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 13 points victory using his third and fourth receiving options. Number two receiver Pierre Garcon ended the game with 11 receptions for 151 yards and number three receiver, Austin Collie, finished the game with seven receptions for 123 yards.

In the wild Saints-Vikings matchup, the Vikes outplayed the Saints in every way possible but blew the game each time they had an opportunity to get ahead. The Vikings fumbled the ball a whopping six times (twice by top running back Adrian Peterson) and lost it three times (not to mention all of the non-fumbles in which the Vikings couldn’t hold on to the ball) while Brett Favre put up his most unimpressive performance of the season, being picked off twice.

It was hardly Favre’s fault as the 40-year-old quarterback got minimal protection from his line and was hit (hard) by the Saints defense over a dozen times.

Ultimately, the turnovers got the better of them (even though the Vikes dominated New Orleans in almost every offensive category and the Saints won it on a field goal by rookie Garrett Hartley in overtime.

The Colts-Saints, Manning-Brees matchup should be one for the ages.

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 the team that would start its season with a rookie head coach and a rookie quarterback, the Jets did much better than anyone, including the team itself, expected them to.

They did so on the shoulders of a truly terrific defense. Although they weren’t as successful as the defenses that took the Ravens and the Buccaneers to Super Bowl wins over the past decade, a good mix of old and new players stepped up huge and allowed less than 15 points a game. Led by shut down cornerback Darrelle Revis and middle linebacker David Harris, the Jets defense has a lot of pluses and nary any minuses and is expected to be just as good next season.

The Jets rushing attack was equally impressive, especially after running back Leon Washington was hurt early in the season. After leading the AFC in rushing yards in 2008, Thomas Jones put up another excellent year excellent year, as did rookie running back Shonn Greene who will be challenging for the starting job next season.

Mark Sanchez had an up-and-down year that ended on a high note. While the Jets were unable to stop the awesomeness that is Peyton Manning, Sanchez outdueled the MVP for the entire first half as he threw more confidently than we had ever seen him.

Tough break for the Jets but I cannot wait to see what they do next year. Congrats!

Jets The Underdog…In A Good Way

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

Darrelle Revis

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 was one of the best in the league.

What’s more is that the 2001 Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens, the 2003 Super Bowl champions Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the 2007 NFC Champions Chicago Bears made it to the Super Bowl solely on the strength of their defense.

In 2001, the Ravens had Trent Dilfer at quarterback but dominated teams with their incredible defense and spectacular running game, ultimately defeating the Giants in Super Bowl 35.

In 2003, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were able to defeat the offensive powerhouse Oakland Raiders even though they had Brad Johnson at quarterback and “did not have a chance” coming into Super Bowl 37. Their number one ranked defense stopped Oakland’s number one ranked offense in their tracks.

In 2007, the Chicago Bears’ quarterback was Rex Grossman (who can’t get a starting job anywhere in the league today) but their high powered defense (and running back Thomas Jones) led them into the Super Bowl where they ultimately lost to Indianapolis.

In any case, the Jets are coming into the AFC Championship game as the number one ranked defense having allowed an average of 14 points in the 18 games that they have played this year. Not only that but their defense has not allowed more than 15 points in their last eight games.

NFL Playoffs: Divisional Series Wrap-Up

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

Brett Favre

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 very costly. Meanwhile, the Saints continued their regular season dominance and are set to take on the Vikings in the NFC Championship game this coming Sunday.

Indianapolis Colts def. Baltimore Ravens 20-3

Like the Saints, the Colts proved yet again why they are the best team in the AFC this year. The Colts shut down the Ravens’ very potent running game, holding Pro Bowl running back Ray Rice to just 67 yards and picked Joe Flacco off twice, never allowing Baltimore to gain any kind of momentum. While the Ravens’ offense struggled, and turned the ball over, Peyton Manning single-handedly lifted the Colts’ offense whose running backs failed to show up at all. Indianapolis will host the Jets in the AFC Championship game this Sunday.

Minnesota Vikings def. Dallas Cowboys 34-3

Brett Favre was at his best this past Sunday as the Vikings unloaded their lethal offense on an unexpecting Dallas Cowboys defense while Tony Romo and Felix Jones could do nothing against a swarming Vikings defense that forced four fumbles and an interception. In what promises to be one of the best match-ups of the post season, the Vikings will head to New Orleans to take on the Saints this Sunday.

