Conference Championships Linkfest

It's hard to come up with something to say about this weekend's NFL conference championships that hasn't already been said by better minds. Here are some of those better minds:

• Mike Tanier at Sports on Earth -- "In the second half, [Falcons defensive coordinator Mike] Nolan became the Anti-[Dom] Capers. Instead of ignoring the read-option, he ignored everything else."
• Andy Benoit at Football Outsiders -- "This brings us back to the Patriots’ rapid no-huddle. It’s the main force behind their ground game’s success –- especially in scoring position. A more-prepared Ravens defense might be able to respond to it schematically this time around, but what about physically? This is an older, banged-up defense that’s on the road for a second straight week and is coming off an exhausting double-overtime thriller. Will they have the stamina to handle New England’s tempo and high volume of plays?"
• Gregg Easterbrook at ESPN -- "Traditionally, NFL coaches look down on college tactics as not super-sophisticated like pro tactics. Gaining 579 yards on offense seems pretty sophisticated. Where's my varsity sweater?"