Mattie T’s Wild Card Weekend Recap

We certainly saw some surprises over the weekend & now it’s time to discuss them…

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Star Performer of the Game: Colts RB Joseph Addai, who ran 25 times for 122 yards & scored a touchdown.

Colts DE Dwight Freeney on the team holding Chiefs’ RB Larry Johnson to 32 yards rushing despite having the worst run defense in the league: “We heard it all about having the worst defense. Now we can here this: We have the best run defense in the playoffs.”

Mattie T’s Thoughts:

This game was indeed absolutely stunning for two reasons.

1. The Colts’ run defense shutting down Larry Johnson.

I’m sure everyone around the country thought that LJ was going to “pulverize” Indianapolis & keep Peyton Manning off the field, but that never happened on Saturday.

Johnson’s 32 yards on 13 carries is the lowest rushing total for the 4th year back since he rushed for just 26 yards on 15 carries during the team’s Week 6 loss to Pittsburgh.

Indianapolis was so dominant on Saturday that they did not allow a 1st down from Kansas City until the 3:34 mark in the 3rd quarter.

2. The Colts winning despite 3 interceptions from Peyton Manning.

Manning looked uncharacteristically out of sync at times on Saturday, tossing 3 interceptions to keep the game close until his 6 yard touchdown pass to WR Reggie Wayne with 10:16 remaining in the 4th quarter.

2 of them were to Chiefs veteran CB Ty Law, who rang his interception total from Manning up to 5.

As a member of the New England Patriots during the 2004 AFC Championship Game, Law picked off Manning 3 times during the Patriots’ 24-14 win.

New England went on to beat Carolina 32-29 to win Super Bowl XXXVIII.

Kansas City’s only offensive touchdown of the game came on a 6 yard touchdown pass from QB Trent Green to TE Tony Gonzalez with 8 seconds remaining in the 3rd quarter.

Colts DE Dwight Freeney looked dominant on Saturday, recording 3 tackles, 2 sacks & forcing a fumble.

Indianapolis will now travel to Baltimore to face the #2 seeded Ravens on Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium.

The Colts franchise started in Baltimore from 1953-83 (won 3 NFL Championships & Super Bowl V over Dallas) before getting a franchise in Indianapolis in 1984.

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Star Performer of the Game: Patriots CB Asante Samuel, who recorded 3 tackles, deflected 3 passes & returned an interception 36 yards for a touchdown.

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick on his postgame hug with Jets head coach Eric Mangini:

“I’m not going to get into a postgame analysis here. Really, I’ve had enough of that.”

Mattie T’s Thoughts:

New England proved on Sunday that they are still a dangerous playoff team in the AFC, as they became the only team in the NFL over the past 4 seasons to win a postseason game.

The Patriots are also 15-0 when leading at halftime in the playoffs.

Where’s the love for Asante Samuel? He recorded his 12th interception on Sunday (tops among the 8 playoff teams that are still alive), yet didn’t receive a single vote for the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award.

Chris McAlister of the Baltimore Ravens is 2nd with 6 interceptions.

New England will now travel to San Diego to face the top-seeded Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium on Sunday.

The Patriots will try to hand the Chargers their first home loss in over a year, when they lost 23-7 to the Denver Broncos in Week 17 of the ‘05 season on New Year’s Eve.

That meeting was also Drew Brees’ last game with the Chargers.

Brees signed with the New Orleans Saints over the offseason & is a big reason why the Saints have completed an amazing 1 year turnaround from worst & first as one of the NFC favorites to reach Super Bowl XLI.

Chargers head coach Marty Schottenheimer is 5-12 all-time in the playoffs.

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Star Performer of the Game: Seahawks TE Jerramy Stevens, who caught 5 receptions for 77 yards & scored 2 touchdowns.

Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells on Tony Romo’s botched field goal snap that prevented his team from taking the lead late: “It was just one of those things. It looked like a good snap. I can’t tell you what happened after that. We’re an extra point from being down to the eight teams left. That’s what’s the hardest thing.”

Mattie T’s Thoughts:

This was definitely the most entertaining game to watch during Wild Card weekend & showed what the playoffs are all about.

With Dallas trailing 21-20 with 1:14 remaining, the Cowboys lined up for a chip-shot 19 yard field goal to take the lead.

Cowboys QB Tony Romo couldn’t get control of the snap, which forced him to dash down the left sideline in anticipation of scoring a possible game-winning touchdown.

But Romo was stripped of the football at the Seahawks’ 2 yard line by CB Ken Hamlin, which was recovered by DE Grant Wistrom.

Romo then slowly walked over to the Cowboys’ sideline with his head down in disappointment.

Dallas got 1 final chance to try & win the game, but Romo’s 50 yard Hail Mary attempt fell short as Seattle closed the book on one of the most memorable Wild Card games in NFL History.

Bill Parcells just completed his 4th season with the team (38-30 record, 0-2 in playoffs) & is already being linked to reports that he’s interested in returning to the New York Giants as the team’s general manager.

Parcells coached the Giants (85-52 record, won Super Bowl XXI & XXV) from 1983-90 and remains the franchise’s 2nd winningest coach in team history behind Steve Owen. (153-108-17 record in 22 seasons)

Cowboys WR Miles Austin had the team’s 1st kickoff return for a touchdown in the franchise’s playoff history with his 93 yard score with 5:57 remaining in the 3rd quarter.

Seattle will travel to Soldier Field to face the top-seeded Chicago Bears on Sunday in the NFC Divisional Playoffs.

Sunday’s game will be a homecoming for Seahawks WR Bobby Engram, who spent his first 5 seasons in Chicago.

Engram had his best game of the season on Saturday, catching 4 receptions for 88 yards during the win.

Seattle will be looking to avenge a 37-6 loss that was suffered at Soldier Field during Week 4.

Seahawks RB Shaun Alexander & TE Jerramy Stevens missed that Week 4 meeting due to injuries, but will play on Sunday.

Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren won his 12th career playoff game on Saturday, tying Bill Cowher for 5th best in NFL History.

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Star Performer of the Game: Eagles RB Brian Westbrook, who rushed 20 times for 141 yards & scored a touchdown.

Giants RB Tiki Barber on ending his career in Philadelphia after 10 seasons in the NFL: “This was one of the hardest places I’ve ever played in. It was fitting to come down here and play my last game.”

Mattie T’s Thoughts:

Thank you Tiki Barber for 10 great years of football.

If you want to know whether i think Tiki belongs in the Hall of Fame, my answer is yes.

Barber is just 1 of 3 backs in league history to rush for 10,000 yards & have 5,000 receiving yards during his playing career.

The other two are Marshall Faulk & Marcus Allen.

Barber finishes his career with 10,449 yards rushing, 67 touchdowns & and 5,183 yards receiving.

Once known as a fumble-prone back earlier in his career, Barber finished his final 2 seasons with just 4 fumbles, which is the lowest total for him since 1997-98. (Barber’s first 2 seasons in the NFL.)

Philadelphia snapped a 5 game losing streak to divisional opponents during the playoffs with Sunday’s win.

The Eagles will travel to the Superdome to face the #2 seeded New Orleans Saints on Saturday.

Eagles CB Lito Sheppard will miss Saturday’s game with a dislocated shoulder.

In the 5 previous games that Sheppard has missed this season due to injury, opposing quarterbacks have averaged 259.2 yards, 7 touchdowns & 4 interceptions. (Team has gone 4-1 during that stretch)

 
My Divisional Playoff Previews are coming up later in the week, so stay tuned!

Until then,

Mattie T

Sports Writer for BMS Radio Chicago

www.BMSRadio.com