Championship Week has arrived

The NFL is certainly very pleased with the matchups in this weekends conference championship games. The resurgence of the Saints mirrors the struggles and rebuilding of the citizens of post Katrina New Orleans. Minnesota found the only piece they needed to complete their playoff puzzle; a gray-haired, gun-slinging, golden-armed QB, who will be quickly enshrined in Canton--- if he ever stops playing! In the AFC, the Jets are already printing their Super Bowl tickets as ordered by Rex Ryan, their flamboyant and aggressive minded head coach. And the Colts, well one word is sufficient when describing their reason for Super Bowl dreams. PEYTON MANNING. Indianapolis Colts coach Jim Caldwell must have felt like he won the coaching lottery when he was hand picked by Tony Dungy as the man to lead the Colts into the future. Caldwell's hardest decision of the year was trying to decide if he should play for perfection at 16-0 or merely be happy with 14-2. What stress he must have felt to be in such a tough position!

Well, now is the time for my Sunday picks. I am impressed with both teams in the NFC championship game, but this game simply comes down to a home field pick for me. I believe these teams are so even on paper, so this is where the home crowd and maybe even a little home cooking come into play. If the game were being played in Minneapolis, I would go with the Vikes, but the people of New Orleans are going to be the difference in a close ball game today. My other prediction is that Mr. Favre will throw two picks in the ballgame, which will help the Saints preserve the victory. And the final score is Saints 30 and Vikes 26

In the AFC, I think T-REX and his ball swarming defense will fall short today, because their offense will let them down. Phillip Rivers is good, but he is no Peyton Manning. Plus, Colts offensive coordinator Tom Moore won't corral Manning the way Norv Turner did to his QB in San Diego. Old Norv crawled into a fetal position with his play calling last weekend and didn't even get the ball into the hands of the most dynamic player on his offense. Darren Sproles rarely touched the ball and the Chargers allowed the Jets to dictate the style and tempo of the game. I think the Jets will keep it interesting early, but they will have way more field goals than touchdowns in the contest. And the final score is Colts 26 and Jets 16.

Lights out.