The games weren’t as close as anticipated, but the stars shined and the four teams in the respective conference championships are the best four teams, though the Saints had a really quality club, but played in the driving rain in Seattle with 30 MPH winds and had a shot. They’re up there with the other four.

NFC Divisional

Saturday:

Seahawks 23, Saints 15

It didn’t seem like the Seahawks dominated this game by any means, but the Beast, Marshawn Lynch, was a dominant running back. Lynch had the clinching 31 yard TD run and finished with 140 yards on 28 carries and two TDs. Russell Wilson was nine-of-18 for 103 yards, no TDs and no ints. He had a 67.6 passer rating. The Saints scored with :26 seconds left to cut the lead to eight and recovered the onside kick, but Breesy threw a pass to Marques Colston, who caught it at the Seattle 38 and was about to go out of bounds with about four seconds left, but Colston tried to throw the ball across the field to fellow wide out Travaris Cadet, but that didn’t work and the game was over. Pretty tough conditions to play football with heavy rain and a 30 MPH wind, but it was a very good game. Seahawks move on to host the winner of Sunday’s game.

Who were on Sunday…

49ers 23, Panthers 10

Niners qb Colin Kaepernick and the Niners defense, with two interceptions of Cam, move on to Seattle next Sunday. Kaepernick was 15-of-28 for 196 yards and a touchdown, a one yard pass to Vernon Davis. His passer rating was 87.8, which is solid, but not overwhelming. But he played very well and executed the key passes when his team needed him to. And the defense was all over Cam with five sacks on the day and two ints. Linebacker Ahmad Brooks had two and a half sacks. This is the best linebacking corps in the NFL with NaVarro Bowman, who recorded 11 tackles, a sack and a tackle for loss, and Patrick Willis, who also finished for the team co-lead with Bowman recording 11 tackles. This team is tough, physical and has the playmakers in Kaepernick, who is also a huge threat with his wheels, running back Frank Gore, who had 84 yards on 17 carries, Anquan Bolin (8 receptions for 136 yards), Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis. Donte Whitner and Willis had the interceptions for the Niners. Cam and the Panthers need to regroup for next year. It’s painful to lose in the playoffs, but this is a young talented team with an excellent defense so they’ll be back. Meanwhile the Niners continue their quest for the Super Bowl at MetLife Stadium at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

AFC Divisional

Saturday

Patriots 43, Colts 22

The Patriots blasted the Colts and did it with a stellar run game and stout defense. LeGarrette Blount ran for 166 yards on 24 carries and scored four TDs. Blount is in his fifth season out of Oregon and has had his share of difficulties both in the college and pros with some poor personal decisions, but he hit his stride on Saturday Night. Tom Brady was 13-of-25 for 198 yards with no TDs and no ints and a 78.4 passer rating. Those are pedestrian numbers for Tom Terrific, but he didn’t need to be great as Blount and Stevan Ridley were awesome. Ridley ran for 52 yards and 14 carries and scored two TDs. But the New England defense was also the story. They intercepted Andrew Luck four times. Luck had a pretty bad night going 20 of 41 for 331 yards with two TDs but the four ints. His passer rating was 53. Pretty bad number there. Conerback Alfonzo Dennard picked Luck off twice and former Alabama linebacker Dont’a Hightower intercepted a dropped pass as well. Hightower also led the team in tackles with eight. If Belichick and Brady have this kind of running game to go along with solid defense, they’re dangerous. They’ll play next Sunday at:

Denver

Broncos 24, Chargers 17

Peyton and the Broncos move one step closer to the Super Bowl. Peyton was 25-of-36 for 230 yards, two TDs and one int. His passer rating was 93.5, good number. Peyton’s TD passes went to Demaryius Thomas and Wes Welker. The rejuvenated Knowshon Moreno ran for 82 yards on 23 carries. Moreno was featured in SI last week. Man he had a tough upbringing but has found himself in his fifth year in the league out of Georgia. Phillip Rivers had a nice game for the Chargers going 18-of-27 for 217 yards and two TDs with no ints for a passer rating of 115.8, highest of any qb over the weekend. The Chargers look like they could be a team to be reckoned with next year. Rivers has gained a lot of confidence under new coach Mike McCoy, who was Peyton’s coordinator in Denver last year, and they run it and play good defense. But the Broncos move on to host the Patriots this season for the right to go to New Jersey and play for it all in Super Bowl 48 on Sunday, February 2nd on Fox with kickoff scheduled for 6:25 PM ET/5:25 CT.

Predictions for this Sunday:

New England (12-4) @ Denver (13-3)

3 PM ET/2 CT

Sports Authority Field at Mile High (76,125)

CBS

Jim, Phil and Wolf

Weather: As of today, 56 degrees partly cloudy, 0 % rain, wind 9 MPH

Line:Denver by 5

Peyton versus Brady for the 15th time. Brady leads in head to head 10-4. Can Peyton get over the hump this time. Skip Bayless of ESPN calls Peyton the greatest regular season quarterback ever, and I agree. A lot to be said for that over the course of Peyton’s 16 year career. But getting to the Super Bowl has been challenging for him. Three all time great coaches, Don Shula, Joe Gibbs and Bill Parcells were polled on who he would take as his quarterback Brady or Peyton. Shula, who won two Super Bowls as the coach of the Miami Dolphins (1972 and 73)  chose Peyton. Gibbs, who won three Super Bowls as coach of the Washington Redskins (1982, ’87 and 91), chose Peyton. Parcells, who won two Super Bowls as coach of the New York Giants (1986, 1990), picked Brady. It’s a tough call, but with three Super Bowl victories and five Super Bowl appearances, I’d have to pick Brady also if somebody gave me an ultimatum to pick. Peyton is 37 and Brady is 36. Peyton could retire after this season once he gets his neck checked out and if he sees there are complications he might hang up his jersey from an illustrious career. Brady and Peyton are two of the three all time greats along with Montana. If I had to pick today, I’d go 1. Brady, 2. Montana, 3. Peyton. I like Brady to get the better of Peyton this Sunday as well. I think the Patriots have a better team than the Broncos.

Patriots 31, Broncos 28

San Francisco (12-4) @ Seattle (13-3)

CenturyLink Field (67,000)

6:30 PM ET/5:30 CT

Fox

Joe, Troy, Pam

Weather: as of today, Cloudy, 49 degrees, 20% rain, wind 6 MPH. Pretty good for Seattle as of right now.

Line: Seahawks by 3.5

I really like the way Colin Kaepernick is playing right now. Seems really on top of things and just a playmaker. The Niners defense really impresses me. They are not only tough, physical and disruptive in the front seven, but there are game changers in this group. Like Seattle’s defense and Lynch is a total stud, and Wilson is good too, but I like the Niners to get it done here and move on to the Meadowlands where they’ll face Brady and the Patriots. Had the Niners over the Patriots in Super Bowl 48 in my preseason pick. I hedged a little bit during the season, but that was my preseason pick.

Niners 27, Seahawks 24

Record over the weekend: 3-1

Overall record, NFL : 60-34 (64%)

Final college record: 145-58 (71%)

Bowls: 20-15