January 2012 - Page 3 of 5 - Last Word On Sports

The MMA Pound-for-Pound Debate

Posted on January 19, 2012March 20, 2017 by Mark Modeski

Pound-for-Pound who is the best? It’s one of the most resonate questions in MMA today. While typically the list of the people who are at the top of this ranking (re: Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre) is typically always the same across different sources, there has often been some difficulty in actually defining what the term “Pound-for-Pound” really means.

From what I’ve observed, writers and MMA aficionados alike tend to throw this the around the term “Pound-for-Pound” with a little too much reckless abandon. Every time we see a fighter in the top 10 of any weight class put together a streak of a few impressive fights, all of the sudden they’re one of the “pound-for-pound” for best. Stringing together a few victories, even if you’re the champ, does not put you in a place where you deserve to be classified as the “pound-for-pound” best.

What the term means to me? “Pound-for-Pound” best has to be someone who has cleaned out their respective weight class, and could feasibly do the same in a number of divisions given a weight gain or loss. The best example of this is Anderson Silva. Silva has run through every top competitor in the MW division, and has made the two fighters he has matched up against at LHW look like rank amateurs (which in all fairness, is not far from truth when it comes to James Irvin). Silva has even shown a desire to fight at HW, which given his size and frame wouldn’t be unfeasible. All of this being noted, Silva has shown a desire to not leave the MW division; and being 37 he’s probably not got too many more fights left in him.

Who do I put as the top 5 Pound-for-Pound fighters in the world?

#1 Anderson Silva: Anyone who doesn’t have Silva at the top of their list really doesn’t know MMA. The only time this guy has come close to losing was against Sonnen – and he was injured for the fight. Any other fight he has had, in any other division, he has looked dominant.

#2 Georges St-Pierre: Even being a huge GSP fan, I can’t put him at the top of this list. That said, GSP has cleaned out the WW division (twice over on some fighters), and has looked unchallenged in almost every one of his fights. The lone blemish that everyone holds against GSP is his loss to Serra. St-Pierre will have a chance to cement his legacy against either Condit or Diaz when he returns from injury – after which point I predict he will move up to MW.

#3 Jon Jones: Bones is young, strong and reminds me of a hybrid of the first two fighters on this list. I have no doubt that one day he will be the P4P best. There are still a lot of challenges to come at LHW, but he has already come out on top against some of the best in the division. Given his size, there’s a good chance that we’ll see him move-up to HW one day, where physically he could match up with almost anyone in that division.

#4 Jose Aldo: The only reason I put Aldo below Jones is that I feel Jones has faced tougher competition. That said, Aldo looks untouchable against almost every fighter faces. As I’ve said previously, I do believe he will be the first fighter to hold two different belts at the same time.

#5 Frankie Edgar: I really hate to put Edgar on this list, but he does deserve it. He’s the Rocky Balboa of the MMA world in my opinion – not the most talented, but tough as nails and always finds a way to win. I can’t see him ever going up to WW, but I could see him dropping down to FW and doing some damage there.

… and that is the last word.

Week in Review – January 18, 2012

Posted on January 18, 2012November 4, 2021 by taketheleap

That rim is gonna get it... Kansas forward Thomas Robinson gets up for an alley-oop over Baylor defenders on Monday at Allen Fieldhouse. (photo courtesy KUsports.com)

A note to the change in format of the NCAA Basketball column: the weekly update will come on Mondays, with other columns thrown in-between these. Check back every Monday at 4PM for the latest weekly update. Follow our NCAA Basketball writer: @kevingamble, and don’t forget to follow our other writers as well.

The past week has been an interesting one: Baylor got embarrassed got Kansas, my Tar Heels got slapped in the mouth by Florida State and all the while, the Syracuse Orangemen cruise atop the AP Poll, comfortably perched at 20-0 (and counting).

