NEW ENGLAND(-6') for 1.5*
Others have disected this game a lot closer than me - I've already moved on to the Green Jacket at the Masters - here's my succinct version:
Carolina is a well-constructed team and the NFC's best. New England took the 14-0 route. Now it's for all the marbles. IMO only one team is capable of taking control of this game, and a lot of systems and instincts say there's a good chance of that happening. Regardless, I'm not on the dog in this one.
I think New England sees and embraces this game as a final proving ground. Stepping up with big time plays is not the action that will be a surprise here . . . John Fox wants his team to prepare for a road game against New England; he's repeated it often enough to mean it. That may well be the right way to get his team to play their best in this spot, but that is not the way they need to unload in this game, and it is definitely not the way Carolina is going to be feeling about the game in the hours and minutes leading up to the kickoff, or as the action unfolds.
I'm 4-1 backing Carolina and New England to get to this spot. In big games under Belichick, I look to New England to pull off the surprises, and not be the surprised. Starting with Ted Washington and working your way out, I don't think I'll be watching Carolina run like a big dog through the 4th ranked rushing defense (and allowing only two runs of 20+ yards). New England has a philosophy and the horses to identify and take away a team's security blanket, and then force the issue. Carolina plays it close to the vest and does what is necessary to get the game inside the last ten minutes. I may have been hallucinating, but to me it looked for all the world like Carolina was trying to keep an over-charged Delhomme under wraps in the NFC title game. You do the math.
GL
Others have disected this game a lot closer than me - I've already moved on to the Green Jacket at the Masters - here's my succinct version:
Carolina is a well-constructed team and the NFC's best. New England took the 14-0 route. Now it's for all the marbles. IMO only one team is capable of taking control of this game, and a lot of systems and instincts say there's a good chance of that happening. Regardless, I'm not on the dog in this one.
I think New England sees and embraces this game as a final proving ground. Stepping up with big time plays is not the action that will be a surprise here . . . John Fox wants his team to prepare for a road game against New England; he's repeated it often enough to mean it. That may well be the right way to get his team to play their best in this spot, but that is not the way they need to unload in this game, and it is definitely not the way Carolina is going to be feeling about the game in the hours and minutes leading up to the kickoff, or as the action unfolds.
I'm 4-1 backing Carolina and New England to get to this spot. In big games under Belichick, I look to New England to pull off the surprises, and not be the surprised. Starting with Ted Washington and working your way out, I don't think I'll be watching Carolina run like a big dog through the 4th ranked rushing defense (and allowing only two runs of 20+ yards). New England has a philosophy and the horses to identify and take away a team's security blanket, and then force the issue. Carolina plays it close to the vest and does what is necessary to get the game inside the last ten minutes. I may have been hallucinating, but to me it looked for all the world like Carolina was trying to keep an over-charged Delhomme under wraps in the NFC title game. You do the math.
GL
