The comeback story ends

Everyone expected the Packers to send anyone and everyone on defense after Michael Vick.  It worked for the most part.  Vick still had a good game nearly throwing for 300 yards and a score.  The problem with Philadelphia, as it is most of the time with them, they couldn’t run the ball.  As a team they averaged just under 4 yards a rush.  Green Bay was not going to let the Eagles use the screen game to their advantage either.  Philadelphia was still in position to win the game.  Unfortunately the one flaw with Michael Vick reared its ugly head at the end.  The last throw from Vick was an unnecessary one on 1st down.  Throwing for the endzone with just over 30 seconds left resulted in an interception to end the game.  Experience Vick has, but he hadn’t played in a playoff game in six years.  That to me had a factor in some of his decision making.  Head coach Andy Reid didn’t have any plan it seemed to stifle the Packers pass rush.  Green Bay linebacker Clay Matthews Jr. was causing so much trouble that the Eagles pulled their starting right tackle in the 4th quarter.  It just wasn’t Philadelphia’s day.  Their kicker David Akers missed two field goals that would’ve given the Eagles the lead.  Alas, the Packers were the better team and Aaron Rodgers might have a running game to complement him in the name of James Starks.  The rookie made a name for himself on the biggest stage and that will be a key for Green Bay going forward.  

Baltimore played their game

Going into halftime it seemed that Baltimore was going to have their hands full with the rushing attack of the Kansas City Chiefs.  Jamaal Charles had rushed for a long touchdown run in the first half and the Ravens seemed to have no answer for one of the best rushing attacks in the league.  Baltimore had a trick up their sleeve though.  They stacked the box early and often in Kansas City’s second half possessions.  Taking away the run.  Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassell was then put in a situation to make something happen, but couldn’t do it.  His three interceptions came at crucial times in the game.  Two fumbles by Charles and Dexter McCluster didn’t help either.  Cassell was out matched by a great defense and Joe Flacco was superb in his sixth playoff start in just his third season.  What’s also amazing is that all of Flacco’s playoff starts have been on the road.  His playoff record is now 4-2.  Going forward the Ravens should not be overlooked.  They weren’t with this favorable matchup, but they made an adjustment at halftime that led to the only blowout of the weekend.

They really do want to win

I kept thinking all week that the Jets were going to find some way to lose to the Indianapolis Colts.  All the talk was about Rex Ryan coached teams were 1-5 against Peyton Manning.  With the way the Jets have been playing all year, I wasn’t sure which team was going to show up.  Not surprisingly the Jets defense had held Peyton in check for most of the game.  Peyton was held to just 225 yards passing and one touchdown.  What was surprising is the Jets had at least five defensive backs against the Colts on almost every play.  The strategy worked and the Colts passing game was held in check.  What was surprising was the Mark Sanchez led game winning drive at the end.  All of New York could be heard taking a deep breath with every pass.  The good Sanchez had arrived and was converting on every key throw to lead the Jets within field goal range of their kicker Nick Folk.  Again New York was on pins and needles with Folk promptly nailing it right down Broadway.  Just when you think you know how it will end, Mark Sanchez shows how great he can be on the most important drive of the game.  The Colts had a Hall of Fame kicker in Adam Vinatieri nail the go ahead field goal, but left too much time on the clock for the Jets to go right down the field and win it with time expired.  The “team to beat” still has a rough road ahead, but they feel more at home being the underdogs.

