I hope you’ve all had your coffee after last night’s marathon victories for the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks which means the league’s two best teams remain on course to meet in Super Bowl XLIX.

Tonight though, we have an absolute cracker between the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers. One has a perfect away record, the other is unbeaten at home.

Who is your money on?

And the game is under way…

Great defensive stand by the Packers with Julius Peppers getting to Tony Romo on a crucial third down play. Looked like Romo fumbled it but the Cowboy’s recovered and will punt away.

Interesting playcall from Aaron Rodgers alright:

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TOUCHDOWN PACKERS! — Packers 7 – 0 Cowboys, Q1 8.30

That was all too easy for Green Bay as Eddie Lacy ran down the Cowboys before Aaron Rodgers found Andrew Quarless in the endzone.

And how good was Eddie Lacy on that opening drive? This good:

Not great news if you’re a Cowboys fan:

TOUCHDOWN COWBOYS! — Packers 7 – 7 Cowboys, Q1 1.05

After 12 plays and seven minutes and 25 seconds, the Cowboys have levelled this up through Tyler Clutts. It’s just his second catch of the entire season but what a time to score his first ever touchdown for Dallas.

By the way, if you’re wondering why they keep referring to the Ice Bowl II, here’s the original, 47 years ago

And we have the game’s first turnover:

Here’s that Rodgers mistake, looks like he wasn’t ready for the snap. He did, however recover the ball before fumbling again to give the Cowboys the ball:

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TOUCHDOWN COWBOYS! — Packers 7 – 14 Cowboys, Q2 8.10

Terrance Williams takes advantage of missed tackle in the Packers secondary to grab the Cowboys’ second touchdown. It’s just the second time this year that Green Bay have trailed at home.

Fansided Fansided

Massive 40 seconds coming up for the Packers. You feel they can’t let the Cowboys score a touchdown on this drive.

WIDE RIGHT! -

Despite two attempts, Dan Bailey pushes his field goal to the right of the uprights and the Dallas lead remains at seven points. That could be a huge play in the course of the game.

The Cowboys’ kicker missed a relatively easy effort last week against the Lions too which is worrying if Dallas do progress.

Great play by Randall Cobb to get both feet down and put the Packers in field goal range.

Half time -

FIELD GOAL PACKERS — Packers 10 – 14 Cowboys, half time

A little change of momentum at the end of the first half as the Cowboys really should have gone in up 10 but instead find their lead reduced to four. Aaron Rodgers and his dodgy calf need to be a lot better in the second half though.

The Packers get the second half under way with a nice kick off return.

This is not the Aaron Rodgers we’ve become used to seeing at all. Overthrowing receivers, unable to scramble and yet still, somehow, it’s just a four point game.

The Cowboys will want to take advantage of Green Bay’s misfiring offence on this series.

Nam Y. Huh Nam Y. Huh

FUMBLE COWBOYS!

DeMarco Murray has the football stripped by Julius Peppers when it looks like a certain touchdown and we’ve another huge momentum changer in this game.

FIELD GOAL PACKERS — Packers 13 – 14 Cowboys, Q3 7.49

Mason Crosby nails one for 30 yards and we have a one-point game. That drive looked like it would end in a Packers lead but a stupid dead ball penalty moved them from third and one to third and 16.

TOUCHDOWN COWBOYS! — Packers 13 – 21 Cowboys, Q3 4.21

DeMarco Murray makes up for his earlier fumble with a close range touchdown that allowed the Dallas offensive line show just how dominant they are at the line of scrimmage.

TOUCHDOWN PACKERS! — Packers 20 – 21 Cowboys, Q3 1.41

On third and 15, the Packers not only convert the first down but Davante Adams goes 46 yards to make it a one point game again. The coverage wasn’t bad, just Adams turning JJ Wilcox inside out when faced with a one-on-one match-up.

TOUCHDOWN PACKERS! — Packers 26 – 21 Cowboys, Q4 9.10

And the Packers lead by five. What a drive from Green Bay to retake the lead. Rodgers still not looking 100% but credit to the man, he still got the job done to find rookie Richard Rodgers in the endzone.

The point point conversion fails though.

And the Packers are doing all this without their starting running back:

And we’ve just had possibly the biggest moment of the game. Instead of a first down inside the one with four minutes the go, this Dez Bryant catch is ruled incomplete.

What do you think?

And it’s all over. After winning after a controversial call last week, Dallas have lost this one a contentious decision this weekend.

Green Bay versus Seattle in the NFC Championship game next weekend. Whatever your view on the Dez Bryant catch, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t think they are the best two teams in the conference.

One last word on the game…

And the final Divisional Round game of the weekend is under way and it’s the visiting Indianapolis Colts who’ll get the football first.

TOUCHDOWN BRONCOS! — Broncos 7 – 0 Colts, QI 10.00

After the Colts went three and out on their opening possession, the Broncos take advantage of a roughing the passer penalty on Peyton Manning to strike first in this game, Demaryius Thomas with the catch at the back of the endzone.

TOUCHDOWN COLTS! — Broncos 7 – 7 Colts, Q2 14.14

And we have a tied ball game. Boom Herron crosses into the endzone on a third and short after some clutch plays from Andrew Luck in the build up. This good be a very tight game.

TOUCHDOWN COLTS! — Denver 7 – 14 Colts, Q2 7.23

Andrew Luck with a bullet of a pass to silence the Mile High crowd and all of a sudden Indy lead the last game of the weekend.

Of course that was all set up by this Peyton Manning fumble:

It has nothing to do with this game but you can now buy a t-shirt to commemorate that pass from Julian Edelman last night

WIDE RIGHT!

Another game, another missed field goal and this time it’s Adam Vinatieri who misses the chance to extend the Colts’ lead to 10 points. Denver get the ball back with plenty of time before the half.

FIELD GOAL BRONCOS — Broncos 10 – 14 Colts, Q2 0.04

Connor Barth makes it a four point game with the second ticking away at the end of the first half. A squib kick should get us to the half.

Half time -

And there’s the half time whistle. The Colts have been good value for their lead but surely Denver and Manning in particular will improve in the second half?

And how bad has Peyton Manning been… we could well have a ninth career ‘one and done’ visit to the playoffs for the Denver quarterback.

And the second half is under way.

TOUCHDOWN COLTS! — Denver 10 – 21 Colts, Q3 8

Another brilliant throw from Andrew Luck – who is dominating Peyton Manning in the master versus apprentice battle -finds Hakeen Nicks in the endzone with an absolute bullet.

Denver need to get the scoreboard moving and quickly.

Another big blow for the Broncos as it looked like they’d forced a Colts fumble.

However:

FIELD GOAL BRONCOS — Broncos 13 – 21 Colts, Q4 13.50

Connor Barth with is second field goal of the day is all Denver have for this drive, kept alive by a brilliant fourth down run by CJ Anderson. The gap is eight points but there’s lots of time left in this one.
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FIELD GOAL COLTS — Broncos 13 – 24 Colts, Q4 4.06

A potentially game-winning drive from the Colts there. Not only did they go two scores up but they also took eight minutes off the clock. If Manning wants to avoid being one and done for the ninth time in his career, he has just over four minutes to do it.

Full time -

And that’s the ball game. Andrew Luck and the Colts will face the Patriots in Foxboro next week after upsetting Peyton Manning and the Broncos on a scoreline of 24-13 at Mile High.

Indy were 50/1 to win the Super Bowl before last week’s games but can they get by Tom Brady and company?

And that’s all from me. Thanks for keeping me company and I’ll be back again for the Championship games next weekend.