Championship Sunday Recap

AFC Championship
New England-45 Indy-7

1) There really isn't much to break down about this game. It felt like a mismatch from the first quarter, and it never felt like the game was going to get close at any point.

2) If there was any turning point, it was when the Pats built a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, and they were driving early in the 2nd quarter, and D'Qwell Jackson picked off a Tom Brady pass at the goal line to stop the Pats potentially making it 21-0. On the next drive, Indy came down and scored-aided by an incredible throw by Andrew Luck to T.Y. Hilton on a 3rd and 8, and it was 14-7, and maybe this game would be a little interesting.

3) The Pats once again moved the ball with ease, but had to settle for a field goal right before halftime. At 17-7, this game could have easily been 28-0, but the Colts were hanging around. Naturally, the Pats got the ball to start the second half, marched down the field again, and capped off the drive with a tackle-eligible pass play from Brady to Nate Solder. 24-7 Pats and the rout was on from there.

4) The Colts just can't match up to the Pats at this point. It is evident every time they play, and Sunday's game was the same result. They couldn't stop LaGarrette Blount, who pounded out 148 yards on 30 carries and 3 touchdowns. It was exactly what happened to them in the Divisional Round last year in Foxborough. The Pats just overwhelm the Colts at this point, and the Colts better try to get better in that area of the offseason or they'll never get by them in the playoffs.

5) Andrew Luck had a rough night (12-33 126 yards and 2 INTs) and Tom Brady was solid once again (23-35 226 yards and 3 TDs). The torch might have been passed from Peyton to Luck last week, but Brady still holds onto it here in this spot. Brady has been sensational in these playoffs, and he was in full command in the AFC Championship. He found open receivers all night long and he played great. He doesn't look 37 at all, and looks like he energized by this team this year.

6) Give Bill Belichick credit for what he has done in New England. In the salary cap and free agency era, he has now won 6 AFC Championships, and has the chance to get that elusive fourth Super Bowl. He did a great job of rebuilding this team from last year. After losing to Denver in convincing fashion in the AFC Title Game, he added Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner to his secondary. He added some pieces to the interior of his offensive line, and he added Brandon LaFell to the receiver corps. More importantly, he got a lot of players back from injury (Gronk and Wilfork), and he developed the talent that currently existed on the roster. The result was a better offense, way better defense, and an overall solid team. He continues to find different players and ways to win in this league, and this year was one of his best coaching jobs to date. They scored 35 and 45 points in two playoff games. They came back twice down 14 points against the Ravens, and completely and utterly dominated an inferior Colts team. They were the best team in the AFC from November on, and now they are going back to the Super Bowl and will try to win their 4th of the Belichick-Brady era.

NFC Championship
Seattle-28 Packers-22

1) This is one of those games that will be featured on the Greatest Games series on NFL Network in five years. It might become the subject of a 30 for 30 documentary on ESPN. There are so many ways to look at this game, but one thing is for sure: It was an instant classic and a finish that will be hard to top in years to come.

2) Let's start with Mike McCarthy's decisions to not go for a touchdown on the Packers second and third drives. You have to go for at it on 4th and Goal inside the 1 yard line at least one time. You just can't keep settling for field goals. After the Seahawks turned it over the first two times they touched the ball, and the Packers only came away with six points, you knew-you just KNEW- that would end up biting them in the end.

3) There was a series of events that led to the Packers 4^th quarter collapse. But the seeds of this defeat start at the beginning in addition with McCarthy’s judgment error in going for it early in the game on 4^th and goal from inside the 1 yard line. Think about this start for the Packers:

-They drive down to the Seattle 29 on their first drive, but Rodgers gets intercepted in the end zone by Richard Sherman to stop that drive.

-Russell Wilson gets intercepted on the third offensive play, but it only leads to a field goal and a 3-0 Packer lead.

-Doug Baldwin fumbles the ensuing kick return and GB recovers and this only led to the

field goal and a 6-0 lead. The Packers got two turnovers and three trips into Seattle territory and only came away with two field goals.

-Seattle goes 3 and out on their next possession, and the Packers come right down the field and Aaron Rodgers hits Randall Cobb for a touchdown and a 13-0 lead. How did the Packers not win this game!!!!!

-After another 3 and out, the Packers drive down and get a field goal and make it 16-0. Once again, HOW DID GREEN BAY LOSE THIS GAME!!!!!

