Micah Chasen

Staff Writer

This Sunday features arguably the four best teams in football. After two hard fought rounds, only the Patriots, Broncos, Seahawks, and 49ers are left. Each of these teams has had their struggles throughout the year but all of them are playing their best football when it counts the most: the playoffs.

The first matchup is the New England Patriots verses the Denver Broncos. This game features two of the all time greats and is a rematch of the week 12 game in Foxborough, in which the Patriots defeated the Broncos 34-31 in overtime. Both of these teams have faced adversity this year. The Broncos lost their best defensive player due to suspensions for almost the first half of their and have been battling with injuries on their offensive line. The Patriots have had their share of problems as well, losing many of their offensive weapons before the season even started and it did not get much better after that. Injuries to their defensive leaders, best offensive weapons, and a problem at running back held the Patriots back from reaching their true potential. However, both of these teams revolve around their quarterbacks who are two of the greatest to ever play the game. Tom Brady of the Patriots and Peyton Manning of the Broncos have had long and successful histories in this league and look to continue that this Sunday at 3:00 PM EST.

The second matchup is the Seattle Seahawks hosting the San Francisco 49ers. This matchup is very different from the first. While the Broncos and Patriots look to their quarterbacks as the heart of their teams, both the Seahawks and the 49ers rely on their defenses. While the phrase “defense wins championships” has been fading in football, these two teams know just how important it is. Another difference is the quarterbacks. While the AFC matchup features two quarterbacks over the age of 36, this one features two quarterbacks under the age of 26. While Russell Wilson of the Seahawks and Colin Kaepernick of the 49ers are not as playoff tested as Manning and Brady, the two have been successful from the very beginning and look to the Super Bowl with a big win this weekend at 6:30 PM EST on Sunday.

This is better than anything NFL fans could have hoped for. A 15th showdown between Brady and Manning on one side and the beginning of a new era at quarterback on the other. It is going to be a great weekend of football.