In the first round of the NFL draft, most teams are looking for a player who can fill a need or make an impact quickly. The second round and beyond, though, is where good teams are really built. New England and Miami, both featuring top notch personnel staff, had great drafts. The San Francisco 49ers may have had their best draft weekend since 1994. Here are a few thoughts about what I believe are three of the best drafts in the league, as well as a quick list of sleeper picks.
Patriots Re-Stock Defense, Add Depth - Sometimes you’re not sure whether a player deserves the hype or not, then you see who drafts him and you think, “Yup, I guess he must really have it.” That was me with Patrick Chung. I liked watching him at Oregon, but I wasn’t sure if he was really as good as advertised or if he was just another decent college DB. But when the Pats made him their first pick, I knew.
New England used their next two picks to draft DT Ron Brace and CB Darius Butler, giving them three defensive players ranked in the top five at their positions. All three should give the team solid depth this season, and will likely step in to a long line of homegrown talents on the Pats defense. Brace is an especially intriguing prospect due to his size, and Bill Belichek is not often wrong when it comes to drafting defensive linemen in the first two rounds.
Strong Draft Shapes Fins at WR, DB - With Bill Parcells at the helm, is it any surprise that the Dolphins first five picks might all contribute next season? Cornerbacks Vontae Davis (25th) and Sean Smith (61st), both in the top 5 at their position, should see time in nickle and dime situations immediately. Also, with at least one CB spot up for grabs in Miami, whoever plays best in training camp could see a lot of time right away. Safety Chris Clemons (165th) is a candidate for special teams or the practice squad.
Three of the Dolphins top five picks, Pat White (44th), Patrick Turner (87th) and Brian Hartline (108th) were listed as WR’s, though in the wildcat offense White will likely line up at multiple positions. In fact, his running and passing skills could be the perfect addition to an offense that can now have White, Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams on the field at the same time. Turner and Hartline should also be given immediate chances to contribute.
At USC, Turner was an integral part of the Trojans offense over the last two seasons, catching a combined 97 passes for 1,310 yards and 13 TD’s. However, playing for college football’s most talented team may have actually stunted Turner’s stats, as his workload was effectively reduced due to all the talent around him. A big, aggressive receiver who runs good routes and has solid hands, Turner has the potential to catch 30-40 balls as a rookie. Also, be sure to look for him in the back of the end zone, where he’ll be catching a rollout pass or three from White or Brown.
Hartline, a fan favorite at Ohio State for his tough play and on-field leadership, should also see the field as a rookie. Another good route runner with good hands and NFL size and speed, he should see some time in three and four receiver sets, and his intangibles and toughness make him a good option on third down.
After Lucking in to Crabtree, 49ers Have Great Day 2 - San Francisco was gifted a great building block for their future when Michael Crabtree fell to them at 10th overall, and on day two added three more players who should work their way in to positional rotations. Glenn Coffee (74th) did not have a hugely noteworth career at Alabama, only becoming the full time starter in his senior season, but big games against LSU (26 carries, 126 yards, 1 TD), Auburn (20-144-1) and Florida (21-112-1) proved that his combination of size and talent could make him a special back. Frank Gore is the unquestioned starter in San Francisco, but a Gore/Coffee tandem could really batter defenses, and with Gore’s injury history Coffee may get more carries than people think as a rookie.
In the fifth round, the Niners grabbed LB Scott McKillop and QB Nate Davis, two sleeper-type players. McKillop is a tough, instinctive LB who is a solid tackler and very good in run support between the tackles, but he seems lacking in cover skills. San Francisco has had a good eye for linebackers in the past, and McKillop is a guy who could be groomed in to a solid contributor.
Davis, meanwhile, was a guy who over the last few months was projected all over draft boards, with some thinking he could even sneak in to the first round. Well, in the end he lasted until nearly the sixth round, and the Niners took him with their eyes on long term development. While it is plausible that Davis might not take a snap this season, three years from now he could be San Francisco’s starting QB, with Coffee lined up in the backfield and Crabtree split wide. If that happens, this will be remebered as the draft that truly started the resurgence of the 49ers.
Second Day Sleepers - In addition to Coffee, Turner, Hartline, McKillop and Davis, here are four other second day guys who might make teams regret passing on them:
Antoine Caldwell, C (Texans, 71st Overall) - Helped give Alabama one of the best offensive lines in college football over the last two seasons. Caldwell is a mauler with agility, a dangerous combination for an interior lineman, and he should see reps on the Houston line almost immediately.
Gartrell Johnson, RB (Chargers, 134th) - The Chargers know RB’s, that’s all there is to it. Johnson is not a high profile back, but with the recent success of Michael Turner, Darren Sproles and Jacob Hester, San Diego’s talent for spotting solid backs is undeniable.
Duke Robinson, OG (Panthers, 163rd) - Another player who was talked about as a possible first round selection, Robinson dropped ostensibly because of worries about his conditioning. There don’t seem to be many questions about his skillset, so if the Panthers can get him in to shape they might have an eventual starter on their hands.
Javon Ringer, RB (Titans, 173rd) - The Titans had to be surprised to find Ringer still on the board at the end of the fifth round. Concerns about multiple knee injuries earlier in his career might have scared some teams away, but if Ringer can stay healthy he could be the most productive Michican State player drafted since T.J. Duckett.
The future of the 2009 NFL Draft will be interesting to watch, as it goes for any draft featuring little separation in the level of talent available. With few (if any) franchise type players on the board, teams had to be inventive, resourceful and lucky to get what they needed. Here are a few of my thoughts on how the first round shook out:
Seahawks Make the right Choice - I have to start with the ‘Hawks here, and first I’ll say that they got exactly what they wanted. GM Tim Ruskell made some waves regarding Mark Sanchez, and played coy saying that Seattle had a list of four players they’d be comfortable taking, but with the trade of Julian Peterson the obvious first choice was Curry. He should make a great sidekick for Lofa Tatupu, though with Leroy Hill now in limbo who might fill the third LB spot is suddenly up in the air. No matter what happens though, the ‘Hawks should be able to count on a solid contribution from Curry immediately, and the defense should make big strides because of that. Also, I (and I’m sure may other Seahawk fans) let out a huge sigh of relief when the ‘Hawks opted to stay away from Sanchez. I don’t think he’ll develop in to a starter in the NFL and frankly I was starting to get a little worried that Ruskell’s Sanchez-posturing might hold water.
Jets May Regret Trading Up for Sanchez - A quick excerpt from ESPN’s draft tracker: “Teams have fallen in love with his intangibles and arm accuracy during the offseason.” Apparently, the Jets fell pretty hard for Sanchez, as they gave up first and second round picks as well as three players to move up 12 spots for him. Here’s the big problem: They fell in love with his intangibles in the off season. What about during the season? You know, when intangibles count? Take a look at how Sanchez played in USC’s two only real tests during the year, a 27-21 loss to Oregon State and a 17-10 win over Arizona.
Against the Beavers, down 21-14 with 3:15 to go, USC took posession of the ball on their own 2 yard line after a great punt by OSU’s Johnny Hekker. Time for Sanchez to take control and lead the best team in the country to a late comeback win, right? Well, after a 12 yard completion from Sanchez to Ronald Johnson gave the Trojans some room, here’s what happened:
That, folks, was not a play that spells ‘great intangibles.’ It was first down. Sanchez had a bit of pressure coming but he was not forced to make the throw. When he did let the ball go, it was wild and in to heavy coverage. Yes it was only the third game of the season, but it was one of the only real pressure situations Sanchez faced all year, and he gave the game to Oregon State.
Against Arizona, Sanchez was 21/36 for 216 yards, one TD, one INT and a fumble as the Trojans relied on their running game and their defense to grind out a win. While Sanchez’s 30 yard TD pass to Stanley Havili did account for the winning margin, on the play Sanchez was narrowly saved from being annihilated by a blitzing Wildcat safety when Stafon Johnson threw a great block, and Havili had beaten the coverage so badly that he was able to stop and wait for a pass that was thrown behind him and still run in to the end zone without any threat of being tackled.
I don’t have anything against Sanchez, but giving up what the Jets did to get a QB who really hasn’t proved much other than the fact that he can’t lead the most talented college football team in the world to a national championship might result in regret. I mean, almost every game USC played last year was a walk. Sanchez has not been tested during his college career, and we’re supposed to believe that he can compete to start in the NFL immediately? Don’t get your hopes up, Jets fans.
