Hello everyone, this is the second week of Pick Six, my NFL predictions blog and it's the Conference Championship matches this weekend. We've got two massive games to look forward to, with the Brady-Manning Bowl followed by Kaepernick's 49ers facing the Seahawks and their '12th Man' back to back on Sunday.
Last week I finished 3-1 with my predictions, only getting the Colts-Pats game wrong. All in all it was a good start in my first week and I hope to build on that this week. Let's have a look at the games.
New England Patriots @ Denver Broncos - Sun 20:00
Tom Brady only attempted 25 passes against the Colts last Saturday compared to the 41 that Luck threw. It's a sign of the changing times in New England, with a much improved running game filling the hole that Rob Gronkowski has left in the offence. Blount, Ridley and Vereen had a shared 43 carries for 235 yards and six touchdowns. The Patriots run offence won them the game against the Colts and effectively took Pass-rusher extraordinaire, Robert Mathis, out of the game for Indy. If they can do the same against Denver then they'll be hard to stop.
The Broncos also went with a ball-control offence against the Chargers in their divisional round match. Peyton Manning averaged 6.4 yards per attempt whilst Knowshon Moreno rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown. Von Miller will still be missing on defence for the Broncos which could make the difference.
These two elite quarterbacks have met 14 times before with Brady winning ten of them and eight being decided by seven points or fewer. But we have to remember it's about much more than just Brady and Manning and I think that the Patriots running game will prove the difference, as much as I hate to bet against Peyton.
Prediction: New England Patriots
San Francisco 49ers @ Seattle Seahawks - Sun 23:30
The Niners beat the Panthers in Carolina last weekend with a score of 23-10. Kaepernick throwing for 196 yards and a touchdown, adding a second with his legs. Crabtree, Davis and Boldin were clutch for San Francisco in the victory with a combined 163 yards and a score and will need to do even better against the 'Hawks. They'll have a tough match though, coming up against a defensive secondary with 28 interceptions on the season.
Seattle have a massive home advantage; CenturyLink Field has been a fortress this year and the fans have created so much noise that at points they've caused earthquakes! Last weekend they beat the Saints thanks in no small part to Marshawn Lynch, who rushed for 140 yards and two touchdowns. The 49ers will need to shut him down if they want a chance of getting through.
Prediction: Seattle Seahawks
What an evening/ night/ early morning that's going to be, two games which could easily go either way between four great teams, playing good football with fantastic quarterbacks, it will be well worth staying up late if, like me, you're in the UK to watch those games. I'll see you next week for the Pro-Bowl.
Friday 17 January 2014
Saturday 11 January 2014
Pick Six - Divisional Round
Hello everyone, and welcome to my new 'series' of blogs which I'm calling Pick Six. It's my NFL prediction series which I'll run all throughout the regular season and playoffs. I will predict the results from all the NFL games in that week and I'd like it if you will participate in the comments or via twitter and come the end of the season we'll see how I've done.
This week is the Divisional Round of the playoffs and it's the first round where the number one and two seeds play a game. Here are my picks from the four massive games exclusively on Sky Sports over the weekend.
New Orleans Saints @ Seattle Seahawks - Sat 21:35
The Saints won their first ever road playoff game last week against The Eagles in Philly which many people were predicting would go the opposite way. Drew Brees has finally shown that he can win an important game away from the dome.
Seattle are favourites from the NFC to make it to the Super Bowl in New Jersey on the 2nd of February and their 12th Man will help them along the way.
I can't see any further than a repeat of the 'Hawks win earlier in the season so I am going to go with a Seattle win.
Prediction: Seattle Seahawks
Indianapolis Colts @ New England Patriots - Sat 1:15
Indy will be flying high after an incredible comeback victory from 28 points behind against Kansas City. Andrew Luck made more mistakes than you would have expected but kept his cool and pulled off his eleventh career NFL fourth quarter comeback drive, the most in the league. Luck is one of the best young QBs in the league because he uses his legs so well to make plays, his movement in the pocket opens up new angles and options to slice through defences.
The Pats had a bye in the Wildcard Round so will come into this one with fresh legs. Legarette Blount will be one to look out for, in week 17 he rushed for 189 yards and two scores.
This has the potential to be another close game but I've got to go for my Colts to win on the road.
Prediction: Indianapolis Colts
San Francisco 49ers @ Carolina Panthers - Sun 18:05
The 49ers head into the divisional round off the back of a 3-point win over the Packers in Green Bay. Colin Kaepernick is hoping to lead his team to their second consecutive Super Bowl and they'll stand a chance against Cam Newton's Panthers. If Kaepernick can get his run game going as successfully as he has done at times this year, the Niners could be unstoppable.
