Bernstein: Seahawks, 49ers Save Hyped Up Sunday
The wait ended up being worth it, after all.
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The wait ended up being worth it, after all.
Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos are heading to the Super Bowl after a 26-16 victory over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
No matter who has the edge Sunday, it seems the nation is rooting for Manning, because it's been harder for him to win, because he's not so pretty, because he's considered one of us, because you get the sense that his aw-shucks, southern refrain is real.
In anticipation of the AFC and NFC Championship games this weekend, we've pulled together America's leading sportscasters to make their predictions and picks for Patriots-Broncos and 49ers-Seahawks.
The good news: either Manning or Brady will get to go to another Super Bowl. The bad news: one of them will not, and be denied adding more to his legacy yet again.
For those that want to attend the AFC Championship Game, making sure to purchase legitimate tickets is a big deal. Counterfeits are more popular all the time, especially as the playoffs arrive.
Both Patriots Nation and Broncos Country are looking forward to Brady/Manning XV. The rest of the planet will probably enjoy the game, too.
Peyton Manning welcomed Wes Welker back into the lineup with a touchdown toss and the Denver Broncos narrowly avoided a repeat of their playoff slip from last year, advancing to the AFC championship game with a 24-17 win over the San Diego Chargers on Sunday.
When the San Diego Chargers went into Denver last month and beat the Broncos, no doubt some eyebrows were raised. Now, imagine if they do it again this Sunday.
Being the sixth and final seed in the NFL playoffs usually means you're a sizable underdog. When it comes to the San Diego Chargers, that holds true a second weekend straight.
The Denver Broncos are arguably the best team in the NFL, but that doesn't mean they're going to win this week. In fact, many stats show Peyton Manning and his Broncos are more likely to lose than win, as the No. 1 seed against the No. 6 seeded San Diego Chargers.
Not many people expected the San Diego Chargers to go into Denver on a Thursday night last month and come away with a win. Now, can the Bolts do it all over again?
Of the six coaches who were fired at the end of this season, each of them had quarterbacks with a quarterback rating placing them in the bottom half of the league.
To now continue to rail against Cutler is howling at the moon, tilting at windmills, typing in metaphors.
While his beloved Bears were knocked out of the playoffs by the Packers, the country star still dreams of the Chicago team winning the Super Bowl.
Injuries slowed down the Kansas City Chiefs in the second half of the NFL season, but now they are much healthier as the playoffs approach.
Three seasons ago, Peyton Manning sat on the sidelines with an injury that many thought may end his career. The Indianapolis Colts drafted Andrew Luck out of Stanford and the rebuilding was about to begin. Little did anyone realize that the rebuilding would start immediately.
Peyton Manning set a multitude of NFL records this season, but one may be taken away by the NFL. The league and their official statisticians are currently reviewing a play that could mean a loss of one record.
When the dust settled in the NFL landscape on Sunday, Peyton Manning appeared to have eclipsed Drew Brees' 2011 passing record.
The Colts and Broncos have already secured a playoff spot, with others offered the chance this weekend if all breaks right. The question is, which team will win the AFC Championship this year?
As the season turns for the home stretch, Manning is still the frontrunner for that award
While Peyton Manning was busy hijacking the Chiefs' perfect season, one of his Papa John's locations in Denver was being robbed.
With the Colts and Broncos squaring off this week on Sunday Night Football, some are wondering if Indy, at home with a 4-2 record, can deal the juggernaut Broncos their very first loss of the season. Is this the week Denver falls?
With the seemingly incomparable and record-setting offense set to square off against the monumentally futile Jacksonville Jaguars this week, the line of Denver -28 ties a record for the biggest spread ever set.
A family in Zion is putting their life back together after they lost everything in a Christmas Eve house fire.
A Bensenville man is accused of trying to kidnap a Jewel-Osco employee with special needs while she was at work.
The band announced Perry Bamonte's death on their official website on Friday.
Friday marks the beginning of Kwanzaa, and Malcolm X College in Chicago is holding a free, public celebration and marketplace from now until Jan. 1.
Three women were wounded in a shooting on Christmas night on Thursday in west suburban Aurora.
The Veterans Affairs Department is reimposing a near total ban on abortions for veterans and their families that was modified in 2022.
Strikes against ISIS targets in Nigeria come after President Trump spent weeks accusing the West African country's government of failing to rein in the persecution of Christians.
The message, aired on Channel 4 on Christmas Day, reflected on the impact of President Trump's second term in office thus far.
Pope Leo XIV has revealed he privately urged Gov. JB Pritzker not to sign a bill legalizing medical assistance in dying in Illinois.
President Trump invoked a law called Title 10 to bring members of the Illinois National Guard under federal service over the objections of state and local leaders.
A new report shines a light on electricity shortages that Illinois could face in less than 10 years.
With less than two weeks until Christmas, if you're sending gifts to people far from home, the deadlines to get them there on time are fast approaching.
