2 for 4

I haven't been writing too much about serious subjects, and I probably won't until after the Super Bowl, so just bear with me until then. Thanks.

So, last week, I was 2 for 4 in my playoff predictions. Who could've predicted, though, that Carson Palmer would tear his ACL on his first passing play of the game against Pittsburgh? Would the Bengals have won with Palmer? We'll never know, but they would have had a good chance in my opinion. As far as the Bucs/Redskins game, I have no excuse for that one. It came down to the Redskins defense causing turnovers and then turning them into points. It was a good close game that could have gone either way, but the Redskins pulled out the win. NE spanked Jacksonville much like I expected and Carolina totally dismantled the Giants. I thought the Giants would at least score some points, but dang! Carolina is looking good...especially when they are healthy.

So, here's what's on the schedule for this weekend along with my predictions. Let's hope I do better this time:

Saturday, January 14th

(#6) Washington Redskins at (#1) Seattle Seahawks (-9) - This is a rematch from Week 4 when Washington squeaked out a 3 point win at home in OT...a game which Seattle could easily have won if not for kicker Josh Brown's last second field goal attempt bouncing off the left upright at the end of regulation. This time around, Seattle is at home and they want revenge. They will get it behind league MVP, 2005 rushing champ and TD machine Shaun Alexander. Washington's defense will not be enough to save them this time as Seattle moves on to the NFC championship. SEA 24 WAS 14

(#4) New England Patriots at (#2) Denver Broncos (-3) - In Week 6, these two teams met in Denver with Denver pullilng out a 28-20 victory. Back then, though, the Pats were without Corey Dillon and their defense was still trying to figure out how to play without their leader, Tedy Bruschi. As everyone knows, Bruschi returned to the team as a player 2 weeks later and they are a much healthier team all around. The defense is much better and the offense is firing on all cylinders. Denver will try to control the tempo of the game with their rushing attack, but it won't be as easy as it was so long ago. This will probably be the best game this weekend, but once again, I give the edge to the Pats because Coach Belichick always finds a way to win these types of games in the playoffs. NE 27 DEN 24 in OT.

Sunday January 8th

(#6) Pittsburgh Steelers at (#1) Indianapolis Colts (-9.5) - Another rematch. In Week 12, the Colts overwhelmed the Steelers in a 26-7 win at home. Not much has changed for either team since then. Pittsburgh offense seems to have gotten better, but Indy's is still superior. Both teams have pretty good defenses, but the the Steelers secondary is overmatched and won't be able to contain Peyton Manning and the Colts passing attack. Pittsburgh will make this game a little closer than their last meeting, but the outcome will still be the same in the loss column. The Colts advance to a rematch with the Pats for the AFC Championship. IND 31 PIT 21

(#5) Carolina Panthers at (#2) Chicago Bears (-3) - Hey what a surprise...it's another rematch from the regular season. In Week 11, the Bears pulled out a 13-3 win at home in a defensive battle with the Panthers. This time will be a lot different though as there is a lot more on the line. The Panthers have a lot more playoff experience, having been to the Super Bowl only two short years ago. The Bears, however are a young team and haven't been this far into the playoffs in many years...I can't even remember how long ago it was. The place where they are lacking the most experience is probably the most important position on the team, quarterback. Rex Grossman is 25, Kyle Orton is 23 and neither have been in a game this big before. Sure, the Bears defense is probably the best in the league, but Carolina's is pretty darn good too. So, this game could come down to defense and who makes the most mistakes, which is why Carolina's experience makes the difference in the end. Carolina moves on to face Seattle for the NFC Championship. CAR 14 CHI 9