In case you were looking for a storyline to follow in this year’s Super Bowl, you probably aren’t looking hard enough. There’s plenty. One that I have found specific interest in, however, is one that ESPN has blatantly overlooked. While there’s so much talk surrounding Eli Manning and his campaign to be the second Manning brother in two years to win the Lombardi Trophy, I’m more concerned about fitting a championship ring on the chubby fingers of back-up quarterback Jared Lorenzen.

Shawne Merriman. Jason Taylor. Brian Urlacher. Patrick Kerney. What do all these names have in common? They all weigh less than the round mound of touchdown, Jared Lorenzen. Lorenzen’s weight, which is now at 285, had once ballooned to over 300 pounds. For a quarterback! Doesn’t arm flab get in the way of a perfect throwing motion? Not for Lorenzen. This guy attacks a buffet like he attacks the Eagles secondary; with reckless abandon. Doesn’t weighing 300 pounds bring a new definition to the phrase “not so mobile quarterback.” Somewhere, Drew Bledsoe is laughing his ass off right now.

So when you sit down this Sunday to watch the Super Bowl and the camera pans to the Giants sideline, find number 13. He’s not hard to miss and I guarantee you’ll double take and realize that he’s not a lineman. Nope. He’s the back-up quarterback for the New York Giants. And even though he probably won’t play Sunday and, hell, probably won’t play anytime in the near future, let’s cheer for Lorenzen to get a ring. He’s the biggest guy not playing and deserves it.

Hosts: Kevin, Ryan and Sonny

In todays edition of the Sportable Spot the guys recap the conference championship games, giving their insight on both the winners and the losers. They also recap other notable NFL stories including coaching vacancies and contract extensions.

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How about that for a championship Sunday? Finally we are down to just two teams who will be playing in Glendale, Arizona for the Lombardi Trophy. Most of us saw the Patriots making it this far; none of us saw the Giants making this improbable run. But before I digress onto the Giants win over the Packers, let’s go back the noted Pats.

18-0 huh? The Patriots are on the verge of making some serious history. When the discussion of greatest teams ever arises, certainly 19-0 is a good place to start for the Pats. They’ve manhandled everything thrown their way in a variety of fashions which, as we saw yesterday, extend beyond Tom Brady and include the often forgotten Laurence Maroney. Maroney was in full beast-mode yesterday, carrying the Patriots while Brady struggled his way through a surprising three interceptions. Give credit to San Diego, they played this Patriots team about as tough as humanly possible and if it weren’t for a few mistakes in the red zone, the Chargers could have very well won this game. In the end, however, it was the Patriots who were triumphant. I’ll go ahead and say it right now; this team isn’t beatable. There are frankly too many weapons at Brady’s disposal for this team to slip up.

On the other side are the unheralded New York Giants. The G-Men have fought their way through the entire playoff run, beating Tampa Bay, Dallas, and Green Bay all on the road. Yesterday’s game at Lambeau was one of the coldest ever played with temperatures dipping below zero. It was so cold that, halfway through the second quarter, I found myself reaching for a sweatshirt because I was getting cold just watching the game. God knows how all those Packers fans sat through that entire game in the stands. That seems like it might have been the most miserable situation ever; sub-zero temperatures and a heartbreak loss in overtime after the Green Bay God throws a pivotal interception. This Giants team is feisty. Eli Manning has come into his own; not making mistakes that he so often made earlier in his career. Ahmad Bradshaw has been a pleasant surprise at running back for the Giants and certainly made his impact in yesterday’s game with a few key first down runs. And how about the fact that the Giants have done all of this without their homophobic loud mouth tight end, Jeremy Shockey. Pretty impressive.

So the table is set for the final showdown. Will it be the unbeaten Patriots or the underdog Giants? Whatever the result, it should be a good one.

The entire 2007 season can be characterized by the dominance of two teams from both the AFC and NFC. In the NFC, the Cowboys rolled through the season relatively unscathed, finishing 13-3 and securing home field advantage throughout the playoffs. We were all ready for a rematch of Cowboys-Packers, a game that brings us back to each team’s mid-1990s glory days. Turns out the New York Football Giants had other ideas, as they upset the ‘Boys 21-17.

Before we play the blame game, let’s take a look at the Giants, a team that I had sworn off after yet another 2nd half slide. The Giants entered the postseason high on confidence but maybe more importantly, low on rust. After defeating the Bills to clinch a playoff spot, Tom Coughlin was left with a dilemma. Should he play his starters and try to derail the Patriots’ undefeated season? Or should he have his team roll over with backups? He chose the former, a decision that I admired then and I admire even more now.

By playing his starters the entire game, Coughlin made sure they stayed in routine before the postseason, something too many coaches overlook. Let’s take a look at Cowboys’ coach Wade Phillips. After the Cowboys defeated the Packers to all but secure home field advantage, his team gradually slid into mediocrity. And during the bye week, rather than keeping the team in Dallas to work out their kinks, he gave them a vacation. Really, Wade? Isn’t half your team going to Hawaii for vacation in a few weeks anyway?

The Cowboys entered yesterday’s game about three weeks removed from a “real” game. The week 17 game against Washington was a throwaway game. Wade rested players, took it easy in practice, and by doing so, received an asskicking from the Redskins. Throw that bye week into the equation and the Cowboys looked like a team in preseason form rather than a team playing their best football. In the end, Wade got his wish. His team is now on vacation. A six month vacation.

With Rich breaking down the AFC playoff teams earlier today, I thought it’d be fitting to discuss that other conference, the NFC.

1. Dallas Cowboys. I was a little more settled on this team a few weeks ago than I am right now. Since that win over the Packers on Thursday Night to all but clinch the top seed in the NFC, the ‘Boys have lost two of their last four and have done little to solidify their spot as the NFC’s elite team. Tony Romo has a quarterback rating of just 70 since that win over the Packers. Getting Terry Glenn back should help, but for the Cowboys to land in Glendale, they’re going to need Romo to return to midseason form.

2. Green Bay Packers. For all of Brett Favre’s accomplishments, he had never improved the Packers five games from one season to the next. The NFL’s biggest surprise will come into postseason play at 13-3. Make no mistake, this team is no fluke. The Packers are loaded with weapons on both sides of the ball. We know about Favre and his great wide receivers. But Ryan Grant, a former Notre Dame standout, may be their biggest revelation yet. Grant gives the Packers a legitimate running game, something you need to win in January. Combine Favre’s crew with one of the league’s best defenses and you have a shot against anyone. That includes you, Dallas.

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Hosts: Sonny, Ryan, and Rich.In this episode, Sonny, Rich, and myself discuss the NFC East. We discussed the role of Brian Westbrook in helping the Eagles repeat as NFC East champs. We also briefly talked about Terrell Owens’ role in Wade Phillips’ offense, and how he may react if Tony Romo and Co. struggle early.

You can find Episode 27 here. (Download mp3)