I have looked at every stat imaginable, and I have come up with the best I could find.
SF at Green Bay
--I never realized that these teams are so even matched. They both have big play QB's and passing games, running backs that are almost cancel each other out, which are threats out of the backfield. Both have excelent pass defenses. Very comparable run defenses. They even have almost identical strength of schedule! The one thing that I noticed as the season rolled along though...and that is that Jose Cortez sucks, while Ryan Longwell is still one of the more acurrate kickers in the league. If it comes down to making kicks, I want my money on the better kicker on familiar turf. Not to mention that with SF playing in warm weather most of the year, Lambeau will not be a kind atmosphere. The Packer have won 6 out of the last 7 meetings against SF. Two teams that look even, you just have to ask yourself if lambeau and a better kicking game are worth a little more than a field goal. And with the trend saying that if you win in the wild card round, you most likely will cover ATS, I really dont see the 49ers winning this ame outright, so there ya have it...
Packers -3.5 with a small lean to the under (but not a play)
Baltimore at Miami
Two more teams very familiar in style. You have two QB;s that are as prone to poor decisions as any in the NFL. They both tend to stick to a basic short passing game, with an occasional bust down the field. Both have rather poor running games, and very good run defenses. Baltimore tends to give up the big play via the pass, but Miami as little big play firepower, unless Chris Chambers can get heavily involved. Miami has an excellent punting game, but Baltimore has an excellent returner in Jermaine Lewis. Both have very accurate kickers, although IMO the edge goes to Stover. I think the edge in this game, is the coaching. I have always thought that Wannstedt is an idiot, and Billick is a genious. There will be crucial decisions made in this close game at some point, and I trust Billick a lot more that wannstedt. Unfortunatly I trust Grbac a lot more than Fiedler as well, just from an experience standpoint. This game will be won by the team that makes fewer mistakes, and teams that make few mistakes are teams that are well coached, This will be a truly vanilla game by Baltimore. They feel that they can beat this team 10-6, and I wouldnt be surprised if they did.
Baltimore +3 with a play on the under 33
SF at Green Bay
--I never realized that these teams are so even matched. They both have big play QB's and passing games, running backs that are almost cancel each other out, which are threats out of the backfield. Both have excelent pass defenses. Very comparable run defenses. They even have almost identical strength of schedule! The one thing that I noticed as the season rolled along though...and that is that Jose Cortez sucks, while Ryan Longwell is still one of the more acurrate kickers in the league. If it comes down to making kicks, I want my money on the better kicker on familiar turf. Not to mention that with SF playing in warm weather most of the year, Lambeau will not be a kind atmosphere. The Packer have won 6 out of the last 7 meetings against SF. Two teams that look even, you just have to ask yourself if lambeau and a better kicking game are worth a little more than a field goal. And with the trend saying that if you win in the wild card round, you most likely will cover ATS, I really dont see the 49ers winning this ame outright, so there ya have it...
Packers -3.5 with a small lean to the under (but not a play)
Baltimore at Miami
Two more teams very familiar in style. You have two QB;s that are as prone to poor decisions as any in the NFL. They both tend to stick to a basic short passing game, with an occasional bust down the field. Both have rather poor running games, and very good run defenses. Baltimore tends to give up the big play via the pass, but Miami as little big play firepower, unless Chris Chambers can get heavily involved. Miami has an excellent punting game, but Baltimore has an excellent returner in Jermaine Lewis. Both have very accurate kickers, although IMO the edge goes to Stover. I think the edge in this game, is the coaching. I have always thought that Wannstedt is an idiot, and Billick is a genious. There will be crucial decisions made in this close game at some point, and I trust Billick a lot more that wannstedt. Unfortunatly I trust Grbac a lot more than Fiedler as well, just from an experience standpoint. This game will be won by the team that makes fewer mistakes, and teams that make few mistakes are teams that are well coached, This will be a truly vanilla game by Baltimore. They feel that they can beat this team 10-6, and I wouldnt be surprised if they did.
Baltimore +3 with a play on the under 33
