NFL Playoff Matchup Game 2009 (Round 3)

uolj

Starter
Correct winner prediction worth 4 points
(All times Pacific)


Philadelphia at Arizona
Sun, Jan 18 @ 12:00 PM (FOX)

Baltimore at Pittsburgh
Sun, Jan 18 @ 3:30 PM (CBS)


Feel free to predict even if you didn't predict earlier rounds.
 
Scoreboard

Week 2 (2 point per correct pick)
  • 6 - PurpleReign
  • 4 - Superman
  • 4 - est.1999
  • 4 - kingsnation
  • 4 - PurpleHaze
  • 2 - uolj
  • 2 - Rockmeister
  • 2 - NoBonus
  • 0 - SacKings7

Overall Score
  • 7 - kingsnation
  • 6 - est.1999
  • 6 - PurpleReign
  • 5 - uolj
  • 5 - Superman
  • 5 - PurpleHaze
  • 4 - NoBonus
  • 4 - Rockmeister
  • 0 - SacKings7
 
Nice job PurpleReign joining and getting 3 out of 4 to jump to the second spot.

I'm rooting for Pittsburgh and Philadelphia this weekend. I also think both teams will win. The Cardinals are playing well, but I think they'll need to get lucky to win, or keep it close and hope the Eagles just can't perform on the road in the fourth quarter. I think being at home will help the Steelers. My picks:

Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
 
Man, I suck at picking games.

Arizona
Pittsburg

Not as bad as I am. I'm the only one with the goose egg :p.

I have no confidence whatsoever in my picks this week, nor should anyone who goes 0-4. But anyway...

Philadelphia at Arizona - Who woulda thought that these 2 9-7 teams would be playing for a trip to the Superbowl? Not me. I knew Philly would play well in New York, I just picked the wrong team to win. I'm gonna have to go against Philly again here because McNabb is inconsistent, and Warner is playing great. Cardinals 31-21

Baltimore at Pittsburgh
- 2 great defenses going head to head. The over/under for this game must be the lowest its ever been :D. In any case, Baltimore is playing like I've expected them to the past few years, so I'm sticking with them. Ravens 17-10
 
Eagles: I see dawkins having a great game against the cards. Mcnabb has been inconsistent in the past but I see this as his year. They will put pressure on warner and I see Asante Samuel with a pic six in this one. I see this as a dog fight with Philly prevailing 31-25

Steelers: talk about a terrific match up. The 2 best defenses in the league. Both have been creating turnovers. But the offenses have been playing well also. Flacco looks like joe cool out there and willie Parker ran circles around San diegos D. This one will be tighter than the NFC championship. Pitt prevails 19-13
 
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I really don't know who should be favored, but odds makers like Philly by 3 and Pitt by 5 - tentative lines. One thing I do know - Las Vegas has been burned a lot so far in this years NFL playoffs.

Now my analysis:


NFC Championship

Arizona 23
Philadelphia 20

I just can't believe McNabb can do enough in tandem with a banged up Brian Westbrook to carry them to victory. Kurt Warner has been there and done that (as has McNabb) but I think RB's Edge and Hightower will give enough critical pocket protection blocking and play action pass option to open up things down field. Fitz and Bolton (or other receivers) will have to come up big against Eagles overall #3 NFL defense. Arizona's D seems capable (especially at home) of keeping their end of the bargain. The University of Phoenix stadium is a VERY LOUD MADHOUSE and that helps Cardinals and could end up rattling McNabb a bit. This one I'll say will come down to a OT long FG - and incredibly Arizona wins!! Arizona Cardinals, NFC Champs!! Do you believe it?! Maybe I don't believe it, maybe I'm just looking through some silly rose colored glasses.


