There we have it. Superbowl XLVII is in the books and it was the Baltimore Ravens who picked up the Lombardi Trophy after another fantastic game. The game looked over when Jacoby Jones scored a touchdown after a 108 yard kick off return to open the second half. It looked like something dramatic and crazy would have to happen to allow the 49ers to get back into the game. Something dramatic and crazy like a power cut? Obviously we can't say for definite that it changed the game but it certainly looked like the 49ers dealt with it better and came out flying after the interruption.
Up until then it had been all Baltimore and they led 28-6 when one half of the stadium was plunged into darkness. The Ravens were well on top on both sides of the ball and had scored four touchdowns while restricting the 49ers to just two field goals. After the break the 49ers came back with a bang and scored seventeen unanswered points to reduce the gap to five points at the end of the third quarter. The Ravens responded with a field goal but the 49ers scored a touchdown to reduce the deficit to two points. They decided to go for the two point conversion to level the game but the Ravens ran a blitz and the attempt failed. In my opinion the Ravens had a bit of luck as it looked like there was an offside on the play. As it was the officials missed it and the Ravens went on a clock killing, 10 play drive that took 5:38 off the clock. The drive ended with a Ravens field goal that left the score at 34-29 with 4:19 remaining. The 49ers got down to work and made good progress down the field. After five plays the 49ers had first and goal on the Baltimore seven yard line and looked sure to score. They tried a run play on first down that got the ball to the five and took the game to the two minute warning. Two incompletions later and the ball was still on the five as the 49ers lined up for fourth down. Kaepernick got a pass off and it seemed clear to everyone watching that Michael Crabtree was held but bizarrely the officials let the play go.
The Ravens now had the ball with 1:46 left on the clock. San Francisco had one timeout left after wasting their second one on the previous drive when it looked as though they were about to be hit with a delay of game penalty. Due to the lack of timeouts, the Ravens were able to run the ball on the first three downs which left just twelve seconds on the clock. Instead of punting from the back of the endzone they very cleverly took an intentional safety which allowed them to run eight seconds off the clock and then punt from their own twenty which made things a lot more difficult for the 49ers. As it was Sam Koch hit a booming kick right down the field which Ted Ginn Jr managed to get back to midfield but after breaking a few tackles he was eventually brought down which set off the purple ticker tape much to the delight of everyone involved with the Baltimore Ravens.
It's hard to take the victory away from the Ravens but I would point to two dubious calls late in the game which may have changed the outcome. However, it wasn't to be and in a few years time it will only be the San Francisco 49ers fans who remember those bad calls and everyone else will remember that Joe Flacco, Ray Lewis, John Harbaugh and the Baltimore Ravens won Superbowl XLVII.
Once again, the most important statistic in football reared it's head and the team who lost the turnovers battle, lost the game. The Baltimore Ravens turned the ball over once and the 49ers turned it over twice. The 49ers went close to beating that stat but not close enough and in each of this years eleven playoff games, the winner of the turnover battle was the winner of the game. If that doesn't underline how important it is to take care of the football, then nothing will.
The San Francisco 49ers put together a good run this year and got an extra step closer to success but they will no doubt be developing a few scars after last years defeat in the NFC title game and this years Superbowl loss. I imagine next seasons mantra will be, "one more win" or something to that effect. The 49ers deserve a lot of credit for their performances in the last two years but as an Eagles fan I know as well as anyone that when you make it to these games, you have to take advantage of it as it can all go very wrong, very quickly.
In the game itself, Colin Kaepernick finished with 302 yards, a touchdown and an interception. On the ground he ran for 62 yards and a touchdown. Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis were his leading receivers. Crabtree caught 5 passes for 109 yards and a touchdown. Davis caught 6 passes for 104 yards. Frank Gore also had a good game on the ground, rushing for 110 yards and a touchdown.
The Ravens struggled on the ground and averaged just 2.7 yards per carry. Ray Rice picked up 59 yards from 20 carries and Bernard Pierce ran for 33 yards from 12 carries. Anquan Boldin was their leading receiver, catching 6 passes for 104 yards and a touchdown. Jacoby Jones also had a great day, catching a 56 yard touchdown pass and he also returned a kickoff for a 108 yard touchdown. All those players played well but the MVP for this game and right through the playoffs was Joe Flacco. Flacco completed two thirds of his passes for 287 yards and 3 touchdowns. He has been outstanding throughout and nobody deserves more credit for this Superbowl win than Joe Flacco. He has been a bit of a joke figure throughout his career but eleven touchdowns and no interceptions on the way to a Superbowl victory is the best way anyone can stick two fingers up to their critics. Flacco will now get a huge contract with the Ravens and if he can carry his current form into next season then there's no doubt that Flacco will be in that elite bracket with other Superbowl champions like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers.
No Superbowl review would be complete without mentioning the two stories that dominated the build up to the big game, Ray Lewis' retirement and the battle of the Harbaugh brothers. Ray Lewis got the end to his hall of fame career that he could only have dreamt of. No professional sports man fits the marmite tag more than Lewis. Some hate him, some love him but nobody can deny that on the field he has been a pleasure to watch over the years and will go down as one of the best linebackers in the games illustrious history.
The other story was the amazing circumstances that led to two brothers standing on opposing sidelines. Jim and John Harbaugh have proven themselves to be excellent coaches in the NFL and with them both being in the early stages of their careers, this may not be the last time that they go head to head in the Superbowl. It is an amazing story though and when you consider the amount of coaches at every NFL franchise and throughout college football it is remarkable that they have been able to work their way up the coaching ranks to be the head coaches in a Superbowl. Their family will be extremely proud of their achievements but at the same time it will also have been an extremely difficult time for them. In the end John is the brother who will be getting fitted for a Superbowl ring and as happy an occasion as that is, there will always be the sadness that it came at Jim's expense. The brothers seem solid though and I've no doubt that nothing would please John more than to see his younger brother follow in his footsteps and get his ring in the next few years.
49ers Offensive Star : Frank Gore - Gore just edges Kaepernick for me. His 5.8 yards per carry and a touchdown was a good return and Kaepernick gets a negative mark for what was a very poor and costly interception.
49ers Defensive Star : NaVorro Bowman - 9 tackles including 2 for a loss and 2 hits on Joe Flacco were enough to earn Bowman this prize but unfortunately for him, it wasn't enough to win the game for the 49ers.
Ravens Offensive Star : Joe Flacco - Who else but the Superbowl's MVP? Flacco has been excellent throughout and although he was run close by Jacoby Jones, he deserves it for his play right through the playoffs.
Ravens Defensive Star : Corey Graham - This guy has shown himself to be a top class cornerback in this playoff run and he was on top of his game last night. He made 6 tackles but more importantly he made 2 crucial pass deflections that had a big impact on the result.
NFL PLAYOFF CHALLENGE AND PICKS
Big congratulations to Edward McMullan whose Mallbrohimovic team won the blog's league on NFL.com. Edward is a New York Giants fan but we won't hold that against him. My own challenge went much the same way as my predictions. After a 4-0 start and getting all eight of my team through the wildcard round, things took a bad turn for me. After that I went 2-5 to finish 6-5 for the playoffs and I never managed to pick one player who won a divisional round match or a conference championship match. It wasn't to be for me and it looks like I will have to abandon my gung ho style and take a safer approach in next years competition.
THANK YOU
Finally, I'd like to give a big thanks to everyone who has read the blog over the course of the season. It has had thousands of hits and it makes all the time I have put into it worthwhile. Next up for me is the birth of my third child. My wife is due in the next few days and fingers crossed all goes well. I will most likely take a short break when that happens but rest assured I will be back posting within a few weeks although I'm not sure what subject it will be on. I've no doubt, I'll have plenty to say on Free Agency, the NFL Draft and I will most definitely be back posting on the 2013 NFL season in September where I WILL finish with a better record than I did this year. Once again thanks and in the mean time feel free to follow me on Twitter. https://twitter.com/gjsportsblog
Showing posts with label San Francisco 49ers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label San Francisco 49ers. Show all posts
Monday, 4 February 2013
Sunday, 3 February 2013
Superbowl XLVII - Baltimore Ravens v San Francisco 49ers
So after almost five months and over eighty NFL related posts on my blog, we are finally here and Superbowl XLVII is just hours away. It's been a long season but it has been another good one. We've had some great moments along the way and what better way to end it than with a bit of history in the Superbowl. It is amazing to think that the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers are coached by two brothers and one can only imagine the pride that their parents must be feeling right now.
The game itself is very intriguing. Both sides lost Conference Championship games last year but have bounced back from the disappointment to go one step further and reach the Superbowl. Both sides have done things a little different this year and whilst I haven't always agreed with it, I've been proved wrong. Initially I had them both as playoff teams and in my preseason predictions, I even picked the 49ers to win the Superbowl. As much as I'd love to sit here and bask in the glow of that prediction, I have to be honest and say once Alex Smith was replaced by Colin Kaepernick that went out the window. I still have issues with Kaepernick and it was a risky strategy from Jim Harbaugh to make such a big personnel change midway through the season. However, as much as I can look for ways to argue, the bottom line is Kapaernick, Jim Harbaugh and the San Francisco 49ers have made it work and they have earned the right to represent the NFC in Superbowl XLVII.
In the regular season, these teams won their divisions but neither held their conferences top seed. The Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons held that honour and it is no coincidence that the 49ers and Ravens have had to beat those two along the way to getting this far. The 49ers and Ravens both had decent regular seasons but more importantly, they improved in the playoffs. All year I have been looking at certain statistics to help me gage how good certain teams are. The Ravens have improved in 63% of the statistics I look at and the 49ers have improved in 75%. It just goes to show how important it is to peak at the right time in the NFL.
It will be no secret to anyone that the statistic I believe to be the most important is turnovers. I have looked at all ten playoff games so far and in every single game the team who has won the turnover battle has won the match. There was a few games were the teams had the same amount of turnovers but in the games were their was an outright winner, that team won the match. It will also not come as a surprise to learn that when I looked at the turnover differential table, the top two teams are the Baltimore Ravens (+5) and the San Francisco 49ers (+2).
One of the things I am looking forward to, is seeing how the Baltimore Ravens cope with the 49ers offense. In their three games so far, the Ravens have faced three passing teams. They have managed to get the better of Andrew Luck, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady but they face a totally different task when they take on Colin Kaepernick. The Ravens haven't done well against mobile quarterbacks and lost to Michael Vick and Robert Griffin III. Another of their defeats came against the Houston Texans who don't have a mobile quarterback but I would consider them to be a run first offense. The 49ers will combine a mobile quarterback with a run first offense and the Ravens will have to find a way to deal with that. They have improved on a lot of things throughout this playoff run so it's certainly possible that they will have a plan to deal with the 49ers.
In their two playoff games so far, the 49ers offense has put up some great numbers. In the regular season they averaged 362 yards of offense per game. In the playoffs they have improved their passing and their running. They are averaging 476 yards per game and most of that improvement has come on the ground. They are averaging almost as many yards on the ground as they are in the air with 236 rushing yards and 240 passing yards.
