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 Superbowl. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Superbowl. 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
Sunday, 27 January 2013
Pro Bowl - What's The Point?
After the excitement of last weekends Conference Championship Games, things slow down this week as the Pro Bowl takes place in Hawaii. I love American Football and believe that the NFL and the sport in general get a hell of a lot of things right but the Pro Bowl is the one exception.
I love the draft system. Giving the weaker teams first pick is excellent as it makes a level playing field. The salary cap is also excellent for the same reason. I love that the players are drafted from colleges as it means the kids who dream of making the NFL but don't make it at least have an education to fall back on. I would love to see a way that soccer in Europe could adopt this principle as there are so many kids who don't make it but have finished their education at 16 years old to go into football academies on a full time basis and therefore have little or no qualifications. The one thing I don't love, is the Pro Bowl.
In recent seasons the Pro Bowl has been moved to the week before the Superbowl. That for me was the final straw. Previously you had a game that the players and fans didn't really care between the league's top stars. Now you have a game that the players and fans don't really care about and you don't even have the very best players playing as they are preparing for the Superbowl. Honestly, what's the point? I understand that the players who are voted onto the Pro Bowl can use the fact that they are Pro Bowlers in leverage for better contracts but the players themselves would probably prefer it if it was just an award that was handed out at the end of the year rather than having to play a meaningless game when their season's over. For the players who have been involved in the playoffs it's not so bad but if your team hasn't made the postseason there will be players who won't have played in four weeks who will then be asked to play in the Pro Bowl. It's doing nothing other than eating into time that the players could be spending with their families or on holidays.
In other sports the equivalents are often played during the regular season. I've had a think about this and it wouldn't work in the NFL. There's just not enough games. If the Pro Bowl was mid season the voting would have to start in week 2 or 3 to get all the votes in, counted and announced prior to the game being played. That would be far too early and players who aren't necessarily fan favourites but have a good season, wouldn't get the recognition they deserve.
In my opinion, players deserve recognition for being among the best in their position in the league but think the players would prefer it to be some sort of compromise between the All-Pro teams and the Pro Bowl teams. I would start voting the day after the Superbowl and have three separate votes. One for journalists, one for players and one for fans. Each vote would be calculated as a percentage and added together. The top players in each position would be named as All-Stars, All-Pros or whatever you want to call them. You could go down the basketball route and have a first team, second team, third team or however many you want. This way the top players are still getting recognised but we don't have to sit through a meaningless game were players play at a maximum of 50%.
The players aren't interested, I don't know anyone who is really excited by the prospect of watching it and in Hawaii the game was close to being blacked out due to poor ticket sales. If the people of Hawaii were interested in the one chance they get a year to see NFL players in action, they would have sold out weeks ago. It seems to me that the only person who cares is Roger Goodell as it's simply another chance for him to get some more dollars into the bank before the season ends. For a man that talks so much about player safety, I can't understand why he is making the players play in a meaningless end of season game were the only thing the players care about is that they don't get injured. Would Roger Goodell stand in a field and let 300lb men hit him for no reason? No, I don't think he would either.
Follow me on Twitter - https://twitter.com/gjsportsblog
I love the draft system. Giving the weaker teams first pick is excellent as it makes a level playing field. The salary cap is also excellent for the same reason. I love that the players are drafted from colleges as it means the kids who dream of making the NFL but don't make it at least have an education to fall back on. I would love to see a way that soccer in Europe could adopt this principle as there are so many kids who don't make it but have finished their education at 16 years old to go into football academies on a full time basis and therefore have little or no qualifications. The one thing I don't love, is the Pro Bowl.
In recent seasons the Pro Bowl has been moved to the week before the Superbowl. That for me was the final straw. Previously you had a game that the players and fans didn't really care between the league's top stars. Now you have a game that the players and fans don't really care about and you don't even have the very best players playing as they are preparing for the Superbowl. Honestly, what's the point? I understand that the players who are voted onto the Pro Bowl can use the fact that they are Pro Bowlers in leverage for better contracts but the players themselves would probably prefer it if it was just an award that was handed out at the end of the year rather than having to play a meaningless game when their season's over. For the players who have been involved in the playoffs it's not so bad but if your team hasn't made the postseason there will be players who won't have played in four weeks who will then be asked to play in the Pro Bowl. It's doing nothing other than eating into time that the players could be spending with their families or on holidays.
In other sports the equivalents are often played during the regular season. I've had a think about this and it wouldn't work in the NFL. There's just not enough games. If the Pro Bowl was mid season the voting would have to start in week 2 or 3 to get all the votes in, counted and announced prior to the game being played. That would be far too early and players who aren't necessarily fan favourites but have a good season, wouldn't get the recognition they deserve.
In my opinion, players deserve recognition for being among the best in their position in the league but think the players would prefer it to be some sort of compromise between the All-Pro teams and the Pro Bowl teams. I would start voting the day after the Superbowl and have three separate votes. One for journalists, one for players and one for fans. Each vote would be calculated as a percentage and added together. The top players in each position would be named as All-Stars, All-Pros or whatever you want to call them. You could go down the basketball route and have a first team, second team, third team or however many you want. This way the top players are still getting recognised but we don't have to sit through a meaningless game were players play at a maximum of 50%.
The players aren't interested, I don't know anyone who is really excited by the prospect of watching it and in Hawaii the game was close to being blacked out due to poor ticket sales. If the people of Hawaii were interested in the one chance they get a year to see NFL players in action, they would have sold out weeks ago. It seems to me that the only person who cares is Roger Goodell as it's simply another chance for him to get some more dollars into the bank before the season ends. For a man that talks so much about player safety, I can't understand why he is making the players play in a meaningless end of season game were the only thing the players care about is that they don't get injured. Would Roger Goodell stand in a field and let 300lb men hit him for no reason? No, I don't think he would either.
Follow me on 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.
Sunday, 13 January 2013
NFL PLAYOFFS - Sunday's Divisional Round Preview
Seattle Seahawks (12-5) @ Atlanta Falcons (13-3)
Seattle and Atlanta start Sunday's divisional round match ups and it looks like being another fantastic day. Seattle earned their place here courtesy of a win over the Washington Redskins last week. The Seahawks got off to a slow start but they came back into it thanks to a great performance from their defense and their running game.
Unfortunately for the Seahawks that win came at a price. Defensive end, Chris Clemons picked up an injury that has ruled him out. Clemons absence will be a huge void to fill for the Seahawks. He leads the team in sacks (11.5) and this game was always going to come down to how much time Matt Ryan was going to get in the pocket. With Clemons now ruled out the momentum has took a huge swing in Atlanta's favour.
One advantage the Seahawks do have is Russell Wilson. He's a mobile quarterback, who although not as big as Cam Newton, is similar in that he will try to carry the ball down the field himself. The Falcons struggled with Newton during the regular season. Newton's best rushing games both came against the Falcons. If Wilson can get out of the pocket, he can take the ball down the field and as I see it, it's Seattle's best weapon.
Atlanta will look to put the game in the hands of their quarterback, Matt Ryan. Ryan has put up career numbers in the regular season, beating his previous best in yards, touchdowns and pass completion percentage. Ryan has a little extra pressure on him as he has never won a playoff game but as I've already said that statistic is a little bit flawed. All three teams he has played against in the playoffs have went to the Superbowl and two of the three have won the big one. He hasn't had much luck with his opponents and instead of concentrating on how many times Ryan has lost in the playoffs should we not be giving him a little bit of credit. Not many quarterbacks who have been in the NFL for five seasons are about to play in the playoffs for the fourth year. He's obviously doing something right and it's only a matter of time before he gets that first win.
The Falcons game plan will have changed with the injury to Chris Clemons. When they knew they were facing either the Seahawks or the Redskins they would have been looking for weaknesses to exploit. Prior to the injury the Falcons would have been looking to get the ball out quick but they won't face as strong a pass rush now which will open the field up for Julio Jones and Roddy White. If Ryan can get into his stride early he can find those two and they could lead him to that elusive first playoff win.
A look at the match ups would suggest that the Seahawks have a chance here. They were 3rd in running the ball and their defense was also strong, ranking 6th against the pass and 10th against the run. Their passing game was poor, ranking just 27th but they were 32nd for a long time and as the weeks have gone by they have trusted Wilson more and he hasn't let them down. The Falcons ranked 6th in passing and 29th in rushing. Their defense was 23rd against the pass and 21st against the run. The Falcons didn't do a great job of sacking the opponent's quarterback, picking up just 29 sacks (28th in the NFL) and I can't see that improving today. They will be more than happy to stop Wilson getting first downs rather than getting to him behind the line of scrimmage. The Falcons have done a decent job of protecting Ryan, allowing just 28 sacks.
Prediction - With Clemons, I would have gone for Seattle but momentum has swung far enough for me to change my mind and go with Matt Ryan getting his first playoff win.
Houston Texans (13-4) @ New England Patriots (12-4)
The divisional round ends in New England with a potentially great match up. This game should really be in Houston but the Texans collapsed in the regular season, losing three of their last four games. Prior to that, the Texans looked certain to be the AFC's top seed but the loss of form cost them and meant they had to host the Cincinnati Bengals in last week's wildcard round. The Texans got the win in that one but it was far from impressive and they will need to improve a lot if they are to beat the Patriots.
The Patriots are an interesting prospect this season. They have always had a good passing game but their running game and run defense are good this year too. In recent years the Patriots have been quite one dimensional, although their passing game was good enough to get them to a Superbowl last year but this year they can let their running game take some extra responsibility and their defense is also a bit better. They are still not great defending the pass but after last night's results they now only have to defend Matt Schaub and Joe Flacco for a trip to another Superbowl. Neither of those two are known for their passing and both have strong running-backs to help them out.
Another big strength for the Patriots is turnovers. They have turned the ball over just 16 times and their defense has forced 41 turnovers. They have also done a good job of protecting Tom Brady and have allowed him to be sacked just 27 times. The Texans are one of the best teams in the league when it comes to sacks though so it will be one of the key battles where the game will be won and lost. The Patriots come into the game in good form, having won nine of their last ten games. They picked up a big win over the Texans in week 14 and Houston will have their hands full if they want to spring a surprise.
The Texans have had a good year statistically. Their passing game was 11th, running game was 8th, pass defense was 16th and run defense was 7th. They also sacked the opponents quarterback 44 times which ranked 5th in the NFL and they only allowed their quarterback to be sacked 28 times which was 7th best in the league. They forced 29 turnovers and gave the ball away 17 times. Based on that the Texans are one of the best teams in the league but the problem I have is they have slowed down a lot in recent weeks and in my opinion they peaked too early.
