Covenant of the Gridiron 1.14.08: Divisional Round Breakdown

Posted by Derek Robbins on 01.14.2008

The conference championships have been set! Are the Patriots still undefeated? Are the Cowboys still the beasts of the east? Are the Colts still the DEFENDING Super Bowl champions? Did Favre summon some Lambeau Magic? All of that and more as 411's Derek Robbins breaks down the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs.

Hello and welcome to this week's covenant of the gridiron! Before I break down this week, there are a couple of things that I wish to comment on.

-It appears that the Cubs hunt for Brian Roberts has ended in futility. This is kind of a shame, because the dude would have been useful…but the Orioles just wanted too much, and frankly, he wasn't worth all of what they were asking. I think we should focus on pitching now…since that's our weakest point. I mean, Ryan Dempster could make our rotation! RYAN DEMPSTER. Grah

-Since, for whatever reason, EVERYONE in my area picked up their copy of the Raw 15th anniversary DVD before I did, rendering me UNABLE to find a copy, I simply ordered one from the internet. It came in on Friday and I have to say…it was pretty good. I honestly felt that the best match that was included on the DVD set was Owen versus Bulldog. That was awesome.

Anyhow, that's that. Let's get on to the actual breakdown.

NFL Playoffs: Divisional Round

Seattle Seahawks 20 at Green Bay Packers 42

Going into this game I had predicted that if the weather was poor, the Seahawks would come out on top. On Saturday, Lambeau field was a mess. It was snowy, it was windy, and it wasn't a good day for football. My initial prediction that the weather would be quite important was looking accurate as the Seahawks got out to a 14-0 lead and looked quite good in doing it. Then, all of a sudden, the Packers turned it on. It was like with the Giants/Buccaneers game last week. The Bucs dominated the first quarter, and then all of a sudden…the Giants turned it on and dominated. Same story here. In the snow, I have to say…I was more impressed with Brett Favre than I have ever been. The conditions were horrid and he brought his A-game. He wasn't the only thing working for the Packers on this day, though. Ryan Grant – despite having two early fumbles – ended up with over 200 yards and three scores. I was impressed by this mostly because ALL YEAR LONG the Packers have been a passing team. I didn't really consider Green Bay much of a threat to run the ball, but…they came out and did just that today. A lot of credit should go to the Offensive Line for that. On top of this, Green Bay's defense was on all day long. They only allowed 200 total yards. Sure, the weather was bad, but if you look at Green Bay's yardage (408) it appears that the ball was at least maneuverable. The key to this game, for me at least, was Seattle's complete inability to run the ball. Hey, I get that Shaun Alexander is a bit banged up…but so is EVERYONE at this point. Come playoff time, 28 rushing yards is just inexcusable, ESPECIALLY in weather that doesn't exactly favor the pass. Again, Green Bay's defense should be credited…but Seattle should also take some blame. 28 yards isn't just a defense's doing, that's plain ineptitude. Hopefully for Seattle next year they'll have a running game to compliment Hasslebeck's impressive pass attack. Huge kudos to the Packers though. Offensively and Defensively they squashed the Seahawks and put on one impressive showing. Now that the Cowboys have been eliminated from the playoffs, Green Bay has GOT to be the favorite going into the NFC Championship. This feels a lot like a "destiny" team, if I had to be honest. Also, it could set up for an interesting "passing of the torch" Super Bowl. Favre versus Brady. That'd be cool.

What can be drawn from this? - The Packers should be feeling pretty darn good about themselves after this impressive home win. On all cylinders, they clicked. The Seahawks didn't have their A-Games today. While they WERE a good team, they may need to sure up their offensive line come next year. With an improved O-Line, I think the Seahawks could go deeper. It's a shame that *insert any NFC West team* will be the "next big thing" next year, inevitably flop, and Seattle will yet again emerge as the under-rated champions of the NFC West.

