Four teams battle it out for the NFL crown.
The overarching theme of the 2012-2013 NFL season was old meeting new. The established football aristocracy of Tom Brady’s Patriots, Aaron Rodgers’ Packers, and Eli Manning’s Giants went toe to toe with the next generation of elite teams like Russell Wilson’s Seahawks, Colin Kaepernick’s 49ers, and even Peyton Manning’s new Denver Broncos. We have already seen what these teams had to offer during the regular season, but it’s the postseason that separates the men from the boys, the wheat from the chaff, and the juice from the pulp.
AFC Championship- Baltimore Ravens vs. New England Patriots
Like many of my fellow Bronco faithful, it’s bitter to see the Ravens taking our place AFC Championship. A botched kick, a defensive blunder, and a rare Peyton Manning overtime pick culminated to push Baltimore closer to Super Sunday. Despite outplaying their counterparts in virtually every aspect of the game, the Broncos walked away empty-handed, only as a result of their own mistakes, and not the Raven’s performance. Joe Flacco can take credit for a game tying 70-yard payer, but it’s obvious to me that he still cannot perform in the postseason. He and the Ravens will be taking on a vastly superior Patriots team, which is notorious for perennial postseason success. Tom Brady my have lost his most dominant offensive weapon in Rob Gronkowski, but the Pats can surely adapt just as they did last week against Houston. I fully expect the Ravens to get hammered this week so we can all stop seeing Ray Lewis prance around on the field.
The Call: New England 34-Baltimore 16
NFC Championship- Atlanta Falcons vs. San Francisco 49ers
Since making his first NFL start in week 10 while replacing a concussed Alex Smith, San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick has taken the league by storm, starting every game since. He finally silenced critics last week by rushing for an NFL record of 263 yards as a quarterback. He and the 49ers will take a trip to the Dirty South to take on the number one seeded Atlanta Falcons, who are coming off a narrow victory against Seattle last week. The Falcons had a superb regular season going 13-3, but have historically been terrible in the postseason, winning only one playoff game under quarterback Matt Ryan. They absolutely collapsed in the 2nd half of last week’s game, giving up 28 consecutive points before battling back to win the game on a last-minute field goal. Based on Matt Ryan’s suspect playoff reputation and the 49er’s momentum, I expect San Francisco to win the NFC Championship handily.
The Call: San Francisco 27- Atlanta 17