There is a few question marks over how healthy the Patriots are heading into this one. A lot of their key players have been listed on injury reports this week and it remains to be seen what sort of condition they are in. I wouldn't be totally surprised if all the injured players took to the field tonight and that this was simply the latest in a long line of mind games from Bill Belichick.
Prediction - This should be a tight game but on current form I have to go with the home team, Patriots win.
Seattle and Atlanta start Sunday's divisional round match ups and it looks like being another fantastic day. Seattle earned their place here courtesy of a win over the Washington Redskins last week. The Seahawks got off to a slow start but they came back into it thanks to a great performance from their defense and their running game.
Unfortunately for the Seahawks that win came at a price. Defensive end, Chris Clemons picked up an injury that has ruled him out. Clemons absence will be a huge void to fill for the Seahawks. He leads the team in sacks (11.5) and this game was always going to come down to how much time Matt Ryan was going to get in the pocket. With Clemons now ruled out the momentum has took a huge swing in Atlanta's favour.
One advantage the Seahawks do have is Russell Wilson. He's a mobile quarterback, who although not as big as Cam Newton, is similar in that he will try to carry the ball down the field himself. The Falcons struggled with Newton during the regular season. Newton's best rushing games both came against the Falcons. If Wilson can get out of the pocket, he can take the ball down the field and as I see it, it's Seattle's best weapon.
Atlanta will look to put the game in the hands of their quarterback, Matt Ryan. Ryan has put up career numbers in the regular season, beating his previous best in yards, touchdowns and pass completion percentage. Ryan has a little extra pressure on him as he has never won a playoff game but as I've already said that statistic is a little bit flawed. All three teams he has played against in the playoffs have went to the Superbowl and two of the three have won the big one. He hasn't had much luck with his opponents and instead of concentrating on how many times Ryan has lost in the playoffs should we not be giving him a little bit of credit. Not many quarterbacks who have been in the NFL for five seasons are about to play in the playoffs for the fourth year. He's obviously doing something right and it's only a matter of time before he gets that first win.
The Falcons game plan will have changed with the injury to Chris Clemons. When they knew they were facing either the Seahawks or the Redskins they would have been looking for weaknesses to exploit. Prior to the injury the Falcons would have been looking to get the ball out quick but they won't face as strong a pass rush now which will open the field up for Julio Jones and Roddy White. If Ryan can get into his stride early he can find those two and they could lead him to that elusive first playoff win.
A look at the match ups would suggest that the Seahawks have a chance here. They were 3rd in running the ball and their defense was also strong, ranking 6th against the pass and 10th against the run. Their passing game was poor, ranking just 27th but they were 32nd for a long time and as the weeks have gone by they have trusted Wilson more and he hasn't let them down. The Falcons ranked 6th in passing and 29th in rushing. Their defense was 23rd against the pass and 21st against the run. The Falcons didn't do a great job of sacking the opponent's quarterback, picking up just 29 sacks (28th in the NFL) and I can't see that improving today. They will be more than happy to stop Wilson getting first downs rather than getting to him behind the line of scrimmage. The Falcons have done a decent job of protecting Ryan, allowing just 28 sacks.
Prediction - With Clemons, I would have gone for Seattle but momentum has swung far enough for me to change my mind and go with Matt Ryan getting his first playoff win.
Houston Texans (13-4) @ New England Patriots (12-4)
The divisional round ends in New England with a potentially great match up. This game should really be in Houston but the Texans collapsed in the regular season, losing three of their last four games. Prior to that, the Texans looked certain to be the AFC's top seed but the loss of form cost them and meant they had to host the Cincinnati Bengals in last week's wildcard round. The Texans got the win in that one but it was far from impressive and they will need to improve a lot if they are to beat the Patriots.
The Patriots are an interesting prospect this season. They have always had a good passing game but their running game and run defense are good this year too. In recent years the Patriots have been quite one dimensional, although their passing game was good enough to get them to a Superbowl last year but this year they can let their running game take some extra responsibility and their defense is also a bit better. They are still not great defending the pass but after last night's results they now only have to defend Matt Schaub and Joe Flacco for a trip to another Superbowl. Neither of those two are known for their passing and both have strong running-backs to help them out.
Another big strength for the Patriots is turnovers. They have turned the ball over just 16 times and their defense has forced 41 turnovers. They have also done a good job of protecting Tom Brady and have allowed him to be sacked just 27 times. The Texans are one of the best teams in the league when it comes to sacks though so it will be one of the key battles where the game will be won and lost. The Patriots come into the game in good form, having won nine of their last ten games. They picked up a big win over the Texans in week 14 and Houston will have their hands full if they want to spring a surprise.
The Texans have had a good year statistically. Their passing game was 11th, running game was 8th, pass defense was 16th and run defense was 7th. They also sacked the opponents quarterback 44 times which ranked 5th in the NFL and they only allowed their quarterback to be sacked 28 times which was 7th best in the league. They forced 29 turnovers and gave the ball away 17 times. Based on that the Texans are one of the best teams in the league but the problem I have is they have slowed down a lot in recent weeks and in my opinion they peaked too early.
There is a few question marks over how healthy the Patriots are heading into this one. A lot of their key players have been listed on injury reports this week and it remains to be seen what sort of condition they are in. I wouldn't be totally surprised if all the injured players took to the field tonight and that this was simply the latest in a long line of mind games from Bill Belichick.
Prediction - This should be a tight game but on current form I have to go with the home team, Patriots win.
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.
Wednesday, 9 January 2013
NFL - Sunday's Wildcard Games Review
Indianapolis Colts 9-24 Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens picked up a win over the Indianapolis Colts in Ray Lewis' last game at M & T Bank Stadium, to set up a divisional round trip to Denver. The first half was extremely tight but the Ravens got there in the head with a strong second half showing.
Indianapolis had their chances but they were unable to take them and Andrew Luck was let down by his receivers who struggled all day. The Colts dominated the time of possession but the big difference was that they went 0-3 in the red zone compared to the Ravens who went 3-5. If the Colts had converted at least two of those it would have made the game a bit more interesting for the neutral. It wasn't to be however and instead the Colts will now reflect on an emotional year where the team's personnel was completely turned over and they also went through the emotional roller coaster that surrounded Coach Pagano's battle with leukemia.
Andrew Luck ended the game with 28 completions from 54 pass attempts for 288 yards and an interception. I know his receivers weren't great but I am starting to think people might be over rating him. He has hovered around that completion rate of just over 50% all year. To throw for over 4000 yards was a great achievement for him but when you consider he threw the ball 627 times and had a pass completion percentage that was worse than Mark Sanchez, he suddenly doesn't look as good as people seem to think. One thing I will give him credit for is his play after the interception. He chased Cary Williams right down the field and made the tackle to stop a certain touchdown. Most quarterbacks would have let the ball get to the end zone instead of making the tackle. Reggie Wayne was the leading receiver again, catching 9 passes for 114 yards. Vick Ballard had another good day on the ground, running for 91 yards from 22 carries.
Joe Flacco's completion percentage could have been better (52%) but other than that his numbers were solid. He completed 12 of 23 passes for 282 yards and 2 touchdowns. His best receiver was Anquan Boldin who had an excellent game. Boldin caught 5 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown. The Ravens also done a lot of damage on the ground. They totaled 172 yards on the ground and it was Bernard Pierce who done the bulk of the damage. Pierce ran for 103 yards from just 13 carries. He was assisted by Ray Rice who had a good game, rushing for 70 yards from 15 carries.
The Ravens will now face the NFL's in form team when they travel to Denver to take on the Broncos. It will be a big ask for the Ravens who lost at home to the Broncos in week 15. A win would certainly not be beyond them but it would take every man on the roster performing to the maximum of their potential. Either way one of two great veterans will be heading to the AFC Championship game but the question is, will it be Ray Lewis or Peyton Manning?
Colts Offensive Star : Reggie Wayne - The veteran receiver caught 9 passes for 114 yards to end what was a very good year for him.
Colts Defensive Star : Antoine Bethea - The safety made 10 tackles in what was a bad day for the Colts defense.
Ravens Offensive Star : Anquan Boldin - Boldin made 5 catches for 145 yards and a touchdown which was a good return but when you watch the catches a time or two, some of them really were outstanding.
Ravens Defensive Star : Paul Kruger - It was between Kruger and Lewis who both had good days but for me Kruger was the difference. He made 4 tackles but it was the problems he gave Andrew Luck that got him the nod. He picked up 2.5 sacks and also had 5 hits on the quarterback. If he can do that in Denver, then the Ravens have a chance.
Seattle Seahawks 24-14 Washington Redskins
The Seahawks picked up a big win in Washington to keep their Superbowl hopes alive. They got off to the worst possible start, going 14-0 behind by the end of the first quarter. Things weren't looking good for the Seahawks at that stage but they got themselves back into it with a strong second quarter and then secured the win in the fourth.
It's easy to say with hindsight but Redskins head coach, Mike Shanahan had an absolute nightmare. Quarterback, Robert Griffin III, took a knock in the drive that put the Redskins 14-0 up. As time went on it became clear that the injury was serious and it was effecting his performance. Shanahan didn't seem to care and left Griffin in the game. In the end, Griffin's knee finally gave in and seemed to go from underneath him. The result was RG3's knee having to be completely rebuilt. Shanahan said that Griffin told him he wanted to play. As a coach, does he just let anyone who wants to play, play? If Kirk Cousins came to him and said I want to play, does he do it? Of course he doesn't. He is there to make these decisions on behalf of the Washington Redskins and he didn't do it on Sunday night. He let Griffin down, the other players down and the future of the Washington Redskins down. A blind man could see that Griffin was hurt and was performing below his usual standards but Shanahan seems more concerned about winning now than the long term future of the franchise.
RG3 ended the game with 84 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception. He also managed 21 yards on the ground. Alfred Morris was the lead rusher, picking up 80 yards from his 16 carries. The leading receiver was Pierre Garcon with 4 catches for 50 yards. The Redskins will have a long off season now to think about what might have been and most of the questions will be about RG3's future. This is his second serious knee injury and my initial thoughts are that he most likely won't be the same again.
Seattle done well after the first quarter and their offense and defense were completely dominant. Russell Wilson had a solid game completing 15 of 26 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 67 yards from 8 carries. Seattle's receivers were led by Zach Miller who caught 4 passes for 48 yards. Marshawn Lynch had another great game, rushing for 132 yards and a touchdown from just 20 carries.
