NFL RECAP – DIVISION ROUND - SATURDAY
Didn't I say this was the
best weekend in sports. OK, I am a
Bronco fan, so the Raven loss stung a bit - -but what a game. And the 49ers dismantling of the Packers? I have NEVER seen a quarterback do what
Kaepernick did in a playoff game.
A Tale of Two Coaches
John Fox is
conservative. Jim Harbaugh thinks out of
the box. As we dissect the games from
yesterday we see that the fates smiled on the calculated risk taker (Harbaugh)
and sent the decision-making weenie (Fox) home.
To be sure there were many instances where the Broncos did not make key
plays that could have locked down the win.
In the end, though, decisions to give the Ravens another chance at the
two-minute warning, and to walk meekly into OT - did not pan out. (In fairness Manning says he audibled to a
run in the play after the two-minute warning).
Meanwhile, Harbaugh turns
Kaepernick all the way loose. Let's not
forget the huge risk Harbaugh took when he replaced the steady Alex Smith with
the inexperienced Kaepernick. Smith was
playing well, but Harbaugh sensed he needed more electric play capability from
the QB position if the Niners were to win the big prize. I sensed this too as I noted in my week seven
recap when I suggested the move several weeks before Harbaugh made it (just
bragging a little):
It is one thing for a fan
blogger to suggest a QB change, it is another for a head coach to take the risk
when his current QB is doing well and coming off his best season.
Kaepernick threw an early
pick six against the Packers and more than a few people probably clinched their
teeth and hoped Harbaugh would come to his senses and insert the veteran Smith. Harbaugh stuck to his guns and Kaepernick
made history.
My take away was rather
predictable. Harbaugh coached to
win. Fox coached not to lose and not to
get second-guessed. News flash John. When you lose we will second guess.
Tale of the QBs
Great QB matchups yesterday
as well. In the AFC the HOF Manning vs
the oft-maligned Flacco. In the NFC the
reigning MVP Rogers against the unknown Kaepernick. I think it fair to say that Flacco got the
best of Manning and Kaepernick got the best of everybody.
Flacco made the big plays when he needed them,
and overcame several key drops by his receiving corps. People will remember his three long touchdown
throws, but I thought his best play was a twenty-five yard connection on third
and 13 from his own three in OT. That
play bought the Ravens field position that they would ultimately turn into the
winning field goal after a Manning Interception.
Manning once again came up
short in the playoffs in a game he was supposed to win. He turned the ball over three times resulting
in 17 Raven points (a pick six, a 37-yard TD drive after a fumble, and the
winning field goal). The first two
turnovers were "in the line of battle" mistakes that happen in a
football game. The last interception was
a poor pass and a poorer decision.
Kaepernick gave the most
entertaining QB performance I have seen in quite some time, maybe ever. With all due credit to the work of Russell
Wilson and RG3, he looked like a more polished version of them last night. Rifle throws, touch passes, great ball fakes,
line reads, and incredible running instincts.
I know he has not done this week to week, but the potential that he
might is scary for Niner foes.
Aaron Rogers played a solid
game. Not often do you say a rival QB
just pure out-talented Aaron Rogers, but that happened last night.
The Games
Ravens/Broncos
Let's see. The game was tied at 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and
needed a second overtime. Joe Flacco
completes three long TD strikes, the last a miracle 70 yarder to force OT. Trindon Holliday opens the first half scoring
with a 90- yard punt return touchdown and the second half scoring with a 104-yard
kickoff return TD. Ray Lewis leads both
teams in tackles and Ray Rice picks up 130 punishing yards. Peyton Manning tosses three TDs but turns the
ball over three times. There are enough
controversial official calls and coaching decisions to keep the second-guessers
busy until next September (longer if you are a Bronco fan). The Ravens come away with another tough road
playoff victory. Grade - A+
Packers at Niners
Many expected this to be the
weekend's most compelling game. Though
the Niners were dominating the stats, the Packers had tied the game at 24 early
in the third quarter. Then Colin
Kaepernick and the Niner offense shifted into high gear and left the Packers in
their wake. The Niner pass rush forced
Rogers into tough throws on the run and the Packers just could not keep
pace. I loved the Niner game plan that
took full advantage of the aggressive play of Clay Matthews with the read
option game. Kaepernick played a game
for the ages. -- Grade - A
No comments:
Post a Comment