NFL: Championship Sunday
Last weekend certainly was not the best weekend of playoff football ever, and it wasn't as good as the Wild Card round, but the NFL never disappoints.
The weekend got started on the right foot with a thriller between the Saints and 49ers. There were three touchdowns scored in the final two and half minutes ending with San Francisco QB Alex Smith hitting TE Vernon Davis for the game winning touchdown with nine seconds left. Drew Brees and the Saints put on quite an offensive display, but New Orleans could not overcome five turnovers to oust the 49ers.
Great start to the weekend, right? Well, the primetime game was a dud. The Patriots destroyed Tim Tebow and the Broncos by a score of 35-7 and that was just at halftime. New England went on to win 45-10, ending Tebow Time for the season.
As for Baltimore and Houston, it was as physical as advertised and with the Ravens jumping out to an early 17-3 lead at the end of the first quarter, I thought it was over. However, I give the Texans a lot of credit for coming back and making a game of it with a rookie quarterback. The Houston defense was phenomenal throughout and along with RB Arian Foster, they kept the Texans in the game, but QB T.J. Yates threw three costly interceptions. One can only wonder how the Texans would have done had QB Matt Schaub been healthy. My guess would be that they'd be playing this weekend.
Then there was the game late Sunday afternoon. It was supposed to be one of those games for the ages, but it sure did not live up to the hype. The Green Bay Packers picked a really bad time to play their worst game of the season by missing numerous tackles on defense and not being able to cover Giants WR Hakeem Nicks, who had 165-yds receiving and 2 TD. The Packers this season had arguably the best receiving core in football, but they dropped at least 8 well thrown balls from QB Aaron Rodgers and it seemed like even more.
Aaron Rodgers even missed some throws including a wide open Greg Jennings in the first quarter, who could've walked into the end zone. But the biggest reason for the Packers season coming to an end was their four turnovers. Green Bay coughed the ball up three times in critical situations in the game and never could recover. The Giants defense deserves a lot of credit for keeping pressure on Aaron Rodgers, but Eli and the offense made some big plays when they needed too, helping keep the Packers in the rear view mirror.
Not the best set of four games ever seen during a weekend in the NFL playoffs, but I think those games set up the potential for two very competitive Conference Championship games. Ravens vs. Patriots and Giants vs. 49ers, all playing with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line, it doesn't get much better than that. Here's who I see heading to Indianapolis in two weeks to play in Super Bowl XLVI.
Conference Championship Picks (Home team in CAPS)
NEW ENGLAND over Baltimore: Two very different football teams, but one common goal, get to the Super Bowl. This season the Ravens, like they have for the last decade, have won with defense. Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs, Haloti Ngata and Co. make up one of the league's best defenses this year, and I think they are one of maybe four, that match up with the Patriots offensive attack.
While the Ravens have won by running over there opponent with great defense, RB Ray Rice and the Baltimore rushing attack, the Patriots have won by simply putting up more yards and points than their opponent. Tom Brady and the Patriots offense have basically been unstoppable this season. Tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez are a matchup nightmare for defenses and Tom Brady gets them and WR Wes Welker the ball with pin point accuracy.
It should be fun to watch the Ravens try and stop Brady and the Patriots offense, but I think this game will be won or lost based on how Ravens QB Joe Flacco plays. Flacco was a first round pick a few years ago and he is a very good quarterback, one of the top 15 in the league, but he has to play well for Baltimore to win.
At times this year and throughout his career, Flacco has struggled in the big game and has yet to have a championship caliber performance. The Patriots defense is not very good; however, they don't give up a lot of points. They are going to be focused on stopping Ray Rice and the running game, so Flacco has to be effective throwing the football and he has the weapons to get the job done. Rice, Anquan Boldin, Torry Smith, Dennis Pitta, and Ed Dickson, are all good players, it's just up to Flacco to make the throws that can get the Ravens to the Super Bowl.
As good as the Ravens are on defense, I think they are going to struggle stopping the Patriots tight ends and until I see it, I don't think Flacco can get them to the Super Bowl. Maybe he comes out and has the game of his life, but I picked the Patriots to win the Super Bowl at the start of the season. It's hard to pick against Brady and Belichick in any week and I certainly won't do it here.
