Showcase Showdown

Who Will Take Home the Lombardi?

By Eric Berkenpas, Ryan Frisco and Caleb Musselman

So before the NFL season began, each of Sports Eye View's writers chose a team to win the Super Bowl.  Here we are, going into the first round of playoffs, and each team is still in the running.  The Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers.  Now, we battle it out again!

Photo cred www.washingtonpost.com

Ryan - Just like I think Russell Wilson is the best QB in the league, I still think the Seattle Seahawks are the best team in the NFL.  And I don't mean they have the most starpower, I mean they have the most COMPLETE team in the league, which is why they have the best record, and have the best shot at the championship.  Last season they made the playoffs, but were still a work in progress.  This year, Wilson is more seasoned, Marshawn Lynch is in full beast mode, and the defense has only gotten better.  I'd like to see any team go into Seattle right now and try to score more then 15 points against the Seahawks.  We all know it's just not happening!

Photo cred nypost.com

Eric - Unfortunately for the Seahawks, the Super Bowl is not played in Seattle, it is played in New York. The weather will very likely be cold and there is a good chance of icy/snowy precipitation. Is Seattle used to that? No. Is San Francisco? Definitely not. Is New England? Absolutely, in fact you could say they excel in that weather. The issue New England will have is getting through Denver, who they already beat in the regular season. Unfortunately for Denver, they have a QB who has a track record of choking in the playoffs and New England has a QB who has a track record of excelling in the playoffs as well as arguably the greatest playoff coach of all time! There is a lot of playoff inexperience on the Patriots and they haven't been a dominating team throughout the year, but they found a way to win 12 of their 16 games and will continue finding ways to win en route to their 4th Super Bowl ring since the year 2000.

Photo cred www.csmonitor.com

Caleb - Hello everyone. As I write we are one day away from Wild Card Weekend and 2 days away from the 49ers first of 4 straight playoff wins. Did I mention they are already on a six game winning streak? San Francisco hasn't lost a game since a November 17th. Everyone rants and raves about momentum and peaking at the right time. This team is primed for a Super Bowl run. During this six game winning streak they managed to defeat the who? The Seahawks. Sure it was in San Francisco but beating this supposedly unbeatable team and this supposedly unbeatable quarterback must be recognized. The 2012-13 playoffs were just a screenshot of what the Niners can do. The Seahawks defense is pretty tremendous. However, what often goes unnoticed is the fact that their offense heavily relies on their defense to create turnovers and touchdowns in order to win games. The 49ers defense is just as strong as Seattle's minus the turnovers. However, San Fran's offense doesn't need any help scoring points. Kap and company will be just fine. Regarding the Patriots, they may very well make their way to the Super Bowl. However, they will need a Brady miracle to defeat any of the beasts of the NFC in the big game.

Photo cred www.komonews.com

Ryan - Hold the phone Caleb.  I agree with your San Francisco points, they are very valid....but don't go supporting the Patriots!  I'm very surprised, after seeing the way this entire season played out, that Berk is still on the Tom Brady bandwagon for the Ring!  Let's just take a look at who New England BARELY pulled it out against! The Bills, Jets, Saints, Broncos, Dolphins, Texans and Browns.  Any of these games very well could have, and SHOULD have, been a loss for the Pats.  Granted, Tom Brady did pull it out in the end against them, but New England showed plenty of flaws all throughout the season, leading to way too many nailbiters.  With this many errors, against teams that are playoff caliber, Brady won't be able to get away with winning the game this many times.  Also, there's a reason they haven't won since 2004 (when they CHEATED! ).  I'm surprised if they make it past their divisional round game. 

And also Berk, you're talking about Seattle not being able to play in cold, wet weather?!  Come one man, they live and play in Seattle, where it's always cold and wet, and they rarely lose there!  It's practically a home game playing in New Jersey for them!  I like their chances.  And also, since I wrote my first section, I came across another column from an NFL analyst, in Yahoo Sports that totally supports my stance.  This is Frank Schwab;

Photo cred theadvocate.com

"That's why Seattle started the season No. 1 in the Shutdown Corner power rankings, and why the Seahawks finish the season No. 1: They are the only team without a clear flaw.

