Superbowl Prediction

On Sunday, we will find out which two teams will be playing in this
year's Super Bowl.

One thing we know for sure is the survivors of the conference
championship games will not be the teams who met in last year's
Super Bowl. The New England Patriots did not qualify fo r the playoffs,
and the New York Giants lost to Philadelphia last weekend.

With the frigid, snowy weather the northern portion of the United States
has been experiencing, it's only natural for fans to wonder what
kind of impact the weather will have on the games.

The weather should not be a problem in Arizona, where the current
forecasts call for sunny conditions and temperatures in the mid-70s
Sunday afternoon. But the NFL might wish it had reversed its schedule
and permitted the Steelers and Ravens to play in the afternoon instead
of the evening. Snow is a 50% possibility in Pittsburgh on Sunday
afternoon and evening, but, obviously, it will be warmer during the day
(predicted high near 27°) than it will be after the sun goes down (the
predicted low for Sunday night is 14°).

NFC Championship

Philadelphia (9-6-1) at Arizona (9-7-0)

3 p.m. (EST), FOX

They say defense wins championships. If that is so, the Eagles may
emerge from the showdown with Arizona as the NFC's representative
in the Super Bowl.

But first, let's take a brief look at the offenses.

The offensive statistics appear pretty even. However, the Cardinals have
a statistical advantage at quarterback. Arizona's Kurt Warner led
the NFC in QB rating (96.9) while Philadelphia's Donovan McNabb was
10th in the NFC in that category (86.4). Warner also led the NFC in
completion percentage (67.1%) while McNabb was ninth (60.4%).

McNabb managed to finish fourth in the league in passing yards (3,916),
although he still trailed Warner (4,583). And Warner accounted for more
passing TDs than McNabb did, 30-23. It's worth pointing out,
though, that McNabb's longest pass completion (90 yards) exceeded
Warner's longest (79).
But, when you think about it, it probably isn't too difficult for
Warner to excel when he has receivers like Larry Fitzgerald (NFC's
leader in receiving yardage with 1,431, tied for first in receiving TDs
with 12, league leader in receptions with 96), Anquan Boldin (ninth in
the NFC in receiving yardage with 1,038, third in receiving TDs with 11,
second in receptions with 89) and Steve Breaston (11th in the NFC in
receiving yardage with 1,006, 12th in receptions with 77) as targets.

As far as interceptions were concerned, the two were fairly even. Warner
threw 14, McNabb threw 11.

Sixteen running backs in the NFL ran for at least 1,000 yards this
season, but none played for the Cardinals or the Eagles. In fact, no
1,000-yard rusher remains in the playoffs following the elimination last
weekend of the Giants, Panthers, Chargers and Titans, all of whom did
have running backs who cracked the 1,000-yard barrier. Of the running
backs who are still playing, Brian Westbrook of the Eagles came the
closest to 1,000, with 936 yards. Arizona's top rusher was Edgerrin
James with 514 yards.

Turning our attention to defense, the Eagles may be one of the few teams
in the NFL that can travel to Arizona with the confidence to shut down
the Cardinals' passing game.

During the regular season, Philadelphia held opposing QBs to a 54.1%
completion rate while restricting those signal-callers to a 72.9 passer
rating — and the Eagles had to face Eli Manning and Tony Romo twice, not
to mention a game against Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger.

The Eagles routinely held teams under 200 yards passing, giving up an
average of about 182 yards/game. And the Eagles' foes averaged
about 18 points per game, while the Cardinals gave up nearly 27 points
per game.

Clark Judge of CBS Sports observes that the Eagles are on the brink of a
trip to the Super Bowl for the fifth time in eight years and suggests
that this time"it's more satisfying," given the obstacles he's
had to overcome.

When the Eagles faced the Cardinals on Thanksgiving night, Philadelphia
picked off Warner three times en route to a 48-20 victory.

I don't think it will be that high scoring again, but I think the
same team will prevail.

My prediction: Philadelphia 21, Arizona 17.

Steel Curtain Rising

The Pittsburgh defense is solid. Rock solid. So solid that it's bringing back memories of the old "Steel Curtain" defense that helped the fame Steelers of Terry Bradshaw years win championships .

The next task for the Pittsburgh defense is rookie Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens. It could be one of the best defensive showdowns in NFL playoff history. The Pittsburgh "Steel curtain" against Hall of Famer Ray Lewis and the Ravens.

The winner will get a slightly better offensive team in the Super Bowl regardless of who wins in the NFC.

My prediction is that the Steelers defense will be too strong and Joe Flacco will toss at least two maybe three interceptions. Flacco hasn't struggled since the early part of the season and has played like a veteran quarterback. But don't look for that to continue in the cold cold Pittsburgh weather.

The Steelers will win an ugly one 13-6.