The one big issue is they have struggled against the pass so far. In the regular season they gave up just over 200 yards per game in the air. In their two playoff wins they have gave up a total of 644 yards. That's a huge increase but it can be offset a little by the fact that they played two pass heavy teams and a lot of their regular season schedule was against teams who prefer to run the ball. The 49ers will face a difficult task on defense as the Ravens have shown that they can win the game on the ground or in the air. Joe Flacco has done a great job in the playoffs but it things aren't working out for him he can always turn to Ray Rice who is among the best rushers in the NFL.
I can't write my preview without mentioning that this is the final game in the career of an NFL legend, Ray Lewis. Nobody can deny his achievements on the field and he has been a fantastic player for the Ravens over the years. He has had his fair share of controversies, including one this week when it has been claimed that he has been using illegal substances but that's a story for someone else and unless it's proven that he broke the rules, it's not a subject I will be talking about. Lewis has always been a controversial character but he is one of few players who will be able to say that he left everything on the field each and every time he stepped onto it.
Prediction - My final prediction of the season. Who will be crowned as King of the Harbaugh's? I'd like to say John as I like him but this isn't a personality contest and everything I know about football and everything I have learned this year about football tells me that the San Francisco 49ers will be crowned Superbowl XLVII champions.
Finally, I'd just like to thank everyone for all their support this season. A blog is pointless without readers and I have enjoyed reading all the comments, debates and encouragement received. I will do a review of the game but after that I'm not sure what I will be doing with regards the blog. You can follow me on Twitter if you want to keep up to date with any future plans. Thanks everyone and hopefully we will enjoy a great game. Good luck folks. Twitter - https://twitter.com/gjsportsblog
The game itself is very intriguing. Both sides lost Conference Championship games last year but have bounced back from the disappointment to go one step further and reach the Superbowl. Both sides have done things a little different this year and whilst I haven't always agreed with it, I've been proved wrong. Initially I had them both as playoff teams and in my preseason predictions, I even picked the 49ers to win the Superbowl. As much as I'd love to sit here and bask in the glow of that prediction, I have to be honest and say once Alex Smith was replaced by Colin Kaepernick that went out the window. I still have issues with Kaepernick and it was a risky strategy from Jim Harbaugh to make such a big personnel change midway through the season. However, as much as I can look for ways to argue, the bottom line is Kapaernick, Jim Harbaugh and the San Francisco 49ers have made it work and they have earned the right to represent the NFC in Superbowl XLVII.
In the regular season, these teams won their divisions but neither held their conferences top seed. The Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons held that honour and it is no coincidence that the 49ers and Ravens have had to beat those two along the way to getting this far. The 49ers and Ravens both had decent regular seasons but more importantly, they improved in the playoffs. All year I have been looking at certain statistics to help me gage how good certain teams are. The Ravens have improved in 63% of the statistics I look at and the 49ers have improved in 75%. It just goes to show how important it is to peak at the right time in the NFL.
It will be no secret to anyone that the statistic I believe to be the most important is turnovers. I have looked at all ten playoff games so far and in every single game the team who has won the turnover battle has won the match. There was a few games were the teams had the same amount of turnovers but in the games were their was an outright winner, that team won the match. It will also not come as a surprise to learn that when I looked at the turnover differential table, the top two teams are the Baltimore Ravens (+5) and the San Francisco 49ers (+2).
One of the things I am looking forward to, is seeing how the Baltimore Ravens cope with the 49ers offense. In their three games so far, the Ravens have faced three passing teams. They have managed to get the better of Andrew Luck, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady but they face a totally different task when they take on Colin Kaepernick. The Ravens haven't done well against mobile quarterbacks and lost to Michael Vick and Robert Griffin III. Another of their defeats came against the Houston Texans who don't have a mobile quarterback but I would consider them to be a run first offense. The 49ers will combine a mobile quarterback with a run first offense and the Ravens will have to find a way to deal with that. They have improved on a lot of things throughout this playoff run so it's certainly possible that they will have a plan to deal with the 49ers.
In their two playoff games so far, the 49ers offense has put up some great numbers. In the regular season they averaged 362 yards of offense per game. In the playoffs they have improved their passing and their running. They are averaging 476 yards per game and most of that improvement has come on the ground. They are averaging almost as many yards on the ground as they are in the air with 236 rushing yards and 240 passing yards.
The one big issue is they have struggled against the pass so far. In the regular season they gave up just over 200 yards per game in the air. In their two playoff wins they have gave up a total of 644 yards. That's a huge increase but it can be offset a little by the fact that they played two pass heavy teams and a lot of their regular season schedule was against teams who prefer to run the ball. The 49ers will face a difficult task on defense as the Ravens have shown that they can win the game on the ground or in the air. Joe Flacco has done a great job in the playoffs but it things aren't working out for him he can always turn to Ray Rice who is among the best rushers in the NFL.
I can't write my preview without mentioning that this is the final game in the career of an NFL legend, Ray Lewis. Nobody can deny his achievements on the field and he has been a fantastic player for the Ravens over the years. He has had his fair share of controversies, including one this week when it has been claimed that he has been using illegal substances but that's a story for someone else and unless it's proven that he broke the rules, it's not a subject I will be talking about. Lewis has always been a controversial character but he is one of few players who will be able to say that he left everything on the field each and every time he stepped onto it.
Prediction - My final prediction of the season. Who will be crowned as King of the Harbaugh's? I'd like to say John as I like him but this isn't a personality contest and everything I know about football and everything I have learned this year about football tells me that the San Francisco 49ers will be crowned Superbowl XLVII champions.
Finally, I'd just like to thank everyone for all their support this season. A blog is pointless without readers and I have enjoyed reading all the comments, debates and encouragement received. I will do a review of the game but after that I'm not sure what I will be doing with regards the blog. You can follow me on Twitter if you want to keep up to date with any future plans. Thanks everyone and hopefully we will enjoy a great game. Good luck folks. Twitter - https://twitter.com/gjsportsblog
Monday, 21 January 2013
NFL - Championship Weekend Review
NFC - San Francisco 49ers 28-24 Atlanta Falcons
The San Francisco 49ers came from 17-0 down to beat the Atlanta Falcons and secure their first Superbowl appearance since 1994.
The 49ers started off very slowly and were 17-0 down early in the second quarter. They rallied after that though and got back to 17-14 but the Falcons got another touchdown before half-time to lead 24-14 at the break. The 49ers defense came up big in the second half though. The Falcons were unable to add to the 24 points they had scored in the first half and the offense got the two touchdowns that were required to complete the comeback.
The defeat will have left some mental scars on the Falcons as they threw away a big league for the second week in a row. Last week they were able to respond with a field goal to win the game but this week a field goal was no use and they needed to get the ball in the end zone but they were unable to get beyond the San Francisco 10 yard line. They got one final chance when the 49ers went three and out and were forced to punt. The Falcons had six seconds on the clock and the ball on their own 41. The play had to be a Hail Mary or some sort of a lateral play but instead the Falcons played a mid range pass to Julio Jones at the 49ers 35 and he was tackled instantly which ended the game. The Falcons had no timeouts left and the pass was played into the middle of the field so I have no idea what they were thinking of. That play summed up the Falcons entire second half and they never really looked likely to score until the drive just after the 49ers scored. Much of the criticism should be handed to the coaches. They were having some success early on by being aggressive on offense. Once they got into the lead they changed styles and tried to protect their lead. They had all the momentum and let it slip but they are not the first team to make that mistake and certainly won't be the last.
Matt Ryan had a mixed game. He threw for 396 yards and 3 touchdowns but he was also responsible for two bad turnovers. He was intercepted after throwing the ball straight to Chris Culliver and he also lost a fumble when he took his eyes off the ball on a shotgun snap. Turnovers aside, he was excellent but everyone knows that turnovers will cost you games and it was the case yesterday. The Falcons weren't great on the ground, picking up 81 yards from 23 running plays. The Falcons were once again led in the passing game by their three big stars, Julio Jones, Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez. Jones caught 11 passes for 182 yards and 2 touchdowns. White caught 7 passes for 100 yards and Gonzalez caught 8 passes for 78 yards and a touchdown.
The 49ers deserve a lot of credit for their performance. After falling behind so early many teams would have crumbled but the 49ers refused to panic. They stuck to their game plan and were rewarded with two touchdowns to get back to within three but conceded another touchdown just before the half to leave the deficit at ten points. They came out in the second half and continued to plug away and got the gap back to three points with a touchdown early in the third quarter. The teams then had a bit of a crazy spell were both had turnovers and the 49ers missed a field goal before San Francisco eventually took the lead thanks to a Vernon Davis touchdown with just over eight minutes remaining. The 49ers allowed the Falcons to get up the field but a field goal was no use at this stage and they managed to keep them out of the end zone to secure the win.
One man who deserves a lot of credit is quarterback, Colin Kaepernick. He had what I would say was the best game of his career. Everyone knows what he can do on the ground but I'm old fashioned and like a quarterback who can pass the ball. I've spent many an evening over the last month or two writing about how bad a passer he is so it's only right that I acknowledge how good he was in this game. He completed 16 of his 21 passes for 231 yards and a touchdown. Those numbers are very good but they don't do justice to how well he played. He left the running side of the game to the running-backs and stood in the pocket and made some fantastic passes. I have to be honest and say that I didn't think he had that kind of performance in him but he stepped up and played like a pure passer to lead his team to a Superbowl and I can't give him enough credit for that. He's still a young guy and if he can continue to improve as a passer and play with more consistency in that area, he could have a big career in the NFL. Other stars for the 49ers were Frank Gore who ran for 90 yards and 2 touchdowns from 21 carries and Vernon Davis who caught 5 passes for 106 yards and a touchdown.
For the Falcons, there will be a lot of soul searching in the off season. It looks as though Tony Gonzalez will retire which will be a big loss for them. They will also need to address what happened in these playoffs and why they gave away two big leads in their two games. In my opinion, it was bad coaching. They got themselves into good positions with aggressive play calling and then tried to hang onto the lead by relying on their defense and running game to kill time. Neither unit were good enough and the Falcons are at their best when they are going for the jugular and trying to beat teams instead of maintaining leads.
For the 49ers, it's two weeks of studying film, training, hard work and coming up with a plan to pick up a win in New Orleans in the Har-Bowl.
49ers Offensive Star : Colin Kaepernick - Vernon Davis and Frank Gore deserve this just as much but Kaepernick showed us a side to his game that we hadn't really saw before.
49ers Defensive Star : Patrick Willis - Twelve tackles including one for a loss was a good return from the linebacker.
Falcons Offensive Star : Julio Jones - Jones deserved to be in a Superbowl after picking up 182 yards and 2 touchdowns from his 11 catches.
Falcons Defensive Star : Thomas DeCoud - The Falcons safety made 8 tackles and also deflected a pass.
Baltimore Ravens 28-13 New England Patriots
The Baltimore Ravens secured an unlikely passage to the Superbowl after a big win over the New England Patriots last night. Nobody has earned a place in the Superbowl more than this Baltimore Ravens team. They came into the playoffs as the fourth seed and beat the Indianapolis Colts who had a better regular season record than them, the Denver Broncos who looked like the best team in the AFC by quite some distance and finally, the New England Patriots who have more experience of Championship games than any other team in recent years. I did expect them to prevail against the Colts but I gave them next to no chance against the Broncos and the Patriots and on both occasions they have gone into hostile atmosphere's and done the business.
