No underdogs this year. No Wild Cards. No weak division winners. No “undeserving” teams. No sixth seeds; not even a fifth, fourth, third, or lowly second. Nothing but number ones invited to this shindig. The NFL’s two top teams, both of which beat their stiffest competition in their respective conference championship games. High-powered offence vs. punishing defence. Record-setting QB and receivers vs. the top defensive secondary.

Welcome to the greatest Super Bowl matchup of all time.

It doesn’t feel like it, though. At least not to me.

Where’s the controversy. The drama. The HYPE! Did I miss it?

The biggest story in the lead up to the big game was Richard Sherman, after his outburst on live TV immediately following the Seahawks’ victory over their hated rival the 49ers in the NFC Championship game. However, the whole controversy devolved into abject stupidity, at which point sanity somehow prevailed and the story fizzled.

Lemme ‘splain… no, there is too much… Lemme summup:

Richard Sherman is a jerk because he gave a choke sign to an opponent then yelled at a pretty, mentally-challenged girl holding a microphone but we don’t know what the other guy said about him so maybe he was justified and isn’t this criticism really just racism and Sherman isn’t really a bad guy I mean how could he be he went to Stanford and got a degree in communications and everything and you don’t know the real guy and there’s two sides to him and you really just need to get to know “Stanford Richard Sherman” because college-educated equals class and intelligence and hey did you read the column he wrote in Peterland and blah blah blah blahblahblah………………….

Oh, and Marshawn Lynch hates reporters and likes Skittles. That should describe everyone, really.

Boring.

Richard Sherman is a physically-gifted, hard-working athlete. He is a very good football player. He may very well be a drug cheat, but I have no proof of that. Off the field, I don’t care a whit about what he does. On the field, he is a jerk. He is a trash-talker. He likes to show-up opponents. He likes to disrespect opponents. He represents everything that is good and bad about the game itself, and therefore everything I like and dislike about it.

That’s enough about that. It’s time to talk about the game.

NFL Championship Game

Seahawks at Broncos, Snoopy Stadium, New Joisy, USA

These two teams are really evenly-matched. Picking a winner is tough, kind of like guessing which of two Sean Bean characters would win a fight to the death. To me, it’s simple. It’s all about the QBs. No matter what kind of offence you run, no matter your team’s strengths, tendencies, talents, it all begins with the man behind center. He touches the ball on every play. He runs the show. He has to make some plays. Maybe a lot, maybe a whole lot. Russell Wilson is undeniably talented. He has a strong arm. He’s smart. He’s quick. He can make plays with his feet, scrambling, buying time, avoiding pressure, or just running with the ball. He can also make mistakes. He’s young. He most likely still hasn’t fully absorbed the magnitude of this game.

This really is Peyton Manning’s season. He has been getting ready for this game all year. He’s a machine, a cyborg, the Quarterbot 18. He’s the computer who wore cleats. Yes, the Seahawks’ defence is deep, talented, well-coached, hard-hitting, and prepared. How prepared can you be, though, against a player who is playing the game on as high a level as Peyton is now? As good as the Seahawks are, they have to react to Peyton and his offence. Peyton gives so many looks, knows so many wrinkles, has an unparalleled command of the game, sees things so well. When I’ve watched him this season, especially against New England in the AFC Championship, he looked like the only player on the field. And by that, I mean that the other players, on both teams, were merely pieces in a game he was playing by himself. He’s that locked in.

That’s how I see this game. Make no mistake; this Seahawks defence is everything it’s advertised to be, and they will make it extremely challenging for Manning to do the things he wants to do. The going will not be easy for the Broncos offence. Manning’s pieces, and he has some really great pieces (not a pawn in the bunch) will have to execute against a defence that will push them, challenge them, punish them, even hurt them. Peyton will do his thing. This is the ultimate challenge, and he loves it.

