DFO “Insiders” Predict the Championship Round!

Championship weekend is here!

Before getting started let’s address the obvious.

Trust me I watched every replay and this was definitely the best angle. Turn the volume up for this one. Having been to US Bank Stadium I can testify that it is loud during a regular season game I can’t imagine the noise level at the moment of this play. Youngest Right said it best “Every single person in that crowd had to suffer some form of hearing loss.”

As a Vikings fan – since the 1960’s – I’ve seen more than my fair share of heartbreak as most of you already realize. Then again this isn’t the first time something like this play happened.

Back in 1980 on the last day of the regular season Minnesota needed to beat the Cleveland Browns in order to reach the playoffs. That’s right, there really was a time when the Browns were a solid football team. Trailing 22-23 at home at the old Metropolitan Stadium, the Vikings had the ball with 14 seconds left and no timeouts. The following happened.

I was a year out of high school and living in Davenport Iowa while watching this game. I’m fairly certain that some folks across the Mississippi River in Moline Illinois heard me yell. After last week’s game my voice is about back to 70% at the time of this writing. This was the only play in Vikings history that is even close to what happened last week while facing the Saints.

Want to hear an eerie coincidence? After the hail Mary against the Browns, Minnesota went to the playoffs to face…

The Eagles. Who kicked the crap out of the Vikings back in 1980.

History can change dammit! And it will if my prediction has anything to say about it.

First though, how did the DFO “Insiders” do against other NFL “experts” last week?

Here are the results of the awesome and legendary ESPN Insiders through the first 8 games of the playoffs. Hit the drop down for “Divisional round results.”

Of their 10 “Expert Insiders” NONE were better than 2 and 2 picking last week’s games. TWO AND FUCKING TWO!

And how about the mind blowing picking prowess of the fine folks at SI-MMQB? Let’s take a look shall we? Full disclosure they DID have one of their writers choose all 4 games from last week correct. Congrats and respect to Jacob Feldman for getting all four games correct. That was one of their 6 experts.

I was unable to find the wild card round picks from the same group of six at SI/MMQB. HMMMM.

For documentation on how our very own group of DFO “Insiders” did check out last week’s predictions from the DFO Insiders post.

See that? We had THREE of our 11 extra special and talented DFO “Insiders” predict all four games correctly. I will accept the accolades of being one of the glorious three and additional mad love and respect to King Hippo and Brett Favre’s Colonoscopy for also getting all four of last week’s games right.

I am going to stop mentioning/tormenting the other NFL sites because we have statistical HARD fucking evidence that we here at DFO are the vastly superior prognosticators for all things NFL. On the entire INTERNET!

For those of you curious about the overall standings of the NFL playoffs for our DFO “Insiders” here you go:

King Hippo and I are tied at 7 wins to only one incorrect pick. Hippo had the Rams beating Atlanta and as for myself I missed Buffalo against Jacksonville. Sue me, I thought karma was due.

Next we have the Wee Baby Seamus at 6-2, Litre Cola, Don_T and Brett Farve’s Colonoscopy follow at 5-3 with all of the remaining “Insiders” resting at .500. That’s also pretty impressive, nobody has missed more picks than they’ve gotten correct.

TO THE GAMES!

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Jacksonville at New England – Sunday January 21st 12:05 PM PST. CBS coverage.

Line: New England -8 1/2 over-under of 46.

Weather: 42 degrees, mostly cloudy and light winds.

Real Life Analysis!

Unsurprised: “Fuck New England!”

Wakezilla: “Sacksonville v P*triots: With Brady supposedly having an owie, I fully expect the refs to be a little more lenient with the P*ts’ o-line holding so Timmy doesn’t get a bruise. But you know what?

IT’S NOT GOING TO MAKE A FUCKING DIFFERENCE! Aaron Colvin is getting 2 picks and that defensive line may get held, but Myles Jack is going to take Brady to pound town early and often.

FUCK THE P*TRIOTS. FUCK THE P*TRIOTS. FUCK THE P*TRIOTS!

The Jaguares winning is my big stick pick of the week!”

Don_T: “Pats…

Balls of Steel: “My heart wants Vikes and Jags, but the harsh reality of life says Pats and Eagles. We live in a cruel world. NE/Philly.”

BFC: “Nothing will stop the Pats from crushing that dream in the Super Bowl so that Tom Brady can bottle tears of joy and sell them for $300/oz. Patriots.”

tWBS: “Jags will win a close one in Foxborough for the same reason. They can bring enough pressure to get to Brady and that’s how you beat the P*ts. Presuming Bortles doesn’t Bortle it up.”

Son of Spam: “Jags upset the Pats because Calais Campbell will devour TB12’s soul.”

King Hippo: “Jaguras win outright, overcoming the evenness of the week, because it is their destiny ever since Shad Khan bravely, tearfully kneeled with his side in London.”

WCS: “Pats, because c’mon. Do you really think BORT can do that again, let alone against Belichik? Also, the universe is a cold, harsh place.”

Litre Cola: “Pats by 17.”

My Take: Jacksonville is playing with epic shitloads of swag right now and while it’s admirable and their defense is a force to be reckoned with, beating the P*ts in New England is too much of a challenge with their experience level. Having won in Pittsburgh was huge and will help them going forward but expecting them to beat the two best teams in the AFC on the road in back-to-back weeks during their first venture to the playoffs in years is just too much.

I am rooting for a MASH unit triage of injuries in this one. New England 38-17.

Vikings at Eagles – Sunday January 21st at 3:40 PM PST. Fox coverage.

Line: Minnesota -3 over/under 38 1/2.

Weather: 43 degrees and overcast with light winds.

Real Life Analysis!

WCS: “Vikings because their defense is going to murderdeathkill Foles, and Philly fans don’t deserve anything but pain.”

King Hippo: “Vikes win and cover. Balanced offense will be Iggles’ downfall, as they can’t sell out to stop one facet or the other. Nor can they keep in a shootout. Say, 27-17.”

tWBS: “Vikes D will give Iggles fits, Foles will not be up to the task of spreading them out. Vikes will not only win, but it will probably get ugly.”

SonofSpam: “Vikings win because they can stop the run and because Diggs didn’t make that play just to lose to a giraffe.”

BFC: “I too want Vikes and Jags, and I think the Vikes pull it off. Keenum is real y’all.”

Don_T: “Vikings – Case Keenum is a conscientious gunslinger.”

Wakezilla: “Vikings v Iggles: It’s hard picking against Philly at home, especially with them embracing the whole ‘we get no respect’ chip on their shoulder. With that said, I think I trust Keenum more than Foles. As a result, I’ll say Vikes’ vicious defense fills Foles’ holes in mostly boring 17-13 win.”

Senor Weaselo: “I’ll take the Vikes.”

My Take: As observed by many of the other “insiders” the Vikings defense is way too stingy for the Eagles offense. Nick Foles is NOT Drew Brees and the Vikings will be able to stop the Eagles rushing attack. I always try to spin a negative into a positive and I think the Vikings pass D will be more than ready after getting the shit scared out of them last week with the Saints comeback. They will tighten that shit DOWN this week. I’m seeing the Vikings winning this one 28-12 with the Eagles only kicking field goals.

And the Vikings will…

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