NFL Playoffs Proved next Generation is Ready!

Recapping the NFL Divisional playoffs where every game felt like a Super Bowl or Conference championship. Denver Broncos meeting with the Baltimore Ravens was a double overtime thriller. Seattle Seahawks visit to Atlanta to face the Falcons almost ended in the biggest comeback in playoff history as the Falcons pulled out what could be franchise defining victory with a last second field goal and end zone interception by "Julio Jones". New England  Patriots defeated Houston Texans 41-28 with Houston scoring 15pts in an attempted comeback in the 4th quarter. In San Francisco the 49ers Colin Kaepernick turned in his best performance of the season rushing for a QB record 181 yards, 2 TD's and passed for 253yds and 2 TD's.

So what did the divisional playoffs show us?
1.) Colin Kaepernick and Russell Wilson appears to be the future of the NFC.
2.) Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco are turning into elite quarterbacks ready to take the next step.
3.) Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers still have gas in the tank how much gas is the question?
4.) Offense is starting to exceed defense as 6 out of 8 teams in the divisional playoffs scored over 30pts.
5.) Tom Brady is still the best quarterback in the NFL 344yds 3td's against a good Texans secondary.

Milestones Achieved.
1.) It has to feel great for Tony Gonzalez to finally win a playoff game after 15yrs in the NFL.
2.) Atlanta Falcons Rise Up! at the Georgia Dome as Matt Ryan records his first playoff victory.
3.) Russell Wilson recorded his first 300yd game with 385yds passing.
4.) Colin Kaepernick sets QB playoff record with 181yds rushing


Divisional playoffs proved that after Ray Lewis, Tony Gonzalez, Peyton Manning, and Tom Brady exits the NFL after the season or the next three years the NFL will continue to have a bright future. Names such as Flacco, Ryan, Rodgers, Wilson, and Kaepernick will carry the torch of the National Football League along with Robert Griffin III and Andrew Luck. The offseason of 2013 will be a passing of the torch and the NFL playoffs are proving that the next generation is ready!!!

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NFL Divisional Playoff Weekend

Last week I covered the NFL Wild Card weekend going 4 for 4 and bringing up several scenarios that would forever be sketched in the minds of fans and NFL writers. Pointing to the emotional ride in Baltimore of Ray Lewis's last game to the ultimate physical destruction of Robert Griffin III in Washington D.C. Twitter follower @TheEsquireof212 in New York asked which NFL teams would cover the lines. Suggestion Seattle Seahawks -3 over the Washington Redskins and Baltimore Ravens - 7 against the Indianapolis Colts that turned out great right Michael?

Now we enter the Divisional round of the NFL playoffs great story lines are endless this weekend as  Ray Lewis brings leads the Ravens into Mile High (great name for a stadium especially in Denver) to square off with Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos. The offensive minded Green Bay Packers will try to strike a match at Candlestick Park against the feared defense of the San Francisco 49ers. While the Houston Texans look to revenge a 42-14 loss on December 10th to the New England Patriots and Tom Brady. Last but not least Rookie of the Year candidate Russell Wilson brings the spirit of the Seattle Seahawks 12thMan over 3,000 miles into the Georgia Dome facing high explosive offense of Matt Ryan's Atlanta Falcons.

Baltimore Ravens vs. Denver Broncos Jan 12th 4:30 pm EST (CBS)

Coming into Denver the Baltimore Ravens are playing for their leader and head General Ray Lewis and a chance at the AFC Championship. While the Denver Broncos offense and defense are playing at an elite level. Most sports writers are going to gloat over seeing the Ravens defense face off against Peyton Manning's Broncos offense but the real story is the Denver Broncos third rated defense. The same defense that carried Tim Tebow and his anemic offense to the AFC Divisional playoffs last season. They say Ray Lewis, I say Von Miller, they say Ed Reed I say Champ Bailey, they say Ravens defense I say Broncos defense. I am sure you get the point Peyton Manning is playing with the third best defense in the NFL best defense in the AFC. Broncos offense has scored over 30pts eleven times this season. During the regular season the Ravens have given up 23pts eight times losing six out of eight.

Prediction: Broncos score over 23pts and Willis McGahee will be available for the AFC Championship.