The win for Seattle sees them travel to Atlanta to take on the NFC's number one seed, the Atlanta Falcons. If Seattle turn up and play like they did in the first quarter, the Falcons will finish them off and their season will be over. If it's the Seattle who finished the game, they might just hand Matt Ryan yet another playoff defeat. The defense looked scary good after their first quarter blip and Matt Ryan is prone to the odd multiple interception game and if it's going to happen, it will happen against a defense that is as aggressive as the Seahawks.
Seahawks Offensive Star : Marshawn Lynch - Lynch had another big day rushing for 132 yards and a touchdown at 6.6 yards per carry. In this form Lynch can be a danger to any defense.
Seahawks Defensive Star : Bobby Wagner - The linebacker made 9 tackles including one for a loss in a fine display.
Redskins Offensive Star : Alfred Morris - 80 rushing yards at 5 yards per carry was a good return from the rookie, unfortunately he was on his own.
Redskins Defensive Star : Reed Doughty - 13 tackles, 2 sacks, deflected a pass and hit the quarterback twice, it's all in a days work for Doughty.
The Ravens picked up a win over the Indianapolis Colts in Ray Lewis' last game at M & T Bank Stadium, to set up a divisional round trip to Denver. The first half was extremely tight but the Ravens got there in the head with a strong second half showing.
Indianapolis had their chances but they were unable to take them and Andrew Luck was let down by his receivers who struggled all day. The Colts dominated the time of possession but the big difference was that they went 0-3 in the red zone compared to the Ravens who went 3-5. If the Colts had converted at least two of those it would have made the game a bit more interesting for the neutral. It wasn't to be however and instead the Colts will now reflect on an emotional year where the team's personnel was completely turned over and they also went through the emotional roller coaster that surrounded Coach Pagano's battle with leukemia.
Andrew Luck ended the game with 28 completions from 54 pass attempts for 288 yards and an interception. I know his receivers weren't great but I am starting to think people might be over rating him. He has hovered around that completion rate of just over 50% all year. To throw for over 4000 yards was a great achievement for him but when you consider he threw the ball 627 times and had a pass completion percentage that was worse than Mark Sanchez, he suddenly doesn't look as good as people seem to think. One thing I will give him credit for is his play after the interception. He chased Cary Williams right down the field and made the tackle to stop a certain touchdown. Most quarterbacks would have let the ball get to the end zone instead of making the tackle. Reggie Wayne was the leading receiver again, catching 9 passes for 114 yards. Vick Ballard had another good day on the ground, running for 91 yards from 22 carries.
Joe Flacco's completion percentage could have been better (52%) but other than that his numbers were solid. He completed 12 of 23 passes for 282 yards and 2 touchdowns. His best receiver was Anquan Boldin who had an excellent game. Boldin caught 5 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown. The Ravens also done a lot of damage on the ground. They totaled 172 yards on the ground and it was Bernard Pierce who done the bulk of the damage. Pierce ran for 103 yards from just 13 carries. He was assisted by Ray Rice who had a good game, rushing for 70 yards from 15 carries.
The Ravens will now face the NFL's in form team when they travel to Denver to take on the Broncos. It will be a big ask for the Ravens who lost at home to the Broncos in week 15. A win would certainly not be beyond them but it would take every man on the roster performing to the maximum of their potential. Either way one of two great veterans will be heading to the AFC Championship game but the question is, will it be Ray Lewis or Peyton Manning?
Colts Offensive Star : Reggie Wayne - The veteran receiver caught 9 passes for 114 yards to end what was a very good year for him.
Colts Defensive Star : Antoine Bethea - The safety made 10 tackles in what was a bad day for the Colts defense.
Ravens Offensive Star : Anquan Boldin - Boldin made 5 catches for 145 yards and a touchdown which was a good return but when you watch the catches a time or two, some of them really were outstanding.
Ravens Defensive Star : Paul Kruger - It was between Kruger and Lewis who both had good days but for me Kruger was the difference. He made 4 tackles but it was the problems he gave Andrew Luck that got him the nod. He picked up 2.5 sacks and also had 5 hits on the quarterback. If he can do that in Denver, then the Ravens have a chance.
Seattle Seahawks 24-14 Washington Redskins
The Seahawks picked up a big win in Washington to keep their Superbowl hopes alive. They got off to the worst possible start, going 14-0 behind by the end of the first quarter. Things weren't looking good for the Seahawks at that stage but they got themselves back into it with a strong second quarter and then secured the win in the fourth.
It's easy to say with hindsight but Redskins head coach, Mike Shanahan had an absolute nightmare. Quarterback, Robert Griffin III, took a knock in the drive that put the Redskins 14-0 up. As time went on it became clear that the injury was serious and it was effecting his performance. Shanahan didn't seem to care and left Griffin in the game. In the end, Griffin's knee finally gave in and seemed to go from underneath him. The result was RG3's knee having to be completely rebuilt. Shanahan said that Griffin told him he wanted to play. As a coach, does he just let anyone who wants to play, play? If Kirk Cousins came to him and said I want to play, does he do it? Of course he doesn't. He is there to make these decisions on behalf of the Washington Redskins and he didn't do it on Sunday night. He let Griffin down, the other players down and the future of the Washington Redskins down. A blind man could see that Griffin was hurt and was performing below his usual standards but Shanahan seems more concerned about winning now than the long term future of the franchise.
RG3 ended the game with 84 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception. He also managed 21 yards on the ground. Alfred Morris was the lead rusher, picking up 80 yards from his 16 carries. The leading receiver was Pierre Garcon with 4 catches for 50 yards. The Redskins will have a long off season now to think about what might have been and most of the questions will be about RG3's future. This is his second serious knee injury and my initial thoughts are that he most likely won't be the same again.
Seattle done well after the first quarter and their offense and defense were completely dominant. Russell Wilson had a solid game completing 15 of 26 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 67 yards from 8 carries. Seattle's receivers were led by Zach Miller who caught 4 passes for 48 yards. Marshawn Lynch had another great game, rushing for 132 yards and a touchdown from just 20 carries.
The win for Seattle sees them travel to Atlanta to take on the NFC's number one seed, the Atlanta Falcons. If Seattle turn up and play like they did in the first quarter, the Falcons will finish them off and their season will be over. If it's the Seattle who finished the game, they might just hand Matt Ryan yet another playoff defeat. The defense looked scary good after their first quarter blip and Matt Ryan is prone to the odd multiple interception game and if it's going to happen, it will happen against a defense that is as aggressive as the Seahawks.
Seahawks Offensive Star : Marshawn Lynch - Lynch had another big day rushing for 132 yards and a touchdown at 6.6 yards per carry. In this form Lynch can be a danger to any defense.
Seahawks Defensive Star : Bobby Wagner - The linebacker made 9 tackles including one for a loss in a fine display.
Redskins Offensive Star : Alfred Morris - 80 rushing yards at 5 yards per carry was a good return from the rookie, unfortunately he was on his own.
Redskins Defensive Star : Reed Doughty - 13 tackles, 2 sacks, deflected a pass and hit the quarterback twice, it's all in a days work for Doughty.
Thursday, 27 December 2012
NFL Power Rankings - Week 17
1 (1) Denver Broncos (12-3) - The Denver Broncos are the NFL's form team heading into the playoffs. They have won their last ten games in a row and a win on Sunday at home to the Kansas City Chiefs would guarantee them a first round bye in the playoffs. It could get even better for the Broncos if the Texans lose to the Indianapolis Colts. If that happens the AFC playoffs will go through Denver and Peyton Manning would have home field advantage right to the Superbowl. Manning threw for 339 yards, 3 touchdowns and an interception. Demaryius Thomas had another good game, catching 9 passes for 102 yards and a touchdown. Knowshon Moreno led the rushers with 78 yards on the ground.
2 (4) Green Bay Packers (11-4) - The Packers put in another good display to get their ninth win in their last ten games. This Packers team is hot and the only thing that could stop them in the playoffs is the offensive line. Rodgers has been sacked 46 times this year but they are still getting the results. If they protect him, the Packers WILL win the Superbowl. They remind me a lot of last years New York Giants team. The Giants had some issues and struggled a lot with injuries. This Packers team have their own issues and have also suffered with injuries. The Giants got their injured players back around this time and the Packers seem to be getting their full roster back now. The 49ers defeat in Seattle means the Packers now hold the second seed in the NFC and if they win next week they will get a bye in the first round of the playoffs. Aaron Rodgers threw for 342 yards and 3 touchdowns. James Jones led the receivers with 7 catches for 100 yards and a touchdown. Ryan Grant had a good day on the ground, rushing for 80 yards and 2 touchdowns.
3 (5) Atlanta Falcons (13-2) - The Falcons secured the number one seed in the NFC playoffs with a comfortable win over the Detroit Lions. The Falcons got off to a quick start and led 21-6 at half-time. The Lions got back to within five points early in the fourth quarter but the Falcons responded with a touchdown and a field goal to secure the win. The road to the Superbowl for NFC teams will go through Atlanta and in their current form, the Falcons won't be easy to beat. They have the best record in the NFL and are 7-0 at home this year so it will take a good team to beat them. Matt Ryan was excellent, throwing for 279 yards and 4 touchdowns. Roddy White was the star receiver and he caught 8 passes for 153 yards and 2 touchdowns.
4 (7) Seattle Seahawks (10-5) - Seattle look very, very good. They seem to have hit top form at the perfect time and are averaging fifty points a game in the last three weeks. Their defense is excellent and the offense are picking up big yards on the ground. Rookie quarterback, Russell Wilson has really grew into the role as the season has progressed and it took me a while to come round to him but he certainly looks like the real deal. As a neutral I am looking forward to seeing the Seahawks in the playoffs but it is just a pity that they won't host a game. The atmosphere on Sunday night looked intense and I would have loved to see how pumped up that crowd could get for a home playoff game. Russell Wilson threw for 171 yards, 4 touchdowns and an interception. Doug Baldwin was the leading receiver, catching 4 passes for 53 yards and 2 touchdowns. Marshawn Lynch led the running game, rushing for 111 yards and a touchdown.
5 (6) New England Patriots (11-4) - The Patriots picked up the win on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars but they made hard work of it. The Jags took a 10-0 lead but the Patriots came back and won by a score of 23-16. The Patriots currently hold the third seed in the AFC but depending on this weeks results, they could finish anywhere in the top four. At their best, the Patriots will be a threat to anyone in the playoffs but they will have to improve on Sunday's display. Tom Brady threw for 267 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Wes Welker was the leading receiver, catching 10 passes for 88 yards and a touchdown. Stevan Ridley also had a decent game, rushing for 84 yards.
