[Bender2]

Gadzooks, this season has just wizzed by... like crap through a goose--

It seems just yesterday that my Cowboys were on a roll... and on their way to Super Bowl 50--

And yet now-- Now, after my Boys were carted off the field... to NFL Injury Hell--

It comes down to a remake of... High Noon...

With old Sheriff... Manning--

Having to face down that young whippersnapper Cam... and his gang of bad boys.

Well, I am going with my heart and picking Old Man Manning... to cap his career with a second Super Bowl Win.

Of course, his #1 Mule Defense will have to give stopping Cam their undivided attention.

We have an extra week here, so y'all... drink--

And make Mary--

"Oh Rob... I have to go sleep with everyone on the NFL Live Thread again!"

And we'll see ya... down the road.

[PROCON]

[knarf]

Laura was my second wet dream .... after Annette

[kevkrom]

I imagine that after Sunday's loss to the Broncos, Tom Brady felt rather... deflated.

[DoodleDawg]

I’m a Chiefs fan. I cannot root for the Broncos any more than I could root for the Raiders.

[RayChuang88]

By the way, all the criticism of Cam Newton crossed the line to ridiculousness, to say the least.

Yes, his style of play is exuberant, but he's really grown up in the last year or so and developed an excellent in the pocket presence needed to play as a top-flight quarterback. And frankly, all the national sports radio talk shows are getting tired of dealing with this. (shaking head)

[Jim W N]

My Take...

Carolina: Carolina is the top-ranked scoring team in the NFL. However, their strength, surprisingly, is not in their passing game but their running game. Carolina is 2nd in the run and their running effectiveness is enhanced by QB’s Cam Newton’s size and running ability. Carolina should mostly run and will be challenged by Denver’s tough running defense, 3rd best in the NFL.

If Carolina passes too much, their lower-tier passing game will be shredded by Denver’s top ranked passing defense, the way NE was shredded. Remember, Denver shredded NE’s 5th ranked passing game. Carolina’s passing game is ranked 24th.

Denver: Denver’s game is their 4th best scoring defense. They have the top ranked defense in ydg against the pass and 3rd against the run. They will be tested by Carolina’s top-ranked scoring offense. The issue for Denver will be how to stop Carolina’s dazzling running game. They will have to use entirely different tactics they used against NE. NE was a one-trick pony – only passing, no running – and Denver was smart enough to come up with a defensive strategy to shut down Tom Brady by basically ignoring NE’s anemic running game. The reverse is true this week. Denver needs a defensive plan to stop or at least effectively slow Carolina’s dazzling double-and-triple-option running game with far less concern for Carolina’s weak passing game. If anyone can do it, Denver and defensive coordinator Phillips can. Some good analysis about this by http://www.businessinsider.de/why-broncos-defense-in-trouble-against-cam-newton-2016-2?r=US&IR=T Scott Davis, Business Insider.de and http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/14705931/denver-best-defense-football-facing-attack-yet-face-nfl Bill Barnwell, ESPN.

Denver’s mediocre offense will struggle against Carolina’s tough defense.

Summary: The crux of this game will revolve around how well Carolina’s tough running game will do against Denver’s equally tough run defense. It is unusual for the top scoring team in the NFL (Carolina) to have such a low ranking passing game (24th) so another thing to watch is if Carolina decides to pass a lot. Although all the hype is about these two QB’s, Manning and Newton, neither team has had a very good passing offense this season. Oftentimes, a coaching staff new to the Super Bowl with a weak passing game has a tendency to step out of their strength and start passing a lot to score quickly. This would be deadly for Carolina against the top Denver pass defense. Watch for Denver to intercept and sack. The key for Carolina’s coaching staff will be sticking to the run including Cam Newton’s running ability without getting hurt.

Overall, we have one team with the scoring edge (Carolina) while the other team has superiority in ydg (Denver). This means it should be a close game with the possibility of an upset. Should be a close, good game. The decisive metric is regular season net scoring: Carolina is #1 in the NFL while Denver is #10.

Projected winner: Carolina

[Liberty Valance]

[BookmanTheJanitor]

Prevent offense...yuck