This could be an epic game just like the last time these two teams played in the Super Bowl, when the Giants ruined the Patriots’ bid at a perfect season by beating them 17-14.  The Giants are coming into this game red hot as they have played really well in the playoffs.  But, both teams needed a little luck to win in the Conference Championship Games, so I expect this to be a hard fought, outstanding game.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Patriots have the ball:  The Patriots might just run the ball more than usual as the Giants have had issues stopping the running game this year.  If the Patriots can get BenJarvus Green-Ellis going early in the game, it will make the Giants pay for overplaying the passing game.  That doesn’t mean the Patriots aren’t going to pass the ball, because that’s their bread and butter.  For Tom Brady to be effective in this game, the offensive line is going to have to step up and keep DEs Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora away from him.  If Brady has time to throw the ball, he’s going to have a field day as the Giants are not loaded with good cover corners.  WRs Wes Welker and Deion Branch could both have big games for the Patriots this Sunday as Brady is going to challenge Giants’ CBs Aaron Ross and Corey Webster quite a bit in this game.  The Patriots are also going to use TEs Rob Gronkowski (he has a high ankle sprain) and Aaron Hernandez a lot in this game, so Giants’ safties Kenny Phillips, Antrel Rolle and Deon Grant are likely going to have long days if Brady has time to throw the ball.  I see the Patriots scoring a lot of points this Sunday.

When the Giants have the ball:  The Giants are likely going to try to stay somewhat balanced offensively in this game.  That means the front seven are going to have to stop the running game while getting a good pass rush on Eli Manning.  That will be easier said than done.  The Giants have two good RBs in Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs.  The OLBs (Rob Ninkovich and Jerod Mayo) are going to have to keep the outside contained and force the Giants’ RBs inside to deal with Brandon Spikes and Vince Wilfork.  The Patriots are going to have to get a good pass rush on Eli Manning or they are going to be in big time trouble.  WRs Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz and Mario Manningham are going to cause big time matchup problems for the Patriots.  CB Kyle Arrington has been a big time player for the Patriots but he’s going to get challenged big time this weekend.  CBs Sterling Moore and Antwaun Molden are really going to have to step up this weekend as they will likely be matched up with Cruz and Manningham.  Safeties Devin McCourty and Pat Chung are going to have to give help over the top for the corners while also keeping an eye on TE Jake Ballard.  A lot of times Manning throws the ball up for grabs after he gets hit a few times early in games, so the secondary is going to have to win those jump balls this Sunday.

PREDICTION:  PATRIOTS 31, GIANTS 27

The Baltimore Ravens came up to Foxboro just two years ago and they sent the Patriots home with a 33-14 defeat.  The Patriots have been waiting for a shot at revenge and it will come this Sunday in the AFC Championship Game.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Patriots have the ball:  The Patriots are going to come out passing the ball against the Ravens.  The key for the Patriots is going to be keeping DE/OLB Terrell Suggs away from Tom Brady.  If Brady keeps his uniform clean, I think he’s going to have a good game.  The passing game will likely be kept short with the idea of letting the WRs and TEs get yards after the catch.  TEs Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez are going to be a problem for the Ravens as Ed Reed is a little dinged up right now and Bernard Pollard’s game is defensing the run. WRs Wes Welker and Deion Branch are going to have tough matchups with CBs Lardarius Webb and Cary Williams.  The Patriots aren’t going to run the ball too much, but I see BenJarvus Green-Ellis getting most of the work as he protects the ball a lot better than rookie Stevan Ridley does.

When the Ravens have the ball:  The Ravens are going to try to play smash mouth football with Ray Rice and Ricky Williams pounding away at the front seven of the Patriots.  That might backfire on them as the Patriots shut down the vaunted running game of the Broncos last weekend.  That being said, Joe Flacco is a much better QB than Tim Tebow is.  The Patriots’ corners will likely need help with coverting WR Torrey Smith deep as he is a blazer.  Anquan Boldin is still a good receiver and Lee Evans could be the Ravens’ secret weapon this weekend.  Flacco also likes to throw to his TEs alot on the short stuff and Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta are decent receivers.  The problem for the Ravens in this game is that Joe Flacco NEVER steps up in the playoffs.

PREDICTION:  PATRIOTS 31, RAVENS 20

The Patriots need a win this weekend or losses by both the Steelers and Ravens, to secure the #1 spot in the AFC Playoffs.  The Patriots can’t rely on Bengals’ and Browns’ upsets this weekend, so they need to beat the Bills.  The Patriots are razor sharp right now as they have won seven games in a row.  The Bills snapped a 7-game losing streak last weekend by thrashing the Broncos 40-14 in Buffalo.  The Bills are going to be confident coming into this game as they beat the Patriots 34-31 earlier this year in Buffalo.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Patriots have the ball:  The Patriots are going to come out throwing the ball this weekend.  Tom Brady will likely be looking to attack the weak corners of the Bills with a lot of passes to Wes Welker and Deion Branch.  But, don’t think for a minute that he’s not going to be throwing the ball to TEs Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez a lot in this game.  The Patriots will likely spread some carries out to BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Stevan Ridley and Danny Woodhead against a Bills’ D that is allowing 139.1 yards rushing per game and 4.8 yards per carry, if the Bills play extra DBs a lot in this game.

