Championship Weekend Preview: AFC and NFC Look To Crown Their Champions

The NFL, and their fans, turn their attention to their conference championship games, both having their own story lines and both with their own built-in excitement.

But have both of these games already been decided in the national media? The fan, not to mention media, favorite is the team from the bayou, the New Orleans Saints.

The Saints have brought hope to a city that just a few years ago was lacking that very thing after bring ravaged by a devastating hurricane.

Now, a few years removed, the Saints are not giving the city of New Orleans hope, but they could very well be bringing back not only a divisional championship but a Super Bowl as well.

But before we crown them with both championships, they have to deal with a very pesky opponent with a quarterback that seems to be afraid of retirement.

The New Orleans Saints will play in front of their home crowd against Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. A Vikings team that embarrassed the Dallas Cowboys 34-3 in the divisional round of the playoffs and saw Favre have one of his best playoff performances in his career, passing for 234 yards and four touchdowns.

While the Vikings have had a good, maybe great, season that ride had to come to an end at some point. That ride ends this weekend with a Saints victory and the city of New Orleans will have the chance to get ready for the team’s first Super Bowl appearance.

In the AFC, this seems to be a more cut and dry game. Maybe to the point where it doesn’t even need to be talked about. But, since we’re here to preview both conference championships, may as well give the AFC their preview as well.

Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts are one game away from a return trip to the Super Bowl against former USC quarterback Mark Sanchez and the New York Jets.

Unlike the teams playing in the NFC title game, there has been a lot of talking going on prior to the AFC title game. Except, it’s only been coming from one team.

It seems the Jets have been riding so high on their upset of the San Diego Chargers last weekend that they’ve carried that high right through the week and into the conference championship game.

The Jets have beaten the Colts already this season and they’re well aware of the fact that most are saying the game was handed to them after all of the Colts’ starters were pulled in the second half. Allowing New York to come from behind for a 29-15 victory.

This time around, the Jets won’t have the luxury of Peyton Manning standing on the sidelines watching the second half.

The Jets can believe they’re high and mighty all they want but the Colts are not the Chargers and Peyton Manning is not Philip Rivers. Though they do boast the NFL’s best defense (14.8 ppg), they’ll need to stop the second best passing offense (282.2 ypg) in the league.

When the smoke clears and it’s all said and done, Peyton Manning will be hoisting the AFC Championship trophy and will spend the next few weeks getting ready for his second trip the Super Bowl, his first trip ended in a Super Bowl victory.

So, to the Minnesota Vikings and the New York Jets, you both had good seasons, both picked up big victories in your first round playoff games but the fun has to end somewhere.

Congratulations to the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints. But a quick note to the Saints, you haven’t been to the big game before and you’re facing a determined veteran that has not only been there before but knows what it takes to win. Don’t come into this game with high expectations because they’ll be burst before the first quarter ends.

The Super Bowl game could be one of the best we’ve seen in quite some time and it’ll be hard to decide who to root for. Both teams with two great leaders, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees, and two guys you just can’t root against.