Wait 'til Next Year

The NFL season has, essentially, wound down to the two big weekends in which anything can happen (football-wise).  No doubt something will.  The four remaining teams are all capable of  winning the Super Bowl so--really--it is mostly about luck.  In most years the best games are played this upcoming "Championship Sunday"  (or "Championship Weekend" if they put a game on Saturday).  This year could very well be the same.  So... just a few quick predictions...

AFC Conference Finals  New Jersey Jets vs. Steelers of Pittsburgh

Could nobody win this game?  I mean, I would be OK with that.  As a fan I would be inclined to route for the Jets.  They are in the same division as the Pats, which I actually see as a plus in my fan-formula.  They play good football, too.  However, they are also really, really obnoxious and inexplicably so.  The Steelers, however, have the rather sketchy Ben Rothlisberger as their QB.  He is sketchy as a person (just google him if you don't know what I am talking about), not as a QB.  I wouldn't mind so much if it were the other way around...

I think I am crossing conferences this year.

As for who will win, who cares?  It is just a game.  That having been said, I do believe that the Steelers will pull this one out.  They are playing in Pittsburgh.  They are also playing at the top of their game and have an excellent defense.  The two teams actually match up well and, of course, the Jets beat the Pats on the road this week so who knows?  Actually, I do.  The Pats were over achieving this year.  They had problems on defense and a few on offense, too.  The Steelers don't have these problems.

Steelers 21-10

NFC Conference Championship  Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears

This should be an interesting game between two longtime rivals.  The Packers have the better QB and they seem to have more momentum coming in to this.  The "this" they will be going in to, however, will be Soldier Field.  First, Soldier Field is a postmodernist's dream stadium.  Second, the Bears play there.  Of course, they are both cold-weather teams so the conditions won't matter.  The Packers are regulars there so home-field won't matter much either.  Hmmm...

I am picking the Bears.  The reason is, shall we say, multi-faceted.  First, I thought they would do very badly this year and they didn't.  Second, OC Mike Martz has discovered the run game.  When Martz isn't dwelling in pass-land, his teams do very well.  The whole pass thing kinda fell apart on him in the 2001 Super Bowl (actually played in 2002) and people know what to do with his master plan.  Third, Jay Cutler is not pouting right now.  If he starts pouting this week, I say the Packers win.  Fourth, I used to live in Chicago and I have only the vaguest idea where Green Bay is.  Fifth, I have to pick somebody in a contest that could really go either way.  Sixth, Devin Hester and the shocking return game.

OK, that is enough of that.

Bears  38-36

Super Bowl 

Again, who really knows?  Who really cares?  This game is rarely as good as the commercials, but hope springs eternal...

Would it be wrong to pick the Packers to win the Super Bowl?  They seem like nice folks.

OK, when I am feeling sensible, I would say that the Steelers will edge out the Packers.  But I am not sensible and I am going with the Bears again....

Bears  17-13