NFL CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES

Well we are through the Divisional round of the NFL playoffs and we had three of the four home teams get victories over the weekend. In the NFC the New Orleans Saints defeated the Arizona Cardinals 45 to 10. The Saints answered the question I had about could they flip the switch back on. The answer was yes, at least against the Cardinals. Also in the NFC, the Minnesota Vikings got a dominating defensive performance and great offensive performances from Brett Favre and Sidney Rice as they defeated the Dallas Cowboys 34 to 3.

In the AFC, the Indianapolis Colts defeated the Baltimore Ravens 20 to 3. The Colts showed that they really do seem to be the class of the AFC. The New York Jets continue to be Cinderella during these playoffs as they were the only road team to get a win in the Divisional round, as they defeated the San Diego Chargers 17 to 14. The Jets got a strong game running the football from rookie Shon Greene and they continued to play strong defense. So lets look at both of the NFL Conference Championship Games scheduled for Sunday.

NFL CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES

AFC Championship..... New York Jets @ Indianapolis..... The Cinderella Jets are playing very good football at the right time of the season. They are also playing with a chip on their shoulders, to prove to the nay sayers that they do belong in the playoffs. The Colts are where everyone thought they would be, the AFC favorites to go to the Super Bowl. On paper the Colts should win this game, they have Peyton Manning at QB and the Jets have rookie Mark Sanchez at QB. The Colts have several play makers on offense, but the Jets have the equalizer, the best defense in the NFL. Both teams have rookie Head Coaches coaching in their first Conference Championship Game. The Jets will give the Colts all that they want in this game, but I see Peyton Manning making a play late to send his team to the Super Bowl..... Indianapolis 20 New York Jets 17

NFC Championship..... Minnesota @ New Orleans..... These were definitely the two best teams in the NFC for most of the season. They both sputtered down the stretch but they seem to have righted their ships just in time to play for the chance to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. Both of these teams are dome teams and they play very well at home in front of loud and enthusiastic fans. The Saints are 7 and 2 at home, including their playoff win last week, and the Vikings are 4 and 4 on the road. The game features the NFC's two best offenses and the NFL's top two rated QB's in the Saints Drew Brees and the Vikings Brett Favre. I see the Vikings defense being the difference in this game as they are playing lights out..... Minnesota 31 New Orleans 23

THE ARMCHAIR COACH went 1 and 3 in predicting the Divisional playoffs round last week. My record for the season is 227 and 105 for a percentage of .684.

Until Next Time.