NFL: Conference Championships

 

Alright it’s time to stop going off-the-board. The NFL Playoffs are sticking to the script, with the best teams moving on. The underdogs made it interesting, but the Divisional favourites all made it through their respective tests. Now, we have two of the best games of the year. One is definitely more enticing than the other, but let’s break down the Conference Championships, along with three other great NFL story lines from the past week.

1. NFC Conference Championship – The game to watch

The Arizona Cardinals in Carolina will be the best game of the year. Why do I keep saying that? Well, flat out, because it will be the best game of the year. The two top teams in the NFC have not faced each other yet this year and they are each riding momentum highs.

For Carolina, they’ll have home field advantage and want to redeem themselves after last week’s almost-debacle against Seattle. The Panthers built a huge lead and almost lost it in the second half. All year they’ve said, “the world” was against them. Now it’s time to show the world what they’re really made of.

For Arizona, the odds are stacked against the Cardinals. Not only will they be playing on the road in the snow, but they’ll also be taking on the Offensive Player of the Year and MVP in Cam Newton. They almost lost their Divisional round tilt last week too and without the help of Larry Fitzgerald, they probably would have. He was the OT hero and he’ll need to be huge again in enemy territory.

The winner will be the team that provides the most protection to their quarterback. This game will be won in the trenches. If Arizona’s defence makes like Seattle’s and let’s Cam Newton take a nap and then throw the ball, they’re done. Both teams need to apply pressure to force turnovers. Defence will decide this one.

2. AFC Conference Championship – Manning vs. Brady

Sadly, this game will be like watching The Land Before Time. In other words, you’ll be watching a dinosaur’s last dance. I don’t mean that to be disrespectful. Peyton Manning is the best quarterback I think anyone alive right now has ever seen. He’s far past his prime though, and the electric New England offence should be able to light up Denver like your still-up Christmas tree.

For Denver, this game won’t be about Peyton, it will be about the run support. If Peyton can get a little help moving the chains, he’ll be able to fight the good fight. If he’s on his own though, sadly his arm doesn’t have 300-400 yards a night in it any more. Not to mention his ability to escape pressure is a thing of the past. If Peyton can get any sort of run relief, the Broncos stand a chance.

For New England, it comes down to the defensive line. All you need is a bit of heat on Manning and he’ll make bad decisions. He has tender feet following his recent spat of injuries and in the snow, he’ll have to put more pressure on them. If New England can scorch Peyton’s protection, he should be a sitting duck.

The winner will be the team with the best offensive line. Yes, I know that usually decides every game. This won’t be a defensive battle though. Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are still two of the smartest quarterbacks in the game. Manning is slipping but he’s still one of the best football minds around. Whoever’s o-line folds first will be the ones watching Super Bowl 50 on TV.