Hi everyone, I want to thank late covers from the Jags and Niners to get me to .500 for the week and 6-4 overall in the playoffs (60 percent is good). If I can go 2-1 down the stretch I will hit my playoff goal of 8-5. This week is particularly hard for me to pick but I am going to anyones. I am fading the experts and public to spoil things a bit. Good luck to everyone and let’s enjoy one of the last Sunday’s of Football.
49ers +2.5 over EAGLES
Everyone and their mother is taking Philly to win and cover here. I get it they had 69 sacks. Brock Purdy is a rookie and is Mr. Irrelevant. Jalen Hurts is a more talented Quarterback. The Eagles offensive line is freaking awesome and their running backs often don’t get touched until 5+ yards down the field. Well I will counter the public/football expert sentiment and tell you why I actually think the San Francisco 49ers can go into the Linc and act like it’s the Andy Reid/Donovan McNabb Eagles in the NFC Championship (sorry birds fans look away). 1. Kyle Shannahan is a better coach than Nick Sirianni. Is there even a debate if Kyle Shannahan had Garnder Minshew and that roster he wouldn’t go 0-2 including losing to Andy Dalton. 2. The 49ers actually are better at most spots. RB’s better, Tight end better, LT far better, special teams better, linebackers better, secondary I’d say better you can argue (Darius Slay and James Bradbury are pretty good but 49ers safteies are far better and Lenore and Ward I would say make corners a push). But Drew Eagles are better at Quarterback. True but has Jalen Hurts done it against an elite defense in the playoffs.. Not yet I have to see it. 3. Brock Purdy can get schemed out of mistakes. The Birds are average against the run. It think the Niners can dictate the line of scrimmage and if they do that Brock Purdy can use playaction to his advantage and if the Eagles don’t adjust just keep running the rock. 4. The Eagles will struggle to block on the left side of the line. I know Nick Bosa usually lines up on the right but expect him to try to expose Left Tackle Jordan Mailata which I think is a huge problem for the Eagles. Jalen Hurts has been comfortable and against this front I can see the former Sooner being very uncomfortable. This game is awesome and hard to pick but I think the 49ers just have a better coach and roster and I think Brock Purdy tried to turn into a pumpkin last week but the Cowboys did Cowboy things to spare the Cyclone from having a playoff meltdown. Niners dictate the clock and the Eagles do something they aren’t great at, play from behind. Niners are back in the big game for third time in the past 11 years.
49ers Win 27-20
CHIEFS -1.5 OVER bengals
Patrick Mahomes looked pretty healthy to me on the practice field this week. Andy Reid said Mahomes ankle injury he suffered in 2019 was more serious and he came out the following week and threw for 443 yards and 4 touchdowns. So let me just say if Patrick Mahomes is 90 percent himself which means he maybe isn’t as mobile but can still use his mobility as a weapon, not neccessarily to scramble but to buy time in and out of the pocket (which he is an absoulte wizard at). So you are gambling against Patrick Mahomes in what in my opinion is a huge legacy game for him (not hyperbole to say this is the biggest game of his career thus far because of what’s on the line). Just riddle me this.. If Mahomes loses he would have the impressive feat of having hosted AFC Championship games in his first five years as a starter. Only to go 2-3 in those games with only one of these five opportunities landing in a Lombardi Trophy. In that said Super Bowl Mahomes was terrible for three Quarters before the 49ers left Tyreek Hill alone on a wasp route on a 3rd and 15 to get the Chiefs back into a game they would eventually triumph in (thanks Jimmy G!!). Not to mention Mahomes would be 0-4 against Joe Burrow. All of a sudden Mahomes is Peyton Manning and Joe Burrow is Tom Brady. Go and look at the history of the Colts and Patriots throughout the 2000’s, not crazy here and history would not look as kind at Mahomes as well would like to say it will. Mahomes in f u mode is not the only reason why I am picking Kansas City to win with confidence. I know I am picking against Joe Burrow in Burrowhead blah blah blah. Did we forget that the Bengals are missing three of their starting offensive lineman and their center can barely walk (even though he is progressing nicely). So left guard Cordell Volson is the only healthy starting offensive lineman, just dandy. Why is nobody talking about this? The Ravens defensive front obliterated this front and if not for a fluke play on a botched QB sneak there may have not be a fun snow day in Buffalo to brag about. You don’t think Chris Jones and Steve Spagnolo is as giddy as a child on Christmas watching tape of that game? But Drew the Bills got pummeled up front. Leslie Frazier (no offense Bills fans) should not be employeed after playing off coverage and letting Joey Bullets pick them apart (he barely threw the ball down the field for three hours because the Bills let them pick them apart like it was 2011 Tom Brady they were playing against, sorry Bills fans I know bad memories). Spag’s is going to pressure this Tigers front, expect them to blitz heavy and blitz often. Joe Burrow may burn them with Higgins and Chase a couple of times but I think the pressure will fold the cats in the second half. The more I think about it the more I actually think the Chiefs win semi big. Surprised I am fading Burrow this confidently, I am now going to go pray for a minute becuase anyone has got to be crazy to go against Joey Covers but I think I made valid points here. Chiefs are back in the big game for the third time in four years. K.C ends the year where they started it. In Glendale Arizona.
Chiefs Win 27-17
Last Week: 2-2
Playoffs: 6-4
Regular Season: 136-125-11