Conference Championships Preview
So, it has come to 4 teams after such a topsy-turvy season. Here are my thoughts on the 2 games for the weekend:
Eagles Vs Cardinals: It would be an understatement to say that the Cardinals have stunned the NFL with their advancement to the conference championship game. Absolutely nobody gave them a chance against the Panthers last weekend but they not only beat them but also humiliated them in front of their home crowd (I was in Charlotte for new year and you should see the cockiness in most of their voices as to how the Panthers will for sure make it to the Super Bowl without any issues). If the Cardinals are the most surprising team to be left in the fray, the Eagles are probably the most expected as once the playoffs began, they were the team nobody wanted to play. They have lived up to their name with 2 outstanding victories, at the Vikings and at the Giants. After the Seahawks, the Eagles are my most favorite team and McNabb is my favorite NFL player. So, I am really happy for them.
As far the game, I think the Eagles will win it handily. When Kurt Warner is given all the time in the world, he is a great QB and when he is subjected to pressure that one expects the Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson is expected to bring, he is at best a mediocre quarterback. So, I expect him to have a game slightly better than the one he had against the Patriots where he threw for a mere 30 yards before being benched. The Eagles don't have a quarterback who makes poor decisions like Jake Delhomme did last weekend for the Panthers. Brian Westbrook is always just 1 play away from running away with the game. Good defense, solid running game, efficient passing game - the Eagles recipe for success.
Pick: Eagles by 7
Ravens vs Steelers - The Steelers are the team that everyone loves to hate and the Seattle folks certainly do that after our loss in the Super Bowl game 2 years back. Any time a rookie coach and a rookie quarterback take a team to the conference championship game, we should appreciate it. What the Ravens have done this season has been just short of remarkable. Their bloody good defense always keeps their offense in the game, no matter how badly they do. The Pittsburgh Steelers, on the other hand, statistically have the best defense in football and also have in their ranks the Defensive Player of the year, James Harrison. So, this should be a cat fight between the 2 leading defenses in the league in what is expected to be a low scoring game.
Given the fact that the Steelers won both the regular season match-ups and given the NFL reasoning that it is almost impossible to beat the same time 3 times in a season, I pick the Ravens in this one. Roethlisberger's tendency to hold on to the football, just that wee bit longer, is going to be a major factor as he either will be sacked or will be forced into a turnover of some sort by the ever hungry Ravens defense. Flacco hasn't been sacked even once in the playoffs nor has he thrown an interception. All that will be crucial in this match-up where the margin of error is going to be very small and will ultimately prove to be the deciding factor. As a loyal Seahawks fan, I will be rooting for the Ravens.
Pick: Ravens by 3
Eagles Vs Cardinals: It would be an understatement to say that the Cardinals have stunned the NFL with their advancement to the conference championship game. Absolutely nobody gave them a chance against the Panthers last weekend but they not only beat them but also humiliated them in front of their home crowd (I was in Charlotte for new year and you should see the cockiness in most of their voices as to how the Panthers will for sure make it to the Super Bowl without any issues). If the Cardinals are the most surprising team to be left in the fray, the Eagles are probably the most expected as once the playoffs began, they were the team nobody wanted to play. They have lived up to their name with 2 outstanding victories, at the Vikings and at the Giants. After the Seahawks, the Eagles are my most favorite team and McNabb is my favorite NFL player. So, I am really happy for them.
As far the game, I think the Eagles will win it handily. When Kurt Warner is given all the time in the world, he is a great QB and when he is subjected to pressure that one expects the Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson is expected to bring, he is at best a mediocre quarterback. So, I expect him to have a game slightly better than the one he had against the Patriots where he threw for a mere 30 yards before being benched. The Eagles don't have a quarterback who makes poor decisions like Jake Delhomme did last weekend for the Panthers. Brian Westbrook is always just 1 play away from running away with the game. Good defense, solid running game, efficient passing game - the Eagles recipe for success.
Pick: Eagles by 7
Ravens vs Steelers - The Steelers are the team that everyone loves to hate and the Seattle folks certainly do that after our loss in the Super Bowl game 2 years back. Any time a rookie coach and a rookie quarterback take a team to the conference championship game, we should appreciate it. What the Ravens have done this season has been just short of remarkable. Their bloody good defense always keeps their offense in the game, no matter how badly they do. The Pittsburgh Steelers, on the other hand, statistically have the best defense in football and also have in their ranks the Defensive Player of the year, James Harrison. So, this should be a cat fight between the 2 leading defenses in the league in what is expected to be a low scoring game.
Given the fact that the Steelers won both the regular season match-ups and given the NFL reasoning that it is almost impossible to beat the same time 3 times in a season, I pick the Ravens in this one. Roethlisberger's tendency to hold on to the football, just that wee bit longer, is going to be a major factor as he either will be sacked or will be forced into a turnover of some sort by the ever hungry Ravens defense. Flacco hasn't been sacked even once in the playoffs nor has he thrown an interception. All that will be crucial in this match-up where the margin of error is going to be very small and will ultimately prove to be the deciding factor. As a loyal Seahawks fan, I will be rooting for the Ravens.
Pick: Ravens by 3
Labels: I hate Steelers, NFL, Sports
posted by Filbert at 6:57 PM
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