| 2nd January 2007 10:54 AM |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
12 questions clearing up the puzzle of the NFL playoffs
Updated 1/2/2007 12:53 AM
USA Today
As the NFL playoffs prepare to enter the first weekend of what will lead to Super Bowl XLI on Feb. 4 at Miami's Dolphin Stadium, USA TODAY's Jarrett Bell runs through a dozen questions football fans should consider as the 12 teams make a run for the championship.
Q: Can the New York Jets shock the world as "Broadway Joe" Namath did?
A: That rookie coach Eric Mangini has taken the Jets to the playoffs is among the NFL's biggest surprises. The Jets rank 25th on offense, 20th on defense. They have 25 takeaways — and 25 giveaways. They won only once against teams with winning records.
But with quarterback Chad Pennington bouncing back from double shoulder surgery, the Jets won a wild-card spot because they are smart and disciplined. The defense allowed only 17 first-quarter points the last 11 games. Never mind that a year after going 4-12 they benefited from a last-place schedule.
Mangini, the NFL's youngest coach at 35, learned under Bill Belichick's wing and faces his old boss in the playoff opener. Like Belichick, Mangini constantly tinkers with lineups and game plans. Now it gets much tougher.
Q: Have injuries neutralized the bite of the Chicago Bears defense?
A: After not yielding 300 yards to any opponent during a 9-1 start, the Bears have allowed at least 327 in the last six games. It coincides with the season-ending loss of all-pro defensive tackle Tommie Harris (hamstring injury) and not having starting corners Nate Vasher (hamstring) and Charles Tillman (back) in the lineup together in a month.
Chicago also has missed big-play safety Mike Brown (foot surgery in October). It adjusted with Todd Johnson and Chris Harris complementing rookie Daniel Manning. But it is more difficult to cover for Harris, whose quick burst provided inside pressure.
Q: Will Marty Schottenheimer's playoff history haunt the San Diego Chargers?
A: Shula. Halas. Landry. Lambeau. Noll. The legends are the only NFL coaches with more wins than Schottenheimer, whose 200th regular-season victory Sunday locked up the No. 1 seed for the Chargers.
But Schottenheimer, 5-12 in playoff games, has never taken a team to the Super Bowl. In addition to two heartbreaking losses to the John Elway-led Denver Broncos when he coached the Cleveland Browns, Schottenheimer lost playoff openers after his Kansas City Chiefs earned the No. 1 seed in 1995 and 1997.
In 2004, when Schottenheimer guided the Chargers to a 12-4 record and division crown, they lost their playoff opener to the Jets. This time he has rushing leader LaDainian Tomlinson and a big-play defense. But of the last 12 teams to earn the No. 1 seed in the AFC, only three advanced to the Super Bowl.
Q: Will pass defense do in the Dallas Cowboys?
A: The Detroit Lions' Jon Kitna fired four touchdown passes against them Sunday, just as the Atlanta Falcons' Michael Vick did two weeks earlier. The New Orleans Saints' Drew Brees lit them up for five TD passes. Bill Parcells' No. 24 pass defense has shown little evidence lately of withstanding a formidable opponent.
The Cowboys allowed 11 TD passes in the first 12 games. They allowed 14 in the last four. Opposing quarterbacks averaged 300 passing yards and picked on cornerback Anthony Henry and even heralded safety Roy Williams. The pass rush, which lost outside attacker Greg Ellis (torn Achilles' tendon) in mid-November, hasn't helped. Just three playoff teams have fewer than Dallas' 34 sacks.
Q: Will Reche Caldwell become a proven "go-to" receiver for the New England Patriots?
A: Since his first full season as a starter in 2001, Tom Brady has never passed for fewer than 3,500 yards — and never had a 1,000-yard receiver. The September trade of former Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch to the Seattle Seahawks contributed to growing pains in the passing game.
Caldwell produced 760 yards on his 61 catches, lowest for any playoff team's receiving leader. Sunday's win at the Tennessee Titans offered hope: The fifth-year pro, signed after sputtering in San Diego, had a career-high 134 yards and his first TD in six weeks. In the three previous games he had 52 yards total.
The Patriots, who still rely on 14th-year vet Troy Brown (43 catches), need Caldwell. Another Brady favorite, star tight end Ben Watson (49 catches), has missed the last three games with a knee injury.
Q: Can Shaun Alexander and Matt Hasselbeck save the Seattle defense?
