Last week, I was 2 for 2 on pics (remember that I reserved a mulligan on that Ravens-Titans game.) In truth, I haven't read anyone who picked all 4 games. We all got our asses handed to us by the total collapse of the Carolina Panthers. And seriously, no one expects both number one seeds to fall to their number six opponents in the middle round. Hell, almost nobody expected both number 6 seeds to be in the Championship game.
Whereas last year, when I felt terribly apathetic about the playoffs (until the Giants slew the Patriots), this year I feel more like a fan. It's not that I'm excited so much for the teams that aren't what I call mine. It's that I have found teams each weekend that I truly want to root for. In the previous 8 games, only one of those teams has actually won their contest. So, this week I'm clearly stating that I am picking the teams I want to win, and not necessarily going for those I think can, technically should or will win. Perhaps those coincide.
NFC Championship
Philadelphia Eagles (6) at Arizona Cardinals (4)
For a decade now, I've had to listen to sports know-it-alls talk trash about Donovan McNabb. I was there when Oxycontin Limbaugh blew his brief stint with ESPN by claiming that sports reporting about McNabb was too nice because he was a black man. Rush deserved to be fired not only because what he said was racist; it was totally stupid. Those of us who haven't rewritten history have seen McNabb called incapable, unmotivated, ignorant, untalented and, get this, a "silly footnote to quarterbacking". Truth: I hate the Eagles. I hated Veterans stadium, I hated Buddy Ryan, I've hated their fans, I thought Randall Cunningham really *was* overrated. The only things I've ever liked about the Eagles were Reggie White (I wanted to party when he went to Green Bay), Ron Jaworski (a great football mind) and Donovan McNabb.
Pop Quiz: Since the merger, how many quarterbacks have taken their team to the conference championship game 5 times? I'm not a stats geek, but I know that it's damned few. The only ones I can think of off the top of my head are Joe Montana and John Elway (and possibly Troy Akman, but I'm not sure about that one.) They were all first-ballot Hall of Famers. That's some rarified air up there, and Donovan McNabb shares it. And of the 4 QBs mentioned here, if I have a third or fourth and long, I want McNabb under center. That guy can pull off seeming miracles. So I'm done putting up with BS about how he needs to be traded, or he's washed up, or people stupid enough to mistake his sense of humor for ignorance of the game. McNabb is a great quarterback.
This week, he faces another certain hall-of-fame pick in Kurt Warner. I can't say enough about how the Cardinals have humbled my opinions of them. That defense (which apparently spent the season in stealth mode) has been amazing. The Cardinals are a great team and I'm happy for the people of Pheonix who've waiting a long time for this. But I haven't forgotten Thanksgiving night. I haven't forgotten how physical that Eagles defense was against a very physical Giant's O-line. Number 6 seed or not, this game belongs to the Iggles. This game will be McNabbs's.
Philadelphia - 35, Arizona - 17
AFC Championship
Baltimore Ravens (6) at Pittsburgh Steelers (2)
First allow me this: you *SUCK*, Norv Turner. Sproles was hot, again. You had field position, again. You played against a wounded Polamalu. You couldn't pressure Big Ben. You couldn't keep the penalties down. You couldn't manage the clock. That game was the Chargers to lose, and they lost. HA!
Seriously, that was about the best that I've seen the Steelers play all year. Disregard that weird score. The Steelers put up 410 yards of offense, and more importantly held the Chargers to 213. The San Diego defense played very well, but they still couldn't stop Willie Parker. And Ward, well, he was on fire. The old man still has it.
On the other side, have I mentioned that the Ravens defense scares me? Why yes; yes, I have. They are a thing of brutal beaty. Tennessee kept trying to trick or out-manuever them, all the while racking up stupid penalties. That was a Titanic collapse on their part. I don't expect that from Pittsburgh. The Steelers adjust well, on offense and defense. As good as that Titan defense was against the run, they couldn't do what the Steel Curtain does. They couldn't make Rookie Flacco see his life flash before his eyes. LaBeau will. Count on it.
Ultimately, this is it. As a 'tweener', I grew up loving the Steelers. I still do, my beloved Broncos not withstanding. As a Bronco fan, I hate Modell's bastard afterbirth of a football team. I want the Ravens to go down, and go down hard. I'm making Roethles-burgers on Sunday eve. Go Steelers!
Baltimore - 12 (for the 12 indictments of their mayor), Pittsburgh - 24
Wish you had been right about the Eagles.
Damned close with the other one, though.
Posted by: jhwygirl | January 18, 2009 at 10:52 PM