Conference Championship Weekend

How come the morons that are in charge of the major sports can’t make a decision that makes sense, might be in the interest of people’s safety, or, heaven forbid, might increase viewership? World Series games end well after midnight, with a short game. NBA Finals games start after 9 pm. Obviously, we are talking east coast here, you know, only the place where the vast majority of the country’s population lives. The NHL sold their major tv deal to a channel no one has ever heard of or can find. Can anyone name for me a single "Versus" show? I just googled them and I saw something about bull riding, so obviously, they know what they’re doing.

The NFL manages to avoid these disasters and actually have their marquis games on when people who have jobs or go to school can actually watch them. Note to the three major sports not raking in money NFL style. If you don’t hook em as kids, you’re never gonna get em. However, in one of their more foolish moves, the NFL has completely blown it this Conference Championship weekend, by throwing all reason and logic out the window. Alright, we have two games. One at 3:00 pm and one at 6:30 pm, both times Eastern. One in the warm desert. One in the frigid and snowy northeast. One in the Eastern time zone. One in the Pacific time zone. This means the 3:00 pm kickoff takes place at noon in the Pacific time zone. So, what would make more sense? Have the game in Arizona be the late game or have the late game in Pittsburgh? Have the Steelers fans out in the elements until after 10:00 pm? Or give them the early game and reduce the likelihood of drunken hypothermia? Have the Cardinals playing at noon local time or 3:30 local time?

You, of course, know the answer. The Cardinals have the early game and the Steelers the late game. This would be a moot point if the Giants had won and both games were on the east coast, but that is precisely what the problem here is. The Giants, a shadow of their former selves without as Plax (precisely as predicted here, mind you) got embarrassed and the Cards get the home game. Yes, the CBS and FOX schedules are set in advance, but are you really telling me they can’t make the switch? It is pure and unadulterated foolishness. And with all the more time to get good and liquored up with a 6:30 start at Pittsburgh, are we really going to be surprised by the multiple people sent to the hospital from the Pittsburgh game due to exposure? Shame on you NFL, this was an easy and logical fix. Steelers play at 3:00, west coast game at 6:30. It’s not rocket science.

On to the games.

Ravens +6 over STEELERS

Six points against the Ravens defense and the weather is too much. Especially since the Ravens are going to win outright. Two best defenses in the league. The winner of this game will be the team that avoids the turnovers. Fast Willie will not look so fast against the Ravens warp speed defense. Expect neither team to have much success with the running game. This game comes down to the QB’s. Roethlisberger vs. Flacco. A no brainer right? Not so fast. You have the unflaccable Joe Flacco against the Big Fraud. QB rating this year. Flacco: 80.3. Big Fraud: 80.1. Surprised?

This is territory that we have covered before, but until the truth is known, we will continue to shout it from the hilltop. The Big Fraud is the single most overrated player at the QB position, ever. BF has been insulated by a top 3 offensive line and top rated running game every year of his career, except this one. Well below the league average in pass attempts per game. And what was the result? 8-9 men in the box stacked up to stop the run, play action passes, and big plays downfield. All inflating his quarterback rating, yards per attempt and TD/INT ratio. But, unfortunately for the BF, the honeymoon is over. No more impenetrable O-line, no more unstoppable running game. The BF now faces the same level playing field that the rest of the league’s QB’s do.

The result? 17 TD’s, 15 INT’s and a lower QB rating than his counterpart in today’s game. How bout a closer look at the numbers? Third down passer rating: 73.5. Fourth down: 0.0 That’s 4 passes, no completions and 3 interceptions. Flacco. Third down passer rating: 86.3 Fourth down: 111.7. That’s five attempts and four completions. The higher the stakes, the better Flacco has done. Flacco has the NFL’s strongest arm (athough it is very close between he and Cutler) to cut through the wind and snow. He beat the Titans with 2 huge throws. He’s seen the Steelers twice already this year and should not be surprised by the speed. Be ready to hit the hot route and watch out for Woodley and Harrison.

The unflappable rookie versus the overrated veteran. I’ll take Joe to do it again and the Big Fraud to throw the pick six to Ed Reed. Big Fraud proves everything I have ever written about with him with 2-3 turnovers in this game. Steelers best chance to win this game is if something happens to the BF and Leftwich ends up under center. The train wreck is coming. Wait for it.

Ravens 23-15

CARDINALS +4 over Eagles

Anyone talking about Brian Westbrook being an unstoppable force has not been watching the games. 2 games, 74 yards rushing and one big screen play with all of the Vikings stuck upfield. He looks like what he is. A banged up running back averaging under 2 yards per carry in the playoffs. Throw out that one screen play and he has 96 total yards in the playoffs. How many touches? 42. He’s a non factor against a defense that completely shut down 2 of the 3 best running attacks in the NFL the first two weeks of the playoffs. McNabb has been alright in the playoffs, 2 TD’s 3 INT’s. But he is now facing a ball hawking Cardinals defense who have it all coming together at the right time.

Never underestimate the "everybody thinks we stink" mentality. The Cardinals have been wholly disrespected all season long and being a 4 point home dog is only furthering that perspective. The Eagles and Joe Johnson’s crazy blitzing defense are going up against the wrong guy. Nobody makes quicker decisions than Kurt Warner. And he gets the ball out fast, fast, fast. He’s throwing to the NFL’s best receiver in Larry Fitzgerald and it seems like Boldin will be back on the field. And you could argue Boldin vs. Fitzgerald. Loss of the tight end does concern me here, but you can’t stop Kurt. He’s going back to the Superbowl.

Warner is not the guy to Blitz. Remember how Belichick stopped the greatest show on turf. He blitzed only about 5 times in that game, kept the receivers in front and punished them. Not saying that would work here (receivers are bigger than the defenders), but you don’t blitz Warner when he has these weapons or he will burn you. And Joe Johnson can’t not blitz (excuse the double negative). People underestimate the importance of who you’re throwing to. If Eli had Plax on the field last week, he gets some big plays on those blitzes and we’re having an entirely different discussion.

Cardinals also continue to work in the run nicely. The Eagles have had a long tough road to get here. Don’t underestimate the miles they’ve traveled and the emotional frenzy they got into to face the champs last week. They can’t be as up for the Cards, even in the conference championship game. Everyone has been telling them all week that it will be a cake walk. They already slaughtered this team by 28 points this year. But, these are not those same Cardinals. They are now a run stuffing, ball hawking defense. A balanced and explosive offense with a QB who has won the big game. Expect to see this game end with McNabb vomiting and out of breath in the last few minutes as he tries to run the hurry up. It will be too little too late. And he doesn’t have T.O. to carry his jock as he did in the Superbowl. This time, he’s got the injured running back and the receiver so stupid that he has gone into the end zone to score multiple times in his career without the football.

Cardinals 38-27.