Seahawks vs. Bears vs. Packers vs. Patriots Scaring Writers Out of Their Wits

It has been some time since any team has scared professional writers who believe their views are near-infallible. Just like amateur pundits who blog incessantly and believe their own views over everyone else's. They believe that the upsets are rare, and that losers are losers and winners winners. At least they are safe in making these predictions.

Then come the Super Bowl marching, Bears targeting Seattle Seahawks. A group of merry men making mincemeat of the odds as they rose from 250-1 (why did we not all take that one) to 40-1 and back down to 50-1 in the space of one win and a few days. 

Of course the Super Bowl is one thing. The next thing is the Chicago Bears. And nothing makes me believe that the Bears are any better than the Seahawks. In fact, everything points to a very weak Chicago Bears team and a very strong, perhaps Super strong Seattle Seahawks team.

The positions make themselves known better than anything. Just read my analysis of the way the Seahawks can win this week and we end up with a very few critical points. Outcoached, out-quarterbacked and outrun. So the summary will read after Sunday's game.

It was enough that I went with three road teams this coming week. After all, the road rarely has a majority win. Yet, there is enough this year telling us that they will do so. Quarterbacks (Green Bay Packers) and defense (Baltimore Ravens) should make these teams winners this weekend. The best quarterback playing today will win in New England. (Hint: Not Sanchez)

The issue is whether, after they come back to Qwest Field and beat the Packers, the call for changes in the NFL Playoff format will actually increase (Gary Peterson's "Cute Seahawks now getting scary" already leading the way) or if everyone can stay cool as the Seahawks do the impossible and arrive at the Super Bowl.

Of course, these pundits and savants of the gridiron know what they are doing. Their analyses smack of great knowledge. How Jay Cutler, a man who has been in no playoff since high school, who played for Vanderbilt for God's sake, and who is as slap-dash messy as any quarterback can be, can somehow rise to the occasion even with Mike Martz and his merry offense of yore.

One forgets that Martz had a great quarterback (and somewhat old at the time) who became great immediately after playing and showed his stuff quickly after getting to the NFL with a full-time job. Not some slammed down quarterback too young to remember and too out of the playoffs every year to think much on the field.

This leaves totally aside what happens to the Lovie Smith-Pete Carroll matchup. You know who I think will win that one.

Ok, so back to Gary Peterson and his nimble reasoning of what needs to be done to stop (heaven forbid!) any other team like the Seahawks having any chance at reaching the Super Bowl. He says to end divisions, prevent losers, etc., to allow the "top six" to reach their conference finals without even thinking for a minute about whether the Seahawks are indeed the top six team they are now. And indeed, they are definitely top six, even if they lose to the Bears.

But they will survive against Green Bay after beating the Bears where they almost never win. Again, pundits with all their knowledge know the Seahawks cannot win on the road, and they make every excuse imaginable about the Bears loss at Soldier Field this season. Why? Because they cannot dare to admit they are wrong.

So it is the bettors will continue to bet down the Seahawks until game time. Because even bettors with the odds, they know.

And we are left with one fact that seems impossible sitting here right now. No doubt about it, the Patriots win the Super Bowl. Yet, anything can happen in one game, can't it? Can the Seahawks with enormous momentum on their side show that you just cannot win with just a great quarterback? Ask Peyton Manning, why don't you? For that matter, ask Dan Marino and Fran Tarkenton.