Cam is another fast quarterback and will want to help Carolina win their 13th game of the season against San Fran. It'll be a tough ask, but I'm sure 'Super Cam' will rise to the challenge.
In the end San Francisco will have too much class.
Prediction: San Francisco 49ers
San Diego Chargers @ Denver Broncos - Sun 21:40
Sixth seeds are 6-2 against first seeds in playoff history so Denver will have to watch out against the Chargers. San Diego have beaten The Broncos in Denver already this year but lost the return game. They'll need to establish the run game early with Woodhead, Matthews and Brown all key factors in their seventeen point defeat of Cincinnati last weekend.
Denver really just need to keep doing what they've been doing all year long. Peyton Manning has set new single season TD passes and passing yards records with an incredible 5477 yards and 55 touchdowns. If he plays well, Denver usually win.
Prediction: Denver Broncos
Note: The times listed are all GMT
That's my take on the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs. Let me know your thoughts on twitter (@tigerads) or in the comments below. I'll be back next week to predict the outcome of the Championship games and look ahead to the Super Bowl. See you then.
This week is the Divisional Round of the playoffs and it's the first round where the number one and two seeds play a game. Here are my picks from the four massive games exclusively on Sky Sports over the weekend.
New Orleans Saints @ Seattle Seahawks - Sat 21:35
The Saints won their first ever road playoff game last week against The Eagles in Philly which many people were predicting would go the opposite way. Drew Brees has finally shown that he can win an important game away from the dome.
Seattle are favourites from the NFC to make it to the Super Bowl in New Jersey on the 2nd of February and their 12th Man will help them along the way.
I can't see any further than a repeat of the 'Hawks win earlier in the season so I am going to go with a Seattle win.
Prediction: Seattle Seahawks
Indianapolis Colts @ New England Patriots - Sat 1:15
Indy will be flying high after an incredible comeback victory from 28 points behind against Kansas City. Andrew Luck made more mistakes than you would have expected but kept his cool and pulled off his eleventh career NFL fourth quarter comeback drive, the most in the league. Luck is one of the best young QBs in the league because he uses his legs so well to make plays, his movement in the pocket opens up new angles and options to slice through defences.
The Pats had a bye in the Wildcard Round so will come into this one with fresh legs. Legarette Blount will be one to look out for, in week 17 he rushed for 189 yards and two scores.
This has the potential to be another close game but I've got to go for my Colts to win on the road.
Prediction: Indianapolis Colts
San Francisco 49ers @ Carolina Panthers - Sun 18:05
The 49ers head into the divisional round off the back of a 3-point win over the Packers in Green Bay. Colin Kaepernick is hoping to lead his team to their second consecutive Super Bowl and they'll stand a chance against Cam Newton's Panthers. If Kaepernick can get his run game going as successfully as he has done at times this year, the Niners could be unstoppable.
Cam is another fast quarterback and will want to help Carolina win their 13th game of the season against San Fran. It'll be a tough ask, but I'm sure 'Super Cam' will rise to the challenge.
In the end San Francisco will have too much class.
Prediction: San Francisco 49ers
San Diego Chargers @ Denver Broncos - Sun 21:40
Sixth seeds are 6-2 against first seeds in playoff history so Denver will have to watch out against the Chargers. San Diego have beaten The Broncos in Denver already this year but lost the return game. They'll need to establish the run game early with Woodhead, Matthews and Brown all key factors in their seventeen point defeat of Cincinnati last weekend.
Denver really just need to keep doing what they've been doing all year long. Peyton Manning has set new single season TD passes and passing yards records with an incredible 5477 yards and 55 touchdowns. If he plays well, Denver usually win.
Prediction: Denver Broncos
Note: The times listed are all GMT
That's my take on the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs. Let me know your thoughts on twitter (@tigerads) or in the comments below. I'll be back next week to predict the outcome of the Championship games and look ahead to the Super Bowl. See you then.
Friday 3 January 2014
Halfway Report
We've made it to the half way point of the Premier League season and it's time to look back at all the action from the last five months. I'll have a look at how everyone is doing and how I think they will continue to do.
Arsenal
A really strong first half of the year saw Arsenal sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League for the majority of this season so far and a win against Newcastle in their final game of 2013 left them in pole position: one point ahead of closest rivals Manchester City.
Prediction: 2nd
Aston Villa
Villa started the season well but when Benteke got injured after just five weeks of the season their form took a dip. Recent defeats to Crystal Palace and Stoke mean that the Villains are very much still in the fight for survival.
