NFL Playoffs

[eagle eye]

What's the biggest story of the week going into Wild Card Weekend? According to ESPN and NFL.com nothing. Seriously, the main focus has been on coaching changes, college bowl games and Terry Bridgewater and Jadaveon Clowney declaring themselves eligible for the NFL draft.

This weekend has some potentially good games on display. Let's take a look at this week's matchups.

AFC

Kansas City @ Indianapolis - The Chiefs under first year head coach Andy Reid have surprised everyone. In some cases Indianapolis has underachieved which is weird since they easily won the AFC South. December saw KC begin 9-0 and then lose 5 of their last seven games. Indianapolis was good but in late November and early December they seemed to slump after rebounding to win their last three games. Andy Reid's lockdown defense vs Andrew Luck and the wide open Colts offense. Should be a good game.

San Diego @ Cincinnati - The Chargers seemingly snuck in the playoffs back door with a surprising win over the Chiefs who should have won the game despite sitting 19 of 22 starters for the game. A missed 41 field goal along with the missed penalty on the Chargers that would have given Ryan Succup a second chance to win the game and the Chiefs let San Diego slip into the playoffs. That doesn't mean San Diego isn't dangerous. Phillip Rivers has had a resurgence to his career this year and he has some good pieces around him. Cincinnati is good and they clearly were the best team in the AFC North and the beat down of the Baltimore Ravens cemented their position as the best in the north. Andy Dalton is still getting ripped for being a sub par quarterback but he's got nice weapons and they should have an advantage playing at home in the cold with rain and snow mix but San Diego has a history of winning games like this.

NFC

New Orleans @ Philadelphia - Saturday evening kickoffs in Philly in January are generally not pleasent. The temp in Philly is likely to be around 29 degrees at kickoff. For a dome team who hasn't done well on the road you kind of don't like the Saints chances but it is Drew Brees and it is the playoffs. The Eagles are still the favorites going into the game but you have to wonder because if not for one bad pass at the end of last week's game against Dallas the Eagles could be watching this week's game on TV. Dallas, who had the worst defense in the NFL seemed to have Philly number this year but the Eagles did finish the season 6-1 to take the NFC East but a bad Kyle Orton pass derailed the Cowboys bid to steal the division championship and a trip to the playoffs from the Eagles. All things considered, this is still a toss up game to me. I can honestly say, "Go Saints!" come saturday evening.

San Francisco @ Green Bay - He's baaaaack! Aaron Rodgers rode into Chicago to salvage the Packers season by beating the Bears claiming the NFC North and by winning that game they get to host the 49ers in the last game of Wild Card Weekend. Temperature at kickoff at 3:40 PM Sunday afternoon is forecast to be 0. That's Zee-Row. Is that what passes for home field advantage in Green Bay? Overall, the 49ers have the best team but in frigid cold it may be the team that is able to handle the cold the best. Rodgers and the bitter cold is what makes this game a toss up. I grew up in Colorado and I played football in the snow but it wasn't ZERO degrees. The ground was harder than Chinese algebra and the snow would chill you to the bone but it wasn't ZERO degrees. I liked playing in the snow but again it wasn't freaking ZERO. I could get sick watching that game!

[eagle eye]

Does it make you Cowboys fans feel better after seeing that despite building a 28 point lead early in the 3rd quarter Kansas City managed to lose the game by one point. Kansas City's afternoon was a microcosm of Dallas' season. The common thread is injuries. KC endured an amount of injuries, especially on defense, that facilitated Indianapolis' comeback from a 38-10 deficit to win 45-44. It's a heartbreak Dallas had to tolerate all too often this past season. The attrition began with the sixth offensive play by the Chiefs. Jamal Charles was lost for the game with a concussion and it all went downhill after that. It actually began after halftime and the losses suffered by the Chiefs, especially in the secondary that removed a big piece of the defense's ability to "defend" themselves: Still, Alex Smith could have iced the victory for Kansas City if he hadn't overthrown RB Cyrus Grey down the right sideline with the Chiefs leading 41-31. Grey was wide open and if Smith had hit him he could have walked into the end zone. Andrew Luck and TY Hilton were unstoppable. With the injuries to the KC secondary there wasn't a player on the Chiefs side that could stop Hilton and Luck hit him often with damaging effects. Luck threw for over 400 yards and 4 TDs and you know it's your day when a fumble at the Chiefs goal line by Donald Brown bounces right back to Luck which he scooped up and carried it over the goal line to get the Colts within three at 41-38. So, the Colts move on will either face New England or Denver outside in the cold. Kansas City is left out in a cold of their own and they won't be able to do anything about it until next season. Dallas fans understand what that's like--it stinks.

