Well well well. Here we are at the Conference Championships, and here I am 8-0 in my playoff picks. Now we have the top two seeds in both conferences playing for a trip to Super Bowl 50 (confession: I hate that they went to the number. I really wanted it to be Super Bowl L, so you could just draw out the L when you say it. "Super Bowllllllll"). I guess we should get right to it.
AFC Championship Game
New England Patriots at Denver Broncos, 3:05 PM
This is going to hurt my heart. As many folks may know, I have always been a big Tom Brady fan. I started rooting for him when he was at Michigan, since I also decided to be a Michigan fan when I was very little due to the fact that their mascot is the same name as one of my favorite super heroes (Shut up, I was like 5). I have a Brady Michigan jersey. I got a Brady Pats jersey the Christmas before they won their first Super Bowl. So, I support the guy, despite how often he tries to piss off the entire world, and even though he has become possibly the best QB ever which automatically draws the respectful hatred of fans from other cities. I expect him to win this game on Sunday. Why would this hurt my heart?
Cause I want Peyton to win. I do. Desperately. There is nothing as satisfying to someone that loves sports than seeing a beloved figure go out on top. I felt no great passion towards John Elway, but it was awesome seeing him win his 2nd Super Bowl and then retire. I want that for the guy Elway employs now. For as fantastic a QB as he has been, and he is easily Top 5 all time, Peyton Manning will be remembered as a guy that only won 1 Super Bowl. They will ignore that he has a ring when so many others, like Marino, do not, or that the likes of Favre only have one. They will look at the number of playoff losses he has, and not the fact that he was in the playoffs practically every year of his career. Going to three Super Bowls is, in itself, an amazing accomplishment, especially since the Patriots have managed to make it to 6, so AFC appearances have been pretty scarce for teams not from New England.
Denver has a great defense. Denver has a solid run game. Tom Brady doesn't play that well in Denver. It is possible for them to win, for sure. But I just see the Patriots pulling it out because, well, they are the Patriots. Maybe it is a fitting end that Peyton Manning's last game is a loss to Tom Brady. As great as Peyton has been, Tom has always found the way to win more. He and the Patriots will win again Sunday, 27-24.
NFC Championship Game
Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers, 6:40 PM
This game is the one I wanted to see happen the most. The entire season, the Panthers and Cardinals have been the two best teams in the NFC. It hasn't really been close either. Sure, the Seahawks or Vikings had a stretch here and there where they played great, but its been Arizona and Carolina all year. It is going to come down the Carolina defense and the Arizona offense. I think Cam Newton is going to be able to score at least 21 on the Arizona defense. He is the MVP, after all. The real question is whether or not Carson Palmer, David Johnson, and all those WRs can score on Carolina. The Arizona WRs are better than the Panthers secondary, but the front seven of the Panthers D is superb. The Cardinals will have to spread the ball out to take advantage of mismatches in talent that they have.
The past two weeks, Arizona just hasn't looked right. Maybe it is Palmer's dislocated finger. Maybe it is just that they played two good teams in Seattle and Green Bay. Call me crazy, but I don't think they can beat the Panthers right now. Yes, I know that going with the #1 seed is boring, and that we want to see Larry Fitzgerald in the Super Bowl again. Nevertheless, I think this is Cam Newton's season, and his chance to show why he is clearly this year's MVP. Give me the Panthers at home, 23-18.
Can we make it to 10-0 in playoff picks? Who will be in the Super Bowl? Enjoy finding out Sunday.
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