Not really an upset

I said last week, “don’t expect a blowout” and what happened?  A high scoring close game.  New Orleans was within striking distance for most of the game, but when you have eight players on defense that can’t tackle one guy, you’ve already lost the game.  All the credit in the world goes to the Seattle Seahawks.  Yes, everyone outside of Seattle had New Orleans winning this game, but don’t start calling it an upset.  Last I checked the Seahawks are a NFL team and they did win their division.  Granted it’s the worst in the league, but they still won it fair and square.  The New Orleans Saints didn’t have the same fire on defense as they had last year.  Drew Brees did all he could to get them points, but the Saints defense was awful.  Marshawn Lynch’s 67 yard touchdown run was both amazing and comical.  It is the iconic moment of Wild Card Weekend and it also signified that there will be a new champion this year.  New Orleans was playing like they were last year, but it was for not as Seattle wanted to prove to everyone that they belonged.  Seattle should be considered a good team the rest of the way.  They beat an offensive juggernaut and had a perfect gameplan to score 41 points on the defending champs.  There’s only one explanation for this game.  Seattle was just better.

New Orleans Saints (11-5) vs. Seattle Seahawks (7-9)

Ranks

Offense
Saints – 6th
Seahawks – 28th

Defense
Saints – 4th
Seahawks – 27th

With the way those rankings look, you would think this will be a one sided affair.  It never is in the NFL.  8-8 teams have made it to the Super Bowl and it does seem impossible that a 7-9 team will do that.  I’m not here to say Seattle will run the table, but there are players on their roster that were on that 2005 team.  First and foremost is their starting quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.  If his game is up to par, the Seahawks might have a chance in this game.  Their defense plays at another level at Qwest Field.  A lot of folks say that is one of the toughest places to play in the NFL.
Now a lot will have to happen for Seattle to have an edge in this game.  New Orleans is the defending champions and last I checked they still have a healthy quarterback in Drew Brees.  If he is the Drew Brees of last postseason, and not the turnover prone quarterback of the regular season, the Saints will be in good hands.  The Saints rushing attack will take a hit with Pierre Thomas and Christopher Ivory both out for the rest of the playoffs.  Reggie Bush will get an extra load of work the rest of the way which could be good and bad at the same time.  The Saints should be the favorites, but don’t expect a blowout.

Matchup to watch for: New Orleans Saints D vs. Matt Hasselbeck

New York Jets (11-5) vs. Indianapolis Colts (10-6)

Ranks

Offense
Jets – 11th
Colts – 4th

Defense
Jets – 3rd
Colts – 20th

The talk all week has been what Jets head coach Rex Ryan’s defensive scheme will be against Peyton Manning the 7th time around.  In case you don’t know, Peyton is 6-1 all-time against a Rex Ryan coached defense.  Not many coaches can say they have a winning record against him.  The Jets do have additional weapons at their disposal this year.  Antonio Cromartie will help opposite Darrelle Revis and Jason Taylor will be a big help rushing the edge.  It all comes down to the offense for the Jets.  Which Mark Sanchez will show up?  The one who was 30 minutes away from beating Peyton a year ago or the one who was nearly benched a few times in the regular season?
Not has Peyton shaken the rust from mid-season, he has a running game to help take the pressure off his arm.  Is it just me or should the Colts have never let Dominic Rhodes go after winning Super 41?  He was a big help while Joseph Addai was out and with Addai back, the Colts have a two-headed attack in the ground game.  The Colts still have a shaky defense, but they have overcome that fact before and this is a relatively easy task for them.  Make Mark Sanchez beat you.  That will be their gameplan going into Sunday night.

Matchup to watch for: NY Jets D vs. Peyton Manning

Baltimore Ravens (12-4) vs. Kansas City Chiefs (10-6)

Ranks

Offense
Ravens – 22nd
Chiefs – 12th

Defense
Ravens – 10th
Chiefs – 14th

This is a trap game for both teams.  The Baltimore Ravens have an impressive 6-3 road playoff record since they drafted their defensive captain Ray Lewis.  They weren’t spectacular on the road overall this year (5-3), but they finished the season winning 7 of their last 9 (3-1 on the road).  Joe Flacco has more experience in the playoffs than most quarterbacks at his age.  That bodes well for the Ravens stagnant offense overall, but Flacco has more weapons at his disposal this time around (Boldin, Houshmandzadeh, Stallworth).
Matt Cassell hasn’t started a playoff game nor appeared in one.  He’s watched playoff games with New England, but it’s hard to see him step into the ring firing on all cylinders.  Kansas City was 7-1 at home this year, but their last home was a debacle against division rival Oakland.  That was a troubling sign that should bode well for the Ravens.  However, the Chiefs have bounced back from tough stretches this year.  They have to establish the run early and often to open up their passing attack.  Baltimore’s defense isn’t an elite defense and has their flaws in the passing game.  The Chiefs should be favored, but Baltimore has the experience and the attitude to win on the road.

