2017-18 NFL (Super Bowl)

Jags 20-24 Pats
I thought the Pats would get out of the gate quick and they didn't. FG on the opening drive but then struggled on their next few drives while the Jags cranked it up and got out to a quick 14-3 lead. The Pats were able to cut the lead to 14-10 at the half and I still thought they were in line to get a big win. As good as Jax had played up to that point, it still felt like Brady could get hot and bury them.  But the Pats continued to struggle on offense through the 3rd quarter. Early in the 4th the Jags went up 20-10 and the stadium was deathly quiet. Then Gronk got knocked out of the game (I thought it was a headhunting hit, the kind of hit that was celebrated when I was kid but now just leads to hand-wringing and NYT op-ed pieces (well....unless its the Patriots)) and Lewis fumbles the ball away after a well-executed trick play (personally I didn't think it was a fumble, I was kinda surprised they gave the ball to the Jags). The Jags had their shot there to put the game away but they failed to get a 1st down and had to punt. From there Brady gets the 2 TD's needed to win (Amendola was the man making catch after catch and a big punt return with the game on the line) and the Pats are going on to another Super Bowl while the Jags are headed to the off-season (wondering how to replace Blake Bortles). The Jags just ran out of gas in the 2nd half, Bortles played well for 3 quarters and the D was mostly really good but they just couldn't make it last.

Vikings 7-33 Eagles
The Vikings started well with a solid drive ending in a TD. I thought it was important they start quick and they did and when they stuffed the Eagles on their first possession, it felt like the Vikings were on their way. Then on the next possession, Case Keenum got hit on a throw, Eagles picked it off and ran it back for a TD (brilliant run by the corner), tying the game. From there, the Vikings just disappeared and the game was already over. It kinda played out like a college basketball game where one team gets hot right before halftime then stays hot and the next thing you know they're up by 20 with 15 minutes to go. Yeah, it was like that. The Eagles got in a groove and stayed in the groove and the Vikings were just buried before they could even respond. Nick Foles was fantastic, the Eagles O-line pushed the Vikings (#1 defense in the league) around and the Eagle D was in Keenum's face all day. Great win for the Eagles.


Super Bowl
Though the AFC championship game did not start the way I thought it would, I'll go back to it: I think the Pats start quick today. Though Pats tend to start slow in Super Bowls, I think the Eagles D starts a little soft and the Pats are able to get out to a 10-0 lead right away. From there I think the Eagles take over. The Eagle offense, even without Carson Wentz, was dynamic enough to make mincemeat of the Vikings D and while Belichick is a defensive genius, I kinda think Mike Zimmer is too and he had way more talent. And on the other side I think the Eagles are deeper and more solid than the Jags defense. I think the Eagles get in Brady's face early and often (and I can see Gronk getting dirty-played again right away). The more I think about it, the more I think the Eagles win relatively easily. I thought that last year about the Falcons...and, well, it should've gone that way. This year I think the Eagles O-line can control the Pats leaving Foles enough room to make plays and I think the Eagles D will keep the running game from being relevant, knock Gronk out of the game and keep Brady backpedaling. At the moment the line is Pats -5.5, over/under of 47.5. I was going to say Eagles 24-21 but I think it's a bigger than that. I'll say Eagles 30-21, I'll go with the Eagles and the over.