Instant Coffee: NFL Divisional Round Weekend

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Overview

The games were not as good as Wild Card Weekend. There was not a lot of drama except for a couple of late game comebacks that fell short. I also got my AFC selections wrong. However, I would have been 2-0 if I did the NFC preview. Nevertheless, the Divisional Round sets up two juicy matchups for next week. In the AFC, we are treated to another Tom Brady and Peyton Manning showdown as the New England Patriots face the Denver Broncos for a Superbowl berth. In the NFC, we get to see two divisional rivals, the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers who hate each other, meet for a third time for the right to represent the NFC in the Superbowl. While Brady and Manning have been the faces of the NFL in the last decade, Russell Wilson and Colin Kaepernick, are great young quarterbacks that have a chance to be the faces of the NFL for the next decade.

 

New Orleans Saints 15 Seattle Seahawks 23

It was a textbook win at home for the Seahawks with a power running game, great defense, and a disruptive crowd better known as “the 12th man”. Moreover, the weather limited the passing game of both teams. The game was won in the first half. Down 3-0, the Saints attempted a 45 yard field goal. However, their kicking game has been a problem all season and they missed the field goal. It gave the Seahawks great field position and they promptly drove down the field for a field goal of their own to go up 6-0. Next, the Saints running Mark Ingram fumbled in his own territory and it set up a Marshawn Lynch 15 yard touchdown run. The Seahawks added another field goal near the end of the half to go up 16-0. The Saints defense played very well to keep them in the game. The Saints fought all the way to the end and did have a couple of chances to tie the game. After the Saints finally scored in the fourth quarter with a touchdown and two point conversion to cut the lead to 16-8, the Saints had two drives to try to tie it. On the second drive, Brees threw a pass that should have been intercepted but deflected to Robert Meachem for a 52 yard gain. It was a break that the Saints needed. However, the Seahawks defense remained stout and forced a long field goal that had no chance against strong winds. The Seahawks would drive down the field for another Lynch rushing touchdown to go up 23-8. I give the Saints credit for not giving up. They drove down the field for another touchdown to cut it to 23-15 then recovered an onside kick with 26 seconds left. Brees completed two short passes to get closer for a hail merry attempt. Unfortunately, Marcus Colston should have stepped out of bounds on the second completed pass instead of trying to lateral across the field. It was a forward pass that resulted in a loss of down and a 10 second runoff that ended the game. While it was a terrible decision, chances of a successful hail merry was improbable. Of course, you still want to take the chance.

 

Saints quarterback Drew Brees was definitely uncomfortable in the conditions and had a difficult time throwing in the first half. It was made worse by the great defense played by the Seahawks. They held Brees to 34 yards passing in the first half. Moreover, the secondary completely neutralized Jimmy Graham. He has been historically great as tight end this year and was held to just one catch in garbage time. The Seahawks two All-Pro safeties, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor, played brilliant games. They had 11 and 14 tackles respectively and each had 2 pass deflections. The Seahawks fans showed again why they provide the best homefield in the NFL and earned their title as the “12th man”. The noise they generate is a real problem for opponents. In this game, it caused delay of games and the Saints to burn two key timeouts in the second half to avoid delay of games. While the Saints cut it to a one possession game in the fourth quarter and had multiple drives to tie the game, I never felt the Seahawks defense was in danger of giving up the lead. It felt like the Saints were in an uphill climb they could never complete. On offense, Marshawn Lynch was the star with 140 yards rushing, 2 touchdowns, and some devastating power runs. Quarterback Russell Wilson only had 103 passing yards. However, it was poor conditions to throw in and the Seahawks did not really need him with the running game and defense dominating the game. I do not worry about him. He will play great if his team needs him to. He made some big plays in key drives in the first half and completed a key pass to Doug Baldwin at the end of the game that set up the second Lynch touchdown.

For the Saints, they did well in a tough environment. If the game was played in New Orleans, I would have picked them to win the game. They never gave up and kept on fighting and made it a game against the best defense in the NFL. The Seattle Seahawks are the number 1 seed and favorites to win the Superbowl for a reason. It will be very difficult to beat them in Seattle next week. While the Saints have Brees and head coach Sean Payton, they will be contenders. They should also get excited about undrafted rookie running back, Khiry Robinson. He looked great in their two playoff games this year. As good as the Saints offense is, they can be even better if they can finally add true balance with a great running game.

 

Indianapolis Colts 22 @ New England Patriots 43

 

The first drive of the game set the tone and theme of the night: Andrew Luck threw an interception that set the Patriots up at the Colts 2 yard line and running back Lagerette Blount punched it in for a touchdown. A quick summary of the game are Luck’s 4 interceptions and Blount’s 4 touchdowns. Obviously, it is almost impossible for a road team to win in the playoffs if either happens and both happened. No one could have predicted Blount dominating the game with 166 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns. In total, the Patriots running backs ran for 235 yards and 6 touchdowns. The Patriots scored 43 points and Tom Brady did not throw a single touchdown pass. It is difficult to believe but it shows the brilliance in Brady and head coach Bill Belichick in adapting and getting the most out of whatever personnel they have. Going into the game, I thought the Patriots running game would be the major key to a victory. They lost their only game breaking receiver when tight end Rob Gronkowski went on I.R. While their receivers made some key plays in the game, they are average and cannot be relied upon heavily. Moreover, the offensive line had trouble protecting Brady this year. For these reasons, the monster game on the ground from Blount, complimented by Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen, is necessary. They will need a similar effort next week too. The Colts fell behind early and were playing catch up all night. While they had a lot of luck and Luck in an improbable comeback against the Kansas City Chiefs at home in Indianapolis, it is too steep of a hill to climb against Brady and Belichick on the road in New England.