On a night that was pretty cold, temp in the mid 20's and the wind chill in the upper teens, it was more about defense than offense. The Saints overcame their playoff road jinx to eek out a slim victory and I'm glad. I hate the Eagles and even though I am tired of "Who dat" I still like the Saints story. Now the Saints go from the frying pan straight into the fire because they have to travel back to Seattle where they were totally undressed in Week 13 by a score of 34-7. Can the Saints do better in what's the loudest home field advantage in the NFL? We'll find out next week but I guarantee you the Saints will be at least 7.5 point underdogs. As for the Eagles, they did some nice things under new head coach Chip Kelly and they will be a force to be reckoned with in the NFC East but for this season they will have to be content with winning the division and reaching the playoffs.

[eagle eye]

The divisional round of the playoffs are set with the outcomes of Sundays games deciding the matchups in the next round of the playoffs. Again, like Saturday's games, there was a lot of excitement with the 49ers-Packers matchup being decided on the last play of the game. The excitement factor was much less in the Bengals-Chargers matchup as the Chargers won pretty handily. The only thing that is being talked about is the seeming meltdown of Cincy QB Andy Dalton.

Going into halftime of the Bengals-Chargers game the cats were ahead 10-7 but hardly in control. To be honest the game was pretty boring. Nobody could get anything going and defenses were dominating the play. In the second half the Bengals didn't seem to make any real game plan adjustments and their execution of plays was not what it was in the first half. The Chargers, on the other hand, seemed to be more focused and ready to play but the real difference was Dalton's inability to sustain any type of continuity on offense and his three turnovers (2 INT's and 1 fumble) derailed any chance the Bengals had. The Chargers scored 20 unanswered points in the second half and it really didn't feel that close. Another year of disappointment for Cincy and the Chargers move on to play Denver for the 3rd time this year. It's interesting to note that the last three teams left in the AFC side of the playoffs beside Denver are the only 3 teams to beat Denver this year. Denver ended up 13-3 and San Diego, New England and Indianapolis are the three.

The Packers-49ers game was good despite the frigid temperature in Green Bay. Game time temp was 4 degrees with a wind chill of -17. Playing a game in those conditions is almost cruel and unusual punishment and it's not something you would consider a home field advantage. The numbers put up during the game, particularly passing numbers, were well below what is normal and that's entirely due to the weather. When it's that cold it's not about who is better, it's about who gets the breaks or is able to make a play or two. In this game the difference was the 98 yards on 7 carries by Colin Kaepernick. Most notably the last 11 yards was the difference in San Fran punting with around a minute and a half left in the game and the 49ers making a first down, getting into field goal range and running the clock down to 2 seconds before kicking the game winner. That 11 yard run came as a result of Packers cornback Jarrett Bush not doing his job. He was supposed to blitz but his main job was to maintain contain so Kaepernick couldn't get outside and burn them with his legs. Bush forgot his job as he ran right into Frank Gore who blocked him to the middle of the field leaving the edge wide open for Kaepernick's last run of the game. There's no guarantee that Green Bay would have been able to score if Bush had done his job but you had to like your chances with Aaron Rodgers with the ball. Kaepernick is now 3-0 as QB of the 49ers vs Green Bay and the Packers should really be considering putting a dome on their field.

[eagle eye]

Is any of the remaining 4 playoff games going to have to contend with bitterly cold weather this weekend? Temps in Philadelphia and Green Bay were arguably played in cruel conditions for players and fans alike. Cincinatti was cold but not bitterly so. So, I wondered what the game conditions would be like so weather.com's predictions for the weekend were something of interest to me.

NFC

New Orleans @ Seattle 3:30 PM Saturday - 100% chance of rain and windy conditions are expected Saturday afternoon with temps in the upper 40's. The temp isn't that much of an issue but the rain and wind will affect New Orleans because they are primarily a passing team whereas Seattle leans a lot on Marshawn Lynch and the run game to carry the team. Seattle's home field with all the noise their fans generate and the bad weather will make this a big mountain to climb for the Saints.

San Francisco @ Carolina 12:00 PM Sunday - Cloudy with a 20% chance of rain. Saturday temps were similar to Sunday but with 50% chance of rain. Maybe sloppy but nice football weather temps with an afternoon high of 64 degrees. Two good defenses but I think the 49ers have the edge offensively. Steve Smith should be back for Carolina but he won't be enough to overcome the Niners despite being at home.

AFC

Indianapolis @ Denver 7:15 PM Saturday - The weather in Denver will be clear with zero chance of any precipitation. Temps will be in the mid to low 40's at kickoff with a northwest wind at 9 mph. For football players this is pretty close to ideal. Cool enough to not get fatigued and not so cold it will affect play. Luck is on a role lately and coming back from a 38-10 deficit to beat the Chiefs shows that the Colts can never be counted out. It could turn into a big shootout especially when you consider that Denver lost only three games in 2013 and one was to Indy--Indy in Week 7 by a score of 39-33. You remember this game right? Peyton's first game in Indy since he left the Colts after the 2012 season. Big emotional night for all concerned. Well, Saturday night it will be emotional but for a very different reason--advancing in the playoffs and Denver has something to prove. Denver should be favored as the home team but not by that much. I could very well be the most entertaining game of the weekend.

San Diego @ New England 3:30 PM Sunday - Foxborough weather is supposed to be cloudy with a 10% chance of rain and the temperature at kickoff should be around 45 degrees. The wind could be a factor with it blowing out of the southwest at 13 mph. The Patriots just don't lose at home but San Diego has made a habit of upsetting east coast teams, especially in the playoffs. New England has replaced Gronk with emerging WRs and a three headed running back rotation led by Lagarrett Blount with Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley making big contributions. San Diego counters with Phillip Rivers, Keenan Allen, Ryan Mathews and Antonio Gates and the return to New England of RB Danny Woodhead. It's a heckuva game to end the weekend. Hopefully the weather won't influence the play too much.

So, it appears the weather won't play too much of a factor in the games this week but it's presence will be felt in Seattle and New England. Players know how to play in wind and rain. They know how to play when it's cold but the games are more about survival rather than who's the best. Fortunately, cold isn't making a trip to any of this week's games and that's a good thing.

[eagle eye]

Okay, now I KNOW the Apocalypse is Upon Us! A Pennsylvania man named Daniel L Spuck has filed an emergency injuction to stop the San Diego-Denver matchup this week because he is contending that the Chargers are not worthy of being in the playoffs because of the blow call for illegal defensive formation by the Chargers in their game against Kansas City in Week 17 when the Chiefs Ryan Succup missed a 41 yard field goal that would have ended the Chargers season and sent the Steelers to the playoffs. To be fair, if the call had been made for too many players on one side of the line during the field goal attempt the ball would have been moved 5 yards up which would give Succup a 36 yarder. There is no guarantee Succup would have made the kick but Spuck's injuction asserts that he should have had the opportunity. The file also suggests that the kick be allowed to be attempted or a playoff between San Diego and Pittsburgh should be held to determine the playoff spot.The injuction was filed prior to the beginning of the playoffs last weekend but it has been stuck in red tape has yet to be ruled on. Honestly, it's a funny deal but the NFL did apologize for the missed call so what the heck did it hurt to file the injunction? Trouble was it was filed through the inmate mail of the Pennsylvania State Corrections department.

[eagle eye]

It looks like the Seahawks are going to get Percy Harvin for this weekend's game. Harvin had hip surgery last summer and has only played in one game this season as he's had to deal with rehab and some set backs along the way. Will he be able to contribute much? Will he have too much rust to be able to make an impact in the game? Those are good questions but if he makes one big play many think it will be worth it.

Carolina should have WR Steve Smith back this week to help the Panther against the 49ers. Both teams have really good defenses but San Fran is more talented on offense that Carolina and the Niners are favored in the game. It's rare for a home team not to be favored in the playoffs but this time it's a good call.

Depending on whose line you look at San Diego is either 9 or 10 point dogs against Denver this week which looks like a trap. Especially when you know the Chargers and Broncos split their season series and each won as the visiting team. San Diego is the sexy upset pick this week because the odds makers are not counting on the Chargers to stand much of a chance in Denver despite the fact that both games were close, San Diego led in time of possession and they were better on third down on both sides of the ball. The Chargers led the NFL in time of possession per game and were fourth since 1995 in most 10 play drives on offense (39). The Chargers have become a ball control run first offense that grinds out drives and burns up clock. That's how they have frustrated teams, most notably Denver, by dominating the TOP to keep opposing offenses off the field. Phillip Rivers only attempted 16 passes in their victory over Cincinnati last week as Ryan Mathews and Ronnie Brown have moved the chains. Again, agianst the Broncos in both games the Chargers offense held the ball for nearly 40 minutes holding the Broncos to the lowest number of plays per game and fewest points scored in each game. This evidence and the fact that Peyton Manning is 2-7 in first games played in the playoffs should make odds makers and Broncos fans very nervous. However, if he gets past that first game Manning has made the Super Bowl so take that for what it's worth.

Can New England beat Indy at home? Should be a good game but New England just doesn't lose at home. Indy has been money at home even when trialing by double digit points but they are just a game over .500 on the road. The difference is Tom Brady. Love him or hate him he has willed the Patriots to the second best record in the AFC despite a supporting cast that has been less than stellar. It's not unreasonable to think that New England will be playing next week. I won't bet against it. Considering who he's had to work with it isn't crazy to assert Brady should be MVP of the AFC. The fun thing is we will see how it all washes out this weekend. That's the great thing about sports, no matter what is said before hand the teams still have to line up and play the games.

[eagle eye]

We're down to the Final Four of the NFL now with victories by Seattle, San Francisco, New England and Denver. Only one wild card team remains (San Francisco) and the winners all depended on a bruising running game to pummel their opponents into submission. All four winners ran the ball for at least 126 yards with Marshawn Lynch and LeGarrett Blount doing the main damage for the Seahawks and Patriots and the Broncos and Niners did it by committee. This week's conference championships should all be really good games that will generate a lot of discussion before it all takes place.

To recap:
AFC

Indianapolis @ New England - The Patriots won by pounding the rock on the ground against the Colts who tried to pass themselves into the next round. On a night you wouldn't walk your dog in Andrew Luck did a nice job but his 4 picks cost his team any chance of winning. In the last month LeGarrett Blount has just blown up and the last two games the Patriots have played Blount has rushed for over 300 yards and scored 7 TD's. The Colts would not go away and the Pats needed all four TDs Blount scored as well as the picks on defense to come out on top. Andrew Luck is clearly going to be a factor in the future but on Saturday night they were just over matched on the field and outcoached on the sideline. I've said it before, New England just doesn't lose at home and the home field advantage for the Patriots is a real deal. New England goes on the road now and they have to play in Peyton's house.

San Diego @ Denver - This one was never really close. I know the Chargers closed within 7 with three minutes and change left in the game but I didn't really think the Chargers were going to pull it out. It was dicey though with Denver converting a 3rd and 17 and a 3rd and 9 to keep their drive alive allowing them to run out the clock. Manning was efficient but it just seemed like he and the Broncos were just toying with the Chargers. San Diego had a good December and a nice win over Cincinnati but nobody really thought they could beat Denver in Denver. Now we have the dream matchup of Brady vs Manning with the added diversity of a running team which is what the Patriots have become vs the penultimate passing team. Should be a really good game. The wild card for Denver is the fact that they can run too. The combination of Knowshon Moreno and Montee Ball gained 134 yards on 33 carries and a TD. If Denver is favored this will be why.

NFC

New Orleans @ Seattle - An absolutely miserable day to play football. Seattle is used to rain but not the downpour that occurred Saturday afternoon. The rain hurt the Saints passing game even more than the smothering defense Seattle played. From the opening kick it was clear the Saints were overmatched and Seattle was more than happy to run Marshawn Lynch right down Rob Ryan's defensive throats to the tune of 140 yards and 2 TD's. The only bad thing that occurred to Seattle was the loss of Percy Harvin to a concussion in the first half. Harvin had hip surgery in the off season and he had only played one game in the regular season but it looked like he was finally healthy and bam. Harvin is likely done for the season unless Seattle beats San Francisco next week.

San Francisco @ Carolina - The weather was nice, everyone was healthy and the time was ripe for a really good game. It was a good game too unless you're a Carolina fan. But as I predicted last week the teams both played good defense but the Niners offense was just better than Carolina's. Colin Kaepernick had a nice game passing but it was the combination of him, Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter running for 136 yards on 34 carries and a TD by Kaepernick that really sealed the deal for San Fran. After the game Cam Newton admitted he was intimidated by the playoff intensity. No big deal, a young player in a new situation. Look for him and the rest of the Panthers to be back next year and with this experience under their belts more the better for it. Speaking of intimidation, the Niners now go back to, what has been for them, Death Valley. I think San Fran is better than Seattle at this time but can they get over the hump in the Thunder Dome?

