IT'S FUNNY HOW TIME SLIPS AWAY.

WE HAVE JUST THREE FOOTBALL GAMES REMAINING IN THE SEASON AND THEN WE WILL BE TURNING OUR ATTENTION TO SPRING TRAINING.

HOWEVER THE THREE REMAINING GAMES ARE HUGE TO SAY THE LEAST.

OK I DID LEAVE OUT THE PRO BOWL BUT YOU WILL FORGIVE ME FOR THAT.

WE HAD A LOT OF FUN PICKING THE THE GAMES LAST WEEK AND AS PROMISED WE DID GET A BIG UPSET.

IT HAPPENED IN GREEN BAY.

SO THE NEW YORK GIANTS WILL BE IN SAN FRANCISCO TRYING TO PUNCH A TICKET TO THE SUPERBOWL.

THIS GAME IS SO TIGHT THAT PREDICTION MAKING IS A BIG DANGER.

THE BIG APPLE TEAM HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED AT THREE POINT FAVORITES OVER THE 49ERS.

A LOT OF QUESTIONS ARISE WHEN TRYING TO PEN THIS ONE DOWN.

WILL ALEX SMITH BE ABLE TO STAND AROUND AND PICK OUT RECIEVERS AT WILL OR WILL HE BE LOOKING UP AT THE SKY?

CAN THE NINERS SPECTACULAR DEFENSE HANDLE HAKEEM NICKS AND VICTOR CRUZ AT THE SAME TIME?

AND OF COURSE YOU HAVE ELI MANNING TO DEAL WITH.

IN TWO PLAYOFF GAMES THE NEW YORK QUARTERBACK HAS TOSSED SIX TOUCHDOWNS, AND PASSED FOR MORE THAN 600 YARDS.

THE NUMBERS ARE IMPRESSIVE.

IF SAN FRANCISCO IS GOING TO WIN THEY WILL NEED A BIG GAME FROM RUNNING BACK FRANK GORE.

BACK IN WEEK TEN, WHEN THE 49ERS BEAT THE GIANTS HE WAS LIMITED DUE TO INJURY.

THIS IS A SOLID TEAM AND THE FRONT SEVEN IS VERY CAPABLE OF STOPPING THE RUN AND PUTTING HEAT ON MANNING.

AND THAT IS THE KEY.

MANNING HAS TO STAY ON HIS FEET.

SINCE THE NEW YORKERS HAVE NO REAL RUN GAME AGAINST ONE OF THE BEST RUN DEFENSES IN THE LEAGUE I THINK IT WILL ALL COME DOWN TO MANNING.

PREDICTION: SAN FRANCISCO 27 NEW YORK 21 FOR THE N-F-C CROWN.

NOW LET'S CHANGE GEARS.

IN THE A-F-C TITLE GAME THE TOP TWO SEEDS SHOULD PUT ON THE GAME OF THE DAY.

BALTIMORE RAVENS VISIT NEW ENGLAND AT 3 P-M SUNDAY.

SOMETIME AROUND 5:30 THE SIX STATE REGION WILL EITHER BE PLANNNING THE BIGGEST SUPERBOWL PARTY EVER OR HEADING FOR A HEADACHE POWDER.

WE ALL KNOW THE DRILL.

BILL BELICHICK, WHO ALMOST NEVER SMILES, WILL LEAD HIS TEAM ONTO THE FIELD FOR THE SIXTH TITLE GAMES IN 11 SEASONS.

TOM BRADY IS A MASTER OF RUNNING HIS OFFENSE AND CAUSING NIGHTMARES FOR THE DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR.

BALTIMORE WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE GRONK, AARON HERNANDEZ, WES WELKER AND A LOT MORE.

BUT THIS WEEK IT WON'T BE AS EASY AS PREVIOUS GAMES.

THE RAVENS WILL HAVE TO WORK OVERTIME TO CONTAIN THE THREAT BUT IF ANY TEAM CAN STOP THE JUGGERNAUGHT IT IS BALTIMORE.

LET'S NOT GET SO PARTISAN THAT WE IGNORE ED REED, TERRELL SUGGS AND RAY LEWIS.

BALTIMORE DEFENSE CAN HIT AND THEY WILL.

A LOT OF CRITICISM HAS BEEN LEVELED AGAINST JOE FLACCO AND SOME OF IT FROM HIS OWN TEAM.

IT WON'T BE FLACCO THE PATS WILL HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT .

IT WILL BE RAY RICE WHO CAN BREAK YOUR HEART ON A GOOD DAY.

NEW ENGLAND IS NOT GREAT AGAINST THE RUN BUT IMPROVING.

AND THERE IS ALWAYS VINCE WILFORK TO WORRY ABOUT.

TO ME THE KEY IS FLACCO.
IF HE IS JUST AVERAGE NEW ENGLAND WILL WIN EASY.

IF HE CAN FIND TIME AND ACCURACY IT MIGHT BE A LONG DAY FOR THE PATS.

THE HEAT HAS TO BE ON FLACCO ALL DAY.

SO THERE IT IS.

PREDICTION: NEW ENGLAND 30 BALTIMORE 24

OK LET'S FORGET THE DIETS FOR THIS SUNDAY AND FIRE UP THE GRILL OR THE STOVE AND PARTY ON.

THIS IS GEORGE HALE WITH MY PERSPECTIVE ON SPORTS.

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