Super Bowl LV Prediction

The NFL season will come to an end tonight as the Kansas City Chiefs visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to compete for the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl LV. Only one team will emerge victorious, and on paper, this is one of the most exciting match-ups in recent history. The greatest of all-time Tom Brady returns to the biggest stage for the tenth time against heir apparent Patrick Mahomes who hopes to lead his team to a repeat of last year’s Super Bowl victory. Besides the snacks, funny commercials, and what will likely be a spectacular halftime show from The Weeknd, I think this is going to be a great game. Now let’s get into my predictions.

After early indications of bad weather in Tampa Bay for this evening, where the Buccaneers will become the first team in Super Bowl history to host in their home stadium, the forecast now shows clear skies and ideal temperatures. I don’t think weather will impact this game. There will be another NFL history first tonight, as the big game will feature the two top passing offenses in the league, which has never happened before. I expect Andy Reid and Bruce Arians to dial up some creative passing plays and for both quarterbacks to break 300 yards through the air.

The Kansas City offense will need to be careful not to turn over the football, as the Buccaneers defense is one of the best in the league at creating takeaways. Mahomes is usually pretty reliably efficient and protective of the ball, though, so I don’t see the Buccaneers forcing more than one turnover tonight. A banged-up Kansas City offensive line may become the deciding factor because the Chiefs will be in trouble if Patrick Mahomes is constantly under pressure.

If this season has proven anything, it’s that these two teams are both completely worthy of making it to the biggest stage. Kansas City only lost one game with a majority of its starters in, and Tom Brady has proven his excellency by bringing his new team to the Super Bowl in his first season in Tampa Bay. Betting markets have the Chiefs as the narrow favorite -3, so it really does feel like a toss-up going into tonight.

Conventional wisdom tells me never to bet against Tom Brady, and I may be burned by that yet again this year, but I think the Chiefs find a way to get the win tonight. They are an offensive juggernaut hungry to prove that they are the next dynasty that will replace the incredible legacy that Tom Brady has established. I’m looking forward to every aspect of the game tonight, and my official prediction is that the Chiefs win 34-30. Who do you think gets the W tonight?

NFL Super Bowl LIV Predictions

The 2020 NFL Playoffs have been a long, wild ride. They will culminate and come to an end this Sunday as the San Francisco 49ers will face the Kansas City Chiefs in Miami for Super Bowl LIV. Both teams have proven their worth winning difficult playoff match-ups, but who will be able to claim the Lombardi Trophy as their own for the NFL’s 100th season? In this post, I’ll be making some predictions about the big game. Let’s get into it.

Patrick Mahomes was heartbroken after watching Tom Brady march down the field and into the Super Bowl in last year’s AFC Conference Championship. MVP Mahomes didn’t get to touch the ball in overtime, and subsequently, didn’t get the chance to take his team to the ultimate stage. This year, he and his talented roster of teammates took care of business at home against Houston and Tennessee, stamping their ticket to Super Bowl LIV against the San Francisco 49ers.

The 49ers have been rolling this year. New England either has an eye for undeveloped young talent, or sitting on the bench watching the greatest quarterback of all time truly impacts your game, because Jimmy Garoppolo is looking more and more like a franchise QB. The 49ers made the playoffs look easy, beating the Vikings and Packers with ease. I would argue, however, that the Chiefs are stiffer competition than either of these teams.

Joe Montana will be happy with the outcome of the big game regardless of the winner, and so will I. I’m also hoping the half-time show and commercials are on point this year. Either former Bear Robbie Gould gets a ring, or Mahomes and the Chiefs begin what could be the next dynasty. I see the Chiefs winning this one in a close game, becoming Super Bowl champs, with Mahomes winning game MVP. We shall see. What do you think will happen?

NFL Conference Championship Predictions

If you were hoping for a straightforward and predictable NFL postseason, these haven’t been the NFL playoffs for you. Teams such as the Patriots and Ravens who were thought to be Super Bowl contenders were knocked out of their first high-stakes games of the season, and there has been increasing drama and uncertainty as the games continue. The biggest surprise so far has been the Tennessee Titans eliminating both New England and Baltimore as coach Mike Vrabel and company continue to steamroll over their competition, due in large part to Derrick Henry’s unstoppability carrying the ball. In this post, I will be predicting who I think will end up duking it out in Miami for Super Bowl 54 in two weeks. Let’s get into it.

Game 1: Titans @ Chiefs - Tennessee’s Cinderella story will come up just short of completion in Kansas City this weekend. After watching the Chiefs rally from falling behind 24-0 against the Houston Texans this weekend, I’m starting to believe there isn’t anything this team can’t do. MVP Patrick Mahomes will want to solidify himself as one of the true legendary quarterbacks for years to come, and securing his first Super Bowl berth would help do just that. I think this will be a close game, and that Derrick Henry will carry Tennessee likely within a field goal of stealing yet another upset, but Kansas City wins here.