Points of Interest

Michigan (#20) got trounced by Iowa (yes, that says “Iowa”) 75-59 on Saturday, and then plays a hell of a see-saw game with #9 Michigan State on their home floor, to take it 60-59 on Tuesday Night. It’ll be interesting to see which Wolverines team shows up for their conference tournament and then Madness.
As mentioned, Baylor (#3) was embarrassed by their conference rivals Kansas (#7) on Monday night, 92-74. It was not the kind of game you would expect from a 17-0 team, let alone a #3 seed. Seriously, go watch the highlights. From the end of the last half onwards, it’s like watching the Miami Heat play a high school team.
There are only two unbeaten teams remaining in Division I: #12 Murray State (18-0) and #1 Syracuse (20-0). With the matchups they have this week, both are expected to carry that perfect record into next week.
Other notable losses from this past week included former #3 North Carolina losing to Florida State in a big way (90-57) on Saturday; former #5 Ohio State fell to Illinois; and former #7 Indiana dropped to a Buckeye team on the rebound, 80-63.

Games of Interest

#2 Kentucky plays formerly ranked Alabama, Saturday, 12PM EST.
#4 Duke takes on the suddenly-hot Florida State, Saturday, 4PM EST.
#7 Kansas travels to Texas, another formerly-ranked team, Saturday, 4PM EST.

As we continue the march through conference play, the best of the best should continue to rise to the top and the pretenders will fall. I took my shot at Projecting the Field last week. With all of the above going on, do you think my guesses are still on target? Sound off in the comments below.

… and that’s the last word.

Rematch of the Harbaugh bowl?

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Anto Dowsett

Jim Harbaugh looks on © by Rajiv Patel (Rajiv

Thursday November 24, 2011, and it’s American Thanksgiving. The San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens are both warming up inside the M&T Bank Stadium. This game pitted two teams against each other that were quite similar in many aspects of the game. Both teams have outstanding defences which are equipped with all-pro middle linebackers. Also, the offences for both teams live off the run, featuring the likes of Frank Gore, for the 49ers, and Ray Rice, for the Ravens. But most of the hype is not geared towards the players exactly, but more towards the coaches. Two coaches actually, the head coaches for the respective teams are brothers.

Jim and John Harbaugh, sons of college football coach Jack Harbaugh, coached against each other that Thursday night to mark the first time in NFL history that siblings have been on opposite sides of the field, both in head coaching positions (it also happened to be their parents’ anniversary the day after that game).

Well, it seems that their parents may have the difficult task of picking sides again. Jim Harbaugh’s 49ers have advanced their way to the NFC championship game, meanwhile John’s Ravens happen to be in the AFC championship. With a bit of luck, and a great amount of coaching, these two brothers could defy all odds and both advance to the Super Bowl.

The Baltimore Ravens play the New England Patriots on Sunday January 22, 2012 at 3:00 ET, and the 49ers play right after at 6:30 ET. Will the brothers advance to football’s biggest prize? Or will we have a repeat of Super Bowl XLII? Should be an exciting pair of games, and whoever emerges victorious will definitely help provide an entertaining Super Bowl.

And that is the last word.

UFC 142: Aldo's Coming Out

Posted on January 16, 2012March 20, 2017 by Mark Modeski

While there have only been two UFC dates in Brazil (within the sport’s “modern-era”), I am starting to think that all events should be held there. UFC 142 lived up to the precedent that was set by UFC 134 in August last year – which this editor ranked as the “Event of the Year” in 2011. Fast and flashy finishes, there was a lot to talk about after the event. What I think was the biggest moment of the night, however, was Jose Aldo’s finish of Chad Mendes with seconds to go in the 1st round. Why do I think that Jose Aldo’s finish stands out as the most important moment of the night? I think it’s because UFC fans finally got to see what the hype about this fighter is all about.

Let’s be realistic about today’s UFC viewing audience – only a small group of hardcore fans are really familiar with non-UFC promotions, and their respective fighters. So, prior to the UFC’s merger with the WEC, very people were familiar with a young fighter named Jose Aldo who was tearing through the elite of the featherweight division with no regard for such high-profile names as Urijah Faber, Mike Brown and Cub Swanson. It wasn’t surprising that he was quickly ordained as a smaller Anderson Silva; in fact, Silva has claimed he would retire if he ever had to fight Aldo.

When it was announced that Aldo would be part of the WEC contingent coming to the UFC’s new Featherweight division, there was a lot of promise and hype built up around the young fighter. So, when Aldo was offered the UFC’s biggest stage ever at the Rogers Centre in Toronto at UFC 129, many felt that this would be his announcement to the world that he was one of the P4P elite. Unfortunately, while Aldo was victorious, that fight would go on to do more for Mark Hominick’s reputation than Aldo’s. His next fight against Kenny Florian, while dominant, was also somewhat lacklustre.

