This should be a great weekend of football, which will demonstrate nicely the differences between the two conferences. The AFC is overfilled with talent, and its playoffs are a clash of titans from start to finish. All the teams are great, solid and proven, and all are plausible contenders. The NFC has been in the dumps for a while, but over the course of this season has redeemed itself as a place for exciting, surprising football, with some truly tough teams emerging--it can confidently be said that the Seahawks and Bears are as strong as any team in the AFC, even the Colts.

So for the next three weeks, we'll be treated to a gallery of top-flight AFC teams fighting for supremacy and a batch of NFC up-and-comers fighting to develop their identities and separate themselves from the pack. And the result, barring something unexpected (say, Indianapolis vs. Carolina), will probably be a great Super Bowl too.

Jacksonville at New England:
The Jags have shown that they're a tough, solid team. But they've also shown, as they did when they lost their discipline and focus against the Colts, that they're capable of breakdowns and shooting themselves in the foot. Their quarterback issues--either nagging doubts if Garrard starts, or a little rustiness if Leftwich does--will probably play only a small role. But even with the Pats' diminished performance this season, they're are a team that doesn't make many mistakes, and you can't afford to make many mistakes against them. They won't be taken out of this game, and the test for the Jags will be whether they can withstand the resulting game-long pressure. They failed to against the Colts, and the Pats will throw everything they've got against them. Both teams will be looking at this game as a chance to really prove themselves--for the Jags, that they're worthy of the big stage, and for the Pats, that they're still deserving of it. The Jags have better momentum, but the Pats are more disciplined and that will give them the edge.

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati:
Another fresh-faces vs. experience game that will also test the question of whether momentum matters coming into a playoff game. A few weeks ago, the Bengals looked nearly unstoppable, with only the Colts able to match their firepower. But since then they've been humbled by an average Bills team and an excellent Chiefs team, so they're heading into the playoffs with a lot of questions. They'll want to make a statement, which will be very difficult against a Steelers team that's been playing arguably the best football in the league in recent weeks, and is fired up as a result. It's a matter of pride for the Steelers. They fell perplexingly flat at times earlier in the season, but they're better than the Chiefs or Bills, and their toughness and experience will allow them to handle the Bengals. This year, anyway.

Carolina at NY Giants:
These are teams with a lot of talent but little consistency. Tiki Barber seems to be the emerging talent in this matchup, and the whole game will probably hinge on whether the Panthers can slow him down. The Panthers are a more seasoned team, but they haven't been putting it together when it counts this season. Since they're playing at home, I give this one to the Giants.

Washington at Tampa Bay:
This game is another head-scratcher. Both teams have had inconsistent seasons, and both have been able to step up in big games. How Gibbs and Gruden's coaching styles match up may be the story of the game. Tampa Bay's a solid team who's earned their division title, but the Redskins are on quite a tear. If Brunell is healthy and consistent, I have to give it to them simply because of their big-play abilities--after seeing their late-game run past the Cowboys early this season, and the way they've made that same lighting strike multiple times since then, I can't bet against them here.

Down the road
Of course, as interesting and competitive as this week is, next week should get even more interesting as the heavies in each conference--the Colts and Broncos in the AFC, and Seahawks and Bears in the NFC--enter the fray. Even after playing an extra game, the winners from this week will be more than a handful for the top seeds on each side, so there should be no letdown. Potential matchups such as Colts-Steelers, Broncos-Patriots, Seahawks-Redskins, and Bears-Giants would all be hugely entertaining.

Picking teams to reach and win the big game this year is tough, as there are a lot of variables and wildcard issues in this year's scenario. The Colts, who have backed into the playoffs after their terrible loss to San Diego, have found their emotion and focus renewed (albeit tragically) by the death of coach Dungy's son, so expect them to be back in the hunt with a vengeance. The Seahawks, after so many years of being simply middling, are trying to prove that they are for real, once and for all. I believe that they are--they’ve been playing so well and so consistently across all positions that in the end they outclass almost everyone but the Colts. I think these are the two teams we'll see in the Super Bowl, and I expect that both will acquit themselves admirably--no Philadelphia-style breakdowns.

The Seahawks are at long last good enough to win it, but unless we see something very different out of them in the next couple games, I think the Colts ultimately have what it takes this year, and will win it all.

Labels: Sport