-On Seattle’s very next play, Wilson gets picked off again! The Packers blew this opportunity and Rodgers got picked off a few plays later.

-To top of the half, Seattle took the ball and drove it down to the GB 18, but Wilson got picked off once again.

-Let’s review the first half: Seattle turned it over 4 times in the first half and went 3 and out the other two times. Green Bay came away with a 16-0, but this game could have been something like 27-0 at the half.

4) The game changed on the fake field goal touchdown by Seattle to make it 16-7. Think about this: With under 5 minutes left, Seattle lines up for a 36 yard field goal down 16-0, but Seattle faked it and holder Jon Ryan hit backup tackle Garry Gilliam for a touchdown on a fake field goal to make it 16-7. It was a gutsy call by Pete Carroll, but it was a move that he had to make. How is Green Bay not playing fake on that call? Just unbelievable.

5) After Green Bay took a 19-7 lead, they forced a Seattle punt at the 50 yard line with 7:00 minutes to go. How GB didn’t finish off this game is amazing? Green Bay got conservative with two runs and an incomplete pass to Andrew Quarless and they had to punt. They need to be more aggressive in that spot. You have to.

6) On the next play after the punt, Wilson gets intercepted again! Morgan Burnett picks it off at the GB 40, and he had plenty of room to run with the ball. Instead, he slides down and ends the play. Why? This was still 5:13 left in the game. It wasn’t like it was 2:00 to go in the game. I know Burnett saw Julius Peppers tell him to slide, but he had to see the open field in front of him. He could have possibly scored or at least put GB in field goal range.

7) Once again, the Packers were conservative to a fault, and three straight runs gave the

ball back to the Seahawks with 3:52 to go and up 19-7. The Packers have to close the

game out there, and give Seattle credit because they kept fighting to the end. Wilson and

Marshawn Lynch took over and marched Seattle down for a score and cut the lead to 19-14 with 2:13 to go. How easy was that for the Seahawks? The Packers defense needs to take a hit for that drive.

8) Now, here comes the onside kick. I know everyone is going to blame Brian Bostick, the Packers TE, who dropped the ball, but I can’t totally put the blame on this kid for losing the game. Yes, he drops the ball and Seattle recovers the onside kick, but what is he supposed to do? He instinctively jumps up and goes to grab the ball out of the air and misplayed it. Seattle recovers and the whole end of the game changes. Of course it was a huge play in the game, but it was one play in a sequence of events that goes back to the first quarter that sealed the Packers fate on this day.

9) Naturally, Wilson makes the Packers pay on the next drive. A scramble for 15, and then a Marshawn Lynch 25 yard TD run and all of the sudden the Seahawks are in the lead. Then, Wilson throws up a prayer for a two-point conversion and they lead 22-19, which was huge because there was still 1:25 left to play and the Packers had all three timeouts. A 22-19 lead is a lot different than a 20-19 lead with Aaron Rodgers getting the ball back.

10) Give the Packers and Rodgers credit for driving down and getting the game tying field goal. It took three plays for Rodgers to get GB to the Seattle 36. I really can’t question the play-calling in this spot because they did what they had to do and marched down to tie the game against the NFL’s best defense in the loudest stadium to send this game to overtime.

11) The overtime reminded me of the Seahawks OT win over Denver in Week 3. Seattle wins the toss and Russell Wilson can’t be stopped and takes the game over. The big play was on a 3^rd and 7 from their own 30, Wilson hits Doug Baldwin down the sideline for a gain of 35. They run that play every week and it always seems to work. The next play, Wilson hits Jermaine Kearse on a beautiful 35 yard post play, and Seattle wins the game 28-22. What a finish by Wilson and what a finish to the game. Just remarkable.

12) This game will sting the Packers for a long time. The way the game started and the way the game played out has to kill the Packers and their fans all offseason. Mike McCarthy did an awful job of managing this game, and the Packers have to think about this being a missed opportunity. There was no way they should have lost this game. It will be a very bitter winter for Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the Packers.

13) Give Seattle credit. They were dead to rights in this game and had no business winning it, but they did. I don’t know if this will carryover to the Super Bowl, but they certainly deserve credit for the comeback. It seems like Russell Wilson has that knack to thrive in these situations. It is very hard just to get to the playoffs after winning a Super Bowl let alone a Super Bowl, but give Pete Carroll and his team credit. This was one of those games that will go down in Seattle sports lore, and also in the annals of NFL history as one of the craziest finishes ever.