Photo Credit: Jim Rogash/ Getty Images
New England Patriots vs. Denver Broncos
Brady vs. Manning for possibly the final time with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line, does it get much better? Only if Manning plays like the 2013 MVP Manning. It has been a rough season for the quarterback who sat out multiple games with a foot injury. It has been the defense that has carried this team; a defense that boasts Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware, and Derrick Wolfe. It could be a long day for Tom Brady if his offensive line can’t protect with this defense already taking shots at the “cry baby” quarterback. Veteran defensive end Antonio Smith was asked if he thought Brady was a cry baby to which he replied, “That would be an accurate statement”, per The Gazette. We all know how much the Patriots love bulletin board material and that statement certainly will be on their minds!
The Patriots finally have the whole gang healthy and have to be feeling confident heading to Denver. Brady has struggled in Denver in the past so having Gronkowski, Edelman, and Amendola all healthy should help if he starts to struggle. The Patriots get a big boost on defense with the return of linebacker Chandler Jones who finished the season with 12.5 sacks.
Carolina Panthers vs. Arizona Cardinals
Both of these teams had spectacular seasons and deserve to compete for a Super Bowl championship. The Carolina Panthers finished the season 15-1 behind Cam Newton who played like an MVP all season long. Newton did it all for his team, creating big plays with both his arm and legs, accounting for 45 touchdowns. The Carolina defense, led by Luke Kuechly and Josh Norman, has been stingy all season long. Last week, they held the Seattle Seahawks scoreless for the first half, however, they allowed the team to get back into the game in the second half. This cannot happen today with the Cardinals. The Arizona Cardinals led the regular season in yards per attempt and ranked second in total passing yards. They make big plays when they need them, as seen last week with Larry Fitzgerald touchdown in overtime.
Coming off a thrilling win, the Cardinals have to be feeling good, however their coach Bruce Arians probably did not let them celebrate for too long. This team has a tough task of containing Newton and while this team loves to blitz, that likely won’t do the trick. Newton has done a much better job reading blitzes this season. Unfortunately we likely won’t get to see Josh Norman cover Larry Fitzgerald who seems hungrier than anyone else for a Super Bowl title. It will likely be one of the stud linebackers on Carolina who will have to force Carson Palmer to throw into tight windows.
