Recap of the NFL Championship Round

Green Bay Packers @ Seattle Seahawks

                   After the Packers led by 19-7 going into the 4th quarter. Then a Marshawn Lynch touchdown made it a 5 point game after a pass from Russell Wilson who had 4 interceptions in the game.Then with 2:00 minutes left in the game a onside kick by Seahawks kicker Steven Hauschka that hit off TE of the packers Brandon Bostick hands and then the Seahawks recovered.The Seahawks capitalized with another touchdown from stud running back Marshawn Lynch.That gave the Seahawks a 20-19 point lead and then the Seahawks completed the 2 point conversion that gave the Seahawks a 3 point lead.But then with about 1:30 left in the game the Packers got a field goal to tie the game.Then to OT the Seahawks won the toss and scored a touchdown on there first possession on a beautiful throw by Wilson to WR Kearse. The Seahawks advance to there second straight SuperBowl.

Indianapolis Colts @ New England Patriots

                    As the Patriots overpowered the Colts after beating them 45-7.The Pats beat the Colts for the 3rd straight time in 2 years. also the Pats looked like they were bullying them and playing more aggressive then them at beating them at all phases of the game.Such as running the ball and playing tight nose to nose defense and pressing on the line of scrimmage which gave Andrew luck no time to throw as he got pressured and threw many interceptions in the game.Going back to the Patriots running game led by Lagarrette Blount who went off and ran for on 30 carries with 148 yards and 3 TDS
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Game Preview: New England Patriots vs Indianapolis Colts

Time- 6:30 pm

Location- Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts


The AFC Championship will take place in Foxborough as the Patriots host the Colts and the winner goes to the Super Bowl. The Colts have been the underdog in their last two games but still found a way to beat their highly rated opponents in the Cincinnati Bengals and the Denver Broncos. Quarterback Andrew Luck looks to be coming into his own as he had led and carried this team this far. Upstart players Donte Moncrief and Dan "Boom" Herron have also helped Luck carry the load for the team. The Colts have had a bad track record against the Patriots but both teams will forget about that and look to go to Arizona.

The Patriots will be playing in their fourth straight AFC Championship game and their 9th overall. This is an experienced team but as coach Bill Belichick says, "Experience doesn't matter." Quarterback Tom Brady has been a chameleon of sorts as he has adjusted to any situation that the Patriots offense over comes. The Patriots can throw the ball 50 times or run the ball 50 times and the team will find a way to win. The defense has stepped up of late as cornerback Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner have helped solidify this defense.

Key Players
Patriots- Darrelle Revis, Cornerback: This will be Revis's third AFC Championship but maybe his best chance to get to his first Super Bowl. After a long career of being on mediocre teams, Revis came to New England and had proved himself. Revis has shutdown great receivers this season and he will be put up against either Reggie Wayne or T.Y. Hilton which should be a great matchup either way.

Colts- Andrew Luck, Quarterback: Andrew Luck will be playing in his first AFC Championship game and he will look to take down another legend in Tom Brady. Luck has carried this team with 40 touchdowns this season and for the Colts to win, Luck will have to continue playing on a top level.

Predictions
The Patriots come in as the favorite but don't count the Colts out. Luck will have his team fired up but the situation might get to Luck. Expect Brady to not throw a lot and for running backs LeGarrette Blount, Jonas Gray, and Shane Vereen to carry the load. In a wet and cold Gillette Stadium the Patriots will come out on top 24-21 and advance to the Super Bowl.

Three Keys to Victory: Indianapolis Colts

Last week, the Indianapolis Colts defeated the Denver Broncos in one of the AFC Divisional Games. The Colts controlled most of the game, much at the expense of Peyton Manning. The Colts defense definitely stepped up and stopped most, if not all, of the Denver offense. The Colts also did something the Broncos didn't, and that was move the ball downfield efficiently. Led by none other than Andrew Luck, the Colts threw the ball precisely, ran the ball dynamically, and protected Luck perfectly. In order to beat the Patriots, the Colts will have to play a very similar game. Here's 3 keys to victory for the Indianapolis Colts.

1: Keep Tom Brady Off of the Field

If the Colts can successfully keep Brady off of the field, the Colts could definitly win this game. Brady is 103-17 at home in his career as a starter, which means he is pretty damn good. Obviously, he will be hard to stop. The powerful Colt offense must take some pressure off of the defense, much like they did against the Denver Broncos. With the Colts offense gaining momentum drive-after-drive, the defense will build off of it as well. The Colts must also manufacture long, time-consuming drives. In the fourth quarter of last week's game, the Colts went on a 13 play, 54 yard drive for 8:14. This resulted in a field goal to ice the game. They can put up more time-consuming drives by running the ball well and by throwing conservative passes. Once you throw in the medium and deep ball passes, you can form an unstoppable offense, an offense that will keep the 5x AFC Champion and 3x Super Bowl winner off of the field. 

