Clifton Park, NY – What a weekend of football!
After a lackluster Wild Card Weekend, the divisional round certainly did not disappoint. Each and every game this weekend was exciting until the end and full of storylines.
With each of the top seeds victorious, the NFL’s top four teams are left standing, fighting for the right to represent their respective conference in the Super Bowl.
Even though it’s only Monday and we’re six days away from the AFC and NFC Championships, it’s still a great time to make some bold predictions for each game.
Here we go…
AFC Championship: No repeat this year. Denver wins 27-21. The Seattle Seahawks chances to represent the NFC for a third straight year were dashed Sunday when the No. 6 seed was sent home packing by the Carolina Panthers Sunday. And the New England Patriots will face the same fate this weekend when they travel to Denver to take on Peyton Manning and the Broncos.
I know… Surprise, surprise the Buffalo Bills fan is picking the Patriots to lose again. However, it’s worth noting that I’ve picked all but one of the games correctly this postseason. Sure, it was Saturday’s Patriots game, but that’s not the point.
If we’re being honest, the Patriots offense isn’t very good. Its pretty meh aside from Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, and the Denver defense is legit. New England has no running game, Julian Edelman may or may not have received an x-ray after the win Saturday and the offensive line might be the worst unit left in the playoffs.
While it didn’t look all that special at times Sunday, the Denver offense is on the brink of an explosion and it could very well happen Sunday afternoon. The Broncos have the best wide receiver duo in the league, a ground game that’s making strides and the smartest quarterback in the NFL, anything is possible.
This is easily the most the best team Manning has been apart of and certainly not the most talented one Brady has been on, and for that reason I have to go with the Broncos.
NFC Championship: The new kids on the block get one step closer. Carolina wins 24-23. The
Carolina Panthers are the best story in all of football this year.
While everyone’s obsessed with New England’s ability to still succeed with an injury bug, the Panthers finished under .500 last season and have now lost just one game in the last calendar year. It’s incredible, and you can make the argument that the Panthers’ have been the most injury-stricken team this year, too.
Even though the Arizona Cardinals own the best offense left standing, they’re missing something the Panthers are not – Cam Newton. Would you rather have another quarterback leading your team right now? I wouldn’t.
Look what Newton has been able to do with what’s around him. He has one legitimate receiving target, which is his tight end. One! It’s absolutely astonishing and not to mention the defense is downright dominant.
This is going to be one heck of a game.
Wait… Both of them are.
Speaking of both of them, Fake Sandy Alderson/Big Al Sternberg, tomorrow.