A: The fast tempo the Seahawks prefer on both sides of the ball was absent when Alexander and Hasselbeck missed significant stretches in the middle of the season. So was the consistency. With a high-powered offense last season, Seattle had an 11-game winning streak and 13-3 finish. This season it backed into a division title and just snapped a three-game losing streak. Seattle scored 20 fewer touchdowns and allowed 15 more with a secondary susceptible to big pass plays.
Q: How much more power can the Chiefs extract from Larry Johnson?
A: L.J. had 416 carries, breaking the mark of 410 set by former Atlanta running back Jamal Anderson in 1998. Johnson, who finished second to Tomlinson with 1,789 rushing yards and had 410 receiving yards, accounted for 43% of the Kansas City offense. Three of his 11 100-yard games came vs. run defenses ranked among the top seven. Now he faces the Indianapolis Colts, who have the worst run defense. When he carried at least 20 times this season, he topped 100 yards.
Q: Has coach Andy Reid found a new chapter in the Philadelphia Eagles' playbook?
A: Some funny things happened en route to the Eagles' fifth NFC East title in six years. Donovan McNabb (knee) was lost in November, but Jeff Garcia played like a quarterback with Pro Bowl flashbacks. The defense started to resemble an aggressive, Jim Johnson-coordinated unit. And the pass-happy coach, who went to the air at least 60% of the time the last two seasons to lead the league, started calling more running plays.
During the four-game winning streak before Sunday's meaningless finale, Reid called runs nearly 51% of the time. Brian Westbrook's 1,217 rushing yards eclipsed his previous high by 405 yards and didn't preclude a team-high 77 catches for 699 yards. After three NFC title losses and a Super Bowl loss, perhaps the more potent run attack will be the clincher.
Q: Why could Bob Sanders be key to the Colts' success?
A: Potent rushers of all shapes and sizes have befuddled the Colts, who have the league's worst run defense. They have yielded 173 rushing yards a game, including nine games when a runner topped 100. Maybe a return by Sanders, a Pro Bowler last year, can make a difference. A pit bull of a safety, he has played in four games and only twice since Week 2 because of a knee injury. There were no 100-yard runners in his last three games. Getting Sanders into the flow should help put the ball back in Peyton Manning's hands.
Q: What are the Saints going to do next with electric rookie Reggie Bush?
A: Bush's most consistent impact has come in the passing game, with a team-high 88 catches. But he has become more comfortable in different roles — always a threat to take it the distance. He won a game with a punt return and had four TDs to go with his first 100-yard receiving day. He had a career-long 74-yard catch and run vs. the San Francisco 49ers and followed three weeks later with his first 100-yard rushing day in the win at the New York Giants. His versatility will be key.
Q: How much should the Baltimore Ravens worry about Jonathan Ogden's big toe turf injury?
A: Perhaps no team could use a bye as much as the Ravens. Battle-scarred quarterback Steve McNair can always use a break. It's even better for perennial all-pro Ogden, who missed the last two games. True, the Ravens thrived without their massive left tackle. In consecutive wins that secured the bye, they didn't allow a sack. Yet Ogden, 6-9, 345 pounds, is the heart and soul of a line that allowed the second-fewest sacks (17). Looming are potential matchups vs. Indianapolis' former NFL sack leader, Dwight Freeney, and the new NFL sack king, San Diego's Shawne Merriman.
Q: Will Tiki Barber spark the Giants and become this season's Jerome Bettis?
A: In what could have been his final NFL game, Barber rushed for a franchise-record 234 yards and three touchdowns vs. the Washington Redskins to help his team earn a playoff berth. The Giants needed the boost after losing six of their previous seven games. In six of the previous eight games, Barber rushed for fewer than his 23 carries vs. Washington, when the plan leaned more on inconsistent quarterback Eli Manning.
Some credit for Saturday's win is due Kevin Gilbride, who was handed play-calling last week. Still, it will be much more difficult for Barber, fourth in the NFL with 1,662 rushing yards, to get a Super Bowl sendoff as Bettis did. Bettis' Pittsburgh Steelers had a ferocious defense. No 2006 playoff team has allowed as many points (22.6 a game) and yards (342.4) as the Giants.
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| 2nd January 2007 11:00 AM |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
Aussies make NFL playoffs
January 02, 2007 12:00am
Herald Sun
It's the first time two Australians have reached the post-season, marking a milestone which Australia's national coach believes will trigger a flurry of countrymen breaking into the league.
While McBriar and the Dallas Cowboys secured their play-off berth two weeks ago, former Geelong AFL star Graham's New York Jets only sealed their spot yesterday with a convincing 23-3 win over the Oakland Raiders.
