Playoff Football

The Jets will be going to San Diego to face the Chargers after the Ravens dismantled the Patriots yesterday. Traditionally, the Jets (like the Mets) don't fare well on the west coast. This year, the Jets made one trip out that way and walloped the Oakland Raiders 38-0 but that's hardly a measure to trust--everyone beat up on the Raiders this year.

The Chargers' strengths are their passing offense (#4 in the NFL) and their rushing defense (#5). The Jets' strengths are their passing defense (#8 in the league) and their rushing offense (#12)--and improving after the last two weeks. With WR Vincent Jackson having an achilles problem and listed as questionable for the Chargers, it will be interesting to see who Darrelle Revis of the Jets is assigned to guard. As goes Revis, so goes the Jets' pass defense seems to be the popular wisdom, but they will also need more pressure and sacks from the front line.

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Did you watch the Green Bay-Arizona game yesterday? This has to have been one of the most entertaining postseason games in a long while.

The Cardinals 51-45 overtime victory over the Packers set a postseason record for points as Warner and Rodgers came out slinging as they combined for 801 yards through the air. Rodgers had 422 yards and 4 TDs while Warner had 379 and 5 TDs. Yet the game was won on a defensive play. After featuring virtually only a token defense by either team resulted in a 45-45 tie during regulation, it was the Cardinals' defense that won the game with a Karlos Dansby fumble recovery returned for a touchdown. You might say that that play was the answer to the Arizona place kicker Neil Rackers' prayers after he pulled a relatively short field goal attempt with seconds on the clock.

During regulation, it seemed only a matter of time before the offensive team scored a TD. The defenses could only slow the proceedings and not prevent the result.

Best line of the day was delivered as they went into overtime the TV announcer, who was probably massaging his sore neck from having to swivel his eyes back and forth across the field so quickly to follow the plays, said something to the effect: "It's a good thing we're not playing college overtime rules or we'd be here all night." Up to that point, he was 100% correct. It didn't seem as if either side could make a stand. (Although, ironically, Green Bay did force a punt early in the fourth quarter that allowed them to score two consecutive TDs and tie the game at 35 apiece.)