Championship Round NFL Picks
San Francisco 49ers (12-4-1) at Atlanta Falcons (14-3)
49ers Breakdown:
The 49ers came roaring into the playoffs with a victory over the Packers. Colin Kaepernick was obviously the catalyst for a big victory last week, and they will need a similar performance from him against Atlanta. The Falcons have struggled against mobile quarterbacks this season and it would behoove the 49ers to emphasize that portion of the playbook once again. One thing to note is that one of Kaepernick’s down games this year was the week 16 loss at Seattle. Kaepernick struggled with the crowd noise and had a tough time communicating plays; the entire offense looked disorganized. The Georgia Dome is another raucous home atmosphere so it will be interesting to see if Kaepernick has improved on his ability to handle the offense in the face of intense noise.
Falcons Breakdown:
The Falcons finally got the no playoff wins monkey off their back. Now it will be important to see how they respond. Will we see them come out flat after all the emotion of last weeks win? Or will it be motivation to get that much farther? The way they come out in this game will tell us a lot about the maturity of this club. The Falcons are a team that likes to air things out, and in order to do that their offensive line will need a repeat performance from last week. If San Francisco can turn their pass rush back up, with Justin Smith healing, then they could give Atlanta more trouble than Seattle did last week.
Matchup to Watch: Atlanta’s defensive line vs. San Francisco’s Offensive line
This could be the mismatch of the game. Atlanta has a smaller, faster defensive line predicated on speed to get to the quarterback. While the 49ers offensive line is a powerful group that averages 317 pounds, while maintaining excellent athleticism. That Falcons defensive line averages around 277 pounds, which is amongst the smallest in the league. The Falcons have to make sure that they are not pushed around in the running game by the 49ers behemoth line. They also cannot sellout to rush the passer, as they often do, because if they rush to strong Kaepernick will make them pay with his legs. It doesn’t help matters that John Abraham, Atlanta’s best pass rusher is not one hundred percent healthy.
My Pick:
I am picking the 49ers to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. I know Atlanta has the home field advantage, but I think the 49ers are not only the more physical team, but the more explosive one too. Its hard for me to pick weaknesses with the 49ers right now, but I can find holes with the Falcons. 49ers get the road win here.
Baltimore Ravens (12-6) at New England Patriots (13-4)
Ravens Breakdown:
The Ray Lewis last ride continues to ride. This week they go back to Foxborough for another shot at the Patriots in the AFC Championship game. Last year’s goats, Billy Cundiff and Lee Evans, are no longer on the roster this year. In their stead are a clutch rookie kicker and younger, faster receivers. The Ravens have not shown many holes during their two game playoff run and the evolution of their offensive attack has been extremely promising. Under Cam Cameron the Ravens ran an offensive attack that was outdated and extremely predictable. It is good to see Jim Caldwell have these receivers run multiple routes and line up in different spots. Will Flacco be able to carry the offense again this week? Lets see.
Patriots Breakdown:
The Patriots are running their quick no huddle attack at a blistering pace and efficiency that would make even Chip Kelly blush. The emergence of Shane Vereen could be huge to this offense. He is a player in the same mold as Kevin Faulk and Danny Woodhead, but he is more talented and has a thinker build. He is yet another weapon for an offense that is recovering from the loss of Rob Gronkowski. The Patriots have improved on defense since their last meeting with the Ravens in week three. Keep an eye on Rob Ninkovich, the DE/LB for the Patriots. He is basically a Mike Vrabel clone, and even wears number 50. If they can get him going, and Chandler Jones is healthy and in early season form, the Patriots have a big advantage.
Matchup to Watch: Joe Flacco vs. Patriots secondary
This is a highly discussed matchup. One area that New England struggles with defending the deep ball and we all know Flacco can sling it with the best of them. Flacco beat the Broncos deep on repeat last year, and he could do it again this week. Aqib Talib, despite being a top man cover corner, is not a “shut down half the field” type of corner on the level of Darrelle Revis or Richard Sherman. The Patriots corners are not very fast and these Ravens receivers can burn you. It will be interesting to see whom Belichick matches up with whom on Sunday.
My Pick:
This time, I am picking Baltimore. It may be a gut feeling, but for some reason I think the Ravens eek one out against the Patriots. If Flacco is truly turning a corner, as he appears to be, he can really take advantage of a slow Patriots secondary. Brady is always a threat, but for some reason, I am drinking the Ray Lewis Kool-Aid this week.