2: Cut Down on the Turnovers

Obviously, the Colts have had a tough time with turnovers. Turnovers have been expected with this young team all year. This leads to our next key to victory: cut down on the turnovers. Luck has been terrible on the road against New England throughout his short career. Luck has thrown 7 interceptions in only 2 matchups in Foxborough. Most notably, Luck opened up last year's AFC Divisional Game with a Pick-Six, only 79 seconds into the game. Luck must make correct reads, for he will have a ball-hawking secondary with the likes of CB Darrelle Revis and CB Brandon Browner waiting for the right moment. However, it is not only Luck coughing up the ball. RB Boom Herron and RB Zurlon Tipton must take good care of the ball. Herron has had a history of fumbles, including 2 in the AFC Wild Card game against Cincinnati. The Colts still have faith in Herron, for he is very athletic and a big play-maker. If the Colts win this game, it will be because they didn't turnover the ball.

3: Win Your Matchups Up-Front

Lastly, the Colts will have to win all off their offensive and defensive line matchups to win this game. To start, the Colts offense line has struggled during the regular season, but they have really stepped up during the playoffs. Last week, Luck was not sacked once, mainly because of great play from T Anthony Castonzo and Rookie G Jack Mewhort. They did a great job by giving Luck time and protection to roll out of the pocket. They will have tough matchups this week with NT Vince Wilfork and LB Jaime Collins. The Pats have athletic lineman and linebackers, so the Colts must put up a great performance. Now, we switch sides as the Patriot offensive line has protected Brady all year long. Earlier in the season against the Colts, the Pats offensive line blocked for Jonas Gray, who put up record numbers. Gray rushed for 201 yards and 4 touchdowns on Sunday Night Football. The Colts defensive line has been shaky all year. However, they stepped up when they needed to last week. The Colts held CJ Anderson to only 80 yards. 

Whatever the outcome of this game is, it will be one for the ages. Will Brady pass the torch to Luck? Or will Brady continue his legacy for one more year? We will just have to wait and find out. 

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NFL Playoff Preview

Playoff Picks

NFC Championship Game: Green Bay Packers @ Seattle Seahawks

Prediction: Seattle Seahawks 24 Green Bay Packers 17

      I think the Seahawks will win this game for a few reasons. Due to the weather conditions, I think Seattle is better fit because they can run the ball better than the Packers. Also, I think Quarterback Russell Wilson will make some big throws down the stretch in this game. I think this offense is good for this particular weather. The X factor for this game is Running Back Marshawn Lynch and I think he will have a great game. Also, I think Seattle's Wide Recievers are going to be key in this game too, I think on third down they are going to be big factors in the passing game. I think Seattle's defense has their hands full for this matchup because they are going up against Packers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers. I think the Legion of Boom definitely has to step up in this game. I think Cornerback Richard Sherman is going to have lock up Packers Wide Receiver Jordy Nelson. Also, Seattle will need to stop Packer's Running Back Eddie Lacy and if they do this they will be successful.

AFC Championship Game: Indianapolis Colts @ New England Patriots

Prediction: New England Patriots 31 Indianapolis Colts 21

       I think the Patriots will win this game for a few reasons. Due to the weather conditions, I think the Patriots will have the better running game with Running Back LeGarrette Blount. I think he will be the X factor in this matchup. I think the Patriots offense is going to have to feed off him in this game. But I think that Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady is going to need Tight End Rob Gronkowski to get open over the middle and in the flats. Also, I think the Patriots are going to need Wide Receivers Julian Edelman and Brandon LaFell to have big games. Also, I think Wide Receiver Danny Amendola needs to get separation over the middle and needs to win his individual matchup off the ball if the Colt's defense is playing man. I think Patriot's Cornerback Darelle Revis is going to be the X factor because he is going to be matched up with Colt's Wide Receiver T.Y. Hilton. I think the Patriot's front 7 is going to need to contain Colt's Quarterback Andrew Luck in the pocket. I think Patriot's Defensive Tackle Vince Wilfork will have a great game and he will dominate the line of scrimmage for the Patriot's defense.

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The Mid Season Rookie of the Year and my Top 3 Candidates for the NBA Rookie of the Year Award

As we approach the middle of the season I would like to pick the mid season NBA rookie of the year and rate my top 3 candidates.

