True or False: Tom Brady sold his soul to the Devil.
So this Kevin Klein kid I know mentioned to me as the Patriots were nearing a perfect regular season that he thought that Tom Brady sold his soul to the Devil. I thought it blasphemous at first, but upon further review, there is no other explanation for this season’s greatness. There is simply no other reason for his nearly 70 percent completion percentage and the fact that he threw for nearly 400 more yards than the next best quarterback despite 74 fewer attempts. Hence the Satanic reference. Of course the addition of Randy Moss makes the Raiders look like idiots, Wes Welker had a breakout year, and Donté Stallworth may be the best third receiver in the league. But a jump in performance like this? Nevermind the Super Bowls, Brady’s regular seasons haven’t been anything close to this spectacular in the past. I’d do anything for the Devil’s powers.
Do the Chargers have any chance of upsetting the Patriots juggernaut?
The Chargers have a chance. No, I’m not kidding. It is San Diego’s defense that is going to keep the Chargers in this game. The neglected San Diego defense allowed under 18 points a game during the regular season, one of only five teams to accomplish the feat. The Patriots’ D, on the other hand, statistically ranks ahead of the Chargers. But New England’s defense was inconsistent in the second half of the season, allowing 35 points to the Giants, 24 to the offensively deprived Ravens, along with 28 points apiece to Philadelphia and the hapless Dolphins. Philip Rivers and LaDainian Tomlinson will be healthy, and the Chargers will make the Pats work extremely hard for a Super Bowl berth.
Which story are you more sick of: Brett Favre’s storybook season or Eli Manning’s run through the playoffs?
I’ll be honest; I’m pretty biased on this one. Growing up a 49ers fan, the possibility of a Cowboys vs. Packers NFC Championship game made me want to jump off my three-story balcony. Now that one team is out of the equation, it’s time for the other to make its vacation plans. Brett Favre is the most indecisive player in the NFL, dominating the offseason talk with his media saturated retirement debate, while Eli Manning is at least a fresh face on this big of a stage. The Favre story has been going on for years and years, while Eli finally is the face of the Manning family for a week. I prefer Eli to his brother hands down, mostly since Eli seems like an everyday dude compared with country-boy Peyton. This is the biggest game of Eli’s career – for the third straight week – making him my preferred quarterback of the matchup over the grey-haired #4. Favre needs to retire before a Michael Strahan sack leaves him paralyzed.
