Football season is here!!!

[KarateKen]

At the risk of making a fool of myself, I am going to post some predictions for this weekend.  I predict that the Rams will beat the Bears.  I hope the Bears win, but the Rams have been my pick to win it all since August, so I am sticking with them as long as they are still in it.  I do like Matt Stafford though and would be fine with him winning another ring, so either way it's OK.  

Then I am going to predict that the Bills go into Denver and beat the Broncos.  Denver has won a lot of close games this year, and I question just how good the team really is.  One of the things that makes the NFL so tough to predict is the lack of games.  In a 17-game season, teams that are pretenders can look a lot better than they are.  Is Denver that team? Also, don't get too focused on them having a bye week.  There are many examples of teams over the years who get that first round bye then come out flat and lose on their home field, such as the Lions last season.  This will be the Broncos toughest test yet.  I know the Broncos have been great on defense.  I know the Bills are banged up. I am going with the Bills. 

Then I am picking the 49ers to win in Seattle.  This is the pick I have the least amount of confidence in, but I am just going with my gut.  I am picking both #1 seeds to lose.  The 49ers are banged up, and probably should not win this game in Seattle, but again, I am going with my gut. 

The only home team I am picking this week is the Patriots over the Texans.  The Patriots defense last week was impressive, and so was Drake Maye.  Good news for the Patriots is the Diggs hearing has been pushed back to after the Super Bowl.  

It's divisional round weekend, one of the best sports weekends of the year.  Hope you enjoy it. 

[sensei8]

1 hour ago, KarateKen said:

Harbaugh was arguably the most accomplished coach on the market this season.

I hope you’re right because it sure didn’t work out to good for the iconic Pete Carroll.

[KarateKen]

A wild game in Denver to kick off the weekend.  The Bills lead the Broncos 27-23 late in the 4th, but the Broncos scored a TD with 0:55 seconds left to take a 30-27 lead.  However, the 55 seconds was enough time for Josh Allen to get the team down into FG range, and a 50-yard FG with seconds left to tie it at 30 and send the game to overtime.  In overtime Josh Allen throws a pick, one of five Buffalo turnovers, and the Broncos get the ball, a couple of penalties go their way, and kick a FG to win it 33-30.  The Broncos are onto the AFC Championship Game for the first time in a decade, and do it winning yet another close game, something they have done all year.  For Josh Allen, the Bills, and their fans, the 2025 season ends with yet another brutal, devastation, and heartbreaking postseason loss. 

 

Edit:  Once again, I look like a fool trying to predict NFL games.  I guessed both #1 seeds would lose today, and they both won.  The second game was not close; the Seahawks flushed the 49ers 41-6  ending San Fran's hope of hosting a home SB game, at least for this year.  Just a quick piece of sports trivia, two teams have hosted the SB in their home stadium, the Bucs and the Rams, and both won.  They were SB 55 and 56, so for 54 years no team had one it, then it happened two years in a row.  Anyway... 

Two more games on Sunday to decide the NFL final four. 

Edited yesterday at 04:27 AM by KarateKen
updated information

[sensei8]

Yes…The Broncos vs Bills was one fight to the very end!! Poor Broncos lost their starting QB Bo Nix for the playoffs because he broke his ankle…OUCH!!

49ers vs Seahawks was a BLOWOUT from the start with the Seahawks winning 41-6. Seahawks face the winner of the Rams vs Bears next Sunday for the NFC Championship Title.

Isn’t football fun!?!

Edited yesterday at 04:34 AM by sensei8

[sensei8]

Well, some Divisional NFL games today, January 18, 2025…

The 14-3 Patriots host the 12-5 Texans for the AFC Divisional Playoff, kickoff at 12:00 noon pacific time on ABC. It appears that both teams are an equal across the board with the Patriots are slightly favored to win: Patriots 50.9% and Texans 49.1%. Should be a barn burner of a game.

The 11-6 Bears host the 12-5 Rams for the NFC Divisional Playoff, kickoff at 3:30pm pacific time on NBC. This game has the Rams as the heavy favorite to win. Rams 61.3% and Bears 38.7%. Might be a lopsided game; like the 49ers and Seahawks game was.

One never really knows the outcome of any predictions because predictions are just that…an educated guess.

