The NFL hadn't seen both of its No. 1 seeds make it to "Championship Sunday" since 2004 and with wins by both the Colts and Saints, it marks just the third time both No. 1 seeds have advanced to a Super Bowl since the league expanded its playoff field to 12 teams twenty years ago (1990). It hadn't happened since the 1993 season when the Cowboys beat the Bills 30-13 in Super Bowl XXVIII (both teams were 12-4), with the only other occurrence coming in 1991 when the 14-2 Redskins beat the 13-3 Bills 37-24 in Super Bowl XXVI.

The Colts went 14-2 and the Saints 13-3 in 2009, matching the records of the Redskins and Bills in Super Bowl XXVI, as well as the Patriots (14-2) and the Eagles (13-3) in Super Bowl XXXIX for the second-fewest combined losses of Super Bowl opponents since 1990. Super Bowl XXXIII featured the 14-2 Broncos and the 14-2 Falcons for the fewest losses since 1990, a game in which the Broncos won 34-19. The 15-1 49ers beat the 14-2 Dolphins 38-16 in Super Bowl XIX and the three combined losses of those two teams ranks as the fewest of any Super Bowl opponents since the NFL expanded its schedule to 16 games back in 1978.

It's been a high-scoring postseason in 2009 with the first five games going over the total, including the highest scoring game in NFL postseason history (Arizona's 51-45 OT win over Green Bay in the wildcard round). Those first five games averaged 57.6 points but three consecutive unders followed, with those games averaging 30.3 PPG. However, "Championship Sunday" saw both games over over, as the Colts won 30-17 (closing total was 40) and the Saints won 31-28 in OT (53 1/2). That leaves us with seven overs and three unders so far, as games have averaged an unusually high 48.5 PPG.

Home teams won both games on Sunday, the third time in the last four seasons in which home teams have swept the two conference championship games. It's the 16th time in which both home teams have won and advanced to the Super Bowl since the 1970 merger, compared to both visiting teams winning and advancing just twice (there have 22 instances in which one home team and one road team won). Home teams finished 7-3 SU and 6-4 ATS in the 2009 postseason with the home team being favored in every game except the Green Bay/Arizona contest (favorites went 6-4 SU and 5-5 ATS). The favorite had won and covered or the dog had won outright in every game, before the Saints (minus-3 1/2) won but failed to cover against the Vikings. Just three of the games were decided by less than 10 points, while five games were decided by 17 points or more (two by margins of 31 points).

The Colts head to the Super Bowl for the fourth time in their history (each time the game has been played in Miami) and the second time in four seasons. Amazingly, the Colts have won both AFC title games played in Indy by coming back from double-digit deficits. The Colts trailed the Pats by 18 points back in the 2006 AFC championship games (21-3) but came back to win 38-34. Sunday, they overcame a 17-6 deficit to win 30-17. Jim Caldwell becomes only the fifth rookie coach to reach the Super Bowl. San Francisco’s George Seifert (1989) and Don McCafferty of the Baltimore Colts (1970) are the only ones to win.

Meanwhile, the Saints will be making their first-ever Super Bowl appearance in their 42nd year. That leaves just four franchises which have not appeared in a Super Bowl the Jaguars (1995) and Texans (2002), who both haven't been around very long, as well as the long-suffering Lions (1934) and Browns (1950). The early line on Super Bowl XLIV is the Colts minus-5 with a total of 56. Note that since 1990 (12-team playoff field), favorites are 14-5 SU but just 8-9-2 ATS in the Super Bowl. The average margin of victory has been 12.3 PPG with the average game score being 49.7 PPG (10 overs and nine unders).

Jets at Colts:

The Colts were the heavy favorites but the Jets were expected to be able to run the football and their defense was the league's best, so it was not unreasonable to believe their were a 'live' underdog. Conventional wisdom said if the Jets fell behind and had to rely on Sanchez they were 'dead,' but when the Jets led 17-6 with just over two minutes to go before the half, they were "looking good." So much for that! The Colts took over at their own 20 and after an incompletion, Manning hit rookie Austin Collie three consecutive times, the last one for a TD. The Colts were back within 17-13 at the half and it was "all Indy" the rest of the way.

The Jets D ranked No. 1 in PPG (14.8) and YPG (252.3) but allowed 30 points and 461 yards. The Jets ranked No. 1 in passing yards allowed (154), No. 1 in opponents completions (51.7), No. 1 in opponents QB rating (58.8) plus had allowed just eight TD passes with 17 INTs (all regular season numbers). All Peyton did was go 26-of-39 (66.7 percent) for 377 yards with three TDs and zero INTs, posting a QB rating of 123.6. Wayne and Clark had each caught 100 passes this season but both were pretty much contained. So instead, Manning went to Garcon, a second-year WR from Mount Union and BYU rookie Austin Collie.