The key to the Seahawks’ chances is Russell Wilson. Seattle’s defence will do everything it can to give Wilson the chance to make the plays he needs to make to win. He won’t be up to the challenge. It’s no knock on him.

There’s no shame in not being Peyton Manning, unless you are Peyton Manning.

Oh, and I’m rooting for Champ Bailey in this one. Guy needs a ring.

Seahawks 23, Broncos 30

Or, as my friend Chad might say, “Who ya got?”

(And… that’s it. I had planned a much longer intro, but, life’s like that sometimes. Enjoy the games, folks. Should be a couple of doozies. –G)

AFC Championship

Patriots at Broncos

This is Peyton Manning’s year, the year where it all came together for him on offence. You could make a very strong case that he has never had this much depth at the receiver positions, but perhaps his single greatest asset was versatile back Knowshon Moreno, who rushed for over 1000 yards and 10 TDs, caught another 60 balls, and is a good blocker. With all the weapons at his disposal, Manning led a record-breaking attack. You don’t stop this Broncos offence. You have to limit its chances. This Patriots team has more depth and talent in its secondary than it has had in quite some time, including some ball-hawks who have shown a knack for making QBs and receivers pay for mistakes. This will prove invaluable, as the Pats need to focus on getting pressure on Manning and limiting Moreno. Another key to limiting the Broncos’ offensive effectiveness will be the Pats’ ability to move the ball, control the clock, score points, and keep Manning off the field. Much has been said about the emergence of LeGarrette Blount. He is ridiculously fast and agile for a 250-pound man, the perfect back making the most of a great opportunity, operating behind great blocking, in an offence run by an all-time great QB, and with plenty of depth behind him at the running back position. Not only are the Broncos not a good defensive team, but they don’t really excel in any particular area. This Pats’ offence should have little difficulty controlling the tempo of the game. In the end, it will come down to execution. I have to look at the players on both sides. This may not be Peyton Manning’s year after all. Winner: Patriots

NFC Championship

49ers at Seahawks

When I look at these two offences, I see a lot of similarities. Both feature strong line play, powerful running backs, and mobile QBs. The 49ers have an advantage in terms on their receiving corps; WRs Anquan Boldin and Michael Crabtree and TE Vernon Davis are better than anything that the Seahawks have at their disposal. At RB, I’d take Marshawn Lynch over Frank Gore. I also like Russell Wilson a bit better than Colin Kaepernick at QB, simply because I think Wilson is smarter and less likely to make mistakes. Everyone knows that these are two of the best defensive teams in football, so how do the defences match up against the offences they have to face? The Seahawks’ secondary may be the best in the NFL, a physical group that covers well. If Kaepernick doesn’t get the looks he likes on passing downs, he is quick to resort to running. Seattle’s secondary allows them to game plan for this eventuality, as well as to devote the necessary personnel to stopping Frank Gore. The key to San Fran’s defensive strategy has to be stopping Marshawn Lynch. Their strength at the defensive line and LB positions will help them tremendously, and will force Wilson to make more plays to keep the Seahawks’ offence moving. I believe that Wilson is up to the task, and that he will be helped by facing a 49ers secondary that does not cover well. Again, it’s about execution. In a close game, in the sonic crucible of CenturyLink Field, I’ll take Russell Wilson over Colin Kaepernick. Winner: Seahawks

As my lead-in for The Best Championship Sunday Picks in the World, I’m going to take a quick look back at some notes I made following last week’s action. I had planned on doing a divisional wrap-up column this week, but my work schedule, some other personal matters, and my affinity for naps when the weather is cold left me precious little time. So, just what was I thinking following the games last weekend?

