NFL Championship Games: Colts 30, Jets 17 ; Indy Miami-bound
Greg Cote
Two weeks until the Miami Super Bowl and here are the two games that provide our teams. After a summer of training camp, way-too-many preseason games, 256 regular-season games and eight playoff games, it’s down to this. The ultimate reality-TV: The Survivors…
Colts
Jets
COLTS 30, JETS 17 : Manning-to-Collie TD pass just before half restores order … A QB sneak by Manning is your best play there? Oy ….. Original post: Indy favored by 7 1/2 and I like the Colts comfortably, 24-13. Team Peyton handled Baltimore easily last week, and NYJ is a mirror-image of Ravens, from the Rex Ryan defense to the run-first offensive style. Constant readers know I’ve never been a big fan of Jets fans, so I’ll admit I have a visceral interest in this result beyond my pick. No one figure in the NFL could use a little dose of humility more than the bellicose rookie-coach Ryan. Special note: Both teams were guilty of pre-selling “AFC Champions” merchandise. Meaning one team will get its comeuppance, and the other proven merely prescient.
VIKINGS at SAINTS, 6:40 p.m.: I am in the Crescent City (one of my favorite places) columnizing off this game, and it’s one of those “event” assignments that get me excited, even after all these years. Saints favored by 3 1/2, and I like N’Awlins, 34-30. An insane crowd and Minny’s .500 road record will offer a true home-field edge, and I also like Drew Brees and that offense versus a beatable Vikes’ secondary. Special note: Prince, the elfin Minnesotan, quick-wrote a fight song for the Vikings called “Purple and Gold.” It’s sort of the opposite of a pump-up song. If it played in the Vikes’ pregame lockerroom it would get funny looks. It is awful. Listen.
Your thoughts on today’s games, on the matchups and results, are welcome here.
Shortly after late game ends, a poll on the Super Bowl matchup will magically materialize in this blog post. Look for it and be the first on your block to pick the Super Bowl winner.
Bonus Championship Weekend Fact-O-Rama Six-Pack, just for you:
1. Current Bodog Super Bowl odds: Colts 6-5, Saints 2-1, Vikings 4-1, Jets 13-2. BetUS.com has it Colts 6-5, Saints 2-1, Vikings 17-4, Jets 7-1.
2. Colts’ Jim Caldwell or Jets’ Rex Ryan will become fifth rookie head coach in a Super Bowl, after Don McCafferty (1970 Colts), Red Miller (‘77 Broncos), George Seifert (‘89 49ers) and Bill Callahan (2002 Raiders).
3. Drew Brees vs. Brett Favre surprisingly marks only second time a conference title game has featured QBs who each passed for 4,000 yards that season. The other: Drew Bledsoe-Mark Brunell (Pats-Jags) in 1996.
4. The 5th-seeded Jets would be only third 5-or-lower-seed to reach Super Bowl since current playoff format began in 1990, after Steelers (6th/2005) and Giants (5th/2007). Jets also would be only third 9-7 team to reach SB, after 1979 L.A. Rams and 2008 Cardinals, both of whom lost.
5. Favre becomes oldest QB to start a conf-champ game, at 40 years, 106 days, out-aging Johnny Unitas (38y, 240 d) from 1971. Oppositely, if Jets win, Mark Sanchez would be youngest Super Bowl starter ever at 23 years, 88 days.
6. Saints-Vikings is first champ-game duel of league’s No. 1-2 ranked scoring offenses since 49ers-Cowboys in 1994.
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