6 (8) Baltimore Ravens (10-5) - The Baltimore Ravens saved their best performance of the season until Sunday and they picked up a blowout win over the New York Giants. I haven't been slow to criticise the Ravens this season so it's only fair that I give them credit when they deserve it. They completely dominated the Giants and fully deserved the win. The defense done well and held the Giants to 186 yards. As good as the defense was, the offense was even better. They picked up 533 yards to run out 33-14 winners. Joe Flacco threw for 309 yards and 2 touchdowns. Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith had good games. Boldin caught 7 passes for 93 yards. Smith caught 5 passes for 88 yards and a touchdown. The Ravens also had two men who had one hundred yard rushing days. Bernard Pierce ran for 123 yards and Ray Rice ran for 107 yards.
7 (3) Houston Texans (12-3) - The Texans lost at home to the Minnesota Vikings to leave them needing a win next week over the Indianapolis Colts to secure home field advantage in the playoffs. Houston never got going on offense and the Vikings restricted them to just 187 yards. The Texans have hit a bad run of form at the worst possible time. At 12-3 they have a very good record but their level of performance has dropped considerably and I can't see them beating Denver or New England in the postseason. Matt Schaub threw for 178 yards and his leading receiver was Andre Johnson who caught 7 passes for 97 yards. The running game was restricted to 2.1 yards per carry but more worrying for Houston will be the news that Arian Foster had to leave the game with an irregular heartbeat.
8 (9) Indianapolis Colts (10-5) - The Indianapolis Colts sealed their playoff place with a road win over the Kansas City Chiefs. The Colts had to work for the win and credit to the Chiefs, they didn't look like a team who had give up on the season. The big difference was turnovers. The Colts defense forced three turnovers which won them the game. The Colts will have to improve on their run defense as they gave up over 350 yards on the ground in this game. Luckily for the Colts, two of the Chiefs turnovers came in the red zone or else the final outcome could have been very different. Andrew Luck threw for 205 yards and a touchdown. Reggie Wayne led the receivers again with 5 catches for 81 yards and a touchdown.
9 (2) San Francisco 49ers (10-4-1) - The 49ers got beat up on Sunday night in Seattle and ended up losing 42-13. The 49ers should still win the NFC West as they host the Arizona Cardinals next week and a win would secure the division. The 49ers will do all they can to win that game as there's no way they want to risk going back to Seattle in the postseason. I've had plenty to say on the quarterback situation in San Francisco and still believe that Coach Harbaugh got it wrong by benching Alex Smith in favour of Colin Kaepernick. However, the decision has been made and the only thing crazier than changing the whole identity of your team during the season would be changing it back again a week before the playoffs. The 49ers will live or die by that decision and I personally believe it will be the latter. Kaepernick threw for 244 yards, a touchdown and an interception. The leading receiver was Michael Crabtree who caught 4 passes for 65 yards.
10 (11) Washington Redskins (9-6) - The Redskins extended their winning run to six in a row with a win over divisional rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles. A win in their last game against the Dallas Cowboys would secure a playoff place and the Redskins would be NFC East champions. They have come a long way this year and even as an Eagles fan, I am quite looking forward to seeing Robert Griffin III in the playoffs. RG3 had a quiet game on Sunday and done most of his work in the pocket. He ran just twice but completed 16 of his 24 passes for 198 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception. Alfred Morris ran for 91 yards and a touchdown. Pierre Garcon was the leading receiver and caught 7 passes for 89 yards.
11 (12) Minnesota Vikings (9-6) - The Minnesota Vikings kept their playoff hopes alive with an excellent win on the road over the Houston Texans. The Vikings are now up to 9-6 for the season and a win over the Green Bay Packers would see them secure a wildcard. It won't be easy for the Vikings as the Packers also need the win to secure a first round bye in the playoffs but they have won their last three games against decent teams to get this far and they will be feeling confident. I would be happy to see the Vikings make the playoffs as they have beat some good teams this year and the playoffs would be a better place if Adrian Peterson was involved. Peterson needs another 208 yards to break the single season rushing record. It will be a big ask but not out of the question. Christian Ponder threw for 174 yards and a touchdown. Peterson ran for 86 yards at just 3.4 yards but I'm sure the Vikings will be prioritising their playoff push over Adrian Peterson's record.
12 (15) Cincinnati Bengals (9-6) - The Bengals picked up a great win in Pittsburgh to seal their place in the playoffs. The Bengals have a lot of young talent on their roster and although I can't see them making much of an impression in this year's playoffs, they are definitely a team to look out for in the years to come. The divisional winners have all been confirmed so the Bengals will have to go on the road in the playoffs and as things stand, they would be playing the New England Patriots. Playoff games don't get much harder than that but I'm sure Cincinnati would rather be going there than studying film of potential draft picks. The game was as tight as expected and it was the defenses who came out on top but in the end, Josh Brown kicked the game winning field goal in the dying seconds. Andy Dalton threw for 278 yards and 2 interceptions. AJ Green led the receivers as usual with 10 catches for 116 yards.
13 (14) Chicago Bears (9-6) - The Chicago Bears kept their playoff hopes alive with a comfortable win over the Cardinals in Arizona. The Bears need to win and hope the Vikings slip up against the Packers to secure a wildcard shot. The Bears won't get it easy though as they have to go to Detroit to face a Lions side with a point to prove. On their day, the Lions can beat anyone and the Bears offense will have to show up if they are to outscore a Lions offense that will be throwing everything to Calvin Johnson. Jay Cutler threw for 146 yards and a touchdown. Brandon Marshall was the leading receiver, catching 6 passes for 68 yards and a touchdown. Matt Forte was very good on the ground, running for 88 yards and a touchdown from 12 carries.
14 (17) New Orleans Saints (7-8) - The New Orleans Saints picked up a good win in Dallas over the playoff chasing Cowboys to improve to 7-8 for the season. Unfortunately for the Saints they results didn't go their way and they are officially eliminated from the playoff race. The Saints looked to have the game won when they led by fourteen with less than four minutes to play but the Cowboys scored two quick touchdowns to send the game to overtime. Credit to the Saints, their defense held firm in overtime and they were able to drive into Cowboy territory. They had a stroke of luck when Marques Colston fumbled the ball. The loose ball rolled down the field toward the end zone and Jimmy Graham recovered it at the 2 to set up the game winning field goal. Drew Brees threw for 446 yards and 3 touchdowns. Colston and Darren Sproles both had 100 yard receiving games. Colston caught 10 passes for 153 yards and Sproles caught 7 passes for 104 yards.
15 (13) Dallas Cowboys (8-7) - The Cowboys lost to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday but their destiny is still in their own hands. If the Cowboys beat the Washington Redskins they will win the NFC East and enter the playoffs. After a 3-5 start, the Cowboys have won five of their last seven games to give themselves a chance of reaching the post season. Dez Bryant has been outstanding in those seven games and has ten touchdowns. He is also averaging 115 receiving yards per game in that seven game stretch. Bryant had his best game in the run on Sunday, catching 9 passes for 224 yards and 2 touchdowns. Tony Romo also played very well, throwing for 416 yards and 4 touchdowns but it wasn't enough as the Saints sealed the win in overtime.
16 (10) New York Giants (8-7) - The New York Giants have had a nightmare in recent weeks, losing five of their last seven games. The Giants looked to have the NFC East in the bag at 6-2 but they now require a minor miracle to get a playoff place. The Giants would need four results to go their way and such an outcome is a very long shot. The game always looked like the Ravens were going to win if and the Giants can have no excuses, they were simply outplayed. The Giants offense was restricted to just 186 yards and the Ravens managed 533 yards of offense, so the scoreline was a fair reflection on the game. Eli Manning threw for 150 yards and a touchdown. Ahmed Bradshaw led the rushers with just 39 yards. The Giants done well on the ground, picking up 4.8 yards per carry but they had to put the ball in Eli Manning's hands as they fell behind early.
17 (18) St Louis Rams (7-7-1) - The Rams picked up a good win in Tampa Bay to reach 7-7-1 for the season but other results did not go their way and they are now officially eliminated from the playoffs. The Rams have improved a lot from last season's 2-14 finish and if they continue to improve, they will find themselves back in the playoffs within the next year or two. The Rams started the year well and have finished well, winning four of their last five. They weren't a million miles from being in the playoffs this year but a mid season run of five games without a win killed off their chances. Sam Bradford threw for 196 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception. Lance Kendricks caught 4 passes for 119 yards and a touchdown. Steven Jackson ran for 81 yards and a touchdown.
18 (16) Pittsburgh Steelers (7-8) - The Steelers lost their do or die clash against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday and they have been eliminated from playoff contention. The Steelers were looking good after four successive wins that took them to 6-3 for the season. In the next game, Ben Roethlisberger got injured and the Steelers have only won once in their six games since. The Steelers host the Cleveland Browns next week so they have a good chance of getting back to .500 for the season. In Sunday's game, Roethlisberger threw for 220 yards, a touchdown and 2 interceptions. Antonio Brown led the receivers with 5 catches for 97 yards and a touchdown. The Steelers coaching staff got the running game wrong. They kept giving the ball to Jonathan Dwyer who ran for 39 yards from 14 carries. Rashard Mendenhall was the hot rusher and picked up 50 yards from 11 carries. In such a tight game, these things can be the difference between winning and losing.
19 (20) Miami Dolphins (7-8) - The Miami Dolphins picked up their seventh win of the season at home to the Buffalo Bills. At 7-8 the Dolphins are out of the playoffs but they can take a lot of positives from this season and they aren't too far away from being a playoff team. They travel to Foxboro next week to take on the New England Patriots so it will be very difficult to finish with a .500 record. The Dolphins won't be too worried though and will be looking at how they can take that next step to make the playoffs. Ryan Tannehill threw for 130 yards and 2 touchdowns. Reggie Bush was the best player for the Dolphins, picking up 107 yards from scrimmage and 3 touchdowns.
20 (23) San Diego Chargers (6-9) - The Chargers beat the Jets in New York to get to 6-9 for the season. If the Chargers had performed as well at home as they did on the road, then they might have made made the playoffs. They have gone 4-4 on the road and as things stand they are 2-5 at home. San Diego used to be a hard place to go but it certainly hasn't been this year. Philip Rivers threw for 165 yards and 2 touchdowns. Danario Alexander caught 3 passes for 69 yards and a touchdown. The running game was restricted to just 2.9 yards per carry.
21 (22) Carolina Panthers (6-9) - The Panthers won again on Sunday to take their strong finish to the season to three wins in a row and four wins in their last five. Carolina have found their form too late in the season and they have already been eliminated from the playoffs. It's nice to finish the season well but the off season is too long in the NFL to carry momentum into next season. The Panthers do have some very talented players on their roster though and if they can add a few more players for next year, they could be a playoff contender. Cam Newton threw for 170 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Newton also led the rushers, running for 60 yards and a touchdown. Greg Olsen led the receivers with 6 catches for 53 yards.
