Cory Puffett
I wasn’t sure if I would be writing this blog post. I didn’t
have that much interest in doing so. An NFL season that began in controversy is
now ending with one.
“Deflategate” has taken all attention away from the game and
placed it on a possible rules infraction that made no difference in the outcome
of the AFC Championship game. Whether the Patriots broke the rules or the
officials were negligent in their pre-game equipment check, the Colts were
going to be blown out.
Considering New England actually performed better in the
second half when the footballs were properly inflated, it could have been even
worse for Indianapolis.
Needless to say, I have not watched ESPN’s Super Bowl
coverage at all in the past two weeks. In fact, I haven’t even turned on NFL
Network’s coverage.
To make matters worse, my PlayStation console is out of
order, so this will be the first time since Super Bowl XXXV that I will not be
using Madden to make my final prediction of the season.
Coming into this game, a big part of me thought the Patriots
could win this game. Their offense has been outstanding since their sluggish
start to the season culminated in getting beat down by Kansas City in week 4.
In addition, their defense is pretty darn good and should match up well against
Seattle.
But that was before this controversy took over the media.
Players and coaches can say until they’re blue in the face that it’s not a
distraction, but it truly is when it’s all
the media wants to talk about. It takes your focus away from your opponent,
even if only momentarily.
For the most part, the Seahawks have had the luxury of
focusing solely on the Patriots. Not only that, they’ve been able to get
healthy. Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas, my biggest concerns after the NFC
Championship game, have both been listed as full participants in practice for
the Seahawks.
If any defense can slow down New England’s offense, it’s the
Seattle Seahawks’ defense. And if there is any quarterback who has shown that
he can beat the best teams in the NFL every single time, it’s Seattle’s.
Russell Wilson won’t have another pick-fest this Sunday, he’s
already been on this stage, and he is 10-0 against quarterbacks with a Super
Bowl title under their belt. It’s been a while since he’s gotten one, but Tom
Brady still fits in that category the last time I checked and so I’m going with
my gut this week and taking the Seattle Seahawks to beat the Pats.
Puff’s Pick: Seahawks over Patriots, 27-20
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