Everyone looks down on the Broncos against the Patriots, because their quarterback is injured and the miracle bag may be exhausted. Many don’t believe in the Rams’ chances because the Seahawks are too powerful. What if it was instead the two neglected teams that caused the surprise to offer us a Super Bowl of the left behind in two weeks?
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I’m not telling you that it’s a done deal, obviously! For the Broncos, the obstacle caused by the absence of starting quarterback Bo Nix is enormous in the American Conference finals.
Not that he’s been that dominant this season, but the entire offensive system is built around his athleticism.
Jarrett Stidham is a backup that the Broncos hold in high regard, despite his glaring lack of experience. They alone have seen him in training every day for three years and they believe in him to the point of having granted him a two-year contract extension last winter.
Head coach Sean Payton is considered a quarterback guru and that’s a factor that can only help Stidham look good. While leading the Saints, he went 8-2 with backup quarterbacks running his offense.
As for the fact that the Broncos have been accumulating miracles since the start of the season, we can see it in two ways. Some will say that with 12 victories by one possession, including six in which they trailed in the fourth quarter, the Broncos are the team of destiny. Others will respond that they are not convincing and that the wall is becoming inevitable.
Let’s not forget that the Patriots were not particularly convincing against the Texans last Sunday, no offense to their many supporters in Quebec.
Facing the Texans, they became the first team since 1987 to win a playoff game despite having fewer than 250 yards, 13 first downs or fewer and three turnovers. The last 30 teams, according to NFL Research, to show such offensive numbers in the playoffs lost by an average of 21.3 points. They might bump their noses too!
Opposing forces
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As for the national conference final, it’s a classic between the offense that scored the most points this season, that of the Rams, and the defense that gave the fewest points, that of the Seahawks.
This is the first time this has happened since the 2014 National Conference Finals, when the Seahawks defense had the upper hand. And besides, only eight times has the number one offense faced the number one defense in the Super Bowl era in the playoffs. The number one defense had the upper hand seven times.
The fortress in Seattle seems absolutely impenetrable. The Seahawks have won their last 11 playoff games at home, excluding 2020 in the midst of COVID in front of empty stands.
The other three times the Seahawks have been ranked first in the conference, like this year, they have made it all the way to the Super Bowl. Do the Rams have a chance?
Who will win?
Before the season, a prophecy in these pages revealed that the Rams were going to the Super Bowl. Okay, the other part of the prophecy was the Ravens, so take it all with a grain of salt!
The Seahawks have everything going for them with a super talented defense and a solid ground game, which however lost an important piece of its two-headed monster, in Zach Charbonnet. Quarterback Sam Darnold is playing through an abdominal injury and will fear the Rams’ defensive front. In four games since last year against the Rams, Darnold has had 16 sacks and seven interceptions.
The Rams have the best quarterback in Matthew Stafford and he won’t be intimidated by the challenge, as he demonstrated in Chicago. Their ground game and their offensive line have nothing to envy of the Seahawks.
In Denver, Stidham is likely to look better than many people think. He will be well protected by the Broncos’ excellent offensive line, which allowed the lowest sack total. The ground game, however, seems to have been at a standstill for several weeks.
The key matchup will be between wide receiver Courtland Sutton and standout cornerback Christian Gonzalez.
The Broncos defense will give Drake Maye a bad time, but it is vulnerable against the Patriots’ ground game.
Quickly, kickoff, before I change my mind about my predictions!
MY PREDICTIONS:
Patriots 20 Broncos 17 (Sunday, 3 p.m.)
Rams 30 Seahawks 28.
LAST WEEK 3 in 4 (75%)
TOTAL THIS SEASON: 177 in 281 (63%)
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