In Football Outsiders' DVOA per-play metric (it stands for Defense-adjusted Value Over Average and is FO's primary tool for measuring the true strength of teams), the Seahawks finished seventh in offense, first in defense and fifth in special teams. No other team finished better than 10th in offense and defense, much less all three categories. Seattle posted the fifth best DVOA among all teams dating back to 1989, which is as far back as Football Outsiders has tracked it. Add in the best home-field advantage in the NFL, and the Seahawks are clearly the Super Bowl favorites.

People bemoan parity and the lack of a dominant team, but that's exactly what Seattle was through the season. They might lose in the playoffs before hoisting their first Lombardi Trophy but make no mistake, if that happens it would be an upset."

That went long, and it's all I have. Finish it up boys, just try and prove me wrong.

Eric - Ryan, there is no doubt the Seahawks are statistically the best team in the playoffs and on paper have the best chance of winning. However, when is the last time that spelled a Super Bowl victory? Maybe the last time the Patriots won the Super Bowl. I can surrender the weather argument partially though New York does have colder and snowier winters than Seattle and will be much more optimal weather for New England than it will for either Seattle or San Francisco.

Photo cred sportsofboston.com

Of course I am still on the Patriot wagon to get a ring! I don't care who they barely beat, the fact is, they beat them. That is what New England does, they win. Each of their 12 wins counted for as much as each of Seattle's 13. 34-3 is the same as 21-20. If you want to go down that road, let's talk about Seattle's 27-24 win at home against Tampa or their 17-10 loss at home to Arizona. How about their narrow escape from the Titans, Rams or Texans? Those close wins don't look any better or worse than New England's. What it comes down to is the Patriots have a QB and coach who know how to win, especially in the playoffs, and have proved it throughout their entire careers. Russell Wilson and Pete Caroll have yet to prove that. And lastly, you keep mentioning home field advantage but seem to be forgetting that A) the Super Bowl is played in New York, not Seattle and B) how close New York is to Boston and how far away Seattle is. If anyone has anything close to a home field advantage in the Super Bowl, it's New England. Caleb, finish her off!

Photo cred www.usatoday.com

Caleb - So here we are just a few days after Wild Card Weekend. What an amazing cinematic experience these games were. So, as the last of four games provided more excitement than many expected, San Francisco survived to see another day. Or did they? Did they just survive or did they go into one of the most dramatic and storied environments in sports, in the worst of weather that they weren't supposed to be able to handle and beat a team that played their best game of the year with probably the best overall quarterback in the game under center? The 49ers showed on Sunday that they are the clear favorite to win it all. Stack every element against this squad and they still find a way to win. Better yet? They are just under a year past a taste of the Lombardi. Seattle is really good. New England has a legit shot. Any of these three teams could win it all, but the 49ers have everything it takes to beat Seattle in the NFC Championship game. Ryan searched the internet for an article written that spoke about Seattle being the perfect team and the clear favorite. On Monday morning ESPN.com and NFL.com both had a feature article that talked about San Fran as the favorite to win it all. We can all find people who agree with us on the internet. People can even find crazies who agree with them that Russell Wilson is the best QB in the league.

The simple truth is that the hot team always wins in the NFL. The Giants and Ravens are perfect examples. Seattle is going to be absolutely crazy when San Fran and Seattle match up in the NFC Championship. If this was the first time they played up there this year, I'd give the game to Seattle. But you don't think Jim Harbaugh has been scheming in his off time about how he plans to battle those fanatical elements in Seattle? As the hype grows, the pressure grows for NFL teams. KC felt the pressure this year of an undefeated season and folded like a stack of cards. Just like you referenced, Ryan, Seattle has been the favorite all year. As the pressure rises, the 49ers continue to win. They will beat Carolina by 3 this week. Then it's game on.

So what do you think? How do you see the playoffs shaking out in 2014?