22 (19) New York Jets (6-9) - The New York Jets lost on Sunday to drop to 6-9 for the year. The Jets matched the Chargers in every area but once again their quarterback cost them the game. Greg McElroy threw an interception and also fumbled for another turnover. He was also sacked eleven times which the offensive line has to accept some responsibility for but the quarterback has to get rid of the ball quicker too. I've made my feelings clear about this Jets team. They have three quarterbacks at the franchise and the best one they have has been overlooked all year. McElroy threw for 185 yards an an interception. Clyde Gates led the receivers with 3 catches for 65 yards.
23 (21) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-9) - Tampa Bay lost at home to the St Louis Rams on Sunday to drop to 6-9 for the season. It has been a strange year for the Bucs. They got off to a poor start and were 2-4 but won four games in a row to reach 6-4 and at that stage they looked like genuine playoff contenders. Unfortunately for Tampa Bay they had another dramatic turnaround and they have now lost five in a row to leave themselves way out of the playoff picture. Josh Freeman had a mixed game. He threw for 372 yards and a touchdown but he also threw 4 interceptions which played a big part in the defeat. Mike Williams and Vincent Jackson both had 100 yard receiving days. Jackson caught 7 passes for 108 yards and Williams caught 7 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown. The Rams done a good job on Doug Martin, restricting him to 62 yards at 3.4 yards per carry.
24 (24) Cleveland Browns (5-10) - The Browns became the latest team in the NFL to be overcome by the juggernaut, better known as the Denver Broncos. The Broncos have now won ten in a row so the Browns shouldn't beat themselves up too much. Cleveland are 5-10 for the season and their playoff hopes have long since gone. I have spoke in recent weeks about the direction this Browns team are going in and I still believe that within a few seasons and with another strong draft, there is enough talent to be a playoff team. I am a big fan of Trent Richardson and believe he will be a very good running-back in this league in the next few seasons. On Sunday, he ran for 53 yards from 9 carries.
25 (25) Detroit Lions (4-11) - Calvin Johnson broke the record for receiving yards in a season with a huge game on Saturday against the Atlanta Falcons. Johnson caught eleven passes for 225 yards to set a new mark. He still has another game to play so by this time next week, the record will have been well and truly smashed. Unfortunately for Johnson and the Lions, the record is the only positive in what has been a very disappointing season for them. They have lost seven in a row and in my opinion the franchise needs to figure out what has gone wrong and address it quickly. They have the best receiver in the NFL and he is being wasted in a team who haven't even been close to the playoffs. Quarterback, Matthew Stafford, threw for 443 yards and an interception. The running game was restricted to 3.6 yards per carry but was led by Mikel Leshoure who ran for 46 yards and a touchdown.
26 (27) Buffalo Bills (5-10) - The Buffalo Bills picked up another loss to drop to 5-10 for the year. This time it was the Miami Dolphins who beat them and it was the Bills seventh loss in their last nine games. The Bills matched the Dolphins in most key areas but they turned the ball over four times and also gave away eleven penalties which cost them 93 yards. The turnovers were costly and led to two Miami touchdowns and a field goal. I'm sick of saying it and people are sick of hearing it, but if you do that in the NFL, your going to be adding to your loss column. Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 240 yards, a touchdown and an interception. CJ Spiller had another good game for the Bills, rushing for 138 yards.
27 (28) Arizona Cardinals (5-10) - The Cardinals lost their tenth game in their last eleven games to fall to 5-10 for the season. After their 4-0 start they looked playoff bound but they never recovered after Kevin Kolb's injury. Arizona have fallen a long way in recent years and they have never really replaced Kurt Warner at quarterback. The franchise have an elite receiver in Larry Fitzgerald so it shows just how bad their quarterback situation is. Fitzgerald is having one of the worst seasons of his career and his numbers are the worst they have been since his rookie year. Fitzgerald is 29 now and he is wasting his career at a franchise who are unable to get the best out of him. Arizona need to either sort their quarterback situation or I can see Fitzgerald making a push for a trade to a team who can help him push for a Superbowl ring. Fitzgerald had one of his best performances of the season on Sunday, catching 8 passes for 111 yards.
28 (26) Tennessee Titans (5-10) - The Titans were beat up on Sunday by a rampant Green Bay Packers. The Titans are 5-10 for the season and they have looked poor. There's a lot of room for improvement. Chris Johnson has had another decent year but he is a long way from the running-back who ran for over 2000 yards back in 2009. We have had a better chance to look at Jake Locker this season and to be honest, I don't think he's the answer. In his ten games, he has throw ten touchdown passes and eleven interceptions. His completion percentage for the season is 56.2%, which isn't good enough. I expect the Titans to have a good look at themselves in the off season and there is definitely a lot they could change. On Sunday, Locker threw for 140 yards, a touchdown and 2 interceptions. The Packers done a good job of shutting down Chris Johnson and restricted him to just 28 yards from 11 carries.
29 (29) Oakland Raiders (4-11) - The Raiders dropped to 4-11 for the season with a defeat to the Panthers in Carolina. The Raiders have a lot of work to do in the off season if they want to end their long absence from the playoffs. I've mentioned it before but I think the Raiders would be wise to trade down in the draft as they have a lot of issues that they need to address. On Sunday, they had three quarterbacks who made at least one pass. Matt Leinart got the majority of the snaps but he was poor, throwing for just 115 yards and an interception. The running game wasn't much better and the Panthers defense restricted the Raiders rushers to just 2.1 yards per carry.
30 (30) Philadelphia Eagles (4-11) - The Eagles lost again on Sunday, this time to the Washington Redskins. The Eagles are 4-11 for the year and will finish their season with a trip to New York to face the Giants. The Eagles are playing for nothing more than pride now but they do have a good record against the Giants and will hopefully go there and make the Giants work hard for the win. The Giants still have a small chance of reaching the playoffs and it looks like Michael Vick will start at quarterback for the Eagles as Nick Foles has a hand injury and Vick will want to show Andy Reid that he made a mistake by sticking with Foles when Vick returned from injury. Vick has been poor in the last two seasons but he usually saves his best displays for the Giants. On Sunday, Foles threw for 345 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Jeremy Maclin led the receivers with 8 catches for 116 yards and a touchdown. LeSean McCoy came back from injury and played well, picking up 122 yards from scrimmage.
31 (31) Jacksonville Jaguars (2-13) - The Jaguars lost on Sunday to go to 2-13 for the season. They deserve a lot of credit as it would have been easy for them to give up on the season and take one of the top two picks in the 2013 draft but they done their best against one of the best teams in the NFL and fell just short. The results on Sunday mean that the only way the Jags can get the first pick is if the Chiefs win their last game. The Chiefs finish with a trip to Denver so it's unlikely that they will win as the Broncos need to win to secure a bye in the first round of the playoffs. Chad Henne threw for 348 yards, a touchdown and 3 interceptions. Justin Blackmon was the best receiver, catching 7 passes for 79 yards and a touchdown.
32 (32) Kansas City Chiefs (2-13) - The Chiefs put in a very good display and lost narrowly to the playoff bound, Indianapolis Colts. It was the same old story for the Chiefs. They played very well but once again it was turnovers that cost them. They turned the ball over three times and two in particular were costly. The Chiefs were in the red zone and turned the ball over twice. Mistakes like that are more often than not, the difference between winning and losing in this league. Brady Quinn threw for 162 yards and 2 interceptions. Jamaal Charles and Peyton Hillis both had big days on the ground. Hillis ran for 101 yards but Charles was the star of the show, rushing for 226 yards and a touchdown.
2 (4) Green Bay Packers (11-4) - The Packers put in another good display to get their ninth win in their last ten games. This Packers team is hot and the only thing that could stop them in the playoffs is the offensive line. Rodgers has been sacked 46 times this year but they are still getting the results. If they protect him, the Packers WILL win the Superbowl. They remind me a lot of last years New York Giants team. The Giants had some issues and struggled a lot with injuries. This Packers team have their own issues and have also suffered with injuries. The Giants got their injured players back around this time and the Packers seem to be getting their full roster back now. The 49ers defeat in Seattle means the Packers now hold the second seed in the NFC and if they win next week they will get a bye in the first round of the playoffs. Aaron Rodgers threw for 342 yards and 3 touchdowns. James Jones led the receivers with 7 catches for 100 yards and a touchdown. Ryan Grant had a good day on the ground, rushing for 80 yards and 2 touchdowns.
3 (5) Atlanta Falcons (13-2) - The Falcons secured the number one seed in the NFC playoffs with a comfortable win over the Detroit Lions. The Falcons got off to a quick start and led 21-6 at half-time. The Lions got back to within five points early in the fourth quarter but the Falcons responded with a touchdown and a field goal to secure the win. The road to the Superbowl for NFC teams will go through Atlanta and in their current form, the Falcons won't be easy to beat. They have the best record in the NFL and are 7-0 at home this year so it will take a good team to beat them. Matt Ryan was excellent, throwing for 279 yards and 4 touchdowns. Roddy White was the star receiver and he caught 8 passes for 153 yards and 2 touchdowns.
4 (7) Seattle Seahawks (10-5) - Seattle look very, very good. They seem to have hit top form at the perfect time and are averaging fifty points a game in the last three weeks. Their defense is excellent and the offense are picking up big yards on the ground. Rookie quarterback, Russell Wilson has really grew into the role as the season has progressed and it took me a while to come round to him but he certainly looks like the real deal. As a neutral I am looking forward to seeing the Seahawks in the playoffs but it is just a pity that they won't host a game. The atmosphere on Sunday night looked intense and I would have loved to see how pumped up that crowd could get for a home playoff game. Russell Wilson threw for 171 yards, 4 touchdowns and an interception. Doug Baldwin was the leading receiver, catching 4 passes for 53 yards and 2 touchdowns. Marshawn Lynch led the running game, rushing for 111 yards and a touchdown.
5 (6) New England Patriots (11-4) - The Patriots picked up the win on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars but they made hard work of it. The Jags took a 10-0 lead but the Patriots came back and won by a score of 23-16. The Patriots currently hold the third seed in the AFC but depending on this weeks results, they could finish anywhere in the top four. At their best, the Patriots will be a threat to anyone in the playoffs but they will have to improve on Sunday's display. Tom Brady threw for 267 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Wes Welker was the leading receiver, catching 10 passes for 88 yards and a touchdown. Stevan Ridley also had a decent game, rushing for 84 yards.
