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Cyd Zeigler
Before I get into my thoughts
from the weekend, my conference championship picks:
Atlanta Falcons 27, Philadelphia Eagles 17
– The Falcons have been the most underrated team the entire
season. That victory over the St. Louis Rams was no fluke –
this team is for real.
New England Patriots 30, Pittsburgh Steelers 17
– When a quarterback plays the New England Patriots a second
time in a season, they are 0-13 since Bill Belichick took
over. The Patriots are just clicking right now like the
Steelers were clicking in October. I’m stunned that the
early lines have the Patriots favored by a field goal. All
of that doesn’t matter – because the Patriots are simply
destined to win.
After three upsets in round
one, I guess it makes sense that all four home teams won. Other than
the overtime win by Pittsburgh, the rest of the home teams
won this weekend by 30, 13 and 17.
Indianapolis Colts at New
England Patriots
I want to
thank Peyton Manning for a great season. Seriously.
The guy has every team wondering what they can do with a
quarterback – and he provided some incredibly exciting plays
in a league that sometimes can get bogged down in 13-10
games.
I also
wanted to thank Peyton Manning and the rest of the Colts
for a very classy move: rolling over and
allowing true champions to play in the AFC Championship.
I was more
excited about this game than any other football game I have
watched short of a conference championship or a Super Bowl.
I think reading all week how the Patriots wouldn’t be
able to stop Peyton Manning, and how the Colts would finally
beat the Pats, made this impending game that much more
sweet. I started to believe some of the hype – without Ty
Law and Tyrone Poole, maybe the Colts WOULD get
over the hump. Luckily, my sister set me straight sometime
on Thursday and I realized the Pats would win.
What so
many of these “experts” still don’t realize is the Patriots
are a team – and they’re the best TEAM in the NFL. One
person can’t beat the Patriots in the playoffs – it takes a
group of selfless men who are completely dedicated to one
goal – winning. There is no team like them in the NFL right
now.
How great
is it that Mike Vanderjagt, dubbed “Vanderjerk” after
talking smack during the week, was the only Colt to score
against the Patriots.
It was also
wonderful to see Peyton Manning throw an interception to end
the game as the Colts were trying to pad his stats with a
last-second touchdown pass.
Going
forward, the Colts are going to have to decide if they want
to contend for a Super Bowl, or just put on a great show. If
they want the latter, they should keep doing what they’re
doing. If they want the former, let Edgerrin James go
and get some top defensive talent – it’s the only way you’ll
get to the Super Bowl as long as Bill Belichick
coaches in New England.
New York Jets at Pittsburgh
Steelers
Why did New
York Jets QB Chad Pennington kneel and lose a yard
right before the field goal try that ended regulation?
Because they assumed their kicker would make the kick. Dumb,
dumb, dumb. The Jets made the same mistake that the Chargers
made the week before – they got too conservative right
before a field goal that was never going to be a gimme.
I love the
Steelers taking a timeout on third down with the Jets
driving and 2:07 left on the clock. So many teams don’t know
how to manipulate the clock – and a timeout before the
two-minute warning is one of the strategies to save time I
see completely under-utilized in the NFL. You want time on
your side because you’re in control of the clock, and it’s
worth a timeout to get that time. The more time you’re in
control of, the better.
In the
latest of the “duh” comments by overpaid NFL analysts, I
offer this gem from Shannon Sharpe: “If the Jets can keep it
close, they have a chance.”
Steelers
quarterback Ben Rothlisberger was not good on
Saturday. His stats, by quarter: 1) 2-6, 24 yards; 2) 2-6,
24 yards; 3) 7-9, 81 yards, 1 INT; 4) 3-5, 20 yards, 1 TD, 1
INT; OT) 3-4, 32 yards. What is troubling about this is that
he didn’t get better through the game. Yes, he started
completing more passes – but, he threw two picks in the
second half.
On their
first three drives, the Jets faced third-down yardage of 12
yards, 24 yards and 14 yards. The Jets did not convert any
of them. After those first three drives, the Jets were able
to avoid third and long – until their last drive of the
game, in which they converted a 3rd & 13, then
threw a two-yard pass on 3rd & 10. The Patriots’
success on Sunday will depend on their ability to avoid
double-digit yardage to-go on third down.
When you
look at a game coming down to one play, try this one on for
size. With :22 left in the first half, Santana Moss
caught a pass on the sideline and cut in instead of going
out of bounds, forcing the jets to use their last timeout of
the half. The Jets were later literally a second away from
stopping the clock and attempting a short field goal before
halftime. Were the coaches not telling them to go to the
sideline, or was it a bad decision by Moss?
St. Louis Rams at Atlanta
Falcons
How did the
ball fall off the tee of the opening kick-off of the
Falcons game – it’s in a dome!
Why did
Falcons QB Mike Vick run out of bounds after running
47 yards on the opening drive? He had the angle and could
have run in for the touchdown. To me, it’s worth expending a
little extra energy to put seven points on the board.