Andre Smith, a Gift to the Bengals - The Bengals have had bad luck developing top draft picks at plenty of positions, but offensive line is not one of them. While questions about his pass protection skills dropped him out of the top three, Smith has the physique and the natural talent to become a dominating OT if he is developed correctly. Surprisingly enough, that could happen in Cincinnatti.
Who’s Running the Raiders? - It’s almost too ridiculous to contemplate the drafting of Darrius Heyward-Bey. No offense to the man, just to the team that drafted him.
So, let me get this straight.
Holding the seventh pick in the draft with a number of teams behind them needing help at receiver, the Raiders go for the fourth ranked player at that position while the top three are still on the board? Michael Crabtree was still available when some thought he wouldn’t last past the third pick! They couldn’t trade down and accumulate some more picks? And don’t tell me there wasn’t interest. Crabtree, Eugene Monroe and B.J. Raji were all still available and you know there were teams who were willing to move up for them. Percy Harvin and Jeremy Maclin were both still there. Even if teams were scared to trade up 10-15 spots, couldn’t they have pulled two or three separate deals to move back 3-4 spots at a time, grabbing extra picks along the way and still have gotten Heyward-Bey at, say, #17?
But no, the Raiders stood pat and made what can only be called a gigantic reach. They must think they really see something in Heyward-Bey, that’s the only way I can figure it. But, with the track the Raiders have been on recently, maybe that’s not such a good thing.
Michael Crabtree, a Gift to the 49ers - At the end of the college football season, if somebody told me Crabtree was going to go 10th in the draft, I would have laughed at them. Ridiculed them, perhaps. Even with all the shots he’s taken in the lead up to the draft (smaller than originally thought, slow 40 times, injuries, etc) I’m still surprised he lasted so long. Crabtree reminds me of Andre Reed. Sticky hands, always in the right place, good route runner, hard worker, innate ability to bounce off the first hit after a catch. He’ll help the Niners no matter who plays QB, and we might look back on this as an absolute steal in a few years.
Another Clay Matthews? Yes, please! - I have fond memories of watching his dad tear it up with the Cleveland Browns. Great bloodlines in the Matthews family, and that’s always a good thing. If he’s even a quarter as good as his namesake, the cheesheads are in for some fun.
Donald Brown, the Next in a Long Line? - Marshall Faulk, Edgerrin James, Dominic Rhodes, Joseph Addai. Will Donald Brown’s name be added to that list as the next succesful NFL back drafted by the Colts? Indianapolis has shown a penchant for drafting and developing solid featured backs, then sending them on their way, so I don’t see why not. In fact, if all goes well I think it’s very likely Brown will be starting in 2011 and Addai will be on another roster.
Beanie Wells, a Gift to the Cardinals - Arizona had to have been ecstatic when Wells dropped to them. Thought to be the most talented RB in the draft, the fact that he lasted all the way to the 30 spot reflects the fact that teams are worried about his head. For the first time in years though, Arizona is actually a place where young players might develop their mental toughness instead of simply suffering due to a lack of it. If things go right for Wells, he might find himself starting on a team that played in the Super Bowl last season. Not too shabby a reward for plummeting to 30th.
As the NHL playoffs start to heat up (for some, ahem, sorry Jackets and Habs) and some teams turn their full concentration to the draft in June, here’s a few observations I think are worth mentioning:
Trouble in San Jose? - If the Sharks drop this series to Anaheim (they currently sit in a 3-1 hole and have shown little ability to beat Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller), the off season might see the departure of either Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton or Evgeni Nabokov. Last year Ron Wilson took the fall. So if the Sharks go out early (especially in round 1, and to a divisional rival), who goes down this season?
Congrats to Columbus - While it’s never fun to get swept out of the playoffs, it was a big step for this franchise to make the post season for the first time. The addition of Antoine Vermette at the trade deadline gave thema great boost, and a full season of Vermette teamed with Rick Nash, the continued development of goalie Steve Mason and the healthy return of rising star Derrick Brassard could spell a first round victory next year for the Blue Jackets.
Brodeur Proves It Again and Again - Even as a big Devils fan, I was one of the many who was bothered by the question, “Is Martin Brodeur really that good, or is it the Devils system and all the great defensemen in front of him?” I mean, Brodeur is one of my all-time favorite players, but when people used to ask that question it would pick at me a little. But not anymore. Brodeur has proven over the last couple of years that no matter who’s behind the bench or who’s in front of him on the ice, he’s one of the best goalies of all time. Against the Hurricanes, we’ve seen some vintage playoff Brodeur, and if he keeps playing like this the Finals are a real possibility for the Devils.
Will Blackhawks be Doomed by Inexperience? - Running out to a 2-0 lead you got the feeling that the young Chicago Blackhawks got the idea that their first round series against Calgary would end quickly. Well, now after back-to-back losses, it’s obviously a different story. While the Blackhawks have some world class talent skating every night, the leadership and experience might not be there yet. In fact, I’ll be more surprised if they win this series than if the Flames come back behind their veteran leadership. However, while things don’t look great right now, this is definitely the type of experience the young Blackhawks (and especially cornerstones Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews) need to get under their belts. The rebuilding program is ahead of schedule in Chicago, and while this season may end in dissapointment, things are looking very good for the future.
Can Toni Rajala Jump in to 1st Round? - The young Finnish forward has been quietly making his way up draft boards as the year has worn on, but the usual worries about size (5′9, 165lbs) have caused many to rank him in the 3rd round or lower. However, he is obviously a very gifted offensive player and that has kept him on most radars. Now, his great performance in the IIHF U18 World Championship where he put up a tournament record 19 points (including 2g, 1a and a game winning shootout goal in the Bronze medal game) may have vaulted him in to the first round. Rajala is listed as 30th overall in the latest ISS rankings. Can a great tournamet push him in to the first round? As a big fan of skill over size as a determining factor for draft picks, I hope so.
Most exciting Superbowl I’ve ever seen. That interception return for a TD at the end of the first half was ridiculous….Even moreso than the catch last season. What a great game…
This match-up is what it will come down to Sunday in Superbowl XLIII. Warner, the rocket-armed, blitz reading, ageless wonder who’s prone to bad throws and fumbling when hit, versus LeBeau, one of the better defensive minds in football whose defense this season was #1 in the NFL.
The Cardinals went just 1-5 against top 10 defenses this year, and while the worst of those loses (35-14 vs. MIN and 47-7 @ NE) came without Anquan Boldin, that still is not a great sign for the Cards. The Pittsburgh defense ranked well above anyone else in the top 10 against the pass, allowing just 237.2 yards per game (24 yards less than second place Baltimore) through the air, and none of the defenses Arizona faced can boast anything near the schemes and talent employed by the Steelers.
How will Warner fare against Pittsburgh’s 3-4 defense?
Unfortunately his most recent test against the 3-4, the aforementioned 47-7 loss to New England, did not go so well as he went 6 of 18 for 30 yards and was replaced in the third quarter by Matt Leinart. The game was played in bitter New England weather though and Warner has never played too well in adverse conditions. He shouldn’t have to worry about the weather in Tampa.
There are really no other examples in recent history that allow us to examine Warner’s proficiency against the 3-4. The closest we have is last seasons’ game against the Steelers, which the Cardinals won 21-14 with the help of two scoring drives led by Warner. But, the Steelers were missing Troy Polamalu and Casey Hampton, so the face of the Pittsburgh defense was completely different in that contest. Warner also came in to the game in relief of Matt Leinart, meaning that the Steelers had prepared for Leinart instead of Warner. This time around, Pittsburgh will have Polamalu, Hampton and two solid weeks to prepare for Warner.
So, how does this matchup go down?
Warner is one of the best in the game at reading and beating the blitz, but he will be facing a team that is adept at getting to the quarterback while only rushing three or four players.
LeBeau and his defense are great at taking away the middle of the field by dropping LB’s in to zone coverage, something the Philadelphia Eagles could not do, allowing Warner to exploit their defense time and time again underneath. It is unlikely that LeBeau will allow that to happen.
Because of the range and awareness of his linebackers and safeties, LeBeau will have the advantage in the middle of the field. If his schemes can frustrate Warner underneath and Pittsburgh’s off-angle rushers can start getting to the Arizona QB, the scene will be set for a big turnover or two.
The place where Warner has the advantage is outside. His three receivers, Fitzgerald, Boldin and Steve Breaston, are all better than any of the cornerbacks on the Pittsburgh roster, and if the Steelers get too focused on blitzing and guarding the middle of the field, Warner will start to see opportunities as his receivers run by Ike Taylor, Deshea Townsend and Bryant McFadden.
