It seemed almost too good to be true: The best team and personal rivalries in the NFL in the conference championship games. We have the Seattle Seahawks hosting the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game and Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady in the AFC Championship Game would require all four favored teams to win in the divisional round, that just couldn't happen, right?
Well, it did. For the first time since Jan. 15-16, 2005, all four favored teams in the divisional round took care of business. Order has been restored to the NFL playoffs.
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:
DENVER BRONCOS VS NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Well we had the last rounds of elimination this past weekend. I was up in the air about Denver & New England. I did say that Manning had to play better than he did the week before to beat the Patriots. If the Patriots win, Brady will be the first starting QB in NFL history to start in 6 Super Bowls, he is currently tied at 5 with John Elway. If the Broncos win, Manning would be one up on his little brother Eli, this will be Manning's 3rd SB appearance. I know he wants to tie the score with him with 2 rings, Eli has him beat on that one. Manning has also made it to the Super Bowl with two different franchises, becoming the 2nd player EVER to do so. If he wins, he will be the first starting QB to win 2 Super Bowls with 2 different teams. Manning & Brady have both made it to the Super Bowl twice in their last seven season. Manning was also the last one of the two men to win a SB since Brady hasn't won one since the 2004 season. Manning/Denver played a better game and Denver won this one, 26-16. Manning had a 93 & 80 yard touchdown drives, each lasted more than 7 minutes, they were the 2 longest, time wise, of the season for the Broncos. They certainly had the ups on the Patriots in time of possession, 35:44 Denver vs. 24:16 for the Patriots. You had to keep the ball, keep out of New England's hand, if they don't have it, they can't score. Brady threw for most of his 277 yds in comeback mode, he actually led the Patriots to a pair of 4th Qtr TD's but they were time consuming. The second TD cut the deficit 26-16 with 3:07 left in the game. The Broncos stopped Shane Vereen on a 2pt conversion and the party was pretty much on in Denver. The game started getting away from the Patriots around the time that CB Aqib Talib went out with a knee injury. Before he got hurt, Talib had Demaryius Thomas on lock down, he couldn't buy a yard let alone a TD. After Talib left the game, D. Thomas was like a kid in a candy store, he took what he wanted. I still say Demaryius should send Talib a "THANK YOU" card, without him in there, Thomas had probably his best game of the season. A win at MetLife in 2 weeks would put him in company of brother Eli, John Elway and Roger Staubach and a few others as a two-time Super Bowl Winner. Manning threw for 400yds & 2 TD's, D. Thomas had 7 receptions for 134yds & 1 TD, thank to Talib. Brady threw for 277yds & 1 TD while Edelman had 10 receptions for 89yds & 1 TD.
DENVER BRONCOS VS NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Well we had the last rounds of elimination this past weekend. I was up in the air about Denver & New England. I did say that Manning had to play better than he did the week before to beat the Patriots. If the Patriots win, Brady will be the first starting QB in NFL history to start in 6 Super Bowls, he is currently tied at 5 with John Elway. If the Broncos win, Manning would be one up on his little brother Eli, this will be Manning's 3rd SB appearance. I know he wants to tie the score with him with 2 rings, Eli has him beat on that one. Manning has also made it to the Super Bowl with two different franchises, becoming the 2nd player EVER to do so. If he wins, he will be the first starting QB to win 2 Super Bowls with 2 different teams. Manning & Brady have both made it to the Super Bowl twice in their last seven season. Manning was also the last one of the two men to win a SB since Brady hasn't won one since the 2004 season. Manning/Denver played a better game and Denver won this one, 26-16. Manning had a 93 & 80 yard touchdown drives, each lasted more than 7 minutes, they were the 2 longest, time wise, of the season for the Broncos. They certainly had the ups on the Patriots in time of possession, 35:44 Denver vs. 24:16 for the Patriots. You had to keep the ball, keep out of New England's hand, if they don't have it, they can't score. Brady threw for most of his 277 yds in comeback mode, he actually led the Patriots to a pair of 4th Qtr TD's but they were time consuming. The second TD cut the deficit 26-16 with 3:07 left in the game. The Broncos stopped Shane Vereen on a 2pt conversion and the party was pretty much on in Denver. The game started getting away from the Patriots around the time that CB Aqib Talib went out with a knee injury. Before he got hurt, Talib had Demaryius Thomas on lock down, he couldn't buy a yard let alone a TD. After Talib left the game, D. Thomas was like a kid in a candy store, he took what he wanted. I still say Demaryius should send Talib a "THANK YOU" card, without him in there, Thomas had probably his best game of the season. A win at MetLife in 2 weeks would put him in company of brother Eli, John Elway and Roger Staubach and a few others as a two-time Super Bowl Winner. Manning threw for 400yds & 2 TD's, D. Thomas had 7 receptions for 134yds & 1 TD, thank to Talib. Brady threw for 277yds & 1 TD while Edelman had 10 receptions for 89yds & 1 TD.
