“Pick ‘Em or Kick ‘Em”™: FGT VS. Urban Sports Scene 2021 NFL Conference Championship Picks

By the Football Garbage Time Staff

If you followed last year, you won over 60% of your picks, and we aim to do even better this year.

And if you’ve been following us, you know that we here at Football Garbage Time have gone head-to-head against Wally, Will and Ray at Urban Sports Scene on our NFL Picks for the last 7 seasons.  Why?  Because they’re awesome competitors, they KNOW their sports, and, heck, they’re just good guys!  This year we’ll have their picks up right HERE, so keep it tuned in, to both us and them, because we’ll be picking all season all long.

Without further to do, here we go:

Divisional Round Playoff Games

Ha Kung Wong’s Picks

Ha Kung’s Thoughts:

Last year I ended up with a 68.1% record for the season, so that’s six years in a row with over a 60% pick rate.  After splitting the picks in the Divisional Round Playoffs, I’m still at a solid 181-100 (64.4%) on the year.  Last year, I had an 87.5% record on Locks of the Week and a 50% record on Upsets of the Week.  And after also splitting these picks last week, we end the year with 65% (13-7) on my Locks and 65% (13-7) on my Upsets this year.  Although solid, not as good with locks this year (though we had some seriously big upsets this season) but really rocked it with the Upsets.

Instead of a Lock and Upset for the Conference Championships, let’s just talk about my two picks…

Cincinnati Bengals @ Kansas City Chiefs

The Bengals are a great story, but the Chiefs are showing us all why they were among two odds-on favorites to win the Super Bowl this year.  The Chiefs averaged an astounding 515.0 yards and 42.0 points per playoff game so far, and one of those games was against the Bills top ranked pass defense.   The Chiefs defense looked like Swiss cheese against the aforementioned Bills, so perhaps the Bengals have the edge on defense, but they were essentially middle of the road throughout the regular season and the Chiefs defense quietly had the 5th most takeaways this season.  Is it possible for the Bengals to win?  Sure it is, and I’d pick the Bengals with the 7-point spread as well, seeing as how Joe Burrow is en fuego and Ja’Marr Chase is turning into the top homerun hitter in the NFL.  But Mahomes, Hill and Kelce have all been here before and are playing in Arrowhead, so I like them for the straight up win this week.

San Francisco 49ers @ Los Angeles Rams

Both the 49ers and Rams defenses have been amazing in the postseason with the 49ers allowing just 285 total yards and 13.5 points per game against the vaunted Cowboys and Packers and with the Rams allowing just 271 yards ad 19 points per game against the vaunted Cardinals and Buccaneers. Not too shabby. But when it comes to comparing offenses, it’s no contest with the Rams clearly having the edge as Jimmy Garoppolo struggling in the postseason.  The big question mark is special teams, with the 49ers special teams in front coming off essentially singlehandedly winning the Divisional Round Playoff game against the Packers.  At the end of the day, the Rams defense made the great Tom Brady uncomfortable even when we thought Brady might make one of his patented 4th quarter comebacks, and Jimmy G is not Brady.  I’m looking at the Rams to win and cover.

For more, check out this week’s podcast where Trevor Stores and I break down both Conference Championship games!

Joanne Kong’s Picks

Scott King’s Picks

Wole’s Picks

Wole’s Thoughts:

Check out the recent Urban Sports Scene Podcast!

Ray’s Picks

Coming Soon!

Ray’s Thoughts:

Check out the recent Urban Sports Scene Podcast!

Will’s Picks

Will’s Thoughts:

Check out the recent Urban Sports Scene Podcast!

George’s Picks

George’s Thoughts:

Cincinnati at Kansas City: I picked the Bengals last week in the hope that the AFC title game will be competitive. And Joe Burrow and the Bengals offense have the ability to do just that. And after holding the Bills reasonably well for most of the game last week Josh Allen tore them a new one in the 4th quarter. But Patrick Mahomes is why I am picking the Chiefs. If I am going to pick against them then I better have a powerful pash rush that can get home with 4 guys and good LBs that can stop Mahomes running and limit Kelce. I don’t have that here.

San Francisco at L.A. Rams: There’s a reason the 49ers have beat the Rams 6 times in a row. And with a quarterback that is not nearly as good or have the reputation Matt Stafford does. How do they do it? They attack the Rams biggest strength, their pass rush, the only way you can. By running the football early and often. Tampa ran on its first 2 plays of the game against the Rams last week, then ran it 12 times the rest of the game. The 49ers will not make that mistake, not even a 17-0 deficit in week 18 on the same field deterred them punishing the sacks focused Rams defense. That and 1 or 2 big plays from Deebo Samuel in the passing game will establish Kyle Shanahan (and not Sean McVay or Matt LaFleur) as the real former Washington genius assistant coach!

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Divisional Round Playoff Results

Current Standings

Check back next week for Conference Championship results and Super Bowl picks!

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