The NFL season is almost done ladies, gentlemen, and BFD. Yes, we're done to three games and the 2011 Pro Bowl. That's all that remains in the NFL season until...2012 perhaps? Ah, we won't let that NFL Lockout ruin our good moods, eh?
All four teams have been Super Bowl champions before, so there's no potential team (like your Houston Texans) fighting for their first Super Bowl appearance. Let's get to it: Jump. NFL conference championship previews. BRB Pick 'Em League Update.
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is playing on a level that no one else can match right now. Essentially, Rodgers is having his way with any defense out there. On the other side, Green Bay cornerback Tramon Williams is playing up to his recent contract extension. Paired with Charles Woodson, it could make it quite tricky for Bears quarterback Jay Cutler to get the Bears up and down the field. I haven't even brought up Clay Matthews breathing down his neck. Really, I wasn't going to pick against Green Bay. I picked them in August to go to the Super Bowl, so I was doing my best to actually analyze. Packers win 30-20.
AFC Championship Game: AFC Wild Card #2 New York Jets @ AFC North Champion Pittsburgh Steelers (Sunday 1/23 at 3:30 PM CT)
This one seems fairly simple: Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez against Steelers All-Galaxy safety Troy Polamalu and the league's best defense on the road in the playoffs. 'Nuff said. Steelers win 24-13.
BRB Pick 'Em League Update
With the game's winding down, there's more opportunity for multiple players to share the weekly wins. This can be proven by the three Divisional Round BRB Pick 'Em Winners of the Andre Johnson Award for Ass-Kicking and Excellence - Rip Jersey (his third win which ties him for the league lead with SATexan), XMant2000, and BigTexBD.
With two games up for grabs, I do expect a log-jam for first next week. XMant2000 and BigTexBD both finally picked up wins after being in the top-10 for the majority of the season. As for Rip Jersey, he's roared from about the mid-30s to 17th behind his three late season wins. This win helps all of their end-of-the-year standings battles: XMant2000 and BigTexBD can both finish in the top four while Rip Jersey can get into 13th and end up winning the most weeks this season.
Let's all congratulate and raise an ice cold beer to the Divisional Round BRB Pick 'Em Winners of the Andre Johnson Award for Ass-Kicking and Excellence - Rip Jersey, XMant2000, and BigTexBD!
"Should've Put Money On It" Game of the Week: Pretty even mix on the Steelers, Packers, and Bears, so we would've fared well there as a league.
"We Know Nothing" Game of the Week: One man stood by the Jets against the Patsies. More on him a bit later.
The Rex Grossman "F**k It, I'm Goin' Deep" Award: Texanmaniac with 16 points on 8.5-point underdog New York. Ballsy move, but it is rewarded.
The David Carr Misguided Faith Award: At this point, there are no real misguided picks since these are all playoff teams.
The Charley Casserly Decision Making Award: One picker missed every game, but 20 guys missed their picks in general.
BRBers with the best weekly record: riversmccown (Glover Quin Never Allows TD's), SATexan (Cake), SouthernLion (Bausch & Lomb Soft Helmets), Xmant2000 (Houston Oilers), BigTexBD (BigTexBD), and HoustonTransplant (I Am Sancho) 3-1.
BRBers with the most weekly points: Rip Jersey (AJ for DWTS), Xmant2000 (Houston Oilers), BigTexBD 28 points.
Overall best record: SATexan (Cake) 174-90 leads by 3 games over riversmccown (Glover Quin Never Allows TD's). SATexan has clinched a share of the record title. Remarkably, Rivers and SAT are guaranteed to get under 100 games incorrect. That's worthy of major props.
Top-10 BRB Pick 'Em League (By Points; 40 points remain up for grabs)
1. SATexan (Cake) 1510 points [174-90].
2. riversmccown (Glover Quin Never Allows TD's) -19 points [171-93].
3. Oiler-Texan Diehard (oiler-texan diehard) -72 points [165-99].
4. BigTexBD (BigTexBD) -81 points [165-99].
5. DiehardChris (Ladies Love Leinart) -115 points [163-101].
6. Xmant2000 (Houston Oilers) -120 points [164-100].
7. TexansDC (Super Mario's Goomba Stomp) -123 points [151-113].
8. Distant_Texans_Fan (Distant_Texans_Fan) -130 points [160-104].
9. Do (do) -132 points [162-102].
10. TexanKevin (In Schwab we trust) -140 points [157-107].
Don't forget to submit your picks by Sunday, BRB Pickers. Congrats once again to Rip Jersey, XMant2000, and BigTexBD! Enjoy this weekend's slate of football!