Sanders's Championship Weekend Predictions

By Jacob Sanders

Sanders went 1-3 again last week putting him to 2-6 in the post-season and 149-103 on the season.

Jacksonville Jaguars VS New England Patriots

A case for the Jaguars:

This Jacksonville defense has been incredible all season. Whether it’s been shutting down opposing receivers or sacking the opponent many times (thus the city being dubbed Sacksonville), this team has opened some eyes this year simply due to their physical approach to the game and keeping it simple. They win the battles upfront and maintain control of the game through a physical running game. This wasn’t exactly the case last week against Pittsburgh but that just goes to show this Jaguars team can win more than one way. If the Jaguars manage to keep up their physicality in this game, they have a much beefier and tougher team than the Patriots do. Speaking of those Patriots…

A case for the Patriots:

This year’s Patriots team hasn’t been about physicality as much as it has mind games. Per the usual, Bellichick and his staff love to treat football like a game of chess. They come in with a gameplan to counteract your strengths and if their gameplan isn’t working, they don’t hesitate to go to Plans B-Z until they find a winning strategy. Often enough, their queen of the chess board, Tom Brady, is smart enough at finding weaknesses during a game on his own and excels at consistently targeting that weakness. The one here? Gronkowski VS Jacksonville linebackers. There isn’t a linebacker on the defense that tells me Jacksonville can handle Gronkowski. Even with Ramsey’s big words about him handling Gronkowski, Gronk is too big of an athlete for Ramsey to consistently stop him. Thus, if the Patriots O-line can protect Brady for at least 3 seconds on most snaps, it shouldn’t be too hard for the Patriots to channel their passing game through Gronkowski and the dynamic running back duo of Dion Lewis and James White.

Final Verdict:

I normally can appreciate the NFL’s best organization ever and the greatest dynasty ever. The genius of the Patriots and the strategies they employ are no secrets to anyone. However, the theme of the NFL this year has been about physical teams. Even teams that didn’t make the playoffs such as the Chargers, Seahawks, and the Ravens come to mind when thinking about how physical NFL teams are this year. This includes 3 of the final 4 teams in the dance. Minnesota, Philadelphia, and Jacksonville. All 3 of these teams have won with “inferior” QBs because the overall teams are balanced and play a tough, punishing physical game. Over the last 7 AFC championships, the 4 games that the Patriots have lost, have been to physical defenses that take command of the game and disrupt Brady’s rhythm. Count me as one who thinks this Jacksonville defense can join those defenses who are good enough to beat Brady at what has been arguably his biggest weakness in the post-season. Big, physical defenses.

Jaguars 23 Patriots 17

Minnesota Vikings VS Philadelphia Eagles

A case for the Vikings:

Alright alright. Enough with the whole “Case Keenum isn’t a great QB”. If you ask me, he is the best of the 3 QBs that aren’t HoF caliber in the final four. Keenum has played smart, situational football all while protecting the football as well. He avoids turnovers and can find his men downfield when needed. The one-two punch of Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen has helped with his development but not all credit can be taken by those two receivers. In addition, the Vikings defense has smothered opponents this year and has plenty of playmakers that can control a game even if the Vikings offense stumbles for a little bit. The Vikings have been one of the few teams this year that have employed the same strategies since Week 1 and they’re still winning. This is a real team folks. They have been since Day 1.

A case for the Eagles:
So I’m going to straight up apologize. I gave zero chance for the Eagles to win last week. I thought with Nick Foles and what they showed in last few weeks of the season, that they were doomed. Not so. They man-handled the Falcons with a tough defense and Nick Foles finally getting it together in the second half. If Foles can play the same way he did in the second half last week for an entire four quarters, the Eagles can win this game easily. They have plenty of offensive playmakers and a nasty defensive line upfront to force Keenum to challenge them downfield. Fletcher Cox is a key here. If he can disrupt the Vikings O-line time after time, the Vikings offense will become one-dimensional and predictable. Considering the circumstances though, this game will be much harder for both teams to employ their game plans than one might think.