The Outcome
While the Cardinals continue to be a great story, they just haven’t faced a defense like Pittsburgh’s this season, and with all the prep time the Steelers have had, they’ll be waiting for the Cards offense. You won’t see Fitzgerald getting free deep over the middle on 1st down for a 40+ yard TD. You won’t see the middle of the field left wide open underneath for Warner like it was against the Eagles. Without much of a running game and without a big threat at TE, all the Cardinals can do is what they’ve done all year, throw to Fitzgerald, Boldin and Breaston. The Steelers won’t just be expecting it, they’ll be able to stop it. The Cardinals were a great story in the playoffs, but unfortunately that will come to an end on Sunday night.
I thought about titling this post “Where Have You Gone, Stephon Marbury?” but until rumors that he may be heading to Greece pan out, he hasn’t gone anywhere. We know where he is. Somewhere in New York, cashing huge checks, driving around stuntin’ in his Escalade.
Where he is? We know that.
So, the question becomes “What the f*** happened to you, Stephon Marbury?”
In the case of a man who was perhaps on his way to being remembered as one of the best point guards ever to play in the NBA, but has over the last three years had his level of play drop from top-tier to middling and also become and absolute cancer in the locker room, the strong language is warranted.
Some people have probably forgotten the Marbury of ‘97 to ‘04 (and even ‘05, his first full year with the Knicks). If you’re one of those people, or if you just want to see some awesome Marbury highlights, check this out:
That’s what I’m talking about when I describe a Marbury who might have been one of the best ever to play his position. A player who absolutely could not be stopped on his way to the basket, who could lead his team in scoring while still dishing out over 8 assists per game (as he did for New Jersey and Phoenix throughout his combined tenure in those cities, as well as in his first season in New York).
Yes, he got the ’selfish’ tag somewhere along the line, perhaps because he had that NYC PG mentality, always wanting the ball and thinking he could score on anybody, but his statistics prove that Marbury was also a great distributor on the court.
Marbury’s biggest problem seemed to be that teams got rid of him just before bringing in pieces that, in combination with Marbury, could have been great.
Leaving Minnesota was his biggest mistake, and that one is all on him. He wanted out and they gave him his wish, sending him home to New York (or, at least, to New Jersey), but had he stayed with the Timberwolves, the combination of Marbury and Kevin Garnett could have brought that team to prominance in the Western Conference. Instead, Garnett was left to carry the team by himself and the Timberwolves only made it out of the first round of the playoffs once in his time there.
During his time in New Jersey, Marburys’ sidekicks were Keith Van Horn, Kerry Kittles (who did not even play in Marbury’s final season there) and Kendall Gill. He also got one year with Kenyon Martin, who was coming back from a terrible knee injury. Not exactly a nucleus that wins you a championship.
Once the Nets traded Marbury to acquire Jason Kidd, Martin and Kittles got healthy again and the team brought in Richard Jefferson. Back-to-back NBA Finals appearences were the result. Could Marbury have done the same things Kidd did in New Jersey with the same supporting cast? We’ll never know.
Marbury played his first season in Phoenix with Shawn Marion (another notoriously selfish player) and Penny Hardaway as the other two main contributors on the team, and Phoenix finished 36-46. However, in Marbury’s second season with the Suns, he led them to a 44-38 finish and a playoff appearence in which he hit a last second 3 pointer in overtime to win game 1 of the Western Quarterfinals against the San Antonio Spurs, 96-95. The Suns would go on to lose the series 4-2, but with youngster Amare Stoudamire pairing with Marion to give the team a solid post presence and up-and-comer Joe Johnson looking like the right backcourt partner for Marbury, things were looking up in Phoenix.
That all changed quickly though, and Marbury did not last half of the next season with the Suns. Phoenix coach Frank Johnson was fired 21 games in to the season and replaced with Mike D’Antoni. Thirteen games later, Marbury was on his way to the New York Knicks and the Suns would go on to win 50 or more games each of the next four seasons with Steve Nash running their up-tempo offense. Was Marbury capable of running that offense? His passing skills and inside-outside game would seem to indicate that he was, but again, we’ll never know.
And now, we come to New York, and the deterioration of Stephon Marbury. With Isaiah Thomas at the helm, the Knicks were already a listless franchise, and the acquisition of Marbury did not help that. First, they tried using an assortment of undersized and/or underskilled “big men” that consisted of Kurt Thomas, Keith Van Horn, Nazr Mohammed, Vin Baker, Michael Doleac, Michael Sweetney and Malik Rose. After two years of faliure with that strategy, the Knicks went to the vaunted 7 guard attack, using (over two seasons) Marbury, Jamal Crawford, Steve Francis, Quentin Richardson, Nate Robinson, Mardy Collins, Renaldo Balkman and Jalen Rose. Surprisingly enough, that didn’t work either.
Last season, Marbury played just 24 games due to injury (and perhaps other factors), and this year he has not played in a single game, though apparently he was offered a role on the team by new coach Mike D’Antoni. Marbury has refused a buyout of his contract if he does not receive his entire salary, which looks extremely selfish but is also his right as a player. While there have been rumors about the Boston Celtics and now Olympiacos, in all likelihood we won’t see Marbury playing proffesional basketball this season.
So, what happened to Stephon Marbury? It seems like a combination of bad decisions (asking to leave Minnesota), bad breaks (missing out on the teams that were formed in New Jersey and Phoenix) and a horrible organization (that which the Knicks became under Thomas) is what has brought Marbury from promising young star, to full fledged all-star with epic potential, to where he is now, which in most people’s estimations would be selfish cry-baby with declining basketball skills.
Will he ever be anything again? Can he turn his career around and be remembered as something different? Something better?
I think he can.
Stephon Marbury is only 31 years old. If he’s willing to put in the work, and perhaps humble himself a bit, he can get back on to an NBA court and contribute to a winning team. His physical skills can’t have suffered that much, and with so much time off he’s had plenty of time to recover from his foot injury. He’s still got three or four very good years in him, if he puts in the work.
But, he needs to get out of New York. He needs to sign on with a team that will believe in him. He needs to be given the reigns to an offense that can run, one that will benefit from his vision and his scoring. He needs to put his ego in check and remember where he came from.
He needs to remember not just that he is Coney Island’s Finest, as the tattoo on his shoulder proudly proclaims, but that not many of those who came up with him made it, and none of them got the chance to do what he’s done and what he still has time to do.
What Marbury needs is one last chance. But will he get it? Unfortunately, considering where he is today and what the last three years have done to his reputation, the chances are slim. Unfortunately, when all is said and done, we’ll probably still be asking the question that is the title of this post.
Conference Championship Sunday brought us a couple of games that ended up being just about everything we, as fans, could have hoped for. Neither game was determined until the final five minutes of the fourth quarter, and we got to see big plays on both sides of the ball from 3/4 of the teams involved (the Ravens had no big offensive plays).
I watched the game from a local sports bar while attempting (with some degree of success, I think) to live blog them back-to-back. It ended up being quite a marathon. I don’t think I’ve ever spent 7 hours in a bar before (ok, that’s probably not true), and by the end I was pretty exhausted. I learned that trying to write analysis and opinions about a game as it is happening in front of you is quite difficult. When I’m sitting and just taking notes, it’s easy to analyze the game, but having to take my eyes off the screen between every play to type, trying not to screw up my spelling (thanks, Roethlisberger) and grammar too much, trying to refresh my blog after each note I made, all while drinking Blue Moon’s and Bloody Mary’s and eating fries and nachos was a lot of work, especially for two straight games. By the end, I was mentally drained and I fell asleep almost immediately after I got home.
So, what did I learn about live blogging? It’s hard to do, perhaps harder in a bar. Maybe I’ll stick to taking notes and writing about the game when I get home from now on. It was certainly a challenging experience.
But OK, enough of all that. On to the games.
And, I can finally say it…The Arizona Cardinals! Who would have thought? Pretty unbelievable that they’ve finally made it to the Superbowl. Congrats to them, and to their fans. While being a Seahawks’ fan I have a natural aversion to all things NFC West, I love the underdog aspect they bring to the table, especially considering their history of ineptness. They were always ‘Next year’s team,’ and after about 10 years of that, they’re finally this year’s team! And now, 10 thoughts on the Cards/Eagles game:
What happened to the Cardinals defense? Where did they come from? Six weeks ago they were torn apart by the Eagles, surrendering 48 points. This week they really stepped up, though I have to say Donovan McNabb helped them quite a bit. When they played in the regular season, McNabb took them apart. This time around? Not so much.
