The San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens have had two weeks to get ready for one another. Two whole weeks. That is plenty of time for these coaches to come up with their keys to victory. The problem with having two weeks, however, is some coaches can over think the game itself. While the media stays wrapped up in the narratives, the staffs on each of these teams are continuing to break down tape to find an edge. Here are what I believe the Ravens have to do in order to have the best chance of hoisting the Lombardi trophy on Sunday night in New Orleans.
Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images
Joe Flacco must extend the field - With Flacco taking so many shots deep downfield, the Ravens can win many games whether he connects or not. Just the pressure of pushing the defense vertically creates running lanes for Ray Rice and other opportunities in the passing attack. Joe does have one of the best deep balls in the game. Without at least one long touchdown, there isn’t much hope against a staunch 49ers defense that was top five against both the run and the pass this season. An overthrow here, a dropped pass there, and all of a sudden, the Ravens will find themselves behind the eight ball.
Photo by MATT SLOCUM/AP
Establish the run with Ray Rice - The Ravens will undoubtedly need to establish the run. Ray Rice won’t have to run wild against a tough SF front seven, but he will have to make that front respect Baltimore’s ability to move the chains on the ground. If the Ravens can find even a little success running the football, they’ll be able to do what they seem to love; throw the ball deep and put points on the board. The run will effectively set up play-action and enable Joe Flacco to find one-on-one matchups, which will allow him to hit some of his favorite targets. So far this postseason, the Ravens have done a fantastic job opening up holes despite being run-blitzed and should be able to allow Rice to find creases. I don’t expect Rice to have a huge game, but if he can chalk up 3-4 yards per carry, that will open up the rest of Baltimore’s game and give the Ravens a good chance to win.
Al Bello/Getty Images North America)
Contain Kaepernick - With mobile quarterbacks like Kaepernick, it is more often about execution rather than planning. You know the overarching battle plan, but you have to deal with new wrinkles as they come. Seattle showednear the end of the regular season, that the Kaepernick can be tamed in their blowiout win. Kaepernick is the type of player who will get his yards, but the key word here is contain. If the Ravens can simply negate the big plays and keep him in check, then they’ve got a great chance at winning and with the talent they have on the defensive side of the ball and with Ray Lewis playing inspired in his last NFL game, you better believe the Ravens will bring it on Sunday. Eventually, it all boils down to the defensive line winning battles at the line of scrimmage and the linebackers flowing from sideline to sideline, shutting down the quarterback runs. A bi key for them is CONTAINING Kaepernick.
Photo by: Nick Wass / Associated Press
John must out-coach little brother Jim - In a game where both teams have so long to prepare and think about, coaching will be paramount and of course, for John Harbaugh, you don’t want to lose to your little brother on sports’ biggest stage. The two brothers know each other better than anyone and their relationship should create one of the most interesting match-ups on the entire field. John will have to be mistake-free in his decision making and not let emotions get in the way of what needs to be done. Both coaches are fiery and have plenty of will, but John needs to be smarter and more disciplined than Jim to win the day.
We are finally only hours away from finding out who will represent the AFC and who will represent the NFC in Super Bowl XLVI. The “experts” have had their say as to who will win, but now yours truly is putting on the prognostication hat to pick the winners of the AFC and NFC Championship games. Both games promise to be great TV viewing, as the New England Patriots host the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC and the San Francisco 49ers host the New York Giants in the NFC.
The Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots will meet in the postseason for the second time in three years, though this time a Super Bowl berth is at stake. (Winslow Townson, AP)
At first glance last week I thought the Baltimore Ravens didn’t stand a chance in this game after being thoroughly outplayed by a depleted Houston Texans squad. I really believe had the Texans had adequate quarterback play, they would be playing the Patriots this week for the AFC Championship. In fact, I believe the Texans are a healthy quarterback away from winning their own Super Bowl. In my mind, Houston was on a direct path to being the number one seed in the AFC if it weren’t for the injuries to the quarterback position. However, the Baltimore Ravens have lived to fight another day and will be ready to play the Patriots. As I wrote earlier this week, the Ravens have got to play better in all phases of the game in order to win. Especially offensively where we all know it begins and ends at the quarterback position. The quarterback position has always been a topic of conversation for the Ravens and to some extent, it still is. The biggest question, for me, is whether or not Joe Flacco can do enough to propel the Ravens to victory. Listen, do I think the Ravens can win? Yes, absolutely. However, it’s not about Ray Rice or Ray Lewis or Ed Reed. It’s about Joe Flacco. I believe it’s going to be up to him to make a play that lifts the Ravens over the hump.
