Biggest Takeaways from NFL's Conference Championships
The obituary was written. The king was dead, the grave being dug.
Long live the king.
The Seattle Seahawks came back from 16-0 halftime and 19-7 fourth-quarter deficits to stun the Green Bay Packers on conference championship Sunday, setting the stage for a bid to become the first repeat champions since their coming opponents did it a decade ago.
That would be the New England Patriots, who won their game in antithetical fashion—a blowout against the overmatched Indianapolis Colts.
Russell Wilson Escaped Freddy Krueger
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Russell Wilson was stuck in a nightmare.
He threw two interceptions before completing a pass and a third in the end zone to seal Seattle's scoreless first half. Midway through the fourth quarter, the punter was the best quarterback on the field in Seattle.
Freddy Krueger was ready to deal his finishing blow. Then Wilson woke up.
Down 12, Wilson marched his team down the field to score a quick touchdown with just over two minutes left as the Packers relaxed a bit on defense. A botched onside kick recovery attempt by Green Bay tight end Brandon Bostick gave Wilson everything he needed to do the rest.
The reigning Super Bowl-winning quarterback shredded the Packers defense again, throwing a ridiculous two-point conversation to take a three-point lead.
After likely NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers brought his team back to tie the game, Wilson threw a pair of darts to receivers Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse, who scored the game-winning touchdown in overtime to complete the comeback.
"The game started off kind of ugly," Wilson said, per USA Today's Nancy Armour. "But the last three minutes, plus the overtime, is probably as good as it gets."
It was almost too little and too late, but Wilson had the right stuff when it counted most.
The Folly of Small Sample Size
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The Seattle Seahawks played about as poorly as any team could in victory.
Really, they shouldn't have won. Green Bay head coach Mike McCarthy's conservatism and boneheaded plays conspired to sink the Packers late in the game. But the Seahawks seized their opportunities when it counted most and cut the fat lady's microphone as she sang the first note.
To that point it had been a parade of misery for the Seahawks, even causing some members of the 12th Man to leave early.
All that would make it seem like Seattle will be vulnerable heading into the Super Bowl. To assume the Seahawks will be easy prey because of one bad showing, however, would be folly.
Variance from game to game is higher in the NFL than in any other sport. There are too many players on the field, strengths, weaknesses, bad performances, etc. to be able to glean such a significant advantage from one aberrant game.
The Seahawks will have two weeks to prepare for the Patriots, and we aren't likely to see another rough performance like that from quarterback Russell Wilson. They are also a far better team than the Indianapolis Colts, who rolled over against the Patriots for the second time this season.
Elite Quarterbacks, Subpar Play
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Outside a few good minutes from Russell Wilson and a misleading stat line from Tom Brady, the conference championships didn't offer much in the way of great quarterbacking.
That is despite the heavily touted foursome that participated in the AFC and NFC Championship Games. Three of the quarterbacks were former Super Bowl winners, only the second such time that has happened in conference championship.
Of course, bad receiver play didn't help. We saw Jermaine Kearse let two passes bounce off his hands for interceptions in Seattle, and Indianapolis receivers had a few bad drops themselves. All in all, however, the elite quarterbacks put on a lackluster display.
The four big names combined for just 739 passing yards and five touchdowns while tossing nine interceptions on the day, hardly meeting expectations. That is especially glaring in light of the league's increasing passing propensity.
Some of it was just bad luck, but none of the quarterbacks looked particularly comfortable. Brady had the easiest time because the Colts didn't pressure him much and his receivers were wide open all game, but even he had his share of bad throws and decisions.
Hopefully the Super Bowl will be a better showing for Wilson and Brady, though it could be a low-scoring affair considering those defensive matchups.
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Green Bay's Secondary Was Better Than Seattle's...Until It Wasn't
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It's as if Ha Ha Clinton-Dix was wearing an invisibility cloak.
The rookie safety came of age against the Seattle Seahawks, suddenly appearing in the perfect place at the perfect time on two early interceptions that helped take the Green Bay Packers to a 16-0 lead.
For much of the game, the Green Bay secondary was a wet blanket on the Seattle offense. Seahawks receivers were unable to gain any separation, and Packers defensive backs made the most of their opportunities. Wilson wound up with four interceptions on the game as a result.
Then the fourth quarter happened.