Note to all
the networks: Fox sideline commentator Tony Siragusa
is exactly why you DON’T have an active sideline reporter
during games. “Goose” chimes in whenever he wants as a third
member of the booth – who happens to be roaming the
sidelines. But, he just doesn’t have the insight or
authority to be chiming in. Plus, because he’s not in the
booth, he sounds different than the other two guys. It’s
more jarring than anything else to hear comments from the
sideline reporter over and over. The worst, though, had to
have been Siragusa singing “She Bangs,” a la William Hung.
The Falcons
had the two longest rushes from scrimmage in the team’s
playoff history – both in the first seven minutes of the
game.
Down 47-17
with under two minutes left, why were the Rams running their
two-minute drill, taking timeouts with :40 left, and spiking
the ball with :15 left? Why would you at all risk an injury
that could show up next season? The answer: Mike Martz’s
ego – he just can’t stand not having the final say. I don’t
think 30 points in two minutes is remotely possible. I would
have just knelt.
Minnesota Vikings at
Philadelphia Eagles
For the
last five years, no team has been more boring to watch week
in and week out than the Philadelphia Eagles. This
game was no exception. The Eagles were boring to watch, and
won because Daunte Culpepper sucked until the Vikes
were already down 14-0.
Other Notes
How much do
I love the McDonald’s commercial that features a guy
explaining to his four buddies what a “duvee cover” is. A
classic play on the ever-emerging “metrosexual”
The
Seattle Seahawks fired Bob Whitsett, president of
football operations. "I decided to take a change of
direction and bring in somebody with a deep background in
football to run the football side of the organization,"
Seahawks owner Paul Allen said. "I didn't take it
lightly at all, but felt it's what is needed for the
franchise." What is needed is to fire head coach Mike
Holmgren. He has simply run his course in Seattle and,
after two straight playoff losses, it’s time to figure out
who can take the team to the next level. |
Jim Buzinski
--A first
look at the AFC and NFC title games. I know the trendy picks
will be Atlanta and New England (the Patriots are a rare
away favorite), but I like both home teams next
week.
NFC:
Philadelphia 27, Atlanta 14. The Eagles have the
defensive speed and schemes to shut down Michael Vick. The
key to beating Atlanta is to force him to throw, since he’s
not a prolific passer and can throw interceptions. The
Falcons can also be thrown on and I like Donovan McNabb to
control the tempo of the game. The two teams to win the NFC
titles at Philadelphia—Tampa Bay in 2002 and Carolina in
2003—had defenses superior to Atlanta.
AFC:
Pittsburgh 20, New England 17. I don’t think the
Steelers will be intimidated against the Patriots like the
Colts were. The Steelers defense is tough and aggressive and
will be able to pressure Tom Brady. The Colts got three
sacks and the Steelers can match that. On offense, I think
the Steelers will be aggressive and try to use Plaxico
Burress’ 6-5 frame against the still-suspect Patriots
secondary. Playoff football is all about matchups and I like
the Steelers in this one.
--In this
season of wide-open passing, three of the four winners this
weekend showed that the playoffs are still about being able
to run the ball: Patriots, 210 yards rushing, 115
passing; Falcons, 327 yards rushing, 70 passing; Steelers,
193 rushing, 171 passing. Only the Eagles—286 passing and
109 rushing—defied the trend.
On the
losing side, the Colts had only 42 yards rushing, the Rams
77, the Vikings 97 and the Jets 110. It’s not coincidence
that Jets came closest to winning.
--It's also
no surprise that two dome teams--Minnesota and
Indianapolis--went down on the road (Atlanta played at
home). The 1998 Falcons, '99 and 2001 Rams are the only dome teams to ever make
the Super Bowl and they won the conference title games in
domes. No dome team has won a conference title outdoors. Dome teams just aren't built for bad weather,
which is why it is vital that they secure home field.
I still
contend the play of the year happened in Week 1, when
Edgerrin James of the Colts fumbled at the New England 1
late in the game going in for the lead. Had the Colts won,
Sunday's game would have been in the cozy confines of the
RCA Dome and not in windy, cold and snowy Foxboro. The Colts
have no one to blame but themselves. Bad scheduling news
for the Colts: They play in the regular season at New
England in 2005 and 2006 (parts of the schedule are set
years in advance).
--I am a
huge fan of Peyton Manning and the Colts, but they
really laid an egg in their 20-3 loss at New England. The
Patriots were better on offense and defense and had the
superior coaching. The Colts had their chances, down 6-3 in
the third, but the Pats slowly ground them down. It was a
dud of a way to end what had been an exciting season.
--Patriots
linebacker Willie McGinest summed it up best: "Peyton
Manning is a great player and I'm not going to sit here and
trash the guy. He's the best quarterback in football and you
can't devalue what he's been doing. He's one of the best
players, not just one of the best quarterbacks, but one of
the best players in the league. He's loaded with weapons and
it's hard to stop them. But today was our day. It was just
our day."
