NFL Picks: Conference Championships

01/19

Patriots		2:00 PM
Broncos

Here we go again, Manning vs. Brady for the 15th time in their careers, with a trip to Super Bowl XLVIII on the line in Denver. If New England can continue to run the ball as well as they have done the last couple of weeks, as well as pressure Peyton Manning, I think the Patriots can pull off the upset, just as they did in their shocking comeback win in Week 12 in Foxboro. But I think it will be Denver's running game, with Knowshon Moreno and Montee Ball that will wear down the New England front seven, allowing them to advance.

49ers		5:30 PM
Seahawks

The bitter, nasty rivalry continues in the NFC Title game, with San Francisco and Seattle matching up for the third time this year. I think it comes down to QB play in this one. The 49ers have the best linebacking core in football with Aldon Smith, Navarro Bowman, Patrick Willis, and Ahmad Brooks, so Marshawn Lynch should have problems running the ball, so it'll be up to Russell Wilson to make plays in the passing game for Seattle to move the ball, something they haven't done well in the last month. On the other side, Colin Kaepernick will have to extinguish his demons against Seattle's legion of boom secondary and get the ball to Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree on time and on target. In the end, I like Wilson better, with the 12th Man behind him.

Last week: 2-2
Season record: 168-95