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS VS. SAN FRANCISCO 49'ERS.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS VS. SAN FRANCISCO 49'ERS.
Well it's over, call it a day, sorry that it had to end this way, no reason to pretend, we knew it had to end someday and it ended on 1/19/14 for the San Francisco 49'ers. They could not get pass the Seattle Seahawks. End result 23-17. Seattle has outscored San Francisco 71-16 to win the last two match ups. Seattle's defense forced 3 4th Qtr turnovers and Wilson threw a 35-yd TD pass on 4th & down for the winning points. It's the first trip to the big game for the Seahawks since they lost to the Steelers after the 2005 season. Seattle had the best record in the league this year, this is only the second time the top seeds have gotten to the Super Bowl in 20 seasons. It will be a classic as Denver's record setting offense, led by Peyton Manning takes on the NFL's stingiest defense. The knife in the heart for the 49'ers was the interception by Smith in the end zone on the 49'ers final possession, thanks to Richard "don't talk about me" Sherman deflection of that pass. He said he was giving Crabtree the "good game" pat on the rear and then put out his hand to say it again and Crabtree muffed him, LMAO. Naturally he had to eat crow after his coach talked to him. I just thought he looked crazy, hollering into the camera, poor little news reporter probably wanted to drop her microphone and run. LOL. Seattle's defense did force a fumble and two interceptions in the final period. Marshawn Lynch had his day on the field. It was really a good game, better than the Denver, New England game, a lot of good plays on offense & defense for both teams. The sad part is the UGLY and I do mean UGLY knee injury that NaVorro Bowman suffered. It was just terrible to watch. I later read that he tore both his ACL & MCL, that's was just a crazy freak accident, the way his leg was spread, it look like he was trying to flip the player, but it was just the stance he ended up in. I hope he recovers and get back on the field next season. If I wrote the full recap on this game, it would take forever, a lot of guys put their blood, sweat and tears out there on the field, but only one could win and go to the big dance. Seattle is headed to New York. Wilson threw for 215yds & 1 TD. Lynch contributed 22 carries for 109yds & 1 TD and Baldwin brought up the rear with 6 receptions for 106yds. Kaepernick threw for 153yds & 1 TD, he also had 11 carries for 130yds, working double O.T. Boldin had 5 receptions for 53yds & 1 TD.
Quarterbacks with multiple Super Bowl starts
| Hall of Famers | Active Player |
- A LITTLE EXTRA SOMETHING FOR THOSE WHO EAT, SLEEP & DRINK FOOTBALL!! COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA.
- BOLD indicates game won
- Starr was also 3-1 in NFL Championship games (1960, 1961,1962, 1965) before the NFL and AFL met in the first Super Bowl.
- Dawson was also 1-0 in AFL Championship games (1962) before the NFL and AFL met in the first Super Bowl.
- There have also been several instances of quarterbacks facing off multiple times in the Super Bowl. Staubach and Bradshaw, Aikman and Kelly, and Brady and Eli Manning all faced each other twice.
