I'm taking a break in the currently scheduled broadcast of all things Super Bowl to take a look at what would be written about if the Baltimore Ravens, instead of the Pittsburgh Steelers, had won the AFC Championship.
Heaps and bounds of credit were poured on Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco, a rookie from Delaware who became one of the few first-year signal-callers to lead his team to the postseason. At the same time, Trent Dilfer, who led the Ravens to a Super Bowl victory in 2000, is still considered the worst quarterback to win a Super Bowl.
The problem is, it's not hard to believe that Dilfer had a better season than Flacco.
I am admittedly speculating that the media would continue fawning over Flacco if he won the Super Bowl, but I have no reason to believe they would suddenly change their tune. Quite frankly, the media was unduly swayed by the fact -- and it is a fact -- that Flacco had a good season for a rookie quarterback.
But in the grand scheme of things? Flacco = Dilfer.
If you actually look at their seasons, Flacco's and Dilfer's statistical outputs -- and the team surrounding them -- are almost identical. If Dilfer gets blamed (as he probably doesn't deserve) for being a bad quarterback, why isn't Flacco also just a game manager? If Flacco gets praised (as he probably doesn't deserve) for being a good quarterback, why isn't Dilfer also deified?
First things first. Dilfer wasn't even the leading passer on the 2000 Ravens. Tony Banks passed for a team-high 1,578 yards that season, but was benched for inconsistent play four games into a famous five-game stretch in which Baltimore scored zero offensive touchdowns (they won twice).
Dilfer replaced Banks in Week 8, and started the rest of the season. After an initial loss, he led the Ravens to 11 consecutive wins, including a Super Bowl victory.
Yes, the Ravens' defense in 2000 was one of the best in NFL history, allowing the fewest points (165) ever in a 16-game season. Including the playoffs, they allowed 10 or fewer points in 15 out of 20 games and posted four shutouts.
But therein lies the point -- the 2008 Ravens were similarly constructed.
The current iteration of Baltimore's defense was not nearly as historically dominant -- they allowed 244 points -- but they finished third in the league in points allowed and second in yards allowed. (The 2000 Ravens defense finished first in points allowed and second in yards allowed).
And this season, the Ravens relied even more on the running game than in 2000. The 2008 Ravens ran for 2,376 yards on 592 carries and attempted only 433 passes, while the 2000 Ravens racked up 2,199 yards on 511 carries and attempted 504 passes.
When all is said and done, Dilfer had more weight put upon his shoulders offensively (although he played in half as many games) yet produced similar numbers to Flacco. Dilfer went 134-for-226 (59.3%) for 1,502 yards, 12 TDs and 11 INTs to receive a 76.6 passer rating. Flacco went 257-for-428 (60.0%) for 2,971 yards, 14 TDs and 12 INTs to receive an 80.3 passer rating. When you include their playoff performances, Dilfer has the better overall passer rating.
Let's not be naive. Flacco played well for a rookie, but no better than Dilfer.
Nota bene:
- Although passer rating is by no means a perfect judge, and is skewed positively toward the modern game, it's worth noting that Dilfer's regular season passer rating was better than nine other Super Bowl winning quarterbacks: Eli Manning (73.9), Phil Simms (74.6), Jim Plunkett (72.9), Terry Bradshaw (55.2), Bob Griese (71.6), Johnny Unitas (65.1), Len Dawson (69.9), Joe Namath (72.1) and Bart Starr (64.4).
- Bradshaw's first Super Bowl victory with the Steelers is an astounding parallel to Dilfer. He didn't start until midway through the season and finished with average statistics -- 67-for-148 (45.3%), 785 yards, 7 TDs and 8 INTs for a 55.2 passer rating. I guess Dilfer needs to come out of retirement and win three more Super Bowls to have his season purged from our collective memories.
Showing posts with label Ravens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ravens. Show all posts
Monday, January 26, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Live-blogging the AFC Championship
In order for my post not to grow from gigantic to gargantuan, I'm making a separate one for the AFC Championship game. I'll try to learn from my initial venture, and put the most recent updates at the top. And, I didn't really realize the game started at 5:30 so I missed the first half of the first quarter while eating dinner. Sorry!
Steelers 23, Ravens 14
Final
As I'll try to explore later, Joe Flacco did not have a very good season in my opinion. Just because he's a rookie, I don't really see the need to pretend that he is a future Hall of Famer. When the Ravens won the Super Bowl in 2001, pundits considered Trent Dilfer the worst Super Bowl quarterback ever, even though I'm sure his statistics are comparable (mediocre, at best) to Flacco this season.
