NFL Conference Playoff Games 1/24

It's almost here. Two more games and we'll know who will be in Super Bowl XLIV. After a long season full of surprises and let downs, it all comes down to this weekend for four teams that have fought all season long in hopes of booking themselves a trip to Miami to play in the Super Bowl.

The first game this Sunday will be between the New York Jets and the Indianapolis Colts, at Lucas Oil Stadium at 3 EST. These two teams met in week 16 of the regular season, with the Jets coming away with a 29-15 victory. This can be a deceiving result though, as the Colts pulled their starters in the second half, which is believed to have led to the loss.

The New York Jets, who ended the season with a 9-7 record, have taken the playoffs by storm. Coming in as the #5 seed in the AFC, they witheld against the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round. Riding their momentum, they took on the favorites to the win the Super Bowl, the San Diego Chargers, and came out of Qualcomm Stadium with a 17-14 win. Now they head into Indy this weekend with hopes of coming out on top for a third week in a row and proving that the first win against the Colts was no fluke. With an outstanding running game that has seen rookie Shonn Greene run for 263 yards in two playoff games, whether the Jets can run the ball against a somewhat inconsistent Colts' rush defense may make the difference in this game. Rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez has proven that he can handle the pressure of the playoffs, coming out of the last 2 games with a passer rating of 92.2. Along with a terrific defense led by outstanding middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma and shutdown cornerback Darelle Revis, the Jets are looking unstoppable after holding a powerful Charger offense to only 14 points. The Jets must depend on their throw-back style offense as well as their solid running game with Greene and veteran running back Thomas Jones if they hope to pave their way to the Super Bowl.

The Colts, who ended the season with a 14-2 record, are looking to fend off a promising Jets team that seems determined to fulfill their head coaches predictions of a Super Bowl appearance. After a dominating performance against the Baltimore Ravens last week, the Colts are hoping to silence any critics and continue their success against the red-hot Jets. The Jets biggest threat towards the Colts is their running game, which the Colts proved they could stop, holding the electric Ravens running back Ray Rice to only 67 yards. The Colts kept the Ravens' offense out of the endzone all day, holding them to only 3 points. They will have to have the same type of game against the Jets, as well as force Sanchez to make mistakes. Quarterback Peyton Manning will have his hands full with trying to pass against a Jets defense that has harrassed offenses all year long. Look for Manning to try to get the passing game going early and strike quick so that they don't have to test their luck against Revis and fellow cornerback Lito Sheppard all day. The running game has been inconsistent at best all season for the Colts, so the Jets will be coming with pressure to force Manning into making tough throws and turning the ball over.

This game will come down to whether the Colts defense of last week can show up and whether Revis and the Jets D can keep Manning contained. However, the experience and leadership of a veteran like Peyton Manning along with the speedy Indy defense, the Colts should be able to step up and send the Jets packing.

My pick: Indianapolis Colts

The second game this Sunday will see the Minnesota Vikings playing the New Orleans Saints at the Louisiana Superdome, at 6:40 EST. The last time these two teams met was in 2008, in a game in which the Vikings edged out the Saints in a 30-27 victory on a Monday night.

The Minnesota Vikings, who ended the season with a 12-4 record, are coming off a phenomenal game in which they trounced the favored Dallas Cowboys, holding them to a single field goal while putting up 34 of their own points. The Vikings who have faced criticism for resurrecting the career of two time retiree quarterback Brett Favre. Although he was thought to have been done after a disappointing season with the Jets last season, he came back and has led the Vikings into the playoffs with the #2 seed in the NFC as well as the #2 passing attack in the league. The main factor in this game should, however, be the Vikings defense that kept the Cowboys high-powered offense to 248 yards. They kept the pressure on Tony Romo all game, sacking him 6 times and forcing 3 turnovers. Ray Edwards, who had 3 of those 6 sacks, is questionable for Sunday's game, but defensive end Jared Allen and the Williams Wall can easily pick up the slack if Edwards isn't available. The defensive backfield will be the biggest concern, as the Saints have a plethora of offensive weapons that they can utilize against a vulnerable secondary. The deciding factor of the game will be the production of running back Adrian Peterson, who has been inconsistent all year. If he came come out and play like the AP from years-past, it will take pressure off Favre and keep the Vikings from being one-dimensional.

The Saints, who ended the season with a 13-3 record, proved that they deserved the #1 seed last week against the Arizona Cardinals with an offensive onslaught, putting up 45 points and 418 yards. After ending the season with a 3-game losing streak, the Saints silenced critics with last weekends game and are hoping to fend off the Vikings and make their way to Miami. Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who helped make the Saints the #1 passing team in the NFL, has had a sensational year and hopes to continue his success against a dominant Minnesota defense. With the help of receivers Marques Colston and Devery Henderson, and possibly tight end Jeremy Shockey who is questionable with an injury, Brees is looking to take advantage of an inconsistent Vikings secondary. He will need the help of his offensive line to keep the likes of Allen, Edwards, and the Williams Wall off his back. The defense must also do its part by containing Favre and his bunch of talented receivers. They gave up a large amount of yards to the Cardinals offense last week, and if they do the same this week, they have a hard time keeping the Vikings from racking up the points. Running back/returner Reggie Bush will have to have another sensational game if the Saints have any hope of holding off Minnesota.

With the #1 and #2 offenses going head-to-head, this game looks to be a shoot out with lots of points and lots of yards. Favre is hoping to finish off his next attempt at a Super Bowl run by taking the Vikings to Miami through New Orleans. If AP can have a good game and the Minnesota defensive line can keep the pressure on Brees and Co., they shouldn't have too much trouble finding themselves in the Super Bowl.

My pick: Minnesota Vikings