Both sides are now through to Monday's (AEDT) sudden-death wildcard playoff matches.
But they face tough assignments.
New York takes on serious Superbowl contender New England, while Dallas will also be the underdog against Seattle.
McBriar leads the NFL in punting with an average of 48.2 yards per kick.
He last week became only the second Australian after former San Diego punter Darren Bennett to be selected for the end-of-season NFL Pro Bowl game.
Former Geelong captain Graham is also enjoying a good season, averaging 44.2 yards per kick and helping the Jets to a surprise playoff berth in what was expected to be a rebuilding year.
And Paul Manera, coach of Australia's developing national side, said the best was yet to come.
"This is something that is going to grow and I have no doubt you are going to see a lot more Australian punters in the NFL and from that it's just going to generate a lot more interest in the game here," said Manera who, like McBriar, played college football at the University of Hawaii.
"As Australian coach I'm getting more and more players from the AFL contacting me seeing if we can get them opportunities overseas.
"The NFL is starting to see that Australia has athletes that can play at their level ... and there is absolutely no reason why the NFL couldn't have all 32 punters from Australia."
Manera said Graham and McBriar were successfully following the path paved by former West coast and Melbourne AFL player Bennett, who had a successful NFL career spanning 11 years.
"Since Bennett did what he did, more players are following in his footsteps," he said.
"Having these guys performing is encouraging kids to play and encouraging people to look at the sport."
Bennett reached the playoffs twice, once each with San Diego (1995) and Minnesota (2004).
Graham, 33, who joined the Jets in 2005 and McBriar, 27, who joined the Cowboys in 2004, are only the fourth and fifth Australians to play in the NFL.
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| 2nd January 2007 01:55 PM |
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| Nellcote |
Joey's Chiefs made the playoffs!
Beat Indy, then we can really get "jacked & pumped" (see Pete Carroll when he was Patriots coach) |
| 2nd January 2007 02:24 PM |
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| rasputin56 |
Pete Carroll! I was just thinking about all the Petey the Poodlisms after seeing a pic in the paper of him today. Jacked and pumped (which has many meanings) is just a hair below the "er, um" after Borges layed into him at a press conference years ago. |
| 2nd January 2007 02:27 PM |
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| gimmekeef |
Thank God the playoffs are here....and we dont have to hear from that Browns guy...again this year!...With the fourth pick of the 2007 draft.....The Cleveland Browns select........and a collective groan is heard....... |
| 2nd January 2007 02:30 PM |
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| Nellcote |
Borges continues to keep his putz status intact.
Does he ask questions at the pressers, I hope they
unplug his mike, he's a loser. |
| 2nd January 2007 02:34 PM |
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| Some Guy |
Saturday January 6, 2007
[edit] AFC: Kansas City Chiefs at Indianapolis Colts
1 2 3 4 Total
Chiefs 0
Colts 0
at RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana
* Game time: 4:30 p.m. EST (2130 UTC)
* TV announcers (NBC): Tom Hammond, Cris Collinsworth, Bob Neumeier. [1]
[edit] NFC: Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks
1 2 3 4 Total
Cowboys 0
Seahawks 0
at Qwest Field, Seattle, Washington
* Game time: 8:00 p.m. EST/5:00 p.m. PST (0100 Sunday UTC)
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, John Madden, Andrea Kremer. [1]
[edit] Sunday January 7, 2007
[edit] AFC: New York Jets at New England Patriots
1 2 3 4 Total
Jets 0
Patriots 0
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST (1800 UTC)
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms
[edit] NFC: New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles
1 2 3 4 Total
Giants 0
Eagles 0
at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
* Game time: 4:30 p.m. EST (2130 UTC)
* TV announcers (FOX): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver, Chris Myers |
| 2nd January 2007 02:37 PM |
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| Nellcote |
Sunday's games line up to be the best.
High drama all around...
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| 2nd January 2007 02:44 PM |
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| Some Guy |
Falcons fired head coach. |
| 2nd January 2007 05:03 PM |
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| Nellcote |
Mortenson on ESPN is reporting Saban is chasing the dough @ 'Bama. Who's next in line Chevy? What are your ground sources reporting.... |
| 2nd January 2007 05:07 PM |
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| TampabayStone |
quote:
Some Guy wrote:
Falcons fired head coach.