Jacksonville Jaguars 20 at New England Patriots 31

Ahhh, the poor Jacksonville Jaguars. I believe they're the least popular team in the league, and for the first time in a while they get some much deserved love. What happens next? They promptly lose to the New England Patriots. Now don't get me wrong, the Jaguars didn't embarrass themselves by any stretch of the imagination. Honestly, the game was quite close and competitive going into the 4th quarter. It's just that now they're going to fade back into obscurity and nobody is going to care about them until next year when they are, yet again, the "SURPRISE, THEY ARE GOOD" team. Whatever. The story of this game was the fact that Jacksonville's ordinarily stellar running game was unable to get it going. There were times when the Jags actually looked unstoppable running the ball, but the stats don't lie. 80 rushing yards. 0 Touchdowns. As good as David Garrard is - and believe you me, Garrard is a GOOD quarterback – the Jaguars NEED to run the ball in order to succeed. It's just how they do business. Since they couldn't run, the game had to be taken over by Garrard, who did a pretty impressive job, especially for a guy who wasn't on anybody's radar at the start of the season. Unfortunately for David, on the other side of the field was Tom Brady. Tom Brady, who is our generation's Joe Montana, was near perfect as he went 26 for 28 (That's right! Only TWO incomplete passes all game) and threw three different touchdown strikes. Interestingly, NONE were to Randy Moss. The thing about Brady is that he spreads the ball around and it makes everyone on his team better. It's great. On top of Brady's performance, the over-looked Patriots rushing game was also quite impressive today. Laurence Maroney showed that when the Patriots need him to run the ball, that he can. He went for 122 yards and a single touchdown. It was interesting seeing the Patriots having such success over Jacksonville's defense (over 400 total yards of offense)…but I suppose they are the league's number one offense for a reason. I believe there's nothing for Jacksonville to hang their head on after this loss…they lost to (probably) the best team in the history of the NFL. Their quarterback, David Garrard, is a STAR. Their Defense is top-notch. Their running game is super. They just...ran into the best team in the league. I think Jacksonville has the ability to be at the top of the league for several years. Next week, New England faces a San Diego team that has played incredibly well down the stretch…it'll be interesting to see how the two hottest teams in football play one another. Don't listen to anyone, this game is going to be a close one…

What can be drawn from this? The Patriots continue their march to destiny as they beat the Jaguars. They're the best, and it shows. The Jaguars were a great team this year, and are on the cusp of becoming a Super Bowl team. It's hard to go back to back in the NFL these days…so it wouldn't be out of the question for the Jags to come back next year and win the whole thing. I just hope Jacksonville doesn't make any rash decisions involving coaching personnel, because I'm telling ya'…they are RIGHT there.

San Diego Chargers 28 at Indianapolis Colts 24

This kicked off the "trend of the day." On this day the officiating was just terrible and it appeared to be one-sided against one particular team. In this case, I felt throughout the entire game that the refs were trying to screw San Diego. This felt especially evident at the end of the second half when San Diego had an interception return for a touchdown that was called back by a "phantom" holding call. I mean…I have NO rooting interest in the Chargers and I was angry! Just like the Patriots when they played in the dome (hmm…), the Chargers were able to over-come the odds and defeat the Colts. I felt that the big story of the game was that, while the Chargers were able to put together a semblance of a running game, the Colts were unable to get it going on the ground. Hey, I realize that the Colts passing game is where it is at, but…it IS important to mix up the run and the pass, and Indy just couldn't pull it off right. An important factor in this game was the fact that Indy's star receiver, Marvin Harrison, was a, well, non-factor. He was hobbled up, and I felt since they were having problems running the ball…his health MAY have been the difference in the game. No, I am not blaming this game on Marvin Harrison, I am simply saying that if he had been healthy, perhaps the outcome would have been different. On San Diego's side, it appeared evident to me that Phillip Rivers was playing with a lot of confidence. He appeared to be in total control of the game, and from such a young quarterback that is a great thing. He may not be in Drew Brees's league, but…the Chargers are in good hands. I think the most interesting thing about this game was the fact that BOTH Rivers and LaDainian Tomlinson were taken out of the game by injury. Billy Volek and Michael Turner both played quite well in their absence. Is this enough to give any evidence that the Chargers could compete against New England without their two big stars? No. Is it good to know that they won't be totally screwed if they both go down again? Hell yes it is. San Diego was blown out of New England earlier in the season, but…a lot has changed since then and I believe that the game will be quite the competitive one.

What can be drawn from this? It goes without saying that the Colts will be a competitive team next year, but will they be able to go back to the promise land that they once landed in? Probably so, especially if Marvin Harrison is healthy once again. The Chargers have an excellent opportunity next week to take down the Patriots. Those two teams were the hottest two going into the post-season. The AFC Championship game could possibly be the best one in the playoffs…as it has been for the past couple of years.

