Championship Weekend Preview

A few storylines to follow this weekend.

1. The playoffs feature the 3 best quarterbacks in the NFL (apologies to Mr Rivers). Meanwhile, Mark Sanchez was one of the league's 3 worst starting QBs.

2. How much do you trust your kicker? Cardinals, Chargers, Cowboys, Bengals, Packers, and Patriots kickers have missed field goals en route to an early playoff exit. Now we are left with Jay Feely, Garrett Hartley, Matt Stover, and Ryan Longwell, as unlikely a bunch as ever. Especially with the three great quarterbacks remaining, don't expect coaches sending out their kicking team with the game on the line. Plan on a bunch of 4th down plays this week.

3. There is a chance that we could see Brett Favre in the Super Bowl against the team he played for last season, the Jets, which ended in a lot of chaos and disappointment. Wouldn't that be something: the Jets couldn't make the playoffs with Favre but they can make the Super Bowl with a rookie a year later. Oh well, we'll see.

4. The Saints are hosting their first NFC Championship game and trying to make their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. The Vikings have been there four times but never won.

5. One of the best matchups to watch this week is Peyton vs. Darelle Revis. It is likely that the Colt's top receiver Reggie Wayne will be on Revis Island, a lonely place. How often will 18 throw his way?

6. Each of the quarterbacks is in an interesting situation.
a.) For Brett, it's go out in glory and stake his claim as the best QB in history. With all of his passing records, one more he can still set is to become the first quarterback to win the Super Bowl with two different teams.
b.) Peyton needs to win this game or he will always play second fiddle to Tom Brady. If he wins the Super Bowl then he likely sits above even Joe Montana.
c.) Drew Brees has had an incredible career so far and some of the best passing seasons ever but has yet to play in a Super Bowl. Doing so elevates him to elite status and in the same category as Peyton, Favre, and Brady (even if Saints lose SB).
d.) Mark Sanchez is trying to become the first rookie QB to win a Super Bowl (I assume), an incredible achievement that would launch his career for a team that has done nothing since Broadway Joe Namath forty years ago.

7. Speaking of rookies, either Rex Ryan or Jim Caldwell will coach in a Super Bowl in their rookie season, and I'm unsure if that's ever happened.

8. Week 16, 3rd quarter: 14-0 Colts up 15-10, Peyton gets benched, and the 7-7 Jets win 29-15 in one of the biggest coaching controversies of the decade. Jets get in because of that. Now we have a rematch that will finally clean up that story forever, either way.

My Predictions

- Vikings and Saints each won last week by a whopping 31 points, so you cannot argue that these aren't the best two teams in the NFC. Percy Harvin has issues and probably won't play. Vikings secondary is thin and Drew Brees will expose that. High-scoring affair.
Saints 41, Vikings 28

- The top rushing offense versus the worst rushing offense. Clark, Garcon, and Collie will be key for the Colts, and if the Jets stop them they have a chance. Rookie Jet Greene can bust a big one, but the Colts defense is too good to allow anything more. Key number is 17: if the Colts reach 17 points they win, any less and the Jets will win.
Colts 24, Jets 10