Green Bay Packers vs. San Francisco 49ers Jan 12th 8:00 pm EST (FOX)

Perfect NFL classic match up 49ers and Packers at Candlestick doesn't get any better than seeing two historic franchises do battle in the playoffs. We can sit here and count championships on both sides but none of this matters on Saturday when Aaron Rodgers squares off against the vaulted 49ers defense and a healthy Justin Smith returning from injury. While the 49ers will enjoy home field advantage on Saturday, Rodgers is no stranger to playoff games on the road winner of three road playoff games and two road victories away from the all time record for Quarterbacks. Still the Packers offensive line has been a house of horrors plainly said "the Packers offensive line is terrible". Rodgers was sacked an NFL high 51 times during the regular season. Aldon Smith and the 49ers defensive front seven will be ready and well prepared to manhandle the Packers up front. Yes, Kaepernick is young his never played in the postseason "blah, blah" but he will be in front of 70,000 of his closes friends at the Stick.

Prediction: San Francisco 49ers will keep the defense hunting all day forcing Aaron Rodgers to launch awkward and untimely passes down the field  while the "Smith Brothers" will be eager to clean house.

Seattle Seahawks vs. Atlanta Falcons Jan 13th 1:00pm EST (FOX)

Game of the week two perfectly good teams with contrasting styles squaring off at the Georgia Dome. Atlanta Falcons are a very finesse pass first team with multiple weapons controlled by one of the great young QB's in the NFL Matt Ryan. Seattle Seahawks are a brutal run heavy offense led by Rookie of the year candidate Russell Wilson and Marshawn "Beast Mode" Lynch. Falcons defense is very opportunistic with a ball hawking secondary with a very vanilla type NFL front. Seahawks are big up front, fast in the middle and HUGE in the secondary built on power and speed they posses the number one scoring defense in the NFL. Unfortunately many take this view of comparing offense against offense and defense versus defense this is the wrong approach. This is not Matt Ryan versus Russell Wilson, this is Ryan versus Sherman, Browner and the Legion of Boom. Tony Gonzalez and Jacquizz Rogers play will be the best measure of Falcons success in the NFC Divisional playoffs. Seahawks young linebackers KJ Wright and Bobby Wagner must challenge Gonzalez. On the other end Falcons must attack Marshawn Lynch and wrap up at the point of contact while keeping Russell Wilson in the pocket.

Prediction: One of the best playoff games in recent memory Matt Ryan will have the ball for the last drive seeking a game winning career defining touchdown against the leagues best defense... keyword "seeking"

Houston Texans vs. New England Patriots Jan 13th 4:30pm EST (CBS)

Based on the 42-14 thumping the Patriots handed the Texans in week 14 at Gillette Stadium many are predicting another double digit blowout. Silly Rabbits Trix are for Kids, Texans and Patriots match up really well despite the week 14 debacle Andre Johnson, and Arian Foster are real top 5 players at their positions. Texans defense is very underrated but can they handle Tom Brady?
Facts: Brady is (16-6) in the NFL playoffs a win over the Texans moves Brady over Joe Montana on the all time win list for QB's.Brady undefeated in the playoffs when attempting over 30 passes in a playoff game. Patriots running back Stevan Ridley finished the season with 1,230 rushing yards. Gronkowski is finally healthy. Last main point Brady has finally found chemistry with Brandon Lloyd and the Patriots 2013 team might be better than 2012.

Prediction: Texans will not lose 42-14 expect a closer match up on Sunday still Patriots offense is too much for the Texans to keep up shoot out???

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Peyton Manning Enters Free Agency

The Indianapolis Colts and Jim Irsay answered the $28 million dollar question regarding Peyton Manning deciding to release Peyton from the Colts.  Releasing Peyton was one of the toughest decisions in Colts history. Peyton and the Colts convincingly came to a mutual agreement to move in separate directions. Addressing the media Peyton showed signs of emotion discussing his appreciation for the fans in Indianapolis and the Colts organization.

The next question for Peyton Manning is where he will play next? During the press conference Peyton announced that he had not thought about a destination for next season but was confident of his availability to play. Many rumors have circled with players tweeting and campaigning for Peyton to play in various locations.  From Seattle Washington to Miami Florida NFL franchises are competing for the #1 free agent in NFL history. The top NFL teams seeking the services of the all-time great and future Hall of Fame Quarterback include the Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs.

What about the NY Jets? Eli Manning, Peyton’s brother plays in New Jersey for the NY Giants and both Manning’s competing in the same city is not attractive. The thought process has to be for Peyton to play in his own market away from competing with Eli.

Questions regarding the Redskins, the real problem could be Mike Shanahan in Washington. Will Shanahan be comfortable with scraping the Redskins current offense and relinquishing control? Second do the Redskins want to go after Robert Griffin III and cement the future of the franchise? Watching the Redskins and how they handled the issue with Donovan McNabb should lead Peyton to possibly believe the Redskins are not a good fit.

