The top four teams in the NFL this season are the last four standing. But who will be moving on to Super Bowl 50?
New England Patriots @ Denver Broncos, Sunday, 8:05pm
Can the Pats keep pressure off Tom Brady?
The New England offensive line didn’t allow a sack last week against Kansas City, and Brady was hit just once as the Patriots used a pass-heavy attack to open up a 21-6 lead shortly after half-time that the Chiefs couldn’t peg back.
It was a stark contrast to the sides’ previous meeting last season, when the Chiefs got to Brady early and ran out easy winners, and once again reinforced that the only way to slow down the Patriots is to get to the quarterback, especially given Bill Belichick’s apparent lack of confidence in any sort of run game.
With star pass rushers Justin Houston and Tamba Hali slowed by injuries, New England were able to deal with the Chiefs efforts to get pressure, but facing up to Denver duo of Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware will be another matter.
The Broncos hit Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger six times, including three sacks, and Brady will want to get the ball out nice and quickly to fit-again receivers Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola and tight end Rob Gronkowski.
However, the Broncos rush has the ability to disrupt even the quickest passes, while linebackers Danny Trevathan and Brandon Marshall have the quickness to match New England’s shifty playmakers on short and intermediate routes.
Can Denver’s offence get its act together?
The Broncos were lucky to beat Pittsburgh on Sunday night, with the Steelers fumbling the ball away with ten minutes left as they looked set to add to their 13-12 lead, allowing Denver to seize the lead en route to a 23-16 win.
Despite being the AFC’s top seeds, Denver hasn’t looked liek a Super Bowl favourite, and in addition to needing a big game from their defensive front, the Broncos must deliver a more cohesive performance on offence to beat Belichick and Brady.
Peyton Manning, starting for the first time in two months, remains well short of his Hall of Fame prime, completing less than 60 per cent of his passes against a mediocre Steelers D, although he wasn’t helped by his receivers, who dropped seven of those incompletions.
Manning he did come through with some key late throws, especially a third and 12 conversion on the game-changing fourth-quarter touchdown drive, but the 39-year-old and his weapons will have to be sharper from the start to give the defence a reasonable target to defend.
Arizona Cardinals @ Carolina Panthers, Sunday, 11:40pm
Will Carson Palmer bounce back one of his poorest outings of the season?
The Arizona quarterback will probably finish in the top three in MVP voting behind Brady and the main man on the opposing sideline on Sunday, Cam Newton, but a repeat of his performance against Green Bay will probably rubber-stamp the Panthers’ tickets to the Super Bowl.
Palmer’s radar was off all game as he threw two interceptions and could have had a couple of other passes picked off, while the Cards got lucky when this pass into traffic bounced into the air for a touchdown.
https://twitter.com/TheCauldron/status/688572273767223296
Head coach Bruce Arians has demanded that Palmer regain the killer instinct that defined Arizona’s offence in the regular season, and with wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald re-energised by the prospect of reaching a second Super Bowl and leading a healthy group of speedy wideouts, the Birds’ hopes rest on Palmer’s shoulders.
Can Cam be stopped?
Newton has had the look of a man on a date with destiny this season. Whenever the occasion has called for a big play, the 26-year-old has delivered, whether with his arm or his legs, and with all due respect to the Panthers’ fabulous, opportunistic defence, was the driving force behind their 15-1 campaign.
Cam was only called upon for 161 passing yards and three rushing yards as Carolina raced to a 31-0 half-time lead against the Seahawks, but as Seattle was at the height of their second-half charge, Newton again stepped up to find Greg Olsen for two key first downs that allowed the Panthers drain valuable clock.
Facing another dual threat QB Russell Wilson twice already this season – with decidedly mixed results – might give the Cardinals more confidence than most in their ability to slow down Newton, but Newton possesses a physical element to his game that Wilson does not and will require an even more polished defensive game plan.