When the Bills have the ball:  The Bills are also going to come out throwing the ball.  The Patriots will have to get some pressure on Bills’ QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, or he’s going to have a good game throwing the ball.  WR Steve Johnson and David Nelson give the Bills a pair of big receivers that like to get down the field to make plays.  TE Scott Chandler and RB C.J. Spiller are also capable receivers as they do most of their work on short passes.  C.J. Spiller has outstanding speed and he is averaging 5.3 yards per carry, so the Patriots’ front seven is going to get challenged every time he touches the football.

PREDICTION:  PATRIOTS 34, BILLS 27

The Patriots have won six games in a row and they are currently the top seed in the AFC as far as the playoffs are concerned.  The Patriots whacked the Dolphins 38-24 in Miami in the season opener, but that was a long time ago.  The Dolphins beat the Bills on the road last weekend and they have now won 5 of their last 7 games.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Patriots have the ball:  The Patriots are going to be bombs away tomorrow as they are going to be throwing the ball all over the field.  TE Rob Gronkowski, WR Wes Welker and TE Aaron Hernandez are going to be attacking the Dolphins down the field in this game.  The only real hope of the Dolphins slowing down the Patriots’ passing game is if they can mount a good pass rush.  The Patriots will run the ball a little bit tomorrow to make the Dolphins pay for overplaying the passing game.

When the Dolphins have the ball:  The Patriots are going to have to go all out to stop RB Reggie Bush, as he rushed for 203 yards last weekend against the Bills.  The Dolphins are a very physical team in the running game, so the Patriots’ front seven is going to have tighten up the chinstraps.  The Dolphins have the weapons at WR and TE to give the Patriots problems if QB Matt Moore has time to throw the ball.  Moore is a game manager type for the most part, but he could air the ball out down the field to Brandon Marshall a few times this Saturday.

PREDICTION:  PATRIOTS 34, DOLPHINS 26

These are two red hot teams and they both need this game.  The Patriots have won five games in a row now and they are trying to get the top seed in the AFC.  The Broncos have won 7 of their last 8 games, putting them atop of the AFC West.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Patriots have the ball:  The Patriots are going to come out throwing the ball in this game.  The Broncos are going to have to get a good pass rush on Tom Brady or they are going to be in big trouble.  Brady will look to exploit the safeties of the Broncos by throwing the ball a lot to TEs Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.  By attacking the Broncos’ D with the TEs, the corners will have to single cover WRs Wes Welker and Deion Branch, which could also trouble the Broncos on D.  The Patriots will give the ball to BenJarvus Green-Ellis once in a while, just to keep the Broncos’ D honest.

When the Broncos have the ball:  The Broncos might loosen up the play calling a little bit in this game.  They are still going to be a run first team with Willis McGahee and Tim Tebow carrying the load.  The Patriots are giving up 107.3 yards rushing per game and 4.3 yards per carry so far this year.  The Patriots are going to have to find a way to contain Tim Tebow in the pocket, where he is much less effective.  His favorite two WRs are Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker, so the Patriots will have to pay them special attention tomorrow.

PREDICTION:  PATRIOTS 34, BRONCOS 20

The New England Patriots have won five games in a row by a combined score of 164-83, as they are red hot right now.  The Redskins have lost 7 of their last 8 games as their season continues to spin out of control.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Patriots have the ball:  Tom Brady is likely going to be facing a heavy pass rush this weekend in Washington.  Even if he has to rush the ball, he’s likely going to have another stellar game this Sunday.  The Redskins don’t have the kind of secondary that can deal with all of the weapons that Brady has at his disposal.  TEs Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez are going to cause all kinds of problems for the LBs and safeties of the Redskins.  Wes Welker and Deion Branch also are going to give the Redskins fits this Sunday.  The Redskins have a solid set of LBs, so BenJarvus Green-Ellis is going to have to fight for every yard he gets this Sunday.

When the Redskins have the ball:  The Redskins are likely going to try to feed the rock to Roy Helu in an effort to control the clock and keep the ball away from Tom Brady.  The Patriots are going to try to go all out to stop Helu and force Rex Grossman to beat them with his right arm.  The Patriots will try to get a good pass rush on Grossman as he rushes passes when pressured and he makes big mistakes.  WRs Santana Moss and Jabar Gaffney will be his top two targets in the passing game with TE Fred Davis out of the picture due to league suspension.

