We kick off the preview of Championship Sunday with the two
best teams in the NFC squaring off for a third time. Seattle and San Francisco
have established a rivalry that is up there in terms of best rivalries in the
NFL today. Both teams don’t like each other, and there is even bad blood
between the coaches-Jim Harbaugh and Pete Carroll. It really felt like all year
that this is how the NFC would play out. Seattle and San Francisco almost
seemed destined to meet with the chance to go to the Super Bowl on the line. I
would call it a dead even game, but let’s break it down and make an argument
for both sides….
Last Week’s Record:
2-1-1
Overall Playoff
Record: 4-1-3
(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)
(5) San Francisco at
(1) Seattle:
A Case for the 49ers: The Niners are playing the best of any of
the teams left in the playoffs right now. They have the right mix of coaching,
defense, running attack, big plays in the passing game, and the clutch plays
from their quarterback. If there is one team in the league that could win any
type of game, the 49ers can do it. They have been blown out the last two trips
to Seattle, but I think that helps them in this game. I just don’t think they
are scared to play anyone in any stadium. They won’t be intimidated by the
Seattle crowd, and with a division opponent like the Seahawks, the Niners will
be well-prepared and focused for this matchup. Plus, they are battle-tested.
They have been down this road before. This is their third straight NFC
Championship Game. Don’t overlook that, and also don’t overlook the idea that
they are the underdog in this game. I bet they relish that fact.
A Case for the Seahawks: They are at home, and we definitely
saw how important homefield advantage was to them last week in their win over New
Orleans. The 12th Man does play a huge factor in their games, and I
can’t even imagine how crazy that crowd will be for Sunday’s game. Also,
perhaps the Seahawks might be the only team that isn’t just intimidated by the
Niners. They can get into a slugfest with them, and they are able to stand
toe-to-toe with them for four quarters. I know how important Marshawn Lynch and
their defense is to their success, but doesn’t it feel like Russell Wilson is
due for a big game? He hasn’t put up big numbers down the stretch, and he
really didn’t do much for the Seahawks last week, but I have a feeling Wilson
will step up and play a great game on Sunday. Look out of Wilson stealing the
spotlight from Colin Kapernick.
Prediction: San
Francisco (+3.5) over SEATTLE: This is a classic game between two teams
that are rivals and play similar styles, but I’ll take San Francisco on the
road to win it and go the their second straight Super Bowl. I just think that
the Niners are the best team in the NFL right now, and they are just better
than Seattle at this point. Expect a close game, but look for San Francisco to
punch their ticket to the Super Bowl with a tremendous home win.
Final Score: 49ers-24
Seahawks-16
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