It’s official, Donovan McNabb is a big-game choker. He missed so many open receivers in that game, It was ridiculous. Things came to a head when the Eagles got the ball back down 32-25 with under two minutes left, and McNabb promptly made three straight poor throws to give the Eagles a 4th and 10 which they did not convert, and the game was over. This was a 90’s Knicks style choke job by McNabb.
On the above mentioned 4th and 10 Kevin Curtis was clearly interfered with, as the DB clipped his feet, causing him to stumble and miss what should have been a drive-preserving first down catch. There was at least one other blatant pass interference penalty that was not called against Arizona (Ralph Brown holding Jason Avant on 3rd and 6 early in the second quarter, preventing him from catching the ball for what would have been a first down inside the 10). I know Eagles fans are going to be sore about those for a while.
Eagles coach Andy Reid is apparently as stubborn about throwing the ball as former Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren (his mentor, even). Reid avoided running the ball like the plague, giving Brian Westbrook, his most talented and explosive offensive player, just 12 carries. Also, how was Westbrook not more involved in the offensive game plan? He caught two passes for a total of 14 touches. When you’re best offensive player is a running back and he touches the ball just 14 times in the NFC Championship game, you’re going to lose. That’s terrible play calling.
Larry Fitzgerald was an absolute monster in the game, though he was helped by the fact that Philadelphia refused to double-cover him or clog the middle of the field to prevent him from making long catch-and-runs underneath.
Philadelphia showed that using the blitz against Arizona can kill you or alternately be extremely effective depending on your execution. In the first half the Eagles blitzed constantly, and were burned by Warner just about every time, as they were not able to get him quickly enough. In the second half, they got to Warner and put some hard hits on him, affecting his throws and allowing them to get back in the game.
Tra Thomas had a horrible game for Philadelphia. He basically caused McNabb’s first half fumble by not picking up an obviously blitzing Adrian Wilson, even when he had a guard sliding out to pick up his DE assignment. Thomas missed a couple of other blocks, at least one more that led to a sack and another that led to Westbrook being stopped in the backfield. Not a good day for Tra.
My girlfriend noticed during the game that Donovan McNabb was black, and she had not seen a black QB in the NFL before. I pointed out to her that the Eagles have a black QB and a white guy (Curtis) who is one of the fastest players in the league. She thought that was funny.
Adrian Wilson was definitely the defensive MVP for Arizona. He was all over the field, and finished the game with 7 tackles (all solo), 2 sacks and a forced fumble. He was like the Larry Fitzgerald of the defense. The Eagles allowed him to run free all over the field and he made them pay.
Did I mention the Arizona Cardinals are going to the Superbowl? The Arizona Cardinals! This will be their first football championship game since they were the Chicago Cardinals back in the 40’s. Since then they’ve also been the St. Louis Cardinals and the Phoenix Cardinals, to zero degree of success.
So how did my prediction fare? Well, I picked the Eagles to win 31-17, as I thought they would exploit the Arizona defense, so I was wrong there. However, I was right that Arizona’s chances would depend on Kurt Warner’s arm and his ability to avoid turning the ball over, as well as things getting interesting if the Cards could score a couple of first half TD’s. Generally, I did OK. I just didn’t factor in a possible McNabb choke job, so my bad on that one.
As for the AFC Championship, it was equally exciting, if a bit more plodding. The game featured great defense on both sides of the field, and in the end the Ravens just didn’t have an answer for Ben Roethlisberger’s ability to find receivers on third down. The Ravens kept it exciting, but Joe Flacco just couldn’t put the team on his shoulders like Roethlisberger did for the Steelers. Nothing to be ashamed of though, no rookie QB has ever even won two playoff games, so Flacco’s season should be considered a great success, and as he gets more experience the Ravens will only get more dangerous. Just to make sure everything is equal, here’s 10 thoughts on the AFC Championship:
Roethlisberger, Roethlisberger, Roethlisberger. Whenever Pittsburgh needed a big play on offense, he was there to make it. The Ravens defense constantly broke in to the pocket, but Roethlisberger was able to scramble away and make the throw, or just take a whallop while delivering the ball. It seemed like he was constantly making big plays on third down, and that eventually broke the back of the Ravens defense. I count three times in my live blog where I specifically mention Big Ben stepping up on third down and making the right play to keep drives alive.
Terrell Suggs had a great game while playing with an injured shoulder. He sacked Roethlisberger twice while barely able to use his right arm. Really a great performance from him and all the Ravens could ask for considering they thought he might not even play.
Limas Sweed dropping what would have been about a 50 yard TD and then pretending that he was injured afterwards was one of the funniest things I’ve seen in a long time. After beating his man and then not looking the ball in to his hands (replay clearly showed he was looking at something else…perhaps the jumbotron?), he fell in to the endzone and rolled, then stayed on his back clutching his midsection…That’s comedy right there. Then about 30 seconds of game time later he throws a huge block on Corey Ivy. You’d think an injured player would be a little worried about throwing such a devastating hit, but you know Limas Sweed. He’s a warrior.
Flacco was flustered throughout the game, going just 3/14 for 49 yards and an interception in the first half and looking, well, like a rookie for pretty much the entire game. He could never really string completions together and he overthrew or underthrew a number of open receivers.
CBS’s announcing crew gave us two great quotes about playing the QB position during the game. First, they told us that Flacco is very good when “You give him time and he gets his feet set.” Is that something unique among QB’s? Later in the game, after Flacco missed a receiver, one of the CBS analysts commented that “You’ve got to use your eyes as a quarterback.” Well, when Flacco has time, gets his feet set and uses his eyes, he must be quite the quarterback. Very insightful analysis from the CBS crew.
Willis McGahee had a solid performance for the Ravens, though I don’t think the best way to use him is to just throw him against the line of scrimmage and see what happens. You might think considering his physical talent that the Ravens might try to get him the ball in open space by calling a misdirection play or two, but apparently that wasn’t in the cards.
Speaking of McGahee, he took a vicious hit from Ryan Clark with just under 3:30 to go in the game and did not get up. He looked like he was knocked out cold on the field, though he did move his legs and arms while trainers were working on him. It was reported that he had “considerable movement in his limbs” and was speaking clearly shortly after being carted off, but that was a scary moment for a minute. If you saw McGahee lying on the ground with his arms limp over his body just after the hit, you know what I mean.
The halftime show featured about 2 minutes of game analysis, and then Katie Couric was brought in to talk about Barack Obama’s inagural big-ass concert at the Tomb of the Unknowns! We’ve got hightlights of U2 (very American), Garth Brooks singing “American Pie” (kill me) and is that Beyonce’? It is! It kind of reminded me of that Southpark episode…“Celebrate good Obama, c’mon.” I thought I was watching football..
While I still harbor angst against the Steelers for what happened in Superbowl XL, it’s hard not to like he way they play on both sides of the ball. Big Ben, Santonio Holmes, Hines Ward, Fast Willie, Troy Polamalu, James Harrison, Lamar Woodley, etc. It’s just a great group of guys and a really fun team to watch for a true football fan. Argh.
It’s extremely impressive for Mike Tomlin to take the Steelers to the Superbowl in just his second year as head coach. Props to him for pulling it off. Now he’ll go on to face former Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhut, who thought he deserved the Steelers’ job two years ago and left for Arizona when he didn’t get it.
I was pretty happy with how my predictions fared in this game. I picked the Steelers to win 17-10, which ws pretty close to the 23-14 final. Big Ben coming through under pressure? Check. Flacco faltering and making mistakes? Check. McGahee the concentration of Ravens’ running game? Check. Winning team exploiting solid defense and one or two big plays? Check. Granted, those were a lot easier to call then the Eagles/Cardinals possibilities, but hey, I’ll give myself props for it anyway.
Oh, and did I mention that the Arizona Cardinals are in the Superbowl? The Arizona Cardinals! Really!
Now, on to two weeks of intense overanalysis of the upcoming game. I can’t wait until about January 29th when every single story has been told, and we start to get reports on who has the better backup deep snapper, how many dogs each player has and the inevitable “Polamalu and his hair vs. Fitzgerald and his hair” angle. Seriously, I can’t wait.
After a very surprising NFC Championship, it’s hard to imagine that the AFC Championship won’t be at least as intriguing. Two awesome defenses, two plodding offenses with big play potential, real animosity between both teams and the potential for one of the most defense-heavy Conference Championship games in a long time. Hopefully this one will live up to all the hype!
Keys to the game? Gotta’ be Flacco managing the game for the Ravens and Big Ben’s will and performance under pressure for Pittsburgh. In my opinion the Steelers will take this one, but I doubt more than 7 points will decide the contest, so it really could go either way.