A condo owner in Country Club Hills says he's forced to sell his home after his condo association failed to reimburse him for repairs to his leaking roof. Edward Hadnott's condo has sat empty since a major roof leak in 2022.
The U.S. stopped minting pennies this week, and some groups have issued a warning about the headaches that can create for some businesses and consumers.
Why is one school in the west Chicago suburb of Lisle paying a water bill three times higher than another? The answer has to do with a private utility company.
Millions of people with an Affordable Care Act health plan face a massive jump in premiums next year — this chart shows just how much.
It's the holiday season, which means it's the most common time of year for norovirus to spread. Here's what you need to know about this winter stomach bug.
A study conducted in part by Chicago's Northwestern Medicine found that tanning beds not only triple the risk of melanoma, but can also damage DNA across nearly the whole skin surface.
An investigation into the case of a Michigan man who contracted rabies after an organ transplant provided more details on the infection's origin.
The newest measles vaccination numbers released by Chicago Public Schools shows immunizations are finally moving in the right direction.
The Chicago Bears are expanding their search for a new stadium to Northwest Indiana, even though they already own land in Arlington Heights and have also proposed a new lakefront stadium in Chicago.
A Culver's is coming to Chicago's South Loop, a real estate broker has confirmed.
A new vision for passenger rail is on track in southeastern Wisconsin. The MARK Passenger Rail Commission held its inaugural meeting on December 5, 2025, at Racine City Hall.
U.S. Steel says it'll resume making steel slabs at its Granite City Works plant in Illinois amid strengthening demand.
Traffic at O'Hare International Airport is growing faster than expected, and this has Chicago city leaders wanting to make big changes to future construction plans at the airport.
The band announced Perry Bamonte's death on their official website on Friday.
The message, aired on Channel 4 on Christmas Day, reflected on the impact of President Trump's second term in office thus far.
The singer said an MRI showed a cancerous spot on one of his lungs after he recovered from a lengthy bout of bronchitis.
James Ransone, the actor who played Ziggy Sobotka in the HBO series "The Wire" and appeared in many other TV shows and movies, has died.
Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre is hosting "The Phantom of the Opera," and staff offered a firsthand look at the iconic chandelier inside the theater this week.
Another person has died after being injured in the UPS plane crash at the Louisville airport in November, bringing the death toll to 15.
Three women were wounded in a shooting on Christmas night on Thursday in west suburban Aurora.
A family in Zion is putting their life back together after they lost everything in a Christmas Eve house fire.
Heating costs are up and temperatures are down, but there are things you can do to make sure you stay warm without breaking the bank this winter.
Showers are expected to move in on Friday morning in Chicago with highs in the upper 40s and low 50s.
A family in Zion is putting their life back together after they lost everything in a Christmas Eve house fire.
A Bensenville man is accused of trying to kidnap a Jewel-Osco employee with special needs while she was at work.
The band announced Perry Bamonte's death on their official website on Friday.
From gun safety to rogue towers, protection from squatters, medical assistance in dying and more, here are some of the most notable changes in the new year.
Friday marks the beginning of Kwanzaa, and Malcolm X College in Chicago is holding a free, public celebration and marketplace from now until Jan. 1.
Cameras not working, video evidence missed by police and a psychic that leads a hit and run victim's son to a clue that changes the case
Some Chicago area hospitals are at risk of significant flooding both in and around the buildings, according to new KFF Health News/Fathom models.
Lawmakers in Springfield are looking to address the high water bills being reported in some suburbs from customers of Illinois American Water.
Electric bills in the Chicago area could go up as much as $70 in the next three years because of data centers, according to the Citizens Utility Board.
Advocates and legislators are seeking solutions and and accountability for a pattern of Chicago police arresting Black gun owners on firearms charges despite valid FOID and CCL licenses.
One year ago, the Chicago Bears were fighting for draft positioning. Now they've clinched a playoff spot in the first year of a new coaching regime.
As the 11-4 Chicago Bears prepare for their Sunday night matchup with the 11-4 San Francisco 49ers, one player earned an extra Christmas present from the league thanks to his impressive performance against the Green Bay Packers.
Travis Konecny scored and added his 300th career assist, leading the Philadelphia Flyers past the Blackhawks 3-1 and handing depleted Chicago its sixth straight loss.
The Bulls trailed 117-107 but closed the game on a 19-6 run.
Three Chicago Bears players have been named to the 2026 NFC Pro Bowl roster: safety Kevin Byard III, center Drew Dalman, and left guard Joe Thuney.
Three women were wounded in a shooting on Christmas night on Thursday in west suburban Aurora.
A woman was released on electronic monitoring Wednesday after authorities said she drove drunk and caused a crash that injured a family of four in Lombard, Illinois.
Multiple cars were broken into this week in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood.
Four women have been charged with leading police on a high-speed chase after stealing from a retail store in the west Chicago suburb of Villa Park.
A woman has been charged with attacking four people at a CTA bus stop in the Lawndale neighborhood, including a woman she allegedly slashed with a broken beer bottle after threatening that woman's mother.