Matchup to watch for: Ray Lewis vs. Thomas Jones & Jamaal Charles

Green Bay Packers (10-6) vs. Philadelphia Eagles (10-6)

Ranks

Offense
Packers – 9th
Eagles – 2nd

Defense
Packers – 5th
Eagles – 12th

I like seeing rematches in the playoffs.  Green Bay squeaked out a victory in Week 1 against the same Philadelphia Eagles, but it was with Kevin Kolb as the starting quarterback for the Eagles.  Green Bay has been consistently good when Aaron Rodgers is on his game or in the lineup.  He has recovered from his late season concussion and will be looking to get out of the Wild Card this time around.  He couldn’t defeat the Arizona Cardinals in a overtime shootout last year, but this matchup is sure to be a defensive stalwart.  The Packers want to control the ball more, but it will be difficult without a sure fire back to hand it off to.
The Eagles had their season’s fortune change thanks to the Green Bay Packers after the first game.  With Kevin Kolb concussed Michael Vick stepped into the starting role and the Eagles never looked back.  Now it’s no coincidence that having DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy have made Vick’s transition to becoming the starting quarterback so much easier.  Those three will have to be involved early and often for the Eagles to keep Rodgers and his weapons off the field.  The other problem has been the Eagles lack of pass protection against the blitz.  That bodes well for the Packers blitz happy attack which is sure to exploit it and force the Eagles into long conversion opportunities.

Matchup to watch for: Green Bay Packers D vs. Michael Vick

Predicitons

Saints over Seahawks

Colts over Jets

Ravens over Chiefs

Packers over Eagles

It’s been a pretty tumultuous year in the NFL.  Only two teams won 13 or more games (New England & Atlanta).  A sub .500 team (Seattle) made the playoffs.  All in all there are five new teams that are in the playoffs this year.  Each one, even Seattle, has a legitimate shot at winning the Super Bowl.  Instead of looking back at what happened in Week 17, I’m going to look back at the entire season.  It’s a mix of the good, the bad and the ugly moments of the 2010 NFL season.

Week 1

The catch that never was will define the Detroit Lions 2010 season.  Calvin Johnson to everyone, but the rulebook of the NFL, caught the go-ahead touchdown against the Chicago Bears.  The rule is stupid, but the rule was correct.  Memo to the competition committee: we don’t need stupid rules.

A quarterback controversy turned into a blessing for the Philadelphia Eagles.  Michael Vick replaced an injured Kevin Kolb.  Since then the Eagles clinched the division and Vick seems to be a different man on and off the field.  Comeback player of the year and possibly the MVP award are his this season.

The Dallas Cowboys showed who they actually were in the beginning of the season.  A flawed team.  Having talent on paper doesn’t translate to the field of play.  It seemed to be a matter of time before the Cowboys would implode, but no one expected it in the first game.

Week 2

The Minnesota Vikings were beginning to show signs that they were going to have a rougher ride in 2010.  They were outplayed in their home opener against Miami and everyone began to whisper if it was such a good idea for Brett Favre to come back.  Those whispers became very loud by mid-season.

A lot of folks including myself had the Houston Texans as an up and coming team.  I didn’t have them making the playoffs, but I did see them being contenders for most of the season.  After the way they started with an impressive home opening win against Indianapolis and a come from behind victory at Washington, who thought they would self-destruct?

