Today has all the makings for some great NFL playoff football.
The final four is an impressive group. For the first time since 2004, the top four seeds have advanced to the conference championship games. Among them, they have only 12 losses, the lowest total since 2004, when the Steelers, the Falcons, the Eagles and the eventual champion Patriots had 11.
This is what championship Sunday is supposed to be — the best against the best.
In the AFC title game, it’s Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning for the 17th and potentially last meeting in their historic rivalry with retirement talk swirling around Manning.
In the NFC championship matchup, it’s a battle of the two quarterbacks who will likely finish first and second in the MVP voting. The debate has ranged for the second half of the season on whether Carolina’s Cam Newton or Arizona’s Carson Palmer will win MVP honors.
No need to debate any longer. These issues will be settled on the field.
The NFC title in Carolina sets up to be a classic. It pits the teams with the two best records — Carolina 16-1, Arizona 14-3 — and two of the hottest quarterbacks in the league.
The Panthers have been the best team all season, and there’s no reason to believe that trend won’t continue today in Carolina.
The Cardinals ended the regular season ranked first in total offense, but they had trouble scoring in their last two games. That could continue against the Panthers, who rank sixth in the NFL in points allowed.
The Panthers have no holes on defense. Cornerback Josh Norman might be the best defensive back in the NFL, and linebacker Luke Kuechly is one of the league’s top linebackers.
Arizona has also been pretty salty but has shown to be vulnerable against big plays in the passing game.
Carolina is a 3-point favorite, and I’m going with the Panthers to make it to the Super Bowl.
I have to go with Newton, who has improved as the season has progressed. With 45 total touchdowns and 10 interceptions on the year, he has totaled 26 of those scores and just one interception in the last two months. He’s posted passer ratings of 104.4 or better in eight of his last 10 games.
After having their best regular season in franchise history, the Panthers seem destined to reach the Super Bowl for just the second time.
I am guessing Carolina 23, Arizona 20.
In the AFC title game, Brady and Manning won’t appear on the field together, but their rivalry ranks up there with the all-time great ones like Bird/Magic, Wilt/Russell and Ali/Frazier.
No matter how wild the NFL playoffs get, usually the two greatest quarterbacks of their generation will be involved at the end — most likely against each other.
Brady holds the overall edge 11-5 during 15 years of clashes, but the two quarterbacks have split their four postseason matchups. Brady’s New England Patriots won four of the last five meetings against Manning, but Manning’s lone win was the AFC Championship two years ago that sent the Denver Broncos to the Super Bowl.
The Patriots are a 3-point road favorite, and it appears the betting public is backing New England.
Nearly 70 percent of the bets being made on this game are on the Patriots, according to BleacherReport.com. I usually go against the grain a bit with my picks, but I am going with both favorites to win today.
Denver’s home-field advantage makes this a scary pick — neither Tom Brady nor Peyton Manning has defeated the other quarterback on the road since 2007 — but New England’s offense seems to be playing better right now.
The Patriots have played three postseason games in Denver throughout their history, and they have lost all of them.
That streak ends today, though. I just don’t think Manning has much left in the tank. He has a 9-17 touchdown-interception ratio this year, and just one of his touchdown passes came at home.
On the other hand, New England quarterback Tom Brady had another excellent season — throwing for 4,770 yards with 36 touchdowns and just seven interceptions.
I am picking New England to win, 27-20.
