Player of the Week - Joe Flacco
The best player this week might have been Matt Ryan, but his inability to hold onto a snap kind of hurts his chances here. That said, Matt Ryan was great in that game. Anyway, Joe Flacco had an average 1st Half as the Ravens' tried to establish a running game to really mixed success. In the 2nd Half, the Ravens said "Screw It, let's go down swinging," and they turned the offense back to Flacco, and boy did Joe deliver. Flacco went 16/22 in the 2nd half with three TDs. He was great finding matchups to exploit. He stood tall in the pocket and delivered strikes right before being hit hard by guys like Wilfork. For the second straight year, a QB called himself 'elite' before the season started, and that backed it up with a great three-game run to get to the Super Bowl. I have to think some other QB tries it before next season. My guess: Matt Stafford.
Runner Up: Vernon Davis; It is hard to give him too much credit when the Falcons are about as bad at covering TEs than any team ever, but Davis was a beast on Sunday. He complained, and rightfully so, that he wasn't a big part of the offense since Kaepernick replaced Smith, but when Kaepernick threw to him in the NFC Title Game, he caught the ball and caught it for big gains.
Had I done this last week - Colin Kaepernick; Runner Up: Shane Vereen
Goat of the Week - Tom Brady
Oh yeah, he's back. Tom Brady has escaped criticism for that performance mainly because the Patriots had great luck and a great defense back in 2001-2004 (work that out and you'll understand), but he was not very good in that game. He bounced passes to open receivers. He didn't throw screen passes on target. He missed Wes Welker deep in the beginning of the game. He threw two interceptions in the 4th quarter (imagine if a Matt Ryan or Tony Romo did that), and he barely completed half his passes. Pressure wasn't even the cause here like it was in Super Bowl XLII or the 2005 Divisional loss to the Broncos. The worst play might have been when Brady eschewed running for a 1st down of 4th and 4 because Haloti Ngata was going to hit (most likely after Brady had picked up the necessary yards) and decided to throw a 4th down pass to no one. Not a good day for a man who knows a thing or two about goats.
Runner Up: Harry Douglas; he's the guy who found himself wide open in the 4th Quarter at the 49ers 30 or so, but stumbled, almost didn't catch the ball, and made a potential NFC Title Game winning drive continue.
Had I done this last week - Rahim Moore; Runner Up: Dom Capers
Surprise of the Week - Colin Kaepernick, the Comeback Player
The one question a lot of people (including me) still had about Colin Kaepernick was if he could throw the 49ers back into a game if they fell down early. The only real evidence of this that we had was the 49ers game in Seattle, where they fell behind early and Kaepernick looked lost. Well, he was put in a situation where his team was down 17-0 on the road in a place that is very tough to win in, and he delivered. Admittedly, the run game outside of Kaepernick was stellar (great game by Frank Gore), and it wasn't like Kaepernick had an Aaron Rodgers' like performance, but Colin Kaepernick answered that final challenge. Even if he has a bad game in the Super Bowl, I think it is safe to say that Jim Harbuagh's decision wasn't wrong.
Runner Up: The Ravens Secondary; People were quick to make the loss of Aqib Talib into a major talking point of the AFC Title Game, but the Ravens were without their best corner for most of the year (Lardarius Webb). Their three main corners are Corey Graham (surprisingly good), Cary Williams (average), and Cykie Brown (yeah). And they played great. They were able to contain that offense, remove any deep threat, keep everything short, and pound the Patriots receivers. Bravo to them.
Had I done this last week - Zach Miller; Runner Up: Torrey Smith
Disappointment of the Week - Another Average Late-Window AFC Title Game
Unlike the first two weekends of the playoffs where matchups and location can alter the schedule, you know which conference will host the first or second Title Game in a given year. In even-year seasons ('08, '10, '12 etc.) the AFC hosts the second Title Game, and that usually hasn't been a good thing. The second Title Game is the fun one, the better time-slot, but other than one absolutely epic game (2006 AFC Championship Game), the AFC has underwhelmed in the limelight. We have had this past game, the lifeless 24-19 and 23-14 wins by the Steelers over the Jets and Ravens (neither game was really as close as the score). We also had the Patriots 41-27 win in Pittsburgh in 2004 which really wasn't as close as the score. Before that was the 2002 game where the Raiders beat the Titans 41-24. Alternately, the last three NFC Title Games in the late window (the '07, '09 and '11 seasons) have been absolutely great games that went to overtime. So, great expectations for 2013.
Runner Up: The Falcons Ability to Cover Tight Ends; OK with that random tidbit over, let's get to another one. How can the Falcons be that bad at covering TEs again? The Falcons in many ways played the same game from the divisional round, jumping up to a big lead and then blowing it. And in both games, part of the reason the lead was blown was because the Falcons showed no knowledge of how to stop a TE. They just let Vernon Davis run free. Just bizarre.
