The NFC North crown and very likely the NFC two seed goes to the winner of tomorrow’s Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers game. I predict the touchdown underdog Lions will play very well and may even win outright. Green Bay 27 Detroit 23.
Someone has to win the woeful NFC South. Either the Carolina Panthers with a (6-8-1) record going into the game or the (6-9) Atlanta Falcons will win the crown and play at home in next week’s wild card round. I predict the field goal favorite, home-standing Falcons to be that team. They will win the game by 7 points. By the way, the game will air on CBS, the AFC Network, even though the two teams are from the NFC.
In a game that does not affect the playoff race, the field goal favorite New York Giants will win by 10 points vs the disappointing Philadelphia Eagles, whose consecutive losses to the Seattle Seahawks, Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins dropped them out of the playoffs race.
This Sunday the Seattle Seahawks are nearly two touchdown favorites to clinch their second straight NFC top seed.
They have bigger goals in mind, namely making and winning a second straight Super Bowl. If they get the one seed and do go on to win the Super Bowl, having hosted the Conference Championship Game in two straight seasons, they will make some unique history.
Only one team, the 1978 and 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers has ever won two straight Super Bowls, each in a season they hosted the Conference Championship Game.
There have only been five other teams that hosted consecutive year conference championship games, one was the Philadelphia Eagles, who lost 2 of the 3 NFC Championship games they hosted from 2002-2004 and lost in its one Super Bowl appearance during that span.
Two teams, other than the Steelers of ’78 and ’79, won consecutive home conference championship games and those were the Washington Redskins of 1982 and 1983 (they split in the Super Bowl games following those victories) and the Buffalo Bills in 1990 and 1991.
The Bills, who made and lost 4 straight Super Bowls from 1990-1993, obviously lost in both the 1990 and 1991 Super Bowls.
Both the San Francisco 49ers, who won in the related Super Bowl and the Miami Dolphins, who lost (coincidentally to another 49ers team) won and then lost in conference championship games they hosted in consecutive years (Miami in 1984 and 1985 and S.F. in 1989 and 1990).
Seattle is a pretty big favorite to at least host a conference championship game for the second straight season, which would make them the seventh team to do so.
1978 Pittsburgh Steelers team Leaders
On New Year’s Day, 2 0f the 5 College Bowl games will have National Championship significance.
This year the Rose Bowl, which matches Oregon and Florida State. and the Sugar Bowl, pitting Alabama vs Ohio State, serve as national semi-final games.
The winners of those two games will meet at A T &T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night January 12th for the title.
I vividly recall undefeated Ohio State playing on New Year’s Day 39 years ago and blowing the national title, losing to UCLA in the Rose Bowl.
That 1975 Ohio State team had a great regular season, not only going unbeaten, but winning on the road at very good UCLA and previously unbeaten Michigan. However, they had to beat UCLA again in the Rose Bowl to be national champions and despite being big favorites, were unable to do so.
This year, Ohio State, far from great in the regular season, was deemed the fourth best team by the selection committee.
I believe this was largely because unlike the other choices for fourth and playoff qualification, TCU and Baylor, Ohio State has a huge following that would boost ratings and create more business.
Ohio State are 9 point underdogs vs Alabama, making them dangerous, and increases their chances to win, in my opinion.
Later this week, I will offer predictions on the Sugar and the Rose Bowls. Meanwhile, take yesterday’s Western Kentucky vs Central Michigan fiasco as a warning. That meaningless game had an incredible finish that affected the point spread and proves that betting any significant financial or emotional sum on the outcome of these, not so sporting contests is a fool’s errand.
This Sunday marks the 56th anniversary of the 1958 NFL Championship game, the game that “made” pro football.
On an unusually warm winter day in New York, the Baltimore Colts led by quarterback John Unitas and receiver Raymond Berry defeated the New York Giants in the NFL’s first overtime game.
Alan “The Horse” Ameche scored a touchdown from one yard out to end the game. Baltimore won (23-17) and from that point forward professional football boomed.
This Sunday NBC, which telecast that 1958 game in the afternoon, has moved the Cincinnati Bengals game at Pittsburgh vs the Steelers, to the night.
Quite possibly it will be very cold in Pittsburgh, but pro football, too big and popular, does things with no regard for the fans.
My fondness for the many great players (Roosevelt Brown and Frank Gifford were among the New York Giants’ greats in that game) in that 1958 game and even the extraordinary game itself, is tempered by what football has become.
Click here for a video tribute
The New England Patriots are the AFC top seed for the sixth time in their history, all since 2003 and with greats Tom Brady as their quarterback and Bill Belichick as their head coach.
The combination of New England’s (17-16) win at the New York Jets and the Cincinnati Bengals’ (37-28) Monday night win at home vs the Denver Broncos, clinched the top seed and home advantage in any AFC playoff game, for New England.
The “NFL gift package” also includes a wild card round bye and there will be one other recipient in the AFC, almost certainly to be the Broncos, who figure to be the “two seed.”
Denver will be a two touchdown favorite in its home game vs the Oakland Raiders in its bid to get their quarterback Peyton Manning a home divisional round game for the third time in his three seasons as Broncos’ “QB.” That home divisional round game and wild card round bye goes to the top two seeded teams.
