Green Bay @ Seattle
CenturyLink Field (67,00o)
8:30 PM ET/7:30 CT
NBC
Broadcasters: Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michelle Tafoya
Line: Seattle by 6
Green Bay has a really good team led by the excellent Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. Their defense is better this year and ARodg has playmakers around him in running back Eddie Lacy and wide receivers Jordy Nelson and the electric Randall Cobb. But I still don’t think they have enough to overtake the Super Bowl champs. Russell Wilson, Marshawn Lynch and Richard Sherman and that defense will be too much for the Packers to overcome, even though I like the Packers as the NFC Central winner with a chance at a possible deep run in the playoffs. But I don’t see them getting it done here with the 12th man crowd going wild and taking their talented team to another run at a Super Bowl. Wilson and Sherman did a lot of commercial endorsements in the offseason, so I wonder about their focus this year. But they have enough tonight to overcome a very good football team at CenturyLink.
Seahawks 31, Packers 28
NFC Championship game and pick
To me it’s all about the home field advantage for the NFC team that advances to Super Bowl XLIX (49), and the two best home fields in the National Football League are Seattle and New Orleans. I really like this Seattle team again. They’ve worked harder than ever in the offseason to repeat as Super Bowl champions. But this Saints’ team has shored up their defense. They were fourth in the league in total defense last year under then first year coordinator Rob Ryan. They’re back and I see them, with Drew Brees of course, taking the home field this year with the best regular season record in the NFL. And with home field advantage, I like the Saints to make it to Glendale, Arizona on February 1, 2015.
Saints 35, Seahawks 31
AFC Championship game and pick
Peyton can really get it done in the regular season. He broke the all time record for touchdown passes last season with 55. He’s got some good targets in Demaryius Thomas and particularly Julius Thomas. Wes Welker has been suspended for the first four games of the season for violation of the drug policy. He took something called Molly at the Kentucky Derby. It’s supposed to be some sort of amphetamine. Really stupid for an NFL player to do that. He’s got a career and a family. He needs to grow up. So he’s not a factor for the Broncos. The Broncos’ defense has been improved with the addition of defensive end DeMarcus Ware from Dallas and cornerback AqibTalib from New England. And Von Miller is back from injury that kept him out of the last 8 games of the season. So the Broncos are better on defense. But I like the Patriots a little better. They’ve added Darrelle Revis at cornerback, and he’s out to prove to Richard Sherman and others that he’s still the best cornerback in the NFL. Don’t trust the Patriots defense totally, but I trust Brady totally. The offense will get it done. Going with Brady and Belichick to get the Patriots to another Super Bowl, which would be their sixth this century. They won it all in 2001, 2003 and 2004 and lost in 2007 and 2011 to the Giants.
New England 37, Denver 30
Super Bowl XLIX
University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Sunday, February 1, 2015
This could be an epic shootout between Brees and Brady. I like Breesy, Sean Payton and the Saints to hoist the Lombardi Trophy for the second time in five years (also won it in 2009).
Saints 34, Patriots 30
Fed Ex Playoffs
BMW Championship
Cherry Hills, Colorado
Cherry Hills Country Club (7,466 yards, par 71)
Today-Sunday
BMW defending champion: Zach Johnson @ Conway Farms Golf Club in Lake Forest, Illinois.
Fed Ex Cup Points: 2,500
Top five in Fed Ex Standings; 1. Chris Kirk, 4,154 points 2. Rory, 3,335, 3. Hunter Mahan, 311 4. 4. Jimmy Walker, 2,823 points 5. Matt Kuchar, 2,618
Weather: Kind of questionable with 40-50% chances of rain each day
TV: Thursday-Friday: Golf Channel, 4-8 PM ET/3-7 PM CT; Saturday, Golf 1-3 PM ET/12-2 PM CT, NBC, 3-6 PM ET/2-5 PM CT; Sunday: Golf, 12-2 PM ET/11 AM-1 PM CT; NBC, 2-6 PM ET/1-5 PM CT.
Key holes:
No. 1
389 yards, Par 4
This hole is one of the most famous starting holes in all of golf. It is where Arnie drove the green in the final round of the 1960 U.S. Open from 319 yards and made four straight birdies to come from seven strokes behind and win his only U.S. Open. The hole is a slight dogleg left with accuracy off the tee at a premium. The green is guarded by bunkers on the left side and is small in size with a lot of movement in all directions when you putt.
No.17
544 yards, par 5
This is the hole where Ben Hogan lost the 1960 U.S. Open by hitting his third shot in the water on the par-5. The hole has two sets of bunkers going across the fairway, and an accurate tee shot is a must to allow players to either go for the island green in two or lay up short of the water. The green doesn’t look challenging but is very tough to read.
No.18
487 yards, Par 4
One of the most difficult finishing holes in all of championship golf. Water runs down the left side of the fairway and high rough guards the right side. The second shot is uphill and the green is very challenging and guarded by large bunkers on both sides.
Winner:
This guy started out the season terrifically, winning at the WGC-Accenture Match Play in Arizona in February. But a thumb injury derailed his season and prevented him from making a serious run at a major. Still see majors in his future–more than one. He’s long and with this 5,300 feet elevation, the ball should be flying if the conditions don’t get too messed up with the rain. He is accurate with his driver too, hits his irons extremely well, is eighth on the tour in scrambling. I really like his short game. When he’s putting well, like all the elite guys, he’s capable of winning each tournament he enters. He’s got to complete game. I like this 26-year old to win this week at Cherry Hills and set himself up for winning the Fed Ex Cup.
Jason Day
U.S. Open picks-tennis
Men’s Finals:
Novak Djokovic ( Djoker)
Djoker defeats Gael Monfils (who upsets Roger Federer tonight in the quarters) in four sets and captures his eighth slam. Federer leads all time with 17.
Women’s Finals:
Caroline Wozniacki
defeats Serena in the finals in three sets.
Caroline (24 years old) had a tough breakup with Rory earlier this year, and I say she rebounds with her first Slam in the Open and denies Serena her 18th, which would have tied her with Chris Evert and Maritina Navratilova in fourth place all time. Margaret Court leads with 24; Steffi Graf has 22 in second.
