2026-27 NFL Computer Predictions and Rankings
Cracking the NFL Betting Code
FILM STUDY: How the Chiefs will Frustrate the 49ers.
The Problem for the 49ers is they play mainly zone, so that the Chiefs can lengthen the field due to
their speed, and then curl back into soft spots. RPOs with Hill or Hardman will drive the 49ers linebackers crazy. On defense Kansas City’s run defense will be able to defend the edge, like they did against Henry.
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Kobe Bryant Motivational Video
Superbowl 54: Top Impact Players
Retired Football Legends: Where are They Now?
When former NFL quarterback Brett Favre entered the Hall of Fame in 2015, he had not been out of the public spotlight for very long. His long, drawn-out retirement, which started in 2002 and continued into 2013, kept his name in the news. Unlike Favre, though, many other famous football players didn’t stay in the news after their retirement, even when their post-retirement achievements were newsworthy. That being said, here’s a look at what a few famous players of yesteryear have been up to since retiring.
Many people consider former Cleveland Browns running back Jim Brown to be the greatest player in NFL history. A multi-sports star and All-American lacrosse player at Syracuse, Brown entered the NFL as the first round sixth pick in 1957. His 942-yard rookie year earned him the league’s rushing championship, which he would win eight more times. By 1965, Brown held league records for 100-yard games, single-season yards, career rushing yards, average yards per carry and career touchdowns. In his final game, Brown scored three touchdowns.
Before retiring, Brown had already begun an acting career. He became the first major black action star, appearing in such classics as “The Dirty Dozen” and “Three the Hard Way.” In 1993, Brown helped kick off the Ultimate Fighting Championship as a commentator. Since 1988, he has helped kids from gang backgrounds through his Amer-I-Can program. He is part-owner of a lacrosse team, and remains an adviser to the Browns.
A Purdue Boilermakers All-American defensive back, Tim Foley joined the Miami Dolphins as a third-round pick for the team’s first winning season in 1970. That year, the Dolphins’ defense allowed an AFC low of 11.6 yards per catch. The next year, Foley made an interception in three consecutive games for a total of four in the season, which culminated with the Dolphins going to the Super Bowl for the first time. In 1972, Foley added three more interceptions to his stats as the Dolphins won every game to take Super Bowl 7 from the Washington Redskins. In 1973, Foley returned two blocked punts for touchdowns in one game as the Dolphins won a second consecutive Super Bowl, defeating the Minnesota Vikings. Foley continued playing until 1980, going to the Pro Bowl in his second-to-last year and achieving career totals of 101 games started, 510 tackles and 22 interceptions. He was named the Dolphins’ 28th best player of all time by The Phinsider.
Foley went on to an equally successful career at Amway, America’s 30th largest private company. By 1998 Foley had qualified as a Crown Ambassador, which had been the highest possible level until Amway added a Founders Crown Ambassador level to recognize exceptional achievers. In 2005, Foley became a Founders Crown Ambassador.
Following a come-from-behind Notre Dame Cotton Bowl win, the all-time greatest clutch quarterback joined the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 1979 draft. Replacing Steve DeBerg midway through 1980, Montana led the league with a 64.5 percent pass completion rate, scoring the first of 31 come-from-behind victories with an overtime win over the New Orleans Saints. In the 1981 NFC Championship, Montana marched the 49ers down the field from the 11-yard line to come from behind and defeat the Dallas Cowboys with a pass that would go down in NFL history as “The Catch.” The 49ers went on to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl 16, the first of Montana’s four Super Bowl victories. After earning three Super Bowl MVPs, Montana went down with a 1991 injury that took him out for the 1992 season, propelling Steve Young to starting quarterback. Requesting a trade, Montana ended his career with the Kansas City Chiefs from 1993 to 1994.
Today, Montana struggles with chronic pain from his football injuries. He and his wife, Jennifer, have been horseback riders since 1996, and they raise horses and produce wine in Napa when they’re not in San Francisco. This year, Montana tossed the coin to start Super Bowl 50
WATCH: Madden Superbowl 54 Simulation – Who Wins? 49ers or Chiefs?
