One step away from the Super Bowl. Can you smell it?!
Foxborough,
Massachusetts January 22, 2012 3:00 PM (EST)
Line: NE by 9
As a Browns fan, I would like nothing more for this game to
end in a tie. We all know that’s not going to happen, so I guess I will give
you a little take on this game between two-teams, well frankly, I have no love
for. Baltimore is 1-6 all-time vs. New England, however, that one-win did come
in the two-teams Wild Card game two seasons ago (Ravens 33 to 14 in Wild Card @
Foxboro). The match-up that will be the differences in this game will be
Patriots QB Tom Brady vs. the Ravens Defense. If it wasn’t for DREW BREES! Tom
Brady would have had the all-time single season record for passing yards in a
season. What can you say about the guy, he wins football games and he’s got
everything (including not one, but TWO baby mama’s), but you have to respect
him and acknowledge he is one of the greatest QB’s from this generation
(arguably of all-time). If the Ravens have any chance in this one, they have to
pressure Brady early and often. They also have to generate some sort of offense
vs. one of the worst statistical defenses in the NFL. Will the Ravens finally
get over the playoff hump and into the Super Bowl in the Harbaugh/Flacco era or
will the Patriots go to their 5th Super Bowl in the Brady era? It
sucks that one of these two teams have to be in the Super Bowl representing the
AFC (i.e. the Pittsburgh Steelers last season), but I’ll lend towards Brady and
home-field advantage in this one. Predictions:
Patriots 31, Ravens 20
Fun Facts: Tom Brady attended the University of Michigan
(which as of this post STILL SUCKS); Joe Flacco attended the University of
Delaware. Both starting QB’s in this game spent their college days wearing the
same design on their helmets (Check it out).
San Francisco, CA
January 22, 2012 6:30 PM (EST)
Line: SF by 3
What is this? Have we all got into our time-traveling
machines (I prefer Doc Brown’s DeLorean) and traveled back to the 1980’s. It’s
fitting that old Candlestick Park gets to host this meeting between two legendary
playoff rivals. This meeting marks the 8th time the two teams have played
each other in the playoffs since 1982. The last time the two teams played each
other in the NFC Championship Game was 1991, with the Giants winning that game
(15 to 13 @ Candlestick), ending the 49ers chance of a third straight Super
Bowl championship. The Niners won the regular season meeting this past season
(Week 10, 27 to 20 @ Candlestick Park). The Giants are 4-0 in NFC Championship
Games. This one is really a classic coin-flip (toss-up), both teams have great
defenses and are both playing good football the last couple of weeks,
especially the Giants (did you see that beat down they put on the Packers last
week). Well, it’s a pretty good chance you are going to get at least one
Harbaugh brother into the Super Bowl, I think it’s the one playing at home this
week. Predictions: 49ers 24, Giants 21
Fun Fact: Both starting QB’s were
back-to-back #1 overall picks in the NFL Draft (Eli Manning, 2004 & Alex
Smith, 2005).