Clinton-Dix and the rest of the Green Bay secondary turned into a collective pumpkin, allowing quarterback Russell Wilson to score 15 points in 44 seconds near the end of the fourth quarter—including an improbable two-point conversion on a cross-body heave from Wilson that Clinton-Dix should have knocked down—and letting the Seahawks score with ease in overtime to give the game away.
The game is 60 minutes long—minus overtime—and Green Bay's secondary was better for about 57 of those minutes. Too bad for Packers fans they thought the game was over before Wilson had his final say.
Trickery and Deception Are Here to Stay
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Trickery and deception are here to stay in the 2014 playoffs. Deal with it.
The Seattle Seahawks won thanks largely to a ballsy call by head coach Pete Carroll, who sent the field goal unit out to fake a kick in a 16-0 deficit during the third quarter. Punter Jon Ryan executed the fake to perfection, throwing a touchdown pass to offensive lineman Clint Gresham.
New England seems intent on continuing its tricky ways, lining up with four offensive linemen and toying with player eligibility to gain an upper hand. Nate Solder was the second offensive lineman to score on the day after he reported eligible and nobody on the Colts defense covered him.
This a week after head coach Bill Belichick used a wide receiver lateral and wacky formations to win a nail-biter against the Baltimore Ravens.
Normally it would make sense to bet against trick plays in the Super Bowl, when coaches sometimes play it straight, not to lose. But this is Carroll and Belichick we are talking about. Anything is possible from either of those two.
Mike McCarthy Taught a Master Class in Pusillanimity
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There were many factors that went into Green Bay's soul-crushing loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Some of them were spectacular. Others were near-miraculous.
None was as glaring as the head coaching display by Mike McCarthy.
The pusillanimity began early, when the Green Bay Packers were at the 1-foot line on fourth down after intercepting Russell Wilson for the first of four times on the day. A cry arose on social media—"Go for it!" After all, the Packers had been moving the ball well on the ground, even if running back Eddie Lacy had been stuffed on third down.
A touchdown would have set the tone. A fourth-down failure would have pinned what turned out to be a terrible Seattle offense—for the better part of four quarters—deep in its own territory. Green Bay kicked a field goal.
McCarthy repeated the foolishness on the very next possession, kicking another field goal at the 1-yard line.
For a while, it seemed like bad process would have good results as the Packers wound up with a double-digit lead for most of the game. But good results wouldn't absolve bad process, and the latter wound up biting McCarthy in the end.
Had the Packers gone for it from the 1-yard line and scored a touchdown or two early, we wouldn't be sitting here talking about Seattle's amazing comeback victory. The game would have been out of reach. Even getting stuffed would have left a poorly performing Seahawks offense 99 yards to score a touchdown on both occasions.
More importantly, McCarthy's conservative approach was infectious. The Packers played not to lose in the fourth quarter instead of trying to plunge a dagger into the hearts of Seahawks fans.
Timid decisions breed timid play, and that's why the Packers lost in the end.
Andrew Luck Can Only Carry so Much Weight
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The Indianapolis Colts weren't supposed to be in the AFC Championship Game, and it showed.
After all, a roster full of holes and disappointing players shouldn't be able to win its division, then beat Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos on the road, right? That's precisely what they did, however, and it's clear how they got here—Andrew Luck.
Luck has his share of detractors who will surely use the fact his team gave up 45 points against him somehow. Sure, Luck was bad himself, but there is no denying he is the reason the Colts are even in the playoffs to begin with.
That much was clear against the superior Patriots, who throttled the Colts for the second time this season. Chuck Pagano's little band of rebels was no match for Bill Belichick's stormtroopers.
But the Colts are going to have to start putting together better personnel around Luck, or we will be looking at a Peyton Manning redux in Indianapolis.
May the Best Team Win
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Whatever the results from Sunday's action, we can rest assured the best two teams will be vying for the Lombardi Trophy.
Not only were the Seahawks and Patriots the No. 1 seeds for their respective conferences, but they looked like it. Seattle through its grungy come-from-behind victory when all looked lost, and New England with its dominance over an inferior opponent.
Before Sunday, it was pretty clear these were the two best teams in the league as the regular season wore on. Barring an early collapse a la Denver a year ago, this should be a great championship game.
A dominant defense. A resurgent veteran. A ball-spiking cyborg.
A tight-lipped beast. A pair of elite cornerbacks.
Let the media frenzy begin. At the end of it all, it'll be Seahawks 24, Patriots 20.
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