Brady and Lewis will match wits in the AFC Championship Game. (Getty Images)
On the other side, the Patriots defense has been atrocious all year and a lot of the defensive short-comings have been covered up by the Patriots explosive offense. That said, the Ravens defense presents the toughest challenge the Patriots offense has faced this year. The Ravens defense will have to capitalize on the opportunities given to them. Last week, despite intercepting T.J. Yates 3 times, the Ravens dropped quite a few balls that could – and should have been – intercepted. If those types of opportunities present themselves today, the Ravens have got to take advantage in a big way. They will have to get a score from their defensive unit in this game to assist in offsetting their offensive short-comings. While we know how explosive the Ravens can be, not sacking Yates one time last week is a frightening thought; due to the fact that the only way to slow the Pats down is by pressuring Brady. Baltimore hasn’t given up 100 or more receiving yards to opposing TEs in a while, but when was the last time there was a combo like Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez? Also, there’s been a lot of focus on Ed Reed leading up to this one. Reed is one of the best safeties in the game, but the Patriots offense will minimize his impact on the game. New England throws more short passes and screens than they do long passes. Therefore, Reed will most likely be helping with coverage on one of the TEs, leaving the middle of the field open.
I know Terrell Suggs told us not to doubt “his boy” because there aren’t many quarterbacks you could compare to “his boy.” Well, Suggs, you are right. We can’t compare Joe Flacco to Tom Brady because that would be flat out idiotic. Your boy may have a 5-3 career playoff record , but New England’s golden boy trounces those numbers, and he has the rings to prove it.
If there’s one advantage the Ravens do have it is on offense. If the Pats allow Rice to be a factor in both the passing and running game, this will end up like their 2009-10 playoff matchup. And as has been the case all season, the Patriots secondary is their weak-spot. New England has to hit and pressure Flacco, or else he will have a field day throwing down field to Boldin and Torrey Smith.
The key for New England in this one will be to stretch out drives and wear down Baltimore’s defense. Let Tom Brady not only control the game, but let him take over. We know he doesn’t like to lose, and this is the perfect game for some revenge. In some cases defense does win championships, but as aforementioned, New England has never lost an AFC Championship game at home. Numbers never lie.
Prediction: Patriots in a dog fight that will end closer than you may think.
I’ve been basically picking against both of these teams for the majority of the season and look where they are now. What makes it even worse is that this might be the best matchup in the NFC this year besides the Packers and Saints in Week 1. So now what?
Eli Manning of the New York Giants drops back to pass against the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park. (Nov. 13, 2011) || Photo Credit: Getty Images||
Both teams are coming off huge victories and are simply playing smash-mouth football. Their defenses are amongst the best in the league, which could make for a low scoring game. Yet, this game will feature two first-round draft picks, which could make for a high scoring game.
Unlike in the AFC matchup, defense will be the factor to winning this game. Alex Smith showed a lot of adversity and dedication last week, leading a game-winning drive with just nine seconds on the clock. Smith made accurate passes and great plays all game which contributed to their victory. On the other side, Eli Manning did the same exact thing, using his tandem of receivers en route to triumph against the defending champs.
Justin Tuck, Jason Pierre-Paul and Osi Umenyiora have emerged this post-season and possess the ability to control the tempo. San Fran has some play-makers too, but New York is playing like a team that just can’t be stopped. They won their week 13 rematch against Green Bay last week, and I think they’ve got a great chance to win their week ten rematch against the 49ers this week.
And just remember, you can’t spell “elite” without Eli!
Prediction: Once again, my rooting interest prevents me from giving an honest and un-bias opinion so I’ll just sit back, relax, enjoy the show while rooting hard for Big Blue.
