And then there were four. Thirty-two teams started this National Football League season and the best four are left standing. In Seattle, the Seahawks first-half defence was outstanding . The New Orleans Saints offence only managed 34 passing yards for Drew Brees and just 42 rushing yards. The Seattle defence conceded no points in the first half and held tight end Jimmy Graham to not a single reception until the games final minute. Russell Wilson did not have a dominant game, but the starting 11 without the ball won the game for Seattle. And so did Marshawn Lynch . Of all the running backs in the league, I dont think there is another who gives a greater effort than Marshawn Lynch, play after play. It is impressive for me watch his willingness to absorb physical punishment for an extra yard or even less. Logic says it cant last, that his time is coming or maybe he just has a body type impervious to what normally slows and limits other running backs. In any case, he is not the fastest, quickest or even most skilled, but he never gives up on a play or any opportunity with an intense disregard for possible injury. Marshawn Lynch is a great running back. Seattle has a combination of speed, attitude, confidence and resolve . The intensity of the NFC championship San Francisco at Seattle will be a battle of wills as much as any skills. In New England, the Patriots went with 42 running plays and just 25 passing plays. The play-calling served a dual purpose. Firstly, when you run that much, you dictate aggressive energy to an opponent. After a while, you can wear a defence out because, like all human beings, you get tired of hitting. So, in a moment where you lose emotional concentration at "point of attack," what would normally be a two or three-yard play becomes a 70-yard touchdown run like LaGarrette Blounts 73-yard run in the fourth. Understanding football is one thing, but understanding the psychology of hitting is really unique. You can wear people out and the Patriots achieved that. The second part of that dual purpose was keeping the ball away from Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck. If you dont limit the his time with the ball and his number of plays, Andrew Luck is going to beat you. It is not as if Luck has a great team around him, quite the opposite, but he is a classic example of a player as a quarterback who makes those around him look better than they are. Once the Colts protect Andrew Luck with a higher degree of consistency, he will be as good as any quarterback on any team in the NFL. As for the Patriots, Logan Mankins at left guard was outstanding and Jamie Collins at linebacker is the next defensive star in New England. Without Vince Wilfork, Brandon Spikes, Jerrod Mayo and Tommy Kelly on defence, the Patriots should not be in the AFC championship game, but here they are. It was an emotionally heated game in Carolina between the Panthers and San Francisco 49ers, especially early on, and it has been a while since I have seen that much confrontational talk and verbal exchanges. It seemed like on every play, someone was threatening someone elseabout something . I am sure that all week, the Panthers grew intensely tired of hearing how tough and physical the 49ers were and made a collective agreement to not allow any intimidation, but be the aggressor and not the participant. Now, I dont think Carolina backed down for one moment, but seven plays inside the five-yard line and only three points means that, in the toughest part of football - short yardage and goaline plays, the Niners won. In playoff football, the smallest of mistakes mean the biggest of consequences and the Panthers gave the 49ers four first downs on penalties in the first half and it seemed that all four were the result of excessive emotion. The Panthers will learn from this and, if they find themselves in the same position next year at this time, they will not make the same mistake of losing self-control. After a last-minute win over the Arizona Cardinals to close the season, a win over the Packers in the brutal cold of Green Bay in the NFC Wild Card playoff and a tough, physical win over the Panthers, right now, no team believes more in each other than the San Francisco 49ers. In Denver, the one word to describe the Broncos win over the San Diego Chargers is "methodical." I think the Charger made one key mistake to lose the game and Denver made the opposite to win . By the end of the third quarter, the Chargers had 79 total yards. In the fourth quarter alone, they had 180. I guess common sense says to play the time of possession game again for San Diego to win, but it was not working . I wonder what would have happened if the Chargers took their fourth-quarter approach all game long and just went for broke, because when they did in the fourth, the game became a game because of it. San Diego was simply way too conservative. With Denver, they did to the Chargers what the Chargers did to them back on that Thursday night game. Manning must have completed 80 per cent of his passes within the first 10 yards down field. They just incrementally kept moving down field with the shortest of distance created using a series of line of scrimmage screens, five-yard crossers, and check downs - no big plays, just little little plays of success and result. One interesting question that has already been asked is, in one game to win it all , who would be your quarterback - Brady or Manning? Given history, I would say Brady, but given ability to control a defense pre-snap, I would say Manning. To pick between that pair is a never-ending discussion. 