Well I’ll be damned if I didn’t pick ALL FOUR wildcard playoff games right, including 3 visiting teams winning. Do I know how to step it up when it counts or what? Me so knowledgeable! Me frap dickey rong time!
Anyway, as a whole, Wildcard Weekend fell short of expectations. Three of the games were essentially blowouts. But I think the big takeaway when the dust had settled Sunday night was, momentum at the end of the regular season counts for something. It is somewhat remarkable that BOTH of the lowest seeded teams won their first round games. I’m not sure when the last time that happened was, but I can tell you for a fact that it’s been at least ten years.
What do the Redskins and Steelers have in common? They were both red-hot coming into the playoffs. The Steelers disposed of a Bengals team that wrapped up its division too early and had forgotten how to play winning football, and the Redskins have just forgotten how to lose at all, even when they can’t generate ANY offense.
At least this weekend, it appeared that momentum is more important than home field advantage. So the way is wind is blowing this postseason, the Seahawks, Bears, Colts, and Broncos had best be on their guard this weekend.
WILDCARD WEEKEND
REDSKINS 17
BUCCANEERS 10
Why the Redskins Advanced
When you generate only 120 yards of total offense, like the Redskins did, you are going to need some significant breaks to go your way to have a chance to win. The Redskins got two that saved their season in the face of a complete offensive breakdown.
The first break came early in the game. With the Redskins already up 7-0 courtesy of a LaVar Arrington interception that set up a 6 yard Clinton Portis touchdown, Cadillac Williams fumbled for another crucial turnover. The ball was apparently recovered by Redskins LB Marcus Washington, came loose again, and was picked up by safety Sean Taylor and run back for a touchdown. The Bucs maintained that Washington was actually down before Taylor ever had the ball. Replays did not prove that beyond a reasonable doubt, the touchdown stood, and just like that the Bucs were in a 14-0 hole.
The second was even more painful for the Bucs. With a little under 3 minutes left, Chris Simms hit Edell Shepherd with a perfectly placed pass for an apparent game tying touchdown. Sound the cannons and fire the torpedos, Yarrrrr!!!! There was only problem, an official on the field was signaling that the pass was incomplete. The play went to the replay booth, and replays showed, well, not a lot that could help anybody make up their mind for sure. The call stood, the Bucs were then faced with a 4th and 10 that they did not convert, and with 1:05 remaining the Skins sealed the win with an interception on the first play of Tampa’s last gasp drive.
So the Redskins are going on to the next round, despite their quarterback completing only 7 of 15 passes for 41 yards. Maybe the referees played too big a role, maybe not. But remember, if not for the “Tuck Rule”, the Patriots would have been eliminated in the Divisional Playoffs in 2001, Drew Bledsoe might have returned as their starting QB in 2002, and we’d be looking at a very different NFL History book.
Why the Bucs are Done
Inexperience led to turnovers led to disaster. Chris Simms threw an interception early in the first quarter which set the tone for the game. Cadillac Williams then threw gasoline on the fire by coughing up the ball on the very next drive.
Unfortunately, nightmare experiences like this are the only remedy for inexperience. The Bucs offense is young at 2 of the 3 key skill positions, and should continue to improve. If the defense can maintain it’s high level of performance despite the aging of guys like Simeon Rice, Derrick Brooks, and Ronde Barber, then the Bucs should have a nice little window, and maybe a chance to atone for these mistakes next year.
C’est Nes Pas Un Catch
JAGUARS 3
PATRIOTS 28
Why the Patriots Advanced
When the Pats were struggling in the middle of this season, it was because their pass defense couldn’t stop anybody. In fact, they finished this season with the 31st ranked pass defense in the league. One of the biggest reasons for their turnaround has been that they have taken this weakness, and turned it into a strength.
The Pats held the Jaguars to 1 third down conversion in 12 attempts. Teams with weak secondaries don’t do that. Of course, the Pats sacked Byron Leftwich six times, which helped set up a lot of third and long situations. You knew that it wouldn’t take a long for Bill Belichick to figure out a way to improve the pass defense, and he has done it by increasing the amount of pressure they put on the quarterback. This is evidenced by LB Willie McGinest getting 4 ½ sacks in this game. The Pats knew that of all the body parts that acquire rust when there is a long layoff, like Jags’ QB Byron Leftwich had, the brain accumulates the most. They blitzed Leftwich and took advantage of the erosion of his instincts that came with him missing most of the last two months of the season with an injury.
On the flip side of that, Tom Brady was just Tom Brady. The Pats converted 7 of 14 third down attempts. That’s coolness under pressure, and it is the biggest asset he brings to the table. The running game wasn’t great, but it averaged over 4 yards a carry, and was good enough.
It will be interesting to see what Belichick throws at the Broncos next week. He’ll be facing a veteran quarterback with good mobility, so blitzing him may not be the best course of action. One thing they will definitely have to improve on is their run defense. The Pats gave up over 5 yards a carry in this game, if they do that against the Broncos, they will lose.
Why the Jags are Done
The hard truth of it is, there are at least two teams in the AFC that didn’t make the playoffs that would have wiped the floor with the Jaguars as badly if not worse than the Patriots did (KC and SD).
