The Philadelphia Eagles fan’s guide to the NFL conference championship games
By Mike Lacy
Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
If you’re like me, you’re an Eagles fan first and an NFL fan second. And now that the Eagles (and Cowboys) have been eliminated, you probably don’t have an obvious rooting interest in this weekend’s conference championship games. But I’m sure you’re still going to watch the games, because, you know, football.
With that in mind, here is preview of the games with a bit of an Eagles-based perspective:
Green Bay Packers at Seattle Seahawks
The storyline
January 10, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman (25) reacts after free safety Earl Thomas (29) intercepts a pass against the Carolina Panthers during the first half in the 2014 NFC Divisional playoff football game at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The Seahawks are attempting to defend their Super Bowl title. After a shaky start to the season, the team seems to be once again playing at a championship level. Their “Legion of Boom” defense is stifling, while Russel Wilson continues to be a big play maker on offense.
Last week, they dominated the Panthers by a score of 31-17, but that really doesn’t prove much since there is no logical reason the Panthers (7-8-1 in the regular season) were playing in a divisional round playoff game.
The Green Bay Packers escaped from their divisional round matchup against the Cowboys thanks in part to a controversial call. (You might have heard about it?) That call overshadowed a stellar performance by quarterback Aaron Rodgers who continues to excel despite the fact he’s got an injured calf muscle.
Rodgers still isn’t at full strength, but he says he’s got another 120 minutes of quality football left in him, and who are we to doubt him?
Using the Eagles as a gauge of strength
The Eagles played both teams during the regular season and were soundly defeated in both contests.
The Eagles traveled to Green Bay in November, and the Packers’ offense pretty much scored at will on their defense. The next month, the Seahawks came to Philadelphia and their defense completely stifled Mark Sanchez and the Eagles’ offense.
In other words, even if the Eagles had somehow managed to make it this far, they would be heavy underdogs in this game.
Based on those contests, I’d give the edge to the Packers. That game was never really in question, while the Eagles managed to at least stay within striking distance of the Seahawks until the fourth quarter.
Who Eagles fans should root for: Packers
The Packers spared us from seeing more of this clown show. Image Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
How bad would it have been if the Cowboys had won last week?
Sure, we’ve had to listen to near-endless whining about last week’s call, but that will soon fade away. Had the Cowboys prevailed, we would have gotten another week of hearing how “Tony Romo isn’t a choker anymore!” (Overlooked in all the controversy about the call is that it was a bad decision and pass by Romo.) We also would have gotten another week of the Chris Christie clown show.
Thankfully, the Packers spared us from that fate, so we should cheer on the heroic Rodgers as he attempts to defeat the “thuggish” Seahawks.
Besides, the Packers have a running back who was (presumably) named after my grandfather. So we should definitely root for them.
Who will win: Seahawks
Both teams have been incredibly tough to beat at home. (A combined 15-1!) So it’s a huge edge for the Seahawks to have this game in Seattle.
If this game was in Green Bay, I might pick the Packers. If Rodgers was 100% healthy, I might pick the Packers. However, neither of those things are true.
In recent years, the Packers offense has shown that they can be shut down in the playoffs against a good defense, so it isn’t a stretch to think they’ll struggle a bit on Sunday. Meanwhile, Wilson and Marshawn Lynch will make enough plays on offense to win the game.
Final Score: Seahawks 28 – Packers 26
Colts at Patriots
The storyline
Jan 11, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) celebrates with wide receiver T.Y. Hilton (13) after a touchdown by wide receiver Hakeem Nicks (not pictured) against the Denver Broncos in the 2014 AFC Divisional playoff football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Peyton Manning‘s quad injury doomed the Broncos, and instead of another round of Manning vs. Tom Brady, we’ll instead get Andrew Luck vs. Tom Brady.
One week after defeating the Cincinnati Bengals (Not a big deal since EVERYONE beats the Bengals in the playoffs), the Colts went into Denver and upset the Broncos. That seemed like an impressive feat until it was revealed that Manning was hurt.
But hey, a win is a win. Losers make excuses, and winners move on.
Meanwhile, the Patriots escaped from a tough contest against the Ravens thanks to some big plays by Tom Brady (and some very poor ones by Joe Flacco). Danny Amendola managed to stay healthy long enough to catch two touchdown passes. If he can avoid injury for a second consecutive game (Not a safe bet when it comes to Amendola), he gives the Patriots another dangerous weapon on offense.
Using the Eagles as a gauge of strength
When the Eagles and Colts squared off in week two, it felt like the Colts were the superior team. However, thanks to Darren Sproles, Cody Parkey, and some curious offensive play calling by the Colts’ coaches, the Eagles emerged with a win.
The Eagles did not play the Patriots in the regular season, although they did meet in the preseason. While it’s tough to draw much meaning from preseason games, the Patriots offense was able to move the ball rather easily against the Eagles’ defense.
The only mistake was a tipped pass that Cary Williams returned for a 77 yard touchdown. (I’m serious. This was a thing that really happened.)
The game against the Eagles may have identified the Colts’ fatal flaw: They can’t run the ball.
By using such a run-based offense in that game, the Colts probably cost themselves a win. I can understand why a team might want to try to establish a running game in an early season non-conference game, but unfortunately for the Colts, they haven’t improved since then.
Who Eagles fans should root for: Patriots
As strange as it sounds, we should all be pulling for Tom Brady on Sunday. Image Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Whaaat? Root for the Patriots? The team that cheated to beat the Eagles in Super Bowl (and also kind of cheated last week)?
Yes, we should root for them. Because the Colts do not deserve our support.
Last month, after the Eagles lost to the Cowboys, they needed some help to reach the playoffs. Specifically, they needed the Colts to beat the Cowboys.
The Colts did not beat the Cowboys. In fact, they didn’t even really bother showing up for the game. The way they basically just lied down was pathetic. They deserve to lose.
Who will win: Patriots
Tom Brady and Bill Belichick hosting the AFC Championship Game? You really expect me to pick against them?
Even if we don’t consider the Patriots history of success, it’s tough to ignore what happened in the teams’ week eleven matchup. The Patriots went into Indianapolis and spanked the Colts by a score of 42-20.
Last week’s performance against Baltimore showed that Brady is perfectly capable of putting up 40+ points again this week.
Andrew Luck may be the future of the league, but he’s also not as consistent as he probably needs to be. Combined with their non-existent running game, they won’t have enough firepower to keep up with the Patriots.
Final Score: Patriots 35 – Colts 21