Championship Weekend

New York Giants (11-7) at San Francisco (14-3)

This is the game everyone predicted, right?  Oh wait.  I guess that's the NFL for you.  Loads of storylines in this game.  It really is all about Jim Harbaugh though.  Alex Smith, the bust who was taken before Aaron Rodgers in the '05 draft, is all of the sudden in the NFC Championship game.  His performance vs. the Saints is one that 49ers fans won't soon forget.  Well, that and Vernon Davis.  He had a man's game.  But really, the Niners are all about defense.  Ask Pierre Thomas (ok, he probably doesn't remember).  Patrick Willis and Navarro Bowman are the best linebacking tandem this side of Brian Cushing/DeMeco Ryans or Ray Lewis/Terrell Suggs.  And the 49ers have 2 other "Smiths" that have made a huge impact.  Justin Smith is a stalwart on the D Line, and rookie Aldon Smith has burst on the scene as a sackmaster, although with less recognition than Von Miller.

I don't have much to say about the Giants, mostly because I am bitter.  But we all know what they do.  Should be a good game.  People keep making parallels to the '07 Giants, like they are a team of destiny, especially with the Patriots looming on the other side of the bracket.  But to me, this feels like the year for San Francisco.  They will jack Eli up in a way that the Packers were not capable of.  Hakeem Nicks will not be running around the secondary unguarded.  Brandon Jacobs is horrible, and will be exposed as such.  San Francisco 26-21


Baltimore (13-4) at New England ( 14-3)

This is a damn good game on paper.  I think we all knew these were to best two teams in the AFC all season.  Pittsburgh and Houston had their moments, but it's come down to the best.  This is difficult for me to call.  I have always gone with the Patriots.  Tom Brady is tremendous, and he has quite the rapport with his receivers/TEs/random white guys on his offense.  Baltimore is the exact opposite.  Playmaking defense, steady offense, led by Ray Rice.  He is one of the few legitimate backs out there these days who you can count on to carry a team.  Unfortunately, Jay Flacco is not the kind of QB you can count on.  He is one of those QBs who sucks 95 percent of the game, but makes a couple big throws when he has to.

My preseason prediction was the Packers & Patriots.  I could be half right.  But since October, I've had the feeling that Baltimore would rough New England up when it came down to it.  Nothing would surprise me here, and I feel like copping out and not even making a pick.  But, I'll put my neck on the line.  Baltimore 31-28