Super Bowl come early? Seahawks-Panthers just might feature NFL’s two best

Gregg Patton writes Blair Walsh's miss last weekend wasn't just a blessing to the Seattle Seahawks – it was a gift to all American football fans, who now get to see them match up against the Carolina Panthers.

Cam Newton, quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, top, and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, bottom. (Photos: Bob Leverone and Ross D Franklin / AP)

The Seattle Seahawks are not the only ones who should be thanking Minnesota Vikings kicker Blair Walsh for missing the routine, 27-yard field goal that should have eliminated the Seattle Seahawks from the post-season last weekend.

Walsh’s shocking gaffe sent the Seahawks ahead to face the Carolina Panthers in what might shape up, from a fan’s perspective, as the most compelling match of the weekend’s NFL play-off schedule.

Consider this, the Panthers posted the best record (15-1) during the regular season, including a dramatic, final minute, comeback victory over the defending National Conference champion Seahawks in Seattle.

So we have this year’s best against last year’s NFC title holder in an even more meaningful rematch.

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Leading the Panthers is the contender for the Most Valuable Player trophy, quarterback Cam Newton.

But wait a minute. Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson may have something to say about the MVP race.

The dual-threat quarterback rallied Seattle to a 7-1 mark the second half of the season and into the post-season while elevating himself to the top of the league’s passer rankings – ahead of the likes of Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees.

No doubt that Carolina (and their bravado) were the story of the season, as they ran their record to 14-0 before finally losing.

The Panthers never doubted themselves, talking as good a game as they continued to shine on the field, all the way to the No 1 seed.

What better way to prove it than against the NFC’s other champion chest-thumpers, the boasting-all-the-way Seahawks.

Walsh’s nightmare, now an NFL fan’s dream.

No wind in these QBs’ sails

There was a time when Sunday’s Denver Broncos-Pittsburgh Steelers post-season match-up would have projected as a dazzling, high-scoring, passing shoot-out between quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Ben Roethlisberger.

Now is not that time.

Manning will be starting his first game in two months for the Broncos. When he did play this season, he looked like a 39-year-old man battling multiple aches and pains, not a five-time league Most Valuable Player.

Roethlisberger may be in his prime and still an elite passer, but probably not this week.

He is trying to figure out how to throw with a separated shoulder, an injury suffered in last week’s play-off win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

If he does play, do not look for his full arsenal of deep passes.

When the two teams met in the regular season on December 20 in Pittsburgh, the Steelers prevailed, 34-27.

Reaching 34 points together will be an achievement Sunday.

Their second-round American Conference battle shapes up as a defensive struggle, with both teams turning to their running backs, hoping to establish control of a brutish, grind-it-out game.

Good luck.

Denver have the No 1-rated defence, and a notion that it is “payback” time against the Steelers.

“I love revenge games,” Denver cornerback Bradley Roby told the Associated Press. “It brings out the best in me.”

The Broncos also will have a healthy defensive secondary, which they did not have the first time in Pittsburgh.

“A lot of stuff is different, the 70,000 that will be on our side this time,” Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib told NFL.com, referring to the noisy Denver crowd which will do its best to disrupt Pittsburgh’s signal-calling.

Pittsburgh likely will miss their top running back, DeAngelo Williams, who sat out last week’s game with a foot injury.

Then there is receiver Antonio Brown, one of the league’s very best, who suffered a head injury against Cincinnati and spent the week under the league’s concussion protocol. He had 189 yards receiving and two touchdown catches in the December game against Denver, but is not expected to suit up.

All of that bodes well for the Broncos, but their offence has issues under Manning, as well.

The banged up (foot, ribs, shoulder) veteran did relieve Brock Osweiler in the regular season finale against the San Diego Chargers two weeks ago, rallying Denver to victory.

But his contribution was more strategic than physically imposing, as he called a series of running plays and short passes that succeeded, in lieu of his historical ability to pass, pass, pass the team downfield.

Moreover, Denver fizzled offensively under Manning at the beginning of the season, and tried to run the ball more. Then they tried to run again when Osweiler first took over, to ease his transition.

The emphasis on the ground game only produced the 17th best running attack in the league.

Meanwhile, Pittsburgh, whose defence could not corral a herd of tortoises early in the season, has been strengthening lately, holding the Bengals to 16 points last week.

“The defence has gained a lot of chemistry and gotten a lot better,” Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier said.

If that is true, then both teams’ defences should have their way against a pair of historic quarterbacks, who figure to be in strange territory, the rare day when Manning and Roethlisberger may both be more vulnerable than dangerous.

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