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McCaw was to play his 121st test and a world record 32nd against Australia -- the most by any player against a single team -- but was forced to withdraw on Friday with a tight calf muscle.VANCOUVER -- As Nigel Reo-Coker began what he described as a North American "adventure" on Friday, he was still getting to know his Vancouver Whitecaps. But after playing in England for more than a decade, Reo-Coker already recognized a key issue. He faces an adjustment as he prepares for his first Major League Soccer season. "I need to be, obviously, coming in knowing its a completely different culture," said Reo-Coker in a conference call with reporters from Charleston, S.C., following a practice. "Its a completely different approach to how it is in Europe, and thats something I have to learn very quickly. Ive already been made aware of it. Ive made myself aware of it." The Whitecaps acquired Reo-Cokers MLS rights a day earlier in a trade for a pair of draft picks from the Portland Timbers. The 28-year-old London native has appeared in more than 200 English Premier League matches and last played for English Championship side Ipswich Town on a three-month stint that ended in January. While English Football is regarded as among the best quality in the world, a pair of notable Whitecaps have struggled after moving from there to Vancouver midway through last season. Midfielder Barry Robson parted ways with the Caps in January after he did not provide the expected offence and struggled to adjust to MLS officials interpretations of fouls. Fellow Scotsman Kenny Miller, another EPL alumnus, has yet to live up to his billing since moving to the Caps last season. But the striker remains with the club. In addition to the MLS game, which often comes across as being more physical than the English version, Reo-Coker must get used to an onerous travel schedule that will require him to crisscross North America at times. But Reo-Coker, who has captained EPL squads West Ham United, Aston Villa, and Bolton Wanderers and also wore the arm band for Wimbledon, said he is prepared for the long trips. "Ive been made aware of the travelling situation," he said. "I know theres travelling in this league, but its not something that really scares me or fazes me. "When I first started playing and made my professional debut at an age of 19, we werent really flying that much in teams. We used to be on coach rides for five, six, seven hours. ... Its about being professional. Thats something about Ive always learned, and been taught, from a young age. "Its about being professional and making sure you prepare yourself properly for a full week." Reo-Coker said he is also prepared to play regularly at home on the B.C. Place Stadium artificial turf. He will also have road games on fake grass in Portland and Seattle. EPL clubs play their games on grass, but he has practised on artificial turf and does not feel that he will have to adjust to it again. But he will likely have to adapt to playing a couple of different positions. Coach Martin Rennie has said Reo-Coker could play central-midfielder and defennder roles.dddddddddddd "Im best known for being a box-to-box midfielder," Reo-Coker said. "Its something Ive done for most of my career. Thats something I really see myself (as.) "Being somebody thats always studied the game from a young age, Ive been able to play in different positions also. Ive studied the game. I can play at right back. Ive played at right midfield, and I know whats expected of me." Before joining Ipswich Town, where he started nine of 11 games, Reo-Coker scored four goals in 42 appearances with Bolton in 2011-12, helping the Wanderers reach 2012 FA Cup quarter-finals. During four seasons at Aston Villa from 2007 to 2011, he made 102 appearances and scored two goals. He also helped West Ham United reach the 2006 FA Cup final against Liverpool only to lose on penalty kicks. After starting as a 12-year-old in Wimbledons system, he toiled for Englands under-21 national team, serving as captain during the age groups 2007 UEFA Championship. He has also played for Englands under-20 squad and served as a standby player for its 2006 World Cup side. Reo-Coker said he had several offers, including a number of English teams and a Russian side that strongly pursued him. But he wanted to start a new "adventure" with the Whitecaps. "I just felt it was the right time and the right opportunity for me to come at this age," he said. During a conference call with Rennie on Thursday, it was suggested that Reo-Coker has lacked intensity. Reo-Coker, who has had squabbles with rivals in the past, described himself as laid-back but questioned how he could be considered lethargic when he has captained every team for which he has played. "Id probably say Ive my matured as Im going into my late-20s," he said. "I do still have that fiery passion, just that winning mentality. Its not something that should be mistaken or taken out of context for something as being an angry man or anything in that type of way." Reo-Coker has had squabbles with opponents in the past, but he chalked up the situation to the "fiery" nature of English football. His wife is from New York, and he has spent most of his recent off-seasons in the U.S., a factor that could help his adjustment to MLS. The time spent on American soil, and a U.S. green card, could also enable him to be classified as a domestic player and free up an international roster spot for the Caps in the future, according to Rennie. But Reo-Coker is not paying too much attention to how MLS classifies him. "Ill be taking care of business on the field," he said. "Everything else off the field takes care of itself." Notes--Reo-Coker played against Whitecaps defenders Jay DeMerit and Andy OBrien in England. ... Vancouver will face the Chicago Fire in a pre-season match Saturday in Charleston and then close the exhibition campaign Sunday against Rennies former lower-tier Carolina RailHawks team in Cary, N.C. cheap nfl jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '