Looking Back at Wild-Card Weekend
Arizona Cardinals 30
Atlanta Falcons 24
The Arizona Cardinals won a playoff game on Saturday.
The game set up and played out as a tale of two quarterbacks. Kurt Warner was the aging veteran who went from MVP to maybe he should retire in just three short weeks. Matt Ryan was the rookie with ice in his veins who would be unfazed by the big stage and pick apart a weak Arizona defense. Those beliefs were challenged on the very first possession for the Cardinals when Kurt Warner hit Larry Fitzgerald for a 46 yard touchdown over two Atlanta defenders. He would soon add a 71-yard touchdown to Anquan Bolden that finally had the Cardinals fans and all of their doubters believing that they could be seeing the first home playoff win in Arizona Football History.
The game did not go as planned for Matt Ryan either. Though the rookie of the year did set a record for most completions by a rookie in a playoff game, it was his mistakes which will resonate for the next 6-8 months. Ryan was sacked in the end zone for a safety and turned the ball over three times. His fumble was returned for a touchdown by Antrel Rolle early in the third quarter, with Atlanta up 17-14, and changed the complexion of the game.
It may have been a mistake that can’t be measured in numbers that cost the Falcons the most. The Arizona Cardinals were clearly able to pick up a tip as to when the ball would be snapped. The Cardinals appeared to be offsides all day, as they were that much quicker off the ball than the Falcons offense. DE Bertrand Berry said on the Jim Rome Radio Show that Matt Ryan never changed his snap count. That is a clear rookie mistake and one that stifled the Falcon offense. Atlanta had just 60 yards rushing, in large part because the Cardinals were playing on their side of the line of scrimmage all day.
Who would have thought coming into the weekend that Edgerrin James would outrush Michael Turner? Not me. James had 78 yards rushing in what is likely his last home game as a Cardinal. The league’s second leading rusher, Turner, managed just 42 yards on 18 carries.
The QB match-up is less of a surprise. Warner proved once again why he is one of the most under-appreciated talents in the history of the game, going 19-32 for 271 yards and two touchdowns. He threw one interception that bounced off a receivers hands. Ryan was far from bad, throwing for 199 yards and two touchdowns, but his turnovers loom as a very dark cloud over his first playoff game.
With Warner and James being the stars of the offense for Arizona, one has to note that playoff experience may have been an underrated factor going into this game. It won’t be easy for Arizona to have the same success in Carolina, but nobody gave them a chance this week either so who knows?
Atlanta can take solace in knowing that they best should be yet to come. They have a good coach, their franchise QB and an entire offense that looks set for a few years. With experience and some moves on defense they should be very good for the next 5-8 years.
San Diego Chargers 23
Indianapolis Colts 17
One Title. That’s what the Colts have gotten out of this nine year stretch of double digit victories. They have produced several hall-0f-famers, set records, and given their head coach security that he could work forever. Yet, they have just one title. The window is closing. Nothing lasts forever so you better take advantage of your opportunities. Just ask the Atlanta Braves. There’s no telling when it’s going to end.
A backup running back ran 22 yards through the Colts defense and once again ended the season of Peyton Manning and the Colts premature. Three MVP’s, one trophy. Not that Peyton was the reason the Colts lost. He wasn’t. The number reason for that was Darren Sproles. He finished with 328 all-purpose yards and has risen the question, are this year’s Chargers better off without LT?
It raises a question much older than that from Colts fans. Is it fair to have an overtime system where the MVP of the league never gets the ball in his hands with the game on the line? My opinion, if not stated before, is that this overtime system is the best fit for the NFL. The Colts had their chance to stop the Chargers. Of course, the officiating did them no favors. I don’t know that any of the calls were so bad that I’ll scream conspiracy, but the pass interference call was very close. The face-mask call on the play right before the TD may have deflated the defense which would explain the ease of the 22 yard scamper.
A somewhat improbable season continues for the Chargers. Nobody expected them to start 4-8 and once they did they were thought dead for the playoffs. They won all four games they had to win to get in and on Saturday night beat a playoff team for the first time all year. They have Sproles and their defense to thank for that.
The Chargers D held Indianapolis to just 17 points and one of those touchdowns came on the kind of bush-league crap only the Colts pull where they caught the defense switching personnel and scored on a 72 yard pass play. The Chargers atoned for that mistake when they sacked Peyton Manning on 3rd and 2 with time winding down to allow them another shot at overtime.
The Chargers now head east to Pittsburgh. The Colts will go home and try to figure out how, with so much talent, this team is only 7-9 in the playoffs in the Peyton Manning Era and has just 3 wins outside of the 2006 season.
Baltimore Ravens 27
Miami Dolphins 9
Ravens defenders caught almost as many passes as their receivers on Sunday. Ed Reed had as many touchdowns as the Dolphins. A Recipe for Victory in Baltimore.
The Miami Dolphins turned the ball over just 13 times in 2008, but thanks to an awesome performance from the Ravens defense, 2009 did not go so well. Chad Pennington threw four interceptions and they lost a fumble. Baltimore’s rookie head coach and rookie QB did what the Falcons could not. They won on the road in the playoffs, it was their 10th win in 12 games and their first playoff win in five years.
Miami’s season ends and they certainly have nothing to be ashamed of. After a 1-15 season in 2007 the Dolphins went 11-5 this year and won the AFC East. This game forces many to wonder if the fact that their schedule included the AFC and NFC West played a part in that turnaround.
The Ravens played Super Bowl caliber defense and special teams, their offense needs to earn those efforts this week in Tennessee.
Philadelphia Eagles 26
Minnesota Vikings 14
Yes, Eagles Fans, Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb have won another playoff game. Still want them gone? Well, maybe, but not just yet. Not until they get their shot at the Super Bowl Champion Giants, a team they beat just a few weeks ago in a place where they won that game.
After being shut down for 3 1/2 quarters and held to 58 total yards, Brian Westbrook had his biggest play of the year, going 71 yards on a screen pass to score the clinching touchdown. The Eagles also got a big play from their key off-season acquisition when Asante Samuel did what he does, returning an interception 44 yards for a touchdown.
The much maligned Andy Reid is now 9-6 in the playoffs and for those keeping track that is better than Tony Dungy in the same span. Though he does lack that elusive ring. A goal which is still very much alive this season thanks to his teams victory on Sunday.
The Vikings worst fears were realized…they are still a Quarterback away. Though Tarvaris Jackson played well against Arizona and Detroit, his lack of growth was on full display against the Eagles aggressive defense. He finished just 15-35 for 164 yards. The Vikings got a good performance from Adrian Peterson and the defense played well for most of the game. All of that was negated by a terrible performance at the most important position.