That being said, Flacco is just a rookie. It takes time to get used the NFL, and I read a revealing explanation somewhere that said Flacco has essentially played two consecutive college seasons this year because he has played 19 games. Roethlisberger lost his first conference championship game, in his first season, but has since won the Super Bowl and is now going back for his second appearance.
That's all for tonight, but I'll try to post several times this week.
Steelers 23, Ravens 14
Fourth quarter, 4:00
Baltimore made a determined effort to block the extra-point attempt, because now it's a two possession game. The atmosphere on the field, in the stadium, and in the broadcasting booth is somber during the final minutes after Ravens running back Willis McGahee was carted off with what appears to be a serious injury.
Steelers 16, Ravens 14
Fourth quarter, 12:00
That opening reverse -- that's an actual reverse; what you typically see is an end-around -- was exactly what the Ravens needed for a spark to put together a touchdown drive. Polamulu jumped over the lines again, but Ravens running back Willis McGahee snuck to the outside and ended the play as one of the few players on the field still standing.
Steelers 16, Ravens 7
Fourth quarter, 15:00
I really am not biased against defense, but it is admittedly harder to write about than the offensive side of the ball. I'll lay some blame on television, which focuses on the offense, and some on myself. Now that it's a two-possession game, the Ravens really need to get points of some sort on their next drive. Neither team has really been able to run the ball, so Baltimore shouldn't be too afraid of Pittsburgh running out the clock, but time is not to their advantage.
Steelers 13, Ravens 7
Third quarter, 10:00
It's still anybody's game, and was that really unexpected? Both regular-season meetings between the teams were close, and this game remains within one possession. My one prediction? Ben Roethlisberger has extended plays with his feet, but he's going to throw an interception or lose a fumble by being less aware of his surroundings at least once during the remainder of the game. He almost did on the latest sack, and then gained the presence of mind to go down willingly.
Steelers 13, Ravens 7
Halftime
Pittsburgh definitely left some points on the field at the end of the half with some bad clock management. That's quite the faux pas in any game, particularly one that will likely be low scoring.
Steelers wide receiver partially made up for his dropped pass with a devastating block a few plays later -- the rookie is clearly learning from Hines Ward, who is known as the best blocking wide receiver in the league.
Steelers 13, Ravens 0
Second quarter, 14:00
There's one such big play. Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger kept another play alive with his feet, and although the coverage was excellent, everything fell into place during Santonio Holmes' touchdown run. The blocks downfield by his fellow wide receivers weren't excellent, but their effort caused enough distractions.
Steelers 6, Ravens 0
Second quarter, 15:00
Steelers safety Troy Polamalu might have been the first player in NFL history to make a tackle while being completely suspended in the air. His efforts on both third- and fourth-down stops were largely cosmetic, but they embody the attitude of the defense.
This game will most likely remain low-scoring, so it could very well be one big play -- a punt return, long reception or blocked field goal -- that makes the difference. And although we like to unfairly weight plays that occur in the fourth quarter, that play can come at any time in the game, and provide some important momentum.
Steelers 6, Ravens 0
First quarter, 2:00
Baltimore only has eight yards of offense as rookie quarterback Joe Flacco has struggled, going 1-for-7 with an interception so far. Pittsburgh's offense doesn't look great statistically but it has been efficient enough to drive down the field. Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis makes the big play the Ravens needed, forcing a fumble.
Steelers 6, Ravens 0
First quarter, 6:30
What an interesting situation to see Steelers coach Mike Tomlin throw the challenge flag, only to be pre-empted by Ravens coach John Harbaugh. Great call by Harbaugh. What seemed to be a Steelers touchdown, or their ball at the 1-yard-line turned into another field goal attempt.
The CBS announcers didn't seem aware of this, but Bill Carrolo was providing information to another official at the instant replay booth to make sure the call wouldn't be misrepresented once the referee returned to the field of play, a problem that occurred when Pittsburgh beat San Diego 11-10 in the regular season.
Steelers 23, Ravens 14
Final
As I'll try to explore later, Joe Flacco did not have a very good season in my opinion. Just because he's a rookie, I don't really see the need to pretend that he is a future Hall of Famer. When the Ravens won the Super Bowl in 2001, pundits considered Trent Dilfer the worst Super Bowl quarterback ever, even though I'm sure his statistics are comparable (mediocre, at best) to Flacco this season.