Whoever wins will go on to face the surprising Arizona Cardinals, and whoever represents the AFC will likely be favored to win. But with the results for the Cards so far, anything could happen in the Superbowl.
Samari Rolle is out for the Ravens and Terrell Suggs is limited by injury, so that will hurt. Troy Polamalu is limited for the Steelers because of his injury, but unless he aggravates it I don’t think it will make much difference in his game. It’s the AFC Championship and he’ll go all out.
14:15 1st Q- You can’t start off with a false start at home! C’mon Pittsburgh. That’s a bad sign, but on the first drive of the game it won’t make much difference.
This is a matchup of two of the league’s best safeties in Poalmalu and Ed Reed. Can’t wait to see what they do.
13:01 - Roethlisberger finds Hines Ward in double coverage for a long gain, all the way to the Baltimore 23 yard line. Reed was going for the INT instead of the stop and that sprung Ward after he made the catch.
11:22 - Ravens D stands up and holds Steelers to a 34 yard field goal by Jeff Reed. 3-0 Pittsburgh.
Ravens first possession should be interesting, let’s see how Flacco stands up under a game this pressure-packed.
I’ll also be interested to see what Willis McGahee does. You know he is aching to prove he can still be a big time player but injuries have caused him to have an up-and-down season. If he gets off to a good start, the Ravens need to ride him all day, as he can be a game-changer if he’s healthy and getting carries.
11:05 - Ravens WR drops pass on 2nd and 8 that would have gone for a 1st down. That can’t keep happening. On the next play Flacco looks deep for Mark Clayton, but throw is a little behind him and Clayton can’t turn around and catch it. 3-and-out for the Ravens on their first possession. Time for the D to take another crack at it.
“It’s the funnest ipod ever!” I thought Apple had a reputation as a “smart” company. Maybe that just doesn’t apply to their marketing, or at least the spelling used therein. I wonder if they can come out with one that’s even “funner” next year!
8:35 - Ravens D stands up again. Ngata crushes Roethlisberger on 3rd and 9 forcing a punt. Big Ben needs to avoid being hit like that, considering his spinal concussion from just a few weeks ago. 3-and-out for Pittsburgh this time, let’s see if the Ravens offense can do a little more with the ball on their second possession.
7:36 - Flacco has all day to throw on 2nd and 7, but can’t find a receiver. He had plenty of time to take off and get a few yards but avoided it and threw to his FB, who dropped the pass.
7:30 - Flacco throws a pick on the next play and the Steelers get the ball back on the Ravens 35 yard line. Already a mistake by the rookie on just their second possession. This doesn’t bode well for Baltimore. Their D is really going to have to step up here.
7:05 - Roethlisberger misses open receivers on 1st and 2nd down but then makes a nice throw to Hines Ward on 3rd down to get a first down for Pittsburgh. Nice job getting it done there, incomplete passes don’t matter as long as you come away with the first down eventually. Ward got up gimpy though, that’s a bad sign.
5:48 - Santonio Holmes makes a nice catch on a post pattern and stretches for the end zone. Looks like he got in, but the ruling on the field puts him down on the 1. Baltimore will challenge whether it’s a catch or not.
Sign on the field posted up by a Pittsburgh fan “You’re Still Cleveland to Us and You Still Stink.”
5:48 - The challenge result is that Holmes did not have control and so it is not a catch…Pretty ridiculous, he took two steps with control of the ball and stretched for the end zone, losing the ball when he hit the ground and it is somehow called incomplete? I don’t get it.
6:11 (Time put back on clock after challenge) - Pittsburgh is unable to move the ball after the challenged play, and have to settle for another field goal. 6-0 Steelers, which is about the best way this drive could have turned out for the Ravens, seeing as the Steelers should have gotten a TD or at least had the ball on the 1 on that pass to Holmes.
5:18 - A couple more questionable throws by Flacco (though Mason shouldn’t have broken his pattern off on the last one) and it’s 4th and 6. Ravens have to punt again. We’ll see if their defense can prevent the Steelers from scoring this time around.
3:57 - Ward back on the field after limping off with a knee injury earlier in the quarter.
3:28 - Big Ben makes another big completion, this time to Heath Miller for 18 yards on 3rd and 5. It is amazing how he continues to come through on 3rd down. If he can keep that going in this game it will really frustrate the Ravens D. Nothing’s worse than holding a team to multiple 3rd and long’s and then having them convert on you.
3:15 - Ray Lewis strips Willie Parker at the line of scrimmage and the Ravens recover. Now the turnover battle is even and the Ravens take the ball at around midfield.
2:40 - McGahee scampers 7 yards, throwing stiff arms out at the Pittsburgh secondary. If he keeps warming up and that stiff-arm keeps coming out he could do a lot of damage.
1:20 - Roethlisberger is in the tunnel talking to the training staff, that’s not a good sign for Pittsburgh. He’s been hit hard a couple of times in this game. Will we see Byron Leftwich warming up?
:35 - Ravens have 3rd and 1, give it to McGahee who is stuffed, then try a QB sneak with Flacco that is stuffed as well. How do they not give the ball to LeRon McClain on one of those two plays? He’s their biggest back and their best in the short game. Bad play calling by John Harbaugh there.
14:40 2nd Q - Roethlisberger is back on the field for Pittsburgh’s next drive, so he must be OK. Or at least, still able to play football. If the Ravens keep getting to him though, we’ll see what happens.
13:58 - Another broken play and Big Ben moves around and hits Santonio Holmes as the DB falls down in front of him. Holmes takes the ball with blockers and goes 64 yards for a TD. Roethlisberger must be the best QB in the league at finding open receivers with space on broken plays. 13-0 Steelers.
Things are starting to look bleak for the Ravens. Their offense can’t get anything started and their defense has already given up as many points to the Steelers as they did in the last game these two teams played. This next drive is crucial for Baltimore.
11:38 - So far the Ravens have passed for a total of 2 yards. Ouch.
11:09 - Ray Rice takes a nice short pass for about 20 yards to give the Ravens a first down at their own 41. Best offensive play of the night so far for Baltimore. Rice threw a nice stiff-arm on James Farrior to break for a few more yards.
9:15 - CBS analyst states that Flacco is very good when “You give him time, and he gets his feet set.” Wow, that’s a pretty unique thing among NFL QB’s.
6:00 - Apparently, Ravens have never won a playoff game when they’ve given up over 10 points. Down 13-0, that’s not a good sign for them.
4:30 - On 3rd and 4 for the Steelers, pass is incomplete and Steelers O-lineman is called for a personal foul after the play, when he pushes a D-lineman who executes a full Vlade Divac. 3rd and 19 for the Steelers, they run a draw play and have to punt.
3:58 - Nice return by the Ravens’ Jim Leonhard, though it was almost a disaster when he fumbled the ball after he was hit by the punter. Luckily for him and the Ravens, it went out of bounds. That would have been embarassing.
2:44 - Interference call on McFadden gives the Ravens the ball on the 3 yard line with a fresh set of downs. Pretty tic-tac if you ask me, but I guess that’s how it’s been so far in the playoffs. Great block by McGahee on the play to save Flacco from being absolutely flattened by a blitzer.
2:40 - McGahee runs it in from 3 yars out, brings the Ravens back to just 6 points down, 13-7. It’s a good thing too, it keeps this game interesting. For a minute there it looked like the Steelers had it in their pocket.
2:01 - Ravens D is finally looking inspired. They stop the Steelers on three straight plays and do it before the two minute warning. That Steelers possession only lasted like 35 seconds. I’d like to see them open the offense up a little bit here and try to get a TD before halftime, especially since they get the ball first in the second half. A FG would be nice, but if they can get 7 here and get the ball back first in the second half, that would be huge.
1:14 - Three and out for Baltimore, but at least they took a couple of shots downfield. Apparently John Harbaugh has spent some time playing Madden.
:53 - Limas Sweed beats his man and is wide open at about the 7 yard line, where he promptly drops a perfect pass from Roethlisberger that would have led him right in to the end zone, then pretends that he is injured afterwards. On the replay, you can tell that he was not looking the ball in to his hands, but perhaps was looking at the Jumbotron instead. Ouch.
:34 - Steelers forced to punt but Ravens are called for a phantom roughing the kicker penalty. Mitch Berger kicked the ball and then landed on a guy who was sprawled at his feet from trying to block the kick. The Ravens player did not initiate contact and Berger simply lost his footing as he landed. What a terrible call. If the Steelers score here it could swing the game and that just wouldn’t be right. Ravens fans might leave this game feeling like Seahawks fans did a few years ago.
