Image by Getty Images via @daylife
Baltimore Ravens (+7.5) vs. New England Patriots – While everyone is firmly on the Pats bandwagon after last Saturday’s 45-10 romp, people are forgetting one thing: New England did not beat a team with a winning record the entire season, last Saturday included.
So while this is at home and the TE duo is hotter than ever, it’s certainly not a foregone conclusion that the Patriots will win.
In fact, we think if Baltimore plays its game they’ll be the team that advances from the AFC.
When the Ravens have the ball, look for them to remain committed to the run to set up the pass. The Patriots porous secondary makes the thought of throwing the ball very attractive, but Joe Flacco is not a QB that can consistently beat a team without a running game.
So keeping Ray Rice involved early and often will be the key.
And if he finds success and can average 4 yards per attempt, it’ll take the necessary pressure off of Flacco and open up play action and down the field opportunities.
When the Patriots have the ball, look for Brady to continue to spread the ball around and only mix in the run when he has the Ravens D on its heels. Baltimore is usually very stout against the run and New England doesn’t really have a running game to speak of.
The Ravens DB’s will focus on the Patriots TE’s and play man to man on the outside, which could translate into a big day by Wes Welker.
However, look for Suggs and Co. to come after Brady hard to disrupt the Patriots timing and rhythm.
That is the only way you can stop this offense.
When it’s all said and done, expect a very close outcome, but one which has Baltimore coming out on top, making them a great play against the point spread and a solid money line bet. The Patriots are not a physical team while the Ravens are, and that usually is the difference when playing in late January.
Baltimore 24-20.
NFC
New York Giants (+2.5) vs. San Francisco 49ers - The Week 10 match up came down to the wire (27-20) and this one looks like it’ll be even more of a dog fight than that one. Weather calls for rain and wind, and both teams are playing at a very high level now.
When the Giants have the ball, expect them to pass first and then run. The 49ers possess the best run D in the business but can be hurt by the pass. And while the weather will certainly not do any favors for the passing game, the sloppy ground will offset some of the effectiveness of the 49ers pass rush by slowing it down and giving Manning more time to throw.
Expect a shorter passing game throughout, with RB Ahmad Bradshaw heavily involved on check down throws, before New York takes their shots deep.
That is the main weakness of the 49ers defense.
When the 49ers have the ball, expect them to attack with the run to set up the pass. But New York’s defense has become much more stout over the past month and this will limit Frank Gore‘s effectiveness.
Harbaugh’s a very creative schemer who will add a few wrinkles to the passing attack, and this will create opportunities. But we expect the Giants CB’s to press at the line and try and take away the slant patterns, forcing Alex Smith to beat them outside.
We also think New York will key in on Vernon Davis like they did Jermichael Finley last week and make another player beat them.
When all is said and done, expect a close, hard fought affair which is not decided until the 4th quarter.
But New York is riding too much momentum now and playing too soundly in all three phases to pick against them.
Giants 20-13.
LA Online Media
January 30th, 2012 at 17:28
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I’m working with a company that is sending out the Matthew Broderick Super Bowl Ad. Are you interested in posting to your sites? If so, can you please hit me back with the link?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhkDdayA4iA
Honda just launched “Matthew’s Day Off”, an extended version of their upcoming Super Bowl ad. (You might have seen the 10 second teaser, which went viral last week). Directed by Todd Philips (The Hangover), it’s a 2:20 mini-movie which stars Matthew Broderick reprising his famous role. In the video, he takes a day off work in his all-new 2012 CR-V to do all of the things he wants to do. I’m working with a firm to help get the word out about the video and wanted to share the YouTube link with you that just went live – URL.
The video ties into Honda’s ongoing “Leap List” campaign for their all-new 2012 CR-V, which encourages their audience to do the things they’ve always wanted to do before they make the next big leap in life. (As Broderick’s character says – Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you’d miss it).
Honda is promoting a #dayoff Twitter hashtag to encourage conversation around the video.
Finally, “Easter eggs” from the original film are hidden throughout the spot. I’ve included a few below for you to share with your readers to help get them started – there are dozens of others to find.
1. The name on the Bluetooth screen is Grace (Rooney’s secretary) (0:54)
2. There is a guy in a trench coat playing clarinet (1:00)
3. The flower delivery guy is a reference to a famous scene in the movie (0:57)