This is the first time in recent memory the two conference championship games have come down to the four best teams in the league.
There are only two days of football games left, but with these matchups, the season is primed to go out with a bang. So sit back and enjoy it while it lasts.
My apologies in advance for costing the teams I picked a trip to the Super Bowl.
NEW ENGLAND 31, DENVER 28
All of the attention leading up to this game has focused on the matchup between quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.
It’s not a surprise, of course, as the two future Hall-of-Famers’ rivalry has been one of the defining storylines of the NFL for more than a decade, and Sunday will be the fourth and potentially final time these two legends meet in the playoffs.
But who wins the AFC will be decided by more than quarterback play.
Manning and Brady are both fantastic. Manning’s numbers dwarf Brady’s in part because he has far superior firepower around him, but Brady’s postseason success nearly makes the matchup a wash.
It’s never as easy to throw the football in the playoffs as it is in the regular season, and New England will win this game because it is better in the two areas that always show up in January — running game and defense.
Led by the combination of running backs LeGarrette Blount and Stevan Ridley, the Patriots’ ground game has been on fire lately. The duo combined for six touchdowns and more than 200 yards as the Patriots ran over the Colts on Saturday.
That breakout has taken the pressure off Brady and gives New England a big advantage if the wind begins to howl on Sunday.
Neither defense is healthy or playing particularly well, but the Patriots have been forcing more turnovers of late. A late turnover could be the difference as New England runs the ball to keep it away from a frustrated Manning.
SAN FRANCISCO 20, SEAHAWKS 17
From the head coaches down through the players and fans, these two teams hate one another, and the rivalry is growing as quickly as any across the league.
Every time the 49ers meet the Seahawks, it’s a defensive war from start to finish, so don’t expect Sunday to be any different.
Seattle and San Francisco are mirror images of each other. They boast the league’s two most talented and physical defenses at all three levels, while relying heavily on power running games to help out dynamic young quarterbacks.
The game should be close throughout because the teams are so familiar. With the defenses and running games being exceptional on both sides, the game will be won by the quarterback that can make plays down the field late in a close game.
For my money, that’s Colin Kaepernick.
San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh has turned his quarterback loose in postseason games and Kaepernick has rewarded him. He played well against an elite Carolina defense Sunday and made plays with his legs late to defeat Green Bay the week before that.
Throw in the dramatic comeback he led against Atlanta in last season’s NFC Championship Game, and Kaepernick has an impressive postseason résumé for a young quarterback. He’s struggled in both career starts at Seattle, but the return of receiver Michael Crabtree to complement playoff-machine Anquan Boldin will help.
His counterpart, Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson, struggled to throw the ball against the Saints. He completed just nine passes in the game and couldn’t make plays late to put the game out of reach.
In the end, Harbaugh is more comfortable asking Kaepernick to win the game than Pete Carroll is relying on Wilson. San Francisco will play to win while Seattle plays not to lose, and that will be the difference.
James Moran is a 21-year-old mass communication senior from Beacon, N.Y.