Had I done this last week - The Broncos Defense; Runner Up: Aaron Rodgers
Team Performance of the Week - The Falcons' Big Three Targets
The Falcons lost this game because NaVarro Bowman blatantly held Roddy White, because Roddy White slipped (which admittedle undercut my point) and because Matt Ryan couldn't hang onto a snap. The Falcons were that close to winning because of Matt Ryan, but more because of how well Roddy White, Tony Gonzalez and Julio Jones played. Jones and White nabbed high passes all day. They destroyed a good secondary. Julio Jones is a special talent, and the Falcons were absolutely right to trade up for him in the 2011 draft. Tony Gonzalez might be retiring, but he is going out still playing great football. Roddy White hasn't slowed down at all and is more explosive and efficient since Matt Ryan doesn't have to throw to him 180 times. The Falcons are well set going forward in one area.
Runner Up: The Patriots Punting Unit; I'm going to hate on the Patriots a lot in this piece, so why not give them credit. It was strange seeing Belichick opt for punting in so many high-leverage situations (4th and 2 on the opening drive, and the 4th and 7 & 8 at the Ravens ~35). But the one saving grace in those decisions was that Zoltan Mesko pinned the Ravens deep each time. He is a very good directional punter. Of course, it didn't help Belichick's case that after the punts from inside the opponents' 40, the Ravens drove 90 and 87 yards for TDs.
Had I done this last week - the Ravens defense; Runner Up: the 49ers offense
Team Laydown of the Week - The Patriots Offense
The Patriots from 2007-2012 in games that Tom Brady started are 65-15 in the regular season. They are also 5-5 in the playoffs (3-5 in their last 8). The Patriots have played 10 playoff games since their last true road playoff game (@IND in the 2006 AFC Title Game), and they are 5-5 in those games. Again, they are a .500 playoff team in their last five seasons without ever being the road team in any of those games (they were also the favorite in all ten games). The Patriots have scored over 500 points in 2007, 2010, 2011 and 2012, and they scored just 16.25 ppg in their playoff losses those five seasons. They just had the worst home Title Game loss for a team (15 points) since the 2002 Eagles. They were 67-0 when leading at halftime at home with Tom Brady starting, and not only lost this game but were outscored 21-0. That was, in every way, an embarrassing loss that people are trying to explain away. It isn't. Final stat. Peyton Manning QBed teams have lost 5 home playoff games by a combined 14 points. The Patriots just lost a home playoff game by 15 points.
Runner Up: The 49ers Secondary; Dashon Goldson, Donte Whitner, Carlos Rogers, Tarrelle Brown and Chris Culliver had a great year all season long. The 49ers play a bunch of 2-deep man coverage and play it really well. Well, in the NFC Title Game, they most certainly didn't play well. Goldson bit embarrasingly on the first Julio TD. They had no answer for either Jones or White. Not a great performance for them, and they'll need to be a lot better in the Super Bowl.
Had I done this last week - the Falcons defense in the 2nd Half; John Fox's Balls
Storyline that will be Beat Into the Ground - The Harb-Bowl
It is obvious isn't it. We'll hear about this for two solid weeks, but in a way, it is kind of amazing. Here are two brothers who have reached the top of their profession in very different ways (John the conventional rising through the ranks, while Jim being an average QB then doing great things in college), and now they are coaching against each other in the Super Bowl. But then again, they aren't playing against each other. They aren't going to hit each other. They are close as it is, so there isn't some bad blood to build off of. Just remember, if the two Mannings ever meet each other in the Super Bowl, the amount of coverage that would get would make this look like nothing.
Storyline that Should be Beat Into the Ground - The Conclusion of Something Good vs. The Beginning of Something Great
The Ravens have been a very good team for a long time. Their offense has stabilized in the Harbaugh era with Flacco at QB, and with that they have turned occasional playoff appearances (four in seven years from 2000-2006), into five straight, but all of it is coming to an end. Ray Lewis is retiring. If they win, Ed Reed might follow him. The Ravens defense already had slipped before this brief renaissance in the playoffs. The Ravens are at the end of a great run, and can cap a great 13 years of football with a second ring. The 49ers on the other hand are just beginning. They proved that 2011 was no fluke, and they've improved their offense since then. The 2012 49ers are more sustainable (I would argue they would be with Alex Smith - who was playing GREAT before his concussion). They are young everywhere. They will have to find a way to replace Justin Smith if his effectiveness drops, but the rest of the defense is young. They are so young and deep that their 1st round pick (a WR) did nothing all year long (as in never even saw the field). They are just a great franchise right now, and they can start something special with a win in this game. This is either the crowning of some careers are the catalyst for a dynasty.
