A wild NFL postseason has culminated in one of the most hyped-up Super Bowl showdowns in recent memory. Leading into Super Sunday, however, was last week’s conference championships- one matchup known and loved by fans for years and another that touted the next generation of NFL quarterbacks.

In the AFC Championship, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots traveled to Denver as they looked to pull off an upset against Peyton Manning and the top-seeded Broncos. Manning has been playing almost perfect football this season and last Sunday was no different.

Shrugging off critics who said he couldn’t win when it counted, Manning came out and threw for 400 yards and two touchdowns against the Patriots. Meanwhile, the Broncos defense held strong as they allowed only 64 yards on the ground.

“They were pretty flawless,” Brady said. “We couldn’t force them into making any bad plays on either side of the ball.”

After a 26-16 win over New England, the Broncos had the opportunity to tune in to the NFC Championship game to see who they would meet in the Meadowlands for the Super Bowl.

The NFC title game pitted the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers against each other for the third time this season. These division rivals had split their first two games, with the home team winning each time.

With the Seahawks owning home field advantage in the NFC, Seattle’s notoriously loud CenturyLink Field played host to the game. The Seahawks fan base refer to themselves as the 12th Man because opposing teams can literally feel their presence during games. During their NFC Divisional playoff game against the Saints two weeks ago, Seahawks fans shook the ground so much that it caused a small earthquake.

Such was the arena the 49ers entered.

The game was tight from the start, but it was the 49ers who led 17-13 heading into the fourth quarter. The 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick tore up the top-ranked Seahawks defense on the ground.

However, the tide would start to turn in the final 15 minutes as Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson tossed a 35-yard touchdown pass to receiver Jermaine Kearse early in the fourth quarter. The Seahawks would also add a field goal off of a Kaepernick interception to make it 23-17 with 3:37 remaining.

With 22 seconds remaining, Kaepernick targeted wide receiver Michael Crabtree in the end zone for the potential game-winning touchdown. But the game-winning play would be made by Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, as he tipped the ball into the air and it was intercepted by linebacker Malcolm Smith, sealing the Seahawks second trip to the Super Bowl.

A Manning vs. Wilson Super Bowl sets quite the stage. If Manning wins, many will make the case that he truly is the greatest quarterback of all time. A Wilson win, however, could symbolize a passing of the torch.