What We Learned From Championship Weekend
Added on Jan 21, 2013 by Scott in
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A comeback and a blowout. That was Championship Weekend in a nutshell. The 49ers return trip to the NFC title tilt resulted in a sensational come from behind 28-24 victory that saw them trailing by 17 points in Atlanta. In the AFC, a measure of vengeance was enacted as the Ravens shutout the favored Patriots 21-0 in the second half to secure their second trip to the Super Bowl in franchise history. Here’s what we learned from Sunday’s games.
Four quarters – The Falcons escaped collapse a week ago thanks to some poor defense by Seattle and kicker Matt Bryant’s right leg. Luck would not be on their side yesterday. Two critical turnovers by Matt Ryan and a forgiving run defense would be their undoing. Championship teams don’t blow 17 point leads at home. Until Atlanta learns how to play four solid quarters of football, they will continue to fail in the playoffs.
On the road – The last three NFC champions have seized the crown on the road. Green Bay won at Chicago in January 2011, the Giants traveled to San Francisco last year, and those same Niners took care of business in Atlanta on Sunday. This speaks to just how competitive the NFC has been in recent years. Seeding makes little difference as both the Packers and Giants hoisted the Lombardi Trophy as lower seeds. San Francisco’s win shouldn’t be overlooked, either. The Falcons had won 15 of their last 18 in the Georgia Dome.
End of the line? – The Patriots high octane offense careened off a cliff yesterday. Without Rob Gronkowski’s playmaking downfield, Tom Brady was forced to check down the majority of the game. The Ravens were physical and disciplined in their approach. Age is beginning to be a factor for the Pats, not to mention Wes Welker’s future with the team. Bill Belichick and Brady don’t usually lose AFC Championships, but they did yesterday. Have we seen the last of this duo’s dominance? Perhaps.