Rookies Lead Jets Past Chargers

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

Jets QB Mark Sanchez

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 game against a team that hadn’t lost since the middle of October, the Jets simply continued to do what they do best: patiently run the ball down the defense’s throats and let your defense shut down your opponent.

Although San Diego had scored more than 20 points in 22 straight games, the Jets top ranked defense held the Philip Rivers led offensive unit to just two touchdowns. Meanwhile, after scoring just three points in the first half, Mark Sanchez and Shonn Greene put up two scores of their own which was enough to edge the second-seeded Chargers.

Although Sanchez did not put up “great numbers,” the rookie has looked as comfortable as he has all season and although he completed 12 passes for just 100 yards and a touchdown, it was only the second time since week 12 that the coaching staff had enough confidence in him to let him attempt more than 20 passes.

Meanwhile, Shonn Greene has all but officially overtaken Thomas Jones’ spot as the Jets’ top running back and put up a 23 carry, 128 yard game with a touchdown.

Up next for the Jets are the Indianapolis Colts, a team that the Jets have already beaten (sort of) in the AFC Championship game this Sunday at 3 p.m.

NFL Wild Card Week Wrap Up

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

Cardinals QB Kurt Warner

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 a 244 yard game and two passing touchdowns.

The Eagles once again had to play without their running back, Brian Westbrook (who has been injured most of the year) and had nothing on the ground and while Michael Vick completed one pass that resulted in a 76 yard touchdown, Donovan McNabb’s day was not so lucky.

Up next, a great one between the Cowboys and the Vikings and I’m betting the winner will be the favorite to win it all this year.

Ravens def. Patriots 33-14

So much for the Patriots’ post-season dominance. You can’t really blame the Pats who came into the game having lost their top receiver (Wes Welker) in the final game of the season and with a quarterback who has fractured ribs and fingers as well as a hurt shoulder.

You have to give credit to Brady who stuck it out all game despite obviously performing at a level that is far below what he is capable of but the Ravens’ defense and running game overwhelmed the ailing team.

Second-year running back Ray Rice put up 22 carries for 159 yards and two touchdowns while veteran Willis McGahee added 62 yards and a touchdown.

Up next, the Ravens face off against the 14-2 Indianapolis Colts.

Cardinals def. Packers 51-45

This was one of the most exciting playoff games of all time. After ending the first quarter down by 17 points and the half down by 14 at the half, the Packers came back strong in the second half as a shoot out between Aaron Rodgers and Kurt Warner ensued.

The Packers scored 35 points in the second half but the Cardinals answered back with 21 of their own. Kurt Warner, who announced that he will likely retire after the post-season and was playing without top receiver Anquan Boldin, completed 29 of his 33 passes for 379 yards and five touchdowns. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers was not any worse as he threw for 422 yards and four touchdowns while being picked off once.

The game would go into overtime where the Packers would fumble away an otherwise brilliant game and the Cardinals returned it for a touchdown.

In total, the teams combined for nearly 100 points, over 1,000 total yards, and 62 first downs.

Up next, the Cardinals take on the 13-3 New Orleans Saints.

Rookies Lead Jets To Victory, Next Round of Playoffs

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

Darrelle Revis

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 team is built around veteran talent like the Jets’ offensive line, their very experienced defensive unit, and a veteran running back, it was the rookies and young guys that powered the Jets to a victory.

Mark Sanchez played a near flawless game as he completed 12 of 15 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown. It was the fourth time in five games that the rookie did not throw a single interception.

Similarly, while Thomas Jones, the second leading rusher in the AFC, did not bring his best stuff with him (15 carries for 34 yards and a touchdown), rookie running back Shonn Greene put up a career game as he ran 21 times for 135 yards and a touchdown against the second-best rushing defense in the NFL.

Darrelle Revis continued his amazing year as he shut down the Bengals’ top receiver, Chad Ochocinco, for the second straight game as he intercepted a pass, deflected a pass, and was all over his coverage, allowing Ochocinco to catch just two passes for 28 yards.

The Jets sent a clear message to the NFL this Saturday. They are not going to be a stepping stone for anyone in the playoffs, they are going to come and play hard.

Up next, the Jets take on the San Diego Chargers who won their last eleven straight games.

Jets Set To Begin Unlikely Playoff Run

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

Darrelle Revis

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, the single best defense in the league, and arguably the best special teams as well.

Regardless of how many turnovers a quarterback causes or how unreliable he is, a team with nearly 2,800 rushing yards and less than 15 points per game allowed has to make it into the playoffs.

