Championship Weekend! Sports Blog by: HankaliciousREX
Hello sports fans. Hope everyone is having a great week so far. I know I am, still relished the end of Tebowmania at the hands of the one and only Tom Brady. We got a big NFC and AFC championship weekend coming up with some really intriguing matchups that look to be some seriously amazing football. Lets break it down.
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP
The Patriots come into the AFC championship ready for war, as they take on their biggest test of the season in the hard hitting Baltimore Ravens. After demolishing the Denver Tebows last weekend, Brady & Co. look to avenge a 33-14 drubbing they sustained at the hands of the Ravens in 2010 playoffs at Gillette Stadium. This year is a whole different ball club. With the emergence of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, the Pats offense should have a much easier time exploiting the older Ravens linebacking core through the passing game. Add to that the injury Ed Reed sustained at the end of last weeks game, you have one hell of a perfect storm for 2 of the baddest tight ends in the league. The Pats need to try to establish a bit of a ground game, although conventional wisdom would say that's damn near impossible with such a stout Raven defensive front. Look for Brady to run his usual dip and dunk 3-5 yard passes in hopes of exploiting the Ravens shaky coverage early. I'd like to see more of the Aaron Hernandez running back scenario as well. That little wrinkle will keep the Ravens guessing more so then not. As for Baltimore, they are going to run the ball early and often with Ray Rice, who has turned into a top 3 running back in the NFL. The Pats porous defensive front will have problems containing Rice, which means they will stack more in the box, opening the door for Joe Flacco to prove he is worth something. Problem is, HE ISN'T, so the secondary on the Pats should be able to come away with some big turnovers. With the return of several of their integral defensive players, i.e. Patrick Chung, Brandon Spikes, Ty Warren, the Pats defense looked fresh and hungry last week. They will need to play with that kind of charisma and energy if they want to stifle the Ravens offense. Overall this is going to be one of, if not THE best game of the season. Look forward to a lot of big hits, some stellar plays, and just some good old fashion football.
PREDICTION: Patriots 34 - Ravens 21
NFC Championship
This is going to be another slugfest, as 2 of the most impressive defenses in the NFC go head to head in a battle for a trip to the Superbowl. The Giants are riding a massive wave of momentum eerily similar to that of the 2008 Superbowl when David Tyree's prayer of a catch beat the Pats. They ran through the defending champion Packers with little resistance last weekend, and are ready to try to put a hurting on San Fran. Problem is, San Fran has the most intimidating defense in the entire league. Led by all pro Patrick Willis, the Niners will be ready to match NY's intensity and then kick it up to a whole nother level. Eli Manning is going to have a long day of picking himself up off the ground as the Niners will look to blitz early and often and throw Manning off his game. Look for Nate Clements and Hakeem Nicks to be in some serious battles. The Giants run game will dictate how well they play. A big day out of Bradshaw and Jacobs is the only way NY can keep pressure off Eli. On the flip side, San Fran will lean heavily on their stud RB Frank Gore. Alex Smith will exploit the Giants biggest weakness, their linebackers, with a major dose of Vernon Davis. Last week Davis was the heart and soul of the team, pretty much carrying them to the victory with his stellar play. Look for much of the same this week. As much as I want the Giants to win so the Pats can kick the living shit out of them in the Superbowl, I just don't see it happening.
PREDICTION: Niners 27 - Giants 21
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