Just hold on a second while I catch my breath… What a weekend of NFL action, and before the big one has even taken place, I’m already gutted that the end of the season is just around the corner.
Questions such as ‘would New England be able to pass it on that Jaguars defence?’ and ‘Will Philly be able to grind it out with Nick Foles under centre?’ were certainly answered in the most emphatic fashion. Four teams were left headed into the NFL Championship Weekend, but only two will be headed to the Super Bowl. Let’s take a look.
AFC Championship
Jacksonville Jaguars 20-24 New England Patriots
You didn’t ever doubt Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, did you? Nah, I didn’t think so.
For three quarters, Jacksonville absolutely dominated this game, surprisingly thanks to their excellent offensive play. Blake Bortles was able to throw it all over the field with relative ease, and having Leonard Fournette in the backfield certainly helped.
At 20-10, I fully expected that Jags D to keep Brady from driving down the field, but in typical fashion, that didn’t happen. The #12 began to carve up arguably the best defence in the NFL like a hot knife through butter, and with eight minutes left, New England were within three.
That’s when the Shaky Blakey Bortles we’ve all come to know and love returned. He missed throws and poor clock management gave the ball back to New England. We all knew what was going to happen from here on out, and Brady drove down the field to give the Patriots a lead, thanks to a stunning catch from Danny Amendola.
It’s just remarkable what Brady, a 40-year-old quarterback is doing. In my years of watching sport, when I think about the clutchest players in the biggest moments, this is the guy that always springs to mind. Don’t forget that he’s done it without his number one receiver Julian Edelman all season, and the Patriots’ best defensive player Dont’a Hightower has been out all year.
New England just have it all. Trick-plays, versatile running-backs, hard work and the best QB and coach tandem in history. Throwing for 290 yards (almost half of which came in the fourth quarter) on that defence isn’t easy.
What a team, what a sport. We’re witnessing a special dynasty right in front of our eyes, and I don’t think the Patriots are finished just yet…
NFC Championship
Minnesota Vikings 7-38 Philadelphia Eagles
It seemed written in the stars that the Minnesota Vikings would make it to Super Bowl 52 and take to their home turf in the biggest sporting event on the globe. Unfortunately for them, ‘The Underdogs’ from Philadelphia had something to say about that – and my, they were emphatic in their victory.
Case Keenum had been brilliant all year, but it’s fair to say he crumbled when it mattered most. He was careless with the football through the air which got Philly on the board thanks to the pick six, and they never looked back from there on out.
Nick Foles deserves monumental amounts of praise for throwing for 350 yards on that defence. He had three touchdowns to his name, although he did get some excellent help from both LeGarrette Blount and British running-back Jay Ajayi.
From the second quarter, it wasn’t even close and it always looked like the Eagles were going to run away with this one. Personally, I thought this is the sort of scoreline we could have seen, but I fully expected it to be Minnesota dominating. Credit to Doug Pederson and his coaching staff, because they didn’t let heads drop in the wake of that Carson Wentz injury – and they fully deserve to be in the Super Bowl.
As for the big game itself, we’ve an extremely intriguing match-up on our hands. It’s two high-powered offensives that’ll go at each other for four fifteen-minute quarters in arguably the biggest spectacle in sport. What’s not to love?
Well folks, your Super Bowl teams are confirmed. Set your alarms, make a note in your diaries, the Patriots and Eagles will go head-to-head in Minneapolis on Sunday 4th February just before midnight. I cannot wait!