Any team with those attributes has to be a force in the playoffs. And there the Jets are, having won five of their last six, this team actually has a good shot at going all the way.

The Jets have already shown that they can not just beat but destroy the Cincinnati Bengals, their week 17 opponent and Wild Card Week opponent. Still, the Bengals were resting Cedric Benson, their biggest offensive weapon, had a hurt Chad Ochocinco (Chad Johnson, if Darelle Revis has anything to do with it), and were pretty much resting as they already knew their playoff fate going into the game.

The odds makers have Cincinnati favored by two points but if the Jets can keep Mark Sanchez from making any more fatal errors, the Jets defense should stop the Bengals easily enough. If not, the Bengals’ excellent defense could run circles around Gang Green.

Be sure to tune into NBC this Saturday at 4 PM for kickoff!

NFL Playoffs Kick Off Saturday: Part II

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

Saints QB Drew Brees

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 bug. Although they finished first in scoring, they finished just 20^th in points allowed per game. The Saints can definitely win…if they can outscore every playoff team.

Minnesota Vikings (12-4)

Coming off a blowout win over the Giants, the Vikings not only have a bye week but an MVP caliber Brett Favre, an MVP caliber Adrian Peterson, and a total of nine Pro Bowlers this year, on both sides of the ball. Call me crazy but the Vikings’ top 10 in the NFL defense and second best offense has a great chance to win it all.

Dallas Cowboys (11-5)

Dallas is probably the most well rounded team in the playoffs right now. Tony Romo keeps silencing the critics and the Cowboys have already defeated their first round opponent, the Eagles, twice but they’ve also beaten the Saints.

Dallas finished second in total offense and allowed the second fewest amount of points in the NFL.

Philadelphia Eagles (11-5)

They’ve got a solid offense, an average defense, a hurt running back, and they lost to their first round opponent, the Cowboys, twice this season. Aside from one Super Bowl run, this is a team that has not won any big games in the post season over the past decade.

Green Bay Packers (11-5)

Though no one focused much on the small town Packers, Green Bay scored the third-most points in the NFL and second in total defense in the league. Don’t be surprised if Aaron Rodgers (fourth in passing yards and fewest interceptions among all starting quarterbacks) leads this Wild Card a lot farther than they were “supposed to” go.

Arizona Cardinals (10-6)

Not a high level of expectation from the Cards. Arizona is going into the playoffs banged up and they’ve only beaten one playoff team all year. Just like two other games, the Cardinals’ are in a rematch against their week 17 opponent, the Packers.

Match Ups:

Philadelphia Eagles at the Dallas Cowboys – Saturday at 8 PM

Green Bay Packers at the Arizona Cardinals – Sunday at 4:40 PM

New Orleans Saints, Minnesota Vikings – Bye Week

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 7^th ranked offense in the NFL and 8^th best defense.

Chargers (13-3)

The Chargers are definitely a team to watch out for as they have won their last 11 consecutive games. Still, the team is ranked only 11^th in defense but 4^th in offense. They will face the highest seeded winner of the first round games.

Patriots (10-6)

The Patriots squeaked into the playoffs in one of their least impressive years and will have the hardest time. The team is going into their first round game againt the Baltimore Ravens without receiver Wes Welker who obliterated his knee in the final game of the season and more so, the team is iffy on Tom Brady who has been playing hurt most of the year and has three broken ribs and a broken ring finger.

Bengals (10-6)

The Bengals were great in the first half, not that great in the second half, and awful in their final game of the season as they were destroyed 37-0 by the New York Jets. Ironically, the Jets are their first round opponent, something that doesn’t bode well for them.

Jets (9-7)

Although the Jets had one of the hardest times making it to the playoffs after sitting on a 4-6 record ten games into the season, the Jets enter the playoffs on a roll, having won 5 of their last 6 games, and have finished the year with the best rushing offense and best overall defense in the league. If rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez can keep the mistakes at a minimum, the Jets are a force to be reckoned with.

Ravens (9-7)

The Ravens are another good sleeper team. With the 3^rd best defense in the league and the 10^th best offense, the run heavy team is the favorite to defeat at least the banged up Patriots in their first round game.

AFC Schedule:

Jets at Bengals: Saturday, Jan. 9 at 4 PM

Ravens at Patriots Sunday, Jan. 10 at 1 PM

Colts, Chargers: Bye Week