1. Andrew Wiggins

     I'm my opinion Andrew Wiggins is undoubtedly the mid season rookie of the year and he is on pace to win the actual Rookie of the Year award. He leads the rookies in points and is in the top 10 in rebounds, steals, assists, and blocks. He is an all around player who was off to a slow start but now he picked up the slack as the season is going by. All he needs to do is work on his shot, and he will be a potential MVP candidate in a few years. He is only 19 years old and has plenty of time until he reaches his prime. He is also a great defender, which is one of his strongest attributes.  

2. Nerlens Noel

      This 6 foot 11 rookie has put together a pretty good season so far. He leads rookies in rebounds, blocks, and steals. He is extremely athletic for his height and can get up and down the court with ease. The fact that he is athletic can help him become a great big man in this league. If he keeps working hard he could possibly be as good Hakeem Olajuwon, who was a great athletic big man. Nerlens is a great defender and it is only a matter of time before he starts to put up big point totals. His lack of scoring has kept him out of the #1 spot on this list.  

3. Jusuf Nurkic

      This list of rookies contains guys 20 years or under. It's great to know that it a few years the 3 of these guys will be dominating the league. Nurkic is a great rebounder and shot blocker.  His averages don't show his best ability. He is definitely the best shot blocking and rebounding rookie this year, although Nerlens Noel averages the most in both those categories. He reminds me of Andre Drummond in his rookie year. They both don't score a lot but they put up great rebounding and shot blocking numbers. All Nurkic needs to do is score, which seems to be a problem with all rookies this year except with Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker before Jabari was ruled out of the season with a torn ACL. 

2015 NFL Championship Round Preview

NFL Preview

Green Bay Packers @ Seattle Seahawks

     This going to be a very close game in Seattle on Sunday. The Seahawks have to win the game with there defense led by the Legion of Boom. And that great front 7 led by Bobby Wagner, they love getting to the Quarterback and playing more physical and faster than the opponent. They will have to play physical with a great like Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers still has a lingering calf injury that effected him in the first half of the Cowboy game last week. But the cowboy defense is not like the Seattle defense who has been red hot since Week 15 of the NFL regular season. This week they will have to get to the ball out quick so the Seahawks don't get too much pressure. The Seahawks will have to stop Rodgers and Eddy Lacy who played well against the Seahawks week 1 until he suffered a concussion. So if the packers can run the ball effectively they have a chance but that injury that Rodgers has a big thing in this game they will have to avoid the pressure and try to scramble our of the pocket but he can't with how fast that Seahawks defense is.

Prediction: Seahawks beat Packers 27-17

Indianapolis Colts @ New England Patriots

         The Colts are playing the Pats for another playoff. But this time it's not Brady vs Peyton it's Luck vs Brady. So let's get in to the game, I believe that Boom Herron will have to have to have a big game so they give the Colts a chance to win. Also Andrew Luck will have to stretch out the field and make the corners of the Pats run a little. They have quick receivers such as T.Y Hilton  and Donte Moncrief  and Reggie Wayne but he is mostly in to block for Boom Herron and CO. On the other hand, the pats have a good Quarterback to named Tom Brady. Brady played great last week as he threw it to many receivers. But the Colts must stop Rob Gronkowski,Brandon Lafell and Julian Edelman. They have to try to put pressure on Brady so he can confused and the looks that they give have to be very differs every time. They now have to stop. The Pats have to get physical to win the game and that starts with a ruahing attack and trying to get pressure on Luck.

Prediction: Colts beat Patriots 35-32

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Championship Week Picks

The Picks

Packers vs Seahawks - The Packers played a close one with the Cowboys as Aaron Rodgers hobbled through most of the game. He still had an Aaron Rodgers like game however just minus the ability to run out of the pocket. Rodgers will need to have a big game if the Packers are to beat the Hawks. The leg injury is a major concern right now. The Seahawks looked very good as they battled the Panthers. The defense was dominant and Russell Wilson hit on some big throws. The best part about this game is that the two best teams are in it. I think the Seahawks will get the win at home and head to back to back Super Bowls. I was so torn between this game. Had Rodgers not been hobbled I would have gone Packers.
Seahawks 24-21

Colts vs Patriots - I had the Patriots going to the Super Bowl at the beginning of the year and picked
them again when the playoffs started. I think they are going to win the Super Bowl. The Colts have played the Patriots three times under Andrew Luck they are 0-3. Not only are they 0-3 but have lost by at least three touchdowns. I don't see the Colts as the team that can beat the Patriots. The Colts looked good against Denver but they made a ton of mistakes that a much better team would take advantage of.
Patriots 34-24

By Peter Vitella 

@@Realpete13