Right or wrong? Reviewing Paste BN Sports' preseason NFL picks
PHOENIX — Now that we're finally here, at the last game of the season, we can see just how wrong — with one exception — we were way back before the season started.
That's right. We're reviewing the Paste BN Sports' NFL staff preseason Super Bowl picks.
And we've got to give credit where it's due. Lindsay H. Jones was the sole staffer to correctly predict the matchup in Super Bowl XLIX: the New England Patriots against the Seattle Seahawks.
Five of us — Lindsay, Jarrett Bell, Jim Corbett, Gary Mihoces and myself — projected the Patriots to represent the AFC. Two of us — Lindsay, again, and Nate Davis picked the Seahawks to emerge from the NFC.
Jarrett and I picked the Patriots to win, while Lindsay and Nate both picked Seattle to become the first back-to-back champions since the 2004 Patriots. So there's still some hope left for some of us.
Now's the time when I have to come clean. We also goofed pretty badly.
Jim, Gary and I each picked the New Orleans Saints to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. Yep. That's right, the 7-9 New Orleans Saints that couldn't even win the weak NFC South. The New Orleans Saints that ranked 31st in yards allowed (384 per game) and 28th in points allowed (26.5 per game) in the league.
To quote Bob Uecker from 1989's Major League: "Juuuust a bit outside."
Jim and Gary both predicted New Orleans would win it all. At least I picked the Patriots.
Meanwhile, Jarrett picked the 49ers to come out of the NFC. San Francisco was a popular pick back in training camp, too, but as Jim Harbaugh's departure taught us, the dysfunction in the franchise was just too large to overcome.
Tom Pelissero (sorry, Tom) was the lone staffer to not have at least one team from either conference correct. He went with the Broncos against the Packers, and predicted Green Bay to win. In fairness, that wasn't a bad guess, as both were at the very least playoff teams.
So congratulations to Lindsay, who — when given a chance to change her pick at the start of the week — stuck with the Seahawks.
But before we rush to crown her the 2014 Paste BN Sports NFL Prediction Champion, let's also remember that she finished in last place this year in picking the regular season's games (162-93-1; .635). If the Seahawks do defeat the Patriots, however, she'll hold all the bragging rights.
At least until next February.