The Divisional Round is in the books, and it provided us with some great, nail-biting football. All of these games came down to which team wanted it more. In these games, we had a hail-mary, some mind-boggling plays, and a near improbable comeback. Before we dive into the Conference Championships, here’s how the Divisional Round panned out:

• Patriots 27, Chiefs 20: Heading into Saturday, New England had some issues they needed to solve, and man did they solve them. Their offensive line was a mess, but in this game, the o-line allowed Tom Brady to be hit only once. And that’s against one of the best defenses in the league. Brady also got his favorite target back in Julian Edelman, and he made a huge difference. Kansas City was actually in the game late, but New England is such a poised team thanks to Coach Bill Belichick, and they weren’t going to let this win slip away.

• Cardinals 26, Packers 20 (OT): What. A. Game. If you didn’t watch for whatever reason, you missed an instant classic. The first half was uneventful as the teams struggled to get much going. But what happened in the second half will be talked about for a long time. Green Bay was down 7 with 5 seconds left in the game, and QB Aaron Rodgers pulls this off: a 41-yard hail mary to send the game to overtime. And in overtime, Arizona started with the ball and didn’t look back, with Larry Fitzgerald putting the team on his back and leading the charge down the field. Then, a Carson Palmer pitch to Fitzgerald for a touchdown cemented their place in the NFC Championship.

• Panthers 31, Seahawks 24: This game was a tale of two halves. Carolina absolutely obliterated Seattle in the first half, scoring 31 unanswered points and essentially ended Seattle’s dream of reaching the Super Bowl for a 3rd straight time. But, with Russell Wilson as their leader, Seattle never lost hope. Wilson and company came out firing in the second half, coming within one touchdown of sending the game into overtime. But time simply ran out for the Seahawks, and Carolina, despite the scare, is moving on to the NFC Championship.

• Broncos 23, Steelers 16: Everybody and their mother believed Denver was going to destroy Pittsburgh. Antonio Brown and DeAngelo Williams weren’t on the field for the Steelers, and Denver came in after a bye week as healthy as ever. So the narrative the week beforehand was that the Broncos were going to put out a clinic on their home turf. Well that isn’t what happened, and “that’s why they play the game!” Despite their injuries, Pittsburgh didn’t abandon who they were, and it paid off as they had the lead going into the 4th quarter. But Peyton Manning, despite his teammates not playing their best, lead his team down the field and took the lead, earning a spot in the AFC Championship.

Now that we’re down to the Conference Championships, there’s only 2 more weeks left of football! Anyway, let’s see who will be playing this weekend for a spot in Super Bowl 50: In the AFC Championship Game, we have the New England Patriots visiting the Denver Broncos in the 17th and maybe final meeting between Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. Both these quarterbacks have had illustrious careers, but Brady has usually had the upper had on Manning. Regardless, both men will have to rely on the guys around them if they want to take a trip to Santa Clara. In the NFC Championship Game, we have the NFC’s best battling for a spot in Super Bowl 50: the Carolina Panthers and the Arizona Cardinals. Both teams survived hectic endings in their previous games, so they’ll have to move forward and focus on what’s ahead if they want to advance; dwelling on the past can really hinder a team. MVP candidates Cam Newton and Carson Palmer will have to rally their team in order to achieve the ultimate goal.

We have some great games ahead of us this weekend folks! So sit back, relax, and enjoy yourself! Now, here’s who I and fellow Lion Tales reporters Noel Ramirez and Mahad Hangol think will move one step closer towards hoisting the Lombardi Trophy:

Sunday, January 24th

Denver Broncos (#1 seed, 12-4) vs. New England Patriots (#2 seed, 12-4)

(12:05 P.M., Sports Authority Field, Denver, CO)

• Juan De Anda: Well, well, well. Tom Brady & Peyton Manning, two of the all-time greats, will face off on Sunday for about the millionth time; go figure. Historically, Brady doesn’t play well in Denver, but is 11-5 when facing Manning. But things are trending upwards for New England, and not so much for Denver. The Patriots are getting healthy at the right time while the Broncos’ offense looks lost. You’re not going to beat the Patriots depending on your defense to win the game for you, and that’s what Denver will have to do. Denver was my pick to win the Super Bowl, but after their performance on Sunday, there’s no way they’re beating New England: Patriots 27, Broncos 20.

• Mahad Hangol: Can we ever get enough of these Brady vs Manning games? I guess not and these matchups are always legendary. This will be the 17th matchup between these two elite QB’s. This game will be a high scoring matchup all the way until the end. This game is going to come out to who can make the key stops and I definitely feel like the Broncos are going to do that and come out with the win: Broncos 45, Patriots 38.

• Noel Ramirez: Brady vs Manning. This will be the 17th and possibly final time these elite quarterbacks go against each other on Sunday, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. This game is the battle of the top two seeds in the AFC with both teams finishing the season with a record of 12-4. Manning has taken the starting quarterback spot over Brock Osweiler and is determined to bring the struggling Broncos’ offense to life. On the other side, the Patriots are regaining their health as some key players are back since that Week 12 loss against the Broncos. Julian Edelman returned to the lineup in the Divisional round and looked as elusive as ever, helping Tom Brady defeat the Chiefs: Patriots 30, Broncos 21.

 Carolina Panthers (#1 seed, 15-1) vs. Arizona Cardinals (#2 seed, 13-3)

(3:40 P.M., Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC)

• JD: Neither Carolina or Arizona, based on their performances this past weekend, enter this game as a major favorite. Carolina had a 31-0 lead on Seattle but almost let that slip away, and Arizona beat Green Bay thanks to luck. Also, both offenses were stymied for long periods of time and didn’t perform to their full potential. Honestly, I have no clue who’s going to win this game, but I have to give the edge to Arizona. I have more trust in their offense, plus their defense can win games as well. On the flip side, there are times where Carolina struggles to get things going. Carolina is a team that just isn’t there yet, but I feel Arizona is as good as anyone and it’s their time to bring a championship to Glendale: Cardinals 26, Panthers 20.

• MH: This is one of the greatest games in the playoffs this year with two elite NFC teams and two MVP candidates with Cam Newton of Carolina and Carson Palmer of Arizona. With the Panthers being hot after their dominating victory against the deadly Seahawks, and the Cardinals coming off a clutch OT win against the Packers, this game seems to be in the favor of the Carolina Panthers: Panthers 28, Cardinals 20.

• NR: This is the marquee match-up of the weekend. Both team have both the top offenses and defenses of the NFL. Quarterback Cam Newton is playing at a MVP type of level and Jonathan Stewart is running the ball well. For Arizona, their offense is deadly with Carson Palmer and the wide receivers of Larry Fitzgerald, John Brown, and Michael Floyd. Ultimately, this game will be the battle of the defenses and I feel as though the Panthers will overcome Arizona’s offense and dab themselves to Santa Clara and play in Super Bowl 50: Panthers 27, Cardinals 24.