AFC Championship

Baltimore 16
Pittsburgh 15

I'm now completely sold on Joe "Cool" Flacco - at least as a comfortable NFL QB who can manage the game at its highest level. He's no longer "just a rookie" as I see it. He's been through entire long season and now won two big playoff games. I don't think 6'5" Big Ben has a clear cut edge here - or maybe any edge at all against 6'6" Flacco. Both defenses are incredible (#1 Pitt, #2 Balt - in the NFL) so it's pretty much a wash there. Maybe a slight tick at the moment to Baltimore on defense as a "scoring D" - putting up quite a few points last few weeks of the season and into playoffs. I doubt Parker can run consistently against Baltimore and the Ravens won't be able to get much of a ground attack going in return. So it will probably come down to which QB can work ball down field without a ground game, critical field position, critical turnovers, and which defense will rise to the occasion. I see the Ravens winning this VIOLENT SLUG-FEST somehow, someway, on that frigid, frozen, bloody field in the Steel City. If Pitt wins which would be 3 victories over Balt this season they will definitely have earned the AFC Championship. But, I see a Ravens-Cardinals Super Bowl in Tampa - amazing!
 
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Well, here we go, only 3 meaningful games to go..

EAGLES AT CARDINALS
-This is an interesting one. I think if it was in Philly, the Iggles win easily. VERY easily. But I was driving today, listening to the Jim Rome Show. And Cards DE Bertrand Berry convinced me that this Arizona team today is different than the Arizona team we saw a month ago. They are much more focused, mature and ready to do what it takes to win.

I think this crowd is going to be crazy because they are going to be hungry for the win. No one can cover Larry Fitzgerald. And if they can, well then they can't cover Anquan Boldin.

Kurt Warner will make some mistakes, but not enough to lose the game.

WINNER: CARDINALS 27 - 23
------------------------

RAVENS AT STEELERS
-I can't wait for this game. It is going to be a physical, defensive battle. I think it's going to be a coaching chess match. The Steelers won the first 2 games this year against the Ravens, so will the 3rd time be the charm for BAL?

I don't think so. I think the PIT Crowd and Defense is just too stifling. I think this will be the game where Flacco finally makes the mistakes. If the Ravens do win, they are going to need to get to Big Ben. If they don't - they have no chance.

I think Steelers win it in a close one.

WINNER: STEELERS 16 - 13
----------

RECAP: SUPER BOWL -- STEELERS VS CARDINALS
 
Wow, Fitzgerald with 3 TDs......at halftime! What a player, he is just killing the Eagles secondary, Asante Samuel especially
 
I am not able to watch the game right because I am at work. Looking at the score, Arizona is killing them. What is wrong with Philly? Can't they get anything going? I think its funny that Arizon is beating them so far. I can't stand Philly and hope Arizona wins.
 
I wouldn't count the Eagles out quite yet. They're not only starting to move the ball and look much better on offense, the commentators just remarked that there's a little bit of unease growing in Cardinal Stadium (or whatever it's called...). The Eagles are much more experienced in this kind of situation and the Cardinals are starting to look a little disheveled. You don't want to show weakness in a situation like this...
 
Westbrook was a non factor all 3 po games so McNabb coudn't do it all singlehandedly, he tried very hard though and deserves much respect but our horrible 1st half "defense" cost us the game...
 
Being a long time die-hard displaced Philly fan who has lived and mostly died w/ the Philly franchises over my entire lifetime i would say this about the NFC championship;
Eagles were outplayed and outcoached. Period. Can't quite relate to the Cardinals in the Super Bowl but give em credit. They played smart and they played w/ conviction.
 
Arizona vs Pittsburg - should be interesting. I just hope it won't be a boring game. I wasn't able to see the Philly vs Arizona game earlier today, but that sure seemed more exciting than the Pittsburg vs Baltimore. That game was kind of boring. I do hope Willis McGhee is ok. He took a vicious hit and was wheeled off in a cart. He is moving his arms and legs although he was complaining of severe neck pains.

I'm rooting for Arizona to win the Superbowl because they have never won.
 
I cant wait. It's the Cards first ever appearance AND they were underdogs in nearly every game they played this postseason. Kurt Warner wasn't even supposed to be the starting QB heading into the season and now he has lead them to the big game. Also, the Steelers have a shot at being the first team to 6 SB wins. AND Ken Wisenhunt is facing his old team which chose Tomlin over him and now they are facing each other. There are alot of story lines to go with this game. Should be fun. Go Steelers, let's get our 6th ring! BlacknGold!
 
this is the steelers second super bowl trip in the last 4 years and once again it's against an NFC west opponent. Maybe it'll be San fran vs pitt 3 years from now.

Oh and please stomp on the cardinals. I don't care if you get to 6 rings first just embarrass the cardinals for me.
 
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