Today’s Nfl Playoffs

TODAY’S NFL PLAYOFFS pit the best teams from the AFC and the NFC in a battle for the Super Bowl championship. Many years it’s impossible to predict which team will win it all. But early on, the NFC (then called the NFL) dominated the Super Bowl. NFC teams won the first two contests. Heading into Super Bowl III in the Miami, Florida, Orange Bowl, most agreed that the Baltimore Colts were a lock.

The NFC Colts had lost only once in 16 games all season and were 17-point favorites against the AFC’s (known as the AFL) New York Jets. But somebody must have forgotten to tell that to Jets quarterback Joe Namath. On the Thursday before Super Bowl Sunday, Namath boldly guaranteed that the Jets would win the game.

Many football fans laughed at Namath’s prediction, but the brash quarterback backed up his words with his actions. Leading a balanced Jets attack, Namath passed for ten first downs. New York also rushed for ten first downs as they kept the Colts’ defense off balance. New York built up a 16–0 lead early in the fourth quarter. And after Johnny Unitas came off the bench to lead Baltimore to a late touchdown, the game ended 16–7 in favor of the Jets. For his part, Namath completed 17 of 28 passes for 206 yards and was named the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player.

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POINT Modern-day athletes often run their mouth and guarantee victory. But when Joe Namath guaranteed victory in 1969, his boast shocked the sports world. And when he backed up his prediction with his actions on the field, Namath proved that his words meant something.

God wants our words to mean something as well. If we say one thing and do another, people lose respect for us. People judge you by your actions. St. Francis of Assisi said, “Preach the gospel at all times and when necessary use words.” That means our actions speak louder than our words. And if we happen to open our mouth and say something, we need to make sure our actions back it up.

GOAL! Do your actions reflect your words? If you’re not sure, ask your parents or a close friend. Pray for God to help you walk your talk.