Final Verdict:

Alright. I’m a believer. I’ve been a believer since Thanksgiving Weekend when the Vikings beat the Lions on Thanksgiving Day. I thought the Vikings two toughest opponents to the Super Bowl would be the Eagles (when Wentz was still in the picture) and the New Orleans Saints. I did pick the Saints last week but that was due more to circumstance than it was in my actual faith in either team. For my money, I told friends at the beginning of the playoffs that the Super Bowl was going to be represent by the Saints or the Vikings in the NFC. I’m maintaining that position and taking the Vikings to be the first team to ever have a home-field Super Bowl. The Eagles have a great defense but the Vikings defense is better and should be able to handle Foles more easily than some are thinking. The Vikings defense is too much fun to watch while the Case Keenum story continues to amaze everyone each week. You’re lying to yourself if you don’t think this is one of the best football stories ever. Just assume the Vikings win this game for a second. The Vikings. A football team with one of the worst post-season histories in the NFL, would be the first team ever to host a Super Bowl in their own stadium and will be starting their 3^rd string QB while doing it. Folks. That’s incredible. That’s what makes sports special and why this Vikings team is special. It’s also why their heading to Super Bowl 52. #SKOL

Sanders's Divisional Round Playoff Predictions Part 1

By Jacob Sanders

Okay. Well. That didn’t go how I expected at all. Wild Card Weekend was…well…for lack of better words, wild! I mean. The one team I expected to be blown out of the water was the Titans and they came back from a huge deficit and won. Drew Brees proved why he still has the talent and skill to lead his team to another Super Bowl. The Falcons took far more control of the Rams than I imagined. And the Bills? Well. They just didn’t show up for a team that hadn’t made the playoffs in almost two decades. Made you wish the Chargers or the Ravens had won the tie-breakers instead. Anyway, on to this weekend’s picks!

Sanders went 1-3 last weekend putting him to 148-100 on the season. Ouch. That’s worse than last year.

Atlanta Falcons VS Philadelphia Eagles

A case for the Falcons:

Much has been made about how this Falcons offense hasn’t been as explosive this season. This is true and has been all year. However, the Falcons beat the Rams handily last week through a mix of big plays, shutting down the Rams explosive offense, and capitalizing on the Rams’ special teams mistakes. Two of those winning conditions can be brought into the game against the Eagles. If the Falcons can clamp down on what will be a much weaker Eagles offense than the Rams had, and continue to have a mix of big plays on offense, they’ll play some hard fought football for a win. It may not be pretty, but then again, not all champions have played their brand of football pretty in the past.

A case for the Eagles:

The Eagles defense is no joke. They’re a tough group that can make big plays and stonewall opposing running offenses. In fact, they were the No. 1 defense against the run this season and were able to hold their opponents off to 18.6 points per game which was 4^th best in the NFL. However, the concern isn’t about the Eagles defense. The big concern is about the Eagles offense. Will Nick Foles actually come alive and take advantage of the talent around him? If he does, the Eagles can pull out a win and be one step closer to a Super Bowl appearance.

Final Verdict:

I have watched the Eagles last few games since Wentz went out with an ACL. It’s not pretty. I don’t expect it to be pretty when they face the Falcons either. Strangely enough, I think this is the first time I have ever heard of a No. 1 seed being an underdog in a playoff game. But, that’s what the Eagles are and while the Titans gave us a pleasant surprise, I don’t expect the Eagles to be another fun underdog story. Their offense just isn’t good without Wentz. Falcons pull it out here with relative ease like they did last week against the Rams. But because of how tough the Eagles defense is, I expect kicker Matt Bryant to be the MVP of the Falcons this weekend.

Falcons 23 Eagles 10

Tennessee Titans VS New England Patriots

A case for the Titans:

The Titans showed just how they can succeed in the second half of last week’s game against the Chiefs. Play an up-tempo offense that adheres to Mariota’s strengths with a mix of big run by Derrick Henry. The Titans were a completely different team in the second half and if their offense can keep up that kind of game, it’s possible to beat what has been a leaky Patriots defense for a majority of the season. A big worry is that the Titans secondary needs to hold up against Tom Brady and Co. They were getting murdered in the passing game until Travis Kelce got hurt. Next up? Another menacing tight end in Gronkowski.

A case for the Patriots:

I don’t need to say anything about Tom Brady. I think he’s played long enough for anyone to know what he brings to the table. However, the person to talk about, is Dion Lewis. This man has been bringing the Patriots’ running game to new heights and has brought even more dimensions to what has been an excellent offense this season. The defense has slowly become bend but don’t break as the season has drug on. They allow a lot of yardage but have been tight in the redzone limiting opposing offenses to scoring opportunities. Not a bad way to win.

Final Verdict:
You know. I was shocked by the Titans beating the Chiefs, I was. Did it instill some faith in me for the Titans to make a run at the Super Bowl? Not. At. All. In fact, I am still hoping Mike Mularkey will be gone after this season as he simply has not seemed to grasp on how to fully maximize Mariota’s skills and I believe Mariota needs a coach who will do that. In the meantime, the Patriots are just a much better team and should take care of Tennessee. However, the score might be closer than most are thinking. I believe it will be till the very end of the game.

