2008 Super Bowl XLII Game Predictions and Picks

One thing I hate is when there are hundreds of predictions out on the Internet and they all say the same thing. So call me crazy if you want, but I've studied the NFL carefully for several seasons, and there are some signs that the Super Bowl could end up being a match up nobody could possibly predict. And oh yeah, I may be the only one in the country, but I'll call it now. The undefeated Pats lose in the play-offs and will be denied. Let the hate mail begin.

The play-offs in the NFC will be affected the most by a wild card team. The Minnesota Vikings are playing better than anyone in the NFC not named the Cowboys or Packers. They are impossible to run against, the pass defense is skewed because everyone goes pass happy, and that secondary gets a lot of turnovers. Their running game is nearly unstoppable, and either Chester Taylor or Adrian Peterson can take it to the house any play. Having two allows them both to be fresh in the fourth, and this team is getting better and better.

The Vikings will have a hard time running against only one NFC team: the Green Bay Packers, who have beat them twice. They're built to give defenses like the Giants and the Cowboys problems, and since the Vikings will be a wild card, meaning they play the #1 seed while Green Bay plays a division team (most likely Seattle or Tampa Bay), Minnesota will line up to play Dallas, and that running game and run defense will be enough to pull the upset. If not, a healthy Green Bay team that hasn't had to play three games in ten days will face Dallas, and Woodson will make all the difference. The Packers will pull through the NFC.