New York 24
at Cincinatti 14
Review: Shayne Graham’s letdowns, Darrell Revis’ blanket-coverage, and Shonn Greene’s continued emergence all combined to compell the Jets to a rough-and-tumble road playoff victory. Carson Palmer struggled to find open receivers as the Jets took away their only true playmaking wideout and Cedric Benson’s notable 169 yard, 1 touchdown effort went to waste as Cincinnati’s's season ends after back to back home losses against the same New York Jets squad. With Graham missing two chip-shot field goals (35 and 28 yards respectively), the Bengals were never able to mount a consistent offensive threat after jumping out to a first quarter lead on a touchdown pass to oft forgotten wide receiver Laveranues Coles. The rest of the game was controlled by the Jets in lock down mode, as their bend but don’t break defense kept the Bengals in check and allowed their poised rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez to manage a perfectly executed offensive gameplan while their vaunted two-headed rushing attack of Greene and Thomas Jones did all of the work and damage on the ground. New York now looks forward to facing the high-fly aerial attack of the Chargers in San Diego in the Divional Round next week.
Philadelphia 14
at Dallas 34
Review: After a scoreless first quarter, the Cowboys exploded for a team playoff record 27 second quarter points and took control of the contest en route to another blowout victory over their rival Philadelphia Eagles. In a game eerily mimicking Dallas’ dominant Week 17 performance in the prequel to this match-up, Tony Romo continued his red hot play as he exploited holes in the Eagles’ secondary and threw off his “choke under pressure” moniker while leading the Cowboys to their first playoff win in over 13 years. In a rivalry filled with hatred and history, it’s no surprise that this rugged NFC East match-up ended up being the most penalized game in NFL playoff history. Both sides got chippy and took cheap shots early and the rough and tumble atmosphere continued throughout the contest. This was to the marked disadvantage of Philadelphia though, as their miscues, mistakes, and turnovers led to an ultimately insurmountable half time deficit, and a hole that the inaccurate Donovan McNabb and the still gimpy Brian Westbrook were never able to dig themselves out of. Even star wideout and big-play specialist DeSean Jackson was held in check and unable to help his team take advantage of multiple Dallas turnovers and penalties in the second half that could have threatened to let the Eagles back into the game. With Philly’s season now over, their quarterback situation for 2010 is up in the air, while Dallas has more pressing concerns, facing Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings in the Metrodome next week.
Baltimore 33
at New England 14
Review: In easily the most stunning showdown of the first round, the Baltimore Ravens went into Foxborough and manhandled the New England Patriots on their home turf to the tune of an embarrassing blowout that could have been even worse than the final score actually revealed. Superstar running back Ray Rice set the tone from the first play of the game as he took a basic inside handoff 83 yards to paydirt on Baltimore’s first play from scrimmage. Mr. Clutch Tom Brady then followed that impressive display with an absolutely abysmal early game performance, getting sacked and stripped on New England’s first possession then coughing up two more interceptions before the Pats could even escape the first quarter. The Ravens went with an ultra conservative attack after building an impressive 24 point lead in the opening frame, pounding the rock on almost every down. Brady did his best to rally the troops for a comeback, but a pair of touchdown passes and a third interception weren’t enough to even pull the Pats within striking distance in the second half. While the absence of Wes Welker was readily apparent in this contest, it was actually standout wide receiver Randy Moss who was the glaring player missing in action for most of the game. The ultra talented pass catcher played without fire or enthusiasm, and his lackluster routes and subpar effort limited New England’s big play opportunities and quick strike capabilities, making a comeback virtually impossible. Baltimore now moves on to face reigning MVP Peyton Manning and the top ranked Colts in the second round.
Green Bay 45
at Arizona 51
Review: The highest scoring game in playoff history was an all out barn burner, as the repeat performance between the Packers and the Cardinals needed overtime to decide. Both defenses decided to help focus on turnovers and scoring instead of stopping their opponent, and Arizona led the way, making Green Bay cough the ball up on their first two passing plays (one interception, one forced fumble). The Cards transitioned those early miscues into a commanding 17 point lead in the first quarter as they fed off the energy of the crowd and constantly harassed Rodgers in the backfield. The Packers then returned fire when a Larry Fitzgerald fumble resulted in their first touchdown of the game, and these two heavyweight passing attacks then traded blows for the remainder of the game. Both Rodgers and cagey vet Kurt Warner totaled 5 touchdowns each in this shoot-out of epic proportions and a late push by the dynamic downfield offense of the Packers had this game tied late in the fourth. After Arizona missed a gimmie field goal in the waning seconds of regulation and Green Bay won the toss in overtime, it looked like the Packers would actually have a chance to stage one of the greatest playoff comebacks of all time. But Karlos Dansby would have none of it: after a questionable hit on Rodgers forced a fumble in the extra session, Dansby scooped up the loose ball and took it to the house, fittingly ending the most offensive-oriented playoff game ever with the exclamation mark that was a defensive score. Sure to be regarded as an instant classic, this impressive victory propels the Cardinals into the hands of another prolific offense in the Divisional Round, that of the waiting New Orleans Saints.