- The Chargers shocked a lot of people this week. But can they do it next week when two of their biggest players are a bit banged up? We'll see.

New York Giants 21 at Dallas Cowboys 17

I'm afraid to turn on any national sports station tomorrow. There's going to be so much hyperbole thrown out about Tony Romo. You'll hear: "WILL TONY ROMO EVER WIN A PLAYOFF GAME!?" and "IS ROMO A CHOKER?" and even: "THIS GAME IS TO BLAME ON JESSICA SIMPSON." Enough. This is Tony Romo's second year as a starter. People are acting as though he's a seasoned veteran, which I suppose speaks a lot about his quality, but the thing is…he's a young guy, and he'll probably get over this loss just like he did after last year's loss. Going in, I figured that it would be hard for the Cowboys to beat the Giants three times. It's HARD to beat a good team three times in one year, and being the third time…the Cowboys were unable to complete the trifecta. That said, the referees were APPALING in this game. The Cowboys seemingly got a penalty every few minutes, some of which were deserved, but most weren't, and that just screwed things up. Nine times out of ten, with a set of NEUTRAL officials, the Cowboys would win this game. In the National Football League there is a time-honored tradition come playoff time. You let the two great teams play ball. That way everybody goes home happy having seen the best of what each team has to offer. The referees weren't willing to play ball, and that's a darn shame. What could have been remembered as an excellent game between two bitter rivals will be forever remembered for controversy. The Cowboys out-gained the Giants 336 to 230 yards, and still…still they lost. Some people will say that the Cowboys mistakes screwed the Cowboys, but I don't think so. No, no, I don't think that's the case at all. The Cowboys didn't screw the Cowboys, the Giants didn't screw the Cowboys, the Referees screwed the Cowboys. The referees are going to get a lot of flack for this one. Do I feel sorry for them? No. If they had played by tradition, this game would have been a classic, but they decided to take things a different direction and we got this. I should mention that Eli looked impressive yet again this week, the Giants pass rush was insane, and the Giants are STILL playing with a ton of confidence. I mean it, too. The Packers should NOT underestimate the Giants, because I believe they have proven themselves in this post-season…and they are playing with fire. Still though, if the referees didn't get themselves involved, I think that the Cowboys would have won. More power to the Giants. They certainly didn't fluke their way in.

What can be drawn from this? The Cowboys will come back next year and be dominate yet again. We'll get to the post-season and people will start questioning Romo YET again, despite it being only his third full year as a starter. The Giants and Eli in particular should be feeling quite confident, as they have looked good ever since they lost to the Patriots at the end of the regular season. They CAN beat the Packers. Will they? I can't say for sure, but…it should be an interesting game.

Rankings!

There are now fewer than 5 teams in the postseason, so needless to say…they all get ranked! As always, the very first team is the best team while the fourth team is the, ah, fourth best team. The number in parentheses outside the win-loss record is where they were last week.

1-) New England Patriots (17-0)(1) – The team has been at the very top of the list since the very first week I did this, so it's only fitting that they stay on top. Well, for that reason and for the fact that they still have yet to lose the game. I am under the impression that if the Patriots go un-defeated…that they will be the best team in NFL history. This is a 49ers fan saying this. I believe that anyone who STILL says the Dolphins are the finest team in NFL history once all is said and done (assuming New England goes all the way) is probably a Dolphins fan or a member of that '72 Dolphins team that is trying to cling onto their relevance.

2-) Green Bay Packers (14-3)(4) – Boy, the way things have been for Green Bay this year…it's hard not to think "Super Bowl". Not more than two years ago, I thought that Favre would never play in "the big one" again. Yet here we are, mid January, and Favre has proven me wrong. They are here and on the cusp of winning the NFC. This Packers team has an impressive defense and an impressive passing game. Can the Packers turn Eli back into the Eli we all know and love? Can Favre out-pace the Giants secondary? We'll see.

3-) San Diego Chargers (13-5)(6) Win number eight in a row, in a game in which the officials were out to get them (or so it seemed to me). The Chargers have been the second hottest team in the NFL, and as I mentioned last week…I feel that they are a team that could give New England some difficulties. Rivers and Tomlinson are both a bit banged up, so it'll be interesting to see if they can maintain that fire going into this game…but you just KNOW that the Chargers are going to want some revenge after their week two loss. The hiring of Norv Turner was considered questionable at the beginning of the year, but Charger fan has GOT to be happy following this playoff run. Does this win make up for that division series loss against New England last year? No. But it does put them in perfect position to AVENGE it.

