A sports blog by and for Midwest Sports Fans
The two games played yesterday resulted in one of the greatest NFL Championship weekends of all-time. Both games were close throughout, and were decided by a field goal.
Each game has its own fair share of storylines, but there is one common factor that affected the outcomes of both games: special teams.
In this afternoon’s second conference championship game, the red hot New York Giants travel to San Francisco to take on the consistent, physical 49ers.
The Giants had to execute another December surge just to make the playoffs, but they did just that and have been flying high ever seen. New York spanked Atlanta and then vanquished the 15-1 Packers in Green Bay. They also appear on a collision course with the Patriots, which would be a rematch of the classic Super Bowl from a few years ago.
San Francisco, however, has other ideas. The 49ers went 13-3 this season and beat the Giants in Candlestick when the two teams met up earlier this season. After their thrilling win over New Orlenas, confidence will not be a problem for Jim Harbaugh’s team.
Here is all the basic info you need to know, what MSF’s writers have said about the game this week, and a poll so you can take your pick.
The NFC Championship game was supposed to feature the high-powered offenses of the Packers and the Saints, but the Giants and 49ers thought otherwise.
The Giants embarrassed the Packers in Green Bay last week in a 37-20 win, and the 49ers beat the Saints, 36-32, in one of the greatest playoff games in recent memory.
Both teams feature tough defenses, but the offenses have come alive in the past few weeks for both teams.
Conference Championship Sunday is only one day away, and four teams still have their hopes alive for a Super Bowl title. The Patriots are hosting the Ravens in the afternoon game, and the 49ers are hosting the Giants in the late game.
The four teams remaining provide possible Super Bowl matchups that will be very interesting to watch.
The 15-1 Green Bay Packers (who peaked in September-November) have indeed been exited from the NFL Playoffs by the New York Giants (who are peaking now), and Hakeem Nicks was indeed wide open on an end-of-half Hail Mary.
So much for the Green Bay dynasty; as former GM Ron Wolf would say, the 2011 Packers proved to be just a fart in the wind.
Deal with it.
Yesterday, Patrick Willis played in the first playoff game of his sterling 5-year NFL career. He also won the first playoff game of his career, helping to lead a mostly great defensive effort in the 49ers’ 36-32 victory, in what I think was the perfect football game in today’s day and age.
When I woke this morning, still beaming from last night’s win, I flipped on the TV and immediately saw Willis’ face as he described to Jeffry Chadiha on a segment of ESPN’s great show E:60 the harrowing details of growing up with his brothers and sisters in an abusive house with his drug-addicted father.
I’d never seen the entire segment, so I sat and watched it and. I definitely teared up a bit at certain points hearing what Willis went through, and the incredible character and maturity it took to overcome it.
You can’t not root for Willis. Watch if you haven’t see this and you’ll see why.
It doesn’t get any better than what we just witnessed from the San Francisco 49ers and the New Orleans Saints.
How could it?
In an absolute instant classic thriller, the 49ers defeated the favored Saints 36-32, dealing the deciding blow on a 14-yard, 3rd down touchdown pass from Alex Smith to Vernon Davis with 0:09 left on the clock.
It was the perfect way for the perfect football game to end.
A stark contrast of styles kicks of the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs later this afternoon when Drew Brees and the high-octane Saints travel to the Bay Area to face Jim Harbaugh’s physical, feisty 49ers.
The early discourse on this game seemed to favor the Saints, but as the week has gone on more and more of the highly-paid and exposed mainstream media types have been coming around on Patrick Willis and the Niners.
Here is all the basic info you need to know, what MSF’s writers have said about the game this week, and a poll so you can take your pick.
Four games, eight teams, eight storylines.
The Divisional Round often produces the most compelling and memorable moments of the NFL Playoffs. Favorites carrying the weight of the world, or underdogs with nothing to lose and not getting enough respect even after being just one of eight teams out of 32 left.
Jerod offered his spread picks for each game earlier in the week. Now here are my predictions for each game.
And no, I’m not talking about the Houston Texans having the best winning percentage in NFL playoffs history. (It’s true!)
Did you know that since the NFL realigned into eight divisions in 2002 that only one divisions has had at least one team in the divisional round of the playoffs every year? This is fact. Can you guess which division it is?
Hey media, how about if we let the New Orleans Saints actually beat the San Francisco 49ers before we automatically put them into the NFC Championship Game against the Packers?
The holidays are over, and the 2011 NFL regular season has concluded along with them.
Before we as sports fans switch our focus to other items like March Madness or the Pacquiao vs. Mayweather fight that I will keep assuming will happen, we get 11 more games that make up the annual NFL playoffs. These 660 minutes will re-write, or at very least alter, the season’s script to which many think they already know the ending.
In one of the most promising, if not the best, Monday Night Football match-ups of the season, the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3) head west to take on the San Francisco 49ers (10-3).
Unlike last week’s less-than-stellar showing from the Rams and Seahawks, this game features two teams each near the top of their conference, both fighting for playoff seeding and the hope of a first-round bye.
The game will kick off a crazy holiday week for the NFL, with games on five of the next eight days. This one has the potential to be a slugfest and will definitely be worth watching Monday night.
It’s been a busy 24 hours in the football world.
Mike McQueary provided some disturbing but important (and damning) testimony about Jerry Sandusky; the Sam Hurd drug saga continued to unfold; and Adrian Peterson explained one of his motivations for returning to the field.
The San Francisco 49ers have been the unquestioned surprise of the NFL in 2011…unless you consider the Colts tanking with Peyton Manning to be a surprise.
And for those who have been wondering if the 49ers are “for real” you can now stop wondering. Why? Because the 49ers now have their own rap song, thanks to someone named Bailey.
