AFC title game
Baltimore plus 8 at New England
This game is all about the play of Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco. If Flacco plays like he did against Denver, Baltimore not only will cover. The Ravens might win the darn game.
You know Bill Belichick will have all kinds of different looks for Flacco. And the knock on Flacco is that he’s often struggled against complicated defenses. But a lot of people forget that Flacco has a 7-4 playoff record, that he threw for 306 yards against the Pats in last year’s conference title game.
Flacco has it in him. If he plays his game, the Ravens will be in position to record an upset.
NFC title game
San Francisco minus 4 at Atlanta
I want to pick the Falcons. I really do. I want to see Matt Ryan and Tony Gonzalez make it to the big game. I want my friend and Georgia native Jimmy G. experience the high of cheering on his team in the Super Bowl.
But I just can’t pick the Falcons. I can’t imagine Atlanta’s defense, especially its run defense, coming up large against San Fran’s physical run game and the arm and legs of Colin Kaepernick.
Just can’t picture it.
Atlanta will score some points because the Falcons score on everybody. They might even score enough to keep the game close and perhaps notch a back-door cover. But I find picking the Falcons to be too much of a stretch. My good sense tells me the Niners will win this game handily.
Last week: 1-3
Playoffs overall: 4-4
Season record: 118-142-4