NFL Playoffs: Championship Game Predictions

Week 20 of the NFL Season - kicks off Sunday, January 20, 2008 with the NFL Conference Championship Games. For a brief overview of the various rounds of the NFL playoffs on the road to the Super Bowl, my article "A Beginners Guide to the NFL Playoffs" should answer your questions. Suffice to say, the winners of the Championship Games on January 20, 2008 will be the NFL representatives to Super Bowl XLII in Glendale, Arizona on February 3, 2008.

Before beginning with the Divisional Round Predictions, we'll start with accountability for the "Divisional Round" Predictions.

DIVISIONAL ROUND

Giants at Cowboys

Prediction: Dallas Cowboys 35 - New York Giants 17

Actual: New York Giants 21 - Dallas Cowboys 17

Contrary to my assertion that this would be a "big time win" for the Cowboys, the New York Football Giants made it a game, and in the end got the "W," knocking off the NFC's #1 seed in the process. Eli Manning found Amani Toomer twice for touchdowns, while Brandon Jacobs rushed for another. The Cowboys held the Giants offense to 3-and-out in their last two possessions, but the Giants were able to hold the Cowboys in check as well, despite the Cowboys' final 2-minute offensive push. The game went down to the final seconds with the Cowboys driving to the Giants' 23 yard line. With 4^th down and 11, Dallas Quarterback Tony Romo was intercepted in the endzone, to put an end to the fantasy season.

Seahawks at Packers

Prediction: Green Bay Packers 30 - Seattle Seahawks 20
Actual: Green Bay Packers 42 - Seattle Seahawks 20

I believed the Packers would win this game, in reasonably convincing fashion, and on one hand I had the Seahawks scoring output figured out, but honestly did not see the first quarter coming. 2 costly fumbles gave the Seahawks a 14-point running head start, but from that point it was all Packers.

Chargers at Indianapolis

Prediction: Indianapolis Colts 33 - San Diego Chargers 14

Actual: San Diego 28 - Indianapolis 24

Peyton Manning had an uncharacteristic 2 interceptions (okay, one of them was one of the "fluke" plays that happen every now and again), otherwise his performance on paper looks stellar - 402 passing yards, 3 touchdown passes, 33/48. The Chargers, on the other hand, look like they should have wound up on the short end of the stick - in the 4^th quarter they had LaDainian Tomlinson and starting quarterback Philip Rivers on the sidelines. Somehow, Billy Volek led the Chargers on an 8-play, 74 yard scoring drive.

Jaguars at Patriots

Prediction: New England Patriots 38 - Jacksonville Jaguars 23

Actual: New England Patriots 31 - Jacksonville Jaguars 20

Not quite the scoring shootout I expected, but in the end this was pretty much what I would have thought. The New England offense, with Randy Moss taken out of the game well by the Jaguars, simply had too many offensive weapons and the defense played up to their potential Given that combination, the Patriots will win that match up every time.

Divisional Round Predictions: 2 for 4
Wild Card Predictions: 1 for 4
Overall: 3 for 8

CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES PREDICTIONS

AFC Championship Game
Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA
Sunday January 20
3:00 PM, CBS Stations

Prediction: New England Patriots 38 - San Diego Chargers 24

When last these teams met in Week 2 of the season, I had predicted the Chargers would win. The Patriots dominated the game, winning 38 -14. Given the Patriots recent success against teams they have already faced, I see no reason to believe the outcome will be much different on the offensive front. They have all of their offensive weapons healthy, while San Diego is a little beaten up. The difference in the score this time will be an aging Patriots linebacking corps who have now played 15 more games since they first met the Chargers this year. Besides, this team is now 17-0 on the season. I'm picking them until they've been beaten.

NFC Championship Game
Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI
Sunday January 20
6:30 PM, FOX Stations

Prediction: Green Bay Packers 27 - New York Giants 24

The Giants have been on quite a playoff run, garnering not enough respect from this writer as they did it. I picked against them in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers game, and again in the Divisional Round game with the Cowboys. However, just because religion has been found, doesn't mean that it holds up here against the Packers. Playing the Packers in Lambeau Field in the NFC Championship game is no time to make a pick for the Giants.

While I will give the Giants their due respect - they have earned much for their playoff run - the playoff run ends long about 10PM Sunday night. No statistical analysis here, just flat out emotion for the run Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre has been on this season. It never occurred to me that Eli would be the Manning playing in a Championship game this year - great Kudos to the Giants for their run, but Favre has done it before and I expect he and the Packers will meet the Patriots for a re-match of Super Bowl XXXI.