Playoff Quickies: Let's take a look back at this excellent postseason and the games leading up to today's contest
Wild Card:
Titans 22 Chiefs 21: Remember all that hype the Chiefs had going into this postseason? All of that, just to be another act in the Andy Reid choke show. The Titans looked good...but only because they were playing the Chiefs.
Falcons 26 Rams 13: This one broke my heart. I thought for sure the Rams were gonna steamroll the Falcons and play the Vikings in an instant classic...but this would not be the case. In a strange twist, it was the Falcons DEFENSE that stepped up, completely shutting down the Rams' stellar offense and robbing us of a potential offensive shootout between Goff and either Brady or Roethlisberger.
Jaguars 10 Bills 3: I'll give credit where it's due: the Bills played pretty well here. Their offense was a dumpster fire, but the Bills defense kept the game interesting by keeping the Jags at midfield for most of the game. Be thankful you lost Bills: you probably would've been stomped by the Patriots anyway. Work on your offense, and we'll see you next year! In other words, draft Cousins you fools.
Saints 31 Panthers 26: Now THIS is a playoff calibur matchup. The Saints got the season sweep over a resurgent Panthers squad, but it wasn't easy. It seemed like the Panthers had the Saints' number towards the end, but they held on in yet another Bourbon Street classic.
Divisional Round:
Eagles 15 Falcons 10: The Falcons prolapsed yet again to let a nervous looking Eagles squad scoop up the win. The score was close, but this was a pretty boring matchup. I wanted to go to sleep, but there was another playoff game to sit through...
Patriots 35 Titans 14: Snore...
Jaguars 45 Steelers 42: The Pittsburgh Steelers were compared to Superman a lot this season. How appropriate, because they have kryptonite in the Broncos, Patriots, and Jaguars in the postseason. That remained true this year, when the Jaguars ran over them and ruined my Super Bowl predictions.
Vikings 29 Saints 24: I would type Skol here if I didn't know what would become of my beloved Vikings in the Championship game...oh well, that final Diggs catch will still live on in infamy. This was an awesome back and forth contest, even without the awesome catch at the end.
Championship Games:
Patriots 24 Jaguars 20: For a healthy moment, it seemed like the Patriots were gonna fall the same way the Steelers did. Unfortunately, Brady did what he always does, and led his team to a fourth quarter comeback. Comebacks are only exciting when underdogs do it...next.
Eagles 38 Vikings 7: *sobs uncontrollably into mug of hot chocolate*
Prediction: Patriots 28 Eagles 14
Ladies and gentlemen, the worst case scenario has happened. It's the worst fanbase in the world vs. the team nobody outside of Boston wants to win. Let me be frank; I don't want either of these teams to win the Super Bowl. I'm sick of the New England Patriots, and the Eagles fans are more than likely to trash the beautiful city if their team wins or loses. The only people who win in this game are the officials, who, if their smiles in the game against the Jaguars mean anything, got exactly what they wanted.
Which, of course, brings me to my actual prediction. Yes, I think the Patriots are going to win. The Eagles will start hot in the first half, when Nick Foles' unpredictable offensive core puts the Patriots off guard. There will be a lot of trick plays, similar to ones we saw in the NFC Championship game (excuse me, while I sob into my hot chocolate again), and they will work for a while. Ultimately, however, Tom Brady will use his B.S superpowers and the 12th man (the officials) will help the Patriots get yet another Lombardi trophy.
The Eagles defense will put a lot of pressure on the Patriots, but ultimately Brady will get control of the game in the second half. Foles, meanwhile, will sputter out, most likely because he has no Super Bowl experience. I like the guy, and I would love to see an unlikely hero emerge from the woodwork...but this isn't the time and place.
The only chance the Eagles have of winning is to be completely unpredictable. The rest of the NFL was preparing for a Wentz-led Eagles team in the postseason, but his injury thrust Foles into the spotlight. As a result, the Eagles have completely repackaged their offense.
This has actually been a major benefactor for them, as they've surprised both the Falcons and the Vikings. Jay Ajayi has come in as a surprisingly strong running back for the Eagles, and Zach Ertz rivals Gronkowski as the most dominant tight-end in the game. The Eagles offense has adapted perfectly to Foles' playing style, which has yet to show any major weaknesses. I wouldn't put it past Matt Patricia to find the key to slowing them down, but the Eagles offense presents a unique challenge to a defense that has been struggling all year in the secondary. They need to exploit that if they want any chance of scoring 20+ points, because you know Brady will put at least 20 up there for the Pats.
On top of this, the defense needs to be consistent. It's been proven that the only way to beat Brady is to get in his head. The Jags did a good job of this, and though they lost, they gave the Patriots their best playoff battle since the Falcons in Super Bowl 51. Where the Jags ultimately fell short was they got tired in the final quarter of play, which is apparently when Brady feeds into the mana of past QB legends to gain magical passing power. The Eagles defense is hungry, but they're gonna have to stay hungry late in the game if they want to hold the lead they may get.
I say may, because who are we kidding...the Patriots are the only ones who can decide if they win or lose. Have you seen the weapons Brady has this year? Gronk may not be at full health, but he's still gonna be tougher to take down than a bull elephant. Brandin Cooks is a devestatingly good deep threat, and Danny Amendola has filled in for Julian Edelman quite nicely. Rex Burkhead have done what no running back has ever done before; given the Patriots a strong running game. The offense is built around Brady, and you know they aren't gonna disappoint their lord and savior Bill Belichick.
Patriots win it.
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