New Orleans defeats Arizona 45-14
1) The Saints looked ready and confident and played their best ball in a month. They completely overwhelmed the Cardinals, and they looked like the team that started 13-0.
2) The Cards ran out of gas. We were waiting for this type of game by the Cards since last year's playoffs, but they surprised us everytime. Kurt Warner is a great player, but even he could get the Cards through this game.
3) Reggie Bush stepped up and made the kind of impact that we were used to seeing when he was at USC. He is gamebreaker, and his touchdown run and punt return were classic Reggie Bush plays.
4) I'm happy for Drew Brees. I always liked Drew Brees when he was at Purdue, and he really has meant so much for New Orleans and the community. He is a good guy, and he has had such an impact for that franchise. The Saints host the NFC Title game for the first time, and they can make their first ever Super Bowl appearance if they win next week.
Indianapolis defeats Baltimore 20-3
1) This game turned when Baltimore went three and out with under two minutes to go in the first half and down 10-3. By giving Peyton Manning another possession before the half, you are going to get burned. Manning delivered with a TD pass to Reggie Wayne and it was over from there.
2) Ed Reed's interception of Manning could have made this game closer, but when he got stripped by Indy's Pierre Garcon, that was it for the Ravens.
3) The Colts didn't look super efficient on offense, but they did enough when they needed to. Maybe Peyton needed a week to get going.
4) The Ravens need to find themselves a big time receiver. I'm sure they will explore Brandon Marshall in the offseason.
5) The Colts defense is very underrated, and it has been all season long. They get no credit, but they tackle so well.
Minnesota defeats Dallas 34-3
1) Give Brad Childress and Brett Favre credit: They wanted to work with each other because they believed they could win the Super Bowl, and now they are one step away.
2) Jared Allen and the Vikings defensive line just flat out destroyed the Cowboys and Tony Romo. It wasn't even a fair fight.
3) The Favre-Sidney Rice combination became one of the most dangerous overnight this year. What a performance by Rice with three TD catches.
4) The Cowboys looked like the hot team and were poised to make a run, but they were dominated by Minnesota. The better team won, and the Vikings deserve all the credit, but Tony Romo was terrible all day long.
5) Wade Phillips should keep his job, and the Cowboys have a bright future. Their core group (Romo, Jones, Austin, Witten, Ware) is young so they should be in contention next year.
6) The Vikings head to the NFC Championship for the first time since 2000. They could be headed to their first Super Bowl since 1976.
Jets defeat San Diego 17-14
1) Wow, where do we start with this game? The Jets ability to run the ball consistently has been phenomenal in the playoffs. When they wanted to run it, they ran it on the Chargers.
2) For the second straight week, Mark Sanchez wasn't spectacular, but he made some big throws on third down. You have to tip your cap to him. His touchdown throw to Dustin Keller on 3rd and Goal in the fourth quarter was a great play. That put the Jets up 10-7, and they didn't look back.
3) Shonn Greene is the best running back out of the 2009 Draft class. He ran for over 100 yards the second straight game, and his touchdown run was a backbreaker to give the Jets a 17-7 lead late in the fourth.
4) Once again the Jets defense came through. They just kept coming after Philip Rivers, and they did a great job to keep the Chargers offense off balanced. Give credit to Rex Ryan because he did a great job coaching for the second week in a row.
5) The Jets improbably advance to the AFC Championship for the first time since 1998 (A loss to Denver thank you very much).
6) As much as the Jets deserved to win, and I don't want to take any credit away from them, the Chargers pulled another Playoff chokejob.
7) Nate Kaeding's 36 yard missed field goal on the first drive set the tone for the game. His second missed field goal from 40 yards late in the fourth quarter was plain awful.
8) Philip Rivers couldn't get it going in the second half, and the Chargers made too many mistakes on offense. Too many penalties just killed any momentum they had going on offense.
9) If that was LaDanian Tomlinson's last game as a Charger, what a way to go out. Brutal.
10) Why is Norv Turner going for an onside kick down 3 with 2:14 left and one timeout? Why? Just when you think Norv has turned the corner, he proves that he sucks as a big time head coach? I'll take Josh McDaniels anyday.
11) Five Division Titles in six years. Four straight AFC West Titles. 12-4 in 2004 14-2 in 2006, 11-5 in 2007, 13-3 in 2009 and no Super Bowls to show for it. Three of those times the Chargers lost at home in their first game. I'm not saying the Chargers are done, but opportunity only knocks for so long.
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