We were on the verge of a road upset Sunday, meaning a non-No.1 seed would have been a Super Bowl contestant. A valiant effort, though, denied that reality, as the Seattle Seahawksstormed back to disrupt the Packers' dreams of snatching a Lombardi Trophy.
But Green Bay was on the verge of reaching the big game, which is more than what can be said of the Colts and Andrew Luck, who posted one of, if not the worst game of his career, mustering a meek seven points against the Patriots' 45. So no one from Indy will be considered for greatest on the road, falling victim to the New England machine in Foxborough. Here's who took home the honors for Championship Sunday.
Greatest on the Road ...
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Green Bay Packers
Pick any reason on why the Packers didn't advance -- sheepish play-calling, penalties, CenturyLink Field catching up to them, divine intervention -- just skip over the electric rookie out of Alabama. Clinton-Dix picked off two of Russell Wilson's passes, including a one-handed haul off a long second-quarter pass, followed by a smooth 27-yard return. A blindside block from Clay Matthews set Green Bay back 15 yards, but it was still a cool runback. Clinton-Dix was the trendsetter in intercepting Wilson, stealing the first pass attempt fewer than five minutes into the contest off a deflection, taking the Packers inside the Seattle 4 (once again, a 15-yard penalty brought them back).
The safety has posted an up-and-down first year with the Pack (the down exhibited by not disrupting Luke Willson's late two-point conversion), but the NFC Championship Game mostly featured Clinton-Dix at the peak of his powers. He should be a nice, roaming free safety in Dom Capers' defense down the road.
Also considered ...
Morgan Burnett, Green Bay Packers
Burnett added a pair of sacks with his pick, but Clinton-Dix's partner at safety drops a peg for kneeling down on his return. That act of conservatism was the last bit that ultimately doomed Green Bay, keeping the door open for a Seahawks comeback at the Clink. Seattle's offensive line missed rookie right tackle Justin Britt, opening the floodgates for Wilson to take five total sacks, and STILL, the reigning champs managed a comeback. I don't know either.
Julius Peppers, Green Bay Packers
Thirty-five is the new 25, right? Don't tell Julius Peppers otherwise. He added 1.5 sacks of his own to the party in the Seahawks' backfield on Sunday, bringing his postseason total to 3.5. Despite being in his 13th season, Peppers was an offseason steal for Green Bay, a the linebacker corps by starting all 16 games and retaining his form throughout the season.
Sadly for all these stellar Packers defenders, home isn't where they wanted to be after Sunday's game; the right to travel to Glendale, Arizona is not theirs.