With the Manti Te’o debacle and Chip Kelly’s inexplicable flip flop, I think it’s time we concentrate on the field and not off of it. Te’o just seems like an idiot, and Kelly, not sure what happened there. It’s pretty suspicious that he left Oregon with the cloud of an NCAA investigation on the horizon. Pete Carroll did the same thing to USC before they got hammered. Lance Armstrong is a joke as well.
But wanted to talk about the Falcons-Niners and Patriots-Ravens. Epic Sunday coming up. Here’s a look at the games and predictions on which two teams will be headed to N’Awlins for Super Bowl 47 Sunday, Feb.3.
Last Week 2-2; Overall: 17-15
San Francisco 49ers (12-4-1) @ Atlanta Falcons (14-3)
Where: Georgia Dome (71,228), Atlanta, Ga.
Time: 3 PM ET/2 CT
Network: FOX
Broadcasters; Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver and Erin Andrews
Stripes: Terry McAulay (referee), Carl Paganelli (umpire), Wayne Mackie (head linesman), Tom Staphan (line judge), Gary Cavaletto (field judge), Allen Baynes (side judge) and Tony Sterator (back judge)
Line: 49ers by 3 1/2
Like the ‘Niners defense to do enough while I don’t see the Falcons slowing down Colin Kaepernick. He’s just too elusive and too fast and explosive to be neutralized. I also see Michael Crabtree having a big game at wide receiver and Frank Gore having a nice day on the ground. The ‘Niners’ defense is better than the Falcons’, and although the receiving corps of Roddy White, Julio Jones and Tony Gonzales is unstoppable, I think the Niners can do enough on defense to help them pull this one out. Expect a very good game though. I’m pretty much sold on Kaepernick. Still not totally sold on Matt Ryan as elite. They’re both good players. Just think Ryan can still make mistakes. Like the ‘Niners a little better even though Atlanta is at home. This should be a classic with some explosive plays. Defense won’t be the dominant theme here, but I think the Niners can get some turnovers off Ryan and that will be the difference along with Kaepernick, Crabtree and the ‘Niners’ offense.
‘Niners 31, Falcons 28
Baltimore Ravens (12-6) @ New England Patriots (13-4)
Where: Gillette Stadium (68,756), Foxborough, Massachusetts
When: 6:30 PM ET/5:30 CT
Network: CBS
Broadcasters: Jim Nantz, Phil Simms, Steve Tasker, Soloman Wilcots
Refs: Bill Leavy (referee), Chad Brown (umpire), Tony Veteri (head linesman), Jeff Seeman (line judge), Doug Rosenbaum (side judge), Scott Steenson (field judge) and Parry Paganelli (back judge).
Weather: low 30’s at kickoff, wind around 25 mph. Will get colder and stay windy
Line: Pats by 8 1/2
This line has been going down all week. It started at 9 1/2, so that’s interesting. People are believing in the Ravens; at least to beat the spread. Joe Flacco, Anquan Boldin, Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones are a potent passing game combination for the Ravens. They have been excellent in the postseason. Throw Ray Rice in there at running back and you have a high octane offense. The Pats’ defense is susceptible to big plays, so they have to be alert to that because Flacco and offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell have no problem chunking it deep. They will go for the home run as many times as they can. Ray Lewis is looking to win a ring in his last season. The Ravens defense is pretty good, not great; they’ve gotten older. The New England defense is young and still trying to figure it out. They’ve got talent, but haven’t put it all together yet. So they could be exploited by the Ravens’ offense. So will I go against Tom Brady and Bill Belichick? No, not going to do that. I’m going with the masters of the postseason. Brady is just too good for the Ravens’ defense. I expect a high scoring game despite the conditions. The Ravens scored 38 in -2 weather in Denver last week. This weather is old hat for the Patriots. They’ve played in this kind of weather many times. Should be an epic.
Patriots 35, Ravens 31