4-) New York Giants (12-6)(7) – Apparently this team has issues with all the dis-respect they receive. I admit, until week 17…I wasn't sold on them, but after their performance against the Patriots, I felt that the Giants HAD potential to go far in the playoffs, and so far…they've done just that. They have upset the Cowboys. Now last week, I said the Cowboys were "The Man". Since the Giants have beaten "The Man", does this make them the man? I'm not sure, really. The Packers have to be considered HEAVY favorites going into next week's game due to Favre's presence alone. That said, DO NOT underestimate these Giants. When they are playing at their best, they are EVERY bit as good as Green Bay. They have been playing with a fire lit under their ass for the last few weeks. Let's see that continue into the NFC championship so we can see an truly memorable game.

- Laurence Maroney is over-shadowed by his star quarterback, but make no bones about it...dude can play.

Divisional Playoff Awards

Team that proved the most this weekendNew York Giants - For the SECOND week in a row, I have to go with the New York Giants. The Chargers are deserving as well, but they did have SOME backing. Going into today's game, I didn't feel like the Giants had ANY backing. Sure, I felt the Giants were assisted by some shoddy officiating, but…a win is a win, and the Giants DESERVE to be here. They keep proving us wrong week after week and it'll be interesting to see if they can do it ONE LAST TIME against Favre and the Packers. In all honesty, a "Brady/Manning" Super Bowl would be quite cool.

Worst Performance by a Team Seattle Seahawks - Defensively Seattle couldn't stop Green Bay. At all. In particularly the running game which hasn't exactly been a strength for the Cheese Heads. On top of that, THEY couldn't run themselves. They say that the key to winning in the playoffs is the ability to run and the ability to stop the run. Seattle could do neither and after the first quarter wrapped up…The Packers went to school on them. It's a shame, because the Seahawks don't usually get much credit…but they played like they didn't belong this weekend.

Best Play of the Week Anthony Gonzalez 55 yard Touchdown reception - The actual part I'm complimenting isn't the pass itself, but something the runner did. Gonzalez was being pushed OUT of bounds and was somehow able to work against momentum and keep both of his feet in bounds while running for the touch down. That takes a ton of coordination. This was a HUGE play as it put the Colts ahead (for the time being), and if the Colts would have won…well, let's just say that play would have meant a lot more than it ended up meaning.

MVP of Week 2 Tom Brady - Say what you will about Tom Brady. Some people love the guy, some people hate the guy. Whatever your opinion, it's impossible to deny how good he is. He was just about perfect this week against the Jaguars. Did he need to be close to perfection to beat Jacksonville? Probably not. Did it help the Patriots that he was? Yes it did. Tom Brady is considered the best in the business for a reason and this week really helped to solidify that in my eyes.

- The Giants have proven everyone wrong to this point in the postseason. Will they continue to do it next week? We'll see.

Wrap Up and Picks for the Conference Championships

Here is a comment from Brad

I see the Green Bay playoff run much like i see the Ric Flair retirement angle - He will make it to the big one (WM/Superbowl) but lose there to put someone over. Obviously Ric Flair is being played by Brett Favre, its almost uncanny how these two legends will bow out soon. Also the speech Flair gave saying Favre was still the best makes this almost uncanny. Green Bay makes it to the Superbowl and loses. To who i dont know. Maybe a young guy (Garrard), maybe another legend/future legend (Brady or P. Manning). My Bucs will bounce back next season hopefully

Well, if Garcia is your QB next year…I'll be rooting for the Bucs to do well as well. That said, this is an EXCELLENT analogy. I'm not sure if Brett will bow out at the end of the day, but…I think the Super Bowl will be viewed as a "Passing of the Torch" game from Favre to Brady (if that is indeed how it plays out). I actually really hope that IS the game, because you know Favre is going to bring his A-game…and Brady is going to be Brady. It's probably the best possible match-up. As good as the week 17 game between New York and New England was…does anyone think the Super Bowl would approach how excellent it truly was?
This next one is from fellow 411 staffer Ramon Aranda He's our boxing guy. He also does a lot of other stuff for the sports section and the games section (The two sections I work for!). So make sure to give him some props sometime.

