Vince Wilfork Made Bold Patriots-Texans Super Bowl Prediction Even Before Bo Nix Injury
"I’m a big believer in defense wins championships"
Even before Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix suffered a season-ending ankle injury during his team’s AFC Divisional Round win against the Buffalo Bills, legendary nose tackle Vince Wilfork made a bold prediction regarding Sunday’s game between the Houston Texans and New England Patriots.
The Patriots Hall of Famer (who spent the last two seasons of his career with the Texans) told MassLive’s Karen Guregian recently that the survivor of the AFC Divisional Round matchup between Houston and New England would win the Super Bowl.
“The winner of this game, I pick as the Super Bowl winner,” Wilfork said, according to Guregian. “That’s how I look at it. I’m picking the Super Bowl winner to come from this game.”
At the time of the 44-year-old’s prediction, the Bills and Broncos hadn’t even kicked off yet.
What Wilfork was saying was that (assuming that Nix doesn’t go down with his injury), the winner of the Patriots-Texans clash would defeat Denver on the road (or reigning MVP Josh Allen if Buffalo had won). Not only that, but Wilfork was taking Houston/New England over any of the four NFC finalists.
While the Patriots became the new AFC favorites (per DraftKings Sportsbook) following their wild-card win over the Los Angeles Chargers, both the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks had, and still have, better odds than New England to capture the Lombardi Trophy.
The Patriots’ five-time Pro Bowler explained his reasoning for being so confident in Houston’s and New England’s chances.
“I’m a big believer in defense wins championships,” Wilfork said, per Guregian. “That’s where I stand. That’s what I believe.”
Ahead of the NFL playoffs, not many people were giving the Patriots a chance at earning their seventh championship.
Now, with a mostly healthy group on their side, facing an injury-ravaged Texans team on Sunday and awaiting a Nix-less Broncos team in the AFC Championship game, the stage is set for New England to return to the Super Bowl.