Garcon, who had four catches as a rookie and 47 this year, set career highs with 11 catches and 151 yards. Collie, who had 60 catches and seven TDs this season, caught a career high seven balls and topped 100 yards for the first time with 123. Each player had a TD catch. The Colts running game, which ranked last in the league during the regular season (80.9 YPG / 3.5 YPG) and was limited to 42 yards on 25 carries (1.7 YPC) vs the Ravens last weekend, ran for 101 yards on 24 attempts (4.2 YPC) vs the Jets, led by Joseph Addai (16 carries for 80 yards).

The Jets led the NFL with 172.3 YPG (4.5 YPC) on the ground during the regular season and in two postseason wins in 2009, had run for 170.0 YPG (4.3 YPC). However, the Jets were held to just 86 yards rushing on 29 carries (3.0 YPC), as Shonn Greene, the rookie who had run for 135 and 128 yards the last two weekends, was held to 41 on 10 carries and left the game early in the third QB. Thomas Jones, who toped 1,000 yards for the fifth straight season in 2009 with a career high 1,402 yards (as well as a career high 14 rushing TDs), was a non-factor all postseason, rushing for just 117 on 45 carries (2.6 YPC), including 42 yards an 16 carries vs the Colts.

Rookie QB Mark Sanchez became the fourth rookie QB to lead his team to the conference title game and lose but surely has nothing to be ashamed of, completing 17-of-30 passes for 257 yards, his third-best total of the season (18 games). He threw two TDs and his only INT of the entire postseason (68 attempts) came late, after the game had been decided. His QB rating of 93.3 for the game, dwarfs the 60.3 rating he posted during the regular season. Going 2-1 in the playoffs in his rookie season (all games came on the road), is quite an achievement. Remember, Manning is just 9-8 all-time in the postseason, including 2-5 on the road.

Vikings at Saints:

The Vikings outgained the Saints 475 yard to 257 and had 31 FDs compared to 15 for the Saints. However, while the Saints made just one miscue (Reggie Bush's fumbled punt in the late second quarter), the Vikings fumbled six times (losing three) with Brett Favre throwing two INTs. That's FIVE turnovers for Minnesota and just one for New Orleans. Three of Minnesota's turnovers were "game-changers," the first being the botched hand-off between Favre and Peterson inside the Saints' five-yard line right after Bush's fumbled punt (game was tied 14-all). The second came with the scored tied at 21-all and set up the Saints with a first down at the Minnesota seven-yard line (Saints would go up 28-21) and the last of course, was Favre's final interception (more on that later).

For the Vikings it was a game of "missed opportunities," while the Saints maximized their chances. Brees averaged 292.5 YPG through the air during the regular season but threw for just 197 yards against the Vikings. After running for 171 yards (on 34 carries / 5.0 YPC) against the Cardinals, the Saints ran for just 68 yards against the Vikings on 23 carries (3.0 YPC). Yet, the Saints would score 31 points. Brees threw for three TDs without an INT (106.5 QB rating) and while Bush, who had posted 217 all-purpose yards vs the Cardinals did very little with 41 all-purpose yards, Pierre Thomas picked up the slack with 139 all-purpose yards.

Favre took a terrible beating and one must admire this 40-year-old and what he's accomplished this year but AGAIN, he threw a "very stupid" interception at a critical time. This has plagued Favre his entire career. Favre's career seemed about over when the Packers went 4-12 in 2005 with Brett throwing just 20 TDs and a league-high 29 INTs. Green Bay went 8-8 in 2006, with Brett matching a career-low with 18 TDs (had 18 INTs), while completing a career-low 56.0 percent. However, he rebounded to lead the Packers to a 13-3 record in 2007, completing 66.5 percent of his passes for over 4,000 yards with 28 TDs and 15 INTs.

The Packers hosted the Giants in the NFC championship game that year but Favre famously threw an "awful" interception on the first possession of OT, setting up the Giants game-winning FG. He led the Jets to an 8-3 start last year but the team lost four its final five games with Favre throwing just two TDs and nine INTs down the stretch. His 2009 season with Minnesota was one of his best (at 40 years old!) but it was "déjà vu all over again" on Sunday. The Vikings had a chance to run the clock down for a final play that could have been a 51-yard FG attempt, facing a third-and-10 from the New Orleans 33-yard line. Instead, they called a timeout with the intent of running another play to get slightly closer.

The Vikings screwed that up by getting called for 12 men on the field, moving them back five more yards. That forced Favre to throw for more significant yardage and on the team's fateful last play, he passed up a chance at running for five or more yards, and instead threw a late and ill-advised pass toward Sidney Rice which was intercepted by Tracy Porter. It was an all-too-familiar ending. It was Favre’s second INT of the game and the sixth time in his last seven playoff losses that he had thrown at least two interceptions. Overall, Favre has 19 interceptions in those seven losses.

I knew I could count on Chris Berman and Tom Jackson of ESPN to "bail out" Favre. Jackson was at his best saying, "He's not afraid to throw a pick. That's the thing I admire most about him." How about that for logic? Can you imagine what they'd be saying about that pass if it had been thrown by someone like Jay Cutler, Jason Campbell, Rex Grossman or Joey Harrington (remember him?)? Why not say this, Tom? "I really like Adrian Peterson because he's not afraid to fumble!"

Good luck, Larry