This Week's Picks (Conference Championships)

I went 2-1-1 last week, which put me in second place to my friend Henry, who went 3-0-1. The Seahawks did a number on me late by letting the Saints back in the game. That meant they tied the line exactly, turning my 3-1 victory into a merely mediocre second-place performance.

Anyway, I could still pull out a playoff win (to match the one I had in the Regular Season), but it'll be tough with only three games left to play.

New England (+6) at Denver

A lot depends on the weather, and unfortunately, I don't think that it's necessarily going to be as cold as it needs to be to bring out "Bad Peyton."  But I still like Tom Brady better than Manning in the playoffs, and I think six is an aggressive line. Also: LaGarrette Blount was a legitimate force last week, and I think he can be again. If the Patriots are running and winning, then they're beating you without even using their best asset. That's what happened last week. 

I don't feel great about the pick, but I'll take the Pats. 

Pick: Patriots

San Francisco at Seattle (-3.5)

This game gives me pause because Russell Wilson has played like such crap lately. But I'm a believer in Marshawn Lynch, and the game is in Seattle, a considerable advantage as we saw last week. Moreover, Carolina lost because they let Kapernick get outside the pocket. Seattle's not going to make that mistake. 

Pick: Seahawks

I've got Monday off and a four-pack of Clown Shoes' Hoppy Feet already in place for the game. Regardless of how things come out, I'm ready for some football come Sunday afternoon.