
Established: 1925
Owner: John Mara (50%) and Steve Tisch (50%)
Head coach: Tom Coughlin
Stadium: MetLife Stadium
Super Bowl wins: 3- Super Bowl XXI, Super Bowl XXV and Super Bowl XLII
The Giants came into existence all the way back in 1925 when they were one of five new teams that joined the NFL. They won four NFL titles in the pre-Super Bowl era and played mainly in the Eastern Conference up until the merger in 1970.
The team was placed in the NFC East division, which they still play in to this day. The Giants won their first Super Bowl in 1987 (Super Bowl XXI) by defeating the Denver Broncos 39-20. The team was coached by Bill Parcells (who later went on to coach the New England Patriots) and were led by star linebacker Lawrence Taylor. The Giants made in back to the Super Bowl in 1991 and won Super Bowl XXV by defeating the Buffalo Bills 20-19. Bills kicker Scott Norwood missed a last-second field goal which would have won them the game. This is perhaps the most famous missed kick in NFL history and is often referred to as ‘Wide Right’.
Bill Parcells retired after that game due to health issues and the Giants wouldn’t return to the Super Bowl again until 2001 when they would go on to lose 34-7 against the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XXV. Three disappointing seasons later and the Giants brought in Tom Coughlin as their new Head coach. They also brought in quarterback Eli Manning through a trade with the San Diego Chargers in the 2004 Draft after Manning refused to play for the Chargers.
The Giants had reasonable success in the first few seasons under the Coughlin/Manning partnership but it wasn’t until Super Bowl XLII in 2008 did they reek the full benefits. Manning led the Giants to a huge upset victory over the then undefeated Patriots and guided the Giants to a 17-14 victory. This is perhaps the biggest upset in Super Bowl history and Manning also won Super Bowl MVP.
That brings us up to Super Bowl XLVI with the Giants preparing to face off against the Patriots once again. Can the Giants upset the Patriots once more in a rematch of Super Bowl XLII? Tune in Sunday to find out.
So be sure to check back tomorrow as I reveal the key players for the Giants in Super Bowl XLVI. Thanks for reading.
1. Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Position: Quarterback
Age: 34
Experience: 12th season
Height: 6 ft 4 in
Weight: 225 lbs
College: Michigan
Drafted: 2000 Draft Round 6 Pick 199
Super Bowl experience: Won Super Bowl XXXVI, Super Bowl XXXVIII and Super Bowl XXXIX
Lost Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl MVP XXXVI and XXXVIII
Season stats: 5,235 yards, 39 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, 65.6 Completion %, 105.6 QB rating.
Overview: Is there anything that I can say about Tom Brady that hasn’t already been said? In my opinion, he is still the best quarterback in the NFL and he will be looking to win his fourth Super Bowl title on Sunday. Brady will also be out for revenge in this one as the Giants handed him his only Super Bowl defeat in Super Bowl XLII. Brady, by his own admission, “sucked pretty bad” in the AFC Championship Game and will be out to make amends against the Giants in Super Bowl XLVI.
