NFL Conference Championships Predictions

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

Philadelphia @ Arizona (+3)

In an unlikely matchup in the NFC Championship, the No. 4-seeded Cardinals host the No. 6-seeded Eagles in the cozy climes of Arizona's University of Phoenix Stadium. Few expected Arizona to advance to the NFC title game, much less play host to it, but the sudden resurgence of the Cardinals defense, coupled with losses by the NFC's top three seeded teams, will bring the Eagles to Glendale.

"If there was a turning point to our season," says Ken Whisenhunt, "then it would have to be one of the numerous blowouts we suffered on the East Coast this year. One of those was our 48-20 loss to the Eagles on Thanksgiving, and fittingly, after the 'Thanksgiving Day Massacre,' I had to 'talk turkey' with my team and challenge them to stop playing like chickens.

"They responded; it just took a few weeks. For now, though, we've exorcised the 'albatross' of playing on the East Coast, just in time for a potential trip to Tampa."

"No one expected the Cardinals to be here. That's what Jake Delhomme said after finding an Arizona defender in his passing lane five times. But we're taking our success in stride. And 'in stride' is exactly how our defenders intercepted those passes.

"I'm not sure what was going on in that head of Delhomme's, but I know what was happening on that head of his — a bowl cut.

"If anyone fails to take us seriously now, then they've got another thing coming. We avenged one of those East Coast losses by jumping on the Panthers early and forcing them to go to their hurry-up offense in the second quarter. Delhomme may have a bionic elbow, but his vision is far from super-human. Suffice it to say he made a 'spectacle' of himself.

"It was very noble of Delhomme to apologize to his teammates for his play, and it was also a nice gesture when Steve Smith apologized to Ken Lucas for punching the wrong person."

After compiling a 9-6-1 regular season record that just did get them into the playoffs, the Eagles have reeled off two convincing wins to reach their fifth conference title game in 10 years. Donovan McNabb has led the charge and has quieted the rumors about his future as an Eagle, earning the praise of Andy Reid, who called McNabb "one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL" after their win over the Giants.

"I've seen and heard it all this season," says McNabb. "First, my head coach benches me earlier in the year; now, he's got nothing but love for me. Coach Reid's gone from saying 'take a seat' to saying 'take a seat, on my lap.' It reminds me of my mother's, and it also seats four."

"As an athlete in such a sports-religious city such as Philadelphia, I'm used to going from crucified to deified in just a matter of weeks, or, in some cases, days. If I don't lead us to a win over Arizona, I'm sure all the bad-mouthing and slanderous words will begin anew, and that's just from my mom defending me on her web site."

Philadelphia can learn a lot from last week's Panthers/Cardinals game, specifically by watching film of the Panthers and then doing the exact opposite. The Panthers got very little pressure on Kurt Warner, and their coverage of Arizona's receivers was nonexistent, so nonexistent that by halftime, the Panthers' front office was already trying to trade up in the 2009 draft for a cornerback, or two.

One would expect the Eagles to unmercifully pressure Warner, and that would probably be a wise strategy. But Arizona has played so far in the playoffs like they've been one step ahead of the competition.

They definitely knew what the Panthers' intentions were. Now, don't listen when someone says Arizona, who played last Saturday, had an extra day to prepare for the Eagles, who played on Sunday. That's simply not true; the Cards didn't know they were playing the Eagles until Philly won, Sunday evening.

Ken Whisenhunt and his staff know their first order of business is to make sure Warner has time to throw. If Warner doesn't have time, then the Cardinals really have no "Plan B." Arizona will have to commit the extra man or two to protect Warner. When the Eagles blitz, they'll need to get to Warner quickly, because there's likely single coverage behind it. And one man cannot check Larry Fitzgerald.

Offensively, Philadelphia needs a big game from Brian Westbrook. He's done little on the ground in Philly's two playoff wins, but the Eagles really

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