Ravens QB Joe Flacco endures one of five sacks in Sunday's divisional playoff win vs. Houston. (By: Eileen Blass, USA TODAY)
Can the Baltimore Ravens offense keep up with New England’s explosive offense? More importantly, can Joe Flacco do enough to keep up with Tom Brady? I’m not the only one asking these questions, Flacco’s teammate Ed Reed took time to voice his opinion on his quarterback earlier this week.
“I think a couple of times he needed to get rid of the ball. It just didn’t look like he had a hold on the offense… He can’t play like [he did against the Texans].”
Joe Flacco has given the Ravens organization and their fans something they haven’t had – security and consistency to the quarterback position. Think about it. You have to realize, the likes of Trent Dilfer, despite winning the Ravens a Super Bowl, only started a grand total of eight regular season games for them? Look at how dire this list is. Before Flacco, the Ravens cycled through fifteen different starting QBs in a span of 12 years. I looked at that list and literally could not remember Randall Cunningham ever playing for this team. The turnover in Baltimore was so fast, you barely had time to notice. Remember Anthony Wright?
Ravens fans – most of them anyway – are incredibly loyal to Flacco because because he was able to bring some semblance of order to a chaotic situation. The problem is that may be ALL he brings. He’s like a pitcher who gives you lots of innings without ever having an ERA below 4.00. Flacco has taken the Ravens to the playoffs his first four seasons. No other QB has done that, but let’s be honest: It’s not as if Flacco has been solely responsible for those playoff runs, not when the Ravens consistently feature a good defense and a healthy running game.
For all the criticism that Mark Sanchez has had to deal with from Jets fans and through the media, statistically speaking – Sanchez has more road playoff victories than any other quarterback ever. You don’t see that little stat keeping Jets fans from wanting him booted out the door. And with good reason, because Sanchez is a thoroughly average, maybe even a below average quarterback.
Flacco may be better than Sanchez, but you’d be shocked at how close of a contest it is. Flacco’s numbers over his career have remained almost exactly the same. He always throws ten to twelve picks. He always throws 20-25 touchdowns. And he always passes for 3,600 yards (three years in a row). There’s been no indication that he’s actually improving. Keep in mind, this is with the Ravens handing him more and more weapons each year to work with (Ray Rice, Anquan Boldin, etc.). In fact, Flacco’s completion percentage this season (58%) was the worst of his career. At this point, he may be as good as he’ll ever be. There’s no reason to think he’ll suddenly make a leap and start playing like Aaron Rodgers.
That’s a real problem, because the Ravens need Flacco to play at a higher level if they want to start winning Super Bowls with him at the helm. Sunday is the biggest game of Flacco’s life. If he can somehow pull out a 250-300 yard game with 5 touchdowns, then maybe all of us, even Ed Reed, got Joe Flacco wrong.
The NFL divisional playoff game garnering the least attention this year is between the Houston Texans and the Baltimore Ravens. The Texans will be visiting the Ravens in Baltimore, and they’ll be the underdogs to try to emerge with a victory. For Baltimore, it’s their first shot in a very long time to have a playoff game at home, so they’ll be cherishing that opportunity and looking to capitalize on their home field advantage.
Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh, left, and Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak shake hands after their game in Baltimore on Oct. 16, 2011. A 29-14 Baltimore victory (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
The Ravens are used to being the road warriors in the postseason. Joe Flacco and coach John Harbaugh have not gotten to play at home in the playoffs yet, ever, before this game. They’ve had good success on the road too in past playoff appearances, but it’s simply much harder to get the job done. But they scratched and clawed all season long for the privilege, and beat the Steelers twice in order to lock up the AFC North division, as well as a first round bye.
So they’ll be at home in this game, and they were an excellent team at home all season long. Their work on the road was suspect, and they suffered several large letdown games as the road team this year. But at home, they were undefeated and went 8-0 during the regular season, something the Texans probably don’t want to be reminded about.
For guys like Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, this season might be their best shot to win another Super Bowl. With Ray Rice being one of the most dynamic backs in the league, Terrell Suggs being a beast, and both of those guys still playing at a very high level, this is a Ravens team that is hard to match up with, and a dangerous team to face when they get things clicking.
