Divisional Playoffs Recap

Two "upsets" this weekend, and we're down to a 4-team race. Let's take a look and see how it happened.

Indianapolis 15, Baltimore 6 - I'm not surprised that the Colts are in the AFC Championship game. They were, after all, my pre-season pick to be the AFC representative in the Super Bowl. But I have to admit that I'm stunned that the group most responsible for their wins over Kansas City and Baltimore...is the defense.

The same defense that ranked 21st in the NFL this year, and 32nd against the run, has stymied Larry Johnson and Jamal Lewis en route to allowing just 14 total points, and one touchdown, in 120 minutes of playoff football.

Peyton Manning throwing 2-3 interceptions in a playoff game is nothing new. In fact, that's been the norm. In previous years, his poor performances have led to losses. For some reason, that's not happening this year.

Will that trend continue? They've got the ultimate psychological hurdle to clear next Sunday. Indianapolis has shown that they can beat the Patriots. They've blown them out twice, in Foxborough, in the last two years. Those games were in October and November, though, and January is a completely different animal.

New Orleans 27, Philadelphia 24 - Everyone will certainly question Andy Reid's decision to punt the ball away when Philadelphia faced a 4th and 15 with less than two minutes remaining in the game. I understand his thinking: With two timeouts, if they can stop the Saints ground game, they'll get the ball back, perhaps with better field position.

That's all well and good, but the trouble with that is this: Philadelphia hadn't stopped Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush all day long.

New Orleans ran the ball 33 times for 195 yards (I'm not counting the Drew Brees kneel downs or Steve Weatherford's impromptu 19-yard fake punt run) against that Eagles defense, and it was clear that the Eagles defensive line was not going to hold the Saints for a three and out.

The annual problem with Andy Reid's teams showed itself once again. Even when playing the NFL's 23rd-ranked run defense, Reid treats running plays like their the salad portion of the menu. Only 40% of the plays Reid called were runs, so it's not surprising that New Orleans held the ball for nearly 36 minutes of the game. New Orleans stayed committed to the ground game, which wore down the Eagles defense, thus making Reid's decision to punt the ball away in the final two minutes even more questionable.

Chicago 27, Seattle 24 (OT) - Somewhere in Dallas, an offensive coach was sitting at home, watching the Seahawks-Bears game and was muttering "THAT'S what we should've done!".

Someone finally took advantage of the Seahawks' patchwork secondary yesterday, and his name is Ron Turner. The Bears offensive coordinator dialed up some deep passes, and Rex Grossman, Bernard Berrian and Rashied Davis torched the 'Hawks for a trio of passes that covered 30+ yards.

First, Grossman hit Davis down the seam for a 37-yard pass on a 3rd and 10 play that set up the Bears first touchdown of the game.

Second, Grossman hit Bernard Berrian on a deep pass for a 68-yard touchdown.

Third, Grossman finds Davis again for 30 yards on a 3rd and 10 play in overtime that set up Robbie Gould's game-winning 49-yard field goal.

And that was that. On two separate occasions in the games final 4 minutes, the Seahawks had the ball 9-10 yards outside of Josh Brown's field goal range. And on both times, Seattle shot themselves in the foot, or were knocked back by the Chicago Bears defense.

As it's been for most of the games this season, Seattle played well enough to win...and poorly enough to lose.

New England 24, San Diego 21 - Why are the Patriots going to the AFC Championship game next week? Well, they are the better team, but that's besides the point. The real reason: San Diego miscues and "Martyball".

San Diego spent much of the afternoon dominating the Patriots. (It's okay to admit this New England fans. Your team won.) New England struggled to stop LaDainian Tomlinson and Philip Rivers would have an unbelievable playoff debut had his receivers been able to hang onto the football. Despite the drops, fumbles, and poor decisions by Schottenheimer, San Diego led by 8 points with less than 5 minutes to go in the game.

And then the perfect storm hit. A boneheaded play by Marlon McCree, and Marty Schottenheimer right there to make an idiotic mistake to compound the problem.

On a 4th and 5 from the Chargers 41-yard line, Tom Brady inexplicably threw the ball towards a well covered Troy Brown 10 yards downfield. Marlon McCree jumped up and caught the ball, then begun his glorious return. Trouble was, Troy Brown stripped the ball free from McCree's hands and former Charger Reche Caldwell recovered it for a Patriots 1st down at the Chargers 32.

If McCree does the smart thing and knock the ball down, the game is likely over. But he didn't, and New England had new life. Not only that, but Schottenheimer made the situation worse by actually challenging the ruling on the field. A blind monkey could see that it was an interception and a fumble, but Marty pressed on and cost his team a timeout.

You know the rest. 5 plays later, Brady finds the aforementioned Caldwell for a touchdown, and New England jams the 2-point conversion home with remarkable ease. Tie ball game.

San Diego gets the ball back, does nothing and punts.

On New England's next possession, Caldwell, a Chargers reject, then burns San Diego's best cornerback, Quentin Jammer, for a 49-yard reception on 3rd and 10 that sets up the chip-shot game-winning field goal.

San Diego gets the ball back, clumsily drives down to the Chargers 36-yard line, but because they don't have any timeouts remaining (Hello Marty!), they're forced to attempt a field goal to force overtime. Nate Kaeding, who Schottenheimer didn't trust from 47 yards out heading in the same direction, is called upon to hit a 54-yard field goal, and his kick is wide right and short.

Game. Over.

Mac's Game Balls

Offense: Deuce McAllister, RB, New Orleans - McAllister was a beast that Philadelphia could not stop on Saturday night. 21 carries for 143 yards, most of them right up the gut. McAllister's best play? The juke he made on Philadelphia's Jeremiah Trotter on an 11-yard screen pass. McAllister nearly broke Trotter's ankles with his head fake, and once he was behind Trotter, his path to the end zone was clear.

Defense: Nick Harper and Antoine Bethea, DBs, Indianapolis - Bethea thwarted a Ravens drive early in the 2nd quarter, and Harper added an INT at his own 23-yard line in the 4th quarter. Harper earlier forced a fumble by Todd Heap that set up an Adam Vinatieri field goal. Turnovers are key in the post-season, and these two produced three of them in a defensive battle.

Special Teams - Adam Vinatieri, K, New..er, Indianapolis Colts - What more can you say about a 5 for 5 day kicking field goals on the road? This is exactly why the Colts signed him.

News and Notes

The Arizona Cardinals have a new head coach. Former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt signs a deal to coach the Cardinals, who recently canned Dennis Green. The Steelers offense has been solid the few seasons with Whisenhunt at the helm, and the Cardinals have a plethora of weapons on that side of the ball.

Whisenhunt going to the Cardinals likely means that Russ Grimm will be the new head coach in Pittsburgh. The Steelers brass were thought to be deciding between the two Pittsburgh assistants, and now that one isn't available, the other seems to be the logical choice.

There are still openings in Miami, Oakland, and perhaps San Diego. Chargers GM AJ Smith stated before the season that the Chargers needed to go deep into the playoffs to avoid a shakeup on the sidelines. Could a 14-2 regular season save Marty's Schottenheimer? Possibly. But I wouldn't be surprised to see him replaced with offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, who is one the league's "hot" candidates for the few remaining vacancies.

Seattle Seahawks center Robbie Tobeck is calling it a career. We'll miss you, Robbie.