00: Steelers aren’t able to get a snap off before time runs out, so the half ends with their drive stalling on about the 15 yard line. A lucky break for the Ravens there.
Halftime: Flacco has started the game 3/14 for 49 yards and one INT. That won’t do for the second half. he’s got to step up and complete some passes, as well as avoid another turnover for the Ravens to have any hope to win.
The game will be decided by Flacco’s second half performance. Both defenses have looked good, and the difference so far has been Rothelisberger making plays while Flacco has not been able to.
CBS’s “The Mentalist.” Brought to you by the same person who thought “The funnest ipod ever” was a solid sentence.
Wait, Katie Couric on the halftime show? Oh, I’m sorry, I thought I was watching a football game. I wonder what happened?
Nice to find out that U2 performed at Obama’s inagural huge concert at the Tomb of the Unknowns. Because, you know, they’re American and all. Oh, and Garth Brooks sang “American Pie?” Super. That’s just super. It reminds me of that Southpark episode…”Celebrate good times…Obama!”
14:08 3rd Q - How are you forced to burn a time out before your first play of the second half? That’s ridiculous. Terrible clock management by Baltimore and now they’ve got to play basically the entire second half with 2 timeouts.
12:18 - “You’ve gotta’ use your eyes as a quarterback.” Another great quote courtesy of CBS.
Baltimore’s offense just can’t get anything started. Flacco can’t string any completions together and the Ravens don’t seem to be trying to establish a running game. Seems like the Steelers are just grinding them down.
10:10 - Ravens defense forces another 3 and out by the Steelers, but can their offense turn things around? I doubt it. I think we’re in for a lot of punts back and forth coming up here.
9:16 - Once again the Ravens can get nothing started. Flacco overthrows an open Todd Heap on 3rd and 7 and they’re forced to punt. Looks like they’ll have to count on a big play from their defense to turn this one around. I wonder how many punts there will be in this quarter? We’ve had two in under a minute of play.
7:30 - Roethlisberger waits and waits and finds another open man for a first down on 3rd and 5. That’s killing the Ravens defense.
5:47 - No disrespect to the Ravens defense, they’re a great unit, but they are not stepping up and making plays when they’re needed. Maybe that’s more an effect of Roethlisberger than anything the D is doing wrong though.
3:50 - Fred Walker of the Ravens drops an interception in the endzone, then gets up celebrating because he broke up the pass and now the Steelers can kick a field goal and go up by 9. Yeah, way to go there buddy. Reed hits the FG and Pittsburgh is up 16-7.
1:35 - Steelers D continues to swallow up Ravens offense. Baltimore can’t get past midfield, and they’ll punt for the third time in the quarter. Their offense doesn’t seem to be trying any innovations or ripples. Just run it in to the line with McGahee, Rice or McClain and then try to throw short passes to Clayton or Heap. Derrick Mason has not been involved in the game at all to this point, and with Flacco playing so poorly I think the Ravens are scared to throw down the field.
13:57 4th Q - Steelers are just working on running out the clock and wearing down the Ravens defense now. There seems to be a sense of inevitability on the field. It’s really looking like a Pittsburgh/Arizona Superbowl.
10:39 - After a terrible punt my Mitch Berger (I think it went about 18 yards) the Ravens are finally showing some life, moving the ball a bit. They’ve gotten something like four first downs on this drive and Flacco has completed four straight passes, according to CBS that’s the best he’s done in 12 quarters.
9:32 - On second down for the Ravens from about the 20, Ike Taylor had good coverage on his man but instead of turning around and trying to swat the ball he simply ran in to the receiver in the end zone, giving the Ravens the ball on the 1 yard line after the pass interference was marked off. McGahee promptly ran in his second TD of the night, and it’s 16-14 Steelers! All of a sudden this is a game again. Now we should see the Ravens D come out aggressive.
7:23 - Ravens come through and stuff the Steelers for a 3 and out. Terrell Suggs got his second sack of the game on 3rd and 13, he’s making a difference even playing hurt. Now it’s the Steelers’ D’s turn to come out with some aggression. Can the Ravens offense string together some more positive plays?
6:50 - Under 7 minutes to go and down by 2 points, a long scoring drive engineered by Flacco would make him legendary among rookie QB’s.
5:13 - Ravens forced to use their second timeout as the play clock runs down. You don’t want to take a delay of game in this situation, but that’s two TO’s burned because they couldn’t get set in time. That type of execution won’t help you get to the Superbowl.
4:41 - First play out of the timeout and Flacco is sacked. That’s just terrible. You don’t burn a timeout and then promptly run a play in which you lose 5 yards.
4:24 - On the next play after the sack, Flacco throws his second INT of the game, this time to Troy Polamalu, who takes it back 40 yards for a TD. 23-14 Pittsburgh. That was a back breaker for the Ravens.
3:29 - McGahee catches a pass over the middle and takes an absolutely huge hit from a charging Ryan Clark. He drops to the ground and is motionless as the ball comes out of his hands. He’s being worked on by the training staff now but it looks like he is moving his legs and his arms. After he was hit he just lay there with his arms in exactly the same position they were in when he hit the ground. He must have been out cold. People on the sidelines started praying immediately. The announcers speak about it in hushed tones, but CBS shows the replay about 15 times while McGahee is still on the ground.
They’re taking McGahee off on a stretcher, as Matchbox Twenty’s “Smooth” plays in the background. Is that actually playing at the stadium or is it just coming from somewhere in the bar? I sure hope it’s not actually playing in Pittsburgh. That would be kind of insulting. I’ve heard Rob Thomas say “Or let’s forget about it,” about 20 times. I wonder what McGahee will think the next time he hears the song.
Must be hard to go back to playing a football game after that.
2:51 - All that’s really left for the Steelers to do is run the clock out. I wonder how long the CBS announcers will stay in their “hushed tones” voices. They did it through the first two plays after play continued.
2:01 - Report comes in that McGahee is speaking and has “considerable movement in his limbs.” Apparently that’s the cue to give up “hushed tones,” because now everybody’s back in full voice and a joke about teams who’ve never made the Superbowl was just made.
1:11 - After a 3 and out Baltimore gets the ball back, but after two plays Pittsburgh tips the ball in to the air and Flacco is intercepted for the third time in the game, sealing it for the Steelers.
It was quite an accomplishment for Baltimore to get as far as the did, especially with a rookie at QB and having to play something like 19 straight games because their bye was moved up to week 2. But it wasn’t enough against this experienced Steelers team and their defense. Roethlisberger got things done like he always does, and the D stepped up as usual. So, next for Pittsburgh is the Arizona Cardinals and their explosive offense. Can the Steelers D shut down Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin like they did Joe Flacco, Mark Clayton and Derrick Mason? Something tells me it won’t be so easy, but I’m betting they pull it off.
2:03 PM - So here we are, live from The Pumping Company in the Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago. Jordin Sparks has just performed an unremarkable version of the national anthem, and it’s almost time for kickoff!
2:05 PM - So, the big question today is, do the Cardinals actually have a chance in this game? Most people will tell you the answer is an emphatic ‘No!’ and I’m not sure I can deny that. Though the Cards are playing at home, they were stomped by the Eagles just 6 weeks ago by the score of 48-20. Has much changed? Well the Eagles have been playing like a well-oiled machine, and the Cardinals have been playing pretty much as they did all year, with an explosive offense and an average to below-average defense. Yes, the Cards D has looked good in the playoffs, but their first game was against a rookie coach and QB, and in their second game Jake Delhomme completely self destructed.
14:02 - Anquan Boldin is playing for Arizona, so that is good news for them, as long as he’s healthy and not just a decoy.
12:47 - Cards passing game is looking good through 4 plays. That doesn’t say much for how things will go but that 19 yard completion from Warner to Fitzgerald on 3rd and 1 was nice.
11:42 - Cardinals first home playoff game since 1947. And back then they were the Chicago Cardinals. Yikes.
10:55 - Did motion by Antrelle Rolle really just fool the Philly defense in to overcommitting to one side of the field? Wow.
10:47 - Edge is looking good on this first drive. Maybe he still has something left in the tank after all.
9:20 - Fitzgerald scores on a pass over the middle. He looked a little non-chalant taking in after he caught it, before being met on the goal line and nearly fumbling. You’d like to see a guy like that just concentrate on getting to the zone as fast as possible in a game this important.
9:20 - Cards have scored first, which bodes well for them. However, first score on the first possession isn’t the be-all end-all. Philly now has to show if they can adjust to the Cards offense, and Arizona has to show that they can sustain it, and that it wasn’t just a one-off. The first possession can be more dangerous for the team that scores than the team that is defending.
