Superbowl XL is upon us. Unfortunately, this year's game is anything but "extra-large." I'm pretty sure that line has been used countless times already in the last week, but the play on roman numerals is just too enticing to avoid.
What does it mean when the AFC's #6 seed has a 4-point edge on the NFC's #1 seed? It means that the gamblers in Vegas know the same thing I do: the Seahawks stink. Yea, ok, they're clearly not a bad team. But a Superbowl team? How did this happen?
Well, let's first remember that the Seahawks have the luxury of an easy schedule by default. Seattle plays Arizona (5 wins), San Francisco (4 wins), and St. Louis (6 wins) TWICE every year. That's six games that any above average team is expected to win. When Seattle was forced to compete with somewhat more competitive teams, they either lost or won because of freaky plays. Seattle lost to Jacksonville and Washington, and beat the Giants and Cowboys on total luck. I'm not just being bitter. Jay Feely missed 4 field goals (3 winning field goals) for the Giants, and the Cowboys squandered what seemed a completely safe lead in the final seconds when Drew Bledsoe threw an inexplicable interception.
On the other side, we know that the Steelers have truly had to earn their way to the Superbowl. They went on the road and beat the Bengals, Colts, and Broncos to advance. The run has been nothing short of miraculous. But for some reason, no one thinks of Pittsburgh as an improbable underdog. The Steelers are the clear favorite, and for good reason. They have a more physical defense than Seattle, a more viable passing game, and, perhaps most important, far more playoff experience. Seattle will be overwhelmed, especially without it's exaggerated "12th man" home crowd.
Ok, enough jibber jabber. My prediction:
Steelers: 31
Seahawks: 17
Football season is almost over. But fantasy baseball is right around the corner.
Although I don't think the Seahawks are nearly as bad you do, I have to agree that the Steelers wll win this one. But because the Steelers have let some teams back into their last three wins, I don't the margin will be as large as you predict. The Steelers will win 27-21.
I'm not betting on this game, however, because the Seahawks are a very balanced team who could surprise.
I'll admit that mostly I'm picking the Steelers because I'll be rooting for them this Sunday. I like Bettis, Ward, Cowher, and that QB with the unspellable name.
Posted by: Nicholas Carlson | Thursday, February 02, 2006 at 08:12 AM