NFL Conference Championship predictions

NY Jets
Indianapolis Colts -8.5 40
NYJ upsetting the Chargers was a huge surprise to me and while NYJ certainly played a solid game, I tend to blame the Chargers sloppiness and inability to adapt to the situation at hand rather than the brilliance of the Jet attack. They're everybody's darlings at the moment, people love to predict an upset. But I will not go that route. Indy was the best team in the AFC all year long and I think they'd rather play the Jets than the Chargers at this point. The Jets can run the ball and Indy's is not a playmaking type of defense, so it'll be up to Peyton to make the most of his meager time of possession. If the Colts can hold the Jets to FG's, then I think Indy wins easily; if Sanchez turns the ball over, the Colts will crush the Jets. NYJ will find themselves stuck in a too-conservative offensive game plan and just won't manufacture the points needed while the Colts will get the 2 or 3 big plays they'll need. I like the Colts and the over, 27-16.

Minnesota 53.5
New Orleans -4
I don't foresee much defense in this game. The Viking pass rush will find itself used to tune the Saints short passing game, while the Saint secondary will be flatfooted after a steady dose of play action passing. Funny: these are the games that coaches want Brett Favre for and yet these are precisely the games he sucks at! I've got to think that Favre will make more mistakes than Brees and that the Saint playmakers will get more opportunities than the Vikings. I'm looking forward to this one, I'm thinking it'll go all the way to the last possession, but I also suspect that the Saints will strike first and the Vikings will be playing catch-up from beginning to end. I like the Saints and the over, 37-31.