Broncos-Colts The Least Expensive Ticket for AFC Divisional Playoffs
The beginning is so fitting, as it could be the perfect launch pad for a Super Bowl run for the Denver Broncos, or it could be the most bitter of endings. Peyton Manning hasn’t looked like himself over the season’s final weeks, but will enter the Divisional Round against his former team, the Indianapolis Colts, ready to prove any remaining skeptics wrong. On the other side is his replacement in Indy, Andrew Luck, attempting to rip the torch out of Manning’s grasp before he’s officially ready to pass it on.
The Manning vs. Luck hype is leading to Broncos tickets jumping on the secondary market. Fans will pay $240 on average but just $81 to get in the door, which is an $80 hike compared to the regular season for Colts tickets, according to ScoreBig.com.
Manning has struggled with turnovers a bit, tossing 15 interceptions and losing two fumbles. Manning and the Denver offense have also taken a small step back from their insane 2013 season, but that was probably to be expected. After a hot start Manning and the Broncos faded a bit down the stretch, but were still able to claim the AFC West and #2 overall seed with a solid 12-4 finish. Their first round bye was much needed, too, as Manning was banged up (thigh) for the first time in years, and his health could have been contributing to some poor play. With Manning and the rest of the Broncos at full strength, Denver sets off this week on their journey to finish what they started two years ago.
Some have speculated that if the Broncos do win it all this year, this could be Peyton Manning’s final ride. If so, it’d be the cherry on top to upend his old team in his new home stadium on the way to doing so. If Manning and the offense can execute like they did against this Colts team back in week one, that certainly will be possible. Manning was borderline flawless in the opener, putting up three touchdowns to no turnovers before holding on for the win late. There’s no telling how much of a fight the Colts will give the Broncos, but if they play anything like they did in meeting number one, they should have a good chance at holding serve at home and moving onto the next round.
Panthers at Seahawks The Most Expensive NFC Ticket, Topping Packers-Cowboys
The Carolina Panthers aren’t supposed to be here, while the Seattle Seahawks are exactly where we thought they’d be. It’s a tale of two worlds this weekend, but Carolina’s wild ride collides with Seattle’s bid to defend their Super Bowl title, and only one team can prevail. The early logic points to Seattle inching closer to a repeat, but the Panthers storm in with a five-game winning streak and enough talent to force everyone to wonder if they can really accomplish the impossible.
The excitement rages on for Carolina, while Seahawks tickets on the secondary market build on their own hype en route to a healthy $308 average ($149 to get in). That’s a killer bargain for Seattle fans that have been paying an arm and a leg for big games at home all year, while Panthers tickets on ScoreBig.com see a solid bump. No one is complaining from either side, though, as Seattle gets ready for their first playoff game following a well deserved bye and the Panthers gear up to try to pull off the mega upset.
Carolina might be the most underrated team still in the playoffs. They look like a sorry bunch with their 7-8-1 record, but they are riding an elite defense into the second round of the playoffs. The Panthers have endured the loss of pass rusher Greg Hardy and some untimely injuries, yet rebounded from a six-game losing streak (plus a tie) to reach the playoffs. They don’t have the record or pedigree Seattle does, but if you include their 12-4 run from a year ago, they still have the talent on both sides of the ball to make some noise.
They’ve already made noise after beating an Arizona Cardinals team that boasts an elite defense, and they made noise earlier in the year when they barely lost to the Seahawks, 13-9. That tooth and nail battle says a lot about the way these two teams matchup, especially considering they battled to a very similar 12-7 finish (in favor of Seattle) in 2013. The year before that, the ‘Hawks won again, but just barely, 16-12. Seattle owns the history between these two teams (8-2), but the writing is on the wall: Carolina is creeping closer to a third win.
Cowboys at Packers a Bargain Considering The Stakes
The two teams that worked together to make the Ice Bowl famous once again do battle in the playoffs, as the Dallas Cowboys will try to work their magic against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Green Bay comes into the Divisional Round of the playoffs well rested off of their first round bye and aim to build on their unblemished stand at home (8-0). Something has to break, however, as Dallas will come onto the frozen tundra as victors in every road game this year (also 8-0).
The home versus road debate is on and only adds to the allure of a potential instant classic, which helps push Green Bay Packers tickets on the secondary market to $231 on average ($135 to get in the door). It’s actually a ridiculous deal on paper, though, especially with an entry into the NFC title game on the line. Dallas fans won’t complain, though, as it’s just a bit more than the average of Cowboys tickets on ScoreBig.com this year.
There hasn’t been much complaining in Dallas, in general. The Cowboys ditched their mediocre ways after a tough week one loss to the 49ers, and went 12-3 the rest of the way to secure their first NFC East division title since 2009. Instead if riding the right arm of Tony Romo, Dallas finally wisened up and leaned heavily on the running game via DeMarco Murray. Despite a history of getting dinged up, Murray stayed relatively healthy all year and paced the league with over 1,800 rushing yards. With Murray leading the charge, the ‘Boys were suddenly an elite force on offense and were able to mask an average defense by keeping them fresh.
That defense could be the key to the game in Green Bay this weekend, but judging by recent meetings with the Packers, that could be a bad thing. In their last game in 2013, the Cowboys let Matt Flynn complete a 37-36 comeback win in Dallas, while the ‘Boys got absolutely throttled by Aaron Rodgers and co. (45-7) back in 2010. What we saw last year is closer to the reality, and that could be trouble with this game going down at Lambeau Field. If Dallas is going to stifle the Pack, they’ll need to dominate on the ground offensively to keep their defense fresh.