Prediction: 14th
Cardiff City
A few surprise results against big teams have given Cardiff fans something positive to look back on from 2013 but a meddling owner and not enough wins mean that Cardiff are just two points and two places above the relegation zone. And with no manager at the moment, things look worrying for the Bluebirds.
Prediction: 18th
Chelsea
In what has been a mixed year for the Blues there has been plenty to shout about at Stamford Bridge. The return of Mourinho coupled with some big money signings should mean that Chelsea would be miles ahead and hot favourites going into 2013 but too many dropped points have meant that they are actually in third.
Prediction: 3rd
Crystal Palace
A poor start eventually led to the sacking of manager Ian Holloway and although things have started to look up under the new leadership of Tony Pulis, they are still only a place above the relegation zone. Above Fulham purely based on goal difference.
Prediction: 20th
Everton
Renowned for a weak start and strong finish, the Toffees have got off to a blistering first half of the season and are currently in fourth. They seem to have found a natural goal scorer in Romelu Lukaku but the way they are playing at the moment means that anyone in the team could score a goal.
Prediction: 5th
Fulham
Currently in the bottom three and having just lost 6-0 to Premier League newcomers Hull City, Fulham's prospects don't look bright heading into the new year. When Dimitar Berbatov returns from injury he will be the one that fans hope can fire them to safety.
Prediction: 17th
Hull City
The Tigers start to the season shocked everybody, holding their own against the 'big four' and finishing the year in tenth. They will look to continue their good form into the new year but are well on their way to the target of ten wins that Steve Bruce set at the start of the season.
Prediction: 11th
Liverpool
Liverpool have been playing great football and Luis Suarez has been scoring for fun. They did however lose their last two games of the year against Chelsea and Manchester City meaning they finish 2013 in fifth.
Prediction: 4th
Manchester City
Man City have been playing exciting attacking football so far this year, scoring tonnes of goals but also conceding quite a few. Only three teams conceded less than three goals at the Etihad against City. They are currently second in the table, just one point behind leaders Arsenal.
Prediction: 1st
Manchester United
After a dreadful start to the season that left many rival fans jokingly dubbing them 'relegation candidates' they have since picked up the pace and are now up into sixth and back within three points of the top four.
Prediction: 6th
Newcastle United
The Magpies got off to a flying start after a relegation threatened season last time around. With some great wins and good footballing performances they will be thrilled with their current position of eighth, just one position behind Manchester United.
Prediction: 8th
Norwich City
Norwich haven't had the start they would've wanted to this season. They are fifteenth, three points off relegation and are facing a bit of turbulence: losing their two recent matches 7-0 and 5-1. Survival will be a positive outcome from this year for the Canaries.
Prediction: 16th
Southampton
Fans in general seem to be impressed by Southampton's free flowing, stylish football. They've been playing well and looking like a threat in almost every game they play in. Currently in ninth but challenging the big names such as Tottenham and Man United, it looks to be a promising season for The Saints.
Prediction: 9th
Stoke City
Mark Hughes has attempted to change the philosophy at Stoke and it looks like it's working. He has started to get the Potters passing the ball more and it has worked fairly effectively, leaving them looking at a comfortable mid table finish.
Prediction: 12th
Sunderland
The Black Cats had a bad start to this season and sacked manager Paulo Di Canio after just five games. They were bottom at the time and despite a run of improved results, are still floundering at the foot of the table. It will be a tough slog for them this year but they are starting to turn things around.
Prediction: 15th
Swansea City
Swansea are again playing good football this year and have become a Premier League regular. They look to be comfortable this season and should finish in mid table.
Prediction: 10th
Tottenham Hotspur
A shaky few games led to the sacking of manager Andre Villas Boas but they seem to have steadied the ship after massive defeats to both Liverpool and Manchester City.
Prediction: 7th
West Bromwich Albion
They haven't been scoring too many this year, winning only two games all season by a margin of more than one goal. They have still been picking up points however and look set for a decent finish.
Prediction: 13th
West Ham United
West Ham desperately need a striker. They are in the bottom three and don't have anyone in their squad who looks like they could fire the Hammers to safety. Worrying times for Sam Allardyce's men.
Prediction: 19th
Those are my renewed predictions as we reach the halfway stage in the 2013-14 season. Happy New Year to everyone and I hope your team, whoever they are does well this year!
Arsenal
A really strong first half of the year saw Arsenal sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League for the majority of this season so far and a win against Newcastle in their final game of 2013 left them in pole position: one point ahead of closest rivals Manchester City.