·         Some may wonder whether I stand firmly behind my picks when I make them, especially on a weekend when I go 1-3 (Thank you, Tom Brady… the NFL thanks you too—more on that later). Well, let me put it this way: I never regret my picks. One of the reasons I love the NFL is that the games are not played on paper, and there are so many unforeseeable intangibles, that the games always hold some kind of excitement due to the many scenarios that can unfold. That’s why a team that looks as unbeatable as the Pats do right now can get beaten by a team like the Arizona Cardinals. Or, to put my faith in my picks another way, I missed out on a $137.00 parlay because the Packers failed to cover against the 49ers (that’s right, I live in Canada, haven of legal sports betting).

·         Elvis Dumerville and Von Miller: Where were you guys? You came up really small in a really big game where one big play on defence could have made the difference.

·         I was a little surprised when the Broncos decided to play it conservatively at the end of the 1st half and not attempt to score, but when they got the ball back at the end of the 4th with 2 timeouts left and a chance to win the game, and I was excited to see some Manning magic, I was speechless when they chose to kneel and go to OT.

·         I couldn’t help wondering, as I watched Manning throw the ball without much zip, whether he regretted choosing a cold-weather team like Denver. One of the hallmarks of his successful Indianapolis teams was that, due to them playing in the AFC South, and having their home games in a dome, they never had to play many cold-weather games. That was before Manning’s neck surgeries. In Indy, home field advantage was a big deal, as it kept Manning from playing road games in ungodly-cold places like Foxborough and Heinz Field. In Denver, home field turned out to be a disadvantage.

·         That tableau during the coin toss: talk about a picture being worth a thousand words. There’s Manning, head down, looking absolutely miserable, while Ray Lewis, head held high, is muttering what I can only guess is some sort of prayer. I was ready to call the game for the Ravens right there.

·         Aaron Rodgers played a good game, not great, but good enough to win, against a really tough defence. As I was watching him try to buy time and find open receivers, this was my overriding thought: Tom Brady has Aaron Hernandez (and occasionally, Rob Gronkowski); Matt Ryan has Tony Gonzalez; Colin Kaepernick has Vernon Davis; Joe Flacco has Dennis Pitta; Tony Romo has Jason Whitten; Drew Brees has Jimmy Graham, and; Phillip Rivers has Antonio Gates. Aaron Rodgers, the best QB in the NFL, is stuck with an under-achieving, butterfingered whiner like Jermichael Finley. I hope the Pack upgrades the TE position in the offseason.

·         I thought that Green Bay’s defence seemed woefully unprepared for the eventuality that Kaepernick might run the ball effectively, which is one of the upgrades in the ‘niners’ offence since the switch from Alex Smith at QB. Then I read that, according to Charles Woodson, who I had expected to have a huge role in limiting Kaepernick’s effectiveness, the Packers’ defence weren’t prepared to stop the San Fran QB’s running. Stunning.

·         Between Woodson’s assessment of his own team’s lack of preparedness, and the Broncos’ inability to stop the brilliant Baltimore offensive strategy of “let Joe Flacco drop back and throw the ball as far as he can,” I’d have fired both Green Bay’s and Denver’s Defensive Coordinators .

·         Say what you want about the Seahawks-Falcons game, but the real disappointment for me was in the fact that Pete Carroll and his coaching staff cost his team a victory they earned through superior effort. First, Seattle got put in a hole due to some highly questionable play-calling on a couple of red zone trips in the 1st half. Then, there’s Carroll’s abject failure to understand basic psychology at the end of the 4th. OK, so let me get this straight: You're playing against a team that has a history of choking in the playoffs. You've just come back from being down 20 points, twice, to take a 1 point lead with 31 seconds left in the game. You've watched as your opponent has failed to be able to move the ball when it counts after being able to move it well during most of the game, while their defence all of a sudden can't stop you. Your opponent, the one with a history of choking, playing in front of a stadium full of nervous fans who have watched them choke again and again in big games, is choking again in a big game. You have now forced this team into a situation where they have to try a last-ditch, win-or-lose, 49-yard field goal. As a coach, you think that the best strategy is to give the obviously nervous opposing kicker a practice kick? Mind-boggling.

