Category: NFL

Is the Super Bowl Up for Grabs?

Posted on by Robert Keith Jaco in NFL, Picks

The NFL playoffs are among us, and beginning Saturday, 14 teams will vie for the chance to face off under the lights at State Farm Stadium on Feb. 12 in Super Bowl LVII.

There are a variety of scenarios that could lead to an improbable Super Bowl winner. And there are also a few situations where we see much of the same (i.e. Andy Reid leading another team to an SB berth.)

But what fun is the playoffs without rooting for a little bit of mayhem? I

l’ll go ahead and admit my predictions for the MLB playoff race were slightly off (Padres NLDS being my only correct pick), but I believe my experience of living and dying on NFL Sunday bets 18 weeks straight puts me in a solid spot to make a few postseason predictions for the National Football League. So, without a further ado, here’s what ol’ Keith Sweatt has cooked up for opening weekend.

NFC Playoff Predictions

Despite dropping two of their last three regular season matchups, the Philadelphia Eagles snagged the number one seed in the NFC, earning a first-round bye to the divisional round next weekend. The San Francisco 49ers nabbed the #2 seed as the Vikings (#3 seed) stumbled down the stretch and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers just barely beat out the flailing NFC South to earn the final division title and #4 seed. The three Wild Card finalists are the Dallas Cowboys (#5), New York Giants (#6) and the Seattle Seahawks at #7 following a crushing Packers loss to the Lions on the final Sunday night contest of the season.

Obviously, with any playoff setting there are the favorites and the underdogs. In this year’s scenario, the Eagles and 49ers (Brock Purdy ain’t fucking around) are the clear top dogs. But even with their prowess comes questions like “how healthy is Jalen Hurts and the Philly offensive line?” and “Can Purdy fuck around and win it all?” Only time will tell, but these questions leave me to believe this could be a really fun opening playoff weekend.

This is a jumbled way of approaching the matchups, but we’ll start with the Monday night primetime meeting between the Cowboys and Buccaneers. We might as well address the elephant in the room, my Cowboys bias. It pains me to say it, but I think we’re a solid team that could be dangerous. This is, of course, me trying to sike myself into believing we actually could put it all together this season. I know all too well that crushing defeat awaits me on Monday night at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, which coincidentally just might be my first NFL/Cowboys game. What could go horrifically wrong?

In all reality, I think the Cowboys offense can be lethal when firing on all cylinders, and the banged-up nature of the Bucs on both sides of the ball might allow us to steal a win in Tampa. So of course, I’m fading Tom Brady’s perfect 9-0 record against my boys and taking Dallas.

Pick: Cowboys 24-16

In the Saturday afternoon matchup between the dangerous San Francisco 49ers and the hobbled but victorious Seattle Seahawks, I think it would be silly to entertain any idea that SF doesn’t walk away with a 10+ point margin of victory. In two meetings this season, the Niners defeated the Seahawks 27-7 in week two at home with Jimmy G and 21-13 in week 15 on the road with Purdy. Geno Smith has no doubt resurrected his career. And Kenneth Walker III is most likely the Offensive Rookie of the Year. But it took Seattle overtime in week 18 against the Baker Mayfield led Rams just to sneak into the playoffs. There’s about a 12% chance they can soar into Levi’s Stadium this weekend and put 20+ on the Niners defense en route to a Wild Card upset. Give me the Niners by double digits.

Pick: 49ers 31-10

The #3 seeded Vikings hosting the #6 Giants at 4:30 on Sunday is undoubtedly the biggest toss-up game on the NFC schedule this weekend. The Giants narrowly defeated Minnesota in week 16 before falling late, 27-24. Now, with the season on the line, the two possibly most fraudulent teams will meet to decide who the bigger phony is. Kirk Cousins vs. Daniel Jones is just about as white as it gets in a QB matchup. And when comparing each side’s defensive output in the final weeks of the regular season, it’s tough to say Minnesota has any kind of edge. Getting dismantled by Rodgers and the Packers can’t help the SKOL Nation confidence heading into this weekend.