Week 3

Two teams that weren’t in the playoffs last year, Kansas City and Pittsburgh had started out 3-0.  Pittsburgh didn’t have Ben Roethlisberger for their first four games and Kansas City was essentially the same team from a year ago.  Both are in the playoffs this year and at this point we were wondering just how good they could be.

Week 4

Donovan McNabb returned to Philadelphia and beat his former team in Redskins red.  Granted Michael Vick was out for most of the game, but McNabb had taken to his former team and won the game.  I, like everyone else was wondering why San Francisco was playing so badly.  I still haven’t figured it out at this point, but they are starting over, so I guess there were a lot of problems.

Week 5

The New York Giants defense had returned to their old form.  They were sacking opposing quarterbacks left and right.  We thought they would take that momentum all the way to the playoffs.  Sad to say they faltered again in December.  Brett Favre had a new teammate (Randy Moss) and a new problem.  Come to find out that not cooperating with the NFL will only cost you 50,000 dollars.  That’s all I have to say about that.

Week 6

The NFC was mired in mediocrity at this point in the season.  Ben Roethlisberger returned and had the ideal opponent for his first game.  Cleveland didn’t lie down, but Big Ben couldn’t have asked for an easier transition.  The NFL was starting to fine players left and right for what they saw as “dirty” hits.  As of now they still haven’t clarified enough as to what is and isn’t a “dirty” hit.

Week 7

We started to think the defending champion New Orleans Saints were going to falter.  Pittsburgh gets a break thanks to inconclusive evidence playing in Miami.  The Oakland Raider impressed a lot of people with their blowout victory in Denver.  Everyone except Al Davis who is looking for another head coach.

Week 8

I had the Chicago Bears in my “ugly” section for the half-way point in the season.  That was a mistake.  Tennessee and Miami were in my “good” section.  An even bigger mistake.

Week 9

The only highlight for the Vikings and really Brett Favre’s season was seeing the “old gunslinger” lead the Vikings to a come from behind victory over the Arizona Cardinals.  Oakland was near the top of the division with a victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.  Jerry Jones fired Wade Phillips after saying he wasn’t just a few weeks before.

Week 10

The best hail-mary pass in recent memory happened in Jacksonville.  If you don’t remember, youtube it.  Washington made another in a long line of stupid moves this year by giving Donovan McNabb a contract extension when they clearly didn’t want him.  I had no idea who was the best team and still don’t.  I have to wait til February.

Week 11

Vince Young had an injury on the field, but let his emotions get the best of him off the field and it could cost him his position in Tennessee going forward.  Brad Childress was fired and thus ended one of the weirdest coaching tenures in recent memory.

Week 12

I thought the San Diego Chargers would make a late season push and be tied with the Kansas City Chiefs when they met again.  It didn’t happen.  The Atlanta Falcons and Chicago Bears were positioning themselves for a playoff push.

Week 13

Troy Polamalu cemented himself as the most disruptive defensive player in the NFL with what he did at the end of the road win against Baltimore.  I answered the question of what was wrong with Peyton Manning.  I think it worked.  Denver fired Josh McDaniels and now John Elway might be walking through that door.  Actually it’s as an executive not a quarterback.

Week 14

I argued why the NFC West deserved a playoff team, but now I can’t defend it.  The New York Jets have a flaw, but it only shows every once in a while.  Brett Favre’s streak ended and the world didn’t seem to care.  Nah, unfortunately they did, but I still opined briefly about it.

Week 15

Tim Tebow debuted and it wasn’t as bad as what most had expected.  I highlighted nine games that would have major playoff implications or were really good games to watch.

Week 16

New Orleans returned to form and are ready to defend their title.  I lay out what the 49ers gameplan is for the next season.  Tom Brady will be the MVP this season.  Put his name on the trophy, it’s over.

Thank you for checking in during the season.  There will be more for the playoffs and Super Bowl.

What to do with the 49ers?