That being said, Flacco is just a rookie. It takes time to get used the NFL, and I read a revealing explanation somewhere that said Flacco has essentially played two consecutive college seasons this year because he has played 19 games. Roethlisberger lost his first conference championship game, in his first season, but has since won the Super Bowl and is now going back for his second appearance.
That's all for tonight, but I'll try to post several times this week.
Steelers 23, Ravens 14
Fourth quarter, 4:00
Baltimore made a determined effort to block the extra-point attempt, because now it's a two possession game. The atmosphere on the field, in the stadium, and in the broadcasting booth is somber during the final minutes after Ravens running back Willis McGahee was carted off with what appears to be a serious injury.
Steelers 16, Ravens 14
Fourth quarter, 12:00
That opening reverse -- that's an actual reverse; what you typically see is an end-around -- was exactly what the Ravens needed for a spark to put together a touchdown drive. Polamulu jumped over the lines again, but Ravens running back Willis McGahee snuck to the outside and ended the play as one of the few players on the field still standing.
Steelers 16, Ravens 7
Fourth quarter, 15:00
I really am not biased against defense, but it is admittedly harder to write about than the offensive side of the ball. I'll lay some blame on television, which focuses on the offense, and some on myself. Now that it's a two-possession game, the Ravens really need to get points of some sort on their next drive. Neither team has really been able to run the ball, so Baltimore shouldn't be too afraid of Pittsburgh running out the clock, but time is not to their advantage.
Steelers 13, Ravens 7
Third quarter, 10:00
It's still anybody's game, and was that really unexpected? Both regular-season meetings between the teams were close, and this game remains within one possession. My one prediction? Ben Roethlisberger has extended plays with his feet, but he's going to throw an interception or lose a fumble by being less aware of his surroundings at least once during the remainder of the game. He almost did on the latest sack, and then gained the presence of mind to go down willingly.
Steelers 13, Ravens 7
Halftime
Pittsburgh definitely left some points on the field at the end of the half with some bad clock management. That's quite the faux pas in any game, particularly one that will likely be low scoring.
Steelers wide receiver partially made up for his dropped pass with a devastating block a few plays later -- the rookie is clearly learning from Hines Ward, who is known as the best blocking wide receiver in the league.
Steelers 13, Ravens 0
Second quarter, 14:00
There's one such big play. Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger kept another play alive with his feet, and although the coverage was excellent, everything fell into place during Santonio Holmes' touchdown run. The blocks downfield by his fellow wide receivers weren't excellent, but their effort caused enough distractions.
Steelers 6, Ravens 0
Second quarter, 15:00
Steelers safety Troy Polamalu might have been the first player in NFL history to make a tackle while being completely suspended in the air. His efforts on both third- and fourth-down stops were largely cosmetic, but they embody the attitude of the defense.
This game will most likely remain low-scoring, so it could very well be one big play -- a punt return, long reception or blocked field goal -- that makes the difference. And although we like to unfairly weight plays that occur in the fourth quarter, that play can come at any time in the game, and provide some important momentum.
Steelers 6, Ravens 0
First quarter, 2:00
Baltimore only has eight yards of offense as rookie quarterback Joe Flacco has struggled, going 1-for-7 with an interception so far. Pittsburgh's offense doesn't look great statistically but it has been efficient enough to drive down the field. Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis makes the big play the Ravens needed, forcing a fumble.
Steelers 6, Ravens 0
First quarter, 6:30
What an interesting situation to see Steelers coach Mike Tomlin throw the challenge flag, only to be pre-empted by Ravens coach John Harbaugh. Great call by Harbaugh. What seemed to be a Steelers touchdown, or their ball at the 1-yard-line turned into another field goal attempt.
The CBS announcers didn't seem aware of this, but Bill Carrolo was providing information to another official at the instant replay booth to make sure the call wouldn't be misrepresented once the referee returned to the field of play, a problem that occurred when Pittsburgh beat San Diego 11-10 in the regular season.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Wednesday Morning Quarterback
I'm working on a post about the Hall of Fame chances of now-retired coach Tony Dungy, but this will have to do in the meantime.
