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| The Venerable NostraSamus - "Foresight is hindsight if you are walking backwards." |
The conference championships are upon us and the only thing we know for sure is that there will be a repeat Super Bowl champion this year.
Both games can easily go either way. I suppose that can be said of every NFL game. But NostraSamus's job is to peer into the Crystal Ball and prognosticate the future. And what does it reveal??
AFC Championship:
If you missed my Facebook post, I revealed an extraordinary stat earlier this week: the Patriots defeated 13 teams in the regular season. Not a single one of those teams ended their season above .500. After digging deeper, I noticed that two of the Pats' three losses came against teams with winning records (Steelers and Giants).
Put another way: of the Patriots' 16 games this season, they faced just two teams with winning records. No wonder New England is in the AFC Championship game!
After these facts came to my attention, everything tells me to change the pick I'm about to make. But I gotta keep it real and maintain my virtue.
The Brady Bunch - Tom, Gronk, Hernandez, Welker, Branch go toe-to-toe against Lewis, Suggs and the boyz. This promises to be an epic match-up. I've no doubt defenses win championships. Two weeks ago I saw North Dakota State beat Sam Houston State with a killer defense and a couple nights later I saw Alabama do the same to LSU.
But if there are keys to this game, they are on Baltimore's offense. If Ray Rice is "on" the Ravens will win. If Joe Flacco is "off" the Ravens will implode. The Pats defense has done a wonderful job of stinking up the joint this year, but all bets are off once the playoffs start.
So I'm picking New England to win. Why? For one thing, I do not want to see the lazy, overrated Bryant McKinnie bestowed with the honor of playing in a Super Bowl. Also, I'm not sure if Baltimore has an answer for all of New England's offensive weapons.
And I picked the Patriots to go to the Super Bowl before the playoffs started and I am
Baltimore 20
New England 29
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NFC Championship:
Okay, for the THIRD time this post-season, I'm going to say it: I don't think the Giants can capture lightning in a bottle twice, although they are doing a hell of a job of trying. It is pretty amusing when a team that's one game above .500 sneaks into the playoffs on the very last game of the season and then goes on a hot streak.
But I really do think the Giants meet the end of the road at Candlestick... that is, if the power at the stadium stays on.
I'm the first to admit it's difficult to pick against Nicks, Cruz and Manning; they have been ridiculously good this post season. But I think the Niners staunch run defense stops Bradshaw and Jacobs and forces Eli into forcing throws he wouldn't normally attempt; and a couple of turnovers is all it will take in this type of game.
If Alex Smith does another Steve Young impression, the words "clutch" and "gamer" will start to be associated with his name. Actually, I'm happy for the guy. He's living proof what can happen to a player if a franchise gives him time to mature - a rarity these days in the NFL.
In the end, it will be that Niners D that propels them into the Super Bowl, although it is tough picking against the hottest team in the playoffs right now. This is going to be a fun one to watch, folks.
NY Giants 17
San Francisco 23
Well, congratulations on getting this out first. I keep going back and forth (on everything about these matchups) - and have yet to come up with the same result(s) as you.
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