Patriots win a close, physical game, and get back to the Super Bowl where I see them playing the team they lost to in Super Bowl XLII...the "New York Football Giants."
NY Giants over SAN FRANCISCO: This game is a toss-up. The Giants are the hottest team in the NFL, but the 49ers are at home, and how can you pick against them after winning in dramatic fashion in the final seconds last week against the Saints? It's a pickle, I tell ya.
For as well as both teams are playing right now, I have to take the Giants on Sunday. Teams that get hot in the playoffs are very dangerous and most go on to win the Super Bowl. The Steelers did it in '06, the Giants did it back in '07, and the Packers did it just last year. The G-Men already lost once in San Francisco this year back in Week 10, 27-20, and they don't want that to happen again, especially with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.
Much like the Ravens, the 49ers have won with defense and running the football, not to mention 44 field goals from David Akers. Last week, the Saints put up 472-yds of offense and 32 points, which forced the 49ers offense to throw the ball and put up touchdowns, not field goals. QB Alex Smith was excellent last week with a 28-yd TD run to give the 49ers the lead at the two minute warning and he had 3 TD passes, including the final one to Vernon Davis with nine seconds left.
The 49ers have a very rich quarterback history with Joe Montana and Steve Young, and the play of Alex Smith last week brought back the glory days of Montana and Young for 49ers fans. Alex Smith is a former number one pick and going into the season he was playing for his job, a job some people thought he shouldn't even have. Now, he has the 49ers won game from the Super Bowl, but he doesn't deserve all the credit.
The job Jim Harbaugh has done with Alex Smith and this team this season is remarkable, especially with the lockout. Harbaugh has a very unique coaching style and personality that his team feeds off of and it has turned the 49ers into contenders again. They are a very tough team and they have played some great football this year, but I don't see them beating the Giants this weekend.
It's tough to know what Peyton Manning has left in the tank, but Eli is making a case for being the best Manning playing quarterback in the NFL right now. Eli is playing the best football of his career and I would love to see him and that Giants defense go up against Brady and Belichick in a rematch from Super Bowl XLII. We'll see if I'm right, but as my record this postseason indicates, I wouldn't bet on it.
Last week: 2-2
Postseason: 4-4
The weekend got started on the right foot with a thriller between the Saints and 49ers. There were three touchdowns scored in the final two and half minutes ending with San Francisco QB Alex Smith hitting TE Vernon Davis for the game winning touchdown with nine seconds left. Drew Brees and the Saints put on quite an offensive display, but New Orleans could not overcome five turnovers to oust the 49ers.
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| Tim Tebow could only hang his head after his season was ended in last Saturday's loss to the Patriots. (Elise Amendola/AP) |
As for Baltimore and Houston, it was as physical as advertised and with the Ravens jumping out to an early 17-3 lead at the end of the first quarter, I thought it was over. However, I give the Texans a lot of credit for coming back and making a game of it with a rookie quarterback. The Houston defense was phenomenal throughout and along with RB Arian Foster, they kept the Texans in the game, but QB T.J. Yates threw three costly interceptions. One can only wonder how the Texans would have done had QB Matt Schaub been healthy. My guess would be that they'd be playing this weekend.
Then there was the game late Sunday afternoon. It was supposed to be one of those games for the ages, but it sure did not live up to the hype. The Green Bay Packers picked a really bad time to play their worst game of the season by missing numerous tackles on defense and not being able to cover Giants WR Hakeem Nicks, who had 165-yds receiving and 2 TD. The Packers this season had arguably the best receiving core in football, but they dropped at least 8 well thrown balls from QB Aaron Rodgers and it seemed like even more.
Aaron Rodgers even missed some throws including a wide open Greg Jennings in the first quarter, who could've walked into the end zone. But the biggest reason for the Packers season coming to an end was their four turnovers. Green Bay coughed the ball up three times in critical situations in the game and never could recover. The Giants defense deserves a lot of credit for keeping pressure on Aaron Rodgers, but Eli and the offense made some big plays when they needed too, helping keep the Packers in the rear view mirror.
