Rivalry Weekend

Right now, nobody is happier than the NFL. As a fan, you should be pretty excited too. The playoffs could not have worked out any better. In the AFC, you have the best current rivalry in all of professional sports with Tom Brady going against Peyton Manning. As a Pats fan, I would always want them to have home field advantage in a conference championship game. With that being said, the San Diego Chargers coming to Foxboro this weekend just wouldn’t feel right. This is a modern day Palmer and Nicklaus, Russel and Chamberlain, or Ali and Frazier, developing since they were division rivals in 2001. Regardless of their records against each other, they will always be linked. We have been lucky to witness these all-time great quarterbacks faceoff through the years, and Sunday will add another (and possible final) chapter.

On the other side is a brewing division rivalry between the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers. They are the two best teams in the NFC this season, and there’s no love lost between them. It’s only fitting they will be playing with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. Would Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers making a trip to Seattle feel the same? I don't think so. We couldn’t have asked for a more fitting Sunday of football. I just hope the games live up to all of the hype.

(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)

New England Patriots (+5.5) over DENVER BRONCOS

Brady and Manning will meet for the fifteenth time on Sunday, with Brady being 10-4 against Manning overall including 2-1 in the playoffs. As far as their legacies go, they both have a good deal riding on this game. For Brady, a victory would add to his already all-time leading 18 playoff wins. He would surpass John Elway for the most starts in a Super Bowl with six. If he goes on to win the Super Bowl, he will tie with Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw with four Super Bowl wins, the most all time by a quarterback. With his regular season success and playoff record, he would have to be considered the greatest quarterback of all time.

A win for Manning would give him three appearances in the Super Bowl and even his record against Brady in the playoffs. A win in the Super Bowl would give him his second championship to tie him with (gulp!) his little brother Eli. But even more for Manning, a win on Sunday would help alleviate the fact that he doesn't rise to the pressure in big games. Yes he’s won a Super Bowl, but he’s been remembered in recent years more for his playoff defeats than his one championship, resonated by last year’s playoff loss. It will give validity to his record breaking season and that he’s more than just a great regular season quarterback. As good as Peyton is, winning the Super Bowl will vault him into the discussion with the likes of Montana, Brady and Elway as the greatest ever. I just think he’s going to come up short one last time.

The Pats offense has been on a roll lately, and the team has been averaging just under forty points in their last three games. LeGarrette Blount is pretending it’s 2008 and he’s at Oregon. I'm still waiting for him to coldcock somebody. At the same time you could also argue that Broncos offense is pretty good, and you would be right. Plus the conditions in Denver on Sunday are going to be perfect for Manning and his arsenal of offensive weapons. I’m probably crazy for betting against them. But the Pats have Belichick, who has always done a masterful job in scheming an effective defensive plan against Manning, and I think that will be the difference. Also with Brady and Belichick at the helm, the Pats are 3-0 in the playoffs when underdogs by more than four points. They have been finding ways to win with their patchwork defense, and they’ll do it again. Prepare to see a serving of the Manning face as the Pats move on to the Meadowlands.

San Francisco 49ers (+3.5) over SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

In terms of history this game doesn’t have as much buildup as the AFC Championship, but you still couldn’t ask for a better matchup, with two teams building a rivalry that are very similar. They both play in what is now the best division in the NFL. They both win games with a stifling defense. They both feature top notch running games. They both have young, mobile quarterbacks that have the capacity to beat you with their legs. They display a swagger and an arrogance that make them both a little unlikable. The game is definitely going to be a grudge match.

The Seahawks have the home field edge with the twelfth man, and they beat up San Fran there 29-3 way back in Week 2. But this is a different 49ers team. During their eight game winning streak, Colin Kaepernick has been almost flawless, throwing twelve touchdowns and only two interceptions. The return of wide receiver Michael Crabtree has helped open up the offense. Also isn’t it pretty much a rule these days that a team that plays in the first round of the playoffs advances it to the Super Bowl? Since 2006, only once has a first round playoff team NOT made it to the Super Bowl. The last three Super Bowl winners all played on wild-card weekend and peaked just at the right time. That pretty much sums up this San Francisco 49ers team right now. As well as Seattle plays at home, the 49ers win a close game. Now all we have to hope for is that there’s not a blizzard in New York on February 2^nd.