Championship Sunday Recap: Favre fails, Manning prevails

Early game - Colts 30, Jets 17  The Jets had everything going - they exploded with a 17 points in the second quarter to take a seemingly commanding 17-6 lead in what was looking like a defensive struggle that their smashmouth run-first style of play would normally thrive in.  Their points came thanks to this perfect pass from Sanchez to Edwards and this trick play from the wildcat formation that led to another touchdown.  However, the Colts would not be silenced.  From there on, it was Manning being Manning.  He drove the Colts downfield for a touchdown moments before halftime and brought them to paydirt again in their first possession of the second half, giving them all the points they would need to beat the Jets as they took a 20-17 lead.  They would add to their score later in the 4th quarter to run away with the game, winning themselves a duel in two weeks against the boys from the Bayou.

Later game - Saints 31, Vikings 28 An incredibly close game in the Superdome narrowly won by the New Orleans Saints in overtime - thanks in part to a plethora of Viking turnovers and miscues that bailed out a conservative and seemingly out-of-sync offense.  The Vikings and Saints battled neck-to-neck, trading leads and touchdowns until the very end.  Brett Favre seemed to have found a way to overcome the seemingly insurmountable amount of turnovers for the Vikings and drove them downfield, on the outskirts of field goal range for Longwell, with a few seconds to go.  But on 3rd and 15, Favre rolled out to the sideline, and instead of scrambling forward for an easy 8 yards to get them well within field goal range(there was nobody in front of him - the Saints had blitzed), he inexplicably threw across the field into what appeared to be quadruple coverage and was intercepted.  The Saints defense bailed them out and Favre would never touch the ball again, as the Saints marched downfield, daringly converting a 4th and inches, to set up Hartley's game winning 40-yard field goal in overtime.  (It's important to note all the failures that kickers have endured in this year's playoffs and that of all people, Hartley, who missed a field goal earlier in the season that cost the Saints a game against the Buccaneers, would be the hero.)  As this ESPN columnist points out, this was the third time that Favre's Superbowl hopes have ended with a costly interception in his final throw in a playoff game.  Will he retire now?  I don't know, but he had better.  At least now, we're spared from having to hear stories about how great it is to have Favre back in the Superbowl...