Kansas City Chiefs are very intriguing; the Chiefs have the cap room and coaching staff that will allow Peyton Manning to flourish. The Chiefs have many offensive weapons running back Jamaal Charles is returning after suffering a season ending injury last season. The Chiefs also have weapons at the wide receiver position Dwayne Bowe, Jonathan Baldwin and Steve Breaston are reliable offensive weapons who could explode with the addition of Peyton Manning. Steve Breaston is one of the best slot receivers in the NFL and having big weapons at the outside wide receiver position is something Peyton can utilize. Historic Arrowhead would be a good place for Peyton to consider over the next week or two.

Seattle Seahawks and Pete Carroll have the pocket book of Paul Allen along with the cap space to make a huge splash after Peyton in free agency. Pete Carroll and John Schneider were the first NFL team to contact Peyton Manning after his release in Indianapolis. The 12^th Man in the Northwest represents the loudest crowd in the NFL providing a huge advantage for Peyton Manning to win in the future. In Seattle Peyton Manning would have an entire media market that stretches from Northern California into Vancouver Canada. Seahawks have the cap space to include Reggie Wayne to making the situation comfortable for Peyton. Peyton will also have the ability to have control most of the offense with Marshawn Lynch at his disposal. “Beast Mode” and Peyton together in Century Link (C-Link) together is a site the Seahawks fans are dreaming of tonight.

Arizona Cardinals winner of 7 out of their last 9 regular season games in 2011 are looking like a prime spot for the Hall of Fame Quarterback. Cardinals have cap room and are not as strapped to Kevin Kolb as many would think. Releasing Kevin Kolb for a healthy Peyton would not be a major decision for Ken Whisenhunt and the Cards front office. Arizona will make a hard push at Peyton and the opportunity for Larry Fitzgerald to catch Sunday, Monday and Thursday night footballs from Peyton should scare the entire NFL. If Peyton is healthy and signs in Arizona expect Reggie Wayne to follow creating a tandem of Fitzgerald and Wayne at wide receiver. The fans in Arizona are rabid feasting Cardinals who can be just as loud as the fans in Seattle. Southwest media market of 1.881 million and the Arizona weather will provide Peyton with a good home.

Miami Dolphins might be the favorite landing spot for Peyton next season. Reggie Wayne is eager to keep Peyton from charting a plane out of Florida. Reggie Wayne might be the biggest selling point here in Miami. Peyton and Wayne have been working out in South Florida. When Peyton departed Indianapolis after his last press conference as a Colt he flew back to Florida. This is a big sign that Peyton feels comfortable in South Beach. Peyton also has a home in the Miami area. On the football side of things the sun has not shine brighter in Miami since the days of Dan Marino. Reggie Bush has turned into a every down back and Brandon Marshall is a NFL top 5 wide receiver. If the only knock against Miami is the fact Tom Brady plays in the same division think again. Peyton never backs away from Tom when it comes to competition.

Outside of Seattle and Arizona the biggest decision for Peyton might be rather to compete against his brother Eli or his arch nemesis Brady. Over the next week or two rumors will continue to swirl until Peyton picks his final NFL destination. What team do you think Peyton will sign with?


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Too Peyton Manning or not Too Peyton Manning? that is the $28 million Dollar Question. Every great folk hero story must come to an end thus is the story of Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. Coming up in the next two to four weeks the Colts will have to make a franchise altering decision too Peyton Manning or not too Peyton Manning? That is the $28 million dollar question currently facing the Colts.

    

 Many of the NFL’s greatest Quarterbacks have been forced to move on from franchises where they provided epic career moments and Super Bowl victories. San Francisco 49ers fans saw the transition from Joe Montana to Steve Young and the Green Bay Packers survived the handover from Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers. In the NFL it’s not new to see legends pass on to the next generation of greatness so what makes the Peyton Manning conversation different?

    

  Steve Young and Aaron Rodgers benefitted from being in the team locker rooms, meetings, practices and workouts with Montana and Favre. When the reigns of greatness were passed on Young and Rodgers were veterans not rookies. Allowing the young veterans to learn the system and protocols of the NFL. Steve Young had the locker room presence and guidance of Jerry Rice. Aaron Rodgers benefitted from a receiving corps of Greg Jennings and Donald Driver. The Colts are completely the polar opposite looking to rebuild from the ground up there is no Greg Jennings or Jerry Rice for Andrew Luck to connect with Reggie Wayne is an unrestricted free agent this off season. The worst part would be the fact that Andrew Luck could be on an island in Indianapolis by himself without the presence of a veteran team to help guide the franchise.