Evolution: Conference Championship Preview

This is it. After weeks of shockers and no surprises, it comes down to this. The conference championship games are set and there are at least two teams that didn’t think they would be here. Here’s the rundown of possibly two games that will leave the sports nation breathless.

AFC Championship

San Diego Chargers vs. New England Patriots

The Chargers are hoping that luck and faith are on their side. The last two teams to win the Super Bowl came up short the year before and the Bolts are hoping that they can pull off another upset at Gillette Stadium. The last time the Chargers were in this chilly environment they stopped the Patriots undefeated home streak. Sadly enough, that was with Marty Schottenheimer and Drew Brees...and things have changed since then.

The Patriots are looking to finish off the history-making season with a Championship, something that not even the 1972 Dolphins accomplished during their undefeated run. The Patriots looked practically unstoppable last week against the Jaguars and now they are looking at a possible showdown with either the past (Favre) or the new future (Eli) in the desert.

As much as faith has been on the side of San Diego, LT and Phillip Rivers’ injuries could play a major role in what happens on Sunday. Billy Volek earned his keep in leading the Chargers to the upset of the Super Bowl Champion Colts, but this isn’t the flip floppy champs they’re facing.

This is the New England Patriots. The Pats are ready for the AFC Championship and the Sports Gods want them in the Super Bowl.

The faith stops on Sunday in Foxboro. Despite anything that could happen, this is what will happen this Sunday. The Patriots will lay the smackdown on an injured Chargers team. San Diego will look more like a busted up, broken down Chevelle than a Hemi loaded Charger.

The Pats might as well get ready for Tempe, because not even the thought of working on a suntan in a possible snowstorm is going to keep the Patriots out of the Super Bowl. And yes, it has snowed in Arizona in February before. I checked.

Final Score: Patriots 38, Chargers 20

NFC Championship

New York Giants vs. Green Bay Packers

The cold frozen tundra of Lambeau Field is once again graced with the NFC Championship Game. This will be the first conference title game in Lambeau since 1998 and Brett Favre is looking to relight a fire that hasn’t been seen in Green Bay in more than 11 years.

Let me spell it out for you.

The last time the Packers were this good they won Super Bowl XXXI, and the team that had to feel the pinch of Favre’s vicious determination was...the New England Patriots. But Randy Moss wasn’t playing for the Pats then and neither was Tom Brady. There is a sense of euphoria that is brewing here. The late, great Reggie White is smiling in heaven right now, due in large part to the fact that the Packers are better than anyone truly expected.

But don’t tell the Giants that. They’re motivated. They have two road wins in the past two weeks and they look more together than they did during the regular season. The G-Men dominated the Buccaneers and then dispatched a media crazy Cowboys team.

Not even TO’s tears could have prevented the onslaught of boos and insults hurled in Tony Romo’s direction. The question is whether the Giants have enough left in the tank to handle the imminent snowstorm that is on the horizon.

And I’m not talking about the weather.

The well-oiled machine known as the Green Bay Packers has not only history, but also motivation on its side. After months of speculation in regards to Randy Moss becoming a member of the team, as well as whether Brett Favre will retire or not, the Packers posted their best record since that Super Bowl season, clinched the NFC North division, and now can breathe a sigh of relief for not having to travel out of their element.

Eli Manning has been getting plenty of scrutiny from me as well as a few others, but he has shown that he is worth watching. Even though he didn’t play a definitive game on Sunday, he did enough to keep the Cowboys at bay.

So while Romo’s trying to play in some celebrity golf tournament, Eli has a chance to do what no quarterback since Kerry Collins has done: take the Giants to the Super Bowl. It’s too bad they have to go through Green Bay to do it.

Bottom line is Green Bay knows who will most likely be waiting for them if they make it past the NFC Championship Game. I know the Sports Gods love upsets, but if San Diego and New York duke it out in this year’s Super Bowl, I don’t think many people will watch.

A Super Bowl XXXI rematch sounds a lot better just because of the history that is behind the history. Green Bay wins this game and punches their ticket to Tempe. Hope Eli is ready for his final lesson in playoff football because it’s only going to get worse on Sunday.

Final Score: Packers 41, Giants 27