The Divisional Round of the playoffs offers a scintillating series of QB matchups:
SATURDAY
» Joe Flacco vs. Tom Brady (Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots, 4:35 p.m. ET, NBC): As Brian Billick just chronicled, Flacco has gotten the best of Brady in their postseason encounters.
» Cam Newton vs. Russell Wilson (Carolina Panthers at Seattle Seahawks, 8:15 p.m. ET, FOX): A battle of two of the NFL's most promising young signal-callers, one of whom took home the Lombardi Trophy less than a year ago? Yes, please!
SUNDAY
» Tony Romo vs. Aaron Rodgers (Dallas Cowboys at Green Bay Packers, 1:05 p.m. ET, FOX): Rodgers is the MVP favorite, but Romo led the league in quarterback rating and completion percentage during the regular season.
» Andrew Luck vs. Peyton Manning (Indianapolis Colts at Denver Broncos, 4:40 p.m. ET, CBS): Luck versus his Colts predecessor -- a classic bout between generational talents.
So, which quarterback duel is most enticing?
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- Adam Schein @AdamSchein
Luck-Manning III tops the marquee
All four QB matchups have sizzle, but there's nothing more compelling than Peyton Manning versus his old team and the quarterback who replaced him, Andrew Luck. The two signal-callers are 1-1 in previous head-to-head meetings, with Peyton taking the latest installment back in Week 1 of this season. It's an intense battle of the Colts' past against the Colts' present (and future).
Luck has enjoyed a better season than Manning, but Peyton plays on the more well-rounded team that is rightly favored to win on Sunday. For Indy to prevail, Luck would have to single-handedly carry his flawed squad to victory. Is he capable? It is a tall task, but you can't put anything beyond his reach. At the same time, as I wrote in my column on Thursday, there isn't a quarterback with more at stake this postseason than Manning. Can't wait for this one!
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- Gil Brandt @GilBrandt
Flacco vs. Brady is a sweet matchup of contrasting styles -- and I'll take the cannon arm
I'll go with the big-armed playoff maestro vs. one of the best in history: Joe Flacco vs. Tom Brady.
These guys are kind of opposites, in that Flacco will throw a 40-yard out on a line downfield, whereas Brady is adept at finding the open man and identifying the receiver with the best chance of catching the ball and making a play. Both have dazzled in the postseason -- Flacco is 10-4 lifetime with seven wins on the road, while Brady has the most playoff wins by a quarterback in NFL history (18) -- though Brady is just 4-5 since Flacco entered the league, with a 1-2 postseason record against Flacco's Ravens.
Yes, the Baltimore QB will have to deal with Darrelle Revis, but ultimately, I like Flacco's chances, as I think he'll fearlessly attack Revis, regardless of how good the Patriots' cornerback is. Flacco can get the ball to his man no matter who's covering him. I think the guy with the cannon arm will advance to Championship Sunday.
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- Bucky Brooks @BuckyBrooks
Saturday night's Newton-Wilson matchup offers a glimpse into the NFL's future
The Cam Newton-Russell Wilson battle is this weekend's most intriguing matchup. It features a pair of "new school" quarterbacks capable of doing damage as dual-threat playmakers. Although traditionalists still pound the table for the conventional pocket passer, the seismic shift at the quarterback position at the high school and collegiate levels is producing more signal-callers adept at making plays with their legs outside of the pocket. Newton and Wilson are ideal representatives of this growing trend, based on their ability to thrive as running threats within their respective offenses.
With both playmakers also capable of delivering pinpoint passes from the pocket, this NFC Divisional Round bout will give fans a glimpse at how the pro game will continue to evolve over the next few seasons.
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- Chris Wesseling @ChrisWesseling
All four matchups are appealing, but Romo-Rodgers is the no-brainer answer
These are all great matchups. Wilson and Newton are representative of the alleged new breed. Brady is the best cold-weather and home-field quarterback in NFL history -- and he's being overshadowed by Flacco this week. Manning and Luck represent the ghosts of Colts playoff past and present.
But the easy answer is the matchup between two MVP candidates, Romo and Rodgers. The former is under pressure to shake his unfair reputation as a crunch-time choker. The latter has been the game's best for over three years but is currently dogged by a painful calf injury. These two quarterbacks not only have the two highest career passer ratings in NFL history, but also boast the highest combined single-season passer rating (225.4) of any playoff matchup in NFL history. Anything short of a shootout will be a letdown.