6 (8) Baltimore Ravens (10-5) - The Baltimore Ravens saved their best performance of the season until Sunday and they picked up a blowout win over the New York Giants. I haven't been slow to criticise the Ravens this season so it's only fair that I give them credit when they deserve it. They completely dominated the Giants and fully deserved the win. The defense done well and held the Giants to 186 yards. As good as the defense was, the offense was even better. They picked up 533 yards to run out 33-14 winners. Joe Flacco threw for 309 yards and 2 touchdowns. Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith had good games. Boldin caught 7 passes for 93 yards. Smith caught 5 passes for 88 yards and a touchdown. The Ravens also had two men who had one hundred yard rushing days. Bernard Pierce ran for 123 yards and Ray Rice ran for 107 yards.
7 (3) Houston Texans (12-3) - The Texans lost at home to the Minnesota Vikings to leave them needing a win next week over the Indianapolis Colts to secure home field advantage in the playoffs. Houston never got going on offense and the Vikings restricted them to just 187 yards. The Texans have hit a bad run of form at the worst possible time. At 12-3 they have a very good record but their level of performance has dropped considerably and I can't see them beating Denver or New England in the postseason. Matt Schaub threw for 178 yards and his leading receiver was Andre Johnson who caught 7 passes for 97 yards. The running game was restricted to 2.1 yards per carry but more worrying for Houston will be the news that Arian Foster had to leave the game with an irregular heartbeat.
8 (9) Indianapolis Colts (10-5) - The Indianapolis Colts sealed their playoff place with a road win over the Kansas City Chiefs. The Colts had to work for the win and credit to the Chiefs, they didn't look like a team who had give up on the season. The big difference was turnovers. The Colts defense forced three turnovers which won them the game. The Colts will have to improve on their run defense as they gave up over 350 yards on the ground in this game. Luckily for the Colts, two of the Chiefs turnovers came in the red zone or else the final outcome could have been very different. Andrew Luck threw for 205 yards and a touchdown. Reggie Wayne led the receivers again with 5 catches for 81 yards and a touchdown.
9 (2) San Francisco 49ers (10-4-1) - The 49ers got beat up on Sunday night in Seattle and ended up losing 42-13. The 49ers should still win the NFC West as they host the Arizona Cardinals next week and a win would secure the division. The 49ers will do all they can to win that game as there's no way they want to risk going back to Seattle in the postseason. I've had plenty to say on the quarterback situation in San Francisco and still believe that Coach Harbaugh got it wrong by benching Alex Smith in favour of Colin Kaepernick. However, the decision has been made and the only thing crazier than changing the whole identity of your team during the season would be changing it back again a week before the playoffs. The 49ers will live or die by that decision and I personally believe it will be the latter. Kaepernick threw for 244 yards, a touchdown and an interception. The leading receiver was Michael Crabtree who caught 4 passes for 65 yards.
10 (11) Washington Redskins (9-6) - The Redskins extended their winning run to six in a row with a win over divisional rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles. A win in their last game against the Dallas Cowboys would secure a playoff place and the Redskins would be NFC East champions. They have come a long way this year and even as an Eagles fan, I am quite looking forward to seeing Robert Griffin III in the playoffs. RG3 had a quiet game on Sunday and done most of his work in the pocket. He ran just twice but completed 16 of his 24 passes for 198 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception. Alfred Morris ran for 91 yards and a touchdown. Pierre Garcon was the leading receiver and caught 7 passes for 89 yards.
11 (12) Minnesota Vikings (9-6) - The Minnesota Vikings kept their playoff hopes alive with an excellent win on the road over the Houston Texans. The Vikings are now up to 9-6 for the season and a win over the Green Bay Packers would see them secure a wildcard. It won't be easy for the Vikings as the Packers also need the win to secure a first round bye in the playoffs but they have won their last three games against decent teams to get this far and they will be feeling confident. I would be happy to see the Vikings make the playoffs as they have beat some good teams this year and the playoffs would be a better place if Adrian Peterson was involved. Peterson needs another 208 yards to break the single season rushing record. It will be a big ask but not out of the question. Christian Ponder threw for 174 yards and a touchdown. Peterson ran for 86 yards at just 3.4 yards but I'm sure the Vikings will be prioritising their playoff push over Adrian Peterson's record.
12 (15) Cincinnati Bengals (9-6) - The Bengals picked up a great win in Pittsburgh to seal their place in the playoffs. The Bengals have a lot of young talent on their roster and although I can't see them making much of an impression in this year's playoffs, they are definitely a team to look out for in the years to come. The divisional winners have all been confirmed so the Bengals will have to go on the road in the playoffs and as things stand, they would be playing the New England Patriots. Playoff games don't get much harder than that but I'm sure Cincinnati would rather be going there than studying film of potential draft picks. The game was as tight as expected and it was the defenses who came out on top but in the end, Josh Brown kicked the game winning field goal in the dying seconds. Andy Dalton threw for 278 yards and 2 interceptions. AJ Green led the receivers as usual with 10 catches for 116 yards.
13 (14) Chicago Bears (9-6) - The Chicago Bears kept their playoff hopes alive with a comfortable win over the Cardinals in Arizona. The Bears need to win and hope the Vikings slip up against the Packers to secure a wildcard shot. The Bears won't get it easy though as they have to go to Detroit to face a Lions side with a point to prove. On their day, the Lions can beat anyone and the Bears offense will have to show up if they are to outscore a Lions offense that will be throwing everything to Calvin Johnson. Jay Cutler threw for 146 yards and a touchdown. Brandon Marshall was the leading receiver, catching 6 passes for 68 yards and a touchdown. Matt Forte was very good on the ground, running for 88 yards and a touchdown from 12 carries.
14 (17) New Orleans Saints (7-8) - The New Orleans Saints picked up a good win in Dallas over the playoff chasing Cowboys to improve to 7-8 for the season. Unfortunately for the Saints they results didn't go their way and they are officially eliminated from the playoff race. The Saints looked to have the game won when they led by fourteen with less than four minutes to play but the Cowboys scored two quick touchdowns to send the game to overtime. Credit to the Saints, their defense held firm in overtime and they were able to drive into Cowboy territory. They had a stroke of luck when Marques Colston fumbled the ball. The loose ball rolled down the field toward the end zone and Jimmy Graham recovered it at the 2 to set up the game winning field goal. Drew Brees threw for 446 yards and 3 touchdowns. Colston and Darren Sproles both had 100 yard receiving games. Colston caught 10 passes for 153 yards and Sproles caught 7 passes for 104 yards.
15 (13) Dallas Cowboys (8-7) - The Cowboys lost to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday but their destiny is still in their own hands. If the Cowboys beat the Washington Redskins they will win the NFC East and enter the playoffs. After a 3-5 start, the Cowboys have won five of their last seven games to give themselves a chance of reaching the post season. Dez Bryant has been outstanding in those seven games and has ten touchdowns. He is also averaging 115 receiving yards per game in that seven game stretch. Bryant had his best game in the run on Sunday, catching 9 passes for 224 yards and 2 touchdowns. Tony Romo also played very well, throwing for 416 yards and 4 touchdowns but it wasn't enough as the Saints sealed the win in overtime.
16 (10) New York Giants (8-7) - The New York Giants have had a nightmare in recent weeks, losing five of their last seven games. The Giants looked to have the NFC East in the bag at 6-2 but they now require a minor miracle to get a playoff place. The Giants would need four results to go their way and such an outcome is a very long shot. The game always looked like the Ravens were going to win if and the Giants can have no excuses, they were simply outplayed. The Giants offense was restricted to just 186 yards and the Ravens managed 533 yards of offense, so the scoreline was a fair reflection on the game. Eli Manning threw for 150 yards and a touchdown. Ahmed Bradshaw led the rushers with just 39 yards. The Giants done well on the ground, picking up 4.8 yards per carry but they had to put the ball in Eli Manning's hands as they fell behind early.
17 (18) St Louis Rams (7-7-1) - The Rams picked up a good win in Tampa Bay to reach 7-7-1 for the season but other results did not go their way and they are now officially eliminated from the playoffs. The Rams have improved a lot from last season's 2-14 finish and if they continue to improve, they will find themselves back in the playoffs within the next year or two. The Rams started the year well and have finished well, winning four of their last five. They weren't a million miles from being in the playoffs this year but a mid season run of five games without a win killed off their chances. Sam Bradford threw for 196 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception. Lance Kendricks caught 4 passes for 119 yards and a touchdown. Steven Jackson ran for 81 yards and a touchdown.
18 (16) Pittsburgh Steelers (7-8) - The Steelers lost their do or die clash against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday and they have been eliminated from playoff contention. The Steelers were looking good after four successive wins that took them to 6-3 for the season. In the next game, Ben Roethlisberger got injured and the Steelers have only won once in their six games since. The Steelers host the Cleveland Browns next week so they have a good chance of getting back to .500 for the season. In Sunday's game, Roethlisberger threw for 220 yards, a touchdown and 2 interceptions. Antonio Brown led the receivers with 5 catches for 97 yards and a touchdown. The Steelers coaching staff got the running game wrong. They kept giving the ball to Jonathan Dwyer who ran for 39 yards from 14 carries. Rashard Mendenhall was the hot rusher and picked up 50 yards from 11 carries. In such a tight game, these things can be the difference between winning and losing.
19 (20) Miami Dolphins (7-8) - The Miami Dolphins picked up their seventh win of the season at home to the Buffalo Bills. At 7-8 the Dolphins are out of the playoffs but they can take a lot of positives from this season and they aren't too far away from being a playoff team. They travel to Foxboro next week to take on the New England Patriots so it will be very difficult to finish with a .500 record. The Dolphins won't be too worried though and will be looking at how they can take that next step to make the playoffs. Ryan Tannehill threw for 130 yards and 2 touchdowns. Reggie Bush was the best player for the Dolphins, picking up 107 yards from scrimmage and 3 touchdowns.
20 (23) San Diego Chargers (6-9) - The Chargers beat the Jets in New York to get to 6-9 for the season. If the Chargers had performed as well at home as they did on the road, then they might have made made the playoffs. They have gone 4-4 on the road and as things stand they are 2-5 at home. San Diego used to be a hard place to go but it certainly hasn't been this year. Philip Rivers threw for 165 yards and 2 touchdowns. Danario Alexander caught 3 passes for 69 yards and a touchdown. The running game was restricted to just 2.9 yards per carry.
