Joe's 2011 NFL Final Drive: Wild Card Weekend

Hm. That’s my general reaction to Wildcard Weekend in the NFL. The playoffs got started with what is unquestionably one of the biggest upsets in recent memory, which was followed up by a drama-filled finish in Indianapolis. Sunday saw a drilling in Kansas City and a comeback story ended early in Philly. Here’s the story behind the first round of the NFL playoffs.

Okay… WHAT? Now, I will take full credit for thinking this would be a close game, but nowhere did I think the lowly Seahawks would be able to oust the defending champs, home field advantage or not. Matt Hasselbeck had a phenomenal afternoon, lighting up the Saints secondary, which was without starting safety Malcolm Jenkins. I put this loss squarely on New Orleans’ defense, which just never decided to show up. When Drew Brees and that offense drop 36 points, there’s no excuse for losing, especially to a 7-9 squad. Still, the Seahawks went out and played a great game in front of their home crowd and proved it doesn’t matter what your record is when the postseason begins. A 7-9 team beat the defending Super Bowl champs. The Seahawks belonged there. Credit Pete Carroll with getting his boys ready and believing in the aging Hasselbeck.

Oh, and play of the playoffs goes to Marshawn Lynch, who activated Beast Mode on an astoundingly physical 67-yard run to seal it late. The stiff-arm he laid on Tracy Porter was epically vicious. I don’t care that the playoffs just started. That’s the play of the year. Lock it in.

My picks so far: 1-0. I didn’t think they could win, but I took Seattle to keep it close.

So shocked. Kinda.

The Colt defense did their job (except on the final drive after the special teams unit put them in a hole) but the offense couldn’t find the gaps in the Jet coverage in order to put up the points they needed. Eventually you’ve got to put some blame on Manning (who short-armed it on third down late), but his receivers let him down on Saturday. I don’t care if Darelle Revis was on him, but Reggie Wayne needs to get the ball sometime. He caught one pass for ONE yard. Simply unacceptable. The Colts didn’t have enough healthy wide-outs to ignore a Pro-Bowler like Wayne for an entire game. Why couldn’t they just call a few more plays designed to get Wayne open? Wayne was upset after the game ended and rightfully so. It was unacceptable.

Honestly, the Colt special teams unit deserves a collective junk shot for their lack of coverage on the final kick-off. Antonio Cromartie had already had a few good returns against them earlier on, so they had to know that corralling him would be key. Instead they let him loose and gave their defense no room for error with under a minute left to go thanks to poor defensive clock management by Rex Ryan. All they had to do was keep the return under control. FAIL. Still, I have to give credit to Mark Sanchez for overcoming a horrendous first half, closing out the game with three on-target passes to set up the field goal. Oh well, now the Jets can head to New England to get their collective taints kicked in by the Patriots.

Coolest picture of the playoffs so far.

My picks so far: 1-1. Screw you Rex Ryan. Why couldn’t Manning have led them to a touchdown dammit?

Can you say drubbing? Because that’s exactly what this turned into after Kansas City took the lead 7-3 in the first quarter. From there on out the Ravens had their way with KC, forcing countless miscues in the form of five turnovers from the normally possession protective Chief offense. Todd Haley’s team just didn’t seem prepared for this spotlight or this opponent. Not even attempting to throw to Dwayne Bowe is a huge mistake. I don’t care what coverage they were rolling his way, you call plays that get him open and you throw him the freaking ball. They guy had 15 touchdowns in the regular season. That’s worse than ignoring Reggie Wayne for an entire game… oh wait.

HA!

While Flacco and the offense didn’t blow anyone’s doors off, the fact that he didn’t throw an interception made sure his team stayed in the lead after they pulled ahead. It also meant that the Ravens kept control of the clock, holding onto the ball for over 41 minutes. That’s just unheard of. They kept Jamaal Charles in check for most of the day, allowing only one long run for the Chiefs’ lone touchdown. From here, the Ravens get their true test: heading to Pittsburgh to take on the Ravens for a third time this year. It’s gonna be a bloodbath.

My picks so far: 1-2. Okay, so the Chiefs weren’t ready for this one. Not even close.

The 2010 redemption story (on the field anyway) for Mike Vick came to an abrupt close on Sunday when he threw a costly interception in the end zone to keep his Eagles from advancing. He got roughed up early and was missing DeSean Jackson for a stretch, but it wasn’t a horrible game for Vick. The Eagles just never ran the ball effectively. I know that’s Reid’s M.O., but sometimes you have to keep Vick fresh as the game goes on by handing it off early and often. Vick needs to be at his freshest late in games when the defense can’t keep up with him. If he’s being pummeled early he loses his effectiveness. Let that be a lesson.

I wish I could feel bad for him. Wait, no I don't.

Aaron Rodgers took another step in becoming a top-tier quarterback in the NFL with a great performance in the playoffs. He spread the ball around to nine different receivers with efficiency and poise, but the real surprise of this game was the Packer rushing attack. Rookie James Starks exploded for 123 yards on 23 carries behind an offensive line that has quietly improved over the course of the season. When the Packers can get their run on like that, it’s going to be near-impossible for any defense to stop them.

My picks so far: 2-2. The Packers kept me from a losing weekend. What irony for a Bears fan.

I’ll be back later in the week for Divisional Round Previews!