For the most part, I agree with Gregg Easterbrook, who writes a weekly column at ESPN.com during the football season called "Tuesday Morning Quarterback." I do want to point out a portion from his most recent column, however, with which I vehemently disagree.
I'm all for breaking trends because it's one way to gain a competitive advantage in football, and because I think the status quo is not always the correct strategy. Easterbrook makes these points often, and well. In this case, however, I think his analysis of the Titans' decision is shortsighted.
In the regular season, the Tennessee Titans (14.6 points per game) and Baltimore Ravens (15.2) finished second and third, respectively, for average defensive points allowed. Both teams were also among the lowest-scoring offenses -- Titans, 23.4; Ravens, 24.1 -- that qualified for the playoffs.
All this to say that the divisional playoff game between the Titans and Ravens was expected to be a low-scoring affair. Tennessee beat Baltimore 13-10 in a regular-season meeting, and the Ravens only allowed nine points in their wild-card victory over the Dolphins. That the playoff game, which was won by Baltimore 13-10, was also low-scoring is convenient but ultimately irrelevant.
If the Titans attempted a two-point conversion once a penalty moved the ball to the 1-yard-line (and the odds don't increase in their favor that much, anyway), they would be taking an unnecessary amount of risk.
Making it, to go up 8-0, would be nice but wouldn't catch Baltimore off guard for more than the initial play. Missing it, however, would potentially be disastrous in such a low-scoring game. It would be entirely foolish to lead 6-0 only to lose 7-6, 10-9 or 14-13 -- three highly potential outcomes considering an expected dearth in scoring opportunities for both teams.
Unless a coach has made the decision to go for two-point conversions after every touchdown (which I think is a tenable position), it makes no sense to attempt two-point conversions until at least midway through the third quarter. By doing so earlier, you are providing your opponent extra information despite having a miniscule amount of information regarding the final score. In this case, the risk is exacerbated by the likelihood that the game would end up with a low final score.
For the most part, I agree with Gregg Easterbrook, who writes a weekly column at ESPN.com during the football season called "Tuesday Morning Quarterback." I do want to point out a portion from his most recent column, however, with which I vehemently disagree.
Sour Play of the Week: The atmosphere was electric at Long Playing Field, the crowd raucous as it expected to watch the AFC first seed notch the first victory of its Super Bowl run. The Titans staged a solid early drive and scored to take a 6-0 lead, just as Tennessee had scored first in 2001, when Baltimore came to Nashville and upset the favored home team in the divisional round. Tennessee lined up for the extra point, and Baltimore jumped offsides. Half the distance moved the ball to the 1, whence the PAT was kicked. But wait -- now the ball is on the 1-yard line, go for two! Tennessee rushed well on the day. There's only 1 yard to cover, go for two! Had Jeff Fisher gone for two and taken an 8-0 lead, it would have communicated the message that Tennessee would play all-out to win. Even a missed deuce try would have communicated this message. Instead the Titans played cautious, and that would become the theme of the team's loss -- see below.
I'm all for breaking trends because it's one way to gain a competitive advantage in football, and because I think the status quo is not always the correct strategy. Easterbrook makes these points often, and well. In this case, however, I think his analysis of the Titans' decision is shortsighted.
In the regular season, the Tennessee Titans (14.6 points per game) and Baltimore Ravens (15.2) finished second and third, respectively, for average defensive points allowed. Both teams were also among the lowest-scoring offenses -- Titans, 23.4; Ravens, 24.1 -- that qualified for the playoffs.
All this to say that the divisional playoff game between the Titans and Ravens was expected to be a low-scoring affair. Tennessee beat Baltimore 13-10 in a regular-season meeting, and the Ravens only allowed nine points in their wild-card victory over the Dolphins. That the playoff game, which was won by Baltimore 13-10, was also low-scoring is convenient but ultimately irrelevant.
If the Titans attempted a two-point conversion once a penalty moved the ball to the 1-yard-line (and the odds don't increase in their favor that much, anyway), they would be taking an unnecessary amount of risk.
Making it, to go up 8-0, would be nice but wouldn't catch Baltimore off guard for more than the initial play. Missing it, however, would potentially be disastrous in such a low-scoring game. It would be entirely foolish to lead 6-0 only to lose 7-6, 10-9 or 14-13 -- three highly potential outcomes considering an expected dearth in scoring opportunities for both teams.
