The Jimmy Stubbs NFL Guide: Week 13: Predictions

Friday, November 29, 2013

Week 13: Predictions

Gobble Gobble and Turkey Hangovers . . . .

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and enjoyed lots of Turkey and plenty of alcohol. There are some crucial games this weekend, but nothing bigger than the Monday Night game between the Seahawks and the Saints. Let's analyze this monster match-up:

New Orleans Saints @ Seattle Seahawks

This is going to be one of the best games of the year. If Seattle can win this game, they would take a commanding 2 game lead on the Saints for home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. Playing in Seattle in January where it will be cold and wet would make the Seahawks the favorite to get to the Super Bowl. For the Saints to win, they have to get consistent play from their offense. I know they can beat anyone at home and score at will, but on the road, they are a different team. The offense struggled when they lost to the Jets in New York and even struggled against a bad Falcons team in Atlanta. The home crowd in Seattle is the loudest in the league and they will disrupt the Saints offense at crucial parts of the game. The Saints defense has played well this season, but will have a tough time stopping the rushing attack by Marshawn Lynch. The Seahawks will shuffle their receivers around, especially Harvin, and make the Saints play a different type of defense in their secondary. Seattle will sustain drives during the whole game, forcing the Saints defense to stay on the field and be exhausted by the 4th quarter.

For Seattle, sustaining drives will be vital to winning the game. With a high powered offense like the Saints, best way to stop them is to keep them on the sidelines. Since Seattle is built to run the ball a lot, look for 10 or more plays on most of their offensive drives. Lynch will run for over 100 yards and at least 1 touchdown and cause chaos for the New Orleans defense. Look for Percy Harvin to be a full force in the offense and make some crucial plays at big moments of the game. Russell Wilson will throw for a few touchdowns and prove once again he is one of the rising stars in the NFL. The Saints will hang with Seattle for a while, but will falter in the 2nd half. The loud crowd and cold/wet weather will disrupt the timing and preciseness of the Saints offense. The Seahawks will make a huge step towards having home field throughout the NFC playoffs when the beat the Saints on Monday Night Football.