Sunday, January 18, 2015

2014 NFL CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP PREDICTIONS

Divisional Round Record: 3-1 (.750)
Total Playoff Record: 6-2 (.750)

Green Bay Packers at Seattle Seahawks

Breakdown: A direct rematch of the season's opening game. I expect the same result, but after a more competitive matchup. Seattle's home-field advantage is truly something to behold; it makes a normally stellar defense play an even more shutdown brand of football. Even with the Packers clicking on all cylinders lately, that's going to be hard to overcome. Again, I think it'll be closer than people expect, but I still expect the Seahawks to become the first team in a decade to go to back-to-back Super Bowls.

Pick: Seattle

Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots

Breakdown: I have no idea what to make of this game. With the way the Colts played in Denver last week, I could see them take the Patriots to an overtime thriller. I could also see the Patriots curb-stomping the Colts into next season. Either way, I don't see the Patriots losing. But if the Colts have any upset magic leftover from their thorough thrashing of the Broncos, then this is going to be a very interesting game. I still think the Pats are headed for the Super Bowl, though.

*Interesting Fact Alert: this is the fourth-consecutive year that the Patriots have made it as far as the Conference Championship Game. It's just the seventh time overall that a team has made at least four-straight Conference Championships. The Pats the first team to do that since the 2001-2004 Philadelphia Eagles, and the first AFC team to do since the 1990-1993 Buffalo Bills. The Oakland Raiders currently have the record for most consecutive Conference Championship appearances; they made five-straight from 1973 to 1977. The Raiders and the Dallas Cowboys are the only teams to get within a game of the Super Bowl at minimum four-straight years twice (The Cowboys did it from 1970-1973 and again from 1992-1995, the Raiders did it from 1967-1970 and again from 1973-1977).

Pick: New England

No comments:

Post a Comment