Peanut butter and jelly: NFC and AFC championships

Photos (from top left clockwise) by seattletimes.com, nfl.com, charlotteobserver.com and zimbio.com

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    For nearly every football fan, the Super Bowl is the most important game of the entire season, but at times that is the game that has let NFL fans down with large margins of victory. Some would argue that the best games are in the round before the Super Bowl; the week of both the NFC and AFC conference championship games. This is the week that will tell fans what to expect come Feb. 7 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. 

    In 2016, the NFL has the top two seeds from both conferences meeting to compete for an opportunity at winning a Super Bowl since 2004. In the NFC, the Carolina Panthers will host the Arizona Cardinals for a rematch between two teams that met in the wild card round in the 2015 playoffs. The AFC will feature another chapter in the Tom Brady versus Peyton Manning saga that may be the denouement of this well-marketed rivalry between two sure-fire hall of fame players.

    Carolina is a team that despite only losing once in their last 17 games is somewhat of a dichotomy. It is not necessarily a polarizing effect, but the consensus is that the Panthers are the favorites against the thought that they are a product of a weak schedule. Carolina has done what has been asked of them; beat whomever your opponent is. The sample size is there and the mid-term exam (as far as importance goes) was passed when the Panthers defeated the defending NFC champion Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round last week.

    The Arizona Cardinals have also been an unpredictable team, but mostly because of the history of the franchise. Ever since the Cardinals moved to Arizona, it has been a laughingstock of poor management up until the time the organization opened their new stadium in 2006 to spark excitement in the fan base. This season has been the best in franchise history as the team has a top offense and defense, and it was the most wins for the organization since moving to Arizona in 1988.

    The Panthers' strengths are their ability to run the football with Cam Newton, Jonathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert as well as their stellar defensive play anchored by Luke Kuechly and Josh Norman. Newton is the star and face of the franchise, but this game will determine if doubters will either buy, question or sell Newton. Arizona is a team that is not afraid to throw the ball downfield, and use numerous defensive packages to pressure opposing quarterbacks with the likes of Calais Campbell, Deone Bucannon and Patrick Peterson. The theme of this game may just be, "who will make more mistakes." Many will look to see if Newton can pull off the big win against another tough opponent, and others may be cheering for veteran wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald to chase down that elusive Super Bowl ring some thought he could have won in 2009.

    On the AFC side, the New England Patriots will visit the Denver Broncos, and Brady and Manning have been and will be the focus of the game. It will mark the 17th time the two have competed against each others respective teams, and it will be the fifth time the two future hall of fame quarterbacks will try to eliminate one another from advancing in postseason play (it is 2-2 as of now). Both quarterbacks are not what they once were, but Manning has been the target in an onslaught of criticism since his health has deteriorated over the last few years. Brady has faced questions of his viability as recently as last season, but another Super Bowl victory over Seattle silenced some of those critics for now.

    The Broncos have arguably the best defense in the NFL as they allow the fewest points and create pressure with a front seven that many would say is also the best. Brady can still be a very dangerous passer, especially when he has his favorite targets on the field to force opposing defenses to respect the Patriots' attack. Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman are key to how much success the offensive unit may or may not have. New England are also weak at offensive line as they have used the most starting offensive lineup combinations in the league, but Manning faces a similar red flag with opposing defenses pressuring the Denver offensive line to force Manning to make plays.

    New England is not really a team to have a philosophy that continually is in their game plan. The Patriots play football like a game of poker; they do not play the cards they play the man. Head coach Bill Belichick devises a game plan that is all about taking advantage of weaknesses or mistakes he finds by studying opponents. Denver is a more formulaic offense now that Manning is not as dangerous as he was in his prime. The Broncos have used a running attack that is designed to relieve some of the pressure from Manning. Eyes will be on whether Manning can make throws on critical downs in cold weather in the high-pressured moments that are expected in the playoffs.

    

    Predictions: The Cardinals and Panthers have been playing complete football as both have been able to score and prevent scoring from the opposition. Weather will be a factor for both teams as winter storm Jonas will affect the passing game. Arizona will struggle if they cannot at least have balance, but Carolina very well could lean on their running game since that is what they do best. Because both defenses are dangerous, this game very well could be low-scoring. I did pick Arizona to go to the Super Bowl (via Twitter), and though I am less certain, I will still stick with the Cardinals to win 20-16. (Carolina is favored on most betting lines at -3)

                          New England and Denver is a less intimidating match in my opinion because I am one of the doubters of Manning's arm strength. Denver's defense has also raised a question in me that maybe there is a vulnerability since Pittsburgh was able to put a scare into the Broncos in the divisional round a week ago. Picking against Brady and Belichick is not something I can have much confidence in. I do not expect New England to have much difficulty scoring somewhere around 27 points, but I am not sure Manning can help the Broncos score as much as 20 points in this match up. I did pick New England to go to the Super Bowl as well so I will be comfortable to stick with the Patriots winning 30-20. (New England is favored on most betting lines at -3)