Awwww, how can you kick it out of bounds? C’mon Rackers. That hurts the Arizona momentum a little bit. You don’t want to give a team like Philly any extra yards.
9:10 - McNabb starts off with a 22 yard scamper. Good vision by him, Cards had penetration and he just stepped up and ran away from it. That’s a season-long run by McNabb.
7:48 - Big third down here for Philly, if they can’t convert ‘Zona has won the first two drives.
7:12 - McNabb has seemingly about a minute to throw the ball as the Cards rush just three linemen, but Westbrook is able to get open even when Arizona had 8 in coverage, first down Eagles.
4:46 - Cards looked offsides on 3rd and 4, Francisco looked like he was in the neutral zone but it wasn’t called. Akers to try a field goal.
4:43 - Akers absolutely hammers a 45 yarder through the uprights. He’s perfect in the playoffs this season. 7-3 Cardinals.
Eagles needed to score on that drive just to temper the Cardinals and their fans a little bit. FG works as well as a TD. Now let’s see if the Cards can keep up their offense from their first possession. I expect the Eagles will look to clog the middle of the field a little more so Fitzgerald won’t be running free on crossing patterns this time around.
3:03 - Cardinals try to go to Fitzgerald on 3rd and about 7, and it almost works, but Eagles D swarms to him after the catch and he can’t get the extra 2 yards. I assume that’s about what it will look like when Fitzgerald gets the ball over the middle from now on. Three and out for the Cardinals on their second drive.
3:00 - McNabb throws behind DeSean Jackson, who was wide open over the middle for what would have been at least a 15 yard game.
2:04 - On 3rd and 10 for the Eagles the ball is tipped high in the air and intercepted by Francisco, who is stripped by DeSean Jackson while trying to return it, Jon Runyan recovers it so it’s first and 10 Eagles on their own 25. Lost 8 net yards but got a first down out of it.
1:55 - Greg Lewis drops a long pass that would have been about a really long gain. Not a great throw by McNabb (made Lewis change from his inside to his outside shoulder while it was in the air) but Lewis got both hands on it and was bringing it in before dropping it.
0:44 - Eagles offense looks like it’s getting in to a rhythm now, alternating between the pass and the run. A couple nice runs by Westbrook and Buckhalter and they’re on the Cardinals 35 at the end of the first quarter.
Eagles looks like they are starting to get the momentum, especially after that fumble on the interception return. If Philly can score a TD on this drive and take a 10-7 lead, the Cardinals will have to respond on their next offensive drive or they will be in trouble.
14:10 2nd Q - Cards make a big stop on 3rd down and about 8, forcing the Eagles to go for a FG. Akers hooks it and leaves the score 7-3. Great job by the Cardinals D to step up and they got a gift when Akers missed. Now they can swing the momentum far back in their favor if they can score on their next drive.
14:10 - Let’s see if the Cards take a shot deep to get the momentum swing.
13:25 - Direct snap to Arrington who throws it back to Warner, Warner hits Fitzgerald streaking who breaks a tackle and takes it in for a TD, 14-3 Cardinals and one solid prediction for me!
13:19 - It’s important for Eagles to answer here, but not integral. Their defense needs to step up but they still have time for their offense to get in rhythm.
12:22 - Eagles get their second false start of the game. Sounds like Seahawks Stadium in the dome!
11:26 - Why do the Eagles continue to throw on 3rd and short? McNabb gets sacked on 3rd and 1 trying to throw, but it looks like a penalty will nullify it.
11:08 - Stupd holding call on Cardinals, d-lineman tossed Westbrook on to the ground. Then again Westbrook would’ve been open and gotten the first if he’d been standing up.
10:37 - Kevin Curtis takes a crossing pattern for a long gain, the Eagles are deep into Cardinals territory. Announcers Aikman and Buck talk about the momentum changed based on the holding penalty, but don’t mention how without the penalty Westbrook would have been wide open for a screen pass and gotten in to the open field with speed.
10:00 - How did the refs not call that pass interference on Ralph Brown? He was obviously holding what would’ve been an open Avant on 3rd and 6, Avant can’t grab the pass and it’s fourth down. Akers hits the FG this time, 14-6 Cardinals.
It will be interesting to see if the Eagles defense can step up and make a stop here. If they can, and the offense can score, the momentum is back in their favor heading towards the half, especially since they get the ball first after halftime. However, if Arizona can extend a drive and score again they can go in to the half up 17-6 or 21-6. Eagles still get the ball back though, so they shouldn’t be too worried about it. Philly should also make sure to take a shot at the endzone when they get the ball back in this half.
8:45 - Another nice run by Edge, the playoffs look like they’ve added some jump to his step. Or maybe it’s just that he’s actually getting the ball and it’s surprising the Eagles.
7:18 - The Eagles are still leaving the middle of the field wide open, and Arrington exploits it this time, dragging late across the middle and taking a short pass from Warner for about 17 yards.
6:16 - Warner has started a very impressive 7 of 8 for 130 yars and 2 TD’s.
4:20 - Warner is doing a great job of reading the blitz. Philly may want to slow down on blitzing and play more zone, especially in the middle of the field. Perhaps even a zone blitz or two. Try to confuse Warner instead of pressuring him.
3:10 - Kinda weak to call the pass interference against Samuel on the goal line but not against wilson on about the 6. Samuel’s was a little more blatant, but not by much.
3:06 - Fade route to Fitzgerald and he grabs his third TD of the game. 21-6 Cardinals. Wow, they might actually win this game! Second half still to come though, and Philly will take a shot at the endzone on their last possession of the half if they’re smart.
3:06 - Did Eagles player touch that kick? If he did, that’s really a killer play, and very, very stupid.
Call on the field is that the ball touched the receiver and then touched out of bounds, but I’m not sure that either of those things happened.
Arizona is challenging it, but I’m not sure that the reply conclusively shows it hitting the Philly player.
Apparently since the ball was called down out of bounds the play is not reviewable. Philly gets the ball and they may have dodged a bullet there.
2:56 - McNabb needs to run a good 2 minute drill here to get his team a TD or at least an FG. Then they go in to the half looking a lot better.
2:15 - Nice pump fake and pass to Celek, but Dansby sniffed out the play and didn’t overcommit on the pump fake, staying with Celek and stopping him for a 5 yard gain. Eagles still got the first down, but it could’ve been a lot worse for the Cards. Nice play by Dansby.
2:09 - McNabb called for intentional grounding when he tries to get rid of the ball to avoid the blitz. Penalty and loss of down hurts, but at least the play occurred on first down so Philly still has a decent chance to advance the ball. Arizona defense is playing very inspired football so far. I don’t know what they did between the regular season and the playoffs, but they look like an actual defense right now instead of just a place holder that comes on while the offense is off the field.
1:27 - Arizona stops Philly and will have their own chance to score. Eagles really should have taken a shot to the end zone on that drive, even just one. Haven’t they played Madden before?
1:10 - Philly DB almost intercepts a pass but it bounces off his hands and in to Boldin’s, who rolls on the ground but gets up for what looks like a long gain. Replay clearly shows that the ball hit the ground while Boldin was trying to bring it in. Almost a big play for both teams, it’ll just be ruled an incomplete pass.
1:09 - Philly calls a timeout after stopping Arrington for a loss. They still have a chance to get the ball back and take a last shot to score in this half. However, giving Arizona more time might not be the smartest thing to do.
1:03 - Arizona converts on 3rd and 15, now they take a timeout. On about the 50, they should just take shots at the end zone while the clock runs out.
:57 - Fitzgerald is open again over the middle, takes the catch for the first down and gets out of bounds. How is Philly still letting him run open underneath?
:47 - Warner finally gets sacked, not much good it does for the Eagles though. May have prevented a field goal I guess, which is a good thing.
I guess I can see the point of blitzing Warner. When he gets hit he is one of the most fumble-prone QB’s in the league, but the Eagles haven’t been able to hit him at all. With a decent offensive line he can just cut teams up, which he’s doen for his whole career.
:00 - Rackers hits a 40+ yard FG for a 24-6 lead. It’s a 3 score game, and the Eagles are reeling. They badly need a TD to start out the second half, and their defense needs to stop getting dominated by Warner and Fitzgerald. Less blitzing, more coverage. Now it’s time for a cigarette!
The story so far is the Cardinals defense. It’s like night and day from the regular season. What are these guys doing differently? Why couldn’t they do it all year long?
15:00 3rd Q - If the Eagles can’t score on their first drive, that might be it for them. Good return by Demps starts things off nicely. Time to see if McNabb can step up.
