Conference Championship Week

A nice 4-0 week was one better than Loren. 73-36-1 to 52-55-1.

San Francisco at Seattle
Derek - San Francisco. What am I doing!?!?! Well I think I'm taking the hotter team. And Arizona did show that Seattle can be beaten at home. Plus isn't it an NFL rule that one of the Superbowl teams will have to win every game on the road to get there?
Loren – Seattle. I see Wilson as less mistake prone than Kaepernick, especially when you factor in the stadium and the noise the fans generate. Seattle’s D is consistently good while San Francisco’s comes and goes. Plus, I really want to see an old AFC West matchup in the Super Bowl. Which leads me to…

New England at Denver
Derek - Denver. I've watched the Pats all year and I just don't think they should be in the Superbowl? Something about them doesn't say best team or even elite team this year. I'll have to go with the best team all hear in Denver. 
Loren – Denver. Broncos v. Seahawks! Okay, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The Pats beat the Broncos during the season via an improbable second half surge and a complete Denver meltdown. I don’t see that happening again and the home field might make all the difference. Manning has the tools to manage the game effectively against a defense that isn’t nearly as strong as their previous championship runs. Brady will probably make swiss cheese out of a horrible Denver secondary, and I’m getting nauseous thinking about Keenan Allen eating Quentin Jammer’s lunch last week, but will the Pats be able to stop the Broncos at 5,280 feet?

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NFL Divisional Playoff Picks

Not a great week for either of us. I was 2-2 and Loren was 1-3. 69-36-1 to 49-54-1.

Saturday
New Orleans at Seattle
Derek - Seattle. The Saints will put up a better show than they did the first time they made the trek to the NW, but that still doesn't mean they'll win. Seattle is a heck of a team and as long as they run the ball they'll win.
Loren - Seattle. Too much ball control, a secondary that's too fast and can play man, a line that doesn't leak, and just enough offense means Seattle gets a trip to the NFC title game.  
Indianapolis at New England
Derek - New England. The Colts can't play in the first half like they did last week and expect to win. you can't turn the ball over to the Pats.
Loren - New England. I don't think New England has a title ready team, but they've got enough to take out an inexperienced Indy squad.  

Sunday
San Francisco at Carolina
Derek - San Francisco. This could be a close low scoring game, but I think the 49ers playoff experience an coaching will be enough to eek out a close one. 
Loren - Carolina. Upset special!  Or more likely just another in a long string of embarrassing picks. Anyway, after seeing SF's D struggle to contain a damaged Packers squad, I like Carolina's chances after an extra week to get ready to host a home game.  
San Diego at Denver
Derek - Denver. The Chargers don't have anything to loose, but the Broncos are by far the better team and have an extra weeks rest/Manning prep time for this one.
Loren  - Denver. Like I'm not going to take Denver? However, the Chargers have the right kind of pass oriented offense to take advantage of Denver's weakness. This could be a nail biter. 

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NFL Wild Card Weekend Picks

Well Loren picked up 2 games on me the last week of the regular season. 67-34-1 to 48-51-1.

Saturday
Kansas City at Indianapolis
Derek - Indianapolis. I"m picking Mr. Hyde...or is Dr. Jekyll, well heck I guess that's the point, you don't know who you're getting with the Colts. But I think they have one win in them for the playoffs and don't be surprised if there are multiple lead changes in the second half of this game.
Loren – Kansas City. I think resting their starters last week was a good idea. They earned the trip and couldn’t impact their seeding with a win. This means most of the offensive and defensive first units are going to be rested and healthy. KC needs that defense to get back some early season mojo and their offense to control the clock. I think they do both.

New Orleans at Philadelphia. The Saints are just a different team on the road then at home. Add in winter conditions and the need to run you just have to go with the Eagles. 
Derek - Philadelphia.
Loren – Philadelphia. It’s cold, and that favors the team that can run. That ain’t the Saints. I don’t see the Saints being capable of sustained drives without dropped balls, fumbles, wind-forced errors, etc.

Sunday
San Diego at Cincinnati
Derek - Cincinnati. The Bengals have the D and home field. The only thing they don't have is a QB who is consistent. But hey just throw a jump ball to AJ Green and that should be enough.
Loren – Cincinnati. If you’re the Chargers and you barely beat the Chiefs’ second stringers last week, how positive are you feeling about your team right now? I always give Rivers a puncher’s chance, but Cincy has the talent on both sides to make life miserable for the Chargers.

San Francisco at Green Bay
Derek - San Francisco. Not sure why I'm picking the 49ers other than they're the better team. Sounds strange but that might not be enough. On the road and Rodgers is back, the Pack could go deep.
Loren – San Francisco. It makes me really nervous taking San Francisco after the Superman routine Rodgers pulled last week. Should you ever count Rodgers out? Well, San Francisco has a top-shelf defense, so they’ve got that going for them. Kaepernick can run circles around the Packers’ D, too. This is the Niners game for the taking.

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