An interesting night awaits.
Even 3 weeks ago, the prospect of these four teams being in the Conference finals would have seemed improbable, but tonight the Steelers will face the Ravens, whilst the Cardinals will take on the Eagles for the right to play in the Superbowl.
My guess? We'll be having a Bird Bowl on February 1st.
I like the Ravens, and I like the Cardinals. Both have proved something that we should have known for years - form in January is the most important thing in January. Of course, the Eagles could claim the same mandate for a victory, but every time I go to choose Philadelphia, something inside tells me that the Cardinals have the desire to do this, and that they can again upset the odds.
As far as the Ravens are concerned, I like both teams equally. In August I tipped the Steelers to win the Superbowl, but no team has shown more in the last few weeks than the Ravens. Their Defence has played to even higher levels than they were already capable of, and Ed Reed is staking his claim to join the all-time greats at the Safety position.
A lot is made of Ray Lewis's impact on his teammates, but equally important is Reed and his intelligence, ability, and attitude. Indeed, this is quite simply the best secondary in the game right now, and can Ben Roethlisberger avoid an implosion? I always think that it's difficult to avoid when faced with a Defence like Baltimore's that loves to bring the pressure.
Whatever happens, the good news is that we're going to have a hell of a Superbowl.
Sunday 18 January 2009
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