Aros' Fearless Playoff Prediction Thread (Saints @ Seahawks)

It's okay to be fans and look ahead. As long as the players aren't (and they aren't) you can't help but think a Seahawks/49ers Epic NFC Championship is in the cards. You can almost feel the taste of inevitability in the back of your throat. Now, back to what we DO know and that is the New Orlean Saints are coming to town and will have something to say about that. One cannot rest one's head on what occurred in early December between these two teams.

While there's a reason Vegas has us winning by 8+ points, as Mack Strong keeps saying, when it comes to the playoffs, you have to throw all the stats out the window.

I suspect this is going to be a closer game this time around. There is something to be said for a team that was just here weeks ago. That won't change how loud it will be. That won't change how good we are as a team, but it will help them adapt a bit better. Any small advantage is magnified in the playoffs. I respect Any Given Sunday. As much bravado as many 12's have right now, the truth is, anything could happen. 3 out of 4 teams lost at home last weekend in the Wildcard round.

Okay enough loser talk, let's get real.

The Saints are a good football team who just won their first ever away playoff game. They are coming in with confidence. However, the Seattle Seahawks are still the superior team with the #1 defense in the NFL being even more hyped up against the PLAYOFF 12's. Not a good combo for the Saints. I see a closer game but in the end we cover the spread and then some. They will give us an honorable fight but the Seahawks are playing on another level, and one that I think is pretty Super if you ask me.


Aros' Fearless Prediction: Seahawks 28 - Saints 17

Aros' Fearless Record: 13-3

27-14 Hawks.

17-14 at the start of the 4th, we just pull away in at the end of the game.

Hawks 30
Saints. 17

Saints do not scare me in the slightest. Seattle will come out ready and rested.

33 - 13.

My first instinct was 27-20 but I am struggling with our offense scoring that many points. The offense hasn't put the ball in the end zone more than twice in a single game since December 2nd against the Saints, and one of those wasn't exactly executed the way it was drawn up (D Coleman TD reception). I am not terribly confident in our offensive creativity or consistency right now, so the Hawks will depend on their D to give them short fields and points until they can prove otherwise.

Fortunately, it's a good personnel match-up for the Hawks, and I think our D should be able to do enough to keep the score low. Hopefully our O will get back in gear, take what the D gives them and show a bit more outside-the-box thinking and try to actually throw between the hashes more than once. I like our run game well enough and the match-ups against their secondary, so I expect about the same as we saw against NY & STL.

Saints to cover, Hawks to win

Hawks - 23
Saints - 17

I think this game will be a nail biter with the Hawks pulling away late.

24-21 Hawks

RTD Not Good :shock:

Road to the Bowl Begins!

Hawks - 38

Saints - 20

13 - 3

Go Hawks!

I think NO puts a few drives together this time. But our defense causes turnovers that put us ahead.


Seahawks 30
Saints 20

RTD

13-3 (to be fair record to date doesn't mean as much when you expect your team to win every game)

24-13 Seahawks.

30-20 Hawks

27-13 Seahawks

Record ytd 13-3

Saints - 16
Seahawks - 17

Saints move the ball well between the 20s for the majority of the game, but struggle to get into the endzone. 3 FGs through the first 3 quarters have them leading 9-7, as our offense can't get anything going. A Golden Tate punt return sets up a Seattle TD on the first drive of the 4th quarter, taking the lead 14-9. The defensive battle continues until Drew Brees hits Kenny Stills for a 65 yard TD with just over 2 minutes left. Russ leads the offense down for a game winning 49 yard Hauschka FG.

Just like last week, I'm gonna make the opposite pick...

Saints 76
Seahawks 3

Record picking against the Seahawks in last 2 years
2-16

Seahawks 27, Saints 17

I think NO keeps it closer than last time, before a late TD drive in the 4th ices it.

30-20. Hawks.

Vegas indicates Hawks win 28-20, but as of today I am with Absolut on a slightly lower scoring game that that. I don't think the Saints make the same mistake with an early turnover. Their defensive adjustments to our passing game may open things up for Lynch and Carroll starts trying to run out the clock as quickly as possible. The total is also being pulled up by the chance that Harvin plays a major role and as awesome as that would be I'm not counting on it.

Our O hasn't clicked much lately and leaves a lot of 6's on the field. However the Saints are down to scraps in the secondary and I see the Hawks taking advantage.

Hawks - 31
Saints - 13

I really think the offense needs Harvin. Things just haven't looked right the last month, and they need a shot in the arm. Harvin would open things up for everyone. But even if he doesn't play or is limited, the Hawk defense is just too good right now. It will not be a blowout like last time, but I think the Hawks get it done at home.

27-17 Hawks

The Hawks playoffs run starts big...

Hawks 38

Saints 16

31-21 Seahawks