More Super Bowl stuff to come.
The best player this week might have been Matt Ryan, but his inability to hold onto a snap kind of hurts his chances here. That said, Matt Ryan was great in that game. Anyway, Joe Flacco had an average 1st Half as the Ravens' tried to establish a running game to really mixed success. In the 2nd Half, the Ravens said "Screw It, let's go down swinging," and they turned the offense back to Flacco, and boy did Joe deliver. Flacco went 16/22 in the 2nd half with three TDs. He was great finding matchups to exploit. He stood tall in the pocket and delivered strikes right before being hit hard by guys like Wilfork. For the second straight year, a QB called himself 'elite' before the season started, and that backed it up with a great three-game run to get to the Super Bowl. I have to think some other QB tries it before next season. My guess: Matt Stafford.
Runner Up: Vernon Davis; It is hard to give him too much credit when the Falcons are about as bad at covering TEs than any team ever, but Davis was a beast on Sunday. He complained, and rightfully so, that he wasn't a big part of the offense since Kaepernick replaced Smith, but when Kaepernick threw to him in the NFC Title Game, he caught the ball and caught it for big gains.
Had I done this last week - Colin Kaepernick; Runner Up: Shane Vereen
Goat of the Week - Tom Brady
Oh yeah, he's back. Tom Brady has escaped criticism for that performance mainly because the Patriots had great luck and a great defense back in 2001-2004 (work that out and you'll understand), but he was not very good in that game. He bounced passes to open receivers. He didn't throw screen passes on target. He missed Wes Welker deep in the beginning of the game. He threw two interceptions in the 4th quarter (imagine if a Matt Ryan or Tony Romo did that), and he barely completed half his passes. Pressure wasn't even the cause here like it was in Super Bowl XLII or the 2005 Divisional loss to the Broncos. The worst play might have been when Brady eschewed running for a 1st down of 4th and 4 because Haloti Ngata was going to hit (most likely after Brady had picked up the necessary yards) and decided to throw a 4th down pass to no one. Not a good day for a man who knows a thing or two about goats.
Runner Up: Harry Douglas; he's the guy who found himself wide open in the 4th Quarter at the 49ers 30 or so, but stumbled, almost didn't catch the ball, and made a potential NFC Title Game winning drive continue.
Had I done this last week - Rahim Moore; Runner Up: Dom Capers
Surprise of the Week - Colin Kaepernick, the Comeback Player
The one question a lot of people (including me) still had about Colin Kaepernick was if he could throw the 49ers back into a game if they fell down early. The only real evidence of this that we had was the 49ers game in Seattle, where they fell behind early and Kaepernick looked lost. Well, he was put in a situation where his team was down 17-0 on the road in a place that is very tough to win in, and he delivered. Admittedly, the run game outside of Kaepernick was stellar (great game by Frank Gore), and it wasn't like Kaepernick had an Aaron Rodgers' like performance, but Colin Kaepernick answered that final challenge. Even if he has a bad game in the Super Bowl, I think it is safe to say that Jim Harbuagh's decision wasn't wrong.
Runner Up: The Ravens Secondary; People were quick to make the loss of Aqib Talib into a major talking point of the AFC Title Game, but the Ravens were without their best corner for most of the year (Lardarius Webb). Their three main corners are Corey Graham (surprisingly good), Cary Williams (average), and Cykie Brown (yeah). And they played great. They were able to contain that offense, remove any deep threat, keep everything short, and pound the Patriots receivers. Bravo to them.
Had I done this last week - Zach Miller; Runner Up: Torrey Smith
Disappointment of the Week - Another Average Late-Window AFC Title Game
Unlike the first two weekends of the playoffs where matchups and location can alter the schedule, you know which conference will host the first or second Title Game in a given year. In even-year seasons ('08, '10, '12 etc.) the AFC hosts the second Title Game, and that usually hasn't been a good thing. The second Title Game is the fun one, the better time-slot, but other than one absolutely epic game (2006 AFC Championship Game), the AFC has underwhelmed in the limelight. We have had this past game, the lifeless 24-19 and 23-14 wins by the Steelers over the Jets and Ravens (neither game was really as close as the score). We also had the Patriots 41-27 win in Pittsburgh in 2004 which really wasn't as close as the score. Before that was the 2002 game where the Raiders beat the Titans 41-24. Alternately, the last three NFC Title Games in the late window (the '07, '09 and '11 seasons) have been absolutely great games that went to overtime. So, great expectations for 2013.
Runner Up: The Falcons Ability to Cover Tight Ends; OK with that random tidbit over, let's get to another one. How can the Falcons be that bad at covering TEs again? The Falcons in many ways played the same game from the divisional round, jumping up to a big lead and then blowing it. And in both games, part of the reason the lead was blown was because the Falcons showed no knowledge of how to stop a TE. They just let Vernon Davis run free. Just bizarre.