The wild card round bye is “also available” (cue the New York City Transit Authority “voice” whose tone and delivery is great emphasizing “ALSO AVAILABLE,” pertaining to certain subway route options) to the Broncos if the Pittsburgh Steelers win at home vs the Cincinnati Bengals in the season’s final regular season. That game, with not all that much at stake since both the Bengals and Steelers have clinched playoff berths was moved to a night game by NBC Sports, one of 4 network “tails” that wags the NFL/dog.
The Dallas Cowboys annihilated the Indianapolis Colts yesterday to win their first divisional title since 2009.
They will almost certainly be the NFC “three seed” and host an NFC wild card round game–I will speculate that it will be on Fox Television on Sunday, January 4th.
It is possible, but unlikely, that the Colts and Cowboys will meet in the Super Bowl.
If so, the Colts, in my opinion, would have “bulletin board material” as Dallas backup quarterback Brandon Weeden hurled a long touchdown pass with 10 minutes to play with Dallas already ahead (35-0).
Give the Cowboys credit for their season. I recall so many prognosticators picking them last in the NFC East. Instead, they finished first.
After their (35-6) win at Arizona vs the Cardinals, the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks are overwhelming favorites to be the NFC one seed for a second straight season.
Seattle will be close to a two touchdown favorite at home vs the St. Louis Rams to win and claim the one seed. If they do win and get the one seed, it will be the third time in franchise history that Seattle claims its conference’s one seed.
In 26 years as an AFC team (1977-2002), the Seahawks were never the conference one seed. Now it is very likely to happen for a third time, all as an NFC team, in a 10 season span.
The two previous times that the Seahawks were the conference one seed, they made the Super Bowl.
In the 2005 season Super Bowl, they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Last year, Seattle routed the Denver Broncos in that game for all the marbles.
Yesterday, two NFL games were played on a Saturday for the first time since 2005. (Saturdays were once a league staple from the time of the AFC/NFC format which commenced in the 1970 season).
Each was a thrilling game, decided by a three point margin.
In the NFL Network telecast opener, the touchdown plus underdog (4-11) Washington Redskins, all but ended the (9-6) Philadelphia Eagles’ playoff hopes, with a (27-24) victory.
Now the (10-4) Dallas Cowboys take the field at home today vs the (10-4) Indianapolis Colts with a magic number of one to clinch their first divisional title or playoff appearance since 2009.
In the night game yesterday, the (9-6) San Diego Chargers, who trailed by as much as three touchdowns twice, and by two touchdowns midway through the fourth quarter, rallied to beat the (7-8) San Francisco 49ers in overtime by a (38-35) score.
However, the Chargers will need help to qualify for the playoffs, even if they win their regular season finale in Kansas City next week.
Last week the accuracy of the Las Vegas oddsmakers was most evident as two of my predictions were in games that fell “right on the number.” Seattle Seahawks favored by 10 points, won by that many vs San Francisco 49ers, ditto the Indianapolis Colts favored by and victorious by seven vs the Houston Texans.
In the other game I predicted, my pick the Dallas Cowboys, a field goal underdog, won at Philadelphia vs the Eagles and now control their destiny in a bid for their first divisional title or playoff berth since 2009.
This week I am predicting Dallas, a three and one half point favorite to win at home vs the Indianapolis Colts, a team that clinched its AFC South crown last week and almost certainly will be no higher than the three seed in the AFC.
The game means much more to Dallas and with their recent history of being denied playoff berths with late season losses, should be the Cowboy’s defining game of this season.
I do not like to “give points,” especially as a prediction to the public, something told to me by the late, great, football guru Beano Cook. Yet against my usual “principles,” Dallas by 7 points. I can just hear Beano yelling at me, up there.
Last night I was most fortunate to have seen “Beware of Young Girls: Kate Dimbleby Sings The Dory Previn Story,” which is a marvelous show about the life of the late Dory Previn. Ms. Previn is considered the queen of 1970s confessional songwriters.
For the show’s talented star, Kate Dimbleby, Ms. Previn was quite an influence on her life and it manifests in feeling the two, Ms. Dimbleby and Ms. Previn, are one.
Kate is joined onstage by her musical director Naadia Sheriff whose versatility is evident as she plays the piano, sings, and speaks as different people throughout Dory Previn’s life.
The story is fascinating as Ms. Dimbleby’s opening assertion as to why more people are not aware of the greatness of Dory Previn resonates throughout the show.
She was indeed married to the immensely talented Andre Previn and their work together is treasured. Some Hollywood history, extra marital affairs, breakups and human nature are all part of the storytelling truth.
I thought of the intertwining nature of life, less than six degrees of separation, and history repeating itself, as actress Mia Farrow is surely a part of the Previn story.
However, far more important and relevant, is the indomitable spirit of Ms. Previn told and sung so beautifully by Kate Dimbleby accompanied by Naadia Sheriff.
This fantastic show is playing at 59 E 59 Theaters through January 4th.
Kate Dimbleby
Andy B Sports 