The NFL playoffs could’ve headed in a very bad direction over the course of this past weekend, but the football gods convened and decided that, lo, the better teams would emerge triumphant and now we — the fans of the final four participants and a nation of postseason neutrals — get to reap the rewards of that result: New England vs. Denver and Carolina vs. Arizona. The four best teams in the NFL will battle for the right to play in Super Bowl 50. To the supporters of the weekend’s four losers, sorry it had to be this way. Hey, you still got to experience a playoff win, so hooray for that!
But after a Wild Card round that saw every road team prevail, there was a universe where upsets could have been the order of the day in the Divisional round, where Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers, and Ben Roethlisberger could be more than enough as Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks to lead their teams to upsets (and where Alex Smith could defy literally every odd and win in Foxboro). Instead, those three past champions (and Alex Smith) needed far more than what they were allotted in supporting help, and the celestial body where this alternate universe transpired stayed clear on the whole other side of the space-time continuum. Not even a reality-warping Matthew McConaughey could save them.
That Green Bay nearly upset this whole perfect sequence must be acknowledged because HOLY MOTHER OF GOD, DID YOU SEE THAT FINISH? I shook my head at the TV when Jeff Janis pulled in that 60-yard bomb on 4th-and-20; I screamed when he hauled in the 41-yard Hail Mary with no time left. That the desperate 4th down pass that kept the game alive ended up being only the second-best play of the drive was beyond shocking, but Rodgers did what he needed to do when he needed to do it and, for a bewildering moment, the Packers appeared destined to pull off one of the most shocking and improbable last-second playoff wins ever executed.
But all the credit to Carson Palmer (who is 36, but had never won a playoff game in his career) and Larry Fitzgerald, who reminded all of us who’d forgotten just why he’s a lock for the Hall of Fame. After winning the coin flip — not to be confused with the coin toss that preceded the real thing — Palmer dazzled with his spin move and throw to Fitzgerald, who went 61 yards after the catch to get down to the 5-yard line. One play into the overtime and Green Bay was basically fricasseed. Two plays later, Fitzgerald himself scored the winning touchdown. It was poetic and perfect.
For their efforts, the Cardinals now venture next weekend to Charlotte, site of Sunday’s Great Seahawk Dismantling and Subsequent Reconstruction. Seattle played inspired football in the second half, outscoring the Panthers 24-0 and showing a hint of that championship-winning defense that still defines the franchise. The problem was, as the age-old adage goes, don’t get outscored 31-0 in the first half and expect to still win the dang game. And as well as Seattle controlled the play in the second half, Carolina was even more commanding before halftime. Nothing went right for the Seahawks in quarters one and two, and Pete Carroll’s team was doomed before they entered the locker room to rest up and regroup. And now Cam Newton plays to go to the Super Bowl, as we’ve expected him to do since around midseason. Is there pressure? Sure. But can you bet against him in the biggest game of his life? I can’t imagine why you would.
In the AFC, the Patriots methodically, but mercilessly, dispatched the Chiefs, who had the misfortune of being in a late, close game, which is usually fine except when your head coach is Andy Reid. Then, well, better luck next time, friend. But overall, Kansas City played well enough to at least keep the game respectable. And really, as it is often with many New England playoffs wins, the deciding factor was that Tom Brady could throw at will to Rob Gronkowski (seven catches on eight targets, 83 yards, and two scores). The only teams to find playoff success against the Pats are the ones who can pressure Brady out of the pocket and also neutralize the threat Gronkowski poses in the midfield. I mean, you might as well go out there and try to purposefully pick the winning Powerball numbers; your odds of success are probably higher with the lottery.
That said, I am more than a little intrigued with seeing how Brady and head coach Bill Belichick game plan for Denver’s No. 1 defense, which kept a battered Ben Roethlisberger at bay and forced an undermanned Pittsburgh offense into enough mistakes that Denver didn’t so much defeat the Steelers as they outlasted them. There’s no conceivable way that Denver is the best team in the AFC, but the No. 1 seed is theirs and they can do with it as they please. And that means using home-field advantage to its logical extreme. Once upon a time, back in Week 12, Denver pulled off a nifty 30-24 overtime win over New England and how fortunate we all are now to have a rematch with ever higher stakes. In that game, Denver outgained New England 433-301, dominated time of possession, and erupted for 179 rushing yards against the 9th-best run defense in the league. Then, it was Brock Osweiler at the helm. Now, it’s Peyton Manning, with a trip to suburban Santa Clara on the line. For Brady, it would be a record seventh Super Bowl appearance.
The NFL is hoping for a New England-Carolina Super Bowl. I think we can agree that’s rather obvious, but a confident Denver performance (and win) in the AFC title game would convince me there’s no bad matchup possible for Super Bowl 50, and that tantalizing prospect has me more excited for these conference championships than I probably have any right to be.