PREDICTION:  PATRIOTS 31, REDKINS 17

The Patriots are back on the right path as they have won three games in a row by a combined score of 109-39!  The Colts played one of their better games of the year last weekend against the Panthers, but they still got beat 27-19 at home.  Here is a look at the matchups in this likely bloodbath tomorrow in Foxboro:

When the Patriots have the ball:  The Patriots are going to try to make quick work of the Colts tomorrow.  The only thing that could stop them from doing exactly just that would be if DEs Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis hit Tom Brady early and often, but that’s just not going to happen.  Brady will likely have time to survey the field and dice up a Colts’ secondary that is allowing opposing QBs a rating of 108.6!  TEs Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez and WRs Deion Branch and Wes Welker are all going to have huge games as the Patriots are going to likely move right down the field every time they have the ball tomorrow.  BenJarvus Green-Ellis is also likely going to get his fair share of yards against a Colts’ D that is allowing 150.6 yards rushing per game and 4.2 yards per carry.

When the Colts have the ball:  Dan Orlovsky is getting the start at QB for the Colts and he is a better player than Curtis Painter, but that’s not saying much.  The Patriots are likely going to turn loose the pass rush tomorrow in an effort to force Orlovsky into making some mistakes with the football.  WRs Reggie Wayne and Pierre Garcon are still good players, but the Colts have had issues getting them the ball….look for that to continue tomorrow.  The Colts have a nice set of RBs in Donald Brown, Delone Carter and Joseph Addai but they usually give up on the run early in games.

PREDICTION:  PATRIOTS 49, COLTS  13

The New England Patriots look all the way back as they have won their last two games by a combined score of 71-19!  The Eagles broke a 2-game losing streak last weekend with a 17-10 win over the Giants.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Patriots have the ball:  The Patriots are without a doubt going to come out of the locker room throwing the football.  They will look to keep the passing game short to negate the impressive pass rush of the Eagles.  That means that Wes Welker, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez are going to be heavily involved in the passing attack today.  But, the Patriots will also run the ball with BenJarvus Green-Ellis against an Eagles’ D that is giving up 110.9 yards rushing per game and 4.5 yards per carry.

When the Eagles have the ball:  The Eagles are going to try to run the ball more than usual against the Patriots, with the idea of controlling the ball and keeping the Patriots’ offense on the sideline.  The Patriots need to slow down Lesean McCoy (1,019 yards rushing) and Vince Young in the running game, or it could be a long day for the D.  The Patriots will need to also get a good pass rush on QB Vince Young, while at the same time containing him in the pocket.  Vince Young does throw the ball to the other team quite a bit as he threw three pickoffs last weekend, so  the Patriots’ secondary better be ready to catch the ball and make the Eagles pay for it.

PREDICTION:  PATRIOTS 27, EAGLES 23

The Patriots thumped the Jets 37-16 in New Jersey last week to get back on the right path.  The Chiefs have lost two games in a row by a combined score of 48-13!  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Patriots have the ball:  The Patriots are likely going to come out throwing the ball to get the lead and then grind it out on the ground late.  Tom Brady is likely going to have a huge game as the Chiefs only have 9 sacks this year.  He should have plenty of time to survey the field before he decides to throw the ball.  Wes Welker, Deion Branch, Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski are going to give the Chiefs’ secondary fits all night long.  BenJarvus Green-Ellis will likely be getting most of his carries from the 3rd quarter on in this game.

When the Chiefs have the ball:  The Patriots are likely going to go all out to stop the Chiefs’ running game and force Tyler Palko to beat them with his left arm.  Palko has some good WRs to work with in Dwayne Bowe, Steve Breaston and Jonathan Baldwin….so they are going to have to get a good pass rush on him.  I have a feeling that RB Dexter McCluster is going to be the secret weapon in this game as he has the moves and speed to make big plays at any time for the Chiefs.

PREDICTION:  PATRIOTS 34, CHIEFS 13

The New England Patriots come into this game on a two game losing streak as the Giants and Steelers pushed them around a little bit.  The Jets are flying high right now, as they are on a 3-game winning streak in which they have outscored their opponents by a combined score of 78-38!  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Patriots have the ball:  The Patriots have been way too pass happy lately.  This is the perfect game to try to get the running game going as the Jets are giving up 123.0 yards rushing per game and 4.2 yards per carry so far this year.  BenJarvus Green-Ellis could be in for a huge game, if the Patriots give him the ball 20-25 times this Sunday.  Tom Brady should have time to throw the ball this Sunday, but I don’t see him throwing to his WRs as much as his TEs this weekend.  So look for Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowksi to have much better games than WRs Wes Welker and Deion Branch.

When the Jets have the ball:  The Jets are going to try to give the rock to Shonn Greene a lot against a Patriots’ D that is giving up 102.3 yards rushing per game and 4.3 yards per carry so far this year.  The Jets are going to pass the ball a lot more than usual in this game as the Patriots are giving up 314.0 yards passing per game so far this year.  Mark Sanchez should have time to throw the ball and look for him to spread it around to Santonio Holmes, Plaxico Burress, Dustin Keller and LaDainian Tomlinson to keep everyone healthy.

PREDICTION:  JETS 30, PATRIOTS 23