Gruden better have us in the hunt next year or he can go too. We will have the picks and the dough. There will be no excuses!!
 |
| 2nd January 2007 05:08 PM |
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| TampabayStone |
[quote]Nellcote wrote:
Mortenson on ESPN is reporting Saban is chasing the dough @ 'Bama.
[quote]
Can't blame him if he does. |
| 2nd January 2007 05:10 PM |
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| Nellcote |
Yes, but sure is killing his rep, as less than a month ago, he was adamant towards not leaving.
Talk about a front office in turmoil, reminds me of the J E T S from 2000 |
| 2nd January 2007 05:17 PM |
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| Some Guy |
quote:
TampabayStone wrote:
Gruden better have us in the hunt next year or he can go too. We will have the picks and the dough. There will be no excuses!!
this thread needs a tight end. |
| 2nd January 2007 05:18 PM |
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| TampabayStone |
 |
| 2nd January 2007 05:24 PM |
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| Some Guy |
Vida? |
| 2nd January 2007 05:27 PM |
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| TampabayStone |
quote:
Some Guy wrote:
Vida?
Si Senor!
 |
| 3rd January 2007 11:00 AM |
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| Nellcote |
'Phins fans rejoice-Fraud Saban is GONE TO 'BAMA.
He's on a plane as I type this....
And to think him going to the 'Phins was a good idea.
He informed Huizenga by phone, and his assitants by speakerphone, what a quality guy!
I guess Huizenga is an easy target, I should go and shake him down for 4 mil a year....
Good thing is, he will never come to the NFL again with that rep...
[Edited by Nellcote] |
| 3rd January 2007 11:07 AM |
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| TampabayStone |
quote:
Nellcote wrote:
'Phins fans rejoice-Fraud Saban is GONE TO 'BAMA.
He's on a plane as I type this....
And to think him going to the 'Phins was a good idea.
He informed Huizenga by phone, and his assitants by speakerphone, what a quality guy!
I guess Huizenga is an easy target, I should go and shake him down for 4 mil a year....
Good thing is, he will never come to the NFL again with that rep...
[Edited by Nellcote]
Not so many Huizenga fans here in Tampabay! |
| 4th January 2007 02:09 PM |
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| Some Guy |
I'm gonna go:
KC
Dallas
NE
Philly. |
| 4th January 2007 02:15 PM |
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| TampabayStone |
quote:
Some Guy wrote:
I'm gonna go:
KC
Dallas
NE
Philly.
Indy
Seattle
NE
Philly |
| 4th January 2007 02:19 PM |
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| Some Guy |
quote:
TampabayStone wrote:
Indy
Seattle
NE
Philly
Falcons are trying to get Steelers coach if he leaves. |
| 4th January 2007 02:20 PM |
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| TampabayStone |
quote:
Some Guy wrote:
Falcons are trying to get Steelers coach if he leaves.
Seems like a good idea. I think he sits out a year though. |
| 4th January 2007 02:22 PM |
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| Some Guy |
quote:
TampabayStone wrote:
Seems like a good idea. I think he sits out a year though.
maybe it was one of the assistants. It's gonna be a big year, tater. |
| 4th January 2007 02:32 PM |
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| TampabayStone |
Don't call me tater. |
| 4th January 2007 02:35 PM |
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| Some Guy |
tater haters. |
| 4th January 2007 03:50 PM |
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| chevysales |
quote:
Nellcote wrote:
Borges continues to keep his putz status intact.
Does he ask questions at the pressers, I hope they
unplug his mike, he's a loser.
you got to admit he is funny with some of his stuff where ever he gets it? |
| 4th January 2007 03:54 PM |
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| chevysales |
quote:
Nellcote wrote:
Mortenson on ESPN is reporting Saban is chasing the dough @ 'Bama. Who's next in line Chevy? What are your ground sources reporting....
bellicheck!
parcells!
cowher!
shula!
please god not mike mularkey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
haven't stopped listening to 790theticket all day yesterday and today.
damn saban had not even wanted to come back last sept is whats being reported....
he is being crucified for the way it went down... calling his coaches on speakerphone once he already landed in tuscaloosa.
not good.
now just beat the lousy stinkin' jets will ya  |
| 4th January 2007 03:55 PM |
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| chevysales |
quote:
Nellcote wrote:
Yes, but sure is killing his rep, as less than a month ago, he was adamant towards not leaving.
Talk about a front office in turmoil, reminds me of the J E T S from 2000
worse
as this is/was aproud franchise... the jets well you know. |
| 4th January 2007 03:56 PM |
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| chevysales |
quote:
TampabayStone wrote:
thats tite for sure |