14:35 - Broken play and McNabb escapes pressure to complete a pass to Klecko for 20 yards. Unfortunately Klecko held earlier on the play and that will negate everything good that happened for the Eagles. 2nd and 20.
13:37 - DeSean Jackson makes a nice catch on 3rd and 6 for the first down. McNabb is not making great throws so his receivers will have to step up and make some catches for him.
12:49 - Westbrook has been shut down so far in this game. The Eagles need to get the ball in his hands, he’s their best playmaker.
12:10 - Kevin Curtis is wide open streaking down the sideline but McNabb overthrows him and the ball goes out of bounds anyway. Another opportunity missed for the Eagles.
12:02 - McNabb fumbles when Adrian Wilson comes untouched on a blitz and hits him from behind. Cardinals recover and they have the ball on the Eagles 47. That might be it for Philly, unless they get a really big play by the defense. If the Cardinals score here, it’s basically over.
10:45 - Cardinals need to keep the clock running, as every second that ticks off puts more pressure on the Eagles.
10:14 - Eagles blitz finally gets to Warner, who is hit as he throws. Boldin was wide open down the middle and if Warner wasn’t hit he probably makes that completion for a long gain or maybe even a TD. Philly dodged a bullet there and they get the ball back now.
Eagles need a quick strike TD. Field goals won’t save them now, and they’re down 18.
9:29 - Another bad throw by McNabb, Jackson was in man coverage down the field but instead of leading him McNabb trys to throw it right over Rogers-Cromartie, and that just won’t work.
7:35 - Eagles have a couple of first downs on this drive, but they need longer gains than 5-8 yards per play.
6:50 - Tra Thomas is going to look back at his performance in this game and be very, very depressed. He’s missed a couple of blocks, basically caused McNabb’s first half fumble, and has generally not done a great job from the LT spot.
6:22 - McNabb finally makes a nice throw down the field, hitting a double-covered Kevin Curtis in stride for a 50 yard gain on 3rd and 19.
5:25 - Eagles now inside the 5 yard line, a TD here gives them some life, but anything else and they are still in trouble.
4:08 - McNabb to Celek for the short TD. Celek could have a big year next year, he looks like a really solid TE (I saw it firsthand when they played the ‘Hawks earlier in the season.
Eagles don’t go for two, which is a debatable choice at this point in the game. 24-13 Cardinals.
Now it’s time to see if the Eagles D can step up and actually stop the Cardinals offense. This might be a problem for the Cardinals as they are not exactly a grind-it-out team and now is the time that most teams would be trying to run the clock down by running the ball. However, if they stick to their guns and just throw all over Philly, another score might put this one out of reach.
4:10 - Let’s see if the Cardinals keep the pedal to the metal here. Getting it on the 40 is definitely good for them.
4:04 - Eagles won’t go away from the blitz, but they actually seem to be getting to Warner now, as they hit him on both first and second down to cause incomplete passes. If the Cards go three-and-out here, things have all of a sudden changed.
3:54 - Eagles sack Warner on 3rd and 10. Momentum is now heading in Philly’s favor. Drive for ‘Zona lasted just 14 seconds and now the Eagles get the ball back on their own 40. Can Arizona’s defense step up and stop Philly on this drive?
2:39 - My girlfriend just noticed that Donovan McNabb is black, and she’s not seen a black QB in the NFL before. I pointed out to her that the Eagles have a black QB and a white guy (Kevin Curtis) who is one of the fastest players in the league. She thought that was funny.
1:56 - Eagles convert on 3rd and 6, now they’re in Cardinals territory and their offense is suddenly imposing its will against the Cards D.
:56 - With the play clock winding down the Eagles have to burn their first time out. That hurts. In the playoffs, you’ve gotta’ have your timeouts in the fourth quarter! It’s just too important, especially in a close game.
:46 - Celek takes a pass from McNabb in for a TD and sets Eagles record for post season catches at the same time. Eagles down 24-19, they’ve gotta’ go for two here.
:46 - Eagles for the PAT and Akers shanks it! Still 24-19 Eagles.
Let’s see how the Cardinals handle some pressure. Their offense needs to handle their next drive better then their last one, as Philly all of a sudden has the momentum after scoring 13 points in under 5 minutes of game play.
:00 - Warner’s pass batted back in to his hands and he is able to catch it and run for three yards. Head up play by Warner to make the play, but not a good sign for the Cards that the Eagles again got in to the backfield. The 4th quarter is going to be exciting, it turns out!
14:38 - Big third down conversion for the Cardinals, 18 yard gain on a pass from Warner to James on third and three.
13:46 - The Cardinals have another big third down here, third and five. They need another conversion here or they give it back to the Eagles, who are all of a sudden playing some inspired football on both sides.
13:08 - Another blitz pressures Warner in to a bad throw and the cards can’t convert. The Eagles get the ball back after the punt on their own 14, but they’ve had their way with the Cardinals D on their last two drives. It’s time for McNabb to prove whether he can be a big time player or not. I know those Superbowl memories still haunt him, and a comeback here could help to relieve those a little bit.
13:00 - Fox shows that McNabb has a 158.3 passer rating in the 4th quarter of games this post season. That doesn’t bode well for the Cards.
10:45 - Long pass from McNabb to Jackson, Jackson bobble it but brings it in as DB falls down and he goes in for the TD. Another nice throw by McNabb. He’s like a different player in the second half. This time they’ll go for two.
10:45 - How does McNabb not run in the 2 point conversion? He had all day to think about it and lanes to run through. Incomplete pass and the Eagles held on the play anyway. 25-24 Philly.
Can the Cardinals offense do something here? They’ve been absolutely shut down in the second half. They’re a young team that doesn’t have playoff much experience except for at QB, so that doesn’t bode well for them. The offensive line really needs to step up or they’ll be in a lot more trouble.
8:34 - Huge 3rd and short play here for Arizona. Hightower must be the guy.
7:57 - Hightower is hit at the line and it doesn’t look like he got it. They’ll measure. And he didn’t make it! Will they go for it on 4th down?
7:44 - Hightower takes a stretch run for the first. Really, really dangerous to run to the corner like that on 4th down but it worked this time.
5:28 - Why are the Arizona players always yelling at their offensive coordinator?
4:52 - Cardinals are in field goal range, they need to keep this drive alive and run as much time off the clock as possible. 3rd and 1, this is big.
4:13 - Hightower converts the 3rd and 1, taking the ball to the 9 yard line. Good job to keep the clock running, with the game this close they need to score with as little time left as possible.
3:15 - This guy in the bar keeps yelling about how the Cardinals need to stop being conservative and just go for the TD. He doesn’t know why they keep “wasting time.” He’s the same guy who said they’d throw deep to Fitzgerald on 3rd and 1 for a “Long-ass TD.” It’s getting old. He doesn’t seem to understand the game, but her certainly loves the Cardinals.
2:53 - Hightower takes a screen pass in and muscles for the TD. Arizona will go for 2 to try to extend the lead to 7, but they’ll give the Eagles the ball back with about 3 minutes left.
2:46 - McNabb has all day to throw but can’t find a receiver. He settles for as short pass to Wesbtrook but misses him, 2nd and 10.
2:09 - Westbrook catches the ball wide open in the middle, takes the ball 19 yards and gets out of bounds with 2:09 left, really smart play. Not a great throw by McNabb but he got it done.
1:57 - McNabb makes three straight poor throws, had receivers open on each play and just didn’t convert. Now the Eagles are looking at 4th and 10 and it’s do-or-die time. I can’t believe McNabb missed Jackson open in the middle of the field, just threw it behind him and over his head.
1:51 - How do the officials not throw a pass interference flag on that play? Curtis got hit well before the ball got to him and if he wasn’t falling down because of it would have made the catch. Wow. Third bad PI call or non-call in the game. Now it’s basically over.
Wow, who woulda’ thunk it? The Arizona Cardinals are your NFC Superbowl Representatives!
I certainly wouldn’t have. It is nice to see the Cardinals win a close game for seemingly the first time all season, but they couldn’t have done it without scoring 30+ points. Will they be able to put up 30+ on Pittsburgh or Baltimore?
I’ll be live blogging both the NFC and AFC Championship games from a local sports bar on Sunday. Drop by for in depth analysis and witty banter that you certainly won’t be able to find anywhere else.
If you know the bar, The Pumping Company in the Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago, drop by and buy me a Blue Moon. Or we can go halfsies on a pitcher of Natty Light.
Comments will be responded to ASAP, if anyone is actually checking it out!
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