NFL Playoffs 2012: Giants vs. 49ers Is the Right NFC Championship Game Matchup

Before the postseason started, the two teams to beat in the NFC were the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints. Yet here we are with only one game left before the Super Bowl and the two teams playing for the right to go to Indianapolis are the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers, which is the way it should be. 

It has nothing to do with the Packers and Saints not being worthy of playing for the NFC Championship; when you look at the two best and most-complete teams in the conference right now, you think of New York and San Francisco. 

We all would have loved to see Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees play their own personal game of one-upmanship, but that's not real football. That is a fantasy, where defense doesn't matter and 500 yard passing games are the norm. 

The Giants may be a surprise to most people, but if you saw the way that they finished the regular season it was not hard to see this coming. The defensive line, which was already great, finally got healthy and that made life much easier on the secondary. 

Speaking of the secondary, despite being abysmal in the regular season, this group has held its own against receivers like Julio Jones, Roddy White, Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson and Jermichael Finley in the last two weeks. 

The offense has been terrific all season long and Eli Manning is putting together another postseason run like he did when the Giants won the Super Bowl in 2007. He has six touchdown passes to just one interception in two playoff games. 

The 49ers have lived with their defense this season. Justin Smith, Aldon Smith, Patrick Willis and Carlos Rogers might be the most dominant sect of four players that any team has and they are supported by a dynamic and versatile group around them. 

They held the Saints offense in check for 52 minutes before having two late hiccups. They hit hard, fast, early and often to let everyone know they were not going away. 

The biggest surprise of the game had to be Alex Smith. It was surprising enough to see him throw the ball 42 times, but the poise and presence in the pocket that he showed at the end of the game after the Saints took the lead was remarkable. 

At the end of the day, as much as it might pain Saints fans and Packers fans to hear it, the two best teams in the NFC are playing for the right to go to the Super Bowl on February 5. 

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