Unless a coach has made the decision to go for two-point conversions after every touchdown (which I think is a tenable position), it makes no sense to attempt two-point conversions until at least midway through the third quarter. By doing so earlier, you are providing your opponent extra information despite having a miniscule amount of information regarding the final score. In this case, the risk is exacerbated by the likelihood that the game would end up with a low final score.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Divisional round, all at once
Update: Posted Donovan McNabb's career record in conference championship games.
We'll go with some quick hits for this Divisional Playoff weekend:
Baltimore 13, Tennessee 10
1. Ray Lewis's helmet-popping hit on Ahmard Hall was a good reminder why Lewis will eventually be in the Hall of Fame. Lewis didn't celebrate, perhaps because Hall still picked up an important first down in terms of field position, but his jarring shot was a poignant image for the leader of the Baltimore Ravens' defense.
Lewis is a two-time Defensive Player of the Year (2000, 2003), six-time first-team All-Pro (I trust journalists' opinions more than fans' and Pro Bowlers only represent their conference), and the 2000 Super Bowl MVP in a season when he carried the Ravens on his back (with help from Jamal Lewis).
2. One of my biggest pet peeves is quarterbacks who call timeouts at inopportune times, only to escape the ire of their misguided coaches.
Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco called a timeout to avoid a five-yard penalty for delay of game when facing a third-and-18 in the middle of the first quarter. I don't have exact numbers, but the difference in probability between converting a third-and-18 and a third-and-23 has to be negligible. Timeouts, however, are extremely valuable because they greatly increase the probability of scoring at the end of halftime. (Wow, that would be an extensive research project)
If I was a coach, I would tell my quarterback to always take the delay-of-game penalty unless it a critical juncture of the game (i.e. likely leading directly to points): Only on third or fourth down, or on the edge of field goal range or the end zone. Timeouts should be used liberally on defense, however, because one blown coverage can result in a touchdown.
You can call my complaint void because Flacco threw a 48-yard touchdown to Derrick Mason on the play following the timeout, but we should make our decisions based on probabilities, not post hoc information.
Cardinals 33, Panthers 13
1. If Arizona wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald breaks the 100-yard receiving mark in the NFC Championship game, he will join Tom Fears, Jerry Rice and Randy Moss as the only players to post three consecutive playoff games of 100 or more receiving yards.
Fitzgerald caught eight balls for 166 yards, including an impressive diving touchdown, against the Panthers. In his playoff debut against the Falcons, he caught six balls for 101 yards and a touchdown.
2. You can add Carolina's Jake Delhomme to my list of miserable quarterbacking performances in the playoffs. Sports Illustrated's Peter King suggests that considering the circumstances, Delhomme's six-turnover day may have been the worst.
Eagles 23, Giants 11
1. After missing only three field goals during his Pro-Bowl worthy regular season, New York kicker John Carney missed two against the Eagles in the wind tunnel known as Giants Stadium.
Carney did make three field goals on Sunday, but both of his misses could have swung the momentum of the game because they would have given the Giants the lead. His unfortunate timing following a 35-for-38 performance in the regular season (the best field goal percentage of his 21-year career) reminds me a lot of Gary Anderson's wayward kick in the 1998 playoffs.
Anderson had the first perfect regular season in NFL history, making all 35 field goal attempts and all 59 extra point attempts for the 15-1 Vikings, but missed a 38-yard field goal with two minutes remaining in the NFC Championship game against the Falcons. The Vikings failed to take a two-possession lead, and the Falcons ended up winning in overtime.
Speaking of Anderson, Eagles kicker David Akers broke his record on Sunday by converting his 17th and 18th consecutive field goal attempts in the postseason.
2. I wrote earlier about Donovan McNabb's success in the postseason. Now that he is prepared to start his fifth conference championship game (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2008), where does that total rank in NFL history?
Joe Montana has seven appearances, going 4-3 and winning four Super Bowls.
Terry Bradshaw has six appearances, going 4-2 and winning four Super Bowls.
Roger Staubach has six appearances, going 4-2 and winning two Super Bowls.
John Elway has six appearances, going 5-1 and winning two Super Bowls.
Tom Brady has five appearances, going 4-1 and winning three Super Bowls.
Jim Kelly has five appearances, going 4-1 and winning zero Super Bowls.
Ken Stabler has five appearances, going 1-4 and winning one Super Bowl.
Donovan McNabb has five appearances, going 1-4 and winning zero Super Bowls.
