Friday, January 18, 2008

AFC/NFC Title Game Predictions

Without further ado, I give you my AFC/NFC Title game predictions for the 2007 NFL season.



New England Pats/San Diego Bolts: The Chargers have turned in to my new favorite team to hate as a Titans fan. The sheer obnoxiousness of Phillip "Marmalard" Rivers and Shawn Merriman is enough to annoy even a casual football fan, but now that they put my Titans out of the playoffs they have securely placed themselves above the hated Ravens in the pantheon of this Titans fandom. It will be enjoyable to watch the spread offense clinic that the Pats put on each week decimate an overrated San Diego defense. It would please me tremendously to see Maroney light up Merriman on a blocking route a'la Maurice Jones-Drew. And for good measure, I would like to see Junior Seau plant Rivers like an elm tree after the Chargers called him washed up years ago. The Bolts can't play catch up against this offense, and if they go down early, this will be a blowout.

Pick: Pats 35, Chargers 17.

Green Bay Packers/New Jersey Giants: This game has all the potential of a classic winter ice-bowl playoff battle. It's supposed to be Antarctic-like weather conditions (possibly subzero by game-time), and any precipitation at all will be white and fluffy. Last week the Packers were able to use this to their advantage as the smaller Seattle defense got pushed around all game by the Packers running attack. Brett Favre excels in bad weather as he has by far more experience in it than any other QB still playing. The Giants have been the Cinderella team this year, and have shown up when it matters at all the right times through the last few weeks of the year. Eli Manning has taken less time to get to an championship game than his brother, and no one saw that coming. I've been impressed with the Giants ability to stretch the field with Plexico Burress, and their defensive line has been wreaking havoc against their opponents throughout the playoffs. Unfortunately for Giants fans, snowy bad weather neutralizes deep passing games and speed rushers from the outside, putting pressure on the interior linemen to step up and dominate the line of scrimmage. I believe that the Packers having the first week of the playoffs free is going to be the difference as the Giants are running on fumes at this point.

Pick: Packers 17, Giants 3



I am working on a post to discuss the return of the 'Dinger (Mike Heimerdinger) as Offensive Co-ordinator of the Titans, as I think this could be the spark that reignites the Titans offense next year. Enjoy the games, as sadly, we only have three meaningful NFL games left...........sigh........

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