Photo: oregonlive.com
- Adam Parker
The divisional round of the NFL Playoffs is in the books, and what a historic weekend it was!
Upsets galore as the fiery upstart San Francisco 49ers led by rookie head coach Jim Harbaugh knock off the Saints in the friendly confines of Candlestick Park in what will surely go down as one of the best finishes to a playoff game in league history. I tell you, even though I lost this pick, those last eight minutes of the fourth quarter was like watching a fifteen-round heavyweight title fight. In hindsight regarding my pick, my gut told me to go with San Fran, but I decided to go chalk. Never again.
Not to be outdone, however, were the New York Giants who convincingly knocked off the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers at Lambeau. Did the Packers make a mistake in resting Aaron Rodgers before the playoffs? That's neither here nor there. The fact is, whether Rodgers played in those final games leading up to last week or not, I don't think it would have mattered much considering how dominant the G-Men's pass rush has been of late. Oh, and if I didn't mention it before, Hakeem Nicks is a straight-up beast.
Patriots blow out the Broncos in Foxborough by a score of 45-10. But let's be honest, after giving Bill Belichick an extra week to prepare, did we really expect anything less? Not to mention, Tom Brady looks like a man on a mission to get to Indy for the Super Bowl, regardless of whether his defense helps him out along the way or not.
The Ravens bested the Texans 20-13, but heading into a game against Brady and the Pats, a team they've only beaten one out of their last seven meetings, Joe Flacco and the offense will need to step up their game in a big way.
My Regular Season Pick 'Em Record: 61-31
My Playoff Pick 'Em Record: 6-2
Who will earn their way to play on Super Sunday? Let's find out!
Ravens (12-4) at Patriots (13-3) - CBS
Outside of games involving the New England Patriots, this season's playoffs has been all about the defense. Teams with the better 'D' have come out victorious in the end. The Ravens always have one of the best in the league led by Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, but I think the Patriots might just have too many weapons for even Baltimore to handle.
Look for Brady to hit his two favorite targets - second-year tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. Those guys are two of the toughest covers in the league, and since Ed Reed can't cover them both (at least I think not, but you never know).
The only chance the Ravens have is to keep feeding Ray Rice the rock. However, even if they do that, the odds of Rice being able to outscore Brady are slim to none. Be sure to watch how the Ravens' offensive line, who gave up five sacks last week against Houston, does against New England's pass rush. They need to be dominant if Baltimore wants to have a chance.
Prediction - Patriots win, 34-27.
Giants (9-7) at 49ers (13-3) - FOX
Many people would say that this game will feature two teams who 'play the game the way it's meant to be played." I happen to agree. This one will truly be a game of inches and a battle in the trenches. You may not hear about them in the media very often, but the "big uglies" on both sides of the ball will decide this one. Both teams have great pass rushes, but the 49ers also boast the league's stingiest run defense. Add in that I don't believe any one can cover 49ers tight end Vernon Davis one-on-one and you have a 49ers victory and their first Super Bowl berth since 1994.
Prediction - 49ers win, 24-20.
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