With great certainty, this Sunday will not disappoint football fans. This is the most anticipated Championship Sundays in recent memory as two legendary future Hall of Fame quarterbacks, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, are set to add one more chapter to their already storied rivalry. And in the other tilt, two promising young quarterbacks square off in what has become the best rivalry in football – Seahawks Vs. 49ers.
NFC Championship
Seattle Seahawks Vs. San Francisco 49ers
AFC Championship
Denver Broncos Vs. New England Patriots
Denver Broncos
I previously stated that Peyton Manning must win this Super Bowl if he is to be considered the greatest quarterback ever. But football is a team game and I am not convinced that the Broncos defense can stop the Tom Brady-lead New England Patriots. I have a gut feeling that the Broncos will jump out to a quick lead, much like they did earlier this season against the Patriots. Also like the earlier meeting, New England will rally and the game will come down to the 4th quarter.
Denver needs its defense to step up in a big way. And coming off a great performance for most of the game against San Diego, we can assume they will be full of confidence. But near the end of the game the Chargers had a chance to rally and come back for the win. The Broncos Defense can’t allow Tom Brady such an opportunity. Besides defense, the Broncos need their wide receivers to step-up. The Broncos have the best set of offensive weapons in the league, but if you watch closely they have a tendency to drop key balls. In a game such as this every point will count; there is no room for dropped balls and missed opportunities.
New England Patriots
There is nothing new about Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in an AFC Championship. This season’s version shows just how great this organization is. I can see the headline: “Ragtag Offense Lead by the Great Tom Brady Win the Super Bowl, Cementing the Legacy of Belichick and Brady”. I must say, Brady has showed his versatility and ability to adapt this season. How many teams could lose key players on offense and defense like Rob Gronkowski, Tommy Kelly, Jerod Mayo, Sebastian Vollmer, Vince Wilforkand and still reach the Championship? I think New England will run the ball early and often, using Legarrette Blount (former Buccaneer) to wearout the Broncos defense. After that Brady won’t have any trouble throwing against their secondary. Pulse running the ball will keep Manning off the field. If there is one way to beat Peyton Manning it’s to keep him off the field.
Seattle Seahawks
The “Legion of Boom” at home in Seattle. Need I say more?
Seriously, the Seahawks defense scares me and I’m sitting on a couch in Florida. Richard Sherman, Brandon Browner, Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor should not all be allowed on the same team. All jokes aside, I’m not worried about the Seahawks defense. They know what they’re doing and with that home Championship crowd, will play possessed feeding on the crowds energy. The only fear I have is that they aren’t mentally prepared for the moment, for a game of this magnitude. We saw it with Carolina last week that some teams can’t handle the big moments. With that said, I have faith in Seattle’s defense and expect a hell of a game from them. I’m more worried about the offense. Russell Wilson and that offense need to start clicking like they were in the beginning of the year. This game will come down to Marshawn Lynch and his ability to run the ball against a very good 49ers defense. If Lynch is able to run and take the pressure off Wilson, it will allow the pivot to pick and choose his shots down the field.
San Francisco 49ers
Colin Kaepernick has been nothing short but impressive. It’s also worth keeping in mind that Kaepernick already won an NFC Championship and you can’t put a price on experience like that. Like Seattle, I’m not particularly worried about the 49ers defense. The D will need maintain pressure on Wilson all game long while shutting down Lynch. We all know what kind of game this is going to be: low scoring and hard-hitting physical football. Will Kaepernick and his receivers be able to make enough plays against the Seahawks defense? The answer to that question will be influenced heavily by Frank Gore and his ability to run the ball. Almost equally important will be Kaepernick’s ability to run and convert 3rd downs.
NFC Championship
Seattle Seahawks Vs. San Francisco 49ers
At the beginning of the season I picked the Seattle Seahawks to win the NFC. I am staying with the Seahawks, although I believe the 49ers will have a chance in the fourth quarter to win. I think we all know this will be a long and hard fought rivalry in the NFL for years to come. The game Sunday, no matter the outcome, should be a physical game. Those are becoming too rare in the NFL.
AFC Championship
Denver Broncos Vs. New England Patriots
This could very well be the last Brady Vs. Manning postseason. One of these Hall Of Famers will be playing in the Super Bowl. At the beginning of the season I picked the Denver Broncos to win the AFC, and I am sticking with them. Manning will not have many more opportunities like this. I have to believe he will do whatever it takes to win. The less talked about match-up of this game is Bill Belichick Vs. Peyton Manning, two of the greatest football minds ever.
Final Score: Seattle Seahawks: 21 San Francisco 49ers: 17
Final Score: Denver Broncos: 35 New England Patriots: 27
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