Building up a fighter is like launching a new product in market, you can hype it all you want – but, if you don’t deliver right away, people are going to to forget about you fast. Aldo was starting to look like the BlackBerry Playbook of the MMA world, a good enough product, but not that interesting.

Last night, Aldo showed everyone at last what he is capable of – a devastating knee and decisive KO. This was the Aldo we’ve all been waiting for! This was the Aldo that belongs on the P4P list! This was the Aldo that’s expected to dominate the division for years to come. The only questions now are: Is it too late for anyone to give credit where credit is due?And can Aldo keep the momentum going?

I think he can keep the momentum going, and I think he will be dominant for years to come. I am glad to see him come out and show everyone what he can do… and what he will continue to do! Mark my words, Aldo will be the first fighter in the UFC to hold two belts at the same time (FW and LW).

… and that is the last word.

Other notes from UFC 142:

Vitor Belfort submitted a bloated Anthony Johnson with little difficulty. Johnson was subsequently released from the UFC (although I suspect this has more to do with his inability to EVER make weight)
Palahares did what he does and submitted Massenzio with a heel hook (you think people would start training a defense against this when facing this guy?)
Erick Silva was DQ’d against Carlo Prater for illegal strikes to the back of the head, in what was probably one of the worst calls in UFC history. Silva clearly won the match cleanly on replay.
Barboza KO’d Etim with a spinning wheel kick that will go down as one of the best finishes in UFC history – no question.

Raptors in 60 Seconds: Finding a Silver Lining

Posted on January 15, 2012 by Skip McGee

The Raptors held the #1 ranked Bulls to their lowest point total of the season. The team played well in the first half and Casey made a great decision switching to the zone. REALITY check, the Bulls took it easy on the Raptors for three quarters and then laid the SMACK DOWN in the fourth. The score doesn’t matter, only the outcome!

The Raptors first FTM was with 7 minutes left in the second half – BRUTAL. James Johnson played way above his head tonight, which was great, but the dream ended when he twisted his ankle and exited stage left before the hard work had to be done.

Most entertaining moment tonight was Eric Smith posting his pregame conversation with the Chuck Swirsky on Twitter. The two discussed the Raptors and Chuck shared his reasons for leaving Toronto. As some of you know, or speculated, he cited his marriage falling apart and his sons illness as the two key factors.

Get out the salami and cheese mama! This ball game was over before it began.

Player of the game: James Johnson.
Rotten Tomato: Jamal Magloire.

Week 9 outlook: Four wins, 9 losses, with games against Atlanta, Boston, Portland, and the Clippers. Through four weeks of the regular season the Raptors are likely looking at 4 wins and 13 losses.

…and that is the last word

Skip McGee

Money Line NFL Weekend – Sunday Late Edition

Posted on January 15, 2012 by Ben Kerr

New York Giants @ Green Bay -7.5 Sunday 4:30 pm

I really struggled with what to do with this line. When it opened in the 8.5 to 9 range I thought it was a tinge too high and the Giants might be the right pick. I am somewhat surprised it came down from its opening and now sits just a shade over a TD. If you have been following my playoff picks it shouldn’t be shocking to you that I am going to side with the Packers.

I don’t know how much analysis I can add to this game that has already be said, and over-said all week long. We know the Packers are a powerhouse that always get their points at home. They have some injuries but reports are that all key players will be returning this week. We know the Giants can get their points too, and that the road never seems to affect Eli Manning’s play. We have also heard how the Giants have a ferocious pass rush that reminds every one of 2007 all over again.

