The Super Bowl is the most over analyzed sporting event in the world as every expert has two weeks to completely dissect every possible aspect of this game in an effort to convince you which team is a lock to win and why. The bottom line is there are many different ways you can try and handicap this game in order to come up with the best strategy to make your picks.
The NFL’s final two teams in each conference square off against one another this Sunday with a trip to Super Bowl XLIV on the line. There are solid reasons why each team has a chance to win, but it is often the intangibles that determine the actual outcome.
The smoke has cleared from the wildcard round of the playoffs and one favorite; Dallas and three underdogs; New York, Baltimore, and Arizona are moving on to the divisional round to face the top four seeds in the league.
After 512 regular season games the playoff field of 12 teams has been set. The top four teams get a chance to sit back and watch this week as the other eight will fight for the right to move on.
Heading into the final week of the regular season there are a handful of games that will have a major impact on the entire playoff picture. In the NFC all six playoff berths have been filled but we only know one thing for sure; New Orleans is the #1 seed.
The playoff picture in the NFC is almost in place. New Orleans, Minnesota, and Arizona have clinched their division, Philadelphia has clinched a berth, and Dallas, Green Bay, and New York will fight it out for the final two spots. The AFC, on the other hand is a whole different story. Indianapolis and San Diego have clinched their division, while New England and Cincinnati are one win away from clinching theirs.
With 14 weeks of games in the books a few pieces of the post season puzzle are in place and a few more will probably be in place after this week. Indianapolis, New Orleans, and Minnesota are in. San Diego, Cincinnati, Arizona, Philadelphia, and Green Bay can punch their ticket with a win and some help.
Indianapolis is 12-0 and on the verge of locking up home field throughout the playoffs in the AFC. New Orleans survived a scare but held on the beat Washington to move to 12-0, clinching the NFC South and is in prime position to secure home field throughout as well. With four weeks to go, everything else concerning the post season is still undecided.
After 12 weeks of football, 11-0 Indianapolis is the first team to officially clinch their division and in the case of 11-0 New Orleans and 10-1 Minnesota it is just a matter of time. Every other division is still up for grabs with some races being much closer than others. New England, Cincinnati, and Arizona all have a two game lead, while San Diego and Dallas each lead by one.
With the Thanksgiving Holiday comes the traditional Thursday games, but more importantly it marks the official start of the push towards the playoffs. Teams such as New Orleans, Minnesota, and Indianapolis have basically secured a spot and are now jockeying for the #1 seed. Teams such as New England, Cincinnati, and Arizona are currently in control of their division and fighting to stay on top.
The push towards the post season is in full swing and while teams like New Orleans and Minnesota in the NFC and Indianapolis and Cincinnati in the AFC are battling for the number one seed in their conference, there are several teams battling for their playoff life. Big games with major playoff implications for both teams this week include; San Francisco@ Green Bay, Atlanta@ N.Y. Giants, Philadelphia@ Chicago, and Miami@ Carolina on Thursday night.
In a potential preview of this year’s AFC Championship game, the New England Patriots travel to Indianapolis to play the Colts on Sunday night. This game over the past several years has become one of the biggest rivalries in the NFL. After completely dominating the Colts over the first half of the decade, New England has now lost four of last five meetings between these two teams. Some other big games include Cincinnati at Pittsburgh, Seattle at Arizona, and Philadelphia at San Diego.
The big game on tap for this week has the 5-2 Dallas Cowboys visiting the 5-2 Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night in a NFC East showdown with 1st place in the division on the line. This one should come down which QB, Tony Romo or Donovan McNabb has the biggest night. Some other key match ups include Baltimore at Cincinnati, Houston at Indianapolis, and a great Monday night tilt between the Steelers and the Broncos at Mile High.
Here is a brief look at all the match ups with some keys to the game.
There are a couple of great divisional match-ups this week that should not only be highly entertaining, but also have major implications for the division race. Minnesota will travel to Green Bay for round two of Favre vs. the Packers, the New York Giants head down 95 to play the Eagles, Miami heads north to the Meadowlands to play the Jets, and the Falcons will be in the Big Easy to play the undefeated Saints on Monday night.
NFL Week 7 Match Ups
The game of the week has the unbeaten 6-0 Minnesota Vikings traveling to Pittsburgh to take on the 4-2 Steelers. This will be the first true test for Brett Favre and Co. outside the friendly confines of the Metrodome. Some other big games this week are Chicago @ Cincinnati, Arizona @ N.Y. Giants, and Atlanta @ Dallas.
Here is a brief look at all the match ups with some keys to the game.
In the NFC the game of the week is the 5-0 N.Y. Giants @ 5-0 New Orleans Saints, while over in the AFC the Broncos try and make it six in a row when they visit San Diego on Monday night. If Denver finds a way to win, it would give them a 3 ½ game lead in the AFC West.
Here is a brief look at all the match ups with some keys to the game.