21 (22) Carolina Panthers (6-9) - The Panthers won again on Sunday to take their strong finish to the season to three wins in a row and four wins in their last five. Carolina have found their form too late in the season and they have already been eliminated from the playoffs. It's nice to finish the season well but the off season is too long in the NFL to carry momentum into next season. The Panthers do have some very talented players on their roster though and if they can add a few more players for next year, they could be a playoff contender. Cam Newton threw for 170 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Newton also led the rushers, running for 60 yards and a touchdown. Greg Olsen led the receivers with 6 catches for 53 yards.
22 (19) New York Jets (6-9) - The New York Jets lost on Sunday to drop to 6-9 for the year. The Jets matched the Chargers in every area but once again their quarterback cost them the game. Greg McElroy threw an interception and also fumbled for another turnover. He was also sacked eleven times which the offensive line has to accept some responsibility for but the quarterback has to get rid of the ball quicker too. I've made my feelings clear about this Jets team. They have three quarterbacks at the franchise and the best one they have has been overlooked all year. McElroy threw for 185 yards an an interception. Clyde Gates led the receivers with 3 catches for 65 yards.
23 (21) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-9) - Tampa Bay lost at home to the St Louis Rams on Sunday to drop to 6-9 for the season. It has been a strange year for the Bucs. They got off to a poor start and were 2-4 but won four games in a row to reach 6-4 and at that stage they looked like genuine playoff contenders. Unfortunately for Tampa Bay they had another dramatic turnaround and they have now lost five in a row to leave themselves way out of the playoff picture. Josh Freeman had a mixed game. He threw for 372 yards and a touchdown but he also threw 4 interceptions which played a big part in the defeat. Mike Williams and Vincent Jackson both had 100 yard receiving days. Jackson caught 7 passes for 108 yards and Williams caught 7 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown. The Rams done a good job on Doug Martin, restricting him to 62 yards at 3.4 yards per carry.
24 (24) Cleveland Browns (5-10) - The Browns became the latest team in the NFL to be overcome by the juggernaut, better known as the Denver Broncos. The Broncos have now won ten in a row so the Browns shouldn't beat themselves up too much. Cleveland are 5-10 for the season and their playoff hopes have long since gone. I have spoke in recent weeks about the direction this Browns team are going in and I still believe that within a few seasons and with another strong draft, there is enough talent to be a playoff team. I am a big fan of Trent Richardson and believe he will be a very good running-back in this league in the next few seasons. On Sunday, he ran for 53 yards from 9 carries.
25 (25) Detroit Lions (4-11) - Calvin Johnson broke the record for receiving yards in a season with a huge game on Saturday against the Atlanta Falcons. Johnson caught eleven passes for 225 yards to set a new mark. He still has another game to play so by this time next week, the record will have been well and truly smashed. Unfortunately for Johnson and the Lions, the record is the only positive in what has been a very disappointing season for them. They have lost seven in a row and in my opinion the franchise needs to figure out what has gone wrong and address it quickly. They have the best receiver in the NFL and he is being wasted in a team who haven't even been close to the playoffs. Quarterback, Matthew Stafford, threw for 443 yards and an interception. The running game was restricted to 3.6 yards per carry but was led by Mikel Leshoure who ran for 46 yards and a touchdown.
26 (27) Buffalo Bills (5-10) - The Buffalo Bills picked up another loss to drop to 5-10 for the year. This time it was the Miami Dolphins who beat them and it was the Bills seventh loss in their last nine games. The Bills matched the Dolphins in most key areas but they turned the ball over four times and also gave away eleven penalties which cost them 93 yards. The turnovers were costly and led to two Miami touchdowns and a field goal. I'm sick of saying it and people are sick of hearing it, but if you do that in the NFL, your going to be adding to your loss column. Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 240 yards, a touchdown and an interception. CJ Spiller had another good game for the Bills, rushing for 138 yards.
27 (28) Arizona Cardinals (5-10) - The Cardinals lost their tenth game in their last eleven games to fall to 5-10 for the season. After their 4-0 start they looked playoff bound but they never recovered after Kevin Kolb's injury. Arizona have fallen a long way in recent years and they have never really replaced Kurt Warner at quarterback. The franchise have an elite receiver in Larry Fitzgerald so it shows just how bad their quarterback situation is. Fitzgerald is having one of the worst seasons of his career and his numbers are the worst they have been since his rookie year. Fitzgerald is 29 now and he is wasting his career at a franchise who are unable to get the best out of him. Arizona need to either sort their quarterback situation or I can see Fitzgerald making a push for a trade to a team who can help him push for a Superbowl ring. Fitzgerald had one of his best performances of the season on Sunday, catching 8 passes for 111 yards.
28 (26) Tennessee Titans (5-10) - The Titans were beat up on Sunday by a rampant Green Bay Packers. The Titans are 5-10 for the season and they have looked poor. There's a lot of room for improvement. Chris Johnson has had another decent year but he is a long way from the running-back who ran for over 2000 yards back in 2009. We have had a better chance to look at Jake Locker this season and to be honest, I don't think he's the answer. In his ten games, he has throw ten touchdown passes and eleven interceptions. His completion percentage for the season is 56.2%, which isn't good enough. I expect the Titans to have a good look at themselves in the off season and there is definitely a lot they could change. On Sunday, Locker threw for 140 yards, a touchdown and 2 interceptions. The Packers done a good job of shutting down Chris Johnson and restricted him to just 28 yards from 11 carries.
29 (29) Oakland Raiders (4-11) - The Raiders dropped to 4-11 for the season with a defeat to the Panthers in Carolina. The Raiders have a lot of work to do in the off season if they want to end their long absence from the playoffs. I've mentioned it before but I think the Raiders would be wise to trade down in the draft as they have a lot of issues that they need to address. On Sunday, they had three quarterbacks who made at least one pass. Matt Leinart got the majority of the snaps but he was poor, throwing for just 115 yards and an interception. The running game wasn't much better and the Panthers defense restricted the Raiders rushers to just 2.1 yards per carry.
30 (30) Philadelphia Eagles (4-11) - The Eagles lost again on Sunday, this time to the Washington Redskins. The Eagles are 4-11 for the year and will finish their season with a trip to New York to face the Giants. The Eagles are playing for nothing more than pride now but they do have a good record against the Giants and will hopefully go there and make the Giants work hard for the win. The Giants still have a small chance of reaching the playoffs and it looks like Michael Vick will start at quarterback for the Eagles as Nick Foles has a hand injury and Vick will want to show Andy Reid that he made a mistake by sticking with Foles when Vick returned from injury. Vick has been poor in the last two seasons but he usually saves his best displays for the Giants. On Sunday, Foles threw for 345 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Jeremy Maclin led the receivers with 8 catches for 116 yards and a touchdown. LeSean McCoy came back from injury and played well, picking up 122 yards from scrimmage.
31 (31) Jacksonville Jaguars (2-13) - The Jaguars lost on Sunday to go to 2-13 for the season. They deserve a lot of credit as it would have been easy for them to give up on the season and take one of the top two picks in the 2013 draft but they done their best against one of the best teams in the NFL and fell just short. The results on Sunday mean that the only way the Jags can get the first pick is if the Chiefs win their last game. The Chiefs finish with a trip to Denver so it's unlikely that they will win as the Broncos need to win to secure a bye in the first round of the playoffs. Chad Henne threw for 348 yards, a touchdown and 3 interceptions. Justin Blackmon was the best receiver, catching 7 passes for 79 yards and a touchdown.
32 (32) Kansas City Chiefs (2-13) - The Chiefs put in a very good display and lost narrowly to the playoff bound, Indianapolis Colts. It was the same old story for the Chiefs. They played very well but once again it was turnovers that cost them. They turned the ball over three times and two in particular were costly. The Chiefs were in the red zone and turned the ball over twice. Mistakes like that are more often than not, the difference between winning and losing in this league. Brady Quinn threw for 162 yards and 2 interceptions. Jamaal Charles and Peyton Hillis both had big days on the ground. Hillis ran for 101 yards but Charles was the star of the show, rushing for 226 yards and a touchdown.
Sunday, 23 December 2012
NFL Week 16 - Preview and Predictions
New Orleans Saints (6-8) @ Dallas Cowboys (8-6)
The Saints and Cowboys go head to head in Dallas in what could be a big game in the NFC's playoff race. The Saints are technically still alive although there is too long a list of things they need to go their way for their playoff chances to be seriously considered. The Cowboys on the other hand, have a very good chance of a playoff spot. They are part of a three way tie at the top of the NFC East, so they may even win the division. As things stand they are outside the playoffs but two wins would most likely be good enough to see them into the playoffs. Both sides will look to throw the ball on offense. The Saints are 2nd in passing and the Cowboys are 4th. The Cowboys are better in pass defense, ranking 14th compared to the Saints who are 31st. Ultimately the game will be won by whichever quarterback does a better job of taking care of the football. Tony Romo has 22 touchdown passes and 16 interceptions. Drew Brees has 36 touchdowns and 18 interceptions.
Prediction - I can't side with Tony Romo against Drew Brees and think the Saints will win this one.
Tennessee Titans (5-9) @ Green Bay Packers (10-4)
This game won't have a huge impact on the season other than deciding what seed the Packers have in the NFC playoffs. The Packers are just behind the San Francisco 49ers in the race for the number two seed. The 49ers face a tough trip to Seattle this week and if they slip up, I expect the Packers to pounce and secure the first round bye. The Titans have had a poor year and I expect we will see changes in the franchise before too long. Green Bay had a bad start but they have come good and have won eight of their last nine games. They clinched the division last week and they should be too strong for the Titans this week. Green Bay will try to pass the ball and if the offensive line holds up, Aaron Rodgers can beat any team in the NFL. The Packers offensive line has been the weakness all year and Rodgers has been sacked 45 times, which is more than any other NFL quarterback. Chris Johnson has had a good year after a slow start and is now averaging 4.8 yards per carry. If Johnson can get the running game going, he can trouble the Packers.
Prediction - The Packers should have enough to win this one.
Indianapolis Colts (9-5) @ Kansas City Chiefs (2-12)
The Colts can clinch a wildcard place with a win in Kansas City over the struggling Chiefs. Kansas have had a bad season and are currently in position for the number one draft pick in 2013. The number one pick will be between the Chiefs and the Jaguars who are both 2-12 at present. The Chiefs strength of schedule is currently weaker and they will therefore get the first pick but it is very close and subject to change. The Colts have got this far thanks to rookie quarterback, Andrew Luck, who has linked up very well with Reggie Wayne. The Colts are 8th in passing but will need to be at their best as the Chiefs are good against the pass and rank 7th. The Chiefs will look to win the game on the ground. They rank 7th in rushing and should be able to get some joy against the Colts who are 23rd against the run.
Prediction - The match ups in this one suit the Chiefs but I would think they are at the stage of the year were they want the number one pick. If the Chiefs put 100% into this one they can win it but I expect they will be half hearted and the Colts will win.
