NFL Playoff Picks, Conference Championships Round

San Francisco 49ers/Philadelphia Eagles: nice to see two evenly matched teams facing off in both Conference Championships, super looking forward to this Sunday, what are the freakin' odds? The Giants were a really good team this year but Philly certainly wasn't phased, I thought that game would be closer, could be different in 2023. Later in 2023. San Francisco's D is reputedly much stronger and I imagine the Eagles will have a tougher time scoring against them, Dallas certainly struggled last Sunday, it was close, I was hoping for more. The Eagles offence didn't score much more than Dallas during the season and therefore put up impressive numbers, picking up more than 30 points six times, imagine the playoffs had started in late November. They did lose to New Orleans however whose defence played rather well in 2022, I imagine San Fran's paying close attention to the tape 😜, not that Philly hasn't since adjusted. I have to admit that Dak Prescott in the Conference Championships seemed like a really cool story, the Cowboys finally making it back, that would have been outstanding. But with his win last Sunday Brock Purdy becomes even more incredible, he has to be the coolest story the NFL's seen in years. I knew the 49ers were playing their backup but I didn't know he was a third string rookie until recently, I mean this is like a bedtime story for school children, the pop culture exposure goes way beyond football. Thus, even though I love the Eagles and find it hard not to pick them, I'm rooting for the resurgent 49ers. Plus, I imagine Broncos nation may be a bit pissed since I haven't consistently supported Kyle Shanahan (someone really has to change Mike Shanahan's Wikipedia photo). Picking Brock Purdy and San Francisco! Can they do the same thing to Philly?   

Cincinnati Bengals/Kansas City Chiefs: damned impressive last weekend both these quarterbacks redefined leadership, pulling out huge wins and punishing adversity, it's mind-boggling how often this game surprises. When I saw how heavily it was snowing in Buffalo, I thought there might be multiple turnovers, and that the team to emerge victorious would have simply managed to hold on to the ball. But Joe Burrow and the Bengals made it look like it was a balmy 85 degrees outside, I didn't see the entire game but what I saw was strictly business, marching up and down the field, stable drives, no complaints, in conditions that couldn't have been worse, Cincinnati made it look totally easy (I'm not saying it was easy, I imagine it was extremely difficult). Seriously, when I'm in situations where I have to work and the weather's brutal I tell myself just do what you always do, and try not to make a mess of things, persevere, keep moving forward, I'm actually just applying how I learned to pass piano exams as a kid, never stop if you make a mistake, nothing can be done, on to the future. It was like Cincinnati didn't make any mistakes and it was totally freakin' commendable. I imagine Buffalo will be ready in 2023 (and Denver damn it!). But for now, it be Cincinnati! And I haven't even started to write about Patrick Mahomes who kept playing through a piercing injury. Hobbling on the field. Idyllic drive to win another. Is he hoping to challenge Brady and his death-defying 7 Super Bowls? After last week's performance there's no doubt. Perhaps he just might do it. Still hoping for the Bengals however, they've never won, KC's won two, the fans in Cincinnati deserve to reckon incarnate, I'm picking the Bengals/49ers rematch, again. What are the odds of three of the same teams making the Conference Championships two years in a row? Somebody must have bet on it. I wonder if they also took Philly?