Can it really be that the season has flown by so quickly? It seemed like just last week that the preseason was beginning. Now we’ve only got two more games (three if you count the Pro Bowl, which I don’t because why would you?) before the single most anticipated matchup of the season…followed by months upon months of barren, desolate nothing. (I suppose there’s baseball, but the six of you who actually read these posts regularly already know how I feel on that subject.) Ah, well. I guess we’ll have to savor what we have left while we can. That, of course, means that this particular column will be going into a bit more detail than usual on each of this weekend’s championship games. To change things up a bit, we’ll start in the NFC, where West division foes meet up for the third and final time to determine which defense is really better. After that, we’ll move to the AFC, where two of the game’s greatest quarterbacks of all time will duel yet again, this time with a trip to East Rutherford on the line. Who will come out on top? Let’s find out.
NFC Championship: San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks
Home Field Advantage?
There’s been a lot of talk regarding the 67,000 Seahawks faithful who cram themselves into CenturyLink Field every home Sunday to watch their team play some hard-nosed, defensively dominant football. More specifically, there’s been talk that the “Twelfth Man” (no disrespect to Texas A&M in that reference) may be the most intimidating home crowd in NFL history. They’ve certainly got plenty of evidence to back it up: they’ve held the Guinness World Record for the loudest outdoor sports stadium for months (although the Chiefs briefly usurped that position partway through this season). Interestingly, before their record-breaking mark of 137.6 decibels, the Seattle crowd initially set the record at 136.6 decibels in a September victory. Who were they playing? Well, given that I brought this up in the prediction column for this particular matchup, it shouldn’t be too hard to figure out (read: IT’S A DEAD FREAKING GIVEAWAY).
“But wait,” you’re probably thinking right now. “The Seahawks lost at home in Week 16 to the Cardinals, and they didn’t even make the playoffs!” I should remind you that: a) It was almost assuredly a fluke; b) the Cardinals went 11-5 and only missed postseason action because the NFL’s playoff system is petty and biased; and c) That Cardinals team could probably have beaten the 49ers if given the chance. Needless to say, I don’t see the Hawks’ first home loss in two seasons as a chink in the proverbial armor so much as a momentary glitch in the wall of pure, unadulterated hate that is the Link. (Not to be confused with that other “Linc”, i.e. the one in Philadelphia.) Let me add this up for you: The stadium is already nigh impenetrable on a normal game day. This game is for the NFC Championship…before a national audience…against what is possibly the Seahawks’ most hated rival of all. Guinness better send someone over; that record of 137.6 will probably be a distant memory before all’s said and done.
“Dynamic New Age Hybrids” And Other Trivialities
From a more practical standpoint, this game depends partially on the play of the two mobile quarterbacks on the field. Over in the red corner is Colin Kaepernick, whose quick decision-making and incredible agility make him a dangerous dual threat. Meanwhile, in the blue corner, we have Russell Wilson, who–despite having more chances to run the ball than his counterpart–isn’t really known for his running ability, instead using his natural agility to avoid pressure and keep plays alive. The biggest difference between the two quarterbacks is their playing style. Kid Quick tends to use his legs to make plays, which has helped him quite a bit inside the red zone (four rushing touchdowns compared to Wilson’s one); Wilson prefers to stay behind the line, throwing the ball rather than running it (3,357 passing yards as opposed to Kaepernick’s 3,197, as well as 26 TD passes vs. 21) and opening chances up for Marshawn Lynch to beast his way to yet more scores.
In the end, it comes down to experience as to which QB is better-equipped to win this game. Kaepernick has taken San Fran to the Super Bowl once already, and is one game removed from doing it in back-to-back seasons. Wilson has exactly one playoff win to his name, last week’s dismantling of New Orleans. As he showed in the Niners’ victory over the Panthers’ second-ranked defense last week, Kid Quick is capable of picking apart pretty much any defense he faces. We know Wilson has similar skill, but against a D as stingy as the 49ers’, he’s got quite an uphill battle.