[eagle eye]

Aside from the personal disappointment that Dallas isn't one of the final four teams I have to admit this may be the best final four from an excitement and matchup standpoint in the long time. The top three division winners and the #1 wild card team face off in what are some truly compelling matchups.

AFC

New England @ Denver - 3:00 PM Sunday CBS - This is the marquee game. Brady vs Manning for the right to go to the Super Bowl. The NFL league office couldn't have picked a sexier matchup. It won't likely be an aerial battle between Brady and Mannnig because New England has reinvented themselves as a power running team led by LeGarrett Blount who has rushed for 355 yards and 6 TDs in his last two games. That's a 7.39 YPC average. Not too shabby for a team who has made their bones over the last dozen years and 5 Super Bowl appearances as a passing team. Both teams survive on the efficiency of their offenses and enough defense to carry them through. The Broncos are the number one scoring team in the NFL and New England is #3. The Broncos have a middle of the pack defense
while the Pats are ranked #26. Denver is going to be the favorite but you just don't count out a Bill Belichick team out. In Week 12 on the Sunday night before Thanksgiving Denver travelled to New England and jumped out to a 24-0 halftime lead only to have the Patriots rally and beat Denver 34-31. Like I said, you can't count the Pats out.

NFC

San Francisco @ Seattle - 6:30 PM Sunday Fox - This one is a brawlers game that could end up 3-0 with either team as likely as the other to win. I think it's pretty much a consensus that Frisco has a better offense and as they have gotten healthy at the end of the season they appear to be peaking at just the right time. The Niners and 'Hawks split their two meetings this year with each winning at home. This will be the 49ers fourth road game in a row and their 5th in the last six weeks. BTW, Seattle is 16-1 over the last two seasons at home. Like I said, this shapes up to be a punchers brawl. These teams are developing a serious dislike for one another and it's making this division a pretty chippy one indeed. The winner of this game vs the winner of the AFC game will a classic matchup of an immovable object vs an irresistable force.

You kind of hate to admit it but it doesn't matter who wins this week because either way the Super Bowl promises to be a heckuva game. Why? Because this week's games are going to be good. Really good.

[eagle eye]

Okay, here's the deal. I've said it before but these matchups in the AFC and NFC championship games are top notch. The kind of games a football fan can get behind and get excited about. The defensive slugfest in Seattle or the air attack vs the ground game of the Patriots. Nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon and evening. Enjoy it. Revel in it. There won't be pro game again for two weeks and after that the next meaningful game won't be until September.

AFC Championship

New England @ Denver 3:00 PM CBS - Brady vs Manning. Belichick vs Fox. A game of wits. Float like a butterfly sting like a bee. Just because Denver likes to pass doesn't mean they can't run. Knowshon Moreno has over 1000 yards and Montee Ball has started coming on strong late this season much to the chagrin of Moreno fantasy owers.
Just because the Pats have turned themselves into a running team don't think for a minute that Tom Brady won't take advantage of the hole at cornerback Denver has as a result of the loss of ace DB Chris Harris who tore his ACL against the Chargers. When Harris left the game Phillip Rivers and Keenan Allen lit the Broncos up in the second half of last week's game. Don't think Brady has forgotten about Danny Amendola, Julian Edelman and Kenbrell Thompkins and even Michael Hoomanawanui. Remember the look on Rob Ryan's face when the Patriots jerked the rug right out from under the Saints when Brady hit Thompkins on the last play of the game? Pick your favorite and enjoy this game. The weather will be cool with little wind with loads of sunshine so the conditions are perfect for a great game!