So, if it comes down to it, I think I like Jones’ ability to limit turnovers and use his legs when needed over Kirk Cousins in a big-time spot. I can see this game going a plethora of ways. From a New York beatdown to a Minnesota OT victory. But I’m going to ride my gut and say I think the Giants get their revenge. Give me Daboll and the NFC Beast G-Men to ride into the divisional round.

Pick: Giants 31-27

AFC Playoff Predictions

The Kansas City Chiefs secured another #1 seed in the AFC, earning a first-round bye while the likes of Buffalo, Cincinatti and Jacksonville will fight to stay alive in the Wild Card round. And while there’s surely some star-studded talent headlining the divisional winners, it may not be smart to count out a Wild Card winner like the Chargers.

The #2 seed Bills will play host to the reeling #7 seeded Miami Dolphins on Sunday at 1 p.m. This will be Miami’s first trip to the playoff since 2016, and a first-round exit is almost certain. Miami will enter Wild Card weekend with third string QB Skylar Thompson at the helm as Tua Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater each remain sidelined with injuries. The Bills will use this weekend as a tune up game to prepare for more lethal opponents in the coming weeks. It may be so bad that I won’t be surprised if we see Case Keenum taking snaps towards the end of the third quarter.

PICK: Bills By a ZILLION (34-12)

In the Sunday night cap, the AFC North champion Cincinatti Bengals will welcome the injury riddled Baltimore Ravens to town. It appears former MVP Lamar Jackson’s timetable to return to the gridiron is still in question, and backup Tyler Huntley’s status is also up in the air. This leaves Anthony Brown as the possible Wild Card weekend starter. If this is the case, the NFL may have to start paying fans to tune in. Even with Huntley at the helm, I expect Sam Hubbard and Trey Hendrickson to have a field day while Burrow and the boys take care of business. Give me Joe Brrrrrr and the Bengals by double digits.

PICK: Bengals 27-10

The Jacksonville Jaguars will host their first playoff game since 2017 on Saturday night as the wild card winning Los Angeles Chargers look to crash the party and secure the “upset” win. The Chargers may have dropped their season finale to Russ and the Broncos, but LA is still a team to be reckoned with.

Justin Herbert has continuously picked up the pieces and made something out of nothing this season, and with the return of a healthy Keenan Allen and slightly “back” Joey Bosa, the Chargers should have more than enough manpower to test the Jags. After all, this is a Jacksonville team, that while hot, still nearly coughed up a playoff spot by allowing Joshua Dobbs to keep within striking distance down until the final whistle. It’s not lost on me that Jacksonville dealt LA a beatdown in week three, defeating the lowly Chargers 38-10 at SoFi Stadium, but these are two different teams, and this is the damn playoffs. This should undoubtedly be one of the best games of the weekend. And I’m going to go against the Cinderella team and back Herbert and LA in a nail-biter.

PICK: Chargers 23-17

The NFC BEAST is the Best Division in Football

Posted on by Robert Keith Jaco in NFL

The BEAST is back.

And it’s not even up for debate.

The NFC East has compiled the best record of any division in the NFL through week 7 as the Eagles remain the only undefeated team at 6-0, the Giants are winners of four straight and sit at 6-1 and the Cowboys got back in the win column, taking down Detroit 24-6 to move to 5-2.

Hell, even the lowly Washington Commanders are good for 3-4 following an upset win over Green Bay in Landover, Maryland, on Sunday afternoon. That 3-4 record is good enough for a first-place tie in the South, second place in the North and a tie for third in the West.

With this level of success occurring almost overnight for a common laughingstock division like the NFC East, many experts and spectators have been left scratching their heads as they wait for things to come crashing down like they normally do. But I got bad news for the haters (of which there are many), the NFC BEAST is BACK, and it’s for real this time.