 

On another note…How will the Broncos fair in their upcoming AFC Divisional Championship game with QB Nix out with a broken ankle on the second to last play in OT in a QB sweep to the left that ended up being a 2 yard loss. Nix will have surgery this Tuesday.

[KarateKen]

4 hours ago, sensei8 said:

Well, some Divisional NFL games today, January 18, 2025…

The 14-3 Patriots host the 12-5 Texans for the AFC Divisional Playoff, kickoff at 12:00 noon pacific time on ABC. It appears that both teams are an equal across the board with the Patriots are slightly favored to win: Patriots 50.9% and Texans 49.1%. Should be a barn burner of a game.

 

It's snowing in New England, and the Houston offense is struggling.  Four first half turnovers for the Texans and the Patriots lead 21-10 at the half.  The Texans defense has been able to keep them in the game, but they better stop throwing interceptions of they have no chance to win. 

Edit: I don't know if you want to call it great defense or sloppy offense, but the Patriots and Texans combined for eight turnovers, five by Houston, and the Patriots win the game 28-16.  They now will visit Denver next Sunday.  Patriots are in their 16th AFC Championship Game, while the Texans remain the only active NFL franchise to never play in a conference title game, and the four teams that have never played in the Super Bowl (Texans, Jaguars, Browns, Lions) will not play in it this year either. 

Rams and Bears kicking off in a few minutes! 

Edited 9 hours ago by KarateKen
updated information

[sensei8]

1 hour ago, KarateKen said:

It's snowing in New England, and the Houston offense is struggling.  Four first half turnovers for the Texans and the Patriots lead 21-10 at the half.  The Texans defense has been able to keep them in the game, but they better stop throwing interceptions of they have no chance to win. 

I thought for sure that this game would’ve been closer than it was. Patriots win over the Texans 28-16. Patriots advance to the AFC Championship game against the hosting Broncos. With Nix out, the Broncos will have an uphill battle!!

[KarateKen]

1 hour ago, sensei8 said:

I thought for sure that this game would’ve been closer than it was. Patriots win over the Texans 28-16. Patriots advance to the AFC Championship game against the hosting Broncos. With Nix out, the Broncos will have an uphill battle!!

For sure.  The Patriots defense destroyed CJ Stroud and Justin Herbert.  The Broncos will be starting Jarrett Stidham, a former Patriot who was backing up Tom Brady.  Broncos can win this game with defense and not turning the ball over on offense.  

[KarateKen]

It was snowing in New England and snowing harder in Chicago, so we get two snow football games today!  The Rams and Bears are at halftime, tied at 10.  This game looks like it could go down to the wire. It is 18 degrees in Chicago, so the weather could play a factor late in the game. 

 

Edit: The Rams and Bears are in overtime.  You have to see this to believe it. 

Second edit:  The Rams have won 20-17 in overtime and will visit Seattle on Sunday.  The Bears scored a TD with 18 seconds left in regulation to get to overtime, but the same Caleb Williams who made an amazing play to get the late TD throws a pick in OT and the Rams go down the field to win it. 

The NFL final four is set. 

Patriots at Broncos - 3pm EST on CBS

Rams at Seahawks - 6:30pm EST on FOX

Edited 6 hours ago by KarateKen
updated information

[sensei8]

The Rams vs Bears was another back and forth game. That last TD for the Bears was the Rams secondary to force the PAT for going to OT.

Rams get the coin toss but turn over on downs. Then the Bears drive but their red-zone failed. Rams drive to get to FG range and Mevis, the Rams place kicker, who wears number 92, a number usually reserved for linemen, known as The Thicker Kicker, biggest place kicker I’ve ever seen splits the uprights for the win!!

With Nix out, I don’t see the Broncos beating the Patriots. As far as the Seahawks vs Rams, I just don’t want to see my friends Seahawks go to the SB, let alone win the SB. So I’m supporting the Rams in that one just like I did today because my friend, Dwight, didn’t want his Seahawks to meet the Rams.

I always call his Seahawks, the buzzards, and Dwight always calls my Cowboys, Cowgirls. I told him that if the buzzards make it to the SB, I’ll not call the Seahawks buzzards for 1 year. But if the buzzards win the SB, I’ll not call the Seahawks buzzards for 2 years…I’ll call them the Seahawks!! 

I see Patriots vs Rams in SB LX with the Rams winning SB LX.

Of course I don’t care for any of those teams anyway because I’m a Cowboys fan, which means I’ve lost my mind.