The Giants looked exceptionally well and I'm glad Eli got his first playoff win. Dallas better watch out!

Turns out you were right. I still think the Cowboys got screwed by the refs, but…the Giants won and that is all that matters. Now that Eli smells blood, I wonder if he'll be able to take down Favre and advance to the end? I'm pretty excited for conference championship weekend. This says a lot, because I felt the NFL this year had been sub-par.

This next one is from Tony

Browns having a better chance then Tennessee? Their defense was one of the worst in the league, if not THE worst, and San Diego's defense would have shut down Derek Anderson's offense. Had the Browns been in, Boomer Esiason's pregame prediction of San Diego winning 41-10 would have been right.

I agree that Cleveland had a BAD defense, but…towards the end of the season they were playing exceptionally well and were better than their numbers. I think that the game would have been an offensive showdown had Cleveland went, and I stick by that. Do I think Cleveland would have won? Hell no. Do I think Cleveland is a better team than Tennessee? Hell yes I do. I think Tennessee was the worst team to enter the post-season this year, and that INCLUDES Tampa and Washington. If Fischer wasn't their coach, this would have been a dark season.

This final one is from Jim

Thanks for posting my comment. My heart was beating quite hard there at the end of that Jags game. Thank the football gods for Garrard's legs and Roethlisburger's hands of oil. I really can't wait to see the big guns play this week and I hope at least one of them gets knocked off. As much as I too am tired of of the 72 Fins, I can't cheer against Jacksonville. They're such a likeable club and one that never gets any respect, I'd love to see them make a run for the big game. It's certainly possible too. If NE has a weak spot it's run defense, and you can't ask for a much better one two punch at running back than Fred Taylor and MJD, should be a great game. I went 4-0 too, and I usually suck at picking. Now that I'm actually posting my picks, I'm sure I'll go back to sucking, here goes: NE over Jacksonville Indy over SD GB over Seattle NYG over Dallas Had to throw in an upset pick and the Giants seem as good a choice as any. Dallas hasn't played very well the last few weeks of the season, while the Giants are arguably the teams with the most momentum in the NFC right now.

Well no problem. I do what I can. Anyhow…even though I agree about New England's run defense, Jacksonville wasn't as capable running the ball as they have been and that really cost them this week. Garrard is THE MAN…but I don't think he's quite ready to carry a team all the way. Yet. Give it time. Del Rio chose him over Leftwich for a reason. While Leftwich is decent and won't lose you games…Garrard is GOOD and can actually WIN games with his arm. Your picks were pretty good. You and I both went 3-1. When San Diego beat Indy I was like: "HELL YEAH, I COULD GO 8-0!". *sigh* Looks like I'll have to settle for 7-1. Well, at least robots aren't playing out there…so the results are random and the games are fun.

Also, heavily agreed. The Giants are playing with a TON of momentum right now.

Alright, now, here are my picks for next week.

New England Patriots over San Diego Chargers

This is the clash of two teams that are playing at the top of their game right now. In my mind, these two were the hottest teams going into the postseason, so it is only fitting that they end up meeting in the conference championship. I think the Chargers can be a bit whiny at times (and I did NOT like that Phillip Rivers mouthed off at Colts fans after the game), but they play good ball. In this game…I think the defenses are equal. The Patriots passing game is superior, but the Chargers running game is superior. It's a tough choice, but I can't go against Tom Brady. His team is un-defeated and I'm not going against him right now. I truly believe his Patriots are on the way to becoming the best team in history.

Green Bay Packers over New York Giants

Kudos all over to the New York Giants. No one, and I mean NO ONE, thought they would be here. A lot of teams use that excuse when trying to motivate themselves…even when that is less than true. A lot of people had New York going home in the first round, and here they are going one on one with the great one. I feel the Packers ARE a better team, especially with Green Bay's tenacious defense, but…with the way the Giants have been playing lately, you can't really count them out. You know, I can't choose against Favre at Lambeau Field. It just seems foolish. So I'm going with, as Brad said, the Ric Flair of the NFL. Brett Favre is going back to the big game, baby. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

- One more big game for Favre? Seems almost too good to be true.

And that, as they say, is that. I'll be back next week for the Conference Championships!

Til' the Crossroads