Championship Week Preview

By Jackson Govatos, Section NFL
Posted on Thu Jan 18 2007 at 2:24 PM EST
More on: New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints, Chicago Bears (all tags)

Last week's divisional playoff games were an absolute riot. Like most years, those four games provided a weekend of football that is hard to top. Every game featured big-time surprises, and all but one had down-to-the-wire endings. Could anyone have predicted that both Peyton Manning and Tom Brady would have sub-par games, yet their teams would still win? This is what the playoffs are all about: discovering things about each team that the regular season could not show, answering all questions, and delivering an undisputed champion. The Final Four is set, and each team absolutely deserves to be there.

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The Road to Super Bowl XLI: In-Depth Analysis

By djcfla1, Section NFL
Posted on Fri Jan 05 2007 at 9:06 PM EST
More on: Super Bowl XLI, NFL, Baltimore Ravens, San Diego Chargers, New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks, New York Giants (all tags)

By David J. Cohen

The playoffs have a different feel this year than in recent years. In those years there were clearly defined contenders and pretenders for the championship. However, this year the playoffs seem truly wide open. This year the playoffs are centered on three inexperienced quarterbacks: Tony Romo of the Cowboys, Rex Grossman of the Bears, and Philip Rivers of the Chargers. If they can rise to the occasion their teams will make the runs expected of them. If they falter, proven veterans will seize the day.

The NFC is the perfect example of what parity has done to the league. It has made teams competitive which have been awful the year before. With parity, you can go through Hurricane Katrina one year and earn a bye the next. Parity has also made mediocrity a premium. The 8-8 Giants are in the playoffs, and teams like Green Bay were still in it going into the last week of the regular season. The playoff picture in the NFC is murky, with no clear cut choice. With that said, here is how it should play out.

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