They have decided to start over and begin to clean house for 2011.  Mike Singletary was fired less than 24 hours after losing to the St. Louis Rams and missing out on the playoffs for the eighth consecutive year.  This year was supposed to be different.  After all they by all accounts had the most talented roster in the division.  The Rams had a rookie quarterback leading them.  Seattle had a new coach in Pete Carroll.  Arizona lost one of their best receivers (Anquan Boldin) and Kurt Warner decided to retire.  What happened to what was supposed to be a successful season?
Their general manager, Scott McCloughlan resigned before the 2010 draft.  That was the first sign of trouble when the 49ers scrambled and had vice president of player personnel Trent Baalke take over the football operations.  The draft went well for the Niners and they had everything in place to succeed.  Unfortunately they were thumped by Seattle in the first game.  It started a tail spin of losing and they were 2-6 going into their bye week. 
The main problem was what cost Singletary his job.  His inexperience as a head coach and making adjustments on offense.  The team lost confidence in quarterback Alex Smith before Singletary did.  Their other quarterback Troy Smith was seen arguing with Singletary during their loss to the Rams this past week.  When pressured to make a move earlier in the season, he decided to let his offensive coordinator, Jimmy Raye, go after hiring him last season.  Clearly Singletary seemed to be out of his element as the season went on, but he does still have a future as a coach, just not a head coach anytime soon.  Tight end Vernon Davis’ turnaround to his career is credited to Singletary getting tough with him in 2008 when he was named interim coach.
Now team CEO Jed York has announced that he will hire a GM first who will then hire the head coach.  The wise move, but Jed has to be careful.  There are many qualified candidates out there, but he has to look for examples of a quick turnaround in other franchises.  Kansas City’s is the current example where Scott Pioli was hired away from New England and then hired Todd Haley as the head coach.  A rough first year in 2009 led the Chiefs to bring in established coordinators on offense (Charlie Weis) and defense (Romeo Crennel) that has led to a division title in 2010.
San Francisco won’t get the big name GM, but they will need someone who has experience in evaluating talent and knows what it takes to win in this league.  That GM will then need to hire someone who has the same attributes, but would also need to have an inkling for the bay area.  Jon Gruden’s name comes to mind.  As does Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh.  Gruden would be perfect, but he seems pretty comfy in the broadcast booth.  Harbaugh probably likes college too much and won’t want to risk coming to the NFL just yet with labor issues looming.  The franchise has a long storied history and they need to get back to that very soon or they will be left behind once again.

Is this the best we’ve seen of Tom Brady?

He is without a doubt the MVP this year.  Yes, Michael Vick has been nothing short of amazing for the Philadelphia Eagles, but he hasn’t done what Brady has after they traded away their best receiver (Randy Moss).  Had New England not traded for their former Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch, I think it would have been different.  Branch and Brady play like they haven’t been apart for four years.  Brady’s stats say it all: 34 TD, 4 INT and 3,701 yards passing.  Once again there are only two quarterbacks right now who are their own offensive coordinator.  Brady is one and the other is Peyton Manning.  We’re already trying to look for the new king of the pass, but you have to look no further than those two.  Tom Brady broke records the last time he won the MVP award (2007).  This season is even better with the talent around him and the season the Patriots are having.

New Orleans wants to defend their title

Everyone, including myself, were wondering if the New Orleans Saints were going to be able to defend their title.  They will after an important win over their division rival Atlanta Falcons on Monday night.  Drew Brees had two crucial interceptions late in the fourth quarter, but the Saints rallied and were able to win by a field goal.  They are healthy and they are determined to not have a Super Bowl layoff like most teams have in the past decade.   It’s not impossible for them to repeat, but they are being overlooked and that will be a mistake when the playoffs are underway.  With that win over Atlanta, they are in position to win the division if Atlanta should lose their final game.  New Orleans is primed for another run and the rest of the league should take notice that the defending champs are ready to go.