Here are the two things that I think haven’t been hammered home enough:

The Packers were sleep walking through the regular season – I mean this. Their offense was obviously clicking on all cylinders but I never felt like it was difficult for them. They were ready for the post-season to begin in week 10. They didn’t need anymore reps. Eventually you stop challenging yourself. I don’t think they will have a problem renewing their intensity for a home playoff game against a team that knocked them out of the playoffs only three seasons ago. But the offense is not where I mean they were sleep walking, I am talking about the defense. Look at all the playmakers they have on this defense. From cornerback to linebacker to the defensive line this team has all-stars. This showed up this year in their turnover numbers. And maybe the yardage totals look ugly for this team but in this all-offense NFL the team scoring the most points is naturally going to give up the most yards, there is rarely such a thing as a shut down D anymore. (By the way the Packers scored the second most points all-time behind the 2007 Patriots) I think the defense shows up. They don’t shut down the Giants, but they put pressure on them. They get some sacks, they get some big hits and the cause a few turnovers. They do enough to give their offense a chance to win the game.

You simply cannot trust these Giants – Their big post-season stretch run included a comeback win in Dallas that the Cowboys gagged away, a horrendous 23-10 home loss versus the Redskins, a big victory over a massively over-rated Jets team and finally a beat down of the Cowboys at home in a game that I’m not totally certain the Cowboys knew was for a playoff spot. Last week they took care of the Atlanta Falcons at home pretty easily. This is the game that got all their momentum for this week rolling. I liked the win and how the Giants played but Atlanta is really not a good road team, and this game turned on all those 4th down failures for the Falcons. Without them this game is super tight.

I know the Giants were able to keep this game close back in week 13 when the game was played in New York but in Green Bay will be a different story. The Giants secondary is really poor and Rodgers is too good to let just four players on the Giants Dline control the game on him. The rested Packers offense will be able to spin the scoreboard and put pressure on the Giants to match them. In short, even though the game will be close it will be the Packers kind of game. And it is the Giants that will be the team to make the crucial mistakes. Against the Packers you just can’t make any.

The Packers have been by far the best team in the league since late last season. They have the best player in the league at the most important position in the league. If you feel like the Giants can keep this game close than just stay away because there is no reason to go against the Packers at this point. They are the baddest team in the league and they remind every one of it this weekend in fine fashion.

Packers 42 Giants 27

Money Line NFL Weekend – Sunday Early January 15th Early Edition

Posted on January 15, 2012 by Ben Kerr

In part one of Money Line Weekend I advocated that the spreads this weekend we’re pretty good but that I was certain that the favorites were the right choice and you might be better off avoiding the spread and grabbing the money line on a lot of these games. New England did their part of the job, but they also easily covered the spread. The New Orleans – San Fran game was ultra close, I think everyone knew it would be, the Saints lost but I stand behind my prediction. Sunday is when we are really going to make some dough anyways.

Houston @ Baltimore -7.5 Sunday 1:00 pm

Some games don’t require too much analysis. This is one of them. Baltimore is going to win, and the Baltimore money line is the pick of the weekend (Saints to cover was last weeks pick). The Texans have one massive problem going into this game – they can’t block the Ravens. Before their week 6 match-up we were pretty certain that Houston couldn’t block them. It made sense. Baltimore presents a unique challenge with their defensive line, massive players with the ability to move and massive tackling machines lurking right behind them at linebacker. Houston has a very specific scheme they run with their offensive line. Their linemen are not the biggest, their goal is to get their line, and the other teams Dline moving in one direction. Hopefully they find a seem, if not then they are looking to cut it back the opposite way of the action. This is a very successful scheme but it just doesn’t match up against some teams. Baltimore is certainly one of those teams. When the Texans ran for 3.7 yards per rush in their first match-up it was not a surprise. It was suspected they would struggle to block the Ravens and they did.

An illustration of how their scheme just did not work was the disparity between their two running backs. Ben Tate is a good back, Arian Foster is a great back. I love watching Foster more than any back in the league right now, I don’t know if any back’s talents lines up with his teams scheme quite like Foster does right now. He is a big back who has great patience waiting for a hole to develop, when he picks a hole he has a unique ability to explode through it for his size. But he is also a long strider and needs some time to get to his top speed. He fits the Houston blocking scheme perfectly. Tate on the other hand is a less developed runner, he has great physical ability so he uses it to hit the line hard and try to beat tackler’s to the spot. He doesn’t make defenders miss a the line of scrimmage but he does hit the line hard. In the Ravens game it is notable that Tate was the more effective runner. He carried 9 times for 41 yards, Foster got 15 carries but only 49 yards. Watching the game however you can see how hopeless the Foster runs were, waiting for holes to open up that never were going to, and how Tate was maximizing every run by hitting the line at full speed. It was a great example of how their entire blocking scheme did not succeed.

