Conference Championship Weekend Preview

Both NFL Conference Championship Games will be played on Sunday, January 24th.  In the AFC Championship, the upstart, underdog New York Jets will travel to Indianapolis to play the top ranked Colts.  This game is ripe with storylines.  First, the Colts and Jets played in Week 16.  The Colts were 14-0 and had a chance to have an undefeated season with a win over the Jets and then Buffalo.  However, the Colts decided to rest the starters to prepare for the postseason and avoid injury.  In addition, the New York Jets were, at the time, on the edge of the playoff race.  The Jets needed to win their final 2 games in order to make the playoffs.  The Colts had a 15-10 lead in the 3rd quarter before removing the starters, and the Jets appeared to be on the brink of playoff elimination.  However, after inserting backup quarterback Curtis Painter into the game, the Colts produced under 30 passing yards for the remainder of the game and gave away the game with a 29-15 loss.  Therefore, in this game the Colts gave away the perfect season and gave the Jets a chance to make the playoffs.  How ironic it is that these same Jets have a chance to eliminate the Colts this Sunday.  If the Colts do lose this game, the team will be mocked for its decision to rest the starters and thereby enabling the Jets to make the playoffs.  What a story that would be for these same Jets to eliminate the Colts.

Another exciting storyline for the game is Rex Ryan’s past in Baltimore.  Rex Ryan was the defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens, known for its stout defenses, before he was hired as the Jets head coach.  The Ravens have played the Colts multiple times over the years, including a game in the 2006 AFC Divisional Round.  The Ravens had a bye and were 13-3 in the regular season, and faced the 3^rd seeded Colts.  This game was a defensive struggle that did not produce a touchdown for either team, and the Colts defeated the home Ravens 15-6.  This year, the Rex Ryan defense bears many similarities to the Raven defense, and the Colt offense remains relatively the same as 2006.  In addition, the current Jet and Raven offense of 2006 bear many of the same similarities, including an emphasis on the running game.  It will be interesting to see if this game shows any resemblance to the 2006 AFC Divisional Game.

Finally, this game is a rematch of Super Bowl III.  The Jets and Colts met in Super Bowl III, and the Colts were heavily favored in the game.  However, Joe Namath had confidence in the underrated Jets, and was not afraid to say it.  Namath guaranteed a Jets win, which sounded ridiculous to some.  However, in one of the greatest upsets of all time, Namath and the Jets beat the Colts 16-7 to win Super Bowl III.  This AFC Championship pairs the same teams, and there was somewhat of a guarantee issued by the Jets.  Coach Rex Ryan produced an itinerary for his team at the beginning of the playoffs, which concluded with a Super Bowl win and a parade in New York.  Now the team has marketed championship gear even before the game.  Therefore, the Jets will look to win another Namath-style guarantee game against the now-Indianapolis Colts, moved from Baltimore in 1984.

My prediction:  The Jets story has been great, and Rex Ryan has done a great job with the team.  The strong running game and defense has fueled the team, but the dream run will end this Sunday.  Peyton and the Colts will be too much for the Jets to handle. 

Colts 24—Jets 13

In the NFC Championship Game, the Minnesota Vikings will travel to New Orleans to play the Saints.  This game does not have nearly the amount of storylines that the Jets Colts game does, but it has as much or more anticipation.  The Saints and Vikings have been the best and second best teams in the NFC all year.  This game features the greatest statistical quarterback of all time, Brett Favre, and arguably the quarterback with the best passing numbers in the NFL this year, Drew Brees.  Both offenses have shown the ability to score at will this year, but both defenses have been inconsistent at times.  The Vikings defense; however, has proven itself to be more talented and formidable than the Saints defense.  The key in this game will be which defense will be able to contain the opposing offense best. 

My prediction:  The Saints offense will prove to be unstoppable again, even against the Vikings defense and talented pass rush, and the Saints defense will hold the Vikings offense just enough to go to the Super Bowl.

Saints 35—Vikings 23