Road to the Super Bowl goes through Green Bay
January 19, 2021
The Green Bay Packers have made it to the Final 4! Final 4! OK, I know this is not March Madness, but it is always exciting to see a team you are rooting for making this far. At this point of the stage, any one of the four teams left can win a championship.
This week’s matchups include a game between two legendary quarterbacks and a matchup between two young promising quarterbacks. And then the Super Bowl will between a legendary quarterback and a rising star quarterback.
Who wins? We will find out soon.
Green Bay Packers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
My pick: Green Bay Packers
Aaron Rodgers vs. Tom Brady rematch? One is regarded as the most talented quaterback and leading MVP candidate, and another one is regarded as the greatest quarterback ever. Both have interesting stories to share.
People thought that Rodgers was done after the last year’s “poor” performance of 4,002 yards with 26 touchdowns and four interceptions. Ironically, that number is still fantastic. As Rodgers said in one podcast: “A lot of times down years for me are career years for most quarterbacks.” What he said is completely true.
This year is considered one of the best years of him with 4,299 yards with 48 touchdowns and five interceptions to prove why he is the Most Valuable Player.
Similarly, this is the first year that Brady is playing for a team not named the Patriots, and he showed his greatness with 4,633 yards with 40 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Do people know that he is 43 years old?
Whether you like the Patriots or Brady, his performance should be acknowledged. What really impressed me, and many people is how quickly Brady adjusted to the new team and brought the team to the championship contender. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were 7-9 last year, and the team was often shadowed by the fellow teams in the division, such as New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons (sometimes even by Carolina Panthers). The fact that Brady brought this team to this far is impressive.
Now, let’s look at the matchup. The Packers and the Buccaneers faced each other during the regular season, and the Buccaneers beat the Packers by 38 to 10. Rodgers had his worst game of the season with 160 yards with 2 interceptions. On the other hand, Brady had 166 yards with 2 touchdowns. I strongly believe that the Packers will perform much better, especially at home.
Buffalo Bills vs. Kansas City Chiefs
My pick: Buffalo Bills
Even when their starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes left the game, the Chiefs were able to seal the deal with much improved Cleveland Browns. The real question is whether Mahomes is able to be back in time for the matchup with the Bills. And when he comes back, will he bee 100 percent ready?
With each playoff game means do or die situation, the Chiefs hope to have their quarterback back in time. The backup, Chad Henne, threw 66 yards with one interception, which is not a strong performance. He will be more prepared, but again there is less pressure for the Bills to cover Henne vs. Mahomes.
On the other hand, the Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen is having a career year this season by throwing 4,544 yards with 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. His connection with his wide receiver Stefon Diggs is having a career year with 1,535 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns. The weakness of the Bills is their rushing game. They only ran for 32 yards against the Baltimore Ravens. I believe that Allen will be more involved with his mobility against the Chiefs.
In normal condition, I believe that the Chiefs would have a better chance to win. They have the experience of winning the Super Bowl together last year, but with the concussion of Mahomes makes me hesitant to pick the Chiefs over this dynamic Bills team.