The Jaguars looked like a team that was in over its head, and wasn’t ready to play. There’s a big, big difference between playing a playoff game in Foxboro, and the weekly routine of beating up on the Texans and Titans of the world. It didn’t help that they were throwing a quarterback out there who hadn’t played in two months against a coach who has made Peyton Manning cry like a little girl on an annual basis.
This team has a lot of work to do this offseason. The schedule will be much more difficult next year, and the AFC South probably won’t be as dreadful as it was this year (although with Houston and Tennessee there, you never know). They also have an offense whose two main players, Fred Taylor and Jimmy Smith, are getting old. In my world, if you are looking for teams who made the playoffs this year who won’t next year, this is the first team I’m looking at.
Me and My Shadow
PANTHERS 23
GIANTS 0
Why the Panthers Advanced
Carolina held the ball almost 43 minutes, out of 60. They were able to do that because they got a performance out of their running backs that was better than anything they’ve gotten all year. DeShaun Foster played like Tiki Barber, and Tiki Barber played like DeShuan Foster. Foster carried 27 times for 151 yards, and Nick Goings spelled him with 63 yards on 12 carries. Simply put, the Panthers ran the ball at will. It looked like a Big 12 school playing against a I-AA team on Labor Day weekend.
Then there was the defense. They shut down Tiki Barber. Tiki was held to only 43 yards on 13 carries. That left the burden of moving the ball up to Eli Manning and the passing game, and they weren’t up to the task. Eli was pressured all day, completing only dump off passes, and when he threw downfield, his passes seemed rushed and were completely inaccurate.
This was the best game the Panthers have played all year, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.
Why the Giants are Done
Eli Manning’s got a long, long way to go. He was a much better quarterback at the beginning of this season than he was at the end, and in his first playoff test he was awful. Eli threw 3 interceptions, and they were ugly. His throws were sailing on him, and too often it looked like he was throwing to nobody, unless he was throwing to the guys in the white shirts.
Eli’s play is one thing, he’ll get better, of this we can be pretty sure. What was inexcusable in this game was the play of the defense. They were absolutely disemboweled by what had been up until this week a pretty poor running attack. It hurt that their MLB, Antonio Pierce, was in street clothes for this game, but still, 223 rushing yards to the PANTHERS? I mean, my God.
The defense is going to have to upgrade at linebacker and in the secondary, and Eli’s going to have to get a lot better, or else there probably won’t be any playoffs for the Giants next year. But, keep in mind, it wasn’t too long ago that Peyton Manning was getting beat 41-0 in the playoffs by the Jets. Better days will come.
Nowhere to Go for Tiki
STEELERS 31
BENGALS 17
Why the Steelers Advanced
No, it’s not because Carson Palmer got hurt, although that helped.
It wasn’t because of their vaunted running game either. Willie Parker was held to 38 yards on 16 carries, and had to be relieved by Jerome Bettis and Verron Haynes because of ineffectiveness.
They won because of Ben Roethlisberger.
Ben was about as close to perfect as you can get in this game. He was 14 of 19 for 208 yards, 3 touchdowns, and no interceptions. That’s a 148.7 rating, for those of you scoring at home.
This performance was nothing new though, and it’s what makes the Steelers so dangerous. Teams facing the Steelers have the tendency to go in thinking that if they can stop the run, they will win. That’s not the case. The Steelers have a precision passing game that strikes when the opposition least expects it. They use it as the hammer to break open the game they have taken control of through their running game.
In Hines Ward, Antwaan Randle El, and Heath Miller, the Steelers have 3 options that can hurt you. Yesterday, Cedrick Wilson caught 3 passes for 104 yards and a TD, so now maybe you have a fourth.
Why the Bengals are Done
Carson Palmer doesn’t play defense too does he?
The Bengals’ defense has been pretty awful for most of the second half of the season, and it was awful yesterday. They got burned for too many big passing plays yesterday, and they didn’t generate any kind of pass rush.
The Bengals did a great job of upgrading their linebacking corps in the 05 draft. Odell Thurman and David Pollack are both going to be good ones. Now, they need to concentrate on improving the defensive line and the secondary.
And they need to hope that Palmer’s two blown out knee ligaments heal well over the off season. That’s probably the most important thing. If he gets well, and the defense gets better, well, you saw what the Colts did this year. The Bengals have the talent to do that too.
A Hazy Shade of Winter for the Bengals
DEEZ IS GEEZ
That will do it for Wildcard Weekend. Next week is, for my money, the best weekend of the NFL season. 8 good teams, 4 single elimination games. Can’t beat it. I’ll be back on Friday to break down all 4 divisional games.
Until then, say hello to my little friends:
Eric S. is the best wrestling writer on the internet today. Which means he’s the best wrestling writer anywhere.
Todd Rodgers has an interesting NFL mock draft.
Omar Padilla hands out some NHL jeers.
Patrick N.is just the straight up TRUTH.
Okay then we’ll see you back on Friday. I pick all the games right, so you can read my column and then spend the weekend watching something else. Marcus Vick is looking for something to do, maybe give him a call.