The Texans meanwhile enjoyed their first playoff game ever, and of course their first postseason win in team history, last weekend against the Cincinnati Bengals. But beating the suspect Bengals at home is one thing, and heading into Baltimore with a third string quarterback is an entirely different thing.
These two teams met in the regular season, in Baltimore, and the Ravens were able to win handily. That was when Houston had Matt Schaub in the lineup, and not number 3 QB TJ Yates. That doesn’t bode well for the Texans here. The Baltimore players, and the crowd, are going to be extremely fired up for this one and the rare home playoff game opportunity. They’ll come out firing on all cylinders, and they’ll lock up the win with strong play on both sides of the ball. Take Baltimore to win, although maybe Houston makes it interesting
The Packers didn’t go undefeated, but one of the 15 games they did win a Week 13 game at the New Meadowlands, a 38-35 win thanks in part to a 31-yard field goal by Mason Crosby as time expired.
Since that point, each team has lost just one game, but the prevailing public opinion is that the Giants are playing their best football of the season and have as good a chance as anyone to knock off the top-seeded Packers this season.
While that is certainly a possibility, New York will have to play extremely well in a number of facets of the game.
If the Giants are going to have success this weekend, they are going to need to put pressure on Aaron Rodgers. They can’t just blitz the house, because Rodgers will prey on the single coverage in the secondary and light up the scoreboard. New York needs to rely on Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, Jason Pierre-Paul and Chris Canty up front to not only apply pressure, but also keep Rodgers in the pocket so he can’t makes plays on the run.
On the other side of the ball, the Giants have to prevent turnovers at all costs. The Packers have a penchant for capitalizing on turnovers, but taking care of the ball on offense keeps the ball out of Rodgers’ hands. New York cannot waste possessions, as Green Bay can put up 40 on even the best defenses, and the Giants will need every possible chance to score.
The Giants could have a great day on offense, but there’s a strong consensus that the Packers will have an even better one. My rooting interest prevents me from giving an honest and un-bias opinion so I’ll just sit back, relax, enjoy the show while rooting hard for Big Blue.
Hey folks, I’m very sorry for all of the issues with the blog as of late. Apparently, these hackers don’t have anything better to do so they decide to screw with the blog. Granted, they have made my life difficult over the last week or so but I will not let them win. This is a battle they will not win, I can promise that!
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Ok, now on to the business at hand. Here in Baltimore, this time of year means its all Ravens all the time. As the Ravens prepare to make a playoff run starting next week, changes could be changes looming in their front office.
photo courtesy of Baltimore Sun
The St. Louis Rams have requested permission to interview DeCosta for their vacant director of player personnel position, which is the same position DeCosta holds with the Ravens. The Rams aren’t alone in pursuit of DeCosta. Reports link the Indianapolis Colts to DeCosta also. The Colts would like to interview DeCosta for their general manager opening, according to league sources. He has long been considered the eventual successor to G.M. Ozzie Newsome and t’s unknown whether he would leave Baltimore. Jeff Zrbiec of the Baltimore Sun reports the Chicago Bears have requested permission to speak with DeCosta also. It’s also believed that the Oakland Raiders have interest as well.
The Ravens have become an organization with sustained success on the field and behind the scenes, particularly in the draft. With DeCosta appointed as the director of player personnel, the Ravens drafted Terrell Suggs, Haloti Ngata, Jarret Johnson, Ray Rice, Ben Grubbs and Joe Flacco among others. With that track record and run of success, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that DeCosta has become such a hot commodity.
Zrebiec continues by saying that it would take an ideal situation for DeCosta to leave the Ravens and pass up the chance to eventually succeed current GM Ozzie Newsome.
As the Ravens prepare for next week and await the Texans, Broncos, or Steelers its worth noting that a front office hit losing a franchise mainstay like DeCosta – who has been with the Ravens since the beginning in 1996 – would certainly impact the Ravens short term and long term. The Baltimore Ravens front office has always been a well oiled machine and the blueprint for other teams in the league, however, when/if they lose DeCosta a huge void will have to be filled.
Maybe it’s the unseasonably warm weather, or the absence of NBA games that were supposed to have already started, or that I haven’t heard a whole lot about this year’s Black Friday mega-deals, but it sure seems like Turkey Day snuck up on me this year.
