Free Picks - Conference Championships

I've done my best to Schottenheimer this season away, but I have three games to gain back the respect that brought me here. I need two out of three to finish above five hundred. The record for the season currently is deadlocked at
123-123-8. I cast my fate to the fickle winds of Pennsylvania!

Patriots @ Steelers(+3)

The Numbers:
Steelers: 16-1. Offensively: Yards Per/Game- 324(16th). Rushing Per/Game- 154(2nd) Pass Yards Per/Game- 170(28th). Leaders; Passing- Ben Roethlisberger 2621yds, 17TDs/11INTs. Rushing- Jerome Bettis 941yds, 13TDs-- Duce Staley 830yds, 1TD. Receiving- Hines Ward 80 REC, 1004yds, 4TDs-- Antwaan Randle El 43 REC, 601yds, 3TDs-- Plexico Burress 35 REC 698yds, 5TDs. Team Defense: Rush Yds/Game 81(1st), Pass Yds/Game 177(4th), Total Yds/Game 258(1st).

Patriots: 15-2. Offensively: Yards Per Game-358(7th), Rushing Per/Game-133(7th), Passing Per/Game-224(11th). Leaders; Passing- Tom Brady 3692 yds, 28TDs/14INTs. Rushing- Corey Dillon 1635 yds, 12TDs. Receiving- David Givens 56 REC 874 yds, 3TDs-- David Patten 44 REC 800 yds, 7TDs-- Deion Branch 35 REC 454 yds, 4TDs-- Daniel Graham 30 REC, 364 yds, 7TDs. Team Defense: Rush Yds/Game 98.3(6th), Pass Yds/Game-212.5(17th), Total Yds/Game 310.8(9th).

THE REST:
Patriots @ Steelers(+3) - In a game that arguably will match the two best teams in football, can the Steel Show steal the show? Something tells me that Duce Staley and his new team will be bashing helmets with his old team on Super Bowl Sunday. But that game is to be written about later. This weekend is the rematch of the team that canned the mighty winning streak of the amazing Patriots. Anything can happen any week of the year, this year has shown me that. Even Drew Bledsoe rushes for 7 yards here and there. No matter what happens, I will always stand by the claim that +3, at home, when your team is 16-1 on the year, is ludicrous. I have to take the Steel Show on that basis alone. I love everything about the ramifications of a Steeler win here. Big Ben goes to the Big Show in his amazing, record breaking, career making, rookie season. Duce meets his old team that slapped him in the face last year. Jerome Bettis has had one of his most amazing seasons, and could be on his way out. And Bill Cowher's jaw could be photographed falling to the turf at his turnaround from a year ago. This Steeler team is the epitome of old-school football. They let their young QB do his best to make plays only when he must, while letting two great backs do their damage. Their defense is stout, if not magnificent. Young guys and tough guys fill every spot on their unit. This has been quite the year for the Steelers. Is it meant to be? But what about the Patriots? They've crushed my almonds all year long. The only game I won against them was.... oh yes, the Pittsburgh game, but even then, they didn't have Corey Dillon to feed the ball to. Basically I can't and won't count them out. Corey Dillon is on a mission to prove he's one of the best backs in football. Even Bettis will concur, Dillon's for real. Tom Brady has never lost a playoff game, and has everyone's vote for the most-like-Montana award. Not bad. And what about coaching? Bill Belichick is quite possibly the best there is. That's disputable always, but how could you argue it? It'd be a lot tougher to argue against the guy than for him. Ask Peyton Manning if he's a good coach. This game should be brilliant. Two rock-em sock em, kick you in the nuts, punch you in the mouth, beat em up, wear em down, wear em out, give it everything you got teams matched up for a dream that only happens for two teams every year. The Pats have had their shot, they've taken advantage. The Steelers give the ball to a rookie on Sunday, only asking him to give them all he has. I think he's got enough. Their defense is the best in football. Steelers to win.
Steelers 31 Patriots 20 - Game Date: 01/23/05 18:40 ET

Falcons @ Eagles(-5)

The Numbers:
Eagles: 14-3. Offensively: Yards Per/Game- 351(9th). Rushing Per/Game- 102(24th) Pass Yards Per/Game- 248(7th). Leaders; Passing- Donovan McNabb yds, 3875 31TDs/8INTs. Rushing- Brian Westbrook 812yds, 3TDs-- Dorsey Levens 410yds, 4TDs. Receiving- Terrell Owens 77 REC, 1200yds, 14TDs-- Brian Westbrook 73 REC, 703yds, 6TDs-- Todd Pinkston 36 REC 676yds, 1TD-- L.J. Smith 34 REC, 377yds, 5TDs-- Freddie Mitchell 22 REC, 377yds, 2TDs. Team Defense: Rush Yds/Game 119(16th), Pass Yds/Game 201(12th), Total Yds/Game 320(10th).

Falcons: 12-5. Offensively: Yards Per/Game- 318(20th). Rushing Per/Game- 167(1st) Pass Yards Per/Game- 151(30th). Leaders; Passing- Mike Vick 2313 yds, 14TDs/12INTs. Rushing- Warrick Dunn 1106yds, 9TDs-- Mike Vick 902yds, 3TDs-- T.J. Duckett 509yds, 8TDs. Receiving- Algea Crumpler 48 REC, 774yds, 6TDs--Peerless Price 45 REC, 575yds, 3TDs-- Dez White 30 REC, 370yds, 2TDs. Team Defense: Rush Yds/Game 105.1(18th), Pass Yds/Game 220(22nd), Total Yds/Game 325(14th).

THE REST:
Falcons @ Eagles(-5) - Nothing like a good cock fight. But these are no brainless, flightless, pitiful feather-mocking pieces of soon to be Kentucky Fried here. These are two teams as good as their names insist. Mike Vick and Donovan McNabb represent their birds. Vick is the faster, quicker, and possibly more agile falcon. McNabb is the more savvy, calm, equally deadly eagle. Eagles or Falcons? Could Andy Reid and the Eagles really lose four NFC title games in a row? Yeah, they could. Can Mike Vick, who leads the Falcons, who are lead by rookie coach Jim Mora Jr, really get to the Super Bowl? Yeah, he could. The running back combo of Vick, Warrick Dunn, and TJ Duckett have gained more ground-yardage than any other team in the league. The Eagles aren't too shabby either, and McNabb has had his best year in the air by far. Amazingly, almost as amazing as an all Pennsylvania Superbowl in Jacksonville, the team that shows up defensively will win this game. Offenses in this one will follow the lead of their defensive unit, and this gives the nod to the Eagles. The Falcons have found a groove defensively, but the Eagles defense has some of the best players in football, starting with Brian Dawkins. This guy has more intensity than any other player I know besides Ray Lewis. He brings it every moment he thinks football. Vick has led his team all year. He's gotten far. He gives his team a chance to get farther, but McNabb has the same tools. He's just been all around better than Vick all year. McNabb tossed 4 less INT's while connecting for 17 more TD's, more than doubling Vick's TD production. Brian Westbrook is underrated, and equally as strong catching the ball as running it. I like this game to be close, but 5 points is still less than a touchdown away. I see the Eagles pulling away at the end of this one. Vick still needs a real number 1 receiver to take his team to the next level. When Sunday is over, one of these birds is going to the Super Bowl, so let me be the first to say, Cheers to all those idiots who said a scrambling quarterback can't get you there! Eagles 31 Falcons 24 - Game Date: 01/23/05 15:10 ET

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