Well after a great 3-1 Wild Card round predictions, my divisional round picks fell flat on their face. I went 1-3...but in my defense I didn't see the Saints turning the ball over 5 times & not double covering the Niners' best receiver (Vernon Davis), nor did I see the Texans muff a punt that swung momentum early in the game & the Texans couldn't ever recover, nor did I see the Packers receivers dropping so many passes...for what it's worth (Ironically, last year I was the same record after the divisional round 4-4).
So now the conference championship games. To be honest, both games are eh to me but it is what it is. There are two scenarios that I'd be fine with and there are two that would make for an ugh Super Bowl. You can probably guess which two would make for an ugh Super Bowl (just think Super Bowl XXXV). Okay onto my picks (as always the scores don't really matter just the picks).
The first conference title game is the AFC Championship game between the Baltimore Ravens vs the New England Patriots. Let's be honest, is there any doubt who I'm picking in this game? But for the sake of a semi thorough review, here goes. The Ravens are coming off a victory against the Texans in the divisional round. Their defense is playing well and when they utilize the run game with Ray Rice, they are a good team. However, I'm not sold on that secondary (aside from Ed Reed) and I don't think that Joe Flacco is reliable in the big game or on the road (which this game is both a big game and on the road). The Patriots are coming off a beat down of the Broncos. Yes the Patriots have one of the worst defenses statistically in the league this year and they didn't beat a team with a winning record in the regular season. But the Pats still have Tom Brady, they still have the offensive weapons. On Sunday it will be the Pats' strength (offense) vs. the Ravens' strength (defense). What puts it over the edge? Two guys on the Patriots (Wes Welker & Stephen Gostkowski) were on my fantasy football team that won the championship, Ravens had 0. Advantage Patriots
Patriots 31 Ravens 17
The late game is the NFC Championship game between the New York Giants vs the San Francisco 49ers. To be honest, probably most NFL fans would've rather saw the Saints and Packers in this game but this is the game we've got. The Giants are coming off a victory against the defending Super Bowl champs while the Niners are coming off a victory over the Saints. A lot of people are comparing this Giants team to the one that won the Super Bowl in February 08. I think the better comparison was one I saw earlier this week with this team and the Packers team of last year. They have a great pass rush and the passing game is right up there. Rushing has been kind of inconsistent but it's kinda coming into form now. They are a team that seems to be hot at the right time but it also could be they're catching teams at the right time. On the other side, the 49ers have had a stingy defense and a great running game. Jim Harbaugh, in his first year as the Niners head coach, has turned this franchise around and have put them in a position to go to the Super Bowl since the mid 90s. Alex Smith has looked more like the #1 pick this season. However, this team is the more inexperienced team when it comes to the playoffs and their receivers dropped a lot of passes last week, something they cannot afford to do this week. This one is very tough to pick. Both teams have a legit shot of winning. Giants have the experience but the 49ers are at home. 49ers have a tough defense but Eli Manning has become one of the elite QBs in the league. Looking at my championship fantasy football team roster, I have one player from each team (Alex Smith vs. Ahmad Bradshaw). Deciding factor: Alex Smith was on my bench, Ahmad Bradshaw was a starter. Going with the Giants
Giants 20 49ers 13
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