Buffalo Bills (5-9) @ Miami Dolphins (6-8)
The Bills and Dolphins look to be battling it out with the New York Jets for the positions in the AFC East behind the New England Patriots. The Dolphins still have an outside chance of the playoffs but it is a very long shot and I can't see it happening. Miami have struggled with inconsistency this year. They have had some big wins over good teams like the Seahawks and the Bengals. The trouble is the defeats to the likes of the Jets, the Bills and the Titans. A bit more consistency and the Dolphins could have been in the playoff mix. Both sides will look to win the game on the ground. The Bills are 6th in rushing and the Dolphins are 16th. The Dolphins are better in defending the run and rank 8th. The Bills have struggled against the run and rank 30th in the NFL.
Prediction - Miami should win this one.
San Diego Chargers (5-9) @ New York Jets (6-8)
This game is a dead rubber between two teams who will have had high hopes at the start of the season but they have underachieved. The Chargers are a bad team and they have not beat anyone with a winning record. The best win they have had came against the Steelers who are 7-7 for the season. The Jets have also had a bad year. I've made no secret of the fact that I don't think Mark Sanchez is a good quarterback. He has had a terrible season and Rex Ryan has finally decided to bench him. However, he still hasn't got it right and for some reason he has decided to overlook Tim Tebow and pick Greg McElroy at quarterback. I can't understand why Tebow is being treated this way. He's not the conventional NFL quarterback but he could do a job for the Jets. From what I can see, it appears that Rex Ryan has wasted draft picks on him as he hasn't used him and the media are reporting that he will be released at the end of the year.
Prediction - This is a tough one to call but I'll side with the Chargers to win this one.
Washington Redskins (8-6) @ Philadelphia Eagles (4-10)
The Redskins need to win this one to keep their place at the top of the NFC East. They should be boosted by the return of Robert Griffin III at quarterback. He is listed as probable but the Redskins are saying that there is a very good chance he will play. The Eagles have had a horrible year. I am looking forward to this game though to see what way the Eagles line up. Most of the players who have missed out in recent weeks are fit again so I am very interested in seeing how much action LeSean McCoy will see. The Eagles have already made it clear that Michael Vick is third on the depth chart behind Nick Foles and Trent Edwards. I think this will be Andy Reid's last game in charge of the Eagles in Philadelphia and I would like to see him receive a positive reception but I do hope that it isn't misinterpreted as a show of support for him getting another year. As an Eagles fan, we have two games left and if I'm totally honest I wouldn't mind losing this one and winning next week to knock the Giants out of the playoffs. Not all Eagles fans will agree but in my time following the NFL, the Redskins have had a bad side so I don't feel the same level of rivalry with them as I do wit the Giants and Cowboys.
Prediction - If RG3 plays he'll have a big day and the Redskins will win.
Cincinnati Bengals (8-6) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7)
This game is technically a playoff game as it is do or die time for both sides. If the Bengals win, they are in the playoffs. If the Steelers win this one, they will need to beat the Cleveland Browns next week to secure a playoff place. The Steelers have been on a bad run and have won just one of their last five games. The Bengals are in much better form and have won five of their last six games. This will be the best game to watch in the early games and it should be a cracker. The Steelers will be looking to pass the ball as they are 10th in passing and 26th in rushing. The Bengals defense are 12th in pass defense and 9th against the run so they should be able to match the Steelers offense. The Bengals have quite a balanced offense, ranking 17th in passing and 11th in rushing. The Steelers have a good defense, ranking 1st against the pass and 4th against the run. It looks like the game will be quite low scoring and in my opinion will come down to one play. It could be a vital interception, a missed tackle etc. The game is on a knife edge and every play could be the difference in winning and losing.
Prediction - They don't come any tighter than this. My heart says Cincinnati but my head says Pittsburgh. I'm going with my heart and will be rooting for the Bengals.
St Louis Rams (6-7-1) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-8)
These two face off in a game that won't effect playoff places. The Rams are still alive but there are too many teams ahead of them in the race for a wildcard. At one stage the Bucs looked likely to reach the playoffs but four straight defeats has killed off their playoff hopes. Both of these franchises are stuck in the middle of the league in the bracket were they aren't quite good enough for the playoffs but they are too good to be getting an early draft pick. There is potential in both franchises though and I have no doubt they will both be looking forward to next season with high ambitions.
Prediction - The Bucs will officially end the Rams playoff hopes with a win.
Oakland Raiders (4-10) @ Carolina Panthers (5-9)
I would imagine the only people who care about this game are people in Fantasy leagues. Neither side got close to the playoffs and both will have relatively early picks in the draft. Oakland have gone backwards this year after consecutive 8-8 finishes. The franchise has been giving away draft picks in recent years but they will have their first rounder this year so I am quite interested in seeing what they do with it. I wouldn't be surprised if they decided to trade down to try and get a few extra picks. The Panthers have been disappointing. I expected more from them as they have some good talent on offense but it took them a while to click. They have won three of their last four games and oddly the defeat came against the 2-12, Kansas City Chiefs.
Prediction - The Panthers should have too much for the Raiders.
New England Patriots (10-4) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (2-12)
The Patriots travel to Jacksonville in the penultimate game of the regular season, needing a win to keep themselves in contention for a bye in the first round of the playoffs. It doesn't look good for the Patriots as the Broncos and Texans have favourable schedules to get the job done but two wins from the Pats would at least put the pressure on them. Jacksonville have had another bad year and are only playing for a draft pick now. As things stand they would pick second as the Chiefs have had an easier schedule but it is tight and still subject to change. The match ups are all favourable for New England and the only place Jacksonville could get some joy is against their pass defense. Having said that I can't see the Jaguars passing game being good enough to trouble the Pats. The Pats offense could win this one in the air or on the ground. They are 3rd in passing and 8th in rushing. The Jags defense are 24th against the pass and 32nd against the run so it's hard to see how they will stop New England.
Prediction - The Patriots should be too good.
Minnesota Vikings (8-6) @ Houston Texans (12-2)
On paper this looks like another very good game. The Vikings need the win to keep their playoff hopes alive. It doesn't get much tougher than going to Houston to face the Texans who need the win to secure the top seed in the AFC. The Texans are very good on the ground and rank 5th in the NFL. As good as the Texans running game is, they aren't as good as the Vikings who have been led by Adrian Peterson. Peterson has a chance of breaking the single season rushing yards record. He needs 294 yards in his last two games to break the record but he won't get it easy as the Texans are 5th against the run. We have already saw Calvin Johnson break the receiving yards record but for me, this record would be more impressive. The league has moved more towards a passing league which accommodates receivers but there has never been a tougher time to run the ball than now. Defenses are bigger, stronger and faster than they ever were but this hasn't stopped Peterson and he has took it in his stride and I for one would love to see him break the record.
Prediction - Peterson to get less than 100 yards and the Texans to win easily.
Cleveland Browns (5-9) @ Denver Broncos (11-3)
The Browns travel to Denver to take on Peyton Manning's Broncos in their penultimate game of the season. It has been another mixed year for the Browns. They are 5-9 and won't be in the playoffs but there has been some positives. They picked up good wins against divisional rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers. Rookie running-back, Trent Richardson has also had a good year. He needs just 103 yards to get 1000 yards in his rookie season and he has 11 touchdowns which is a good return. The Broncos have built on last year's divisional win and with Peyton Manning at quarterback, the franchise has gone from strength to strength. If they win their last two games they will get a bye in the first round of the playoffs and will host a game in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Prediction - The Broncos should have too much on offense for the Browns and will go a step closer to that playoff bye.
Chicago Bears (8-6) @ Arizona Cardinals (5-9)
These two both started well but have since suffered huge collapses. The Cardinals were 4-0 but lost nine in a row before beating the Detroit Lions last week. The Bears were 7-1 but have lost five of their last six to drop to 8-6 and as things stand they are outside the wildcard spots. The Bears have a lot of talent but they have been very poor recently and they need a quick turnaround or they will miss the playoffs which seems remarkable after such a good start. The Bears will aim to run the ball with Matt Forte and Michael Bush sharing the load. The Cardinals are very poor against the run so the Bears should be able to have some success in that area. The Bears will also be hoping that receiver, Brandon Marshall is fit to play. He has been struggling with a hamstring injury but they will need to be at full strength in what is a must win game.
Prediction - The Bears will win this one.
New York Giants (8-6) @ Baltimore Ravens (9-5)
Just like the Bears and Cardinals game, this game is also between two teams who have suffered a collapse in form. The Giants were cruising towards another NFC East title at 6-2 but they have gone 2-4 in their last six and the Redskins and the Cowboys have put together winning runs to reach 8-6. The Giants are currently outside the playoff places and this game is must win for them. The Ravens have hit their own slump and have lost their last three in a row. Luckily for them, they had already done enough to guarantee a playoff spot but they are now in serious danger of losing the divisional title and therefore having to start their playoff campaign on the road. I've made no secret of the fact I don't really fancy this Ravens team and think they are not using Ray Rice to his full potential. If they give Rice 20-25 carries a game, he could win them games but it's almost as if Coach Harbaugh is scared to play him and wants to keep him under wraps for the playoffs.
Prediction - It all depends on Harbaugh, if he gives Rice the ball, he will put up big numbers and win the game. If not, Eli will throw the deep bomb and Victor Cruz will catch enough of them to win the game for the Giants. I'm going with the latter and a Giants win.
San Francisco 49ers (10-3-1) @ Seattle Seahawks (9-5)
This game had the potential to be a cracker and it still might be but a little of the edge was taken out of it with the 49ers win in New England last week. It now means that the 49ers can afford to lose this game and as long as they win next week at home to the Cardinals they will win the division. Seattle have been one of the surprises of the season. When they signed free agent quarterback, Matt Flynn from Green Bay, I didn't know what to expect. He had done well in his few appearances in Green Bay but so had Kevin Kolb for Philadelphia and he is far from a good quarterback. I didn't expect the rookie, Russell Wilson to step in and take the starting job and actually do a very good job of it. Wilson has been very good and obviously time will tell how good he really is but he has certainly shown all the signs of being a top player. San Francisco have their own issues at quarterback. I still don't think they have done the right thing by benching Alex Smith in favour of Colin Kaepernick. Smith isn't a great quarterback but he is a better fit than Kaepernick in the 49ers offense. Kaepernick is a totally different style of player and he changes the identity of the team. The 49ers were doing well with Smith and I don't think it was a good idea to change the team's identity midway through the season.
Prediction - I'm going with Russell Wilson and the Seahawks to get the win here.
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