Earth-based Humanoid “Brent Musburger” Bets on This Week’s Championship Games
January 17, 2020 03:06 PM by Brent Musburger:
Championship Sunday last year produced an anomaly. Both road teams won.
Before those overtime victories by New England and the Los Angeles Rams, home teams had won 10 titles in a row. I am calling for a return to the norm this year but for only one of our new champions to cover the spread.
Tennessee (O/U 53) at Kansas City (–7)
3:05 p.m. EST Sunday (CBS)
For underdog lovers, the Titans are the flavor of the playoffs. I cashed tickets backing them against the Patriots and then last week against the AFC’s No. 1 seed, the Baltimore Ravens. I’m tempted, because the Saturday divisional playoff winners are 5-1 ATS on Championship Sunday the last three years. The Titans fit that description.
Patrick Mahomes has convinced me otherwise. Broadcasting from the Raiders’ radio booth the last two years, I have watched Mahomes demonstrate why he’s the NFL’s No. 1 quarterback. In dominating K.C.’s four victories, Mahomes threw for 1,194 yards and 11 touchdowns to seven receivers. The Chiefs outscored the Raiders in those four games 143-55.
Titans backers love to point out that they beat the Chiefs in Week 10 in Nashville and that when championship games are rematches, the winners of the first games are 6-1 over the last five years. Strong stuff. But in that wild 35-32 loss, Mahomes threw for 446 yards and three touchdowns.
Mahomes is the real deal, and I believe he would have played in the Super Bowl a year ago had the Patriots not won the overtime coin flip and scored a touchdown, ending the game before the Chiefs got a fair chance. (Yes, I hate the overtime rule.)
Derrick Henry has been fabulous for Tennessee, and I’m predicting he’ll rush for 150 yards. Ryan Tannehill is the comeback quarterback of the year. Mike Vrabel is the AFC coach of the year. But Mahomes and the Chiefs will rule the day.
Chiefs 34, Titans 24. Give the 7.
Green Bay (O/U 46) at San Francisco (–7½)
6:40 p.m. EST Sunday (FOX)
Another rematch. But for this game, the first meeting was far more convincing.
The 49ers embarrassed the Packers 37-8 on the Sunday night of Week 12. For this title game, I’m listening to the rematch stat in championship games, the one that strongly points toward the first game’s winner repeating that earlier triumph.
The 49ers proved an easy cover last week against a Minnesota team on short rest. I did sweat out the Packers’ win over Seattle because Russell Wilson never exits quietly.
One big edge for the Packers: quarterback. Aaron Rodgers is a future Hall of Famer. Jimmy Garoppolo remains a work in progress.
Rodgers’s primary target is Davante Adams, who has 35 receptions for 472 yards in the Packers’ last four games. But in that earlier meeting against the 49ers, Richard Sherman held him to 43 yards.
As Jimmy the Greek would have said, this rematch features an intangible. Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur’s brother, Mike, is a member of Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers staff. If brothers think alike, did Mike’s input help the 49ers stomp the Packers earlier?
Whether Rodgers has forgiven his boyhood favorite NFL team, the 49ers, for selecting Alex Smith as their quarterback instead of him in the 2005 draft, I have no idea. But like Don Corleone in the “Godfather” classic, I can imagine Rodgers saying, “Revenge is a dish that tastes best when it is cold.” (Editor’s note: That is the quote. He did not use the word “served.”)
Perhaps cold enough after 15 years, and Rodgers is the reason I’m not giving 7½.
Packers hang tough, lose by a field goal, 27-24. San Francisco and Kansas City head to the Super Bowl.
Betting on the 2019-20 NFC Championship Game? Things to Know!
Sunday 6:40 p.m. ET: Green Bay Packers (14-3) at San Francisco 49ers (14-3)
This true heavyweight battle features the top two seeds in the NFC. Both teams are 14-3 and both are coming off a first round bye followed by a home win and cover in the Divisional Round. Green Bay raced out to a 21-3 against the Seahawks and held on for a 28-23 victory, covering as 4.5-point favorites. The Packers are riding a six-game winning streak and have gone 11-6 ATS on the season, including 5-3 ATS on the road. The 49ers took care of business in their playoff opener, beating the Vikings 27-10 as 7-point home favorites for their third straight win. San Francisco has gone 10-6-1 ATS on the season but just 4-4-1 ATS at home.
