Sports are almost always filled with gripping and powerful story lines, this AFC divisional round has two matchups chocked full of them. The Denver Broncos will host The Indianapolis Colts , while the New England Patriots welcome the 6 seeded Baltimore Ravens.
First, is the battle of the Master and his Predecessor. The great Peyton Manning will square off against Andrew Luck’s squad, a game for the ages. When Peyton signed with The Broncos a few years back, no one could imagine that one day very soon he would be facing his drafting team in a chance to get to the AFC championship. Captaining the team with the stadium many appropriately dub, “Peyton’s place” is the gritty, comeback kid Andrew Luck. In just two years he has made quite the impact on a team that finished 2-14 the year before he was drafted. Though his football intelligence and awareness could be questioned, he plays with a certain heart and drive that even Peyton didn’t seem to have. Yes Manning is known for his game winning drives, his illustrious resume speaks for itself, Andrew just poses a bigger dual threat with his ability to tuck and run in heated situations. He just isn’t a pocket passer, something every successful team has in this day and age (Ex; Aaron Rodgers, Russel Wilson).
To advance to the next round, it will take more than impressive showings from these two field generals. The winning side will need to have their defense firing on all cylinders, attacking the QB and making him move. Both teams have had mediocre coverage all year allowing receivers to run rampant on them. Combine that with a run game that up until just recently has been non existent in Denver and Indy and we have a matchup that is anything but simple to predict. Many wonder if Anderson’s sudden emergence will be everlasting, a situation Denver fans and brass alike are pleading for since the Terrell Davis days. He has shown flashes of greatness when his play caller has shown flashes of being “over the bridge”. Peyton has slipped the past month and some believe this could be it for the gunslinger, though he still feels he could play a few more seasons. Time will tell if he can recreate his magic with his WR’s and if he can finally break his playoff curse.
Indy on the other hand has no run game whatsoever. Dependant upon Luck’s arm and TY Hilton’s lightning quick speed, the Colts are beginning to worry about the fact they could be sent home early if no one steps up in the ground department. Richardson’s been anything more than a bust and the rest of the clan haven’t been much better. Ranked 22 in the league throughout the regular season, notching a measly 9 td’s, the first playoff game was a blessing against the Bengals when the running game put up 118 yards and a score. What they won’t think is a blessing but rather normality, is the 2 fumbles by Herron. They need to protect the ball, as Marshall Faulk, one of the all time greats puts it, “Every players hopes and dreams are in that ball, guard it with your life”.
In the other tilt, the Ravens will proverbially fly into town to visit the hometown Pats. Facing off for the 4th time in the postseason, these two teams could be classified as playoff rivals, the visiting Ravens holding the edge with a 2-1 lead in the series. Though most focus on the quarterbacks in this matchup the real storyline will be the stout Defense from both sides. With Suggs and Dumervil leading the way they own one of the most potent pass rushes in the NFL, Ngata’s return from suspension is just a boost to an already solid Dline. The hole? A secondary that everyone knows is thin, down to the 7th string guy. Brady and crew will look to capitalize on this, a tactic Belichick seems to use constantly. The Pats went out this offseason and landed one of , if not the best CB, Darrelle Revis, who fit in superbly with this pass coverage. That’s not all, they snagged Browner from a Superbowl winning Seahawks team who thrived on their Defense. The two have took control of the backfield, terrorizing the opposition. Their Achilles heel will be the aging pass rush. Vince Wilfork and Jerod Mayo are at the ends of their careers and look to pass on their knowledge to a budding Dline. Chandler Jones brings intensity that could affect the Ravens OLine, it just doesn’t seem plausible as Joe has played calm and cool throughout his career, especially on the road and in the playoffs.
Each side will have their game plans basically written up by early Tuesday, no new injuries or suspensions will hamper that. This will cause each team to be more than prepared for Saturday afternoon. Though the hometown Pats will be favored and predicted to win across the board, counting out this dark horse team, let alone any Cinderella story for that matter is ridiculous. Time after time underdogs come through in the clutch and shock the world, in the Pats case more than once, ( 07 Giants, ’11 Giants, ’12 Ravens).
Come Sunday night the NFL will have a final two teams vying for the AFC crown. The scenario could be two future Hall of Famers for the umpteenth time, a relatively new rivalry between the Broncos and Ravens, or a couple of revenge games with The Ravens and Colts both look to avenge regular season losses to their eventual opponents. Any of the matchups will be a treat for the fans, all four teams have something to prove, some looking for status, some breaking curses and some just stamping their already legendary status. Buckle up, this AFC ride to the Super Bowl is about to become very bumpy.