 

In addition, the Patriots defense played well enough and received gifts from the Colts. While I cannot completely absolve Luck of all his culpability for his picks, he was not helped by his receivers. On his first pick, Lavon Brazill did not run the slant correctly and the corner jumped the route. On his second pick, the pass hit Stanley Havili right in the hands and bounced into the corner’s hands. The last two picks were forced in the second half in an attempt to make something happen against a large deficit and time running out. Moreover, the Patriots registered 3 sacks and generated enough pass rush in the second half to bother Luck. Nevertheless, he was able to maneuver the pocket and create enough time to burn them with some big plays. While a couple of those big plays went for long touchdowns, the Patriots defense was able to hold the Colts whenever they were in the red zone to hold them to field goals. Since the Colts were giving up touchdowns whenever the Patriots got into the red zone, the difference between surrendering touchdowns and field goals by the two defenses was a crucial factor in the game. The Patriots defense is no longer great. Similar to how this game played out, it will give up yardage and big plays but will bear down in the red zone and depends on turnovers. They also did a great job in containing T.Y. Hilton so he did not burn them the way he did it against the Chiefs. It was clear going into the game that Belichick would devise a scheme to handle Hilton. Eventually, I still believe the defense will not be good enough during these playoffs.

 

For the Colts, it is difficult to lose but it is a house money game. They were ahead of schedule last year when they made the playoffs. A playoff win this season is a good step forward. They know Andrew Luck will be their franchise quarterback for the next decade. Despite the results tonight, he still showed he is special. He is tough and fearless. He has a great arm and is very intelligent. Moreover, he is big and athletic. While he does not have game breaking speed, he is difficult to bring down and great at pocket presence and maneuvering in order to buy more time for his receivers to get open. Nevertheless, they need to improve the talent around him. Right now, they are a mediocre team overall with a great quarterback in Andrew Luck and great pass rusher in Robert Mathis elevating them to a playoff team. The first thing they need to improve is their offensive line and protect the franchise properly. Luck took way too much punishment from opposing defenses this season. Next, they need to give him a couple more weapons. Taking a flier on a talented receiver like Hakeem Nicks may be a good move for them. Finally, they need to upgrade the defense. Mathis is great but it showed that it is just not good enough giving up 44 points last week and 43 points this week. Their job is made more difficult since they traded their first round pick in the upcoming draft for Trent Richardson, who has been terrible. Nevertheless, Luck is young and gives them time to address these issues over the next few years.

 

San Francisco 49ers 23 @ Carolina Panthers 10

 

It was a physical game against two comparable teams. It was definitely chippy early with multiple penalties and the Niners getting under the skin of the Panthers. They are very similar in that they both have great defenses and great young quarterbacks poised to make their marks in the next decade. The Panthers took Cam Newton with the first overall pick. In the same draft, the 49ers took Colin Kaepernick, who was the 6th quarterback selected. The game was very well played and the teams were evenly matched in the first half. While the teams are similar, the 49ers have more weapons on offense with multiple reliable receivers and a great running back. They also have more players on the defensive end with a great secondary. These advantages and their past playoff experience came into play in the second half as the 49ers dominated and shut out the Panthers in that half. The Niners won the game and avenged a regular season loss in San Francisco. They will also return for a third consecutive trip to the NFC Championship game. The 49ers acquired Anquan Boldin for a game just like this one. Boldin dominated with 8 receptions for 136 yards. Since Michael Crabtree has returned from injury, the combination of the two has made the 49ers a much improved offense. If only one of them is playing, opponents can hone in on him and stifle the passing game. With both of them, opponents can take one away but the other can make big plays on you. It has played out that way in the last two games. Crabtree had a big game last week while Boldin had a modest game. The opposite happened this week. Big play, tight end Vernon Davis completes the trio of pass catchers. Whether or not Davis has a game with a lot of receptions and yards, he is always a touchdown threat. It showed in this game as his only catch was a key touchdown reception at the end of the first half that gave the 49ers a lead they would never surrender.

