And then there were four.
On Sunday, the teams for Super Bowl LX will be set. Our picks for the Conference Championships — we disagree on both games — appear below.
Last week, I went with all four underdogs. None could pull it off. I went 0-4; Simms went 2-2.
Against the spread, we both were 1-3.
Simms has clinched the straight-up title for the year, at 187-94-1. I’m 177-104-1. Against the spread, I’m still holding a two-game lead, 142-136-4 and he’s 140-138-4.
Check out our picks. One of us is bound to be right, for each game.
Patriots (-4.5) at Broncos
For the Patriots, it’s the toughest game of the year. For playoff games in Denver, history isn’t on their side. In four prior tries, the Patriots have never beaten the Broncos on the road. Can quarterback Drake Maye minimize mistakes?
For the Broncos, can Jarrett Stidham step up? The Broncos believe in him. He needs to believe in himself. He needs to run the offense, staying within himself and letting the others do their jobs.
The extra benefit for the Broncos is that they can legitimately play the “nobody believes in us” card. Most will pick the Patriots. (Not me.)
Florio’s pick: Broncos 27, Patriots 23.
Simms’s pick: Patriots 24, Broncos 17.
Rams at Seahawks (-2.5)
They split a pair of great regular-season games, capped by an epic Thursday night overtime thriller. In that one, the Rams gained 581 yards, while blowing a 16-point fourth-quarter lead.
Seattle needs to commit to the run, taking advantage of an undersized Rams front and softening things up for quarterback Sam Darnold. The Rams will have receiver Davante Adams this time around. Both he and Puka Nacua had a hard time against man-to-man coverage in Chicago. Will Seattle play less zone and more man in round three?
The difference could be the experience and skill of Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and Rams coach Sean McVay. They’ve been there, done that.
However it goes, here’s hoping for another great game.
Florio’s pick: Rams 34, Seahawks 30.
Simms’s pick: Seahawks 28, Rams 20.
