What a slate of games we have this week! I can't remember being this excited to watch the AFC and NFC championship games. Last week went mostly as predicted and what we've ended up with are the four best teams in the league this year. The past couple of years we've ended up a mix of the best teams from the year and the hottest teams from the late season. I personally prefer to see the best teams from the year. Let's break down the games.
Pats vs. Broncos
Winner: Broncos
The bottom line here is the Broncos are a better team on paper and are playing at home. Belichick is a coaching maestro. It's hard to imagine how this team has won the games it's won up to this point and if they pull off the upset I'll be even more amazed. The Broncos and Peyton have the majority of the pressure on them, but they're capable of overcoming this pressure based solely on their talent advantage. Peyton doesn't play well in high pressure situations and Brady is playing a familiar role of underdog. That should give anyone picking this game pause. I think this ends up being a relatively high scoring game because the Broncos will have trouble defending the pass and the Patriot's defense isn't that good. Like last week, if Brady comes out hot and Peyton struggles this game could be over quickly. This will likely be the last time we see a Brady/Manning match up of this magnitude so enjoy!
49ers vs. Seahawks
Winner: 49ers
I think I'm primarily picking the Niners because they're my favorite team. The Niners are a more balanced team, they're more battle tested, and they have a bigger chip on their shoulder than the Seahawks. This game will come down to two things, the twelfth man and Colin Kaepernick. The 49ers' game management on offense is puzzling at times. Kaepernick consistently mismanages the clock and all too often players are not quite sure how to line up. Under the high stress conditions of playing in Seattle those little mistakes will be amplified. The 49ers cannot afford to get behind on the play clock or behind on downs. Kaepernick also has to minimize the mistakes. He's going to make at least one and so far he's gotten lucky with two bad throws that should have ended the 49ers' season. Seattle will force the bad play, but if the Niners can keep that bad play from turning into a touchdown then it will be a win. Seattle's biggest weakness is their passing game, which has been anemic of late. I think the poor play of Russell Wilson is overstated and I think he makes some plays today that we haven't seen from him in the playoffs. Percy Harvin isn't playing in this game, which is a huge blow, but Wilson didn't need Harvin to beat the Niners early in the season. If Lynch gets going then Seattle will be nearly impossible to beat because it'll take pressure off of Wilson to make plays consistently down the field. Aldon Smith and Ahmad Brooks have got to keep the edges of the pocket secure to prevent Wilson from scrambling and making plays outside the pocket. Keep an eye on the third downs early in this game. Last week the Niners were excellent on third down, mainly because those downs were less than 6 yards. Third down will be the difference in this game because first downs against these great defenses will be at a premium. Should be one helluva game!
Pats vs. Broncos
Winner: Broncos
The bottom line here is the Broncos are a better team on paper and are playing at home. Belichick is a coaching maestro. It's hard to imagine how this team has won the games it's won up to this point and if they pull off the upset I'll be even more amazed. The Broncos and Peyton have the majority of the pressure on them, but they're capable of overcoming this pressure based solely on their talent advantage. Peyton doesn't play well in high pressure situations and Brady is playing a familiar role of underdog. That should give anyone picking this game pause. I think this ends up being a relatively high scoring game because the Broncos will have trouble defending the pass and the Patriot's defense isn't that good. Like last week, if Brady comes out hot and Peyton struggles this game could be over quickly. This will likely be the last time we see a Brady/Manning match up of this magnitude so enjoy!
49ers vs. Seahawks
Winner: 49ers
I think I'm primarily picking the Niners because they're my favorite team. The Niners are a more balanced team, they're more battle tested, and they have a bigger chip on their shoulder than the Seahawks. This game will come down to two things, the twelfth man and Colin Kaepernick. The 49ers' game management on offense is puzzling at times. Kaepernick consistently mismanages the clock and all too often players are not quite sure how to line up. Under the high stress conditions of playing in Seattle those little mistakes will be amplified. The 49ers cannot afford to get behind on the play clock or behind on downs. Kaepernick also has to minimize the mistakes. He's going to make at least one and so far he's gotten lucky with two bad throws that should have ended the 49ers' season. Seattle will force the bad play, but if the Niners can keep that bad play from turning into a touchdown then it will be a win. Seattle's biggest weakness is their passing game, which has been anemic of late. I think the poor play of Russell Wilson is overstated and I think he makes some plays today that we haven't seen from him in the playoffs. Percy Harvin isn't playing in this game, which is a huge blow, but Wilson didn't need Harvin to beat the Niners early in the season. If Lynch gets going then Seattle will be nearly impossible to beat because it'll take pressure off of Wilson to make plays consistently down the field. Aldon Smith and Ahmad Brooks have got to keep the edges of the pocket secure to prevent Wilson from scrambling and making plays outside the pocket. Keep an eye on the third downs early in this game. Last week the Niners were excellent on third down, mainly because those downs were less than 6 yards. Third down will be the difference in this game because first downs against these great defenses will be at a premium. Should be one helluva game!
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