1-3.
Yeah, that one has gotta hurt. With the same intuition that I exhibited in my preseason super bowl pick of the Cowboys (hah) and the Browns (urgh), I appear to have doomed the seasons of the fair Colts, Vikings, and Falcons.
In my defense, had I actually spent time researching the matchups and actually doing work on the picks, I probably could have gone 2-2.
Anyhoo, with as much foresight and skill exhibited in my previous week, here are my divisional round picks.
NFC
New York over Philadelphia
I have to go with the Defending champions on this one. The Eagles showed they could win on the road at the Vikings, but it was Tavaris Johnson after all. The Super Bowl road in the NFC will go through the Meadowlands.
Carolina over Arizona
You lousy redbirds picked a fine time to actually show up. Where were you against Minnesota, when the Conundrums of the Midway needed you to bolster their playoff hopes? So you beat Matt Ryan, eh? The Bears almost did that as well, if Robbie Gould could have kicked a squib kick, or the defense could have kept the reciever in bounds. Oh well, enough bitching. The Boringest Show on Turf continues on to face the New York Giants.
AFC
Baltimore over Tennessee
Of my picks, this is probably my least confident one (which means it will probably be the lone one to pay off). Tennessee looks vulnerable, one of those unpleasant #1 seeds that always seem to get picked off in the divisional round. Granted, one of those teams (2006 Bears) made it all the way to the Super Bowl, but they almost blew it against Seattle. However, the very fact they look so vulnerable has me second-guessing myself in this crazy NFL world.
Pittsburgh over San Diego
My confidence level for this game is about 50% lower is Rothlisberger isn't starting in Pittsburgh. Still, even without him, I can't see the Chargers making it to a second straight AFC championship. However, the prospect of an 8-8 team making the Super Bowl is an intriguing thought. Its like the mediocrity of the 2008 NFL season has come alive, and is tangibly trying to prove its title as most mediocre season ever.
NFL 2009! Catch the Fever. Or Don't.
