Championship material?

By Brad Oremland Sports Central Columnist

Five Quick Hits

* I was disappointed by Natalie Cole's performance of the national anthem before the Steelers/Titans game. Ms. Cole has a wonderful voice, but she butchered the song in an apparent attempt to put her own touches on it. The Star-Spangled Banner is a beautiful song, and someone as talented as Natalie Cole should be content to let her voice do it justice without any changes.

* Rod Woodson was named a first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press. Ahead of Darren Sharper or a strong safety? That's what name recognition will do for you.

* Speaking of which, Jerry Rice had a great season, but tied with Eric Moulds for the last spot on the All-Pro second team? That's an embarrassment.

* Michael Strahan ahead of John Abraham, Trevor Pryce, and Patrick Kerney for second-team defense? You could make a case for him, but not a very good one. He also got more votes than Hugh Douglas, but at least Douglas made the list.

* Whoever voted for Chris Samuels either doesn't watch much football or doesn't know offensive line play from shinola.

Divisional Roundups

Steelers vs. Titans

It's tough not to start at the end with this one. The officiating was shaky, and although I have no problems with the end result, I also have no problem with Bill Cowher confronting the referees and daring the NFL to fine him for publicly saying what about half the viewers must have been thinking. I also have to disagree with the announcers who couldn't stop praising Ron Blum for not knowing the rules. I'd have been far more impressed if he knew what to do in the first place.

Regarding the actual game, luck played a big role for both teams, and I really think it came down to intangibles. Tennessee dominated the first quarter, with their offensive plowing holes through Pittsburgh's defense and Eddie George doing what he does best. The Steelers came back in the second quarter, but it quickly became evident that they had neglected to account for Frank Wycheck in their game-planning. It was back and forth after that, but the Steelers simply didn't have enough offensive firepower to pull this one out, especially with Plaxico Burress missing some time with an injury.

Falcons vs. Eagles

As amazing as Mike Vick is most of the time, he looks so beatable in all his team's losses. The Eagles, with the best defensive line and secondary in the league, and a great defensive coordinator in Jim Johnson, are one of the few teams with the ability to shut Vick down, and they did on Saturday. Just as importantly, they made very few mistakes on offense and were able to establish Duce Staley as a powerful ground threat, especially late in the game. The Bucs will have their work cut out for them.

49ers vs. Buccaneers

San Francisco never really looked alive in this one. They had some success running the ball (Garrison Hearst averaged 5.5 yards per carry), but found themselves in an early hole (28-6 at halftime) and abandoned the run on a day when Jeff Garcia averaged under 5 yards per attempt and threw 3 interceptions. Tampa Bay's defense was far too much for the 49ers (Terrell Owens had only 35 yards), and the Niners' defense couldn't sufficiently contain the Bucs' offense, which gained more yards and points than it averaged during the regular season.

Jets vs. Raiders

The game was close throughout the first half, but the Jets never had the fire they seemed to at the end of the season and against the Colts last week. When Jerry Porter sparked a Raiders run in the second half, the Jets gave up on Curtis Martin, and Chad Pennington threw a career-high 47 passes, completing 21 (44.7%) with 1 touchdown but 2 interceptions. No Jet had more than 50 receiving yards, and they didn't score in the second half, while Rich Gannon, Charlie Garner, and Porter all had big days and the Raiders scored 20 unanswered points to finish the game.

The Crystal Ball

Titans at Raiders

Teams frequently seem to have a letdown after decisive victories, especially in the playoffs, but I just can't bet against the Raiders. They have the edge at almost every position, and I have no reason to believe they'll be significantly outcoached. The Raiders defense has been brilliant recently, choking off the high-flying Jets on Sunday after shutting out the Chiefs in the season finale and holding Denver to 16 the week before, only the third time the Broncos failed to score at least 20 points this season.

In contrast, Tennessee's defense looked vulnerable against Pittsburgh, and the Raiders potent offense, No. 1 in the NFL during the regular season, will exploit anything they're given. The Titans are a great team, but this game is Oakland's to lose.

Buccaneers at Eagles

Both teams turned in impressive performances last weekend, with Tampa's romp over San Francisco probably getting the edge. That said, I like the Eagles to win the NFC Championship Game in Philadelphia. It doesn't particularly matter that this will definitely be the last game at the Vet, but the demented Philly fans and the chilly weather tip the balance in the Eagles' favor, and I think they're the better team anyway.

This should be a very low-scoring game, featuring arguably the two best defenses in the league, and at least one defensive touchdown is probable. The Bucs have the more talented team on paper, but Philly won a regular season matchup 20-10 when it was still warm, and I think they'll take this one by about a field goal. Look for a lot of Duce Staley and several trick plays from the Eagles, while the Bucs won't deviate too much from their usual game plan: a lot of motion before the snap, a lot of short-to-medium range passes, and a small dose of Mike Alstott and Michael Pittman unless they grab an early lead.

That's the wildcard in this game. If either team gets a big play early, especially from defense or special teams, and takes an early lead, that's the team that will win. Neither Philly nor Tampa is going to mount a big comeback against the defense they'll face. Take the Eagles.

My Super Bowl pick is unchanged from last week: Oakland over Philadelphia.

Article courtesy of Sports Central.