Of course, you are probably almost as excited about watching an entire day of football as you are enjoying the best (and likely biggest) meal of the whole year and the company of loved ones.
Like cooking out and baseball on July 4th, and college football (and hopefully not too much of a hangover) on New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving and NFL football combine to make one of the greatest days of the year for sports fans.
This might be the best Thanksgiving football schedule that I can remember.
Packers @ Lions 12:30p.m. TV: Fox
NFL football on Thanksgiving Day in Detroit is a tradition that goes all the way back to the 1930s, but over the last decade the Lions have been out of the postseason race by Turkey Day.
This year is a little different.
The much-improved Detroit Lions will take on the red-hot Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in the first of three exciting games scheduled on Thanksgiving Day.
Adding to the excitement of this game, the Packers come to Detroit as NFL’s only undefeated team left in the 2011 season, and they are the first unbeaten team to play on Thanksgiving in 50 years.
But this game will be no cake walk for the Pack.
This game is one of the most anticipated games in Detroit Lions football history in almost a decade, and the Lions come into this big Week 12 game with confidence.
Last year the Lions beat the Packers at Ford Field, after knocking QB Aaron Rodgers out of the game early. You can bet Lions DT Ndamukong Suh and the Detroit defense will be up for the challenge.
The pick: Lions in a shootout 37-34
Dolphins @ Cowboys 4:15p.m. TV: CBS
Just a few weeks ago, this game might have seemed like a dud, but the Dolphins have surged to 3 straight victories, including this past week’s 35-8 drubbing of the Buffalo Bills.
Once considered the frontrunners in the “Suck for Luck” sweepstakes, the Dolphins are showing signs of life and competing every week behind quarterback Matt Moore and Reggie Bush, who is starting to resemble the Reggie Bush of years past.
Dallas comes in at 6-4 and tied for the NFC East lead. Say what you will about the Cowboys’ postseason failures and Tony Romo’s lack of clutch play, the fact is that Romo and his team are dominant in November. In November, as a starter, Romo is 18-2 with 49 touchdown passes against only 12 interceptions in his career.
The Dolphins are going to come back to earth sometime, and I expect that to be now. On a short week, traveling to Dallas, Miami will struggle in all phases, and I see Dallas rolling over them and staying atop the NFC East.
The pick: Cowboys 27-16
49ers @ Ravens 8:20p.m. TV:NFL Network
Yours truly will have a first-hand front row seat for this one. The Brothers Harbaugh square off against one another for the first time as NFL head coaches, with Jim Harbaugh’s 49ers, a surprising 9-1 and the runaway leader of the NFC West traveling to face John Harbaugh’s Ravens, who are tied for the AFC North lead after beating the Cincinnati Bengals last week.
These teams are built similarly, with punishing defenses (the 49ers are 1st against the run, the Ravens are 3rd) and elite, multi-purpose running backs (Frank Gore and Ray Rice). The winner of this game will likely be the team who is able to have more success running against the other’s front 7.
Of concern for the Ravens is getting Rice consistent touches. This season, Rice has averaged just over 14 carries per game, which for a star back is not nearly enough. He is a valuable part of the receiving game too, with 51 receptions, but the Ravens need to find a way to establish Rice early and often.
The Ravens’ game plan lately has been a pass-heavy attack, but Joe Flacco is not Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees; he is not the type of quarterback who can give his team the best chance to win by consistently throwing over 35 times per game.
I think the 49ers will be able to run on Baltimore, especially if Ray Lewis were to miss the game (he is questionable currently with a toe injury that forced him to miss the Cincinnati game). As long as Alex Smith is able to play conservative, mistake-free football like he has done in the first 10 games this year, I think the 49ers win.
However, I’m having a hard time convincing myself that Alex Smith will be able to play conservative, mistake-free football for four quarters against the Ravens defense. Ray Lewis’ playing status changes things, but it doesn’t change the fact that Alex Smith must avoid the big mistake. I think the 49ers will give the Ravens all they can handle but in the end, it’s the Raven defense that makes the big play to gain victory.
