The final four teams are left in the NFL playoffs. This is where the tough becomes tougher, and the grit becomes grittier. In the AFC, it is the battle of quarterbacks, the old versus the young, the established versus the uprising, and the pretty versus the ugly.
Tom Brady is a future Hall of Fame quarterback. He is currently the active leader in playoff games started and only trails Jerry Rice for the all-time record by three games. Brady recently passed Joe Montana for career postseason touchdowns with 46. He is a legend.
Andrew Luck is not yet a Hall of Fame quarterback, but he has the makings. In three short seasons, Luck has contributed a lot to the NFL. He exploded onto the scene in his first year by ranking seventh in the league for total passing yards and total offense. This year, Andrew led the league in passing touchdowns and total offense while placing third in total passing yards.
These two teams have more than their quarterbacks. The Colts pass offense is having a tremendous year, standing at the top of the league with the number one spot. In contrast, their rush offense ranks in the bottom half of the league and their defense is middle of the road. The New England Patriots are similar to the Colts as their pass offense is better than their rush offense.
Unfortunately for the Pats, their pass defense is not as good as their rush defense. The Colts could have an upper hand with the leaky Pats defense. This does not deter me from picking the Patriots because in Tom I trust. Patriots 42 Colts 38.
For the NFC, it comes down to the league’s best offense against the league’s best defense. Something has to give because Green Bay scored 486 points this season while Seattle only scored 254 points. Seattle won the first matchup between these teams by 20 points.
The biggest issue in the game is Aaron Rodgers’ calf. If he does not overcome this injury, the Packers are doomed. The Packers have the league’s best passing game, but Seattle has the league’s best passing defense. A Seattle pass defense that has given up the fewest first downs, passing attempts, and passing yards.
The Packers rushing game is in the top half of the league, but Seattle’s is the best as they lead the league with most rushing yards and touchdowns. The Packers defense ranks 23 in rushing yards so they have to play their best to stifle the Seahawks. If the Packers get ahead early and force Seattle to throw, the Packers will be in luck. The Seahawks rank dead last in passing attempts and twenty seventh in passing yards this season. Even with these issues, the Seahawks will see the Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX. Aaron Rodgers on an injured calf is easy picking for Seattle’s defense. Seahawks 28 Packers 10.
