In a post-season filled with questionable rulings, narrow victories and underdog comebacks, we now have only the conference championships to look forward to before Super Bowl Sunday is upon us once more.
This weekend featured two of the closest games of the season along with a surprise upset, as the Indianapolis Colts prevented the Denver Broncos from another Super Bowl appearance, and a last minute slaughter when the Seattle Seahawks put the Carolina Panthers back in their place.
The weekend began with the Baltimore Ravens heading to Foxboro to face the New England Patriots in a game that was decided by an interception thrown by Joe Flacco in the last two minutes of the game, cinching the Patriots’ advancement, with a final score of 31-35.
The second game of the night featured a team no one expected to make it past the first round, the Carolina Panthers, who took on last year’s Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks. Considering the fact that the Panthers were unable to even break the .500 barrier during the regular season, it was a shock to see them attain any success in the post-season. Unfortunately, it was impossible for them to keep that momentum going, as the Seahawks managed to dominate in the final, for a game ending score of 31-17.
Sunday began with a game that made up for last week’s highly questionable calls.
When the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Detroit Lions in the first round of the playoffs, many cried foul over some of the referees’ rulings. Well after the Cowboys loss to the Green Bay Packers, it seems balance has been restored to the universe. Green Bay’s victory was heavily dependent on a few decisions by the officials, which many saw as debatable. One skeptical call would have placed the Cowboys on the Packers’ 1-yard line, but instead led to a change of possession and the Packers’ victory.
The final game of the week featured one of professional football’s most impressive quarterbacks once again deteriorate under pressure. Hoping to make it back to the Super Bowl once more, the Denver Broncos hosted the Indianapolis Colts, ending the game with a discouraging loss of 24-13.
After last year’s abysmal Super Bowl appearance, some feared that Broncos’ quarterback Peyton Manning might prove unable to lead the team when it really counts. Sadly, those fears came to fruition, as Manning was unable to put up more than one touchdown and 211 yards, making it one of his most disappointing games given the stakes.
Next Sunday, the Seattle Seahawks will host the Green Bay Packers at 3:05 P.M., while the Indianapolis Colts will head to New England to face the Patriots at 6:40 P.M.