NFC Championship

San Francisco @ Seattle 6:30 PM Fox - This one is like two Joe Fraziers bashing the hell out of each other for 60 minutes. This is a brawlers bout between the two top heavy weights in the NFL. They split their season series with Seattle winning in September by a large margin but the 49ers were severely undermanned due to injury and the temporary absence of Aldon Smith for substance abuse rehab. The game in November was more indicative with both teams going into the game in about the same condition they'll face each other on Sunday. That game in San Fran was won by the Niners by 2 on a last minute field goal. There will be no excuses. When the bell rings the fighters will come out of their corners swinging away. Run the ball, play defense, never give an inch of ground than isn't earned. Old school football. The most marquee matchup is really featuring the coaches. Pete Carroll and Jim Harbaugh have been rivals all the way back to their PAC 12 college days when their teams were USC and Stanford. This is a rivalry game moreso than the AFC game because the Seahawks and Niners are division rivals whose coaches banged heads as college rivals. Animosity? That's an understatement because these teams don't like each other. How are we going to sleep when this game is over after such mayhem. My answer will be Z-Quill. BTW the weather will be good for playing the game. Weather.com says the skies will be cloudy but only a 10% chance of rain with temps at kickoff in the low 40's. I don't know if my nerves will be able to handle both games but I'm sure going to give it hell. Good luck, gentlemen. I hope to see you Monday.

[eagle eye]

Game one today was a prime example of two two well run organizations going head to head and playing hard with style and class. In victory and in defeat the Broncos and Patriots showed why they are at the top of the class in the AFC. Denver moves on because they were the better team. It was expected by many because Peyton Manning just has too many good players at the skill positions. It was a perfect day in Denver and I'll bet you a dollar to a donut New England would have liked snow or rain or wind---something to negate the Broncos superior fire power. Something that would allow the Patriots to ride their running game down the Broncos throats. An 8+ minute drive to begin the second half resulted in a touchdown which pushed the Broncos halftime lead of 13-3 to 20-3 forcing the Patriots to abandon their run game. It didn't matter though because Broncos DC Jack Del Rio dialed up the pressure and kept Tom Brady under duress. There isn't really much more to say but it was refreshing to see a team win with class and the opponent lose with class.

The NFC game was what I predicted. A brawl. A defensive struggle that hinged upon 3 San Francisco turnovers and big 4th and 7 play made by Seattle's Russell Wilson on a 35 yard pass to Jermaine Kearse that ended up as the go ahead touchdown and the game winner for Seattle. The crowd was loud but I wouldn't give them credit for any part of the victory. San Francisco played well but the turnovers, all by Kaepernick (one fumble and two INTs) brought Seattle back into the game, allowed them to take the lead and killed the Niners' last hope to steal a victory. The final pick was an ill advised pass to Michael Crabtree who was double covered and Seattle CB Richard Sherman made a nice play to bat the ball away enabling LB Malcolm Smith to make an easy pick to end the 49er threat. The thing that rubs me the wrong way was the clownish behavior of Seattle CB Richard Sherman. Just after the end of the game he was being interviewed by the FoxSports side line reporter who asked Sherman to recap the play mentioned above. Sherman took the opportunity to go all WWE and insult Crabtree, pound his own chest and generally act like the giant tool bag that he is. The next closest player in the NFL to being biggest douche bag in the NFL is teammate Golden Tate. No matter how much class Russell Wilson shows it just can't conceal the juvenile behaviour of Sherman. You'd never guess Sherman is a Stanford man. Sherman graduated in May of 2010 but he used his final year of eligibility to play for the Cardinal while he began study for a Masters degree. So, smart right? For a fifth round pick in 2011 he sure is full of himself and any kind of class he might have had he checked at the door when he entered the NFL. As much class as the Broncos and Patriots and the 49ers showed the only thing that will be talked about is Sherman's taunting penalty after the final interception and the outburst on the sideline after the game. This is a big black eye for the NFL IMO and if he got suspended for the Super Bowl (which will never happen) I would applaud Roger Goodell for having the guts to do something that really protects the shield from jerk weeds like Sherman. The way Sherman acted may play well in the WWE but it just doesn't belong in the NFL or the NBA, MLB or NASL. Really nowhere but, in a comedy store like pro wrestling, it's all an act. The sad thing is Sherman isn't acting. The final outcome was decided by what usually decides games, turnovers. Seattle won the TO battle 3-1 and won the game by 6 points. Seattle also won the most classless prize and they have none other than Richard Sherman to thank for that one.

[eagle eye]

Well, we got a whole week for sports media to milk the Richard Sherman rant after the Seahawks win over the 49ers. Lord, how the media can milk a story. He's gone from thug to golden boy but the fact remains the over-the-top rant he came down with after the end of last Sunday's game IS a part of who Sherman is and it's in him and it's something that is not to be admired or condoned. In the words of Tom Brady, "....win with graciousness.". Now, can we talk about something else now NFL media? There's a Super Bowl to talk about.