The Oakland Raiders have decided to promote Hue Jackson from offensive coordinator to head coach, after the franchise more than doubled its scoring in his first year as offensive coordinator.
No formal formal press conference has been announced as of yet to introduce Jackson to the media, The news of Jackson’s hiring is coming exactly two weeks after the Raiders announced that ex-head coach Tom Cable would not be back for another season.
Raiders owner Al Davis said in a statement:
“The fire in Hue will set a flame that will burn for a long time in the hearts and minds of the Raiders football team and the Raider Nation.”
Jackson was considered the best candidate for the job as soon as Cable was let go. This will be the first head coaching job for Jackson.
He was hired one year ago to oversee the offensive line and created an immediate transformation in the team. The Raiders scored twice as many points in the 2010 season than they did in the 2009 season, and avoided an eighth successive losing streak by winning eight games this season. The players are also eager to play under Jackson as evident by Raiders tight end Zach Miller who said:
“I’m excited about Hue getting the head coaching job, I really like the direction our offence is going and how much we improved. This was the best offensive year we’ve had since I’ve been a Raider. I’m excited to have the continuity.”
The team scored 410 points this season, putting them sixth in the league. Big plays from Jacoby Ford, a standout season from Darren McFadden, and being led by Jason Campbell made a big change this year in terms of offence.
Jackson has great relationships with the entire team, on both sides of the ball. The defence enjoys the competitiveness that he brought with him to daily practices. Quentin Groves, linebacker, posted on his Twitter feed:
“Congrats to Hue Jackson … This is gonna be a great ride!!!”
The Raiders won all six of the games in their own division, AFC West, but only two games out of their ten other ones. They are the first team since the modern football league was created to have a perfect record against their division and still not make the playoffs.
As for Jackson’s coaching history, it’s quite extensive. More recently, before serving as the Raiders offensive coordinator, Jackson was the Quarterbacks coach with the Baltimore Ravens where he has taken accolades for jump starting Joe Flacco’s career. Prior to Baltimore, Jackson was a receivers coach and offensive coordinator with both Atlanta and Cincinatti. Jackson’s affilation with Baltimore could result in Jackson selecting some coaches off of the Ravens staff. In fact, the Baltimore Sun echoes those sentiments by saying that Jackson’s hire in Oakland could most certainly shake up the Ravens staff.
Here’s the real question: is it a blessing or a curse to work for Al Davis and the Raiders? Good luck, Hue.
The Baltimore Ravens dropped a 31-24 nail-biter against arch-rival, Pittsburgh Steelers, at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, ending their season.
The Steelers bounced back from a 21-7 halftime deficit to outscore the Ravens, 24-7, in the second half of the game. The score was tied at 24 with only three minutes left in the game, but two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Ben Roethlisberger did what many, including myself, have come to expect from him, leading Pittsburgh to a game-winning touchdown.
Pittsburgh will now advance to the AFC Championship for the fourth time in seven years, and will face the winner of the New York Jets-New England Patriots.
While the Steelers trailed by two touchdowns at the half, it was the Ravens who fell apart in the in the second half as the team they love to beat most came back to knock them out of the postseason. The Steelers are 9-0 against division teams in the postseason.
The Steelers were trailing 21-7 after turnovers created two Ravens touchdowns. But they came back with the help of three Baltimore turnovers in the third quarter. It was so bad, the Ravens’ minus-4 yards in offense wasn’t the worst of it; they ended with 28 yards in the second half. Baltimore was outgained 263-126.
One of the key cogs fueling the rivalry by the two teams, Hines Ward caught the tying touchdown summed things up by giving the Ravens some buliten board material heading into next season.
“What better way to put the Ravens out of the tournament, they keep asking for us and we keep putting them out of the tournament. They’re going to be ticked about this for a long time.” - Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward
You’ve got that right Mr. Ward.
Later in the third quarter, Joe Flacco overthrew tight end Todd Heap, and Ryan Clark returned the interception 17 yards to the 25. Three plays later, Roethlisberger found ol’ reliable Ward, absent in the offense most of the day, for an 8-yard touchdown pass and it was tied at 21.
Along the sideline, the Ravens had the look of a team that couldn’t believe it had squandered the lead — and couldn’t figure out how to get it back. They never did.