·         I love seeing LB Rob Ninkovich, special-teams player made good, playing such a key role for the Pats. He’s one of those “big plays when it counts” type of players that led the Pats to three Super Bowl wins in four years, like Mike Vrabel. When I heard it mentioned during last week’s telecast that Ninkovich used to play TE, I couldn’t help envisioning him catching a TD pass in the Super Bowl.

·         Speaking of the Super Bowl, on a weekend where the playoffs lost both Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning, the NFL must be relieved that Tom Brady is still around. A Patriots-49ers Super Bowl is probably the game the league is hoping for right now.

·         Aqib Talib: another Belichick windfall. He’s an extremely talented player, big, athletic, and physical enough to cover any team’s best receiver. Talib loves playing for the Pats; being around so many quality, character players, and in an environment where winning is an attitude, he probably feels like he’s been rescued from himself.

·         Lots of Pats fans mourning the loss of Gronkowski for the rest of the playoffs. I say it’s a blessing. It’s time for the Pats to seriously think about moving on, without Gronkowski. Healthy, he’s the best TE in football. However, he’s the porcelain TE, like fine China; valuable, breaks too easily, and once broken, is useless. Or, as my wife, a huge Pats fan (who can’t stand Gronkowski because of his fragility) says, “He’s like that person you work with who’s sick all the time, so everyone else ends up picking up the slack.”

·         No tears for Pats fans, please. Brady still has Welker, Hernandez, Woodhead, Ridley, Vereen, Branch, and Lloyd. They’ll be better than fine.

·         And speaking of Brandon Lloyd, I am sick of hearing about what a disappointment he’s been this season. Anyone who thinks that either doesn’t watch the games (I do), relies too much on statistics (I don’t), or listens to too many talking heads on TV or too much talk radio (please). All season, Lloyd has been there, working hard, making highlight-reel sideline catches, and being a team player. He’s always a threat to beat you deep, which allows Brady more leeway to work the ball underneath, sideline, cross, seam, etc., plus Lloyd helps open up more space for the Pats’ resurgent running game. Tell me this, Pats fans: would you rather have a guy who whines because he doesn’t get the ball enough (there are lots of those in the league)?

·         More Lloyd: What exactly was the deal with that flag for tossing the ball to the official too hard? No more playoff games for you, zebra. You’re much too sensitive.

Before I get to my picks, I would be remiss if I didn’t take the opportunity to call out, yet again, my favourite target, Peter King of Sports Illustrated. King has always curried favour with the league and its players. He has also devolved into a bully who takes potshots at the weak while ignoring his cronies and buddies. Case in point: In his December 31st MMQB, when discussing Vikings coach Leslie Frazier’s approach to Adrian Peterson’s pursuit of the single-season rushing record, King took a shot at basketball player Nykesha Sales, referencing her as an example of a record that was achieved under dubious circumstances. He did this in a week where more than one NFL defender had a legitimate chance of breaking the single-season sack record, which was achieved when King favourite Brett Favre took a dive to allow Michael Strahan to get the record-breaking sack.

The bogus way in which the sack record was set, it being an NFL record, was the obvious and relevant example to use here, yet King chose to malign a female hoops star who, by all accounts, has never harmed anyone. Now, this would be fine, except that King, who was allowed ample access to Favre during his playing career by the player himself, can’t seem to go more than a couple of weeks without mentioning his old pal. Don’t believe me? In last week’s MMQB, King mentions the retired Favre twice, including writing about a text message that Favre sent to Ryan Longwell, who had just been signed by the Seahawks due to an injury to their kicker (I sincerely hope that Favre refrained from including a dick-pic… old habits die hard, after all). I called King on his cheap shot at Sales on his Twitter. I told him he had a lot of nerve, that he was still kissing Favre’s butt, and that he was a bully. He did not respond. I despise Peter King. A once competent football writer, he has morphed into a media personality, doing televised spots on NBC Sunday night telecasts, and promoting fellow NBC employees like former independent-turned sellout Mike Florio at ProFootballTalk. You should check out King’s MMQB Tuesday Edition, where he answers cherry-picked reader e-mails. It’s pathetic.

