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NFL Final Four - Jorge Gonzalez 1/18/2009
The NFL is down to their final four teams. The Cardinals will be hosting the Eagles in the NFC Championship game while the Steelers will be hosting the Ravens in the AFC. Both sets of these teams have faced one another this season. The Eagles came out of their home game against the Cardinals with a 48-20 victory. The Steelers beat the Ravens twice this season in very close games by a combined margin of seven points. Where the AFC match-up of the Ravens taking on the Steelers for the third time was probable and expected by some experts, the Cardinals hosting the championship game against any team was very low on the list of expectations by even their own fans.
The Cardinals defense came up with six turnovers to lift them over the heavily favored Panthers in their division playoff game. The Cardinals offense capitalized on those turnovers by scoring 33 unanswered points after being down 7-0. They ended up winning the game 33-13. In their first meeting of the season, the Cardinals had a 14-3 lead before failing apart and losing to the Panthers 27-23. The Eagles stomped the Cardin las 48-20 in the first meeting but will be facing a very different Cardinal team. The Cardinal defense was impressive in Carolina holding the Cardinals to 269 yards and has played their best defensive football at home. The Eagles have been very successful on the road under the direction of head coach Reid and look like the better team on paper. The Eagles defense has been stellar in their two road victories holding the Vikings to 14 points and the Giants to 11 points.
The Ravens squeaked out 13-10 victory over the Tennessee Titans despite the fact that they were out yarded by 180 yards. The Ravens were able to cause three turnovers deep in their own territory to prevent the Titans from breaking a 7-7 tie. The Ravens were the benefactor of a mistake by the officials who missed the play clock expiring on a crucial third down conversion during the game winning drive. They will need a stronger effort against the Steelers if they look to advance to the Super Bowl in Tampa Bay. The Steelers are coming off an impressive offensive showing that saw Willie Parker rush for 146 yards and two touchdowns in their 35-24 victory over the Chargers. The Steelers defense did give up 300 yards passing against Phillip Rivers and will face a rookie quarterback in Joe Flacco who is not afraid to take deep shots down the field under the direction of offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. The Steelers have beaten the Ravens twice and fortunate to be able to play them on the their home field for this huge third game.
There are several wagers that can be made in these two games at the right numbers. Good Luck!
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