NFL Championship Weekend: A personal appeal from playoff quarterback Joe Flacco

[Bregor]

"Hi, I'm playoff quarterback Joe Flacco."



"Please watch me play in another actual NFL playoff game, even though we all know the Patriots are winning it all."


Last week
Pick: 2-2
ATS: 2-2

Overall
Pick: 170-94
ATS: 137-120-7


SUNDAY, JANUARY 22ND


3:00pm EST, CBS

Baltimore at New England (-7) - It goes without saying that the Redskins are not relevant in late January during the Dan Snyder era. So the story everyone is picking up in DC is Joe Flacco. Is he good enough to not just make the playoffs, but to win a Super Bowl? Can he handle a playoff-caliber defense for three of four weeks in a row? Does Cam Cameron utilize his talents correctly? Will anyone ever give him a trimmer or some grooming tips? The answer to all these questions is, "Probably not." Flacco "led" the Ravens offense to six 3-and-outs, one additional punt, a turnover on downs and a lonely field goal after the 1st quarter last Sunday. That said, I don't get the uproar over what Ed Reed said on some radio show. What exactly was incorrect and/or controversial? The Texans got to him. Look at the tape. But that doesn't mean Ray Rice, Anquan Boldin, and a punishing defense can't do him some favors. It seems like the whole team did just enough to beat the Texans, and they will obviously need better execution going forward. All the numbers and scouts said the Patriots would smash, and smash they did. Last week I wrote, "First thing's first, completing 9 passes ... in regulation will not get you past the Patriots." Tebow was 9-for-26. We all know Brady can put up some points, but was last week's dominating defensive performance the result of a unit gelling at the right time, or an anemic Broncos offense sputtering on a big stage? A little of both, perhaps. These two teams locked up in Foxborough in week 6 of 2010, with the Pats eking out a 23-20 win in overtime. Since then, I think New England has gotten better, and the Ravens haven't. Advantage: GOAT. Patriots win and cover.


6:30pm EST, FOX

NY Giants at San Francisco (-2.5) - I must say this line surprised me a bit. One book even has this up to (-3) and I thought the '9ers would not get any respect from Vegas. After a wild four minutes to close out their divisional match-up with New Orleans, that game could have gone either way. But I really thought the G-Men, after marching into Lambeau and pummeling the Packers by three scores, would have gotten the bookmakers fired up. I guess that says more about Green Bay than it does about either of the teams playing Sunday night. No matter. I also thought the Giants would need a solid ground game to advance, but Bradshaw and Jacobs didn't exactly set the world on fire. Yes, Hakeem Nicks went a bit nuts. But it was Eli, making the smart plays, throwing with accuracy, avoiding the rush, and moving the chains that won that game. That and four big Goddamned turnovers. Green Bay never began a drive past their own 40 yard line -- the Giants began six such drives. Tilting the field will be crucial against San Francisco, whose defense presents Eli and company with a much tougher test. That defense played their asses off for 55 minutes against the mighty Breesus. But I'll be the first one to admit, when Sproles broke that touchdown to put up New Orleans up 24-23, I thought to myself, "Welp, that was fun." Two Alex Smith-led touchdown drives later, and America believes in the 49ers once again! Too bad I don't. And as much as I love Vernon Davis (CLICK-CLACK MOTHERFUCKER) they will need someone else to step up at a skill position and help Smith out. Gore wasn't bad, but he wasn't all that great either. And waiting for a '9ers wide receiver to break out is like waiting for Tweek to realize when he's being trolled. This should be a dog fight, but my gut has told me to ride the Giants bandwagon to the Super Bowl, and I ignored it last week because I thought Green Bay was too good. No more. I'm on board until I see

http://img.fannation.com/upload/si_b...m-coughlin.jpg

or



Giants in the upset.

[Moss]

first

[Moss]

I'm gonna go with both home teams. I feel like the 49ers will squeak one out, although something like Giants 21-0 in the first quarter wouldn't surprise me either.

[Cail]

once again, this thread sucks

[Flarega]

niners suck at everything

[Bregor]

once again, this thread sucks

[Dimmauk]

Gronkos vs ELIte QB in the super bowl!

[Tweek]

glad bregor didn't start picking the 49ers, hope no one does like it's been all season.

good luck clever/deejay to your gmen looking forward to a good game.

[Tyche]

The giants marched into Lambeu and blew the doors off of the packers. It should have been a 30+ point victory had it not been for some egregious officiating. How the hell are the niners favored? They have Vernon Davis and that's about it. The giants have shut down two above average TEs in the last two weeks. The defenses at the moment are a wash and the giants offense is much better than the niners. I predict a Super Bowl rematch.

[Chun Liroy]

Finley is above average?
Matt Ryan sucks.

HARBOWL.

Fun Fact: Flacco has never not led his team to the playoffs, and has won playoff games each year.

[Chun Liroy]

This guy looks like the result of Tyven and Archie having a kid together.

[Bregor]

This guy looks like the result of Tyven and Archie having a kid together.

Five guesses who that is, go.

[Moss]

Matt Ryan sucks.

You can stop spewing diarrhea from your mouth whenever

[Chun Liroy]

You can stop spewing diarrhea from your mouth whenever

2 points.

[Moss]

2 points.

Did Romo make the playoffs?

[Bregor]

Gentlemen, please. Both your quarterbacks suck.

[Chun Liroy]

Did Romo make the playoffs?

It was hard to get by the superbowl champs in our division.

[Xajii]

Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots - Joe Flacco really should have shut up about not getting enough credit. He does what the Ravens need him to do to get by, and the coaches know that. At this point it's almost like the Ravens team has been built around expecting to have a mediocre quarterback - it's all we'eve ever had. Ever. Anyway, I expect an insanely impassioned defense to get to Brady and make big plays. Ed Reed and Ray Lewis know Tom Brady. Ray Rice should finally be able to do what he does best matched up against a much easier line than the Texans. If Baltimore plays as disciplined as they did last week, keeps from turning over the ball, and John Harbaugh does not let Cam Cameron call 3rd and 2 deep passes, the Ravens could go to Indianapolis.

New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers - Last week I said I didn't have faith in the Giants, and I now stand corrected. Players on both offense and defense are playing fired up as all hell. Where was this against the Redskins? The 49ers offense is poorly matched against the Giants defense, with most of the G-men's strength being at the line and most of the 9ers offense relying on short plays or runs. If the Giants can keep from having butterfingers like the Saints, they win.

[Tweek]

The giants marched into Lambeu and blew the doors off of the packers. It should have been a 30+ point victory had it not been for some egregious officiating. How the hell are the niners favored? They have Vernon Davis and that's about it. The giants have shut down two above average TEs in the last two weeks. The defenses at the moment are a wash and the giants offense is much better than the niners. I predict a Super Bowl rematch.

no one thought SF had a shot vs NO either.


NYG won with how many turnovers vs GB? how often does SF turn the ball over?

not to mention how many drops GB had which didn't really have anything to do with pass rush pressure or coverage.


The biggest loss SF had this year was 10 points which could have easily been 3 without a had chip block penalty. it also happened to be a short week thur/sun in which they had to travel across to the east coast. SF also has beaten 5 out of the 12 playoff teams this year including NYG, but sure people can keep saying they got no shot vs whoever @home.


I think it will be a close game and will ultimately come down to turnovers, it will be raining on Sunday here so pass rush could be slowed for both teams.

[Moss]

It was hard to get by the superbowl champs in our division.

So you have no room to talk, got it