I feel like over the past decade there has been a lacking in great playoff games and incredible match-ups. However, this year is proving to be very different. The tail of the NFC and AFC championship games is one to remember. Two very different conferences combining into one amazing super bowl!
In the NFC we have the pleasure of watching two young star quarterbacks bring their hard-hitting defenses together in a rivalry game for the ages. Kaepernick has been here before, Wilson has the chance to prove himself. The Seahawks defense has been stellar throughout the season, truly a force to be feared, especially at home games. When your fans can cause a small earthquake, you know you have something going for you at home. 49ers have a strong receiving core and a defense that was able to stop the Carolina Panther not once, but twice on the goal line in the previous week. This is a match-up of strength and will. Whose defense will hit the hardest and last the longest? Whose quarterback will step up to the challenge of the other teams defense? Will the home team's 12th man play a factor? Who wants to go to the big game more?
In the AFC it's a completely different story. We have the pleasure of watching two tough, seasoned quarterbacks meet for 14th time. On the one hand we have Peyton Manning coming off his best season in history, and with one of the strongest most formidable offenses in the league. On the other we have Tom Brady who has somehow managed to rally his rookie team through many hard fought games, and with a strong running rotation almost unheard of from previous Patriot offenses. The Broncos seamed to have some issues with their star cornerback out against the Chargers last week, but Manning's strong arm and coolness helped them achieve success against a driven Charger's team. The Patriots were helped a lot by Andrew Luck's interceptions in their success over the Colts last week, which we can almost guarantee won't be as much of an issue for Manning. However, Legarrette Blount is a force for the Broncos to recon with. He rushed for 4 touchdowns against the Colts last week and will most likely look to do the same against the Broncos defense. This match-up will test the seasoned quarterbacks and which defense will have success each other's potent offenses. Which quarterback will prevail on offense? Which defense will be able to stop the threat of powerful offense? Who will make the mistakes that cost them the game? Which coach will have the better plan to beat the other team? Who wants to go to another Super Bowl game the most?
Now, we've discussed the NFC and AFC championship games, but what about the Super Bowl? What is this year's big game going to look like? Well, let's look at the possible match-ups. Any way you look at it, the match-up for the Super Bowl is going to offer two polar opposites. On one side you have seasoned quarterbacks with powerful offenses looking to win another title for their team and perhaps one of their last chances to do so. On the other side you have young quarterbacks with powerful defenses looking to prove themselves by winning their first of perhaps many title games. We can expect a clash of strong defense with potent offense, but there are two things that I believe will decide the game: mistakes and the weaker side of each team.
First let's look at mistakes. Why did the Colts struggle so much against the Patriots? Andrew Luck, though a great quarterback, threw more interceptions in post-season than regular season. Why did the Panthers look terrible against he 49ers when they have performed well all year? Two reasons, the 8 penalties for 73 yards most of which could have been avoided and the 2 critical interceptions, one they 49ers scored a touchdown after and the other in the 4th quarter essentially killing their chances of a crazy comeback. (Side note, the referees did not seem to help the Panther's struggling situation either. Some questionable calls for penalties and missed calls against the 49ers.) So, all that to say when it comes to the biggest game of the year in football, mistakes like unnecessary penalties and turnovers will quickly decide a game. Second, let's look at the weaker side of each team. Patriots and Broncos have proven to be strong offensive sides this year, not surprising having Peyton Manning and Tom Brady as quarterbacks. Seahawks and 49ers over the past decade have seemed to dominate the defensive side of the game. So, what about the Broncos and Patriot's defenses? The Patriots prevailed against a strong Colt's offense last week to move on, and the Broncos held back Matthews and Philip River's strong arm as well. In the Super Bowl, I will be watching the defense of the AFC team to see if they can step up to the challenge the other team's defense poses. So, what about the Seahawks and 49er's offenses? The Seahawks have a strong running back in Lynch they build plays around and a quick quarterback in Russell Wilson who is tough to bring down. The 49ers have Kaepernick who has been to this game before and prevailed. He has a strong arm and isn't afraid to run for 10 yards if the opportunity arises. I will be looking to see if one of these two young quarterbacks on the offense will be able to perform under this intense pressure of the big game and capitalize on the opportunities their strong defenses will provide them.
Surely no one will deny that these championship games will be exciting and possibly the best we've seen in a decade, and these games will lead up to one of the most intense and amazing Super Bowl games of all time. I look forward to watching these games with interest. The big question is, which team will be able to handle the pressure and capitalize on the other teams weakness? I look forward to finding out.