Statistically the game was fairly tight but there were a few key differences between the sides and it turned out to be the difference between winning and losing. I have been banging on all year about turnovers and once again this game was evidence of the fact that it's very hard to win in this league if you turn the ball over. The Patriots turned it over three times and the Ravens managed to avoid any turnovers. The first turnover was costly as the Patriots were eight behind and had drove to midfield and then lost the ball to a fumble. Not content at stopping the Patriots from scoring, the Ravens turned the turnover into points and got a touchdown to extend their lead to fifteen points. The last two were interceptions when the Patriots were in desperation mode. The first was in Ravens territory and the Patriots looked like reducing the gap to eight points with around half the fourth quarter to play. Instead Tom Brady was picked off and the Ravens managed to drive down the field and take 4:44 off the clock. That left the Patriots fifteen behind and just over two minutes left. The Pats were moving the ball down the field but got intercepted again and that left the Ravens in the position were they could take two kneels to finish off the game. The other difference was their success in the red zone. The Ravens went four from four in the red zone and the Patriots only went one from four. They had to kick two field goals and also turned another one over on downs.
Baltimore were once again led by quarterback, Joe Flacco. Flacco has been outstanding in the playoffs and had another fantastic game, throwing for 240 yards and 3 touchdowns. His main targets were Torrey Smith, Anquan Boldin and Dennis Pitta. Smith caught 4 passes for 69 yards, Boldin caught 5 for 60 yards and 2 touchdowns and Dennis Pitta caught 5 passes for 55 yards and a touchdown. The ground game wasn't hugely effective and the Patriots done a good job of stopping Ray Rice. He did get a touchdown but they restricted him to just 48 yards from 19 carries. Bernard Pierce was a bit more dangerous and ran for 52 yards from 9 carries.
Tom Brady didn't have a great game for the Patriots, completing 29 of 54 passes for 320 yards, a touchdown and 2 interceptions. When Brady gets to throw 54 passes you expect a lot more than thirteen points to show for it. His leading receivers were Wes Welker, Aaron Hernandez and Brandon Lloyd. Welker led the way with 8 catches for 117 yards and a touchdown. Hernandez caught 9 passes for 83 yards and Lloyd caught 7 passes for 70 yards. Stevan Ridley was the leading rusher and picked up 70 yards from his 18 carries. He was also the man responsible for the fumble that led to the Ravens fourth touchdown so it wasn't a great day for the running-back.
To be honest, I'm not sure were the Patriots go from here. Eight seasons have passed since they last won the Superbowl and for guys like Tom Brady and Bill Belichick who set their standards so high, it's not good enough. They have been in the playoffs in seven of those eight seasons and their regular season record has never been worse than 10-6 but for some reason they keep falling short in the big games. Belichick will undoubtedly look to see what he can do to fix things as they are clearly not far from the right formula but these guys are born winners and anything other than a ring at the end of the season is good enough for the Patriots.
The Baltimore Ravens will be delighted to be going back to the Superbowl after so many close calls in recent years. They won it in 2000 and have made the playoffs in eight of the twelve seasons that have passed since then. This is their fifth consecutive year in the playoffs and in each of those years, they have won a game but failed to reach the Superbowl, until this season. It will be a very special occasion for the entire franchise and especially their legendary linebacker, Ray Lewis. Lewis announced a few weeks ago that he will be retiring at the end of this season and surely there is no better way for a true NFL legend to go out than with a Superbowl appearance.
Ravens Offensive Star : Joe Flacco - Who is this new guy playing under center for the Ravens? We have saw a completely different Flacco in the playoffs and long may it continue.
Ravens Defensive Star : Ray Lewis - Lewis has been in the conversation in the last two games but he gets the nod this week after a massive 14 tackles.
Patriots Offensive Star : Wes Welker - The Patriots need to get Welker's contract situation sorted as he is a huge player for the franchise.
Patriots Defensive Star : Rob Ninkovich - 8 tackles, two of which were for a loss and 2 sacks were not enough to send the Patriots back to the Superbowl.
The San Francisco 49ers came from 17-0 down to beat the Atlanta Falcons and secure their first Superbowl appearance since 1994.
The 49ers started off very slowly and were 17-0 down early in the second quarter. They rallied after that though and got back to 17-14 but the Falcons got another touchdown before half-time to lead 24-14 at the break. The 49ers defense came up big in the second half though. The Falcons were unable to add to the 24 points they had scored in the first half and the offense got the two touchdowns that were required to complete the comeback.
The defeat will have left some mental scars on the Falcons as they threw away a big league for the second week in a row. Last week they were able to respond with a field goal to win the game but this week a field goal was no use and they needed to get the ball in the end zone but they were unable to get beyond the San Francisco 10 yard line. They got one final chance when the 49ers went three and out and were forced to punt. The Falcons had six seconds on the clock and the ball on their own 41. The play had to be a Hail Mary or some sort of a lateral play but instead the Falcons played a mid range pass to Julio Jones at the 49ers 35 and he was tackled instantly which ended the game. The Falcons had no timeouts left and the pass was played into the middle of the field so I have no idea what they were thinking of. That play summed up the Falcons entire second half and they never really looked likely to score until the drive just after the 49ers scored. Much of the criticism should be handed to the coaches. They were having some success early on by being aggressive on offense. Once they got into the lead they changed styles and tried to protect their lead. They had all the momentum and let it slip but they are not the first team to make that mistake and certainly won't be the last.
Matt Ryan had a mixed game. He threw for 396 yards and 3 touchdowns but he was also responsible for two bad turnovers. He was intercepted after throwing the ball straight to Chris Culliver and he also lost a fumble when he took his eyes off the ball on a shotgun snap. Turnovers aside, he was excellent but everyone knows that turnovers will cost you games and it was the case yesterday. The Falcons weren't great on the ground, picking up 81 yards from 23 running plays. The Falcons were once again led in the passing game by their three big stars, Julio Jones, Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez. Jones caught 11 passes for 182 yards and 2 touchdowns. White caught 7 passes for 100 yards and Gonzalez caught 8 passes for 78 yards and a touchdown.
The 49ers deserve a lot of credit for their performance. After falling behind so early many teams would have crumbled but the 49ers refused to panic. They stuck to their game plan and were rewarded with two touchdowns to get back to within three but conceded another touchdown just before the half to leave the deficit at ten points. They came out in the second half and continued to plug away and got the gap back to three points with a touchdown early in the third quarter. The teams then had a bit of a crazy spell were both had turnovers and the 49ers missed a field goal before San Francisco eventually took the lead thanks to a Vernon Davis touchdown with just over eight minutes remaining. The 49ers allowed the Falcons to get up the field but a field goal was no use at this stage and they managed to keep them out of the end zone to secure the win.
One man who deserves a lot of credit is quarterback, Colin Kaepernick. He had what I would say was the best game of his career. Everyone knows what he can do on the ground but I'm old fashioned and like a quarterback who can pass the ball. I've spent many an evening over the last month or two writing about how bad a passer he is so it's only right that I acknowledge how good he was in this game. He completed 16 of his 21 passes for 231 yards and a touchdown. Those numbers are very good but they don't do justice to how well he played. He left the running side of the game to the running-backs and stood in the pocket and made some fantastic passes. I have to be honest and say that I didn't think he had that kind of performance in him but he stepped up and played like a pure passer to lead his team to a Superbowl and I can't give him enough credit for that. He's still a young guy and if he can continue to improve as a passer and play with more consistency in that area, he could have a big career in the NFL. Other stars for the 49ers were Frank Gore who ran for 90 yards and 2 touchdowns from 21 carries and Vernon Davis who caught 5 passes for 106 yards and a touchdown.
For the Falcons, there will be a lot of soul searching in the off season. It looks as though Tony Gonzalez will retire which will be a big loss for them. They will also need to address what happened in these playoffs and why they gave away two big leads in their two games. In my opinion, it was bad coaching. They got themselves into good positions with aggressive play calling and then tried to hang onto the lead by relying on their defense and running game to kill time. Neither unit were good enough and the Falcons are at their best when they are going for the jugular and trying to beat teams instead of maintaining leads.
For the 49ers, it's two weeks of studying film, training, hard work and coming up with a plan to pick up a win in New Orleans in the Har-Bowl.
49ers Offensive Star : Colin Kaepernick - Vernon Davis and Frank Gore deserve this just as much but Kaepernick showed us a side to his game that we hadn't really saw before.
49ers Defensive Star : Patrick Willis - Twelve tackles including one for a loss was a good return from the linebacker.
Falcons Offensive Star : Julio Jones - Jones deserved to be in a Superbowl after picking up 182 yards and 2 touchdowns from his 11 catches.
Falcons Defensive Star : Thomas DeCoud - The Falcons safety made 8 tackles and also deflected a pass.
Baltimore Ravens 28-13 New England Patriots
The Baltimore Ravens secured an unlikely passage to the Superbowl after a big win over the New England Patriots last night. Nobody has earned a place in the Superbowl more than this Baltimore Ravens team. They came into the playoffs as the fourth seed and beat the Indianapolis Colts who had a better regular season record than them, the Denver Broncos who looked like the best team in the AFC by quite some distance and finally, the New England Patriots who have more experience of Championship games than any other team in recent years. I did expect them to prevail against the Colts but I gave them next to no chance against the Broncos and the Patriots and on both occasions they have gone into hostile atmosphere's and done the business.
Statistically the game was fairly tight but there were a few key differences between the sides and it turned out to be the difference between winning and losing. I have been banging on all year about turnovers and once again this game was evidence of the fact that it's very hard to win in this league if you turn the ball over. The Patriots turned it over three times and the Ravens managed to avoid any turnovers. The first turnover was costly as the Patriots were eight behind and had drove to midfield and then lost the ball to a fumble. Not content at stopping the Patriots from scoring, the Ravens turned the turnover into points and got a touchdown to extend their lead to fifteen points. The last two were interceptions when the Patriots were in desperation mode. The first was in Ravens territory and the Patriots looked like reducing the gap to eight points with around half the fourth quarter to play. Instead Tom Brady was picked off and the Ravens managed to drive down the field and take 4:44 off the clock. That left the Patriots fifteen behind and just over two minutes left. The Pats were moving the ball down the field but got intercepted again and that left the Ravens in the position were they could take two kneels to finish off the game. The other difference was their success in the red zone. The Ravens went four from four in the red zone and the Patriots only went one from four. They had to kick two field goals and also turned another one over on downs.
Baltimore were once again led by quarterback, Joe Flacco. Flacco has been outstanding in the playoffs and had another fantastic game, throwing for 240 yards and 3 touchdowns. His main targets were Torrey Smith, Anquan Boldin and Dennis Pitta. Smith caught 4 passes for 69 yards, Boldin caught 5 for 60 yards and 2 touchdowns and Dennis Pitta caught 5 passes for 55 yards and a touchdown. The ground game wasn't hugely effective and the Patriots done a good job of stopping Ray Rice. He did get a touchdown but they restricted him to just 48 yards from 19 carries. Bernard Pierce was a bit more dangerous and ran for 52 yards from 9 carries.