“All you can do is take a shot at being great, our guys did that all year. We just weren’t great enough today to win the football game.” – John Harbaugh
Carving up the NFC’s top-seeded team, Rodgers threw three touchdown passes, ran for another score and led the Green Bay Packers to their second straight postseason road victory with a stunning 48-21 rout of the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday night.
The Packers will have to win one more on the road to complete their improbable run from sixth seed to the Super Bowl, but nothing looks out of the question the way Rodgers is playing. He’ll lead Green Bay into the NFC championship game at either Chicago or Seattle next weekend.
Rodgers completed 31 of 36 passes for 366 yards, more than Brett Favre – the guy he replaced in Green Bay – never threw for in a playoff game.
On Sunday, a heated rivalry was confirmed when the Baltimore Ravens smothered the Kansas City Chiefs 30-7 at Arrowhead Stadium, paving the way for a meeting with their despised division foe from Pittsburgh, the Steelers.
Whenever these two teams get together, you can be sure there will be plenty of blood oozing on the field. Saturday at Heinz Field will be no exception.
For slightly more than a half, the Chiefs went toe to toe with the favoured Ravens, actually building a 7-3 lead on a brilliant 41-yard scamper by by the speedy Jamaal Charles that sent the raucous throng of 72,190 shoehorned into Arrowhead Stadium into a frenzy.
But Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco answered back with an outstanding 11-play, 80-yard drive at the end of the half that culminated with a nine-yard scoring strike to Ray Rice, putting the Ravens up 10-7 heading into the intermission.
The Ravens would never trail the rest of the way.
The turning point, however, came early in the third quarter with a call that will be second guessed in these parts for the entire offseason.
Facing a fourth-and-a-half-yard situation at the Ravens 34, the Chiefs opted to go for the first down instead of trying for the tying field goal. That’s not an issue. Instead of just plunging up the gut, however, the Chiefs curiously pitched the ball wide to Charles, who was stuffed for a four-yard loss.
Why try such a risky play call against such a lightning-quick defence like the Ravens have instead of trying to grind out six inches? Only the Chiefs coaching staff knows for sure.
In any event, the Ravens reeled off the next 20 points, earning themselves a trip to Heinz Field on Saturday. Steelers versus Ravens next weekend. Yes please!
Aaron Rodgers did his thing through the air but in a surprising twist, the Green Bay Packers also discovered a running game to complement Rodgers’ right arm as they bounced Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday afternoon in the final game of wild-card weekend.
James Starks, a rookie running back who played three season at Buffalo University, was the surprise of the afternoon as he rumbled for 123 yards on 23 carries to set a rookie rushing post-season record for Green Bay. On the season, Starks had just 29 rushes for 101 yards but given the opportunity Sunday, he literally ran with it.
With the win, Green Bay advances to play the Falcons next Saturday night in Atlanta.Rodgers threw three touchdown passes in notching the first playoff victory of his career.
Vick, meanwhile, has his storybook season of redemption come to a close as the Eagles offence sputtered most of the afternoon and played the majority of the first half without breakaway receiver DeSean Jackson who suffered an injury to his left knee. The Eagles cause wasn’t helped any by two field goal misses, from 41 and 34 yards, by the usually reliable veteran David Akers. The Eagles made a game of it in the final quarter when they drove 75 yards on 13 plays with Vick plunging over from inside the one on fourth down with 4:08 to play to make it it 21-16 Green Bay. They went for the two-point convert but it was ruled no good as tight end Brent Celek stepped out of the end zone just prior to making the catch. After being assessed a five-yard penalty the Eagles got a second shot from the seven and it was also no good as Vick threw the ball away to avoid being sacked. The result meant the Eagles needed a touchdown to win it instead of a field goal to tie and they got their chance as the Packers were forced to punt following the two-minute warning.
The Eagles took over at their own 34 with 1:45 to play and moved down to the Packers 27.
But on third and 10, Vick tried for the home run but his throw into the end zone to Riley Cooper was short and it was picked off by Tramon Williams with 33 second left to seal Green Bay’s win.
Next Saturday night it’ll be Green Bay traveling to Atlanta to take on the Falcons, the NFC number one seed.
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