Let me know if I missed any quarterback who started in at least five conference championship games. In case you were curious, Steve Young threw passes in six, but only started four and Brett Favre only played in four.
And, other than Baltimore rookie Joe Flacco, the other quarterbacks in the conference championship games do have some experience. It's the third career trip for both Arizona's Kurt Warner and Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger.
Steelers 35, Chargers 24
1. Both the CBS announcers and I expected a quick kick from Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in the first quarter once he backed up several more yards out of a shotgun formation. Roethlisberger managed a 29-yard punt that was downed on the 9-yard line, but don't give Steelers coach Mike Tomlin all of the credit for the call.
I would be extremely surprised if Tomlin would have made the same decision if Patriots coach Bill Belichick hadn't pulled out the rarely-used play in New England's season finale. With New England leading 13-0 in the fourth quarter of a game where wind gusts reached 55 miles per hour, quarterback Matt Cassel pulled off a 55-yard quick kick that was downed at the 2-yard line.
What an excellent, and throwback, call.
As an aside, Randall Cunningham punted 20 times for an impressive 44.7 yard average while with the Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings. Perhaps most impressively, the quarterback has the fourth-longest punt in NFL history with a 91-yard bomb against the Giants in 1988.
2. Yes, you read it right. San Diego only had possession of the ball for 17 seconds in the third quarter. After an eight-minute touchdown drive to start the second half, Pittsburgh intercepted Philip Rivers on the Chargers' first play from scrimmage. The Steelers' second drive stalled, but they recovered a muffed punt, and continued the ensuing drive into the fourth quarter.
There's really nothing else to say about that. It's ridiculous.
We'll go with some quick hits for this Divisional Playoff weekend:
Baltimore 13, Tennessee 10
1. Ray Lewis's helmet-popping hit on Ahmard Hall was a good reminder why Lewis will eventually be in the Hall of Fame. Lewis didn't celebrate, perhaps because Hall still picked up an important first down in terms of field position, but his jarring shot was a poignant image for the leader of the Baltimore Ravens' defense.
Lewis is a two-time Defensive Player of the Year (2000, 2003), six-time first-team All-Pro (I trust journalists' opinions more than fans' and Pro Bowlers only represent their conference), and the 2000 Super Bowl MVP in a season when he carried the Ravens on his back (with help from Jamal Lewis).
2. One of my biggest pet peeves is quarterbacks who call timeouts at inopportune times, only to escape the ire of their misguided coaches.
Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco called a timeout to avoid a five-yard penalty for delay of game when facing a third-and-18 in the middle of the first quarter. I don't have exact numbers, but the difference in probability between converting a third-and-18 and a third-and-23 has to be negligible. Timeouts, however, are extremely valuable because they greatly increase the probability of scoring at the end of halftime. (Wow, that would be an extensive research project)
If I was a coach, I would tell my quarterback to always take the delay-of-game penalty unless it a critical juncture of the game (i.e. likely leading directly to points): Only on third or fourth down, or on the edge of field goal range or the end zone. Timeouts should be used liberally on defense, however, because one blown coverage can result in a touchdown.
You can call my complaint void because Flacco threw a 48-yard touchdown to Derrick Mason on the play following the timeout, but we should make our decisions based on probabilities, not post hoc information.
Cardinals 33, Panthers 13
1. If Arizona wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald breaks the 100-yard receiving mark in the NFC Championship game, he will join Tom Fears, Jerry Rice and Randy Moss as the only players to post three consecutive playoff games of 100 or more receiving yards.
Fitzgerald caught eight balls for 166 yards, including an impressive diving touchdown, against the Panthers. In his playoff debut against the Falcons, he caught six balls for 101 yards and a touchdown.
2. You can add Carolina's Jake Delhomme to my list of miserable quarterbacking performances in the playoffs. Sports Illustrated's Peter King suggests that considering the circumstances, Delhomme's six-turnover day may have been the worst.
Goat of the Week
Jake Delhomme, QB, Carolina. Has any quarterback had a worse playoff game than Delhomme's five-interception, one-lost-fumble disaster Saturday night against Arizona? Unlikely. Brett Favre, in the 2001 playoffs, threw six picks against the Rams, but in that game, Favre was just throwing balls up throughout the second half trying to hit the lottery. Delhomme went 17 of 34 for 205 yards, with one garbage-time touchdown and the five picks, and only one of the turnovers came with the game legitimately out of hand. Here's the amazing thing: You watch all five of those interceptions, and you'll see that every one was thrown into something like double-coverage. "To put into words, I can't," Delhomme said. "I am at a loss for words. I had a hand in six turnovers ... I should get the blame. It's inexcusable."
