Ok..Enough delaying. Everybody and their mother already made their picks so what’s taking me so long? Nothing really. So here we go..
NEW ORLEANS SAINTSÂ +2′Â AT CHICAGO BEARS 12pm PST
At the beginning of the week I was leaning towards the Saints. Well people, I’m a flip-flopper. I’ve heard and read all of the stories that are out there. I took a look at the numbers. I broke the game down as well as I can, and everything I look for is telling me Bears.Â
3 of my reasons for not liking New Orleans tomorrow:
1. History. Dome teams are 16-45 on the road in the playoffs. This includes the Indianapolis victory over Baltimore last week. The temperature is going to reach a high in the low to mid 30s. It’s gonna be cold for everybody but it’s gonna be extra cold for New Orleans.
2. Special teams. The Saints have Reggie Bush. He’s dangerous. He can take it to the house at any given moment. But that’s the thing. Reggie can go all the way but the Bears’ Devin Hester will. I’m not saying Hester’s gonna return a kick on Sunday, but his big play potential is higher than Bush’s.
3. The game is in Chicago. The Saints were 5-4 at home so you would think getting away from the SuperDome would be a good idea. New Orleans has won 3 of the last 4 times they visited Chicago, sounds even better right? I’ll admit those things make New Orleans look good, but the missing energy from the dome (and the refs) will be huge. The city of New Orleans was acting like it was the Superbowl last week, and rightfully so, but they’ll get no love in Chi-Town.
CHICAGO 19 NEW ORLEANS 16
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS +3 AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS 330pm PST
The game that everyone’s waiting for or tired of. I’m in the waiting for group. Peyton Manning against his archrival and the team of the decade. It’s the right of passage that has to be made. On the flip side, if Brady and Belichick win this game and then the Superbowl, Tom will be doing the menage supermodel and coach Belichick can walk the sidelines in a wifebeater. After my deep analysis…I’m taking Indianapolis.
Here’s why I like Indy:
1. Peyton Manning. Yeah the Patriots have owned him in years past. Yeah he’s underachieved in the playoffs. YES he’ll be facing Belichick and Brady. Everybody has the book on Peyton. MVP of the regular season and the goat (the bad goat not G.O.A.T.) of the playoffs. Even when Vanderjagt kicked a bender that Beckham woulda been proud of Manning was the “loser”. He’s gotten past New England in the regular season. Now he gets them at home with a chance to go to the Superbowl. This is similar to Jordan breaking through against the Pistons. Peyton has to break through at some point doesn’t he?
2. The Colts defense. I’m still not 100% sold on the Colts d but they’re getting the job done. In week 9 when the Colts played New England, Indy’s defense forced 5 turnovers. There’s no way you can count on that many turnovers again, that’s unrealistic. What you can count on is Tony Dungy having a sound understanding of what Brady and the Patriots like to do. Stops on defense will be just as good as turnovers because they both put the Indianapolis offense back on the field.
3. Adam Vinatieri. The name pretty much says it all. I don’t know if he’ll make or miss the game winner, throw a pass on a fake kick, or kick 9 field goals to carry the offense. I just know that the football gods will have the ex-Patriot play a role in some poetic manner.
INDIANAPOLIS 24 NEW ENGLAND 20
cool