Prediction: In a quick yet slightly uninteresting defensive struggle, the 12th Man sets a new record as the Seahawks advance to their first Super Bowl in almost ten years. Sorry, Colin; it’s “lights out” for your run once again.
Seahawks 14, 49ers 10
AFC Championship: New England Patriots at Denver Broncos
A Tale of Two Quarterbacks
“Manning-Brady XV,” they’re calling it. The much-anticipated fifteenth (and, of course, potentially final) meeting between two quarterbacks, both of whom you could make a very compelling case for as the best quarterback of all time. Peyton Manning, a household name to anybody who’s watched any of the ten bajillion commercials he’s starred in. (CUT THAT MEAT! CUT THAT MEAT! …If you didn’t get that reference, you clearly didn’t watch enough TV a few years ago.) Perhaps more memorable, though, is his renowned ability (perhaps even superpower) to change the playcall at the line of scrimmage more quickly and more thoroughly than a runway model changes clothes at NYC’s Fashion Week. On occasion, he’s been known to even throw out fake audibles just to keep the defense on its toes. Then again, it doesn’t really matter, as by the end of it all they just end up on their backs. On the opposite end of the spectrum, you have the Iceman, Tom Brady. (I’m going to get sued by Chuck Liddell for misappropriating his nickname, but I couldn’t care less.) Brady is probably one of the league’s best strategists, a trait which he’s developed in his several years under mastermind head coach Bill Belichick. He can read defenses seemingly before they even break out of the huddle, and his cadre of receivers, despite being plagued by injury and inconsistency, can slice through even the toughest coverage with relative ease.
So which is the better quarterback overall? Multiple studies, a few thousand message board flame wars, and nearly a million daily interpersonal arguments have gotten us no closer to determining the answer. Even the overall record between the two QBs, which would indicate a clear advantage for Brady (he’s 10-4 against teams with Manning as their starter), is inconclusive, since the last time the two players met in the postseason (the 2006 AFC Championship game, interestingly enough), Manning led his Colts to a late comeback drive for a win and a trip to the Super Bowl. In the end, it basically comes down to personal opinion; regardless of who does what better, it’s obvious that both of these guys are going to be in the Hall of Fame on their first ballots.
Aerial Assault
Of course, on any given Sunday a quarterback is only as good as his wide receivers, and all things considered, Manning’s been pretty well helped in that department. Wes Welker, fresh off his time in New England, cam into Denver this season and was expected to add another layer to the Broncos’ already deep passing attack. And boy, did he deliver. Denver now has what is quite possibly the best receiving corps in the NFL, with Welker, Demariyus Thomas, and Eric Decker lined up wide and rookie sensation Julius Thomas lining up at tight end. With so many tools at his disposal, it’s no wonder Manning was able to eclipse the single-season passing yardage record this year. This team has been lighting up the scoreboard from the word “go,” and I wouldn’t expect anything different this time around.
Tom Brady hasn’t been quite so lucky. What with losing his two top tight ends for the season at the very least (Rob Gronkowski to injury, Aaron Hernandez to first-degree murder charges) and his receivers struggling to stay healthy, he’s had quite a row to hoe. Then again, it’s not all that surprising that the Patriots still finished in the top 10 in passing yards per game. Brady just has this sort of aura he gives off that makes everyone around him better. Even the likes of Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola are able to excel when they’re catching passes from a player like Brady. Say what you will about his off-the-field image, but Brady can play football.
Prediction: In what could be the last time we see these two incredible QBs face off, Manning picks up one more shootout win to send the Denver Broncos to East Rutherford. As for Brady, he and his family should probably go ahead and look into summer vacation spots. I hear Omaha’s nice this time of year.
Broncos 42, Patriots 34
So that’s it. As far as I’m concerned, this year the Super Bowl will be between the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos. At the very least, this time around I have at least a 25% chance of being right, so we’ll see how it plays out. That’s it for this time around. Have a good weekend, and good luck to all your teams!
