Three football games left. It's a petrifying thought because it means the offseason is on the horizon. It's a wonderful thing, too, because of the teams involved -- both the NFC and AFC ended up going chalk for the first time in a decade with the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds landing in the championship games.

Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning highlights the early game on CBS this coming Sunday and Cam Newton vs. Carson Palmer will do just fine as a second act. We got four mostly outstanding games during the divisional round and we're going to get a pair of delightful championship games.

This list of good teams means a great Super Bowl matchup for the league on its golden anniversary. Let's rank them best to "worst." 

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1. Patriots-Cardinals: From a pure enjoyment standpoint it's hard to imagine a better game. Bruce Arians and Bill Belichick are the two best coaches in football right now and do it two totally different ways. Belichick is quiet and sometimes comes off grumpy (although humorous at times, especially on these Super Bowl stages). Arians is cool and gruff; he'd be the secret superstar of media day. Both guys are hardcore football men, hyper-intelligent historians of the game who grew up coaching under legends. But both are willing to buck convention and to go for gusto.

In terms of the quarterback play in this matchup, there haven't been two guys playing the position much better than Carson Palmer and Tom Brady this season. Palmer struggled a little bit against Green Bay in the divisional round but he's a guy who's willing to pull the trigger on any throw. Brady's ability to rise on the biggest stage needs no real explanation.

The Patriots' defense is sneakily outstanding, but the Cardinals are almost impossible to prepare for. Larry Fitzgerald, John Brown, and Michael Floyd are the most devastating trio of wide receivers in the NFL. Mix in rookie wunderkind David Johnson at running back and you have a high-octane offense that is difficult to slow down regardless of what personnel you have on D. Belichick is a master at taking away his opponent's top option but how do you do that when there are four guys to consider?

Tough to top a Belichick vs. Arians showdown in the biggest game. (USATSI)

Arizona general manager Steve Keim has loaded this Cardinals defense with modern day playmakers -- guys more suited for the title of "defensive weapon" then being pigeonholed to a particular position. In an era where a guy like Rob Gronkowski is redefining the tight end position, it's the story of a counterpunch you have to bring if you want to slow him down.

So there's continued legacy building for the Patriots, the start of a legacy for Arians and the Cardinals, latter-career redemption for Carson Palmer and the possibility for a wild shootout.

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2. Panthers-Patriots: Revenge game for the Panthers from over a decade ago when Tom Brady, still building his legacy as one of the all-time greats, marched the Pats down the field for the game-winning field goal by Adam Vinatieri. That was a Panthers defense built on some crazy talent, with Julius Peppers, Kris Jenkins, Mike Rucker and Brentson Buckner on the defensive line. This Panthers team is building a similar fashion, molded after Ron Rivera's hard-nosed defensive style.

Cam Newton wasn't even eligible to drive much less drive down the field the last time Tom Brady faced the Panthers in the Super Bowl.

Of course, there's not much similar on the Patriots, either. But the fact that Brady and Bill Belichick are still going strong is a testament to the legacy that they've built in New England.

Cam Newton and Tom Brady on the same field has plenty of appeal. (USATSI)

There's also the added bonus of Belichick and Brady trying to bookend their careers with back-to-back Super Bowls.

Revenge? Check. History (for either side)? Check. Also the possibility of really good football. The last time these two teams net on a big stage was Monday night years ago when the little people were questioning whether they were a legitimate contender. Sound familiar?

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3. Cardinals-Broncos: The obvious storyline here is Peyton Manning winning a second Super Bowl. But does it count if he's not the one winning it for his team? 

The more interesting factor here is how the Broncos defense and their impressive trio of cornerbacks -- Aqib Talib, Chris Harris and Bradley Roby -- would matchup against Fitz, Floyd and Brown. Didn't mention it earlier, but a victory for Arizona would cement Fitzgerald as a Hall of Famer. 

The whole Gary Kubiak-John Elway-Peyton relationship would be under the microscope in a big way here. If Manning limped through a Denver home win against the Patriots, would the Broncos consider going with Brock Osweiler? 

Peyton Manning and Carson Palmer airing it out would be fun to watch. (USATSI)

Is there a chance Peyton Manning could win a Super Bowl ring on the bench? 

Arians' gung-ho style and Palmer's willingness to chuck the ball over the field against the Broncos' pass rush and their penchant for creating turnovers and ball-hawking would be a fascinating game of chicken.

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4. Panthers-Broncos: Again, this is the worst case. Not too shabby! Like, worst case you have either Brady or Manning gunning for their legacy and their resume in Super Bowl 50. Massive win for the NFL.

If the Panthers make it, there's a major upstart factor here with -- again -- no one believing in Carolina.

The Panthers are a pretty fiery bunch, too, with the possibility for a few media darlings to emerge. The world loves Cam, but give him a microphone for a week and watch out. Foxtails for everyone.

Josh Norman could emerge the same way as Richard Sherman did just two years ago as a rowdy but thoughtful cornerback willing to speak his mind on just about anything. After Sunday's game, he was at his locker in a Batman T-shirt answering questions about going to dark places in order to prepare for opponents. 

Norman matched up against Thomas would be ... intense. (USATSI)

The Broncos aren't short on storylines either. Did we mention Peyton Manning? Demaryius Thomas' mother saw him play football for the first time this past week. Elway's history with Super Bowl victories would be heavily in focus here. DeMarcus Ware wants to add to his legacy (and against Jared Allen, hello, they're neck and neck for the active sack lead). 

In short we're getting a great Super Bowl 50 matchup no matter how things shake out next Sunday.