Conference Finals

The teams I think will win and the teams I would like to see win are not going to be the same. I would like to see a 49ers vs Ravens superbowl because that is exactly what the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell don't want. For too long now the NFL has changed the rules that have completely favored the offense and have been a detriment to the defense. The most striking example is these recent stupid roughing the passer penalties which have gotten so out of hand, quarterbacks look to the referee to see if they have thrown a flag almost everytime they get sacked. The NFL has gone out of its way to make the NFL an offensive show with the quarterback as the star leading the way and has ignored the defensive side of the ball. The days of the steel curtain and doomsday defense are long gone and defensive players seldom get any recognition anymore. The only ones recently that have are Troy Polamalu and Clay Matthews, which in part is because of their long hair and Ndamankah Suh whic is in part due to his unsportsmanlike conduct on the field. The best example of great defensive players being overlooked is the San Francisco 49ers who have the 4th best defense in the NFL yet outside of maybe Patrick Willis few people can name you a player on their defense. With all that said, below are what I think will happen tomorrow.

Patriots 28 Ravens 17. The Ravens will start the game strong and the Patriots who have yet to beat a team this season with a winning record will face a Raven team loaded with energy but Baltimore only sacked the quarterback 3 times in the last 3 games of the season and did not even get one sack against Houston. Tom Brady will take advantage and New England pulls away in the 2nd half.

Giants 20 SF 17. These two teams have had great playoff games in the past and here comes another one. With a wet field the defenses should dominate. The 49ers did beat the Giants in the regular season but Osi Umenyora did not play and Justin Tuck played hurt. The Giant front 4 is healthier now and the pressure they will bring will be difficult for Alex Smith to handle. Both offenses will try to establish a running game and Eli (or should we call him Elite)Manning will make enough big plays to pull out a close victory.