Brady: No one will pick us; Manning: Beer, please

Tom Brady and Peyton Manning will bonk heads in the AFC Championship. The narrative threads are everywhere. Peyton has come back from a broken neck to scorn the team that released him and drag his new one into the playoffs with his teeth. Tom Brady is the fair-haired rival from the perennial contenders of the northeast who nobody wants to high-five for some reason.

This is the match-up everybody wanted, making it both appropriate and kind of boring. People will act like they knew it would happen all along. They'll cast it as a fairy tale. It'll be a weeklong news cycle of analysis, breakdowns, and bottom-scraping nonsense.

Both quarterbacks had different reactions following their victories this weekend. Manning was asked about his future but most concerned about his mouth.

Reporter: "[Some inane question about Peyton's future]"

Peyton: "...what's weighing on my mind is how soon I can get a Bud Light in my mouth after this win."

Brady was asked about the Patriots' image and most concerned about the Patriots' image.

Brady: "Nobody will be picking us this week."

I'm pretty sure you'll be very able to find analysts picking the Patriots this week, because you can never count them out, Brady is great, and because picks don't matter, there's no accountability or punishment at all for being wrong, and who cares who you pick, really.

[Deadspin]