It's been a week since the devastating loss of my team, the Chargers to the Jets and it's been a rough week indeed. For days after the game, I couldn't listen to someone say "man those Chargers huh?" without fighting some sort of gut painful feeling. Even a week later the feeling is still tender, and it was bittersweet turning on the TV yesterday to see the final games to the playoffs.
The high tension game for me yesterday was the Colts vs the Jets, it was as if I was searching for some sort of vengeance for what had happened a week prior and I wanted to see a deserving team go to the Superbowl. Honestly I have no idea what my beef with the Jets is, I had no problem with them when Chad Pennington (poor guy) or even Brett Favre was their quarterback, which brings me to believe that my issues root directly to Mark Sanchez. Perhaps it was when I heard that this rookie qb got 53 million before ever throwing a snap, or maybe it's because he went to USC, or even the media is to blame because for the first five weeks of the season I kept hearing how "Poised" he was. It got to a point where I every time I heard "Mark Sanchez" and the word "poised", I'd turn into a gremlin fury and want to tear everything apart.
Regardless, I think the Jets got to the playoffs not because of how Poised Sanchez is, but because they have a great running game and the best defense in the league.
On the other side, every time Peyton Manning handed off the ball yesterday, I would get this gut wrenching fear that the ball wouldn't even make it back to the line of scrimmage, but I was proved wrong. Unlike their last game against the Ravens where everytime the ball was handed off they'd lose yards, they had a couple decent runs yesterday.
There were so many amazing plays yesterday. Prior to the game, I kept hearing all over sport's news that the Colts better beware of Jet's corner star Darrelle Revis. I wasn't worried, with 4 receivers to choose from "Reggie Wayne, Austin Collie, Pierre Garcon and Dallas Clark (tight end), that ball was going to move down the field. I'll admit though, it was a frustrating first half when the only points on the board for the Colts were 2 field goals.
But despite having the best defense and getting lucky w/ two big plays, the Jets are not going to the Superbowl and the Colts are the AFC Champions! It is slightly weird cheering for a Manning, but I have to say I like Peyton as an individual, the only reason I ever had anything against him, I just disliked him by proxy due to my hate of Eli Manning (and his whole cry fest when he got drafted to the chargers).
Vikings VS Saints
Man this was the game that I knew was going to be entirely a polar opposite of the Colts vs Jets game. It was nothing short of explosive and intense. Although I had money on the Vikings due to the spread, It was one of those games where I was just routing for a good game. I love both Brett Favre and Drew Brees, and this NFC championship game was so epic because we had our top QBS actually facing off head to head.
Even just watching this game on TV, I was utterly blown away by the noise. Brees says ""It was as loud as I have ever heard it in the dome..."
.
Adrian Peterson got a bulk of the points on the board by scoring 3 touchdowns, but also turning over the ball a handful of times. I can't help but think that the Vikings did what the Chargers did which was give away the game by making so many mistakes. From the first half to third quarter, I could barely keep track of the fumbles, then in the final minutes when Favre threw the pick, I knew it was done. The game was won by a 40 yard field goal.
Watching Brett Favre give the post game press conference was gut wrenching, the guy had tears in his eyes, and when asked how he feels after taking so many hits he says "I've definitely felt better, and often times winning makes you feel a bit better but..." His eyes were glistening, nose red and from time to time with each question, his voice would just drop.
The million dollar question after the game was "is Favre going to retire?" and for now no one knows. With the Saints winning, my final thought to the game was "oh the irony" that Drew Brees used to be our (the chargers) quarterback, and now he's going to the Superbowl, while we flubbed it.
All I know is we are 28th in line for the draft, and I'm anxious to see how our roster's gonna look. Awaiting the Superbowl, but this is all bittersweet.. I'll be utterly sad when football season is over :(.