I don’t see why this would change now. In fact, it will get worse. In the week 6 game the Texans had a full power Matt Schaub at QB. When I re-watched this game I was shocked at how effective Schaub was. If you think the Texans struggle to block the Ravens in the run game the drop-back passing game is a whole other story. If this game begins and the Texans clearly cannot run the ball the Ravens will absolutely tee off on TJ Yates in the backfield. Schaub was effective because he was making ultra quick decisions to neutralize the pass rush, he also, typically, was extremely accurate, especially when throwing short. Yates is just not the QB that Schaub is. If the Texans are unable to cook up a way to get themselves the lead and they fall behind then this game could be over at half-time.

Look at this from Baltimore’s point of view. Baltimore is the happiest team in the league right now. The Steelers have been eliminated, this makes them happy because the Steelers are the team that has ended their season two of the last three years. The remaining teams in the AFC are the Ravens, Texans and Patriots. They are licking their chops for this game but they aren’t afraid of the Patriots next week either. They knocked the Patriots out of the playoffs two years ago on the Patriots home field. They will have confidence entering that game if they get there. The Ravens have to believe this is their shot at finally getting to another Super Bowl. Is this team going to let an inferior team with a rookie QB come into their stadium and steal this away from them. No way, their isn’t a scenario I can think of that doesn’t involve a Saints like 5 turnovers that has the Texans coming out on top.

So what case can we make for the Texans? Their D has been top of the league all season. They have very good, very quick pass rushers on the Dline and at Linebacker, this allows them to really attack the pocket. This rush was able to really limit the Ravens in the first match-up and after an opening drive TD they were able to force a bunch of turnovers. But I think the rush will really be limited by the fact the Ravens will know they don’t have to score a ton of points to win this game. It is more important for them to not turn the ball over early, keep running and eventually let that wear on the defense. Baltimore is much too physical for the Texans – who at heart I believe are still a soft team. This physicality will wear on them all game even if they are able to limit Flacco early.

Flacco may be enough for some to stay away from the spread here that see the Ravens needing to win by more than a TD. I get that. But in my mind Baltimore wins this game a solid 90-95% of the time and they are currently sitting as a 3.5-to-1 favorite. I like it.

Baltimore 27 Houston 7

Serie A Week 17 Review and Week 18

Posted on January 14, 2012November 4, 2021 by Frank Giuliano

Week 17 Review of Serie A

The Italian top flight championship blasted off last weekend into the new year of 2012 with a great statistic: all but two of the winning sides collected clean sheets scoring a total of 31 goals! Now who says that the Italians don’t score?! Internazionale FC is back in the title hunt where they belong with a very convincing 5-0 victory at home against Parma FC. Argentine forward Diego Milito scored a brace. The Nerazzurri now sit in 5^th place with 29 points, 8 points behind league leaders AC Milan and Juventus FC. The big upset took place in Siena where SS Lazio was pounded 4-1. The Biancocelesti are now 5 points behind the final Champions League position. Udinese FC crushed Cesena Calcio 4-1 at the Stadio Friuli in Udine and remains two points behind the league leaders. They also remain undefeated at home so far this season.