Game 2: Packers @ 49ers - This is the game that Aaron Rodgers has waited his whole career to play in. Besides the Super Bowl he won, that is. Rodgers grew up a 49ers fan just to have them pass on him during his NFL draft. Now is his time to roll into the Bay Area and lead his 13-3 team to yet another “ugly win”. I expect huge performances from Rodgers and running back Aaron Jones, as Green Bay will make their way back into another Super Bowl in another high scoring shootout. Should be a good one. Remember, I’m a Bears fan… no bias here. Just objective analysis.

If my predictions are correct, this will be a rematch from the first two Super Bowls. It’s entirely possible that I could only be partially right or completely wrong altogether, only time will tell. I’m just hoping for more entertaining football as I don’t have a clear favorite going into Conference Championship weekend. Who do you think will make their way to Super Bowl LIV?

NFL Wild Card Predictions

The NFL playoffs have arrived, which means two consecutive days of nonstop football action and intense head-to-head matchups. In this post, I’m going to predict and explain the teams I think will be advancing to next week’s games. Let’s get into it.

Game 1: Bills @ Texans - The Buffalo Bills have surprised me this year. Josh Allen led his squad to a respectable 10-6 record and secured a spot in wildcard weekend against the 4 seed Houston Texans with the same record. While DeShaun Watson has shown his explosiveness at the QB position, the Texans are one of the weaker and more inconsistent teams in the playoffs this year, in my opinion. JJ Watt’s return isn’t enough to stop the Buffalo Bills from rolling into town and taking this one.

Game 2: Titans @ Patriots - As much as I want to, I can’t bet against Tom Brady and Bill Belichick quite yet. I just can’t. After starting the season strong, the Patriots offense has struggled, as highlighted by their shocking loss to Miami last week in Foxboro. At the same time, Ryan Tannehill, Derrick Henry, and company have been rolling over their competition to the point of securing the 6 seed in the AFC. That being said, I just don’t see Brady’s last game as a Patriot coming in the wild card round of the playoffs at home. NE wins here.

Game 3: Vikings @ Saints - It’s time for New Orleans to redeem themselves. After back-to-back heartbreaking playoff losses in 2018 and 2019, this squad is hungry and has a lot to prove as a 13-3 3rd seed in the competitive NFC Conference. Kirk Cousins is beginning to show that he shrinks in primetime, and barring a miracle or officiating disaster, I see Drew Brees getting the job in New Orleans.

Game 4: Eagles @ Seahawks - This feels like the most obvious pick of the week for me. I don’t see this game being competitive. The Seahawk’s 12th man fanbase will be out in full force in Seattle, and the 9-7 Eagles who scraped by just to make it to the wildcard, don’t have enough talent on their roster to steal one against Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll. It would be nice to see Beast Mode go off, too, in another Seahawks playoff W.

It’s entirely possible that these predictions are totally off-base. I’m pretty sure that if they hold up, next week’s predictions for the Divisional round of the playoffs will be more entertaining, as I won’t choose every clear favorite to get the win. What do you think will happen this week? I’m just rooting for some entertaining, competitive NFL Playoff football.

A Mid-Season Perspective From A Chicago Sports Fan

As Thanksgiving turns into Black Friday and Christmas is right around the corner, the NFL regular season is nearing completion and the NBA season is settling in nicely. As a Chicago sports fan this year really should no different than usual, with me being disappointed in my teams and all, but for some reason I’m remaining optimistic about the futures of my beloved Bears and Bulls.

Let’s start with the Bears. As we all know, last year’s winning season led by one of the best defenses in the league ended abruptly with Cody Parkey’s infamous double-doink. Even through that heartbreak, there was the promise of a potentially bright future in the Windy City. This season has had its ups and downs, with lots of upset fans ready to move on from former second overall draft pick QB Mitchell Trubisky. I’m not one of those fans. Last season, every Bears fan was praising him as the franchise quarterback Chicago has been waiting for for years. His struggles this season (which really aren’t all that bad) are against one of the most difficult schedules in the league. Some minor changes in this upcoming offseason paired with an easier schedule next year could lead to another playoff run for my Chicago Bears - it’s too soon to blow it all up already.

The Bulls are in a similar position. A disappointing 6-13 opening to the season has led to many fans wanting to completely restart the rebuilding process. I was lucky enough to see this exciting young team play the local Atlanta Hawks thanks to my amazing girlfriend getting tickets for us, and the Bulls’ route of the Hawks made me very optimistic for this young team’s future. The building blocks are there, they just need to be coached and given the experience needed to realize their full potential. There are still bright moments, though, like their recent come-from-behind miracle win against Charlotte or Zach Lavine’s 360 fast break dunks. Too soon to give up on this young team.

Maybe it’s just me maturing and taking sports results less seriously than I used to, but I’m feeling much more optimistic than I should be about the Bears’ and Bulls’ futures. I’m just glad that I get to watch young, entertaining teams with the hope of a bright future for these franchises. Their time will come.