Conference championship Sunday offers two critical and much-anticipated matchups that will decide which AFC and NFC teams are headed to Super Bowl 50.
The first game features the Denver Broncos hosting the New England Patriots in a fan-favorite clash. Veteran quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Tom Brady share an extensive history and have accomplished some notable stats over the last decade-and-a-half.
In the NFC, the league’s two highest-scoring offenses will compete for the conference crown. Since the Carolina Panthers excel at home and Arizona Cardinals rule the road, the second part of the doubleheader should be one for the history books.
Heisman-winning quarterbacks make history
According to Elias Sports, Sunday marks the first time in NFL history two Heisman Trophy quarterbacks will meet in a playoff game since the Super Bowl began in 1967.
The 2002 Heisman winner Carson Palmer and 2010 victor Cam Newton — who were both No. 1 overall picks in their respective drafts — will square off for the NFC title.
Palmer is playing in a second consecutive postseason for the first time in his NFL career. Prior to this year, Palmer played one snap for the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2005 playoffs and started a loss in 2009.
As for Newton, the Panthers lost their Wild Card Round tilt in 2013 and were eliminated from the 2014 playoffs after two games. He’ll attempt to avoid progressing one more round before an exit this season.
Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady: Round 17
The AFC pits two of the best in the business when Manning’s Broncos host Brady and the Patriots for the 17th battle between the legendary quarterbacks.
Brady has won 11 of the 16 total contests. However, per Chris Wesseling of NFL Media, neither quarterback has won a postseason meeting at the other’s home field, thus tilting the advantage towards Manning.
Granted, Manning isn’t playing anywhere near his previous skill level. His stats took a nosedive in 2015. The most notable of Manning’s tumultuous and injury-riddle season was his 17 interceptions compared to nine touchdowns.
Brady, on the other hand, had another tremendous statistical season, passing for 4,770 yards, 36 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. His penchant for quick passes will test Denver’s stellar defense, which doesn’t lack confidence. Von Miller said of Brady’s release:
“It’s quick, we’re just going to have to be tight in the secondary and that little window we get, we have to get there,” Miller said, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. “No excuses, we just have to get there, plain and simple.”
Round 17 could be the final edition of the 16-year bout. Which Hall of Fame-bound quarterback will throw the knockout punch?
The Panthers haven’t lost at home in ages
Carolina certainly has an advantage playing its final playoff game at home.
In fact, according to Andrew Siciliano of NFL Media, the Panthers haven’t lost at Bank of America Stadium in more than 425 days — well over a year.
The last time Carolina fell at home was in Week 11 of the 2014 season when the Atlanta Falcons managed a 19-17 victory. Since then, the Panthers have lost only three road matchups.
Carolina leads the all-time series over Arizona 9-5, but the Panthers are 1-2 during the Cam Newton era. They’ll try to end that trend while keeping the home winning streak alive.
Tom Brady has a lousy record in Denver
Whether you love him or hate him, Brady is undeniably one of the greatest NFL players of all time.
But the quarterback isn’t so great when it comes to playing in Denver. According to John Breech of CBS Sports, Brady is 2-6 in Colorado. Worse yet is Brady’s 0-of-2 playoff mark.
The only two wins Brady has managed at Mile High Stadium came when Danny Kanell and Tim Tebow were under center for the Broncos, per Breech.
New England’s head-scratching loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 17 caused the team to lose home-field advantage, and the Patriots fell to the Brock Osweiler-led Broncos in Denver during Week 12.
Brady and the Patriots must find a way to shake the Denver curse.
Cardinals sport fantastic 2015 road record
Carolina is stellar at home, but the Cardinals have been nearly as amazing on the road in 2015 — so much that they set a franchise record (7-1) for road wins. Arizona also scored more points on the road (262) than at home (227) during the regular season.
Panthers fans will surely turn up the noise in an attempt to rattle the Cardinals. Cornerback Jerraud Powers isn’t worried about a loud atmosphere, per Kyle Odegard of the team’s official site.
“I think you should go into away games with an attitude knowing that everyone in the stadium is against you. Your back’s against a wall, and the only way you win is to fight your way out of it. That’s been our mentality on the road this year.”
Clearly, Arizona’s approach when preparing for a road game has been working. But we’ll see soon enough if the team’s resilience away from home can get them through Carolina on Sunday.
Steven Jackson: From free agent to the Super Bowl?
Heading into a conference title game was probably the last thing on Steven Jackson’s mind as he sat back and watched nearly the entire 2015 NFL season from the comfort of his couch.
Now, thanks to the Patriots needing depth at running back and having faith in the 32-year old, Jackson could be Super Bowl-bound if things go according to plan for the Patriots.
Interestingly enough, Jackson hasn’t played in a postseason game since his rookie season with the St. Louis Rams in 2004. He was mere a 21 years old then. Jackson’s Rams bowed out during the Divisional Round.
How thrilling would it be for Jackson to finally get a ring after such an accomplished career?