Not the best set of four games ever seen during a weekend in the NFL playoffs, but I think those games set up the potential for two very competitive Conference Championship games. Ravens vs. Patriots and Giants vs. 49ers, all playing with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line, it doesn't get much better than that. Here's who I see heading to Indianapolis in two weeks to play in Super Bowl XLVI.
Conference Championship Picks (Home team in CAPS)
NEW ENGLAND over Baltimore: Two very different football teams, but one common goal, get to the Super Bowl. This season the Ravens, like they have for the last decade, have won with defense. Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs, Haloti Ngata and Co. make up one of the league's best defenses this year, and I think they are one of maybe four, that match up with the Patriots offensive attack.
While the Ravens have won by running over there opponent with great defense, RB Ray Rice and the Baltimore rushing attack, the Patriots have won by simply putting up more yards and points than their opponent. Tom Brady and the Patriots offense have basically been unstoppable this season. Tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez are a matchup nightmare for defenses and Tom Brady gets them and WR Wes Welker the ball with pin point accuracy.
It should be fun to watch the Ravens try and stop Brady and the Patriots offense, but I think this game will be won or lost based on how Ravens QB Joe Flacco plays. Flacco was a first round pick a few years ago and he is a very good quarterback, one of the top 15 in the league, but he has to play well for Baltimore to win.
_20101017163658_640_480.JPG "Patriots vs. Ravens_20101017163658_JPG") |
| The Ravens have to get pressure on QB Tom Brady early in the game on Sunday if they are to have any chance of winning. (Michael Dwyer/AP) |
At times this year and throughout his career, Flacco has struggled in the big game and has yet to have a championship caliber performance. The Patriots defense is not very good; however, they don't give up a lot of points. They are going to be focused on stopping Ray Rice and the running game, so Flacco has to be effective throwing the football and he has the weapons to get the job done. Rice, Anquan Boldin, Torry Smith, Dennis Pitta, and Ed Dickson, are all good players, it's just up to Flacco to make the throws that can get the Ravens to the Super Bowl.
As good as the Ravens are on defense, I think they are going to struggle stopping the Patriots tight ends and until I see it, I don't think Flacco can get them to the Super Bowl. Maybe he comes out and has the game of his life, but I picked the Patriots to win the Super Bowl at the start of the season. It's hard to pick against Brady and Belichick in any week and I certainly won't do it here.
Patriots win a close, physical game, and get back to the Super Bowl where I see them playing the team they lost to in Super Bowl XLII...the "New York Football Giants."
NY Giants over SAN FRANCISCO: This game is a toss-up. The Giants are the hottest team in the NFL, but the 49ers are at home, and how can you pick against them after winning in dramatic fashion in the final seconds last week against the Saints? It's a pickle, I tell ya.
For as well as both teams are playing right now, I have to take the Giants on Sunday. Teams that get hot in the playoffs are very dangerous and most go on to win the Super Bowl. The Steelers did it in '06, the Giants did it back in '07, and the Packers did it just last year. The G-Men already lost once in San Francisco this year back in Week 10, 27-20, and they don't want that to happen again, especially with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.
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| Eli and the Giants already played the 49ers once this season, but the stakes are much higher this time with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) |
The 49ers have a very rich quarterback history with Joe Montana and Steve Young, and the play of Alex Smith last week brought back the glory days of Montana and Young for 49ers fans. Alex Smith is a former number one pick and going into the season he was playing for his job, a job some people thought he shouldn't even have. Now, he has the 49ers won game from the Super Bowl, but he doesn't deserve all the credit.
The job Jim Harbaugh has done with Alex Smith and this team this season is remarkable, especially with the lockout. Harbaugh has a very unique coaching style and personality that his team feeds off of and it has turned the 49ers into contenders again. They are a very tough team and they have played some great football this year, but I don't see them beating the Giants this weekend.
It's tough to know what Peyton Manning has left in the tank, but Eli is making a case for being the best Manning playing quarterback in the NFL right now. Eli is playing the best football of his career and I would love to see him and that Giants defense go up against Brady and Belichick in a rematch from Super Bowl XLII. We'll see if I'm right, but as my record this postseason indicates, I wouldn't bet on it.
Last week: 2-2
Postseason: 4-4
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