The Super Bowl is the ultimate endgame and the true highlight of the NFL season. The events of an entire journey culminate in one epic showdown between the best franchises in the NFL. Dreams are fulfilled, legends are made, and sports history is written with all of the drama and excitement that only the NFL can provide. With that said, while the Super Bowl might be the game that gets all the publicity, the upcoming Conference Championship weekend figures to be the best weekend of football of the entire 2013-2014 campaign.
Simply put, you couldn’t ask for a better final four than what football fans will be treated to this Sunday. The four best teams in the NFL and two of the greatest rivalries in modern football, will be on full display, as the NFL figures to achieve record-setting television ratings.
The football feast begins at 3:00 p.m. when the New England Patriots visit the Denver Broncos with the AFC Championship on the line. For better or worse, the story of this game is going to be the continuation of the Peyton Manning-Tom Brady saga. While that may not be entirely fair to either team, the reality of the situation is that these are the two greatest quarterbacks of the modern era – and it’s not even close.
These two men have done it all. Super Bowl Championships, record-setting seasons, sensational winning percentages, there is just nothing Manning and Brady haven’t accomplished. Any game that features either of them is must-watch football. If you asked a non-football fan to name five players in the NFL, it is a certainty that Manning and Brady would be two of them. They are the measuring stick that has been set for a new era of professional signal callers.
With all the success these two have had, it’s hard to believe that Manning and Brady have only met three times in post-season action to this point (Brady is currently 2-1 in these contests), but match-up number four might be the best one yet.
While Manning’s Broncos have gotten thus far on the merits of an elite, high-flying, record-setting offense, “The Brady Bunch” has changed things up tremendously this season. The Pats have undergone a philosophical shift in recent weeks as the running game has become the focal point of the offensive game-plan. People will talk about this being a mediocre season for Brady, statistically speaking, but the fact is the Patriots have had their greatest success when he doesn’t have to carry the whole offense on his back. For all the talk about the Hall-Of-Fame quarterbacks, a big key to this contest is whether the Patriots’ running game can remain so productive. LeGarrette Blount is absolutely on fire right now and if he keeps running the football like this, I don’t know who can stop this team.
If you’re a regular reader, you may have seen a piece we recently published about former NFL star Jovan Haye and his post-football endeavors in the entrepreneurial sector. Jovan was gracious enough to give us some of his time to provide a player’s perspective on the upcoming games.
In speaking with Haye, it’s clear that he recognizes the importance of the Manning-Brady match-up, but also points to one other factor that will go a long way toward deciding this game. “Both teams have lost a lot of players over the course of the season.” Of course, Haye is entirely correct. Both teams have picked up a litany of injuries throughout the season, an issue that has been compounded over the last week with players like Chris Harris Jr. and Brandon Spikes headed to injured reserve.
“I just think it’s unfortunate because you’d like to have those guys available, especially in a game like this, but you can’t stop injuries from happening,” he states.
It’s truly been a battle of attrition for these franchises this year, but somehow both clubs have managed to keep winning in spite of this adversity. It’s a reflection of more than great quarterback play, but great coaching as well. John Fox and Bill Belichick are two of the game’s best, and have continued to get the most out of less-heralded players throughout the season.
While the match-up is too close to call, and numerous varying factors remain in play, one thing is certain: Super Bowl XLVIII will feature either Peyton Manning or Tom Brady. That is great for the NFL’s bottom-line, great for the fan base, and great for the sport, as a whole.
Now, onto the National Football Conference.
The NFC West was once considered a laughingstock, but those days are long over. Clearly the best division in football today, the West features the two best teams in the NFC, and the most intense rivalry in the sport. When the San Francisco 49ers travel to Seattle to take on the Seahawks for the NFC title, the rivalry will reach its apex.
Fiery head coaches Jim Harbaugh and Pete Carroll are not exactly the best of friends dating back to their days at Stanford and USC respectively, and the mutual dislike certainly trickles down to their players. I’m sure you’ve heard the expression, “I don’t know why you guys don’t get along better. You’re so much alike,” many times before, and that quotation encapsulates this rivalry perfectly. These are two teams that run the ball very well, feature elite defenses, and are quarterbacked by emerging young talents that make plays with their legs (and arms, for that matter) as well as anybody.
The two teams traded wins during the regular season; the Seahawks won big at home in a 29-3 Week Two decimation of their rivals, before the 49ers responded in Week Fourteen with a gritty 19-17 home victory capped off by a big Frank Gore run.
Any time these two teams play it can go either way, but home field seems to be a big advantage in this one. I know some folks are sick of hearing about the “Twelfth Man”, but the hometown Seahawks fans do make a big difference.
When I spoke to Haye during a previous interview, he told me that “If the road to the Super Bowl runs through Seattle, it’s impossible. No one’s beating them.” While that was many weeks ago, he is not deterred by a Week Sixteen home loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
Haye is no stranger to the impact of the twelfth man. Having played at CenturyLink Field before, he knows what a difference that crowd makes. In a playoff setting, the situation is amplified. “Every possession matters,” he states. He believes that the crowd this Sunday is “going to be unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Don’t be surprised if San Fran has maybe a dozen false starts.”
What makes the NFL season so exciting is the storylines, and this Sunday provides two of the best sagas you could ask for. It’s become commonplace in this column to hype up the games on the horizon. This weekend requires no hype. It’s the ultimate dream for hardcore and casual fans alike. The two most recognizable faces in the NFL face-off, and when that’s over, the most intense rivalry in the game takes center-stage. Watch these games. Settle in with family and/or friends. Bask in the genuine treat you’re about to be awarded. This has the potential to be the greatest Conference Championship weekend in the history of our beloved sport. It’s going to be so great, there’s no need for the usual sign-off.
We know you’re going to enjoy this week’s slate of games.
