BY TONY SCOTT
Friday, January 16, 2015
LAST weekend’s Divisional Play-off round had its fair share of excitement and controversy, and when the dust settled, the Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots were left standing.
The Divisional Play-offs usually deliver some of the best football of the season and this year’s was no exception. We saw the reigning Super Bowl champs, the Seattle Seahawks, play like the champions that they are, whipping the Panthers 31-17. It seems these guys are peaking at the right time and the possibility of repeating looms large. There has not been a repeat Super Bowl winner since the Patriots in 2004.
The Seahawks showed some inconsistencies during the regular season due to injuries and off-the-field strife, but now they seem to have got their groove back, which makes them a favourite to go all the way.
Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts put on a stellar display against the iconic Peyton Manning and his Denver Broncos, beating them 24-13. Luck proved once and for all that he is destined for greatness and that indeed the old order has changed, yielding place to the new. The Luck era has begun and his next big test comes up this Sunday as he faces yet another iconic figure in Tom Brady.
Speaking of Tom Brady, he led the Patriots to an impressive 35-31 come-from-behind victory over a determined Ravens team, advancing to his ninth AFC Championship game. Many of us had the Ravens, who were 6.5 point betting underdogs, to at least cover the point spread, which they did. But the Patriots prevailed on the scoreboard. The Tom Brady/Bill Belichick era is one for the record books.
Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers went up against Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys in a game that ended amidst an officiating controversy that saw a spectacular Dez Bryant catch disallowed after review. This was a game-changer and the Packers went on to beat the Cowboys 26-21.
Now I’m no fan of the Dallas Cowboys, but what I saw on the replays indicated that it was a catch. Some say that this call was poetic justice as the Cowboys were the beneficiaries of a similar ruling in their wild card game against the Lions a week earlier. Aaron Rodgers is obviously still not 100 per cent, but thanks to the protection of his offensive line he was able to make plays from inside and outside the pocket.
As far as our post-season picks go, Peter Lindo posted a 3-1 mark last week and now leads the pack with an impressive 7-1 play-off picks record, which probably makes him unassailable. Way to go, Peter. Andre Hutchinson also went 3-1 last week (5-3 overall), while yours truly went 3-1 as well (4-4 overall). Bringing up the rear for the first time this season is the regular season picks champion Mark Archer, who went 1-3 last week and is a surprising 3-5 in the play-offs. We’ll see how the guys do this week.
Let’s take a look at the impending clashes, starting first with the Indianapolis Colts at the New England Patriots in Foxboro. First of all, there is the home field advantage factor which automatically gives the Patriots the edge. Not that they need it, because they are formidable opponents anywhere. Add to this the fact that the Patriots beat the Colts 42-20 back in November and they’ve beaten Indy in five straight meetings.
The Patriots have a culture of winning and their superstar quarterback Tom Brady is coming off a good performance against a tough Ravens team. Their defence is somewhat suspect and this could be exploited by Andrew Luck, particularly if he gets hot and gets hot early. Luck’s protection is very good, too, as demonstrated against the Broncos when he went virtually untouched.
My take on this game is that once again youth may very well prevail, and the pendulum may swing in favour of the young gun to outlast the old veteran.
In the earlier game on Sunday, the Green Bay Packers visit the Seattle Seahawks and find themselves facing a team that is playing at a very high level in all aspects of their game. The defence is fearsome and the offence is explosive. They also have a pretty good quarterback in Russell Wilson, who is arguably the best of the young guns. Then there is the hostile environment in Seattle where the noise level can be disruptive to the opposing signal caller. Seattle also beat Green Bay 36-16 back in Week One of this season. I anticipate a game that will go back and forth before coming down to the final play. If I were writing the script, Russell Wilson would hand off the ball to Marshawn Lynch, and ‘The Beast’ would run roughshod over the Packers defence and explode in the end zone for the winning score.
On Sunday, the Packers vs Seahawks game will air on FOX at 3:05 pm, while Colts vs Patriots kicks off at 6:40 pm on CBS. You can also head to Ribbiz Ultra Lounge at the Acropolis Barbican, Cuddy’z Sports Bar or Usain Bolt’s Tracks and Records to take in some BIG screen action. You can even place your bets on the games at those venues up to five minutes before kick-off.
The Super Bowl match-up is almost set, folks. Enjoy the games and I hope you all win some money with JustBet. Make sure to watch the JustBet sports betting feature, JustBet Before The Whistle, this and every Thursday at 9:30 pm on TVJ.
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EXPERTS’ PICKS AGAINST THE SPREAD
PETER LINDO’S Conference Championship Picks (in bold)
SEAHAWKS v PACKERS
PATRIOTS v COLTS
Last week’s record: 3-1
Play-off Record to date: 7-1
ANDRE HUTCHINSON’S Conference Championship Picks (in bold)
SEAHAWKS v PACKERS
PATRIOTS v COLTS
Last week’s record: 3-1
Play-off Record to date: 5-3
TONY SCOTT’S Conference Championship Picks (in bold)
SEAHAWKS v PACKERS
PATRIOTS v COLTS
Last week’s record: 3-1
Play-off Record to date: 4-4
MARK ARCHER’S Conference Championship Picks (in bold)
SEAHAWKS v PACKERS
PATRIOTS v COLTS
Last week’s record: 1-3
Play-off Record to date: 3-5
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Final four face off in conference championships