Tom Brady didn't have a great game for the Patriots, completing 29 of 54 passes for 320 yards, a touchdown and 2 interceptions. When Brady gets to throw 54 passes you expect a lot more than thirteen points to show for it. His leading receivers were Wes Welker, Aaron Hernandez and Brandon Lloyd. Welker led the way with 8 catches for 117 yards and a touchdown. Hernandez caught 9 passes for 83 yards and Lloyd caught 7 passes for 70 yards. Stevan Ridley was the leading rusher and picked up 70 yards from his 18 carries. He was also the man responsible for the fumble that led to the Ravens fourth touchdown so it wasn't a great day for the running-back.
To be honest, I'm not sure were the Patriots go from here. Eight seasons have passed since they last won the Superbowl and for guys like Tom Brady and Bill Belichick who set their standards so high, it's not good enough. They have been in the playoffs in seven of those eight seasons and their regular season record has never been worse than 10-6 but for some reason they keep falling short in the big games. Belichick will undoubtedly look to see what he can do to fix things as they are clearly not far from the right formula but these guys are born winners and anything other than a ring at the end of the season is good enough for the Patriots.
The Baltimore Ravens will be delighted to be going back to the Superbowl after so many close calls in recent years. They won it in 2000 and have made the playoffs in eight of the twelve seasons that have passed since then. This is their fifth consecutive year in the playoffs and in each of those years, they have won a game but failed to reach the Superbowl, until this season. It will be a very special occasion for the entire franchise and especially their legendary linebacker, Ray Lewis. Lewis announced a few weeks ago that he will be retiring at the end of this season and surely there is no better way for a true NFL legend to go out than with a Superbowl appearance.
Ravens Offensive Star : Joe Flacco - Who is this new guy playing under center for the Ravens? We have saw a completely different Flacco in the playoffs and long may it continue.
Ravens Defensive Star : Ray Lewis - Lewis has been in the conversation in the last two games but he gets the nod this week after a massive 14 tackles.
Patriots Offensive Star : Wes Welker - The Patriots need to get Welker's contract situation sorted as he is a huge player for the franchise.
Patriots Defensive Star : Rob Ninkovich - 8 tackles, two of which were for a loss and 2 sacks were not enough to send the Patriots back to the Superbowl.
Sunday, 20 January 2013
NFL Championship Weekend Preview
NFC Championship Game - San Francisco 49ers (12-4-1) @ Atlanta Falcons (14-3)
The NFC's top two sides successfully negotiated tough divisional round match ups to secure passage to the Championship Game. The 49ers got it tight for three quarters last week against the Green Bay before sealing the game with two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. The Falcons had the exact opposite. They cruised for three quarters and led 27-7 as the fourth quarter started but the Seahawks scored three unanswered touchdowns to lead by one before Matt Bryant nailed a 49 yard field goal to secure the Falcon's first playoff victory since 2004.
San Francisco were very impressive in their win against the Green Bay Packers. Colin Kaepernick had a great game and led the ground game. Between his passing and running he played a part in four touchdowns and 444 yards of offense. He was well supported by Frank Gore and Michael Crabtree who also had very good games. News broke yesterday of Michael Crabtree being questioned by police in relation to a sexual assault after the Green Bay game last weekend. Details are sketchy at this point but it is far from ideal preparation for an NFC title game.
Atlanta players must be riding a roller coaster of emotions after last Sunday's epic win over the Seattle Seahawks. It was one of the most amazing games I have saw in all the year's I have been watching NFL but the biggest question will be how much did it take out of the Falcons? Momentum and confidence are great things in sport and right now, I'm not sure Atlanta have either. The 49ers will be feeling pretty good about themselves. They went up against a top side and outplayed them on the way to a win with a strong finish. Atlanta, on the other hand, were cruising towards victory and then before they even realised it themselves, they were behind and suddenly had to do something or their season was over. I expect their players will be relieved but they will also be asking themselves a lot of questions about what went wrong and it will have taken a lot of the confidence that they were no doubt brimming with after three quarters of action.
The match ups in this game are very interesting as both teams prepared for this game by beating a similar team last week. The Falcons beat the Seahawks who have the strong defense, mobile quarterback and elite running-back that the 49ers have. The one big difference though is that the 49ers should have most of their key players available, unlike the Seahawks who looked a little toothless at the line of scrimmage without Chris Clemons. The 49ers beat the Packers last week and once again, they are remarkably similar to the Falcons. Both teams rely heavily on their passing games and aren't particularly strong on the ground or on defense. If anything, the Packers are probably a little better than the Falcons in most of those areas.
The rest of the statistics are quite interesting. The 49ers are 11th in sacking the quarterback but the Falcons have got good protection for Matt Ryan and ranked 7th best in the NFL in the regular season in sacks allowed. On the other side of the field, the Falcons have really struggled to get pressure on the quarterback and ranked 28th in sacks but the 49ers aren't much better at protecting their quarterbacks and ranked 23rd. Both teams are good at protecting the football and both were in the top four in the NFC in giveaways.
Atlanta finished the regular season with the joint best record at 13-3. Many people said they had a soft schedule, which to be fair they did but it can't be ignored that last week's win sent them to 3-0 for the year against teams who qualified for the playoffs. The 49ers had things a little harder and after last week, are 4-2 against teams who made the postseason. It's also worth considering that the Atlanta Falcons have been very good in the Georgia Dome in recent times. They went 7-1 at home this year but their only defeat came in week 17 when the number one seed was in the bag and the team were looking beyond that game.
Prediction - This game is very tough to call. When I look at these two teams and rank them head to head, I am putting more ticks in the San Francisco column. In my opinion the 49ers are the better team and would win this one if it was at a neutral venue but it's not and I have to decide whether the 49ers are good enough to go into a very hostile Atlanta and pick up the win. The last time Colin Kaepernick played in a hostile atmosphere was against the Seahawks and things didn't really work out for him that day. I can see a similar outcome this time and will go with the Atlanta Falcons to reach their second Superbowl in franchise history.
AFC Championship Game - Baltimore Ravens (12-6) @ New England Patriots (13-4)
Baltimore and New England picked up wins last weekend to set up a repeat of last year's AFC title game. On that occasion the Patriots came out on top so the Ravens will be going all out for revenge. The Ravens did avenge that defeat in the regular season but I've no doubt they would quite happily change that one for a win tonight.
The Ravens are the only team who played in the wildcard weekend who are still alive. They have beaten the Colts and Broncos in successive weeks to get this far. The win over the Colts was expected but the Broncos one was a big surprise and they deserve a lot of credit and respect for going into Mile High and leaving with the victory. Joe Flacco has been excellent in the playoffs so far, throwing for over 600 yards, 5 touchdowns and no interceptions. Ray Rice was also very good against the Broncos after a mixed game against the Colts. Against the Colts, he had 100 yards from scrimmage but never done his team any favours with two lost fumbles. He never let it get to him though and bounced back with 131 yards and a touchdown on the ground in Denver. If the Ravens can get big performances from those two and at least one of their receivers has a big day there's no reason why they can't get points on the board. On defense their job has got a little easier with Rob Gronkowski's injury. In the two games so far, the Ravens defense has been excellent. They have been very good as a unit and have had some good individual displays from Ray Lewis, Corey Graham and Cary Williams. If the Ravens bring everything that they can, then the Patriots will be in for a tough day but the Ravens have struggled with consistency and it might be a big ask for it all to click for them two weeks in a row.
The Patriots got here with a relatively comfortable win over the Houston Texans. Tom Brady came up big once again, throwing for 344 yards and 3 touchdowns. Wes Welker led the receivers with 8 catches for 131 yards. Shane Vereen also had a huge game, picking up 124 yards from scrimmage and 3 touchdowns. Steven Ridley and Aaron Hernandez also done their bit in winning the game for the Patriots. New England look better this season than in previous years. They have a much better running game than they have ever had in the Tom Brady era and they can also do a bit on defense and have one of the best run defenses in the NFL. The Patriots will rightly start this game as favourites but when these two get together, the games are always tight.
When I look at the match ups in this one, it looks very one sided. The only place the Ravens are better than the Patriots is on pass defense but even at that both sides are ranked in the bottom half of the league. The Ravens were 17th and the Patriots were 29th. In every other statistic the teams were either level or the Patriots ranked higher. New England ranked 4th in passing, 7th in rushing and 9th in run defense. The Ravens were 15th in passing, 11th in rushing and 20th in run defense. Having said that, the Ravens have looked much better in the playoffs and ultimately the only statistic that matters is the one with the scoreline.
One of the key's in New England's success has been their ability to protect the football and their quarterback. They allowed just 27 sacks on Tom Brady which ranked 4th in the league. When a guy with Brady's talent gets time in the pocket, he's going to cause damage. The Ravens haven't been as good at protecting Joe Flacco and they ranked 20th in the NFL in sack's allowed. Both defenses sacked the opposing quarterback 37 times which was joint 15th in the league.
Prediction - All signs point to New England. I have a bit of a soft spot for Ray Lewis though and would have no objections to seeing him dance his way onto the field in two weeks time in the Superbowl but I have to go with my head and not my heart. The best quarterback I have saw in my time watching the NFL is Tom Brady and he's the one guy I will always believe in. Patriots win.
The NFC's top two sides successfully negotiated tough divisional round match ups to secure passage to the Championship Game. The 49ers got it tight for three quarters last week against the Green Bay before sealing the game with two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. The Falcons had the exact opposite. They cruised for three quarters and led 27-7 as the fourth quarter started but the Seahawks scored three unanswered touchdowns to lead by one before Matt Bryant nailed a 49 yard field goal to secure the Falcon's first playoff victory since 2004.
San Francisco were very impressive in their win against the Green Bay Packers. Colin Kaepernick had a great game and led the ground game. Between his passing and running he played a part in four touchdowns and 444 yards of offense. He was well supported by Frank Gore and Michael Crabtree who also had very good games. News broke yesterday of Michael Crabtree being questioned by police in relation to a sexual assault after the Green Bay game last weekend. Details are sketchy at this point but it is far from ideal preparation for an NFC title game.
Atlanta players must be riding a roller coaster of emotions after last Sunday's epic win over the Seattle Seahawks. It was one of the most amazing games I have saw in all the year's I have been watching NFL but the biggest question will be how much did it take out of the Falcons? Momentum and confidence are great things in sport and right now, I'm not sure Atlanta have either. The 49ers will be feeling pretty good about themselves. They went up against a top side and outplayed them on the way to a win with a strong finish. Atlanta, on the other hand, were cruising towards victory and then before they even realised it themselves, they were behind and suddenly had to do something or their season was over. I expect their players will be relieved but they will also be asking themselves a lot of questions about what went wrong and it will have taken a lot of the confidence that they were no doubt brimming with after three quarters of action.
The match ups in this game are very interesting as both teams prepared for this game by beating a similar team last week. The Falcons beat the Seahawks who have the strong defense, mobile quarterback and elite running-back that the 49ers have. The one big difference though is that the 49ers should have most of their key players available, unlike the Seahawks who looked a little toothless at the line of scrimmage without Chris Clemons. The 49ers beat the Packers last week and once again, they are remarkably similar to the Falcons. Both teams rely heavily on their passing games and aren't particularly strong on the ground or on defense. If anything, the Packers are probably a little better than the Falcons in most of those areas.