The NFC Championship game opened with the 49ers listed as a 7-point home favorite. Two-thirds of bets, including some early sharps, are backing San Francisco which has pushed the line up a half point to -7.5. Similar to the AFC Championship game, the juice is leaning on the road dog (Packers +7.5 at -115), signaling a possible drop back down to 7. Green Bay has value as a playoff dog +7 or more (37-26 ATS, 59% since 2003, including 6-2 ATS, 75% in conference title games). Home favorites like the 49ers are 14-12 ATS (53.8%) in conference title games. When the line moves toward a team in a conference title game (think -7 to -7.5), those teams have gone 16-9 ATS (64%) since 2003, including 10-5 ATS (66.7%) for favorites.
The total opened at 45. Two-thirds of bets are taking the over, yet the total hasn’t budged. Conference championship overs are 18-11 (62%) since 2003. But outdoor playoff unders are 77-58 (57%), including 4-2 this postseason. John Hussey, the lead ref, has historically favored home teams (54.7% ATS) and unders (56.6%). The forecast looks clear in Santa Clara with temperatures in the high 50s with little to no wind. The under is 10-7 in Packers games and 8-8-1 in 49ers games. San Francisco beat Green Bay 37-8 as 3-point home favorites in Week 12.
Betting on the AFC Championship Game? Things to Know!
Sunday 3:05 p.m. ET: Tennessee Titans (11-7) at Kansas City Chiefs (13-4)
The Titans have quickly become the top storyline of the playoffs. Tennessee snuck in as the 6th seed and then proceeded to upset the Patriots 20-13 as a 4.5-point road dog on wild-card weekend then take down the top-seeded Ravens 28-12 as a 10-point road dog in the divisional round. Tennessee cashed %plussign0 on the moneyline in Round 1 and then %plussign@0 in Round 2. The Titans have gone 11-7 ATS this season including 7-3 ATS on the road. Derrick Henry has been unstoppable this postseason, rushing 64 times for 377 yards and a touchdown. Kansas City enters as the 2nd seed. The Chiefs fell behind big to the Texans 24-0 early in the divisional round, but stormed back to win 51-31 as 10-point favorites. Kansas City has gone 12-5 ATS this season, including 6-3 ATS at home. At Circa Sports, the Chiefs are the favorite to win the Super Bowl while the Titans have the longest odds of the four remaining teams
The AFC championship game, which kicks off at 3:05 p.m. ET, opened with Kansas City listed as a 7.5-point home favorite. The public is rushing to the window to lay the points with the Chiefs at Arrowhead. However, despite two-thirds of bets backing Kansas City the line has remained frozen at 7.5 and the juice is trending toward Tennessee (+7.5 at -115), signaling liability on the road dog and a possible move down to 7. Playoff dogs +7 or more are 37-26 ATS (59%) since 2003, including 6-2 ATS (75%) in conference title games. When the line stays the same or moves toward a dog they’ve gone 59-42 ATS (58%), including 3-1 ATS this postseason. Home favorites like the Chiefs are 14-12 ATS (53.8%) in conference title games.
The total opened at 51.5 and has risen to 52 behind two-thirds of bets taking the over. Conference championship overs are 18-11 (62%) since 2003. The forecast calls for frigid temperatures (20 degrees) but no precipitation and only 3-4 MPH winds. When the temperature is less than 30 degrees the over is 116-81 (58.9%), including 24-14 (63.2%) in the postseason. Outdoor playoff unders are 4-2 this postseason and 77-58 (57%) since 2003. Tony Corrente, the lead ref, has historically favored unders (56.7%). Both teams have been profitable to the over this season, with the Titans 10-8 and Chiefs 9-8. The Titans beat the Chiefs 35-32 in Week 10, winning straight up as 5-point home dogs.
New England only has 2 of them!