--I guess
New England is to Manning what Florida was to him in
college. And Pats coach Bill Belichick seems to know
Manning’s tendencies better than he does. The Colts, for
some reason, never went deep and I thought Manning missed
some chances to try to hit Marvin Harrison when he
seemed to be in single coverage. The Pats have a way of
making the Colts look ordinary.
As Patriots
linebacker Mike Vrabel said: "Our coaches came up
with an unbelievable game plan. Without getting too
specific, we just threw a lot of different looks at him. We
showed him stuff he's never seen from us before."
--The Colts
seemed shell-shocked, while the Patriots looked
focused and ready to play. They didn’t lose because of
turnovers or big plays. They were just outplayed. The tone
was set early when the Colts had three rare dropped passes,
two of which would have led to first downs.
--New
England fans were serenading the Colts with chants of "cut
that meat!" in the second half when it became clear the
Pats were headed for victory, a mocking reference to
Manning's popular MasterCard ads.
--I think
the Colts made a big mistake in not going for it on 4th-and-1
on the New England 49 with 9:54 left in the third and the
score Pats 6-3. It was a sign they weren’t going for the
jugular. The result? The Pats got the ball on a punt and
drove on a 14-play scoring drive to basically ice the game.
Another 15-play drive sealed the Colts’ coffin as New
England controlled the ball for 37 of 60 minutes.
--New
England’s MVP was running back Corey Dillon (144
yards rushing), who helped control the clock in the second
half. As for Brady, all he does is win. He is now 7-0 in the
playoffs. But please, Tom, ditch the beard!
--In the
other AFC game, the Steelers admitted they were lucky to
beat the Jets in overtime after New York’s Doug Brien
missed two field goals in the final two minutes of
regulation. The Jets made some horrible offensive play calls
when they could gotten the ball closer for Brien. They
should have learned that 42- and 47-yard field goals on the
road are not gimmes. In fact, Heinz Field is known for being
the worst stadium in the league for kickers ("Welcome to
hell," Pittsburgh punter Josh Miller said).
--I was
impressed by the Steelers' demeanor after the game. No
boasting about how they showed heart in coming back. Coach
Bill Cower said he had a lot of work to do and rookie
Ben Roethlisberger admitted he played terribly and
was bailed out by his defense. This is a team that knows it
suffered a near-death experience.
--Lose a
close game for a New York team and the Big Apple media will
be merciless. Besides Brien, the goat being singled out is
offensive coordinator Paul Hackett. Wrote Mike
Vaccaro of the New York Post: “And then, at the end,
when the Jets had the Steelers on their heels, Hackett (and
coach Herman Edwards, who refused to veto what he was
hearing) ripped a page out of Marty Schottenheimer's
‘Playoff Coaching for Dummies’ paperback and crept into a
shell. … One thing should be crystal clear. Paul Hackett
should never be again, not in the same building as the Jets.
Not unless he buys a ticket.”
--In
watching tons of football this year my biggest beef:
Teams facing a third down who throw a pass clearly short of
the first down. I don’t understand why they even bother. A
great example came in overtime, when the Jets threw a 3-yard
sideline pass on third-and-10. The pass was incomplete but
it wouldn’t have mattered even if it was caught.
--In the
NFC, not much to say about Atlanta’s 47-17 win over
the St. Louis Rams. It was a dog of a game that Atlanta won
by its running game and special teams. MVP was punt returner
Alan Rossum, who set a playoff record with 152 yards
on returns and one touchdown.
--Guess
the Rams (8-8) were playoff frauds after all.
--The
Eagles looked solid in dominating the Vikings. This was the
one game I had nailed, figuring the Vikings had already
played their Super Bowl a week earlier in beating Green Bay.
Philadelphia’s defense frustrated Daunte Culpepper
and Randy Moss was a non-factor (he had two drops,
seldom got open and looked on some plays that he was just
going through the motions).
--I was
wondering if the Vikings’ win over the Packers is
long-term bad news for Minnesota. It forced the Packers
to hire a real GM and confine Mike Sherman to
coaching. And it ensured Mike Tice would continue to
lead the Vikings. An example of his shaky coaching came on
the fake field goal, where Moss was called off the field,
then back on, then back off. The result was a botch job that
summed up a team that lost seven of its last 10 regular
season games. This is not a coaching staff that inspires
much confidence.
--Brian
Westbrook continues to be the best running back no one
knows in the NFL. He was terrific Sunday and you can tell
that McNabb looks really comfortable with him in the lineup.
--Gee, I
watched an entire Phil Simms telecast and heard no
homoerotic comments. I guess he had his playoff game face on
and can’t get inspired if Ed “Guns” Hochuli is
refereeing the game. The closest came when he said that a
quarterback will signal a center by “goosing him.” Simms
does need a fashion consultant: He wore a yellow shirt, red
vest and blue tie, an outfit that was last in vogue during
the first Nixon administration.
--Just
read Cyd's notes: I think the McDonald's commercial is
lame, as did the other people I watched football with.
Not clever, poor acting and a wimpy ending. Must have
sounded better in the concept stage. |
