So...who's still watching football? Who still has a team left in this race?
Have to say that the team I was cheering for was eliminated last weekend.
So after a day or so of licking my wounds, it's time to move onward with those left standing here.
And then there were FOUR.
There will only be two games this weekend, both on Sunday.
Each game will crown a Conference champion that will play a couple of weeks later in the Superbowl.
NFC Championship Game
Sunday Jan 23 3:00 EST Greenbay Packers @ Chicago Bears
Chicago was the only first round bye team that showed little rust coming off of their week of rest.
But I'm not counting on them coming out of this one unscathed when they go up against the buzzsaw that Greenbay has become.
I can't remember when I last saw a quarterback look as dominant as Aaron Rodgers did in his last game against Atlanta.
And Atlanta is a good team...a good team that plays great at home.
Greenbay had their way with Atlanta, in a game that I was surprised wasn't a whole lot closer.
Rodgers throws a deadly accurate, high velocity, low trajectory missile with that rocket arm of his.
And he has good receivers to catch those strikes.
And somehow Greenbay has managed to find an adequate running game to keep opposing defenses honest, and not just keying in on stopping the pass.
Chicago on the other hand has a good defense and an okay running game.
Bear's QB Jay Cutler is feeling more comfortable back in the pocket, behind a much improved offensive line.
The Bear's had a chance to put the Pack out of their misery on the last game of the season, but Greenbay won a close one at home.
Somehow, I think this game might not be as close with #6 seed Greenbay finding themselves the NFC representative in the Superbowl.
AFC Championship Game
Sunday Jan 23 6:30 EST New York Jets @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh was the only other first round bye team, beside Chicago to win it's game last week.
And Pittsburgh showed great resiliency in coming back from a 21-7 halftime deficit to the Ravens.
To be honest, I didn't think the Steelers were going to be moving on, with the way they played in the first half.
But they came out and played Steeler's ball and caused enough turnovers to get themselves back in the game.
I thought that the Ravens took their foot off of the gas and played a little too conservatively in the second half, and it probably ended up costing them the game.
New York on the other hand, much to their credit, went into hated New England and frustrated the Patriot offence all day long.
In the end they did enough to best the same team that had trounced them 45-3, just a month earlier.
Hats off to the Jets for a great game plan and a superb execution of that plan last weekend.
Now that brings us to this weekend's tilt in Pittsburgh.
I have to say that I am torn on who is going to win this.
New York has beaten Peyton Manning and Tom Brady in consecutive weeks...no easy task.
Now they are going up against Ben Roethlisberger and the physically tough Steelers in Pittsburgh, a place that the Jets were able to win at just a few weeks ago.
Now Pittsburgh knows that the Jets can play them close and even win in the end.
So I'm guessing that Pittsburgh will be ready to play and ready from the opening whistle, especially after last weekend's horrific first half effort.
The Jets on the other hand, I'm wondering if they aren't going to have an emotional let down after the tremendous highs of the past two week's accomplishments.
This should be a close game, maybe decided by a field goal at the end.
I'm going to pick the Steeler's here, but if I'm wrong there will be two #6 seed wildcard teams playing for all the marbles on February 6th in Dallas.
dvg
Have to say that the team I was cheering for was eliminated last weekend.
So after a day or so of licking my wounds, it's time to move onward with those left standing here.
And then there were FOUR.
There will only be two games this weekend, both on Sunday.
Each game will crown a Conference champion that will play a couple of weeks later in the Superbowl.
NFC Championship Game
Sunday Jan 23 3:00 EST Greenbay Packers @ Chicago Bears
Chicago was the only first round bye team that showed little rust coming off of their week of rest.
But I'm not counting on them coming out of this one unscathed when they go up against the buzzsaw that Greenbay has become.
I can't remember when I last saw a quarterback look as dominant as Aaron Rodgers did in his last game against Atlanta.
And Atlanta is a good team...a good team that plays great at home.
Greenbay had their way with Atlanta, in a game that I was surprised wasn't a whole lot closer.
Rodgers throws a deadly accurate, high velocity, low trajectory missile with that rocket arm of his.
And he has good receivers to catch those strikes.
And somehow Greenbay has managed to find an adequate running game to keep opposing defenses honest, and not just keying in on stopping the pass.
Chicago on the other hand has a good defense and an okay running game.
Bear's QB Jay Cutler is feeling more comfortable back in the pocket, behind a much improved offensive line.
The Bear's had a chance to put the Pack out of their misery on the last game of the season, but Greenbay won a close one at home.
Somehow, I think this game might not be as close with #6 seed Greenbay finding themselves the NFC representative in the Superbowl.
AFC Championship Game
Sunday Jan 23 6:30 EST New York Jets @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh was the only other first round bye team, beside Chicago to win it's game last week.
And Pittsburgh showed great resiliency in coming back from a 21-7 halftime deficit to the Ravens.
To be honest, I didn't think the Steelers were going to be moving on, with the way they played in the first half.
But they came out and played Steeler's ball and caused enough turnovers to get themselves back in the game.
I thought that the Ravens took their foot off of the gas and played a little too conservatively in the second half, and it probably ended up costing them the game.
New York on the other hand, much to their credit, went into hated New England and frustrated the Patriot offence all day long.
In the end they did enough to best the same team that had trounced them 45-3, just a month earlier.
Hats off to the Jets for a great game plan and a superb execution of that plan last weekend.
Now that brings us to this weekend's tilt in Pittsburgh.
I have to say that I am torn on who is going to win this.
New York has beaten Peyton Manning and Tom Brady in consecutive weeks...no easy task.
Now they are going up against Ben Roethlisberger and the physically tough Steelers in Pittsburgh, a place that the Jets were able to win at just a few weeks ago.
Now Pittsburgh knows that the Jets can play them close and even win in the end.
So I'm guessing that Pittsburgh will be ready to play and ready from the opening whistle, especially after last weekend's horrific first half effort.
The Jets on the other hand, I'm wondering if they aren't going to have an emotional let down after the tremendous highs of the past two week's accomplishments.
This should be a close game, maybe decided by a field goal at the end.
I'm going to pick the Steeler's here, but if I'm wrong there will be two #6 seed wildcard teams playing for all the marbles on February 6th in Dallas.
dvg
And three playoff wins on the road has been crazy to watch.
