NFL Picks — Conference Championship Weekend
Can you name the conference championship trophies?
By now, we all know the lines to these games (Pats favored by three on the road, Panthers favored by three at home). We’re down to the top seeds in each conference, the four best teams all year long. So, we’re right where we’re supposed to be.
The real question this week: can you name either of the trophies awarded to the winners of the conference championship games? I couldn’t. I’ll give the answers at the bottom.
Let’s take a look at the matchups before I offer my rock-solid picks.
In the AFC, we should have seen it coming all along. The road to the AFC title has run through Foxboro and Denver for what’s now the fifth time in a row. The last matchup of the Pats and Broncs, two years ago, had Peyton advancing to the Super Bowl. Moreover, since the 1997 playoffs, either the Broncos or the Patriots have represented the AFC in the Super Bowl ten times. So, we’re about to make that 11. The defending Super Bowl champs, the Patriots, are led once again by Tom Brady. The Broncos will have Peyton Manning, who’s trying to get one more shot at Super Bowl glory. I think we all now this storyline which has been repeated to no end this week, and all season.
Flipping over to the NFC, we have two newcomers to the NFL’s elite. The Cardinals are back in the conference title game for the first time since 2009, when Kurt Warner was attempting his own Peyton-esque resurgence (and starting this new QB two-gloves trend, so Peyton can thank him for that too). The Panthers are back for the first time since 2006, when Jake Delhomme was at the helm. I think it’s safe to say Carolina has improved their QB play this time around. Neither team has won a Super Bowl in the history of their franchises. For this game, people will focus once again on the QB play between likely our top two MVP candidates for this season, Carson Palmer and Cam Newton. Carson looked a little shaky last week, while Cam was on fire (in the first half). Defensively, Carolina is the better unit, on paper at least. Last week, they disappeared in the second half against Seattle.
All in all, both games should be very exciting, as well as well-played. Both will be cold weather games, with the Denver game possibly having some rain. Winter is football time! So, without further ado…
Joe’s Picks
NE -3
CAR -3
Not very exciting, I know. But I think these teams are favored for a reason. Tom Brady hasn’t lost a game this year in which Julian Edelman plays, while Peyton needs a one-in-a-million game to keep up. In the other game, Carolina, despite being Vegas favorites, still has the underdog mentality going for them. That means a lot in my book. Also, Cam has been the better playoffs quarterback between him and Carson. Should be great games either way.
And, for those of you looking to satisfy the curiosity inside, here are the names of the conference championship trophies:
AFC — Lamar Hunt Trophy (Editor’s Note: Not to be confused with the Lamar Hunt Trophy that is presented to the winner of the Kansas-Missouri college football game or the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the longest running knockout tournament in American soccer.)
NFC — George Halas Trophy
Joe Shields is a mild-mannered financial analyst at a private equity company, but spends most of his free time watching the NFL and the San Antonio Spurs. He enjoys sharing his poorly-crafted analysis and terrible NFL picks here on the b-sides while receiving “the look” from his wife as he forgot to put away the dishes he promised to several hours earlier. Follow him on twitter, and here on the b-sides (by clicking the recommend button below and the follow button above)!