Eagles 23, Giants 11
1. After missing only three field goals during his Pro-Bowl worthy regular season, New York kicker John Carney missed two against the Eagles in the wind tunnel known as Giants Stadium.
Carney did make three field goals on Sunday, but both of his misses could have swung the momentum of the game because they would have given the Giants the lead. His unfortunate timing following a 35-for-38 performance in the regular season (the best field goal percentage of his 21-year career) reminds me a lot of Gary Anderson's wayward kick in the 1998 playoffs.
Anderson had the first perfect regular season in NFL history, making all 35 field goal attempts and all 59 extra point attempts for the 15-1 Vikings, but missed a 38-yard field goal with two minutes remaining in the NFC Championship game against the Falcons. The Vikings failed to take a two-possession lead, and the Falcons ended up winning in overtime.
Speaking of Anderson, Eagles kicker David Akers broke his record on Sunday by converting his 17th and 18th consecutive field goal attempts in the postseason.
2. I wrote earlier about Donovan McNabb's success in the postseason. Now that he is prepared to start his fifth conference championship game (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2008), where does that total rank in NFL history?
Joe Montana has seven appearances, going 4-3 and winning four Super Bowls.
Terry Bradshaw has six appearances, going 4-2 and winning four Super Bowls.
Roger Staubach has six appearances, going 4-2 and winning two Super Bowls.
John Elway has six appearances, going 5-1 and winning two Super Bowls.
Tom Brady has five appearances, going 4-1 and winning three Super Bowls.
Jim Kelly has five appearances, going 4-1 and winning zero Super Bowls.
Ken Stabler has five appearances, going 1-4 and winning one Super Bowl.
Donovan McNabb has five appearances, going 1-4 and winning zero Super Bowls.
Let me know if I missed any quarterback who started in at least five conference championship games. In case you were curious, Steve Young threw passes in six, but only started four and Brett Favre only played in four.
And, other than Baltimore rookie Joe Flacco, the other quarterbacks in the conference championship games do have some experience. It's the third career trip for both Arizona's Kurt Warner and Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger.
Steelers 35, Chargers 24
1. Both the CBS announcers and I expected a quick kick from Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in the first quarter once he backed up several more yards out of a shotgun formation. Roethlisberger managed a 29-yard punt that was downed on the 9-yard line, but don't give Steelers coach Mike Tomlin all of the credit for the call.
I would be extremely surprised if Tomlin would have made the same decision if Patriots coach Bill Belichick hadn't pulled out the rarely-used play in New England's season finale. With New England leading 13-0 in the fourth quarter of a game where wind gusts reached 55 miles per hour, quarterback Matt Cassel pulled off a 55-yard quick kick that was downed at the 2-yard line.
What an excellent, and throwback, call.
As an aside, Randall Cunningham punted 20 times for an impressive 44.7 yard average while with the Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings. Perhaps most impressively, the quarterback has the fourth-longest punt in NFL history with a 91-yard bomb against the Giants in 1988.
2. Yes, you read it right. San Diego only had possession of the ball for 17 seconds in the third quarter. After an eight-minute touchdown drive to start the second half, Pittsburgh intercepted Philip Rivers on the Chargers' first play from scrimmage. The Steelers' second drive stalled, but they recovered a muffed punt, and continued the ensuing drive into the fourth quarter.
There's really nothing else to say about that. It's ridiculous.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Wild-card, round two
As I continue to refine my blog, please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions. And, yes, I have been biased to examining quarterbacks in my post-game analysis because they provide a smaller sample size and arguably more interesting discussion.
Baltimore 27, Miami 9
Quick thought: Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington threw four interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown by Ed Reed, after tossing only seven in the regular season -- and never more than one in a game.
But, it could have been worse -- much, much worse. Four quarterbacks have thrown six interceptions in one playoff game, with three of those performances coming in NFL title games.
- Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre in a 45-17 loss to the St. Louis Rams in 2002 (three returned for TDs)
- Los Angeles Rams quarterback Norm Van Brocklin in a 38-14 loss to the Cleveland Browns in the 1955 title game (one returned for a TD)
- Detroit Lions quarterback Bobby Layne in a 56-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns in the 1954 title game
- New York Giants quarterback Frank Filchock in a 24-14 loss to the Chicago Bears in the 1946 title game
The most notable five-interception performance in playoff history was by Oakland Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon in Super Bowl XXXVII, including three that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers returned for touchdowns in Oakland's 48-21 loss.
Quick tease: Baltimore Ravens rookie quarterback Joe Flacco picked up his first postseason win despite throwing for only 135 yards. The Ravens' championship season in 2000 also contained some sparse offensive numbers, but what actually are the lowest passing yardages for a winning quarterback in a postseason game?
Philadelphia 26, Minnesota 14
Quick thought: Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, who made it to four consecutive NFC Championship games earlier this decade, now has eight playoff victories without a Super Bowl title.
McNabb (8-5 postseason record) joins Hall of Fame quarterbacks Jim Kelly (9-8) and quarterback Dan Marino (8-10) atop this unique -- and tragic -- list. With two more seasons averaging about 3,000 passing yards and 20 touchdowns, McNabb will have comparable career statistics to Kelly.
But does McNabb have a good chance to be voted into the Hall of Fame?
He's already in some pretty good company for career postseason wins: Joe Montana (16-7), Tom Brady (14-3), Terry Bradshaw (14-5), John Elway (14-7), Brett Favre (12-10), Roger Staubach (11-6), Troy Aikman (11-4) Bart Starr (9-1), Kelly, Jim Plunkett (8-2), Steve Young (8-6) and Marino.
For those keeping score, McNabb currently trails 10 current Hall of Famers and two shoo-ins, Brady and Favre, and can continue extending his win total this season.
Quick tease: The San Diego Chargers and Arizona Cardinals answered a lengthy discussion about whether division champions should receive a home playoff game despite their record by winning on Saturday night. The Vikings couldn't make it three in a row, however, prompting the question of how division champions have historically performed in the first round.
Baltimore 27, Miami 9
Quick thought: Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington threw four interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown by Ed Reed, after tossing only seven in the regular season -- and never more than one in a game.
But, it could have been worse -- much, much worse. Four quarterbacks have thrown six interceptions in one playoff game, with three of those performances coming in NFL title games.
- Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre in a 45-17 loss to the St. Louis Rams in 2002 (three returned for TDs)
- Los Angeles Rams quarterback Norm Van Brocklin in a 38-14 loss to the Cleveland Browns in the 1955 title game (one returned for a TD)
- Detroit Lions quarterback Bobby Layne in a 56-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns in the 1954 title game
- New York Giants quarterback Frank Filchock in a 24-14 loss to the Chicago Bears in the 1946 title game
The most notable five-interception performance in playoff history was by Oakland Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon in Super Bowl XXXVII, including three that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers returned for touchdowns in Oakland's 48-21 loss.
Quick tease: Baltimore Ravens rookie quarterback Joe Flacco picked up his first postseason win despite throwing for only 135 yards. The Ravens' championship season in 2000 also contained some sparse offensive numbers, but what actually are the lowest passing yardages for a winning quarterback in a postseason game?
Philadelphia 26, Minnesota 14
Quick thought: Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, who made it to four consecutive NFC Championship games earlier this decade, now has eight playoff victories without a Super Bowl title.
McNabb (8-5 postseason record) joins Hall of Fame quarterbacks Jim Kelly (9-8) and quarterback Dan Marino (8-10) atop this unique -- and tragic -- list. With two more seasons averaging about 3,000 passing yards and 20 touchdowns, McNabb will have comparable career statistics to Kelly.
But does McNabb have a good chance to be voted into the Hall of Fame?
He's already in some pretty good company for career postseason wins: Joe Montana (16-7), Tom Brady (14-3), Terry Bradshaw (14-5), John Elway (14-7), Brett Favre (12-10), Roger Staubach (11-6), Troy Aikman (11-4) Bart Starr (9-1), Kelly, Jim Plunkett (8-2), Steve Young (8-6) and Marino.
For those keeping score, McNabb currently trails 10 current Hall of Famers and two shoo-ins, Brady and Favre, and can continue extending his win total this season.
Quick tease: The San Diego Chargers and Arizona Cardinals answered a lengthy discussion about whether division champions should receive a home playoff game despite their record by winning on Saturday night. The Vikings couldn't make it three in a row, however, prompting the question of how division champions have historically performed in the first round.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)