The divisional playoff was arguably the greatest week in football, but next week’s conference finals will be as good or even better. In the NFC, the Giants, who have emerged dominant in both offense and defense will face off against the 49ers, a team who has proven they can win in a shootout. In the AFC, the Patriots and a tip-top Tom Brady face the Ravens and their veteran defense. Two interesting games will take place and the suspense is killing us football fans: who will win? I can’t say for sure, but here are my predictions for week 20 in the NFL.

Patriots vs. Ravens

The Patriots offense is on fire, burning the Broncos for 45, while the Ravens defense hasn’t let up, forcing five turnovers against the Texans. However, the Ravens offense did not play well against the Texans, with Ray Rice putting up only 61 yards. None of the Ravens receivers looked great and Joe Flacco was inconsistent as usual. Granted the Texans’ defense is much better than the Patriots’ but slip-ups on offense will give Tom Brady several chances to do some damage. No matter how good the Ravens’ defense may be, if Tom Brady has a large time of possession, he will burn them.

Patriots -30 Ravens -17

This game is going to be on the wire. Both teams have good defenses and good offenses. Alex Smith has proven he can make big plays, but can he do it against a strong Giants’ defense? Same thing with Eli Manning, he may have burned the Packers, but can he outplay the best defense in the league? Ultimately, I think this game will come down to who runs the ball better. Not only do the 49ers have the best run defense, they have a Pro-Bowl running back in Frank Gore. I don’t see how the Giants will be able to compete with those circumstances.

49ers – 27 Giants – 23