NYC Magazine » NFL Playoffs

Saints, Colts To Face Off In Super Bowl XLIV

Igor Derysh — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 04:00:36 +0000

With the Saints having defeated the Jets, the matchup for this year’s Super Bowl has been set and it is exactly what fans expected it to be all year: the 14-2 Colts taking on the 13-3 Saints in Miami.

The Colts had started out slow against the New York Jets, largely because Gang Green shut down their top two receiving options, Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark.

Still, the second half belonged to Peyton Manning as he proved once again why he is the best quarterback in the NFL, marching the Colts from 11 points down to a ...continue reading

Colts End Jets’ Miracle Run

Igor Derysh — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:30:58 +0000

After ten games of the NFL season, the New York Jets were 4-6 and out of playoff contention. Not quite. The Jets hit a hot streak and their top defense and top rushing attack won them 7 out of 8 games until the team’s Cinderella run finally came to an end today as they were topped by the Colts in the AFC Championship game.

While Jets fans were disappointed by the team’s loss, especially after the Jets were up 17-6 in the second quarter, the season was far from a disappointment.

With a lot of uncertainty surrounding ...continue reading

Jets The Underdog…In A Good Way

Igor Derysh — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 23:00:43 +0000

The Colts, Vikings, and Saints all have great quarterbacks and phenomenal offenses so it obviously stands to reason that the Jets are the underdog among the four remaining playoff teams. Perhaps, but in the past decade the playoffs have become a perfect venue for a defensive based team that no one takes as a serious threat.

A look at the teams that have made it to the Super Bowl in the past decade shows that 15 of the 20 teams that have made it to the Super Bowl in the past 10 years did so because their defense ...continue reading

NFL Playoffs: Divisional Series Wrap-Up

Igor Derysh — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 02:00:07 +0000

While the Jets-Chargers game was a nail-biter until the final minutes, all of the other three divisional series games this weekend ended in blowout victories by the teams advancing to next Sunday’s championship round.

New Orleans Saints def. Arizona Cardinals 45-14

After scoring more than 50 points in last week’s shoot out against the Packers (the highest scoring game in playoff history), the defending NFC Champion Cardinals scored just two touchdowns as Kurt Warner could not recapture the magic that he had in the Wild Card round and the team recorded two turnovers which proved to be ...continue reading

Rookies Lead Jets Past Chargers

Igor Derysh — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 01:00:29 +0000

With no one hotter than the Jets among the remaining playoff teams, the New York Jets had no problem shutting down the Chargers’ potent offense and advancing to the AFC Championship game on the shoulders of rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez and rookie running back Shonn Greene.

In the unlikeliest of playoff scenarios, the New York Jets (who were just 4-6 after the first 10 games of the season) are now en route to Indianapolis to take on the 13-3 Colts with the winner advancing to the SuperBowl.

Although the Jets were definitely the underdogs coming into a ...continue reading

NFL Wild Card Week Wrap Up

Igor Derysh — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 23:00:39 +0000

The first week of the NFL Playoffs lived up to expectations. From huge upsets to shoot outs to the end of an era, if the Wild Card week was any indication of what the future holds, the road to Super Bowl XLIV will be a wild ride.

Cowboys def. Eagles 34-14

The Cowboys embarrased the Eagles as they beat them for the third time this year and the second consecutive week. Felix Jones led the strong Cowboys offense with 16 carries for 148 yards and a touchdown while quarterback Tony Romo continued to silence his critics with ...continue reading

Rookies Lead Jets To Victory, Next Round of Playoffs

Igor Derysh — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 19:00:00 +0000

It was not so long ago that the New York Jets were an average team with a rookie quarterback who couldn’t pass to his own teammates. No one thought the team could accomplish anything this season. And then they won five of their last six games. And then they beat the AFC North division champion Cincinnati Bengals.

On a brutally cold evening in Ohio, the Jets played about as good a game as they have all year and beat the Bengals for the second consecutive week, this time with their playoff lives on the line.

Although the ...continue reading

Jets Set To Begin Unlikely Playoff Run

Igor Derysh — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 14:00:38 +0000

With a record of 4-6, the Jets were feeling down and out after losing three straight games and were stuck in a rut with most of the season behind them. Then, despite a problematic quarterback that is prone to the turnover, the Jets defied the odds and won five of their next six, defeating two playoff teams.

Whatever Sanchez’s problems may be, the Jets are in the playoffs today because everyone else on the field is a top notch player. From owning one of the best offensive lines in the league, the top running game in the NFL, ...continue reading

NFL Playoffs Kick Off Saturday: Part II

Igor Derysh — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 23:30:58 +0000

In part II of out NFL Playoff coverage, we look at the NFC and the match-ups that are coming your way this month as the NFL speeds towards the SuperBowl in February.

New Orleans Saints (13-3)

Much like the Colts, the Saints ran through their opponents (a lot of whom were very tough teams) and won 13 straight games. The Saints largely didn’t show up in their final three games of the year (all losses), partly because they had already clinched home field advantage, partly because their team, particularly their defense, has been stricken by the injury ...continue reading

NFL Playoffs Kick Off Saturday

Igor Derysh — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 23:30:48 +0000

With the season having wrapped up, the NFL Playoffs will begin this Saturday as the New York Jets will kick off a month of football action featuring the absolute best that the NFL has to offer. Here is part one of the NFL Playoff Breakdown, featuring the AFC.

Colts (14-2)

The Colts were undefeated for the first 14 games of the season and could have easily went 16-0 but chose to rest their starters. Although they have the league’s best record and a first round bye, the Colts have only the 7th ranked offense in the ...continue reading