Well, how’s that for an intro? Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, let’s get down to business.

49ers at Falcons

First, I have to talk about the very recent controversy surrounding top 49ers’ receiver Michael Crabtree, who was questioned by San Francisco’s Special Victims’ Unit regarding an allegation of sexual assault last week. According to reports, Crabtree is with his team in Atlanta, and, having not been charged, faces no sanction by the league. I did come across this quote, by ‘niners’ Safety Donte Whitner, which piqued my interest:

(Coach Harbaugh) said that we can do anything in the world and we can come and talk to him and he’ll forgive us except put our hands on women. If you put your hand on a woman then you’re done in his book. So other than putting your hands on women, you can do anything and come talk to him, and it’s true. Open-door policy. Everybody around here really likes him and we want to win for him and for ourselves.

So, here I am, ready to pick the 49ers, by a comfortable margin, and this happens. Is it a big deal? I honestly don’t know. Harbaugh wants to win. Crabtree is a huge part of what the 49ers want to do on offence. Does he play? How much? What’s his mentality going into the game? How do his teammates look at him? So many questions.

This is how I see the game.

The Falcons are a different team on offence this season. WR Julio Jones has made a huge impact. Jones, playing opposite the immensely talented Roddy White, with ageless wonder Tony Gonzalez at TE, has made this Falcons offence much more dangerous than in past seasons. The 49ers counter with a well-balanced defence, capable of rushing the passer, with the LB depth to prevent huge running plays, and talented and hard-hitting Safeties to shore up both the run and pass defence. That’s a great matchup. I anticipated the 49ers utilizing TE Vernon Davis to great effect; he has been an afterthought on offence since Kaepernick took over at QB, and Davis’s athleticism will be a strength against the Falcons. Without a doubt, Atlanta will be prepared for Kaepernick’s running. The Falcons also have some dangerous ball-hawks in the secondary. This game has the potential to be much closer than I had initially anticipated. The effect of each of the teams’ previous games is a wash, psychologically. The Falcons won a highly emotional game against the Seahawks, pulling out the game in dramatic fashion, and supplying Matt Ryan, and amazingly Tony Gonzalez, with their first-ever playoff victory. The expected letdown from such a game is equaled in effect by the ease with which the 49ers dispatched the Packers, because easy wins have a tendency to soften a team’s resolve. In cases such as both of these teams face, focus is the key to recovery. The Falcons are on a mission, seeking respect, underdogs at home. The 49ers have had this unexpected distraction introduced into their preparations. I can’t believe I’m doing this, but, with so many unanswered questions, I have to go with my gut. Winner: Falcons

Ravens at Patriots

No surprises here, thank goodness. I promise you, the Pats are relieved that Gronkowski is a non-factor; he was in the lineup last week, got hurt, and the offence barely missed a beat. This week, the Pats can gameplan without thinking about Gronkowski at all. And believe me, they are not short of options for Tom Brady. The Ravens will key on Wes Welker, and rightfully so, but he’s impossible to cover with one player; he requires help when he runs those short, sharp routes. So, either the Ravens do what it takes to stop Welker, and they allow Brady free reign to hit one of his myriad other options, or they let Welker kill them slowly. The Ravens will play hard on defence, inspired by their leader Ray Lewis, but they just don’t have the personnel to stop the many-headed Patriots attack. On offence, the Ravens have Ray Rice, and that’s significant. The Pats will bottle Rice up, keep him from getting big gains. Meanwhile, the New England secondary, much more flexible since the acquisition of Aqib Talib, will work to prevent the types of big gains in the passing game that doomed the Broncos last week. On both sides of the ball, this is not a good matchup for Baltimore. Winner: Patriots