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By Editor, Section NFL
In many ways, the Conference Championship weekend is much much better than the Super Bowl itself. Usually we get great games. However according to vegas this year, it's not looking so great. We'll see if NE can cover those 14 points and if the Packers can cover the 7.
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NFL 2007 Conference Championship Picks
[Editor's Note: This year, we're making the Locks of the Week a little more interesting as we have a side bet amongst the four experts. The person with the most money at the end of the year in Locks betting takes home all the money. Disclaimer: The amounts discussed are for illustrative and entertainment purposes only. Gambling may be illegal in your locale.] Vegas Vinny: So far I'm 0 for 2 on my locks. This week I'm gonna put the ultimate reverse jinx on the Patriots by picking them as my lock of the week. As most of you long time listeners know, I absolutely hate NE, Giants, and the Favres. So instead of looking at the Super Bowl matchup as two of my least favorite teams, I'm going to view it as an opportunity for one of my hated teams to get so close and to blow it. How's that for silver lining. But that's a little premature right now. Let's just look at this week's games. The gambling gods have not been kind of us at all. The lines are at 7 and 14? Couldn't just nudge it down by 1/2 a point could they? Still, I think the Patriots will blow out the Chargers. I know I said the same thing last week about the Colts but the Chargers are even more banged up this week than they were last week. The Patriots meanwhile looked completely unbeatable against the Jaguars. Even with a healthy squad, the Bolts simply don't match up against New England as witnessed by the previous meeting between these two clubs. You might as well prepare the Lombardi trophy - destination Foxborough - right now. It's absolutely over folks. The inevitable is truly inevitable. We've all known it since about week 10. The Patriots are gonna lock up the AFC this weekend and the Super Bowl in two weeks. I'll take them to beat the Chargers... oh I don't know... 49-26? BostonMac: Get ready for a Super Bowl XXXI rematch, folks! It's Drew Bledsoe! It's Brett Favre! Bill Parcells! Mike Holmgren! It's Packers-Patriots coming up next on Fox! Destiny is starting to take shape, and an eager Sports Nation awaits the storybook ending of the 07 season: goldenboy Favre in his Fountain of Youth as the last gallant defenders of truth, justice, and the American way from the evil commies, the undefeated cheaters New England Patriots (playing the role of Ivan Drago). Come to think of it, the Patriots (with their emphasis on the team over the individual, sacrificing individual wealth in favor of a stronger whole, and a strong centrally-controlled Politburo/Thought Police in Belichick and his lieutenants that carefully puppets every team member's thoughts and words like a roided-up Orwellian Big Brother) really do play the role of the commies. But I digress. The Chargers, unfortunately, just cannot match up with the Patriots. The Jaguars played essentially a perfect game last week and pushed the Patriots hard, with David Garrard playing the game of his life, and they still came up two scores short. Can a banged-up, emotionally spent, Norv Turner-coached Chargers team that shot their wad last week in the RCA Dome come into 9 degree weather in Foxborough and somehow topple the unbeaten, Belichick-coached juggernaut? A fully healthy Chargers team got punched in the face by a mediocre (by New England standards) Patriots team last year in San Diego. A weakened Chargers team is going to get steamrolled this weekend by the greatest team ever assembled. The drama is gone; bring on the Pack. I'll take NEW ENGLAND (-14) to win and to win big. Trevor F: The Packers have the lower number at 7 so I will go with them. I think both the Patriots and Packers should win their games rather convincingly. I like Green Bay at Lambeau in the cold weather. I see the Pack jumping out to an early lead and forcing Eli Manning to throw the ball downfield. That should mean a couple picks and Aaron Kampman living in Eli's grill. The Packers win this game going away and the discussion begins about the Patriots wideouts against the Packer corners which should be worth the price of admission. Randy Moss and Chas Woodson one on one. Either Wes Welker or Donte Stallworth drawing Al Harris. A.J. Hawk and Nick Barnett lurking over the middle to crush receivers running short routes. The Packers defense and the Patriot offense will be a nice little chess match.
Billy Fellin: This lock of the week comes to you courtesy of the letter B: as in Blowout. In making my lock of the week, I followed a handy checklist. Let's see: Norv Turner coaching in the playoffs? Check. Bill Belichick coaching in the playoffs? Check. Tom Brady, Randy Moss and the offensive machine? Check. 17-0 team vs a team that started 1-3? Check. And Philip Rivers, LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates not at 100%? Check. Hrm. Seems like a New England win to me. The only way I'd give the Chargers a chance here is if they had their Big 3 healthy and running on all cylinders, which they won't have come Sunday. They will have only 1/3 or maybe 2/3 at best. Even if all three did play, they wouldn't be healthy. The Chargers are a good football team. They just happen to be playing the Patriots, who I'll take to win and cover.
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