It Could Happen...

New York Jets (AFC No.5) Vs (NFC No.1) New Orleans Saints
Bang meets buck in this explosive match-up. The Jets are rolling like a steam-train with no brakes, while the Saints’ high-tempo offence has been money all season. This would be fun to watch while the league’s top-ranked units in defence and offence face off against each other, and could prove interesting when their carried counterparts take to the field. The Jets power running game could cause the Saints front seven some serious problems. New Orleans is quite soft in coverage and will probably play a shallow zone scheme to disrupt rookie QB Mark Sanchez and urge him to try and hit a streaking receiver deep. Sanchez has a cannon for an arm, but his playoff poise, let alone Super Bowl composure is yet to be tested. The Saints will need to score consistently, because the Jets’ points will likely come in bursts – the Saints can afford to kick field goals as long as they put points on the board with every drive. The Jets will rely on Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene making plays, but there are only so many the Saints will give up. This is probably the Jets preferred opponent in Super Bowl XLIV, but I can’t see it happening and, despite the Saints’ seeding, think this meeting is the most unlikely to materialise.
It may be a good showcase for an elevated tactical battle, though. It has often been said that defence is the way to win championships – to a certain extent this is undeniably true – but the league has, of late, moved to a pass-first system which belies old wisdom. Will the trigger-happy Saints cleave apart the Jets’ Green Curtain? If the unthinkable happens, we might just get a chance to find out!


New York Jets (AFC No.5) Vs (NFC No.2) Minnesota Vikings
Old versus young; Brett Favre versus Mark Sanchez; the purple and green of these two teams share one primary colour, but which will be left feeling blue after this unexpected battle has taken place. The Super Bowl will take place in Miami in an open-topped stadium. Of all the teams that made it to the Conference Championship games, only the Jets play outside. The balmier climate and the possibility of rain and or wind could really throw the Vikings’ slick aerial attack out of sync. Fortunately they have a pretty special runner in the form of Adrian Peterson who should be able to grind out a few key yards early on to keep the Jets’ defence honest. He’s a very special talent is No. 28. After this, his second season, his production ranks highly and his athletic ability is regarded as almost supernatural. He was selected seventh overall in the draft – a position that rarely throws-up such gems. If AP can run downhill ‘All Day’, then the Vikings will prosper here with Favre moving the ball over the middle of the Jets defence, and more than once launching the ball deep to either Harvin or Rice – basically whoever is NOT being covered by Darelle Revis.
In terms of seeding this is the underdog pairing. A lot of things point to this combination being possible, but the responsibility to make it happen is likely more the Jets’, as the Vikings have been, from the very first day with Favre at the helm, a Super Bowl destined unit. If the stars align and this contest materialises, who will win? The Vikings are just too good on offence, and have the ability to pressure the QB on defence to be anything but strong favourites here. The Jets are built like the Vikes, but with a bit of a rubbish passing game and a statistically superior secondary.
More to the point; I want Favre to win. I want the grizzled old bear to go out on top. I love him in a way that is irrational for a young sports fan to feel. He is Captain America – just as Randy Couture is the Brett Favre of the UFC, Old Greybeard has played on everybody’s heartstrings at one time or another. Never more so than the stupendous performance he put in the day after his father died – throwing four TDs in a game against the Raiders. He is the people’s hero and a great icon. He enjoys life on and off the field and is adorable as a big kid playing dress-up in his daddy’s cleats and lid.
I raise my glass to him for his efforts thus far and I hope that he makes it through the big show one more time, and then, for the sake of history and our jangled nerves, he retires.


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