 

Of course, the Niners also have a great defense. Their three All Pro linebackers dominated the game. Navarro Bowman had 11 tackles and a sack. Patrick Willis had 11 tackles and an interception. Ahmad Brooks added 6 tackles and 2.5 sacks. Moreover, the Niners have an excellent secondary led by safety Donte Whitner who also had an interception. The defense made two key goal line stands in the first half and completely shut down the Panthers in the second half. In the Panthers’ only productive drive in the second half when they moved the ball and got to the Niners 29 yard line, the Niners defense sacked Newton on consecutive plays to stall the drive and force a punt. Newton was pressured the entire game and looked beat up by the second half. It definitely contributed to his ineffectiveness in that half. On the Panthers defensive side, they have a great front 7. They did very well holding the 49ers to two field goals for most of the first half. However, the Niners were able to convert in the red zone twice, once at the end of the second quarter and once at the beginning of the third quarter. Accordingly, red zone success was another determining factor in the game which demonstrates the advantages the 49ers have on both sides of the ball. Frank Gore was another advantage at the end of the game as he made key runs to keep the Panthers offense off the field. The 49ers played a complete game and have a complete team. They can beat you in every aspect of the game. They are the best equipped team in the NFC to challenge the Seahawks in Seattle. Nevertheless, they have a tall task ahead of them next week.

 

The Panthers had a great season winning the division and taking a big step forward with Cam Newton. He has shown he can put up big statistics in past seasons. He finally showed he can be a leader and play on a winning team this season. The 49ers are just a better team at this point. As such, it is definitely disappointing to lose but the Panthers should not be ashamed of the loss. As they move forward, they will need to get weapons for Newton. Steve Smith has been a great receiver and scored today but he is getting older. In addition, they have no real receiving threats outside of Smith and it shows against a top defense. On the defensive side, the Panthers have a great front 7. They generate pass rush and their linebackers are fast and cover a lot ground. Their secondary is not as strong and can be improved. However, I think the offense should be the priority. If they give Newton better weapons, the defense is already good enough to win big behind a better offense.

 

San Diego Chargers 17 Denver Broncos 24

 

My thought going into this game was that the Chargers would dominate the time of possession, like they did in the two regular season matchups, and keep the ball away from Peyton Manning. However, the Broncos flipped the script and possessed the ball for over 35 minutes by running the ball and utilizing a short passing game. It was crucial as the game was played in strong gusts of winds. The Chargers were only able to rush for 65 yards instead of the 170+ yards during the regular season win in Denver. Due to the ineffectiveness of the running game, they could not execute their keep away [from Peyton Manning] game plan. A big reason was the injury to Ryan Matthews. He is their best running back and had to leave the game after 5 carries and 26 yards. Without the explosive Matthews, the Chargers relied on Danny Woodhead who is a nice change of pace running back but not a player you can rely on. Nevertheless, the Broncos defense really stepped up during this game. Their front seven stuffed the run and put pressure on Rivers, including 4 sacks, to disrupt the Charger passing game. The Chargers did not score until the 4th quarter when they made a mad scramble to try to comeback. The Broncos defense will need to duplicate their performance against an excellent New England Patriots rushing attack next week.

 

The Broncos offense was not in complete sync but it did its job. Peyton Manning kept the Chargers defense off balance and continually drew the defenders offside. They scored early with two touchdowns to give their defense a comfortable cushion. When the Chargers were making a comeback in the fourth quarter, Manning led his troops and scored a touchdown to add to the lead. Later when the Charger offense cut it to a one possession game, they converted multiple first downs on the final drive to kill the rest of the clock to deny the Charger offense the ball and end the game. The Broncos showed their receiving depth again in this game. Demaryius Thomas is their big receiver and homerun threat. Wes Welker was injured at the end of the season. Nevertheless, his addition this season was significant as he is great at going over the middle and is an excellent possession receiver. He caught a touchdown today. Julius Thomas’s emergence as a big play tight end has also added a lot to the receiving core. Despite his fumble in the game, he came up with key receptions throughout the game to extend drives and get critical first downs in the final drive. Eric Decker did not even have to do much. These four players create a ton of matchup problems for every team. The Broncos offense has obviously done better during the regular season since they averaged over 37 points per game. Of course, one of the reasons they only scored 24 points was the conditions and the strong winds as evidenced by field goal misses by both kickers since they have been very accurate during the season. They will need their best game next week. If they play their A game, they should carve up the Patriots defense which is susceptible to big plays. It is winning the Superbowl or bust for the Broncos this year. They are another step closer to their goal.

 

For the Chargers, they had a very good season. They had a miracle end of the season to make the playoffs and won a playoff game. More importantly, Philip Rivers proved again that he is their franchise quarterback. Rookie Keenan Allen emerged as a big play wide receiver near the end of the season. He also showed it in the fourth quarter as he made big catch after big catch and caught two touchdowns in the Charger comeback attempt. Rivers and Allen will be a great combination going forward. While the Chargers do not have the elite talent and players they used to have, they have rebuilt a good core on both sides of the ball. They are a very dangerous team and need to continue to add weapons on offense for Rivers and playmakers on defense. Nevertheless, the goal needs to be to win a Superbowl while Rivers is still in his prime so they need to add those players as soon as possible.

Pat Wong

About Pat Wong

Patrick is a contributor for Rookerville. He is an avid sports fan. Before joining Rookerville, he was part of a defunct New York Yankees message board, NYYankeefans, where he was its top poster and was inducted in its Hall of Fame for his contributions. Patrick is also a passionate fan of movies. He has enjoyed reading movie reviews over the years and is excited about the opportunity to review movies.

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