The rest of the statistics are quite interesting. The 49ers are 11th in sacking the quarterback but the Falcons have got good protection for Matt Ryan and ranked 7th best in the NFL in the regular season in sacks allowed. On the other side of the field, the Falcons have really struggled to get pressure on the quarterback and ranked 28th in sacks but the 49ers aren't much better at protecting their quarterbacks and ranked 23rd. Both teams are good at protecting the football and both were in the top four in the NFC in giveaways.
Atlanta finished the regular season with the joint best record at 13-3. Many people said they had a soft schedule, which to be fair they did but it can't be ignored that last week's win sent them to 3-0 for the year against teams who qualified for the playoffs. The 49ers had things a little harder and after last week, are 4-2 against teams who made the postseason. It's also worth considering that the Atlanta Falcons have been very good in the Georgia Dome in recent times. They went 7-1 at home this year but their only defeat came in week 17 when the number one seed was in the bag and the team were looking beyond that game.
Prediction - This game is very tough to call. When I look at these two teams and rank them head to head, I am putting more ticks in the San Francisco column. In my opinion the 49ers are the better team and would win this one if it was at a neutral venue but it's not and I have to decide whether the 49ers are good enough to go into a very hostile Atlanta and pick up the win. The last time Colin Kaepernick played in a hostile atmosphere was against the Seahawks and things didn't really work out for him that day. I can see a similar outcome this time and will go with the Atlanta Falcons to reach their second Superbowl in franchise history.
AFC Championship Game - Baltimore Ravens (12-6) @ New England Patriots (13-4)
Baltimore and New England picked up wins last weekend to set up a repeat of last year's AFC title game. On that occasion the Patriots came out on top so the Ravens will be going all out for revenge. The Ravens did avenge that defeat in the regular season but I've no doubt they would quite happily change that one for a win tonight.
The Ravens are the only team who played in the wildcard weekend who are still alive. They have beaten the Colts and Broncos in successive weeks to get this far. The win over the Colts was expected but the Broncos one was a big surprise and they deserve a lot of credit and respect for going into Mile High and leaving with the victory. Joe Flacco has been excellent in the playoffs so far, throwing for over 600 yards, 5 touchdowns and no interceptions. Ray Rice was also very good against the Broncos after a mixed game against the Colts. Against the Colts, he had 100 yards from scrimmage but never done his team any favours with two lost fumbles. He never let it get to him though and bounced back with 131 yards and a touchdown on the ground in Denver. If the Ravens can get big performances from those two and at least one of their receivers has a big day there's no reason why they can't get points on the board. On defense their job has got a little easier with Rob Gronkowski's injury. In the two games so far, the Ravens defense has been excellent. They have been very good as a unit and have had some good individual displays from Ray Lewis, Corey Graham and Cary Williams. If the Ravens bring everything that they can, then the Patriots will be in for a tough day but the Ravens have struggled with consistency and it might be a big ask for it all to click for them two weeks in a row.
The Patriots got here with a relatively comfortable win over the Houston Texans. Tom Brady came up big once again, throwing for 344 yards and 3 touchdowns. Wes Welker led the receivers with 8 catches for 131 yards. Shane Vereen also had a huge game, picking up 124 yards from scrimmage and 3 touchdowns. Steven Ridley and Aaron Hernandez also done their bit in winning the game for the Patriots. New England look better this season than in previous years. They have a much better running game than they have ever had in the Tom Brady era and they can also do a bit on defense and have one of the best run defenses in the NFL. The Patriots will rightly start this game as favourites but when these two get together, the games are always tight.
When I look at the match ups in this one, it looks very one sided. The only place the Ravens are better than the Patriots is on pass defense but even at that both sides are ranked in the bottom half of the league. The Ravens were 17th and the Patriots were 29th. In every other statistic the teams were either level or the Patriots ranked higher. New England ranked 4th in passing, 7th in rushing and 9th in run defense. The Ravens were 15th in passing, 11th in rushing and 20th in run defense. Having said that, the Ravens have looked much better in the playoffs and ultimately the only statistic that matters is the one with the scoreline.
One of the key's in New England's success has been their ability to protect the football and their quarterback. They allowed just 27 sacks on Tom Brady which ranked 4th in the league. When a guy with Brady's talent gets time in the pocket, he's going to cause damage. The Ravens haven't been as good at protecting Joe Flacco and they ranked 20th in the NFL in sack's allowed. Both defenses sacked the opposing quarterback 37 times which was joint 15th in the league.
Prediction - All signs point to New England. I have a bit of a soft spot for Ray Lewis though and would have no objections to seeing him dance his way onto the field in two weeks time in the Superbowl but I have to go with my head and not my heart. The best quarterback I have saw in my time watching the NFL is Tom Brady and he's the one guy I will always believe in. Patriots win.
Tuesday, 15 January 2013
NFL DIVISIONAL WEEKEND REVIEW
Baltimore Ravens 38-35 Denver Broncos (2nd OT)
The Baltimore Ravens pulled off the biggest surprise of the playoffs so far by beating the Denver Broncos at Mile High. The game was tight all the way and there was never more than a touchdown between the teams. Denver led for most of the game but the Ravens kept coming back at them. Throughout the game Denver led 7-0, 21-14, 28-21 and 35-28 but they were unable to hang onto those leads and it was the Ravens who had the last laugh winning with a field goal in the second period of overtime.
Peyton Manning was poor by his usual high standards. He completed just 28 of his 43 passes for 290 yards, 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He also fumbled the ball which was recovered by the Ravens. When you turn the ball over three times you are asking for trouble and unfortunately for the Broncos it has cost them their shot at an AFC Championship game. All three turnovers led to points. The first was a pick six, the next was a fumble which handed Baltimore the ball in Denver territory and the third one was the interception that led to the game winning field goal. Those turnovers cost the Broncos 17 points and possibly more as they may have scored themselves on those drives.
The Broncos struggled with their running game all day and that was another factor in the defeat. They ran the ball 41 times but picked up just 125 yards. That's 3 yards per carry and is simply not good enough in the NFL. The Broncos offense had an off day and still managed to put 35 points on the board which goes to show how big a win this was for the Ravens.
The Ravens showed a lot of character in this game. As I have already mentioned, they spent a lot of the game behind but they didn't let it phase them and they came back time and time again. The Broncos would have been starting to think they had the game won at 3rd and 3 with the ball on the Ravens 30 yard line but the Ravens had other ideas. Joe Flacco unleashed a pass down field for Jacoby Jones to score the touchdown that took the game to overtime. The Ravens defense stepped up in overtime and did not allow the Broncos to cross midfield and when their chance came they took it. Corey Graham intercepted a Manning pass which allowed the Ravens to start from the Denver 45. Ray Rice was able to run the ball down the field to set up the game winning field goal from Justin Tucker.
The Ravens offense had a good day with Joe Flacco and Ray Rice particularly impressive. Flacco threw for 331 yards and 3 touchdowns. Rice picked up 131 yards and a touchdown from his 30 carries. Torrey Smith also had a good game, catching 3 passes for 98 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Baltimore now head to New England to take on the Patriots in a repeat of last year's AFC Championship game. On that occasion, the Patriots came out on top by a field goal and it promises to be another close battle between two teams who have shown themselves to be the cream of the AFC.
Ravens Offensive Star : Ray Rice - Flacco's completion percentage let's him down so I am siding with Rice who took charge when the game was on the line and got the Ravens into a position where they could kick a field goal.
Ravens Defensive Star : Corey Graham - Ray Lewis had another good game, making 17 tackles but I have to give it to Graham who made two huge interceptions, 8 tackles and 3 pass deflections. Lewis was good but Graham was the difference.
Broncos Offensive Star : Eric Decker - A lot of guys were below par for the Broncos but Decker had a decent game, catching 6 passes for 84 yards.
Broncos Defensive Star : Von Miller - Again there was nothing exceptional but Miller led the way with 9 tackles, half a sack and 2 hits on the quarterback.
Green Bay Packers 31-45 San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers made their second consecutive NFC Championship game after a good win over the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night. The game was close until the fourth quarter. The 49ers entered the fourth with a seven point lead and extended that to fourteen on the opening play of the quarter before sealing the win with three and a half minutes to go. The Packers responded with a touchdown but it was too little too late to stop the 49ers literally running away with the win.
The 49ers were deserving winners and one look at the statistics underlines how impressive they were. In all of the key areas they were better than Green Bay and when that happens there's not much anyone can do. They completely dominated time of possession, having the ball for just over 38 minutes. They had 200 yards of total offense more than the Packers and they were also better in the most important stat in football, turnovers. The 49ers turned the ball over once and the Packers turned it over twice. The passing numbers were similar with the 49ers throwing for just 8 more yards than the Packers but the big difference was on the ground where the 49ers totalled 323 yards.
Aaron Rodgers didn't have his best game of the season, completing 26 of 39 passes for 257 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception. His interception was punished by the 49ers who picked up a touchdown from the following drive. Green Bay's other turnover also led to a touchdown, when Jeremy Ross muffed a punt return which was recovered by the 49ers at the Green Bay 9 yard line. In a game that was so tight for such a long time it would have to be questioned why the Packers didn't run the ball more often as they were picking up some good yards on the ground. DuJuan Harris ran for 53 yards and a touchdown from his 11 carries and the Packers ground game ended up picking up 6.5 yards per carry. If they had put a bit more faith in it, the result may have been different.
For the 49ers, Colin Kaepernick and Frank Gore were able to run the ball at will and beat up on the Packers defense. Kaepernick's numbers weren't that great in the air but he was very effective on the ground. He completed just 17 of his 31 pass attempts for 263 yards, 2 touchdowns and a pick six. However, he was able to make amends by rushing for 181 yards and 2 touchdowns from his 16 carries. He was in good company though and Frank Gore ran for 119 yards and a touchdown from his 23 carries. Gore also caught 2 passes for 48 yards which meant he was the 49ers second best receiver on the day. Michael Crabtree was the only one who put up better numbers, catching 9 passes for 119 yards and 2 touchdowns.
The 49ers now head to Atlanta to take part in the NFC Championship game and they will be hoping for a better result than last year. In last year's NFC title game, the 49ers lost at home to the New York Giants courtesy of a Lawrence Tynes field goal in overtime. On paper the game looks like a cracker and I for one find it hard to make a call on who I think will win.
Packers Offensive Star : DuJuan Harris - Harris picked up 64 yards from his 11 touches of the ball.
Packers Defensive Star : Sam Shieds - Shields had a pick six, 4 tackles and 2 pass deflections.
49ers Offensive Star : Colin Kaepernick - Kaepernick threw for 263 yards, two touchdowns and ran for 181 yards and 2 more touchdowns so there could only be one winner.
49ers Defensive Star : Patrick Willis - Willis picked up 7 tackles, one for a loss and a sack to help the 49ers pick up the win.
