Playoffs and Super Bowl XLVII  

Some of you might have noticed that I predicted the Seahawks were going to make it to the Super Bowl this year. Well I was wrong. Don't expect me to say that again. Back to the Seahawks, Russel Willson looked nervous. He also had the 'wow I am in the playoffs' look. By the second half they started to get back into the rhythm we all are used to seeing in the Seahawks, though. We also saw the Falcons start to choke in the fourth quarter, allowing 21 points and a lead change that made for a very interesting last few seconds of the game. I don't get why you would try to ice a rookie kicker who was trying to do a long field goal in the final seconds of a playoff game. Just let his nerves take care of it. Oooh Pete Carroll.

I have been saying from week twelve of the NFL season when the Broncos clenched their division, that if the Broncos received a bye week it would hurt them. I could see that they had finally found their stride and were all on the same page. The first week of the playoffs provided the number one seeded AFC West Broncos a bye week that ultimately threw off their groove. While both fans and players froze their butts off, the refs had a nice Saturday chat about their weekend. Okay, maybe they were talking about the game but it sure took a long, long time to make any decisions on penalties called. The officiating in this game was just plain bad. I know this sounds like a cop out since I'm clearly a Broncos fan, but it was just as terrible for the Ravens. This is one of those games that shows the NFL should not change up the officiating teams for the playoffs and super bowl. The regular season officiating teams have developed a system by the end of the season.  They individually understand their role within each game and how to cohesively work together. So why mess with switching out refs that haven't worked with one another all year? All in all, the game was an emotional wreck to watch, however, after licking my wounds as a die hard Broncos fan, I have begun to move forward and start to think about Super Bowl XLVII.

This year's Super Bowl, which will be played on Sunday, February 3rd, will represent a battle of NFL coaching brothers Jim and John Harbaugh. It is the first time that a set of brothers will act as head-coaches against each other on the big stage of the Super Bowl. I have followed both the Ravens and the 49ers all season. I think that the 49ers have a strong defense and one of the best tight ends in the league, but don't forget about Frank Gore, either. If the the Ravens are able to stop Kaepernick and Gore from running down their throats and, on top of that, keep Money Earnin' Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree in check, the offense for the '9ers could be shut down. On the other hand, the Ravens have their own set of weapons that could be just as hard to turn off. The running game from Ray Rice is just as powerful as that of Gore. Rice isn't a big fellow but he is quick and effective. He can find holes that would be hard for even an eel to penetrate. He is dangerous on all downs of all lengths, just ask the San Diego Chargers. The Ravens possess one of the most dangerous kick and punt returners, Jacoby Jones. In my opinion, he should never take a knee or wave a fair catch. Did I mention he is a good wide receiver as well? You also can't forget about Torrey Smith. He can burn the best cornerbacks out there. To top it off, Joe Flacco can throw a bullet to Anquan Boldin and Dennis Pitta.

As I look at this game all I know is that you have to put the QBs on the turf. The outcome of Superbowl XLVII could really go either direction. I will guarantee, however, that the winning coach will have the initials J.H. and the last name Harbaugh.