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Yesterday, we got half of the field for the NFL’s Conference Championship games filled, and the other halves of those games will be decided today.
Just like yesterday, the NFC will kick things off on Sunday with the “Why do Minnesota Vikings fans have to cheer for either of these teams Bowl.” The game will be on FOX at 3:30 PM Central, and it will feature the Green Bay Packers taking on the Dallas Cowboys. Dallas is favored in this one. . .personally, I’m hoping they can hold serve at home. Vikings fans have no love for either of these teams, but one modern Italian philosopher put it best when he said “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
The other game for today will be in prime time, courtesy of Mother Nature. Live from Arrowhead Stadium at 7:00 PM Central on NBC, we will see the Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers. This game was originally scheduled for noon Central today, but the weather necessitated moving things back a few hours to give road crews time to clear the path to Arrowhead. It looks like it’s going to be cold and wet in Kansas City for this one today, despite things getting pushed back a few hours.
In yesterday’s action, the Atlanta Falcons took down the Seattle Seahawks in a game that was close early, but saw the (should be) 2016 NFL MVP, Matt Ryan, get things heated up and the Falcons pull away, winning by a score of 36-20. Where the Falcons play next week depends on the results of this afternoon’s game. If Dallas wins, Atlanta will have to travel to Jerryworld for the NFC Championship Game. If Green Bay wins, the final game at the Georgia Dome will be this year’s NFC Championship Game. (The Falcons move into the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium next year.)
On the AFC side, the New England Patriots did what they were expected to do and easily dispatched the Houston Texans by a final score of 34-16. That makes it six consecutive trips to the Conference Championship for Tom Brady and company, and they’ll host either the Steelers or the Chiefs next Sunday night.
We will have Open Threads up for both of today’s games, with each hitting the site approximately half an hour before kickoff. If you’re going to be watching the games today anyway, we invite you to stop by and talk about them with your fellow Minnesota Vikings fans.