Seattle Seahawks 28-30 Atlanta Falcons
This will go down as one of the best games I have ever saw. I'm not even a fan of either team and I was completely glued to my television and my nerves were shattered. As an NFL fan living in Ireland I often hear the old rubbish about how can you watch that, it's so slow, it's too stop start. If you know anyone who isn't a fan of the NFL, show them a video of this game. This is why American Football is my favourite sport. Credit to both teams, it was an absolute pleasure to watch.
In the first half the game looked over. The Falcons led 20-0 at half-time and looked very comfortable. The Seahawks got it back to 20-7 with a touchdown on the first drive of the second half but the Falcons responded with a touchdown on the next drive to extend the lead to 27-7. With just over seventeen minutes remaining in the game and a twenty point gap between the sides the game looked dead but thankfully for us neutrals, nobody told the Seahawks.
They got a quick touchdown early in the fourth quarter and then intercepted Matt Ryan on the next drive. Four plays later, they were in the end zone again and all of a sudden the gap was reduced to six points with over nine minutes on the clock. The next three drives never came to much and with the game still hanging in the balance, Seattle's offense came on the field with exactly three minutes remaining and were able to move the ball down the field and eventually into the end zone to take a one point lead with just 31 seconds remaining.
At this point I was fearing for Matt Ryan's career. The guy was already carrying a lot of baggage thanks to his 0-3 record in the playoffs but a defeat after leading by twenty points in the fourth quarter might just leave a deep enough scar to finish him off. However, they don't call him Matty Ice for nothing. He took to the field and made two big completions that got the Falcons down to the Seattle 31 yard line. Matt Bryant came onto the field and kicked a 49 yard field goal to put the Falcons back in the lead. Now the game had to be over? No, not quite. For some bizarre reason Matt Bosher tried an onside kick which the Seahawks recovered at their own 46 yard line. Seattle made a quick completion to get them a little further up the field so they could attempt an all or nothing Hail Mary as time was expiring. Unfortunately for the Seahawks, Russell Wilson made the pass a little earlier than they would have liked and Julio Jones was able to make the interception that won the game for the Falcons.
Russell Wilson ended the game with good numbers. He completed 24 of his 36 passes for 385 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception. Wilson also led the running game with 60 yards and a touchdown from his 7 carries. Marshawn Lynch had a disappointing day on the ground, rushing for 46 yards and a touchdown at 2.9 yards per carry. Seattle's leading receivers were Zach Miller and Golden Tate. Miller made 8 catches for 142 yards and a touchdown. Tate caught 6 passes for 103 yards and a touchdown.
Matt Ryan ended the game with mixed numbers. He completed 24 of his 35 passes for 250 yards, 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. There will be a lot of things he won't be happy with but ultimately when the game was on the line, he passed the test. His leading receiver was Roddy White who caught 5 passes for 76 yards and a touchdown. The biggest surprise in this game was the success the Falcons had on the ground. Prior to the game everyone was talking about the Falcons passing game but they ended up doing their best work on the ground. Michael Turner picked up 98 yards from 14 carries and Jacquizz Rodgers had 64 yards from 10 carries. The Falcons averaged 6.4 yards per carry which was a statistic I don't think anyone saw coming.
The defeat will no doubt have an impact on the Seahawks but they are a young team and from what I saw this season, they will be back again. However, if the Falcons had lost the game I think the scars would have been pretty deep for a few players and the franchise may well have made some changes. Luckily for them, they go the win and can look forward to hosting an NFC Championship game on Sunday.
Seahawks Offensive Star : Russell Wilson - Wilson accounted for 445 yards of offense and three touchdowns but it was too little, too late.
Seahawks Defensive Star : Bobby Wagner - Wagner picked up an interception, 8 tackles and a pass deflection.
Falcons Offensive Star : Michael Turner - Turner stepped up this week and averaged 7 yards per carry.
Falcons Defensive Star : Jonathan Babineaux - 3 tackles, one for a loss, a sack, 2 hits on the quarterback and a fumble recovery for the defensive tackle.
Houston Texans 28-41 New England Patriots
The fact that this game which had 69 points in it was the third highest scoring and the least entertaining game of the weekend goes to show what a special weekend we just had in the NFL. The eight teams who took part in the divisional round of the playoffs brought everything they had and left it all on the field. For myself and fans of all twenty-four neutral franchises, it was an excellent and entertaining weekend.
There wasn't anything wrong with this game and it was quite entertaining but for the most part it lacked the drama that the other three games had. In the first half the game looked to be getting away from the Texans but they managed to score ten points in the last 1:15 of the half to bring the scoreline to within four points. They were unable to keep that momentum going however and the Patriots scored two unanswered touchdowns in the third quarter and then another at the start of the fourth to stretch the lead to twenty-five points. The Texans had one last charge and got two quick touchdowns, the second also saw them successfully go for a two point conversion. By this stage the lead was reduced to ten points with over five minutes remaining. The Texans tried the onside kick which they had a chance of recovering but they failed to do so and from then the Patriots offense went on a clock killing drive which ended in a field goal. By the time the Texans got the ball back they were thirteen behind with just 1:14 on the clock and no timeouts. They were unable to get another score and once again it's the Patriots who will play the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC title game.
Statistically, the game was very tight and if anything the Texans had the better in quite a few categories although the game never really felt like that was the case. The one area were they did come second best was turnovers. They had one turnover which isn't the end of the world but it was one more than the Patriots had and as it happens, it was a costly one. The Texans were in field goal range and Matt Schaub threw a pick to Rob Ninkovich. What made matters even worse was that six plays later the Patriots were celebrating a touchdown. If you take that seven off the Pats and say the Texans had got a touchdown of their own. That's a fourteen point swing and suddenly it's Houston hosting next week's AFC Championship game.
Matt Schaub completed 34 of his 51 passes for 343 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception. Once again his go to guys were Andre Johnson and Owen Daniels. Johnson caught 8 passes for 95 yards and Daniels caught 9 passes for 81 yards. Arian Foster also had a good game and ended up with 153 yards from scrimmage. He ran for 90 yards and a touchdown and also caught 7 passes for 63 yards and a touchdown.
Tom Brady completed 25 of his 40 passes for 344 yards and 3 touchdowns. Brady targeted Wes Welker, Aaron Hernandez and Shane Vereen. Welker caught 8 passes for 131 yards, Hernandez caught 6 passes for 85 yards and Shane Vereen caught 5 passes for 83 yards and 2 touchdowns. Vereen also got a touchdown on the ground to end with 124 yards from scrimmage and 3 touchdowns. Stevan Ridley was the leading rusher, picking up 82 yards and a touchdown.
New England will now host this year's AFC Championship game which will be a repeat of last year's game. On that occasion the Patriots came out on top and as a neutral it would delight me equally to see either Tom Brady or Ray Lewis take to the field in New Orleans for Superbowl XLVII.
Texans Offensive Star : Arian Foster - Two touchdowns and 153 yards from scrimmage but it still wasn't enough for the Texans.
Texans Defensive Star : Bradie James - 11 tackles and one for a loss from the linebacker wasn't enough to stop the Patriots.
Patriots Offensive Star : Shane Vereen - The running-back had a career day by scoring more touchdowns on Sunday than he had so far in his career.
Patriots Defensive Star : Rob Ninkovich - 4 tackles, one for a loss, 2 pass deflections, a quarterback hit and an interception from the linebacker.
The Baltimore Ravens pulled off the biggest surprise of the playoffs so far by beating the Denver Broncos at Mile High. The game was tight all the way and there was never more than a touchdown between the teams. Denver led for most of the game but the Ravens kept coming back at them. Throughout the game Denver led 7-0, 21-14, 28-21 and 35-28 but they were unable to hang onto those leads and it was the Ravens who had the last laugh winning with a field goal in the second period of overtime.
Peyton Manning was poor by his usual high standards. He completed just 28 of his 43 passes for 290 yards, 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He also fumbled the ball which was recovered by the Ravens. When you turn the ball over three times you are asking for trouble and unfortunately for the Broncos it has cost them their shot at an AFC Championship game. All three turnovers led to points. The first was a pick six, the next was a fumble which handed Baltimore the ball in Denver territory and the third one was the interception that led to the game winning field goal. Those turnovers cost the Broncos 17 points and possibly more as they may have scored themselves on those drives.
The Broncos struggled with their running game all day and that was another factor in the defeat. They ran the ball 41 times but picked up just 125 yards. That's 3 yards per carry and is simply not good enough in the NFL. The Broncos offense had an off day and still managed to put 35 points on the board which goes to show how big a win this was for the Ravens.
The Ravens showed a lot of character in this game. As I have already mentioned, they spent a lot of the game behind but they didn't let it phase them and they came back time and time again. The Broncos would have been starting to think they had the game won at 3rd and 3 with the ball on the Ravens 30 yard line but the Ravens had other ideas. Joe Flacco unleashed a pass down field for Jacoby Jones to score the touchdown that took the game to overtime. The Ravens defense stepped up in overtime and did not allow the Broncos to cross midfield and when their chance came they took it. Corey Graham intercepted a Manning pass which allowed the Ravens to start from the Denver 45. Ray Rice was able to run the ball down the field to set up the game winning field goal from Justin Tucker.
The Ravens offense had a good day with Joe Flacco and Ray Rice particularly impressive. Flacco threw for 331 yards and 3 touchdowns. Rice picked up 131 yards and a touchdown from his 30 carries. Torrey Smith also had a good game, catching 3 passes for 98 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Baltimore now head to New England to take on the Patriots in a repeat of last year's AFC Championship game. On that occasion, the Patriots came out on top by a field goal and it promises to be another close battle between two teams who have shown themselves to be the cream of the AFC.
Ravens Offensive Star : Ray Rice - Flacco's completion percentage let's him down so I am siding with Rice who took charge when the game was on the line and got the Ravens into a position where they could kick a field goal.
Ravens Defensive Star : Corey Graham - Ray Lewis had another good game, making 17 tackles but I have to give it to Graham who made two huge interceptions, 8 tackles and 3 pass deflections. Lewis was good but Graham was the difference.
Broncos Offensive Star : Eric Decker - A lot of guys were below par for the Broncos but Decker had a decent game, catching 6 passes for 84 yards.
Broncos Defensive Star : Von Miller - Again there was nothing exceptional but Miller led the way with 9 tackles, half a sack and 2 hits on the quarterback.
Green Bay Packers 31-45 San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers made their second consecutive NFC Championship game after a good win over the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night. The game was close until the fourth quarter. The 49ers entered the fourth with a seven point lead and extended that to fourteen on the opening play of the quarter before sealing the win with three and a half minutes to go. The Packers responded with a touchdown but it was too little too late to stop the 49ers literally running away with the win.
The 49ers were deserving winners and one look at the statistics underlines how impressive they were. In all of the key areas they were better than Green Bay and when that happens there's not much anyone can do. They completely dominated time of possession, having the ball for just over 38 minutes. They had 200 yards of total offense more than the Packers and they were also better in the most important stat in football, turnovers. The 49ers turned the ball over once and the Packers turned it over twice. The passing numbers were similar with the 49ers throwing for just 8 more yards than the Packers but the big difference was on the ground where the 49ers totalled 323 yards.
