Will It Be Cowboys and Broncos
in Super Bowl XLIX?
The NFL desperately wants it, in my opinion — it being a Super Bowl match-up between Peyton Manning’s Denver Broncos and the surprising 2014 juggernaut, the Dallas Cowboys.
It’s a marketer’s dream: Manning vs. America’s football team. Considering that Katy Perry is playing the half-time show, if Manning — that ever-popular TV personality with all his cute commercials and funny SNL skits — and America’s classic Cowboys are there too, along with Perry, it might just be a lethal overdose of American popular culture; I’m not sure we could handle it.
But whether or not we can absorb that much popular culture in one afternoon, my picks/predictions below will explain why the NFL just might get their dream match-up.
(And, by the way, I was 4/4 — 100% correct — in my Wild Card predictions, so I’ve got a good track record so far.)
Divisional Round
1. Patriots vs. Ravens: RAVENS WIN. James Flacco, as President Obama calls him (or calls James Franco, to be more accurate) is going to shine and stun the Patriots with an upset. My prediction: it will be a last-minute comeback that will have people comparing Joe Flacco to Tom Brady of yesteryear. Ravens win 21-17.
2. Broncos vs. Colts: BRONCOS WIN. My prediction: Andrew Luck, as dominant as he is, will have trouble with turnovers and a receiving corp that has forgotten how to catch the ball. Peyton Manning man-handles the Colts 28-10.
3. Seahawks vs. Panthers: SEAHAWKS WIN. Um, yeah. Sorry, Cam. The Seahawks are bringing kryptonite with them — namely, their ridiculously loud stadium. Seahawks win 35-21.
4. Packers vs. Cowboys: COWBOYS WIN. My prediction: Aaron’s calf (and I’m still annoyed at Suh for his villainous Darth Vader-like act of stepping on Rodgers) will hold him back on some key plays; and, most surprisingly, the outside linebackers for the Packers will have an off-game. The Cowboys squeeze out a tough but glorious win: 23-21.
And no I don’t buy Suh’s ridiculous explanation for why he stepped on Rodger’s ankle (that his feet were numb). Suh has a history of this kind of behavior. He was suspended for two games in 2011 for stepping on a player’s arm, according to the SI Report linked above.
Conference Championships
1. Cowboys vs. Seahawks: COWBOYS WIN. The Cowboys dealt the Seahawks their only loss at home in the regular season. Besides their top three weapons in Romo, Murray, and Bryant — and let’s not forget the Cowboys powerhouse offensive line — Joseph Randle also skewered the Seahawks defense in Week 6. My prediction: after the Cowboys jump ahead in the second quarter, thanks to some special teams turnovers, Russell Wilson will falter and fail to pull out a clutch comeback. Final score: 33-21.
2. Broncos vs. Patriots: BRONCOS WIN. Although Good Ol’ Bill and the Brady Bunch have a knack for taking whatever pieces are around them and putting W’s on their schedule, Manning’s dream team receivers and offensive line will give Peyton enough resources to overpower the football genius of the Patriots. Final score: 24-21 — the Broncos win on a last-minute field goal.
And, after all the dust settles — and if all my predictions are right — America will witness a true pop culture smorgasbord as Peyton Manning, the Dallas Cowboys, and Katy Perry all take the field on the same day.
‘Merica.
