NFL Conference Championships: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Then there were two. And being one of those two was the prize this week.

Both the Colts and the Jets played fairly well in the early game. The first 28 or so minutes was played much to the Jets' liking, and the scoreboard bore that out; however, in the final 32 minutes of the game, the pace was much more to the Colts' liking. The scoreboard subsequently reflected that.

Ultimately, the better team took control and advanced.

The late game was not nearly as tidy.

The Vikings and Saints traded blows in the first half fairly evenly. The dying minute of the second quarter proved to be an omen, with the Vikings squandering a golden opportunity to take a lead into halftime and seize momentum. Minnesota then controlled most of the second half after a big Saints opening kickoff return.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the big dance: The Vikings kept losing control of the football.

Saints advance.

The Good

Indianapolis

The Colts found themselves down by 11 to a scrappy Jets team late in the second quarter. This was a game played to the pace the New Yorkers had to like. Indy then charged down the field to the tune of 80 yards on four plays in less than a minute to cut the gap to four by halftime. This kicked off a 24-0 run the rest of the way, where the Colts scored on four of five drives.

The Jets were not inert during this stretch, but could not turn their possessions into points and were not able to slow down the Colt's offense. Most importantly, the Colts proved they could throw down a strong defense and proved themselves worthy AFC Champions.

The Bad

Minnesota

The Vikings did a lot right.

They amassed over 450 yards; their defense looked strong; and they held the Saints to under 225 yards and about 23 minutes of possession during regulation time. This would have easily warranted a good.

The problem was five turnovers: the crowning jewel was an interception on the 25 in the dying seconds of a tie game with the Vikes driving for a field goal. Add too many men on the field penalty on the prior play and you have something that was Keystone Kops Ugly.

It was an infinitely winnable game, but the Vikes shot themselves in the feet.

Honorable Mention

NY Jets

It was tempting to award the Jets a Good despite the loss—not unprecedented.

The Jets established a pace to their liking for much of the first half and created enough big plays on both sides of the ball to establish a surprising 17-6 lead near the end of the first half. Manning and company then kicked it into another gear and the Jets simply could not slow them down or keep up that pace.

This was not a game the Jets lost. It was a game they forced Indy to win.

Written by: H2H Staff writers, Coordinated by FourthStooge