NFL – Conference championship predictions

The last weekend of games before the big game is here. Philly and Arizona squars off to determine who wins the NFC, and Baltimore and Pittsburgh duel to decide which AFC North team will win the AFC title.

Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Philadelphia enter the weekend with the top three defenses in the league and Arizona has stepped up their defense during this postseason. A battle of defenses may leave the team with the most solid offensive playing for the championship.

As for our experts, after leading for the entire season, Kevin has finally been caught by Anshul. The two sit at a tie entering the last weekend of the season, and with a tie not an option to these proud competitors, this weekend will decide both who plays for the NFL championship and who claims the SCO championship.

Standings:

	Last week	Season total
Anshul	3-1	156-89
Kevin	2-2	156-89
Sean	2-2	141-104

Sunday, Jan. 18, 2009

Philadelphia Eagles (9-6-1) at Arizona Cardinals (9-7)

Anshul	Kevin	Sean
Philadelphia	Philadelphia	Philadelphia

Anshul says:
The Cardinals' defense has stepped up immensely in the playoffs and if they can continue to play well, they have a shot at beating the Eagles. But Philly has also been playing great defense all season long and are getting a lot of help from the offense. I predict that the Eagles will punch their ticket to the Super Bowl.

Kevin says:
How likely was it that these two teams would be battling for the NFC Conference title? The Eagles dismantled Eli Manning's offense while the Cardinals powered over the Carolina defense. I'd have to go with the Eagles because the Cardinals just don't seem right - plus, I still have NFC East pride.

Sean says:
The Cardinals have played very well, but the Eagles have played phenomenally. The Cardinals have pulled plenty of upsets, but the Eagles are on a roll. This is McNabb's time to shine.

Baltimore Ravens (11-5) at Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4)

Anshul	Kevin	Sean
Pittsburgh	Baltimore	Pittsburgh

Anshul says:
I would love to pick the Ravens here, but my pride prevents me from allowing a tie to occur in this season's NFL picks. Since Kevin has chosen Baltimore, I must choose the Steelers. Pittsburgh does have a big shot to win this game with the Ravens as the underdogs. The injury to Samari Rolle could hurt the Ravens' defense and the Steelers have been dominant on both sides of the ball all season long. Plus, how sweet would a Philly-Pittsburgh Super Bowl be? I'm picking the Steelers, but I will be hoping for the Ravens to win.

Kevin says:
This will be the game to watch (obviously). Look out for two big defenses, one of which will be bigger than the other. The Ravens can take this one if they really play cohesively as a team, which should not be a problem with veteran Ray Lewis as their leader.

Sean says:
I want the Ravens to win here, I really do. But given the large amount of injuries they've accrued, I don't know if the Ravens can pull off a win in Heinz Field and handle a grueling match-up with the best defense in the league.