Championship Weekend

When it comes to the NFL, everyone has their favorite weekends. For me, Super Bowl weekend is way down on the list, but not Championship weekend. Championship weekend makes my top 4 and if they would ever decide to move it to Saturday, it would probably become my favorite.  

1)      Opening Weekend

-          The moment the final whistle blows on Super Bowl Sunday, I already miss football. So needless to say, nothing can trump opening weekend, filling a 7 month void in my life and bringing with it Super dreams!

 

2)      Divisional Weekend

-          I love the 2 games on Saturday, 2 games on Sunday format. While the Wild Card weekend gives us the same format, it doesn’t have the same meaning. Win on this weekend and you are one step away from the Big Game.

 

3)      Thanksgiving Day

-          Dear lord what is there not to like about this day! Off work? Check. Off the next day? Check. Fill oneself with copious amounts of beer and food? Check. 3 nationally televised NFL games starting at 12 and going until midnightish? Check, check check! That, my friends, is a day in Man Heaven.

 

4)      Championship Weekend

-          7-8 straight hours of football, at the end of which, the Super Bowl contenders will be known. The only thing that could make this day better would be moving it to Saturday. If I ever change my name to Roger Goddell (or get named the NFL Commissioner), this is my first change.

 

With that being said, you didn’t stop here for my NFL weekend rankings, you stopped to find out who will win and why. Lucky for you, I will tell you yet again…with roughly 50% certainty!

 

49ers @ Seahawks

Pick: 49ers

At the start of the playoffs, I predicted the Seahawks to be the NFC representative in the Super Bowl. For the second straight week, I am picking them to lose. Now that is confidence in my picks! While I like Seattle’s defense and their home field advantage, the 49ers are simply playing better than the Seahawks right now and look like a determined team. They showed great mental toughness and “clutchness” (if that is a word) in their win over the Packers in the South Pole and then last week they went to Carolina and made the Panthers look like they didn’t belong.

Why I Might be Right: The 49ers are playing better than the Seahawks right now and while I like Seattle’s defense, San Francisco’s defense is every bit as good and the San Fran offense is much better than that of the Seahawks – especially since the return of Crabtree. While many will point to the 29-3 whooping the Seahawks put on the 49ers in Seattle in week 2, this is a much different and much more confident 49ers team coming to Seattle this go round.

Why I Might be Wrong: Seattle has a hellacious defense and is a ridiculously loud and difficult place to play. Just ask the 49ers. In week 2 the 49ers went to Seattle and flew home with a 29-3 footprint on their forehead. And, just in case you haven’t heard it 8 million times on ESPN, the Seahawks (and Russell Wilson) are 16-1 at home over the past 2 years.

 

Patriots @ Broncos

Pick: Broncos

At the star of the year, I had the Broncos winning the Super Bowl. At the start of the playoffs, I also predicted the Broncos to win the Super Bowl. Unlike my NFC pick, I am sticking with my AFC  pick.

Why I Might be Right: Peyton Manning…and the talent discrepancy. While his playoff record (and stats) do not reflect his regular season mastery, Peyton Manning, for my money, is the best quarter back of all-time. Then to give him Welker, Thomas, Decker, Moreno and Julian Thomas and it is almost unfair. Manning has always been surrounded with talent, but never has he had talent like this year and never has the NFL seen a season like Manning’s. With 3 TDs and about 300 yards, Manning would hit 60 TDs and 6,000 yards on the year. Yup, I am going with that guy.

Why I Might be Wrong: Tom Brady, Bill Belichick vs Denver’s defense….and Peyton Manning’s playoff track record. First things first. Brady won’t be matching up 1-on-1 with Manning, but he will be going against the 27^th ranked Denver pass defense which will be missing their top corner (Harris) and best overall defender (Miller). While Brady may not have the weapons he once did, this is not a very good Denver defense. Even with Von Miller and Clark Harris, this is a defense that just 7 weeks ago, could not hold a 24 point lead in New England. Belichick’s recipe to stopping Manning seems to be to try and shorten the game and keep Manning from getting into rhythm by keeping him on the sideline as much as possible. With LeGarrette Blount running the way he is, the Patriots may be able to do just that. Lastly, as much as I like Manning, facts are facts, and the facts are that Manning’s playoff track record is not good (10-11) and his record against Brady/Belichick is even worse (4-10). Manning will need to overcome the Patriots defense, the weather and the “monkey on his back” in order to win on Sunday.