Aaron Rodgers didn't have his best game of the season, completing 26 of 39 passes for 257 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception. His interception was punished by the 49ers who picked up a touchdown from the following drive. Green Bay's other turnover also led to a touchdown, when Jeremy Ross muffed a punt return which was recovered by the 49ers at the Green Bay 9 yard line. In a game that was so tight for such a long time it would have to be questioned why the Packers didn't run the ball more often as they were picking up some good yards on the ground. DuJuan Harris ran for 53 yards and a touchdown from his 11 carries and the Packers ground game ended up picking up 6.5 yards per carry. If they had put a bit more faith in it, the result may have been different.
For the 49ers, Colin Kaepernick and Frank Gore were able to run the ball at will and beat up on the Packers defense. Kaepernick's numbers weren't that great in the air but he was very effective on the ground. He completed just 17 of his 31 pass attempts for 263 yards, 2 touchdowns and a pick six. However, he was able to make amends by rushing for 181 yards and 2 touchdowns from his 16 carries. He was in good company though and Frank Gore ran for 119 yards and a touchdown from his 23 carries. Gore also caught 2 passes for 48 yards which meant he was the 49ers second best receiver on the day. Michael Crabtree was the only one who put up better numbers, catching 9 passes for 119 yards and 2 touchdowns.
The 49ers now head to Atlanta to take part in the NFC Championship game and they will be hoping for a better result than last year. In last year's NFC title game, the 49ers lost at home to the New York Giants courtesy of a Lawrence Tynes field goal in overtime. On paper the game looks like a cracker and I for one find it hard to make a call on who I think will win.
Packers Offensive Star : DuJuan Harris - Harris picked up 64 yards from his 11 touches of the ball.
Packers Defensive Star : Sam Shieds - Shields had a pick six, 4 tackles and 2 pass deflections.
49ers Offensive Star : Colin Kaepernick - Kaepernick threw for 263 yards, two touchdowns and ran for 181 yards and 2 more touchdowns so there could only be one winner.
49ers Defensive Star : Patrick Willis - Willis picked up 7 tackles, one for a loss and a sack to help the 49ers pick up the win.
Seattle Seahawks 28-30 Atlanta Falcons
This will go down as one of the best games I have ever saw. I'm not even a fan of either team and I was completely glued to my television and my nerves were shattered. As an NFL fan living in Ireland I often hear the old rubbish about how can you watch that, it's so slow, it's too stop start. If you know anyone who isn't a fan of the NFL, show them a video of this game. This is why American Football is my favourite sport. Credit to both teams, it was an absolute pleasure to watch.
In the first half the game looked over. The Falcons led 20-0 at half-time and looked very comfortable. The Seahawks got it back to 20-7 with a touchdown on the first drive of the second half but the Falcons responded with a touchdown on the next drive to extend the lead to 27-7. With just over seventeen minutes remaining in the game and a twenty point gap between the sides the game looked dead but thankfully for us neutrals, nobody told the Seahawks.
They got a quick touchdown early in the fourth quarter and then intercepted Matt Ryan on the next drive. Four plays later, they were in the end zone again and all of a sudden the gap was reduced to six points with over nine minutes on the clock. The next three drives never came to much and with the game still hanging in the balance, Seattle's offense came on the field with exactly three minutes remaining and were able to move the ball down the field and eventually into the end zone to take a one point lead with just 31 seconds remaining.
At this point I was fearing for Matt Ryan's career. The guy was already carrying a lot of baggage thanks to his 0-3 record in the playoffs but a defeat after leading by twenty points in the fourth quarter might just leave a deep enough scar to finish him off. However, they don't call him Matty Ice for nothing. He took to the field and made two big completions that got the Falcons down to the Seattle 31 yard line. Matt Bryant came onto the field and kicked a 49 yard field goal to put the Falcons back in the lead. Now the game had to be over? No, not quite. For some bizarre reason Matt Bosher tried an onside kick which the Seahawks recovered at their own 46 yard line. Seattle made a quick completion to get them a little further up the field so they could attempt an all or nothing Hail Mary as time was expiring. Unfortunately for the Seahawks, Russell Wilson made the pass a little earlier than they would have liked and Julio Jones was able to make the interception that won the game for the Falcons.
Russell Wilson ended the game with good numbers. He completed 24 of his 36 passes for 385 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception. Wilson also led the running game with 60 yards and a touchdown from his 7 carries. Marshawn Lynch had a disappointing day on the ground, rushing for 46 yards and a touchdown at 2.9 yards per carry. Seattle's leading receivers were Zach Miller and Golden Tate. Miller made 8 catches for 142 yards and a touchdown. Tate caught 6 passes for 103 yards and a touchdown.
Matt Ryan ended the game with mixed numbers. He completed 24 of his 35 passes for 250 yards, 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. There will be a lot of things he won't be happy with but ultimately when the game was on the line, he passed the test. His leading receiver was Roddy White who caught 5 passes for 76 yards and a touchdown. The biggest surprise in this game was the success the Falcons had on the ground. Prior to the game everyone was talking about the Falcons passing game but they ended up doing their best work on the ground. Michael Turner picked up 98 yards from 14 carries and Jacquizz Rodgers had 64 yards from 10 carries. The Falcons averaged 6.4 yards per carry which was a statistic I don't think anyone saw coming.
The defeat will no doubt have an impact on the Seahawks but they are a young team and from what I saw this season, they will be back again. However, if the Falcons had lost the game I think the scars would have been pretty deep for a few players and the franchise may well have made some changes. Luckily for them, they go the win and can look forward to hosting an NFC Championship game on Sunday.
Seahawks Offensive Star : Russell Wilson - Wilson accounted for 445 yards of offense and three touchdowns but it was too little, too late.
Seahawks Defensive Star : Bobby Wagner - Wagner picked up an interception, 8 tackles and a pass deflection.
Falcons Offensive Star : Michael Turner - Turner stepped up this week and averaged 7 yards per carry.
Falcons Defensive Star : Jonathan Babineaux - 3 tackles, one for a loss, a sack, 2 hits on the quarterback and a fumble recovery for the defensive tackle.
Houston Texans 28-41 New England Patriots
The fact that this game which had 69 points in it was the third highest scoring and the least entertaining game of the weekend goes to show what a special weekend we just had in the NFL. The eight teams who took part in the divisional round of the playoffs brought everything they had and left it all on the field. For myself and fans of all twenty-four neutral franchises, it was an excellent and entertaining weekend.
There wasn't anything wrong with this game and it was quite entertaining but for the most part it lacked the drama that the other three games had. In the first half the game looked to be getting away from the Texans but they managed to score ten points in the last 1:15 of the half to bring the scoreline to within four points. They were unable to keep that momentum going however and the Patriots scored two unanswered touchdowns in the third quarter and then another at the start of the fourth to stretch the lead to twenty-five points. The Texans had one last charge and got two quick touchdowns, the second also saw them successfully go for a two point conversion. By this stage the lead was reduced to ten points with over five minutes remaining. The Texans tried the onside kick which they had a chance of recovering but they failed to do so and from then the Patriots offense went on a clock killing drive which ended in a field goal. By the time the Texans got the ball back they were thirteen behind with just 1:14 on the clock and no timeouts. They were unable to get another score and once again it's the Patriots who will play the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC title game.
Statistically, the game was very tight and if anything the Texans had the better in quite a few categories although the game never really felt like that was the case. The one area were they did come second best was turnovers. They had one turnover which isn't the end of the world but it was one more than the Patriots had and as it happens, it was a costly one. The Texans were in field goal range and Matt Schaub threw a pick to Rob Ninkovich. What made matters even worse was that six plays later the Patriots were celebrating a touchdown. If you take that seven off the Pats and say the Texans had got a touchdown of their own. That's a fourteen point swing and suddenly it's Houston hosting next week's AFC Championship game.
Matt Schaub completed 34 of his 51 passes for 343 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception. Once again his go to guys were Andre Johnson and Owen Daniels. Johnson caught 8 passes for 95 yards and Daniels caught 9 passes for 81 yards. Arian Foster also had a good game and ended up with 153 yards from scrimmage. He ran for 90 yards and a touchdown and also caught 7 passes for 63 yards and a touchdown.
Tom Brady completed 25 of his 40 passes for 344 yards and 3 touchdowns. Brady targeted Wes Welker, Aaron Hernandez and Shane Vereen. Welker caught 8 passes for 131 yards, Hernandez caught 6 passes for 85 yards and Shane Vereen caught 5 passes for 83 yards and 2 touchdowns. Vereen also got a touchdown on the ground to end with 124 yards from scrimmage and 3 touchdowns. Stevan Ridley was the leading rusher, picking up 82 yards and a touchdown.
New England will now host this year's AFC Championship game which will be a repeat of last year's game. On that occasion the Patriots came out on top and as a neutral it would delight me equally to see either Tom Brady or Ray Lewis take to the field in New Orleans for Superbowl XLVII.
Texans Offensive Star : Arian Foster - Two touchdowns and 153 yards from scrimmage but it still wasn't enough for the Texans.
Texans Defensive Star : Bradie James - 11 tackles and one for a loss from the linebacker wasn't enough to stop the Patriots.
Patriots Offensive Star : Shane Vereen - The running-back had a career day by scoring more touchdowns on Sunday than he had so far in his career.
Patriots Defensive Star : Rob Ninkovich - 4 tackles, one for a loss, 2 pass deflections, a quarterback hit and an interception from the linebacker.
Saturday, 12 January 2013
Saturday's Divisional Round Games
Baltimore Ravens (11-6) @ Denver Broncos (13-3)
Baltimore travel to Denver to take on the Broncos in the AFC's divisional round opener. The Broncos have the number one seed and home advantage right to the Superbowl. They have earned that with eleven consecutive victories to finish 13-3 for the season. They were in the playoffs last year and got to this same stage but they made a franchise changing signing by bringing in Peyton Manning and look better for it. At the time it was seen as a gamble as Manning was coming back from several neck surgeries and many experts had written him off. A slow start only increased the pressure on him but it doesn't seem to matter to Manning. He began to find his form after a few games and ended up having one of the best seasons of his career. This year will mean a lot to Manning as I'm sure there would have been doubts in his own mind when he was struggling with injury and what could be a better end to a great season than to win a Superbowl in the city he was born in and where his father spent the bulk of his career. It would be the perfect end to a fantastic year for the Broncos quarterback.
The Ravens have their own romantic story. Legendary linebacker, Ray Lewis has confirmed that this will be his last season in the NFL and how fitting would it be if he ended it with a ring in Superbowl XLVII. He has already played his last game in Baltimore which was an emotional occasion and that emotion will carry over each week now as every time he takes to the field, he knows it could potentially be his last game. Lewis has had a great career which has saw him win a Superbowl, Superbowl MVP, Defensive Player of the Year (twice), voted into the Pro Bowl thirteen times and named as an All-Pro seven times. Those are the numbers of a Hall of Famer and there can be no doubt that regardless of how this year ends, Lewis is worthy of a place in the hall.
