AFC CHAMPIONSHIP
BALTIMORE RAVENS @ NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
I’m trying to think how the Ravens will be able to beat the Patriots in Foxborough. Barring at least one significant injury, I can’t.
The Patriots are simply too hungry, too powerful and too good.
In 17 games this season, the Patriots have scored 30 points or more 13 times, including eight times in the last nine games. Gulp.
New England simply poses too many matchup problems. If a team were to double-team Rob Gronkowski, good luck with Wes Welker and Aaron Hernandez. If a team were to somehow double-team two of those guys, good luck with the other one, not to mention Deion Branch or a group of running backs who can catch the ball out of the backfield.
In addition, Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady does a terrific job of rendering even a talented pass rush somewhat slower by how quickly he goes through his progressions and gets rid of the football.
Even with a minimal running game at best, Brady has been able to buck conventional wisdom and put up astounding numbers. He is simply too good. He simply has too many weapons.
More importantly, he, along with his teammates, seems unbelievably focused on bringing another Lombardi Trophy back to team headquarters. When Brady gets “that look,” he is usually as close to unstoppable as an NFL player can get.
The Ravens’ defense is still very good, ranking third in the NFL by allowing only 16.6 points per game. But this just isn’t any other game against any ‘ole team. This is the AFC Championship…against the vaunted Patriots…in the Patriots’ house.
Very good won’t be good enough for Baltimore. New England rolls into Super Bowl XLVI.
NEW ENGLAND 34, BALTIMORE 17
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP
NEW YORK GIANTS @ SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
After 17 years, the 49ers will return to football’s Promised Land. It won’t be easy, but then again, getting to the Super Bowl is usually an arduous survival of the fittest. And San Francisco will be the fittest, but the margin will be small.
One has to respect how the Giants are able to get pressure on the quarterback with their front four. Whenever they make a run in the playoffs, this seems to be a key component to their success. They did a great job of making Packers’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers uneasy last weekend. In the Wild Card round two weekends ago, they simply abused Falcons’ quarterback Matt Ryan.
But the 49ers are a different animal. While quarterback Alex Smith has been solid, but typically unspectacular (save for last week against the Saints), the 49ers horse it up and run the ball. They run it to the tune of 127.8 yards per game, eighth in the NFL.
The Packers haven’t been able to run the ball consistently the entire season. Clearly that has not been the case with the 49ers. I’m not saying San Francisco will run over New York. The Giants have a way of playing tough in the postseason. They allowed, however, 121.2 rushing yards per game during the regular season.
The 49ers’ rushing attack will keep the Giants’ defensive line honest. That should open up play-action for Smith, who showed against New Orleans that he is capable of putting up big numbers on the big stage.
Beyond the San Francisco offense, the 49ers’ defense has been nothing short of sensational this year. While quarterback Eli Manning is playing well for the Giants right now, he hasn’t faced the 49ers’ defense. The 49ers flat-out get after it. That will continue Sunday against the Giants.
It’s one thing to have a good drive against the 49ers. The Giants might have one of those here and there. But it’s another thing completely to have a good game against that defense. That won’t happen. By any measure, the 49ers have one of the elite defenses in the NFL. They allow 14.3 points per game (2nd in the league), 308.2 yards (4th) and 77.3 yards rushing (1st). There is no reason to think the Giants will do much better than the numbers suggest.
As if they need one other advantage, the 49ers will be at home. It will be a physical battle. But it will be a San Francisco treat Sunday at Candlestick Park. The 49ers march on to the Super Bowl.
SAN FRANCISCO 23, NEW YORK 17
Tags: AFC Championship Preview, Mike Rice, NFC Championship Preview
You joke, but he’d do very very well in the PB when they’re not allowed to tackle and no-one cares who wins!
Haha, UKBroncos, you took that exactly where I was going with it.
The only reason they would invite him is for the ratings. Personally I do not watch the PB but whatever. I will be apartment hunting all this weekend so oh well.
Well not the only reason … he is the 2nd alternate after Dalton … AFC didn’t have many quality QBs this year. Flacco usually sucks … he did well yesterday tho. But TT in Pro Bowl im all for it. Im all for as many Bronco players in Pro Bowl as possible. Last chance to watch Bronco players before preseason … even if it is waterdowned football. Some say its a sham … I think its just fun football with nothing on the line, no one trying to get hurt,a nd nothing but big plays after big plays because the D is playing with 1 hand tied behind thier back. Base Offense agaisnt Base D … Tebow should be fine. This of course comign from a guy who usually watches the Pro Bowl. Its not the NFLs fault that unlike other sports its too dangerous to have a real game that is meaningless for the most part.