Now, to WEEK 18! Hopefully it will be as good as last week as there are some key match-ups. Firstly, AS Roma travels to Sicily to play Catania Calcio. This will be former boss Vicenzo Montella’s first game against the club for which he played and coached. The Lupi have shown good form of late and Coach Luis Enrique is very pleased with his players’ performances. ACF Fiorentina will host US Lecce who played very well against Juventus last weekend. Ever since Viola coach Delio Rossi changed the formation and instructed a new tactical system to his players, Fiorentina have looked like the Fiorentina of old from the days of Gabriel Batistuta! The Florence-based side is also riding on a high, fresh from a 3-0 victory against Novara. The Giallorossi of Lecce have a tough task ahead and will be without star left-back Djamel Mesbah who will be a healthy scratch. Rumor has it, he will be joining Italian giants AC Milan sometime this week. Genoa FC will welcome Udinese Calcio to the Marassi in Genova. The bianconeri of Udine will be eager to keep pace with the rest of the pack. Genoa is waiting on their new January signing Alberto Giliardino to make an impact in his first game at home with his new team. Juventus FC play at home against Cagliari. The Old Lady of Italian Football is the only undefeated team remaining in the Serie A. Odds are she will remain undefeated. Alessandro Matri is looking forward to haunting his old club. Furthermore, Bianconeri boss Antonio Conte is contemplating releasing his new addition in attack, Marco Borriello, with whom the Juve Ultras have a bone to pick due to the former Roma player’s ‘refusal’ to join the Old Lady back in 2010. Last weekend, the Ultras unfurled a banner during the match with Lecce, stating ‘Borriello, mercenary without honour or dignity.’ It will be interesting to see whether Conte decides to call up his new striker and see how the Ultras react. Another promising fixture of possible excitement will be SS Lazio taking on Atalanta at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. The Laziali will be eager to quickly remove the memory of the terrible start to 2012 the side had last weekend. SSC Napoli will face Bologna FC at the San Paolo stadium in Naples. Lastly but not least of course, the BIGGEST DERBY IN THE WORLD: the DERBY DELLA MADONNINA, a.k.a the Milan Derby. AC Milan will host city-rivals, Internazionale FC. This is a huge game for both clubs. The Derby is wide open with both teams in very good form. An Inter win will officially place the Nerazzurri back in the title race once again. The Rossoneri will be looking to put an end to Inter’s 5-game winning streak and end their hopes of any title aspirations the Nerazzurri might have. There has also been a battle off the field to sign Machester City outcast for Carlos Tevez. Earlier this week, it looked like Milan pulled out of the race. But today, the news from England is that Tevez’s agent stated that Milan is still in the race to sign his client. In addition, there is some very good news out of the Milan camp this week as Italian international Antonio Cassano has been cleared to resume training. This is great news for Azzurri fans and the Diavoli faithful. Hopefully Cassano can get back sooner than expected. Italy coach Cesare Prandelli and Rossoneri boss Massimiliano Allegri are both eager to have the Bari-born striker back in their line-up. Enjoy Week 18 of the Serie A!

Here are the results for Week 17

Week 17		08 Jan 2012
Atalanta	0 – 2	Milan
Bologna	2 – 0	Catania
Cagliari	3 – 0	Genoa
Inter	5 – 0	Parma
Lecce	0 – 1	Juventus
Novara	0 – 3	Fiorentina
Palermo	1 – 3	Napoli
Roma	2 – 0	Chievo
Siena	4 – 0	Lazio
Udinese	4 – 1	Cesena

Week 18 Fixture list

Week 18 15 Jan 2012 (14.00 UK)
Catania	Preview	Roma(Sat 19.45)
Cesena	Preview	Novara
Chievo	Preview	Palermo
Fiorentina	Preview	Lecce
Genoa	Preview	Udinese
Juventus	Preview	Cagliari
Lazio	Preview	Atalanta(11.30)
Milan	Preview	Inter(19.45)
Napoli	Preview	Bologna(Mon 19.45)
Parma	Preview	Siena
FIXTURES
Week 19 22 Jan 2012
Atalanta	–	Juventus
Bologna	–	Parma
Cagliari	–	Fiorentina
Inter	–	Lazio
Lecce	–	Chievo
Novara	–	Milan
Palermo	–	Genoa
Roma	–	Cesena
Siena	–	Napoli
Udinese	–	Catania

FORZA MILAN!

And thats the last word!

Money Line NFL – Saturday Night

Posted on January 14, 2012 by Ben Kerr

Denver @ New England -13.5 8:30 Saturday

I wouldn’t believe anyone who tells you they know what is going to happen in this game Saturday night. Anyone who says this is a sure-fire Patriots blowout is the same person who said the same thing about the Steelers game last week. They haven’t revised their opinion about Tebow or the Broncos, but clearly they need to be taken seriously. Since I don’t know how it is going to play out either let’s lay out all the scenarios go from there:

The Surprise – Just the way the week 15 game started between these two teams, the Broncos start off running the ball and making swiss cheese out of the Pats D. They gain an early lead but this time instead of three first half turnovers they keep the run going. The Pats D, which has been their weak link all season never re-groups and the Broncos hold the lead the whole way. The Patriots are most comfortable playing with the lead and the game can get away from them when they are behind. It wouldn’t be shocking to see Denver continue to roll if they start off the game hot.

