The Broncos put together arguably the best regular season finishing with a 12-4 record. While their +29 scoring differential was third best in the NFL, they also had the second-easiest schedule and fewest points-against. Meanwhile, the Rams were the league's hottest team through 13 Weeks, before dropping their last 4 games. The Rams' strength of victory was second-highest in the NFL. Both teams faced the Patriots and Buccaneers, and all of the games were close. The Rams managed to beat the Patriots, who beat the Broncos. Both teams survived overtime in the conference championships.
Prediction: Points rule, and the Broncos scored considerably more than the Rams. While the Rams' record shows they took down some good teams, they didn't do it by blowing them out of the water. NFL MVP Steven Jackson can't win it by himself. Broncos by a touchdown.
While the Raiders and Bears had the same strength of schedule, their seasons played out in very different ways. The Bears had a shot at the playoffs as late as Week 15, but the Raiders made losing a habit right from the get-go. The Raiders scored the second-fewest points in the regular season, and that's the key here. One thing that bodes well for the Bears, though, is that they had the highest strength of victory in the league. That means they beat good teams...and they lost to bad teams.
Prediction: I'm still surprised the Bears are even in this game. I don't see how the Raiders can outscore the Bears. I think it's over after one quarter and the Raiders never look back. Raiders by a lot.
1 comment:
Go Bears for the Loser title!
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