TRB
The pro bowl………like the NHL All Star game, is pretty lame imo. And to have it the week before the big game, where players who are playing in the SB are pro-bowlers doesn’t even make sense.
at least the NHL has the skills competition which is always fun to watch………and they’ve mixed it up this year and last by having team captains pick their team like a pick-up game.
And the NBA has the slam dunk contest which is fun to watch.
The Pro Bowl? YAWN!
I think those NFL commercials with the players singing to fans is a crock of $#!+. Do they really need to waste the money trying to portray the players like they really care about us?
I`ll be looking forward to baseball season.
really not happy to see Coach Allen going for a second interview…and at the senior bowl where they can already discuss the talent pool. ugh!!!!!
So the NFL Combine in Indianapolis is Feb. 22-28. Looking forward to catching it on NFLN.
Just read an article about Harbaugh not agreeing with the non-fumble call off bradshaw………..
You know, if the league has instant replay, it’s there to make sure the call is correct. They really need to change this stupid dead-ball rule, making it not reviewable. If it’s a play that can alter the outcome of a game, it should be reviewable, regardless of a whistle.
This has happened multiple times this season, especially in the playoffs when there’s more at stake………..
Shaz: Elway wasn’t offered 10% of the profits by Bowlen, Bowlen offered to sell Elway 10% of his Bronco stock. The Phipps put a halt to it. Part of agreement to sell the Broncos to Bowlen was that the Phipps had right of first refusal on the sale of any Bronco stock Bowlen decided to sell. The Phipps went to court over this and won.
It is the “forward progress” that makes it a difficult call.
It was Edgar Kaiser who sold to Bowlen and sued him, not Phipps, who sold to Kaiser. Kaiser later sued Bowlen for offering a 10% share to Elway without offering it to him first, but the initial ruling in Kaiser’s favor was overturned in Bowlen’s favor by the appellate court.
Forward progress is hard to make the call.
But is it me or have the refs been really slow to blow the whistle to signal the end of plays this offseason? Especially in the Pats games?
And back to Tim Tebow! LOL
ESPN’s All NFL Era Team
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7403681/no-19-broncos-qb-tim-tebow?eleven=twelve
JAMES LOFTON:
He’s totally a throwback. When you talk about guys who could play in any era, he could play in any era. It may not be quarterback. He might have been a linebacker, a running back. He might have been a tight end. He’s big enough that, if you take him back to the ’50s, he could have been an offensive lineman. His physical skill set is something you want in a football player in any era. He’s big, he’s fast, he’s tough, he’ll take a hit, he’ll deliver punishment. Tim Tebow, maybe he’s not a quarterback in the ’60s, maybe he’s a defensive tackle. But Tim Tebow’s going to come out, and he’s going to be a winner. And I think that’s what people are drawn to.
If we lose Dennis Allen, what candidates are out there that are available?
The only one I could think of would be Marty Schottenheimer? Rahim Morris would have been an ideal fit. But Shanny swooped him up. I imagine it would be some name of nobody we’ve heard of. Perhaps an inhouse promotion. Idk. It’s not a good situation to be in.
As if I needed any more reasons to dislike the raiders…
With how slow this proccess is taking with our OCs … chances are people will be gone before we can replace our loss. Nolan gone (teaching the 4-3 in ATL), Rahim is gone, if this last longer more premiere guys will be gone. And we would be forced into a Don ‘wink’ Martindale situation … or we will have to try to find another Allen from a quality team. I really don’t ant allen to go. Especially not to our hated rivals. We will get no where with all this defensive turnaround.
TRB
Winston Moss is the front runner to get the HC job for the raidres.
Apparently we’re just a breed farm for talent..players and coaches get good then we just let ‘em go.
This makes sense. Our DC is going to the Senior Bowl to scout for talent for us, on our dime, AND to be interviewed by our rivals. What am I missing here? If he gets the job, will he be there scouting for us or them?
The f’n RAIDERS of all teams…c’mon Allen, what’s up!
I say the broncos pick up Dennis Dixon as a back up QB. They draft Boise state RB Doug Martin in the 3rd. Russel Williams in the 4th. If Dre K. From Alabama is gone at 25. Then pick up NC DE who can also play DT Robert Quinn. 2nd round they should go for Janoris Jenkins. Any thoughts guys??????
Im pretty sure Robert Quinn came out of college last year. The rest im not sure about.
TRB