Championship Game Picks

Saints-Bears:

I still like the Saints. I just have this feeling about Sean Payton. I know, I know, it's stupid to pick against the Bears, at home, with that defense, and with the Saints being pretty shitty on defense.

I keep thinking about all the weapons New Orleans has an offense. I keep thinking about the fact that Sean Payton knows how to properly use those weapons. And, I keep thinking about the fact that Mike Holmgren should blame himself, not the officials (he hasn't blamed them yet, right? He will.) for the loss in the Divisional Round. The Bears did everything they could to lose that game and Holmgren did absolutely nothing to try to win it. He neglected to use the one weapon that he had at his disposal that the Bears could not stop: Shaun Alexander.

Payton won't make that mistake. Aside from calling a flip play with three minutes left in the Philly game (which wouldn't have been a bad call if Reggie Bush hadn't fumbled it), I haven't seen the guy make a mistake all year. If there is an opportunity to exploit this defense, Payton will find it.

And, Chicago just doesn't seem ready. Maybe Grossman needs another year. Maybe Lovie Smith needs a brain transplant. Maybe everyone on defense needs another year. I'm just not sure. The only thing I know is that I don't trust this Bears team in a big game at home with everything on the line and all the pressure on them.

Plus which, if the ever-popular Concern Rays have anything to say about it, the Saints win easily. C'mon. Everyone that isn't a Bears fan is rooting for the Saints right now. Admit it. It's a great story and they're a fun team to watch. Even the officials gave them the benefit of the doubt in the Philly game.

Colts-Patriots:

All of LaDainian Tomlinson's whining aside, there was something downright fishy about New England's celebration in San Diego. I just keep wondering... didn't these guys win three Super Bowls in this decade? Haven't they won games that were bigger than this and closer than this? Why was this win worthy of such a huge celebration? It's not as though these are the same 2001 Patriots. It's not as though no one gave them a chance. Most of the sports world wasn't surprised at all when the Patriots won. So... why did they seem surprised?

You could say that they were celebrating because they knew that they faced Indy and Peyton Manning in the AFC Championship Game. So, basically, it was like they knew they were going to the Super Bowl. But... still... I don't remember them celebrating like that when they beat Indy to advance after the 2003 season. Or, ya know, both times they beat us to go to the Super Bowl. Let's just not talk about that.

It just looks to me like the Patriots are the team that's "just happy to be there" and the Colts are the grizzled veterans who are looking to take care of business. I'm not saying that it makes any difference, or that the Patriots will lose because it, it's just... weird. Really, really weird.

As a result, I have to take New England in this one. Which means they'll win the Super Bowl. Again. And, really, we'll have to call them the greatest dynasty of the Super Bowl era. It pains me to say it, but it's true. With free agency, roster turnover, coaching losses, everyone gunning for them, playing in the superior conference, they've managed to be as dominant as the NFL will allow nowadays. Much more dominant than they're supposed to be, in fact.

The Steelers had the greatest dynasty in the era of dynasties. The Patriots have one of the greatest dynasties of all time in an era specifically structured to prevent dynasties. They say you can't compare teams across eras, but that's my argument.