Last week the Ravens picked up a win over the Indianapolis Colts but they didn't have it all their own way. The Colts completed dominated possession and had the ball for over 37 minutes but were unable to finish off their drives. If Baltimore are going to have any chance, they need to restrict Peyton Manning's time on the field as much as they possibly can. If Manning gets the ball for 37 minutes, you can be sure he wouldn't waste the opportunity and would put at least 40 points on the board. The Ravens need to keep the clock moving, which means plenty of running plays, plenty of short passes and if they can do that, then they can give themselves a chance.
The problem the Ravens have is the Broncos have got one of the best defenses in the league. They ranked 3rd in the regular season in both pass defense and run defense, giving up an average of just 290.7 yards per game which was the second best record in the NFL. They gave up just 18.1 points per game which was 4th and they sacked the opponents quarterback 52 times which was the best in the league. That's a great return and with a defense as mean as that, you are halfway to having a good shot at a title. The other half required is a good offense and Denver are right up there in that category too. They are averaging just under 400 yards a game which is fourth in the league and they are scoring 30.1 points per game which is second in the NFL, behind the New England Patriots. A big reason for that success is the protection they have been giving Peyton Manning. They have allowed just 21 sacks this season which is the second best record in the league. When any quarterback gets protection like that, he will hurt the opposition but when you have an elite quarterback like Manning getting that sort of protection, that's the stuff Superbowl's are made of.
When I look at the match ups, it doesn't look good for the Ravens. The only place they have an edge is turnovers. The Ravens have done a good job of taking care of the football, turning it over just 16 times in the regular season. The Broncos defense's one weakness is they have only forced 24 turnovers but when you're sacking the quarterback as much as they do, he doesn't get to throw many interceptions. Denver have turned the ball over 25 times and the Ravens defense forced 25 in the regular season. The problem is, I can't see them getting enough pressure on Manning to force him into the mistakes they need him to make.
Prediction - I really fancy the Broncos for the Superbowl and can't see the Ravens giving them too much trouble.
Green Bay Packers (12-5) @ San Francisco 49ers (11-4-1)
This is the game I am looking forward to the most this weekend. It should be an absolute cracker between two strong sides. They met in Green Bay in the opening weekend of the season and on that occasion the 49ers came out on top. A lot has changed since then though and for me the Packers have improved and the 49ers have weakened.
Green Bay got here courtesy of a comfortable win over the Minnesota Vikings in last week's wildcard round. They done a decent job of restricting Adrian Peterson to 99 yards and Joe Webb had a terrible day, completing just over a third of his passes. The Packers were solid without ever really being exceptional but they done enough to beat a misfiring Vikings. Aaron Rodgers completed 23 of 33 passes for 274 yards and a touchdown. The Packers are almost back at full strength now and will be a match for anyone in the NFC as long as they can get their best players on the field.
The 49ers have been at the centre of a lot of controversy as a result of changing their quarterback half way through the season. Colin Kaepernick replaced Alex Smith after Smith got injured against the Rams in week 10. I've made it clear in the past that I don't think it was the right move and had many a debate with NFL fans about it but I will stand by my comments and say that I believe Alex Smith was the best option for the 49ers this year. The 49ers system requires a quarterback who is required to make short, accurate passes and that job is done better by Alex Smith. They both attempted 218 passes this year with Smith completing 153 compared to Kaepernick's 136. Smith had more touchdowns and ended the season with a higher QB rating. There can be no doubt that Kaepernick brings more in the ground game but there has been a drop in Frank Gore's numbers since Kaepernick came in and I can't believe that anyone would want Kaepernick carrying the ball down the field instead of Gore.
The match ups are quite intriguing as well. The 49ers have a very strong defense and ranked 4th in both pass defense and run defense. More interesting though is the fact that they weren't particularly impressive in sacks or turnovers. Most top defenses are very good at one or the other but the 49ers are mid table in both. They are giving up 294 yards per game which is excellent and ranks 3rd in the NFL. They are 4th in rushing but the passing game hasn't been great and ranked 23rd in the regular season. A big part of this game hangs on the 49ers defense getting to Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers has been sacked a lot this year but the 49ers haven't been great in getting to the quarterback. The 49ers defense have 38 sacks this year and when you consider Aldon Smith got 19.5 on his own, the numbers aren't that great. Aldon Smith's productivity has dropped in recent weeks since Justin Smith's injury and with the news that both are only listed as probable for this game I would worry about what Aaron Rodgers could do to the 49ers.
Green Bay will play their usual game. They will primarily look to pass the ball and will only run it to keep the defense honest. They ran the ball a lot more last week but that was more to do with how the game was playing out. Over the season the Packers have attempted to pass on over 56% of their plays but I would expect that figure to be a bit higher tomorrow night.
Prediction - This game will be decided on who wins the battle between the Packers offensive line and the 49ers defensive line. If the Packers win that battle, they will win this game easily. If it's an even battle, the Packers will win in a tight win. I'm going to put my faith in Aaron Rodgers finding a way of getting it done and sending Green Bay to the NFC title game.
Baltimore travel to Denver to take on the Broncos in the AFC's divisional round opener. The Broncos have the number one seed and home advantage right to the Superbowl. They have earned that with eleven consecutive victories to finish 13-3 for the season. They were in the playoffs last year and got to this same stage but they made a franchise changing signing by bringing in Peyton Manning and look better for it. At the time it was seen as a gamble as Manning was coming back from several neck surgeries and many experts had written him off. A slow start only increased the pressure on him but it doesn't seem to matter to Manning. He began to find his form after a few games and ended up having one of the best seasons of his career. This year will mean a lot to Manning as I'm sure there would have been doubts in his own mind when he was struggling with injury and what could be a better end to a great season than to win a Superbowl in the city he was born in and where his father spent the bulk of his career. It would be the perfect end to a fantastic year for the Broncos quarterback.
The Ravens have their own romantic story. Legendary linebacker, Ray Lewis has confirmed that this will be his last season in the NFL and how fitting would it be if he ended it with a ring in Superbowl XLVII. He has already played his last game in Baltimore which was an emotional occasion and that emotion will carry over each week now as every time he takes to the field, he knows it could potentially be his last game. Lewis has had a great career which has saw him win a Superbowl, Superbowl MVP, Defensive Player of the Year (twice), voted into the Pro Bowl thirteen times and named as an All-Pro seven times. Those are the numbers of a Hall of Famer and there can be no doubt that regardless of how this year ends, Lewis is worthy of a place in the hall.
Last week the Ravens picked up a win over the Indianapolis Colts but they didn't have it all their own way. The Colts completed dominated possession and had the ball for over 37 minutes but were unable to finish off their drives. If Baltimore are going to have any chance, they need to restrict Peyton Manning's time on the field as much as they possibly can. If Manning gets the ball for 37 minutes, you can be sure he wouldn't waste the opportunity and would put at least 40 points on the board. The Ravens need to keep the clock moving, which means plenty of running plays, plenty of short passes and if they can do that, then they can give themselves a chance.
The problem the Ravens have is the Broncos have got one of the best defenses in the league. They ranked 3rd in the regular season in both pass defense and run defense, giving up an average of just 290.7 yards per game which was the second best record in the NFL. They gave up just 18.1 points per game which was 4th and they sacked the opponents quarterback 52 times which was the best in the league. That's a great return and with a defense as mean as that, you are halfway to having a good shot at a title. The other half required is a good offense and Denver are right up there in that category too. They are averaging just under 400 yards a game which is fourth in the league and they are scoring 30.1 points per game which is second in the NFL, behind the New England Patriots. A big reason for that success is the protection they have been giving Peyton Manning. They have allowed just 21 sacks this season which is the second best record in the league. When any quarterback gets protection like that, he will hurt the opposition but when you have an elite quarterback like Manning getting that sort of protection, that's the stuff Superbowl's are made of.
When I look at the match ups, it doesn't look good for the Ravens. The only place they have an edge is turnovers. The Ravens have done a good job of taking care of the football, turning it over just 16 times in the regular season. The Broncos defense's one weakness is they have only forced 24 turnovers but when you're sacking the quarterback as much as they do, he doesn't get to throw many interceptions. Denver have turned the ball over 25 times and the Ravens defense forced 25 in the regular season. The problem is, I can't see them getting enough pressure on Manning to force him into the mistakes they need him to make.
Prediction - I really fancy the Broncos for the Superbowl and can't see the Ravens giving them too much trouble.
Green Bay Packers (12-5) @ San Francisco 49ers (11-4-1)
This is the game I am looking forward to the most this weekend. It should be an absolute cracker between two strong sides. They met in Green Bay in the opening weekend of the season and on that occasion the 49ers came out on top. A lot has changed since then though and for me the Packers have improved and the 49ers have weakened.
Green Bay got here courtesy of a comfortable win over the Minnesota Vikings in last week's wildcard round. They done a decent job of restricting Adrian Peterson to 99 yards and Joe Webb had a terrible day, completing just over a third of his passes. The Packers were solid without ever really being exceptional but they done enough to beat a misfiring Vikings. Aaron Rodgers completed 23 of 33 passes for 274 yards and a touchdown. The Packers are almost back at full strength now and will be a match for anyone in the NFC as long as they can get their best players on the field.
The 49ers have been at the centre of a lot of controversy as a result of changing their quarterback half way through the season. Colin Kaepernick replaced Alex Smith after Smith got injured against the Rams in week 10. I've made it clear in the past that I don't think it was the right move and had many a debate with NFL fans about it but I will stand by my comments and say that I believe Alex Smith was the best option for the 49ers this year. The 49ers system requires a quarterback who is required to make short, accurate passes and that job is done better by Alex Smith. They both attempted 218 passes this year with Smith completing 153 compared to Kaepernick's 136. Smith had more touchdowns and ended the season with a higher QB rating. There can be no doubt that Kaepernick brings more in the ground game but there has been a drop in Frank Gore's numbers since Kaepernick came in and I can't believe that anyone would want Kaepernick carrying the ball down the field instead of Gore.
The match ups are quite intriguing as well. The 49ers have a very strong defense and ranked 4th in both pass defense and run defense. More interesting though is the fact that they weren't particularly impressive in sacks or turnovers. Most top defenses are very good at one or the other but the 49ers are mid table in both. They are giving up 294 yards per game which is excellent and ranks 3rd in the NFL. They are 4th in rushing but the passing game hasn't been great and ranked 23rd in the regular season. A big part of this game hangs on the 49ers defense getting to Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers has been sacked a lot this year but the 49ers haven't been great in getting to the quarterback. The 49ers defense have 38 sacks this year and when you consider Aldon Smith got 19.5 on his own, the numbers aren't that great. Aldon Smith's productivity has dropped in recent weeks since Justin Smith's injury and with the news that both are only listed as probable for this game I would worry about what Aaron Rodgers could do to the 49ers.
Green Bay will play their usual game. They will primarily look to pass the ball and will only run it to keep the defense honest. They ran the ball a lot more last week but that was more to do with how the game was playing out. Over the season the Packers have attempted to pass on over 56% of their plays but I would expect that figure to be a bit higher tomorrow night.
Prediction - This game will be decided on who wins the battle between the Packers offensive line and the 49ers defensive line. If the Packers win that battle, they will win this game easily. If it's an even battle, the Packers will win in a tight win. I'm going to put my faith in Aaron Rodgers finding a way of getting it done and sending Green Bay to the NFC title game.
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