Another epic Saturday-Sunday in the NFL with four games pitting storied franchises, elite quarterbacks, elite players and elite coaches. I would be remiss not to mention the passing last Sunday of rock icon David Bowie after a battle with cancer. David's an American/British classic. He was 69. David will be missed.
Just wanted to add a couple of names to my top ten college coaches list. I wouldn't say these two coaches are 11 and 12 because they belong in the upper echelon of college football coaches. David Shaw of Stanford and Ken Niumatalolo of Navy are two of the best in the business. They are without a doubt elite coaches, who have led their respective programs to tremendous heights. Stanford is now always in the national championship hunt and Navy is a highly competitive and I'd call it an elite program. It's amazing what both of these fine African American coaches have done in college football. Super men as well. Both are high character men.
Records:
Last week NFL playoffs: 2-2
Final College stats
Bowls: 23-18, 56%
Overall for college season: 237-82, 74%
Today:
Kansas City Chiefs (12-5) @ New England Patriots (12-4)
Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts (68,756)
3:35 PM CT/4:35 PM ET
CBS
Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts, Evan Washburn
Refs: Craig Wrolstad, lead ref, and other key guys from other crews, which is the case for all four games.
Weather: Cloudy, 30% rain, shouldn't be a factor, wind, West 5 MPH
Line: Patriots by 5
This is a really interesting game. The Chiefs have won 11 in a row, and are playing stellar football, while the Patriots kind of limped home in the regular season losing three of their last five, but they were very banged up. Rob Gronkowski has a knee issue, but he'll play. Wide receiver Julian Edelman is back to go along with Gronk and Danny Amendola, three stud targets for Tom Terrific. The Patriots are healthier on defense getting a week off and they are very good on defense as are the Chiefs. The Chiefs are going to give the Pats everything they want, but I still trust Brady, Belichick and Gronk to get it done when it matters most. This ought to be a classic.
Patriots 21, Chiefs 17
Green Bay Packers (11-6) @ Arizona Cardinals (13-3)
University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona (72,200)
7:15 PM CT/8:15 PM ET
NBC
Al, Cris, Michelle
Refs: Clete Blakeman and crew
Weather: Indoors, no problem
Line: Cards by 7
I really trust ARodg and Mike McCarthy. They are proven winners. Both of them are Super Bowl Champions from the 2010 season and always get it done in the postseason, making it always and going distance. They got it done in a big way over the Redskins last week at DC, 35-18. ARodg was terrific in that game, completing 21-of-36 for 210 and two TDs. He played a flawless game after a slow start. But I trust the Cardinals, too. Bruce Arians knows what he's doing as a football coach and Carson Palmer looks pretty elite at quarterback. They've got great weapons in the running game and passing game led by the great Larry Fitzgerald at wide receiver. This should be another tremendous contest though. Green Bay will give Arizona everything THEY want, but I like the Cardinals at home with Palmer and Fitzgerald and a pretty stellar defense to just get over the hump over a Packers team with an all time great quarterback and a pretty stout defense themselves led by the awesome Clay Matthews an outside backer.
Cardinals 30, Packers 27
Sunday
Seattle Seahawks (11-6) @ Carolina Panthers (15-1)
Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte NC (73,298)
12:05 PM CT/1:05 PM ET
FOX
Joe, Troy, EA, Chris Myers
Refs: Tony Corrente and crew
Weather: Sunny, 43, Wind, North 6 MPH
Line: Panthers by 2
This line got down to 1 1/2 last night, but has moved to 2 today. Cam has put together a super year and will more than likely win the MVP of the league, which he should. He and his team have been phenomenal. But I love what Russell Wilson has done this regular season and he did some great things last week in the Seahawks 10-9 victory over Minnesota at Minneapolis in zero degree weather. Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor and this Seattle defense was No.1 in the league in points allowed, giving up only 17.3 points per game. The Carolina defense was almost as good led by the awesome Luke Kuechly at middle linebacker as the Panthers D gave up only 19.2 points per game, sixth in the league. But I'm going to go with the experienced hands here in Wilson, the amazing Doug Baldwin at wide receiver, of course, Marshawn Lynch at running back, though he's questionable with an abdomen injury, and Sherman and this defense. Pete Carroll is a big game coach. Should be a physical war in Charlotte.
Seahawks 20, Panthers 17
Pittsburgh Steelers (11-6) @ Denver Broncos (12-4)
Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, CO (76,125)
3:40 PM CT/4:40 PM ET
CBS
Jim, Phil, Trace
Refs: Terry McAuley and crew
Weather: 40 degrees, Mostly cloudy, 0% rain, Wind, WNW 9 MPH
Line: Broncos by 7 1/2
Big Ben Roethlisberger has an 11-5 record in the postseason and Super Bowl titles in 2005 and 2008. I trust him completely. Peyton is 11-13 in the postseason and 8-12 in weather 40 degrees or below. He is 0-5 in playoff games when the temperature is 40 or less. Pretty interesting there. It's going to be 40 at kickoff at Mile High and dropping throughout the afternoon. It leans towards the Steelers. But Big Ben has a sprain and ligament tears in his throwing shoulder, his right one, the best wide receiver in football, Antonio Brown, is out for the Steelers with a concussion he suffered last Saturday Night on an idiotic personal foul by Cincinnati linebacker Vontaze Burfict, that cost his team the game, and kept a great player from playing this week. So it's a tall order for the Steelers. The Steelers are tough against the run giving up only 91.2 yards per game, fifth in the league. But they're not very good against the pass, giving up 271.9 yards per game, 30th in the league. The Broncos are third in the league against the run, giving up only 83 yards per game, and first against the pass, giving up only 199.8 yards per game. So while I don't trust Peyton totally, he's got some good running in Ronnie Hillman, who ran for 893 yards and seven, 7's, and C.J. Anderson, who ran for 720 yards and five, 7's,and he also has some excellent weapons on the perimeter led by Demaryius Thomas, who caught 105 passes for 1,304 yards and six, 7's, and the awesome Emmanuel Sanders, who caught 76 passes for 1,135 yards and 6, 7's as well. As much as I trust Ben, he's hurt, it's in Denver, and the Broncos defense will be fierce. Peyton and the Broncos offense will do just enough to get it done. Ben will not go down without a fight though.
Broncos 24, Steelers 23