PHILLY IS BACK

There’s no disputing the Philadelphia Eagles are a damn wagon and Jalen Hurts is a legit MVP candidate. And by the looks of the remaining schedule for the birds, it doesn’t appear they’ll be tested until a week 12 clash with Green Bay or even a week 13 matchup with the 2021 AFC one seed Tennessee Titans. Even then, both of those games are at home in the city of brotherly love. And if the Phillies continue rattling off improbable wins and bring home a World Series in the meantime, it’s going to be hard to convince the Eagles they aren’t a team of destiny as well.

Through six games, the Eagles have knocked off the Vikings and Cardinals while also solidifying its role as top dog in the BEAST with wins over Washington and Dallas. The next two weeks see Philly (6-0) lining up against an always tough Pittsburgh squad before hitting the road to take on a reeling Houston Texans team. Like I stated above, if the Titans or Packers can’t take down this new NFL Goliath, week 16’s date between the Cowboys and Eagles on Christmas Eve may be the first and last chance for someone to dethrone the birds.

Giants Shocking the World

I think it’s safe to say no one saw the New York Giants becoming a feared opponent in 2022. The lethal combination of first-year head coach Brian Daboll, a rejuvenated Saquon Barkley and an overall weak schedule has helped propel the G-Men into a playoff caliber team at 6-1. The Giants have taken care of less-than-formidable foes like Carolina, Chicago and Jacksonville, but have also recorded surprise wins over Baltimore, Tennessee and Green Bay. All six victories are one score wins, but last anyone in New York checked a win’s a win! New York’s lone loss came at the hands of the Cowboys on Monday Night Football, which proves the inter-division matchups between Philly, NY and Dallas are sure to be must-see TV as the season progresses.

New York (6-1) will look to keep the ball rolling next week as they head cross-country to face off against a surging Geno Smith-led Seattle Seahawks team. Following a bye in week nine, the G-Men will have a solid shot at back-to-back wins as they host the Texans and Lions before matching up with Dallas on Thanksgiving Day.

Dallas Hanging Around

It appeared the Dallas Cowboys were going to be in for another long, injury-riddled season when franchise quarterback Dak Prescott was sidelined for five weeks with a fractured thumb. But thanks to a superb 4-1 record led by backup QB Cooper Rush, America’s team managed to weather the storm and remain in the race for the top spot in the NFC East. With Cooper at the helm, the Cowboys relied heavily on its defense, and they showed out in more ways than one.

Second-year edge rusher Micah Parsons continues to dominate the line of scrimmage while the secondary hasn’t been shy of making game-winning plays. Parsons leads the team with seven sacks and eight tackles-for-loss while Trevon Diggs has hauled in three of Dallas’ seven interceptions. Much like their East counterparts, the Cowboys do not face much of a dreaded schedule this season as matchups against the weak AFC South and NFC North will help keep things interesting as these three teams vie for playoff spots down the stretch.

Dallas (5-2) will host Chicago next week, followed by its bye week, before hitting the road to take on Minnesota and Green Bay on the road. The results from these three games will help dictate what exactly this team is made of.

Washington is Still Washington

There just aren’t a lot of nice things to say about the Washington Commanders this season. No matter how bad a franchise wants Carson Wentz to be 2017 Carson Wentz again, it just isn’t going to happen. Wentz has been competent at QB, but a 10-6 TD/INT ratio partnered with a 60% completion rating has plagued the Commanders from keeping pace with their competition. Luckily, a Wentz injury had led to former XFL QB Taylor Heinicke taking over once more for Washington. Heinicke started off rocky against Green Bay on Sunday, falling behind 14-3 in the first half before rallying the troops to a 23-21 comeback win over Aaron Rodgers.

After dropping four straight, Washington finds itself at 3-4 and still very much in contention for a Wild Card spot if things continue to trend in the right direction. They’ll take on Indianapolis and Minnesota before getting a second crack at Hurts and the Eagles in week 10. Much like the Cowboys, we’ll know much more about this team once we hit the midway point of the regular season.