Cactus Game Design Message Boards

It's here! Wild Card week is over and on to the Divisional Round! On to the predictions!

Baltimore at New England : Dont'a Hightower, Dan Conolly, and Julian Edelman all will have had 3 weeks of rest and the Pats' will pick up where they left off in November: The best team in the NFL. The Ravens played some great ball in Pittsburgh Saturday night, but can it beat a Patriots team that's not missing one of it's most key players? With a healthy Gronk and it being a home game, the Patriots will cruise on to the AFC Championship 31-20.

Carolina at Seattle: What we are seeing now out of this 'Hawks team is the same we saw last year, Marshawn Lynch leading a bruising ground attack, Russell Wilson extending plays and making things happen out of nothing, and Earl Thomas and the Legion of Boom playing as the best defense in the NFL. Cam Newton has been playing great and running like we have seen him run in the past, but can he run through a stout Bruce Irvin led defensive front? Can Stewart and the rest of the Carolina running backs take the pressure of Newton to win the game? And for Seattle can  you consistently score on a Carolina defense that stopped nerly every offense in December? I think home field advantage will be the deciding factor in this game, as Seattle wins in a largely defensive match-up 17-13.

Dallas at Green Bay: Rodgers, Nelson, and Lacy take on at home a Tony Romo led squad that's undefeated on the road. In the playoffs the run game becomes more important than ever and I think that DeMarco Murray and a fearsome 'Boys offensive line will outrun the Pack to the tune of a 24- 21 victory.

The Patriots are not the definitive best team in the league right now. That title could just as easily go to Green Bay or Seattle, and Denver is just a good game away from being the best. The Pats are definitely the best AFC team, but Denver can easily end up in the Super Bowl as well. Baltimore does have a shot at knocking out New England, it just isn't very likely. I do like the margin you give the Ravens though.

Seattle will stomp Carolina. It's practically a bye for them next weekend. Giving that the second smallest margin of next week is laughable in my opinion.

Dallas would have a better shot if it was a home game for them, but as it stands, Green Bay is the obvious favorite. Rodgers has been an absolute beast this season, and Dallas just doesn't have the defense to shut him down in the way they need to. Romo looked like garbage this week, and his history makes it clear that he's probably not going to get better next week. Green Bay is the simply the better team, and Rodgers is the better quarterback.

Part of me actually wants to see Indie take this game. I'm a big fan of Peyton, but Luck is the plucky underdog, and I can't help but admire him. It will be hard for the Broncos to lose, but I'm secretly rooting against them.

Seattle will stomp Carolina.

Green Bay edges Dallas in a shootout.

Denver can only stop itself. The only chance the Colts have is if the Broncos have some bad turnovers.

I feel like the Patriots would rather play any other team at home than the Ravens. Foxboro has seemingly become a second home for the Ravens. That being said, I think the Patriots are too well prepared for a letdown after finishing the season so strong.

Green bay Packers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A fan from Chicago!

Quote from: LukeChips on January 07, 2015, 08:55:08 AM

Green bay Packers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A fan from Chicago!

My sister lives in Chicago and is a thorough Packers fan.

Granted, she grew up in Wisconsin so it makes sense.

I have two very good friends who were born in Wisconsin, now live in Minnesota but are Chicago Bear fans... 

They must have some enemies in Wisconsin....

Conspiracy theories are always so much more fun than reality. 

I suppose you're going to tell me it is just a coincidence* that the Patriots have zero Super Bowl victories since "Spygate" (duhn-duhn-duuuuuuuuuuuuhn**). 


*Did you know Kennedy had a secretary named Lincoln?
**The boards could be so much cooler if it had the soundtrack equivalent of smileys.

Round 2 continues today. Drrek expressed his opinion in the Shout Box. As a Patriots fan, I am hopeful that he is not a prophet. 

Interestingly, since I do not have cable, I can watch three of the four NFL games this weekend, since my antenna gets FOX and CBS. The only broadcast channel I don't get - - NBC. You can probably guess what game NBC happens to be covering.... 

Ravens patriots comes down entirely to joe flacco and the raven pass rush. If either of those is anything but brilliant they lose.

Go colts!!! :-D

Don't count out the panthers....they historically lose close games to the Seahawks.  And the panthers are playing with house money....they shouldn't  have even been there with their sorry record.......

Very excited that the Colts beat Denver tonight. I wasn't impressed with their game play, but we scored enough points to win, and the defense proved that we can stop the run when it counts. Not sure how next week will play out, but I can say that the shadow of Peyton is def blown away right now with Andrew Luck winning this game.


Also, the last two teams that went on to win the Super Bowl have beaten the Broncos. Coincidence?

Expect Manning's retirement announcement. He has no reason to stick around anymore. The booing was atrocious; I understand where they're coming from, but Broncos fans should be ashamed of themselves for that display. Manning led you to playoffs and a Super Bowl appearance. Things you wouldn't have had without him.

I don't know. That Tim Tebow guy was doing pretty good for them. Took them to the playoffs too.