Super Bowl or Bust Part Two

Last week I was 3-1 on calling who won and lost. Getting the score right, not so much. This time around I'm just picking the winner and for a better reason then it's tough to predict scores, the games are much harder to call this week. But why waste anymore time, let's get right to the analysis...

Patriots at San Diego

When you read up on the Game of The Week, there are three things everyone throws into their previews of the match up: coaching record, schedule, and LT.

Ok, we have heard the playoff record of Schottenheimer. Done to death and doesn't show a lot except the possibility that it was him and not the players who lost in the postseason. As the old cliché goes, the coach isn't on the field.

We've heard the phrase "weak schedule" and the Chargers put together too many times in a sentence to count. If I had a dollar for every time I heard it, I'd be able to cover bail for the entire Bengals team.

The holy trinity of media overload finalizes with the 'just put eight in the box' talk. LaDainian Tomlinson is going to run on you no matter how many are up front. It is silly to try and focus on shutting him down, the emphasis should be on Rivers. This season showed even a Tom Brady gets rattled when you get enough pressure on him. Every quarterback, no matter how good, cannot do what they do if the defense dictates the behavior.

Now here's an angle most people are not following: Bill Belichick defenses are extremely physical, they hit you hard. Just ask Joe Montana or Andre Reed. The Patriots defense slammed the Colts around so much in 2003 the NFL had to change the rules for pass interference. Besides the Steelers, San Diego has not faced a truly physical defense all season. This is the other key to the game.

This should be another week where it's close until the Patriots get a turnover early in the fourth quarter. Then they run a long, sustained drive killing the clock against a worn out defense. Game, set, match.

Patriots Win and the Chargers don't stay classy with a pep rally before the game.

Colts at Ravens