Playoff picks

I have been looking forward to the AFC and NFC championship games since last Sunday when they were decided. All four teams are looking impressive as of late and tomorrow’s games should not disappoint. I’m sure all football fans have their opinions on how the games will turn out. I know I do, so I am going to try my hand at picking the winners.

When the Chargers and Patriots played in week 2, the Patriots were a well oiled machine, whereas the Chargers were severely disheveled. The players were still getting acquainted with Norv Turner and, likewise, Norv Turner was still getting acquainted with his players. They were also working with a new defensive coordinator.

Since then, the Patriots kept pumping out wins while the Chargers figured out that they needed to get the ball to LT more, acquired Chris Chambers-the number one receiver that they have needed-and Philip Rivers has grown into an above average quarterback. Granted, he still has a ways to go (i.e. not yelling at the fans) but he has stepped up big time in the first two playoff games.

As everyone in the football world probably agrees, I saw the Colts as the better match-up against the Patriots, seeing as how they had them beat only to give the game away late in the fourth quarter, but on the other hand, these aren’t the same Chargers that we saw in week 2.
They got use to Norv Turner, the defense started firing on all cylinders and more importantly they are playing with confidence.

In fact, due to San Diego’s better defense, if...IF they can keep pressure on Tom Brady like they did Peyton Manning, they can win. That is why I am going out on a limb and picking the Chargers to win the AFC Championship game, even with the questionable status of Rivers.

Moving on to the NFC, the Giants are as good as the have been all season and it appears that Eli has finally moved out of his brother’s shadow, at least for the time being. They seem almost unstoppable, but on the other hand is Bret Favre. Need I say more?

Just like with good wine, it seems that Favre just gets better with age. His play this season has been nothing short of MVP caliber and, if it weren’t for Brady’s unbelievable season, Favre would have won the MVP.

Along with Favre, Ryan Grant has emerged as a force to be reckoned with on the ground, and the Packer defense has been outstanding, but you can’t forget about Green Bay’s not so secret weapon, the frozen tundra. With the elements on their side, Green Bay will be too tough to overcome, even for the surging Giants, making them my pick in the NFC Championship game.