Titans 20 Patriots 33

Sanders's WildCard Weekend Predictions Part 2

By Jacob Sanders

Oh boy. I swung for homeruns last night and struck out both times getting each game wrong yesterday. For those wondering, yes, I am still baffled at how the Titans beat the Chiefs. A team that was lucky to make it in did the right things to beat up a superior opponent. What’s even stranger is how you only give your starting running back TEN CARRIES when you are ahead 21-3. But I digress. Mariota and Henry were very entertaining to watch and the way they played in the second half was what I had imagined for them all season. And yes. There was a game in Los Angeles too but that one wasn’t as surprising. BUT HEY! This isn’t a Titans-Chiefs or Falcons-Rams post-game analysis column. This is about today’s playoff games. So…on to the picks!

From 125-85, Sanders went 12-4 in week 16 plus 10-6 week 17 then 0-2 part 1 of playoffs. He finished the regular season 147-95 for the season and is now 147-97 on the football year.

Buffalo Bills VS Jacksonville Jaguars

A case for the Bills:

The Bills can win through two things happening at the same time. 1. McCoy goes off despite a groin injury and has over 100+ yards in the game. 2. The defense shuts down Leonard Fournette and forces Blake Bortles to carry the game. If both of these things happen, an upset isn’t unrealistic. Bortles trying to carry a game is normally a nightmare to watch and the Bills are 7-1 when McCoy has 100+ rushing yards. As long as Tyrod Taylor can keep the drives going with a few pretty passes and runs throw in, the Bills can upset the Jaguars. Fun stuff.

A case for the Jaguars:

Defense. Defense. And More Defense. The Jaguars must stonewall Lesean McCoy while forcing Taylor to beat one of the best secondaries in the NFL. They have the advantages on defense and as long as Fournette can give another great performance, the Jaguars should handle the Bills with relative ease. All Blake Bortles has to do is take care of the ball and not throw any interceptions. Also, did I mention defense?

Finale Verdict:

Alright. This one I had to bounce back and forth on for a while. I went back and looked at these teams schedules, watched some highlights, and reflected on the full games I have seen from both of these teams this year. I was impressed with the way the Jaguars won over the season but what kept me hesitant was how Blake Bortles has become a meteor back to Earth. His play was elevated for three weeks in the season but came crashing back to normal and threw 5 INTs in the last two games of the season. Now, it may be a little unfair, but those 5 INTs have me troubled. That’s an easy way to throw away the game. The Bills on the other hand haven’t been the most impressive either and yet have pushed their way into the playoff picture through gritty play and toughing out some physical games. With this in mind, I think Bortles continues his errors and throws two picks giving the Bills offense a couple short fields to score and get ahead of the Jaguars in which case McCoy does his duty and runs the clock out for the game to end.

Bills 23 Jaguars 20 

Carolina Panthers VS New Orleans Saints

A case for the Panthers:

The Panthers have been a tale of two teams this year. While they have gone 10-6, they’ve been a team that has been either white hot or frozen cold. For the Panthers to be their white hot selves, Cam Newton and Christian McCaffrey MUST be on their game. Newton must extend plays for his receivers and McCaffrey has to be able to make some splash plays to make the Saints defense respect the entire field. In addition, the Carolina defense must smother Kamara and keep him from making any big gains or huge plays that he has had a knack for this season. Making the Saints offense one dimensional will help make things easier and potentially give the Carolina offense more ball time.

A case for the Saints:

The Saints just have to keep the same formula they have been using ever since Adrian Peterson left. A ball control offense that runs the ball mixed with some well-timed passes by Drew Brees. Along with that, the Saints defense, which has been very under-rated, has helped the Saints keep this formula for most of the season and as long as their pass rush can get to Newton and frustrate him, the Saints could potentially have an easy day.

Final Verdict:

The score I’m going to put will make the game look more dominant than it’s going to be. This game will be close for a while. But around the end of the 3^rd quarter and start of the 4^th quarter, I’m pretty sure the Saints offense will have worn the Panthers defense and score a couple times to put the Panthers away. For the record, the Saints have beat the Panthers twice this season. They have been a very balanced team that has played extremely well ever since starting the season 0-2. The Panthers on the other hand have been rather inconsistent and the strengths that the Saints have play very well against Carolina’s weaknesses. Plus the Saints are at home. With all that in mind, the Saints should be headed to play Minnesota next weekend.

Panthers 20 Saints 33