The Nail-biter – A variation of the surprise, the Broncos start hot but they never pull away enough from the Pats to put the game away. And we know what happens next. Once the Patriots have settled into a game their offense tends to pick it up and they have no problems with going back-to-back-to-back TD’s. One thing we know about the Patriots offense is that unless you can really put pressure in Brady’s face they are going to drop 30 points on you. Only a select few teams have been able to do this and based on week 15 Denver does not appear to be one of them, so Denver better plan on scoring a lot if they want to win this game.

The Blow-Out – This is what everyone seems to be expecting. The Patriots come out flying on offense and never look back. Because Bill Belichick is a genius and he figured out the Broncos offense and defense last game and now there is no stopping him. There is some truth to this, but can the putrid Pats D really hold down this team enough to make it a blow-out? Even if the Pats are playing great D they will still be leaking points. Isn’t it more realistic that the Patriots offense is putting up points, they are leading the game where they are most comfortable but their D can’t shut down anyone so Denver has still manages to get 9-13 points with just enough time left on the clock for…

Tebow Magic – Do you realize it has been four weeks since we have seen the pure unbridled version of Tebow Magic.
Last week doesn’t qualify. That was Tebow domination. What about the Tebow that doesn’t inspire confidence for 3
quarters and plays so poorly that even his biggest fans begin to wonder what it is they saw in him. But then come
the 4th he plays his heart out and there is no stopping him. Aren’t the Pats the perfect defense for this to happen
to? Belichick did seem to figure out the Bronco offense at the end of the week 15 game. But that doesn’t mean
the Broncos can’t make adjustments of their own. And once Tebow does start to gain momentum do the Pats have a
playmaker on defense who is going to step up and put an end to it?

So what scenario is going to play out?

I think it is a combination of the Blow-out and Tebow Magic. I really do believe the Patriots are ready for this game on offense and defense. Their offense knows the spots to attack and they are at home this time. I can’t really see them being held down. The defense was able to make some adjustments last game and really limit the Broncos. I think these things hold true to start the game and the Patriots will play most of the game with a lead. But there is just too much evidence with the Pats D at this point to think they can hold anyone down for an entire game. Buffalo and Miami jumped out to big leads on the Pats in weeks 16 and 17. In back to back weeks they let Washington and Indy put up 27 and 24 points on them and give them a game each time. This D just doesn’t have it any way you slice it.

And that’s what I can’t shake. Pretty much every Patriots fan feels either openly or in the back of their mind that this team can’t win a championship because of their defense. When you’re not good enough to win a championship you could lose at any time and you might not see it coming. When you have that looming over you there is no way you can grab a team as a nearly 2 touchdown favorite. Remember that last weekend’s Pittsburgh – Denver match was the most watched TV event since last year’s Super Bowl, and that this game is being played on Saturday night, do you really see this one being a blow-out that has viewer’s’ changing the channel? Me neither.

New England has the better offense and they are at home. They usually do well when seeing an opponent the second time. I think they come out hyped for this game and take an early lead. They might even be in total control of the game. But I can’t see them putting Denver away, they leave the door open just enough for Tebow Magic. That’s right, we are heading into the 4th quarter and the Patriots are up 24-9. No one in the stadium believe’s Denver has a chance but they do have the ball and a full quarter to play. Then it begins, a long TD drive for Tebow, suddenly the Denver D is rejuvenated, they get the big stop they need, another TD for Tebow, now it is practically a tie game. All the momentum in the world is going against the Patriots, but that is when it helps to have Tom Brady. I don’t believe the Patriots offense can be held down long enough for them to lose. New England is coming off a bye and Denver had to play Pittsburgh last week, Steelers opponents are only 4-11 in the week following that game. The Steelers are so physical they wear teams out and it shows up the next week. Several of those 11 losses were 4th quarter collapses by the Steelers previous opponent letting close games slip away. I can’t see the Denver D coming up with the big stops required against Brady when it is crunch time. Besides, if anyone is supposed to end Tebow Magic it has to be the evil empire right?

New England 31 Denver 22

Sports. Honestly. Since 2011

Month: January 2012