Prediction: 2nd
Aston Villa
Villa started the season well but when Benteke got injured after just five weeks of the season their form took a dip. Recent defeats to Crystal Palace and Stoke mean that the Villains are very much still in the fight for survival.
Prediction: 14th
Cardiff City
A few surprise results against big teams have given Cardiff fans something positive to look back on from 2013 but a meddling owner and not enough wins mean that Cardiff are just two points and two places above the relegation zone. And with no manager at the moment, things look worrying for the Bluebirds.
Prediction: 18th
Chelsea
In what has been a mixed year for the Blues there has been plenty to shout about at Stamford Bridge. The return of Mourinho coupled with some big money signings should mean that Chelsea would be miles ahead and hot favourites going into 2013 but too many dropped points have meant that they are actually in third.
Prediction: 3rd
Crystal Palace
A poor start eventually led to the sacking of manager Ian Holloway and although things have started to look up under the new leadership of Tony Pulis, they are still only a place above the relegation zone. Above Fulham purely based on goal difference.
Prediction: 20th
Everton
Renowned for a weak start and strong finish, the Toffees have got off to a blistering first half of the season and are currently in fourth. They seem to have found a natural goal scorer in Romelu Lukaku but the way they are playing at the moment means that anyone in the team could score a goal.
Prediction: 5th
Fulham
Currently in the bottom three and having just lost 6-0 to Premier League newcomers Hull City, Fulham's prospects don't look bright heading into the new year. When Dimitar Berbatov returns from injury he will be the one that fans hope can fire them to safety.
Prediction: 17th
Hull City
The Tigers start to the season shocked everybody, holding their own against the 'big four' and finishing the year in tenth. They will look to continue their good form into the new year but are well on their way to the target of ten wins that Steve Bruce set at the start of the season.
Prediction: 11th
Liverpool
Liverpool have been playing great football and Luis Suarez has been scoring for fun. They did however lose their last two games of the year against Chelsea and Manchester City meaning they finish 2013 in fifth.
Prediction: 4th
Manchester City
Man City have been playing exciting attacking football so far this year, scoring tonnes of goals but also conceding quite a few. Only three teams conceded less than three goals at the Etihad against City. They are currently second in the table, just one point behind leaders Arsenal.
Prediction: 1st
Manchester United
After a dreadful start to the season that left many rival fans jokingly dubbing them 'relegation candidates' they have since picked up the pace and are now up into sixth and back within three points of the top four.
Prediction: 6th
Newcastle United
The Magpies got off to a flying start after a relegation threatened season last time around. With some great wins and good footballing performances they will be thrilled with their current position of eighth, just one position behind Manchester United.
Prediction: 8th
Norwich City
Norwich haven't had the start they would've wanted to this season. They are fifteenth, three points off relegation and are facing a bit of turbulence: losing their two recent matches 7-0 and 5-1. Survival will be a positive outcome from this year for the Canaries.
Prediction: 16th
Southampton
Fans in general seem to be impressed by Southampton's free flowing, stylish football. They've been playing well and looking like a threat in almost every game they play in. Currently in ninth but challenging the big names such as Tottenham and Man United, it looks to be a promising season for The Saints.
Prediction: 9th
Stoke City
Mark Hughes has attempted to change the philosophy at Stoke and it looks like it's working. He has started to get the Potters passing the ball more and it has worked fairly effectively, leaving them looking at a comfortable mid table finish.
Prediction: 12th
Sunderland
The Black Cats had a bad start to this season and sacked manager Paulo Di Canio after just five games. They were bottom at the time and despite a run of improved results, are still floundering at the foot of the table. It will be a tough slog for them this year but they are starting to turn things around.
Prediction: 15th
Swansea City
Swansea are again playing good football this year and have become a Premier League regular. They look to be comfortable this season and should finish in mid table.
Prediction: 10th
Tottenham Hotspur
A shaky few games led to the sacking of manager Andre Villas Boas but they seem to have steadied the ship after massive defeats to both Liverpool and Manchester City.
Prediction: 7th
West Bromwich Albion
They haven't been scoring too many this year, winning only two games all season by a margin of more than one goal. They have still been picking up points however and look set for a decent finish.
Prediction: 13th
West Ham United
West Ham desperately need a striker. They are in the bottom three and don't have anyone in their squad who looks like they could fire the Hammers to safety. Worrying times for Sam Allardyce's men.
Prediction: 19th
Those are my renewed predictions as we reach the halfway stage in the 2013-14 season. Happy New Year to everyone and I hope your team, whoever they are does well this year!
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