Coming NFL Sunday

This week, there are three games PossessionPoints.com wishes to highlight. The biggest game in our viewpoint is the Monday night game between the Bucs and Panthers. While it looks as if both of these teams will make the playoffs, this game could well decide who wins the NFC South Division as both of these teams are now tied with a record of 9-3. The winner of this Division will also most likely get a first round bye, and the loser most likely a wildcard spot

The second big game this week is between the Giants and the Eagles at the Meadowlands. This game is truly the Eagles' last shot to get themselves back into playoff contention. We think the lights are all but out for Philadelphia this season, but a loss here could mathematically eliminate them. The Giants have little to gain with a win this week as they have a virtual lock on the Division and a first round bye. So, obviously this game is more important for the Eagles.

The third big game is an interconference game between the Cowboys and Steelers as both these teams have winning records and are in tight races for playoff spots. The Cowboys want to maintain or enhance their chances of obtaining a wildcard spot while the Steelers look to hold on to their narrow one-game lead over the Ravens.

These are three strong contests this week with playoff implications for all involved. We will see which teams rise to the occasion and which teams fold like a bad poker hand.

5 players of the 2008 NFL

Selecting the top 5 players of the 2008 NFL season is not an easy task and you can never make everyone happy. My selections are based not only on overall statistics but other measures of performance as well. This list is not the most talented players in the league, but the pest performers of the season. Here are the top 5 players of the 2008 NFL season.

#5. DeAngelo Williams- RB Carolina Panthers

Shocked that Williams is one of the top 5 players of the year? Well you shouldn't be. DeAngelo Williams has been a major factor in the Panthers current 9-3 record. Williams has not only averaged 4.9 YPC, scored 13 total touchdowns, and had over 1,000 yards total offense; he has no fumbles. Williams is in a split back system and does not get the recognition he deserves. With only 2 games in which he has had 20 or more carries, Williams has still managed nearly 1,000 yard rushing season with over 10 rushing touchdowns with 4 games in the regular season left to play.

#4. Michael Turner- RB Atlanta Falcons

1200+ rushing yards and 13 touchdowns after 12 games. If you had to guess who would be the first running back in the league to accomplish those numbers you would have probably guess Tomlinson, Portis, or maybe even Larry Johnson, but not Michael Turner. The Atlanta Falcons have been the surprise team of the year and Turner has been a big part of it. Everyone saw flashes of brilliance from Turner as a backup to LT in San Diego, but no one quite expected his game to be at this level in the first year as a starter. Turner is 3rd in yards (103 behind Peterson) and 1st in rushing TD's.

#3. Anquan Boldin- WR Arizona Cardinals
Boldin has been the most explosive receiver if not overall player all year. Boldin missed two complete games due to one of the most dangerous hits I have ever witnessed against the New York Jets. The time off and surgery seemed to give Boldin super powers. In the next three games after his return, Boldin had 22 catches for 240 yards and 5 touchdowns. Through week 13 in only 10 games Boldin has managed 11 touchdowns and 942 yards receiving on 78 catches. One can only imagine his statistics for the year if he had not missed 2 games. Boldin has been the best wide receiver of 2008.

#2. Kurt Warner- QB Arizona Cardinals

Kurt Warner is a contender for MVP and for good reason. Warner has benefited from one of the best receiving groups ever assembled. Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald, and Stevie Breaston make a trio that is near impossible to stop. Warner has 24 passing touchdowns and 3,741 passing yards with 4 games left. Warner will contend with Brees down the stretch for the most passing yards. Warner has proved all doubters wrong by having a season that stirs up talks about a possibly hall of fame induction when it's all said and done. Warner has been fantastic this season and will lead the Cardinals into the playoffs.

#1. Drew Brees- QB New Orleans Saints

Brees is can make an average receiving group look spectacular. Brees leads the league in passing, is tied for first in touchdowns, has been sacked 9 less times and lost 5 less fumbles than Kurt Warner. Drew Brees is by far the best overall player in the NFL of 2008. Brees has lost some of his most dangerous targets (Colston, Bush) for several games and has still been able to put up phenomenal numbers. The Saints have struggled to a 6-6 record thus far but that has been due to a struggling defense. If Brees and the Saints stay healthy expect a late playoff push from New Orleans. Drew Brees has had a MVP worthy season and deserves acknowledgement for the way he has led the Saints through a devastating amount of injuries within the team.

Explanation

Why did I pick DeAngelo Williams over Adrian Peterson? Peterson has more fumbles, less touchdowns, and they have an equal yards per carry mark at 4.9 YPC. DeAngelo Williams deserves to be considered one of the best backs in the NFL for 2008. Please list your top 5. Here are the next few that would be on the list.

Honorable Mention: Adrian Peterson, Clinton Portis, Thomas Jones, Aaron Rodgers, Matt Forte, Larry Fitzgerald