The Sommer Frieze

It almost happened in 2004 (Jan. 2005). The Eagles made (and won) the NFC title game. They beat the Falcons 27-10 to make it to the Super Bowl. The Steelers made it to the AFC title game but they lost 41-27 to New England. The Patriots beat the Eagles in the Super Bowl.

Yesterday I wrote about how the Cardinals are in their first NFL/NFC title game in sixty years, since they lost the 1948 NFL Title Game to the Eagles 7-0 in a Philadelphia blizzard. Wouldn’t you know it, after sixty years it is the Eagles again after the Eagles beat the defending champion Giants today 23-11.

The Steelers meanwhile, advanced to the AFC title game by beating the Chargers 35-24. The Steelers were the only home team to win this weekend.

I don’t know what the Vegas line will be tomorrow but here is my guess. Steelers (at home vs. the Ravens) by 3. Eagles (on the road at Arizona) by 3.

In case you are wondering, the Steelers beat the Eagles in preseason this year (at Pittsburgh), but lost the regular season matchup in Philly 15-6.

So it is Eagles at Arizona in the early game and Baltimore at Pittsburgh in the later one.

As a Steeler fan, I’m worried, even though the Steelers are at home. The Steelers won two very close games vs. the Ravens this year, and you know what they say about trying to beat the same team three times in the course of a year.

As for the NFC matchup, it will be the second time Kurt Warner went up against Donovan McNabb in an NFC title game. After the 2001 season, Warner’s Rams bested McNabb’s Eagles 29-24 in St. Louis. Those Rams lost to the Patriots in the SB, however.

Eagles/Steelers? Strike up the band for the Pennsylvania Polka. It could happen.