AFC and NFC Championship Games - Sunday, Jan. 21, 2017
AFC Championship Game
Jacksonville Jaguars (12-6) at New England Patriots (14-3)
Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass., 3:05 p.m. EasternM on CBS Network
Jacksonville Jaguars
vs.
New England Patriots
Jacksonville Jaguars (10-6) at New England Patriots (13-3) - A lot of Patriots haters hung their hats on this notion that the Patriots somehow cheated, or at the very least benefited from a tainted series of decisions by obviously partial referees. However, New England adapted to the circumstances, and then to no one's real surprised, did enough to cruise to a convincing win. The Titans were just overwhelmed, and you definitely cannot allow 35 unanswered points in any game and still hope to win. That is especially true against the Patriots, especially up at Foxboro. But games have a tendency to get away from visiting teams in that stadium, and that is what the Jaguars are up against. It is amazing that Jax managed to win a slugfest to outlast Buffalo, then shocked the Steelers up in Pittsburgh, yet find themselves heavy underdogs in this game. Yes, New England is favored by 9 entering this game, and it is not difficult to see why. Despite how successful the Jaguars have been, they are still relatively new to this kind of success, to this level of play. This is their first playoff appearance in a decade, and their first AFC title game in nearly two decades! They are going up to a place where the home team rarely loses, especially in the playoffs. The Pats have won seven straight playoff home games, and they have won two of the last three Super Bowls for a reason. This is a team with a head coach that has led his team to the Super Bowl more times, and won more of those Super Bowls, than any other head coach in history. Ditto with the quarterback. You better believe that they will come prepared, and that they will give the Jaguars looks that will likely baffle Jax. A lot of Patriots haters want to believe that this team can be beaten, and will be beaten. But even if you argue that their wins are tainted, that they got all of the calls in their favor last weekend, what's to say that will not happen again this weekend? This is a team that knows how to handle this situation, having been in the AFC Championship Game a record seven straight times now! They enter with a 3-3 record in those six previous appearances, and they are clearly hungry for a shot at yet another title. Sure, upsets can happen, and the Jaguars may pull off a stunner. But this would be way, way bigger than their wins against either Buffalo or at Pittsburgh. This would take an epic effort, and I do not believe that the Pats will overlook this team, as I suspect the Steelers kind of did. This game will mean everything to the Patriots, and that is why it would make no sense for me to pick anyone else against them in these playoffs. My pick: New England
NFC Championship Game
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Minnesota Vikings (14-3) AT Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, 6:40 p.m. Eastern on Fox Network
Minnesota Vikings
vs.
Philadelphia Eagles
Minnesota Vikings at Philadelphia Eagles - The Eagles proved that they should not be underestimated when they defeated the red hot Falcons last weekend, eliminating them from the playoffs. It was a low scoring game, mostly a defensive battle, and it had a relatively low profile for a playoff game, especially after the second day, when most of the real fireworks for playoff weekend happened. First, that other 13-3 Pennsylvania team got knocked out in rather shocking fashion. Then, the big one that everyone was talking about, when the Vikings had that miracle play work for them, giving them an improbable win as time expired, just when it appeared that all hope was lost. Yes, the Vikings have to be riding high after that win, although they need to recover fast to be ready for the Eagles. However, I doubt that they will suffer from any kind of hangover from the celebrations with the win over New Orleans. Minnesota showed some weaknesses defensively, as the Saints kind of wore them down and had their way in that final quarter. The good news for the Vikings is that they are not playing nearly as dangerous a defense this time around, which should help them get through this particular game. Say what you want about Philly, but since losing their star quarterback, they have struggled on offense in a big way. Yes, their defense has stepped up, and could save them again in this one. It would not be shocking. But now in the playoffs, each game is going to get tougher, and my guess is that the Vikings have just too many weapons for the Eagles to keep up with, and will likely fall short this weekend, despite having home field advantage. There is a reason that Philly finds themselves 3 1/2 point underdogs in this game, despite enjoying home field advantage. The Vikings have a tough defense themselves, and their offense, while at times tending to struggle, is a lot more capable than Philly's offense is. How effective that offense will be against the Eagles defense is that main question, and I think that the Vikings should have enough to punch their ticket to a Super Bowl right in their own home stadium! My pick: Minnesota
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