49ers Breakdown:
The 49ers came roaring into the playoffs with a victory over the Packers. Colin Kaepernick was obviously the catalyst for a big victory last week, and they will need a similar performance from him against Atlanta. The Falcons have struggled against mobile quarterbacks this season and it would behoove the 49ers to emphasize that portion of the playbook once again. One thing to note is that one of Kaepernick’s down games this year was the week 16 loss at Seattle. Kaepernick struggled with the crowd noise and had a tough time communicating plays; the entire offense looked disorganized. The Georgia Dome is another raucous home atmosphere so it will be interesting to see if Kaepernick has improved on his ability to handle the offense in the face of intense noise.
Falcons Breakdown:
The Falcons finally got the no playoff wins monkey off their back. Now it will be important to see how they respond. Will we see them come out flat after all the emotion of last weeks win? Or will it be motivation to get that much farther? The way they come out in this game will tell us a lot about the maturity of this club. The Falcons are a team that likes to air things out, and in order to do that their offensive line will need a repeat performance from last week. If San Francisco can turn their pass rush back up, with Justin Smith healing, then they could give Atlanta more trouble than Seattle did last week.
Matchup to Watch: Atlanta’s defensive line vs. San Francisco’s Offensive line
This could be the mismatch of the game. Atlanta has a smaller, faster defensive line predicated on speed to get to the quarterback. While the 49ers offensive line is a powerful group that averages 317 pounds, while maintaining excellent athleticism. That Falcons defensive line averages around 277 pounds, which is amongst the smallest in the league. The Falcons have to make sure that they are not pushed around in the running game by the 49ers behemoth line. They also cannot sellout to rush the passer, as they often do, because if they rush to strong Kaepernick will make them pay with his legs. It doesn’t help matters that John Abraham, Atlanta’s best pass rusher is not one hundred percent healthy.
My Pick:
I am picking the 49ers to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. I know Atlanta has the home field advantage, but I think the 49ers are not only the more physical team, but the more explosive one too. Its hard for me to pick weaknesses with the 49ers right now, but I can find holes with the Falcons. 49ers get the road win here.
Baltimore Ravens (12-6) at New England Patriots (13-4)
Ravens Breakdown:
The Ray Lewis last ride continues to ride. This week they go back to Foxborough for another shot at the Patriots in the AFC Championship game. Last year’s goats, Billy Cundiff and Lee Evans, are no longer on the roster this year. In their stead are a clutch rookie kicker and younger, faster receivers. The Ravens have not shown many holes during their two game playoff run and the evolution of their offensive attack has been extremely promising. Under Cam Cameron the Ravens ran an offensive attack that was outdated and extremely predictable. It is good to see Jim Caldwell have these receivers run multiple routes and line up in different spots. Will Flacco be able to carry the offense again this week? Lets see.
Patriots Breakdown:
The Patriots are running their quick no huddle attack at a blistering pace and efficiency that would make even Chip Kelly blush. The emergence of Shane Vereen could be huge to this offense. He is a player in the same mold as Kevin Faulk and Danny Woodhead, but he is more talented and has a thinker build. He is yet another weapon for an offense that is recovering from the loss of Rob Gronkowski. The Patriots have improved on defense since their last meeting with the Ravens in week three. Keep an eye on Rob Ninkovich, the DE/LB for the Patriots. He is basically a Mike Vrabel clone, and even wears number 50. If they can get him going, and Chandler Jones is healthy and in early season form, the Patriots have a big advantage.
Matchup to Watch: Joe Flacco vs. Patriots secondary
This is a highly discussed matchup. One area that New England struggles with defending the deep ball and we all know Flacco can sling it with the best of them. Flacco beat the Broncos deep on repeat last year, and he could do it again this week. Aqib Talib, despite being a top man cover corner, is not a “shut down half the field” type of corner on the level of Darrelle Revis or Richard Sherman. The Patriots corners are not very fast and these Ravens receivers can burn you. It will be interesting to see whom Belichick matches up with whom on Sunday.
My Pick:
This time, I am picking Baltimore. It may be a gut feeling, but for some reason I think the Ravens eek one out against the Patriots. If Flacco is truly turning a corner, as he appears to be, he can really take advantage of a slow Patriots secondary. Brady is always a threat, but for some reason, I am drinking the Ray Lewis Kool-Aid this week.