The Epic Championship Games & The Super Re-Match

Well, well, well. What a weekend of football it was. What a day!

What we witnessed yesterday was 2 epic games that saw thrilling and gut wrenching conclusions for both the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers. The two teams left standing after one of the most thrilling Championship weekends, the New England Patriots and the New York Giants, give us a chance at revisiting one of the most amazing Super Bowl's in recent history when these same two teams battled it out only 4 years ago.


For New York, this is a chance to have (gulp) Eli Manning become the King of New York and surpass his own future-hall-of-fame brother in the process if he is able to win another Super Bowl as well as becoming the first QB in New York to win 2 Super Bowls, 1 more then the Legendary Joe Nameth.

Tom Coughlin, Giants head coach, has become the first NFL coach to win 7 road (or neutral site) playoff games and if they were to win the Super Bowl, they would simply add to his already NFL Record total (he is 7-1 in his career).

For Tom Brady and the Patriots, there is far more at stake, historically speaking. First of all, there is the revenge factor. Remember of course that it was Eli and the Giants that ruined their prefect season with a lucky catch and the failure of the officials to call 4 holds on that same play against the offensive linemen of the Giants (Sorry, I will never forgive those officials for blowing that game for my PERFECT Patriots).

Next of course is the fact that this is Brady's 2nd chance to tie Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw for the most Super Bowl wins by one Quarterback at 4 (Brady is 3-1 but should be 4-0!!!). Also, by winning this Super Bowl, Brady will become the all-time NFL Playoff Leader in Career Playoff wins as with his win yesterday, he tied Joe Montana with his 16th win (he is 16-5 but should be at least 17-4, yes it's a recurring theme today).

Bill Belichick, Patriots head coach, has a chance to win his 4th Super Bowl title which would tie a record held by the legendary coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Chuck Noll, who won 4 in 6 years back in the 70's along with Terry Bradshaw. He along with Brady, have already broken the record for most wins in the regular season by a QB and coach combination this season and will also set the playoff record shortly but this Super Bowl has a lot more meaning to the Patriots then it dos to the Giants. Brady and Belichick have a chance to solidify their already Hall of Fame worthy careers by tying legends of the game if they win in 2 weeks.

Back to the Conference title game losing teams for a moment. I feel horrible for the 49ers and Kyle Williams. He was filling in for the injured Teddy Ginn Jr.and had only had fielded 4 punts the whole season before being pressed into duty yesterday. He fumbled 3 punts, recovering 1 of them but the most vital was the one in OT as it gave the Giants great field position which led to their game winning field goal. He, undoubtedly, will never forget probably the worst day of his life.

The same goes for Billy Cundiff, field goal kicker for the Baltimore Ravens. With Patriots leading 23-20, he lined up with 15 seconds left in the game to try a 32 yard field goal, routine some would argue. A chip shot that should have forced the game into OT instead went spiraling wide left, giving the Patriots their 7th Super Bowl appearance since 1986 and their 5th in the last 12 seasons.

Understandably, Cundiff was a shattered man after the game but he wasn't the only Raven who should be wearing the "Goat" horns today. Lee Evans, wide receiver, should have put them ahead only 1 play earlier except he was unable to hold on to a perfectly thrown ball that was in his bread basket in the end zone until a back up corner back named Sterling Moore was able to rip it away from him.

I watched the post-game interviews conducted by some of the Ravens and I admit I think I have changed my view on Ray Lewis, the long time linebacker of the Ravens. He took it upon himself to defend his teammates and proclaimed that it wasn't the fault of one single player but the fault of all 53 players on the team for their loss. His words should help ease the pain of Cundiff and might even allow him to remain on the team, despite the fact that all the Baltimore media will harp on the missed kick for the entire off season.

Two games, 2 losing teams left in disarray, 2 teams yet to fight it out for the Championship. What a weekend it was....