While all of the talk leading up to the NFL finals has been the rekindling of the rivalry of two of the most legendary quarterback’s in NFL history, on the NFC side of things we are being treated to a glimpse of the future.
Perhaps the next iteration of Manning versus Brady – Wilson versus Kaepernick. But this one is much better – these two revolutionary, exciting, NFC West quarterback’s will face off at least twice a year, every year.
We could be in the midst of the most storied quarterback battles in NFL history.
There’s no denying there has been an influx of remarkable quarterback talent to the NFL in the past few years.
Names like Newton, Griffin III and Luck have reinforced the fact this generation’s quarterback talent will supersede the old guard, then dominate in the years to come.
But of all the quarterbacks that have come to the fore in the past three years, two in particular stand out for their maturity, their ability to lead their teams deep into playoffs and most significantly, being immune to feared the second-season syndrome.
They are Russel Wilson and Colin Kaepernick.
And it is fitting that these two should meet for the right to put their skills to the test against either Peyton Manning or Brady, two quarterbacks who are closer to the end of their career but have a CV of achievements almost unmatched in recent years.
This sets up an intriguing NFC Championship game, and, regardless of the outcomes, an even more interesting Superbowl.
Unlike Newton and Griffin III, Wilson and Kaepernick showed amazing maturity to play at a consistently high level after their rookie/breakout seasons.
They looked like seasoned veterans this year, the main reason why they have taken their respective teams further than the other graduates from recent draft classes.
Andrew Luck has shown similar traits, but his capitulation in this year’s playoffs, throwing interception after interception at key moments, shows he still has another step to take before he can reach the level of development Wilson and Kaepernick have achieved.
Newton had a great third year – but has already been trumped by second-(full)year Kaepernick, with the Tattooed One dismissing Super Cam’s Panthers in this season’s divisional round. And the less said about RGIII’s second season, the better.
So how do these two upstarts compare to the established forces?
Neither quarterback of the four remaining in the 2013 season have shown sign of letting up this season – hence all of their teams still remain in championship contention.
And quite deservedly so; we are seeing without doubt the best two teams from the NFC and the best two teams from the AFC playing for a chance to be involved in the big dance.
A lot of the credit for this comes down to the incredible control and management of Manning, the genius and experience of Brady, the athleticism and courage of Kaepernick, and the evasive unpredictability of Wilson.
The styles of the new guard quarterback’s and the old guard quarterback’s couldn’t be more different – obviously the youthful stars are more agile and physical, while the experienced duo are more wily and game-smart.
Only time will tell how Wilson and Kaepernick develop as they get older and lose their major physical weapons – but they can do worse than look over the fence at the AFC and see how Manning and Brady have managed to stay ominous at the later stages of their career.
As for now, we are fortunate to see such compelling match-ups and clashes of style.
So many storylines remain and so many chapters are still left to be written this season.
Let’s appreciate the rivalry between Manning and Brady, in what may be the last time we see their teams go head to head.
But let’s also start to enjoy the rivalry of two exciting young stars who have already started their careers at one hundred miles per hour.
After all, we will be seeing a lot of it in the years to come.
Hey, supercoach? Choose your own ultimate NFL team and compete with other players for cash prizes in daily competitions on any match. If you’re after the best odds on the NFL, PlayUp is your best bet. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
The extraordinary episodes after his life as an American Football hero quite overshadowed the career of O.J. Simpson, who has died at the age…
The Kansas City Chiefs, steered brilliamtly at the end by star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, downed the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime to secure…
San Francisco 49ers will make their eighth appearance in the Super Bowl after a stellar season from a team stacked with real talent across the whole line-up.
The Chiefs are no longer strangers to playing matches in February. What was once a multi-generational 50-year drought has become an almost yearly tradition.
Daniel Faalele and Mitch Wishnowsky have kept their Super Bowl dreams alive, with Baltimore and San Francisco winning the divisional round playoff.
Six-time NFL champion Bill Belichick has agreed to part ways as the coach of the New England Patriots, bringing an end to his 24-year…