Had I done this last week - The Broncos Defense; Runner Up: Aaron Rodgers
Team Performance of the Week - The Falcons' Big Three Targets
The Falcons lost this game because NaVarro Bowman blatantly held Roddy White, because Roddy White slipped (which admittedle undercut my point) and because Matt Ryan couldn't hang onto a snap. The Falcons were that close to winning because of Matt Ryan, but more because of how well Roddy White, Tony Gonzalez and Julio Jones played. Jones and White nabbed high passes all day. They destroyed a good secondary. Julio Jones is a special talent, and the Falcons were absolutely right to trade up for him in the 2011 draft. Tony Gonzalez might be retiring, but he is going out still playing great football. Roddy White hasn't slowed down at all and is more explosive and efficient since Matt Ryan doesn't have to throw to him 180 times. The Falcons are well set going forward in one area.
Runner Up: The Patriots Punting Unit; I'm going to hate on the Patriots a lot in this piece, so why not give them credit. It was strange seeing Belichick opt for punting in so many high-leverage situations (4th and 2 on the opening drive, and the 4th and 7 & 8 at the Ravens ~35). But the one saving grace in those decisions was that Zoltan Mesko pinned the Ravens deep each time. He is a very good directional punter. Of course, it didn't help Belichick's case that after the punts from inside the opponents' 40, the Ravens drove 90 and 87 yards for TDs.
Had I done this last week - the Ravens defense; Runner Up: the 49ers offense
Team Laydown of the Week - The Patriots Offense
The Patriots from 2007-2012 in games that Tom Brady started are 65-15 in the regular season. They are also 5-5 in the playoffs (3-5 in their last 8). The Patriots have played 10 playoff games since their last true road playoff game (@IND in the 2006 AFC Title Game), and they are 5-5 in those games. Again, they are a .500 playoff team in their last five seasons without ever being the road team in any of those games (they were also the favorite in all ten games). The Patriots have scored over 500 points in 2007, 2010, 2011 and 2012, and they scored just 16.25 ppg in their playoff losses those five seasons. They just had the worst home Title Game loss for a team (15 points) since the 2002 Eagles. They were 67-0 when leading at halftime at home with Tom Brady starting, and not only lost this game but were outscored 21-0. That was, in every way, an embarrassing loss that people are trying to explain away. It isn't. Final stat. Peyton Manning QBed teams have lost 5 home playoff games by a combined 14 points. The Patriots just lost a home playoff game by 15 points.
Runner Up: The 49ers Secondary; Dashon Goldson, Donte Whitner, Carlos Rogers, Tarrelle Brown and Chris Culliver had a great year all season long. The 49ers play a bunch of 2-deep man coverage and play it really well. Well, in the NFC Title Game, they most certainly didn't play well. Goldson bit embarrasingly on the first Julio TD. They had no answer for either Jones or White. Not a great performance for them, and they'll need to be a lot better in the Super Bowl.
Had I done this last week - the Falcons defense in the 2nd Half; John Fox's Balls
Storyline that will be Beat Into the Ground - The Harb-Bowl
It is obvious isn't it. We'll hear about this for two solid weeks, but in a way, it is kind of amazing. Here are two brothers who have reached the top of their profession in very different ways (John the conventional rising through the ranks, while Jim being an average QB then doing great things in college), and now they are coaching against each other in the Super Bowl. But then again, they aren't playing against each other. They aren't going to hit each other. They are close as it is, so there isn't some bad blood to build off of. Just remember, if the two Mannings ever meet each other in the Super Bowl, the amount of coverage that would get would make this look like nothing.
Storyline that Should be Beat Into the Ground - The Conclusion of Something Good vs. The Beginning of Something Great
The Ravens have been a very good team for a long time. Their offense has stabilized in the Harbaugh era with Flacco at QB, and with that they have turned occasional playoff appearances (four in seven years from 2000-2006), into five straight, but all of it is coming to an end. Ray Lewis is retiring. If they win, Ed Reed might follow him. The Ravens defense already had slipped before this brief renaissance in the playoffs. The Ravens are at the end of a great run, and can cap a great 13 years of football with a second ring. The 49ers on the other hand are just beginning. They proved that 2011 was no fluke, and they've improved their offense since then. The 2012 49ers are more sustainable (I would argue they would be with Alex Smith - who was playing GREAT before his concussion). They are young everywhere. They will have to find a way to replace Justin Smith if his effectiveness drops, but the rest of the defense is young. They are so young and deep that their 1st round pick (a WR) did nothing all year long (as in never even saw the field). They are just a great franchise right now, and they can start something special with a win in this game. This is either the crowning of some careers are the catalyst for a dynasty.
More Super Bowl stuff to come.
