Playoff preview: Rushing is past tense in pass-intense postseason
Playoff preview: Rushing is past tense in pass-intense postseason
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By
Pete Prisco
CBSSports.com Senior Writer
Tell Pete your opinion!
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]<!-- T12755419 --><!-- Sesame Modified: 01/07/2010 14:49:20 --><!-- sversion: 22 $Updated: lylec$ -->
You can almost hear the old men grumbling the adage in their crusty, salty voices: Playoff football is about running the ball and playing good defense. [/FONT]
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Coach-speak ball is what I call that, and those old-timers and coaches couldn't be more wrong. [/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]The upcoming playoffs will be about throwing it and quarterback play. Look at the 12 teams. Only one, the New York Jets with rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez, does not have a passer capable of putting his team on his back and winning. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]The quarterbacks of the 12 teams are a who's-who of the position. There are four sure-bet Hall of Fame passers: Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Kurt Warner and Brett Favre. There are rising stars like Aaron Rodgers, Philip Rivers and Drew Brees. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]Get the lights ready on those scoreboards. They'll be changing like the pumps at the gas station. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]To those who say you need to run it to win, here's a stat that begs to differ: Of the top 10 passing teams in the league, eight made the playoffs. By contrast, five of the top 10 rushing teams are in the playoffs. The Cowboys and Saints are among the best in both categories. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]<STYLE type=text/css>.master TABLE { MARGIN-TOP: 8px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 8px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 8px}.master TD { PADDING-BOTTOM: 6px; PADDING-LEFT: 10px; PADDING-RIGHT: 10px; PADDING-TOP: 6px}.master P { MARGIN-TOP: 6px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 6px; FONT-SIZE: 11px}</STYLE><TABLE class=data border=0 width=250 align=left><!--START PASTING CODE FOR BOXES HERE--><TBODY><TR class=bg0><TD>Wild-card video</TD></TR><TR class=bg6><TD>
Jets at Bengals | Ravens at Patriots[/FONT]
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Eagles at Cowboys | Packers at Cardinals[/FONT]
</TD></TR><TR class=bg0><TD>Wild-card links</TD></TR><TR class=bg6><TD>
Bracket |
Matchups |
Expert Picks
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]If you had to pick the weakest team in the playoff field, it would probably the Jets. They happened to lead the league in rushing, but struggled throwing it with Sanchez. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]It's clear what wins in the NFL now. So as we ready for this season's playoffs, think passing, passing and more passing. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]First one to 35 in some of these games might win. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]I can't wait. [/FONT]
Here's a look at all 12 of the playoff teams:
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Reggie Wayne and Peyton Manning. (US Presswire) </TD><TD width=15></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
AFC: Indianapolis Colts
The skinny: They limped into the playoffs by not playing starters in the last two games, but that's fine. Those games didn't matter. The next one will. You can bet Manning and that passing game will be cranked up and ready to go. You don't get to 14-0 without being a great football team. The key will be jumping out to leads and turning their fast defense loose.
Team strength: The passing game with Manning. No matter who plays wide receiver, Manning can make big plays. The Colts were second in the NFL in passing yards per game.
Area of concern: Third-down defense against the pass. Teams hit on 46 percent of their third-down passes, which tied the Colts for last in the league with Jacksonville. Indianapolis has to be better than that.
Player on the spot: Manning. Isn't it always that way when the Colts go in as the top seed?
Unsung player to watch: OLB
Clint Session. He has a knack for making the big play. He had a Pro Bowl-like season.
Will go the Super Bowl if ... they play with the lead. They have to dictate tempo. That means scoring early and often and turning their pass rushers loose.
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TE Antonio Gates and Philip Rivers. (Getty Images) </TD><TD width=15></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
San Diego Chargers
The skinny: They won 11 consecutive games to finish the season and enter as the hottest team in the league. Their passing game is as good as any, with Rivers developing into a big-play star. The key will be the continued improvement of the defense.
Team strength: Throwing the deep ball. The Chargers had 67 passing plays of 20 yards or more, which led the league. Rivers and those receivers can be lethal.
Area of concern: Teams ran for 4.5 per carry against the Chargers. That's way too high and ties for the worst among the playoff teams.
Player on the spot: Rivers. Despite having a great season, he has to show he can win the big game.
Unsung player to watch: NT
Ian Scott. They picked him up off the scrap heap to take over when Jamal Williams went down. His play in the middle is of big importance in their 3-4 scheme -- and he is big in terms of stopping the run.
Will go the Super Bowl if ... the defense can play at a high level. They've really come on lately, and that has to carry over.
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Chad Ochocinco and Carson Palmer. (Getty Images) </TD><TD width=15></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Cincinnati Bengals
The skinny: This is a talented team that can run it, play good defense and throw with
Carson Palmer. Three weeks ago, they went to San Diego and almost beat the Chargers. That says a lot. They need to throw it better in the playoffs than they did in the regular season. Let Palmer go some.
Team strength: That defense. Despite some key injuries, and dealing with the death of defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer's wife, it finished fourth in total defense.
Area of concern: The passing game hasn't been as effective as in years past. But it also hasn't been needed much with the way they've run it. Can they throw it when they need to?
Player on the spot: Palmer. He has to play big in the playoffs. This is a passing league, and he will need to show he's one of the top guys.
Unsung player to watch: DE
Jonathan Fanene. When they lost Antwan Odom early, Fanene stepped in as a starter and played well. He is a relentless player who also has decent speed off the edge.
Will go the Super Bowl if ... Palmer and Chad Ochocinco can light up a defense when needed. The Bengals can play good defense and they can run it, but it will be the passing game that dictates how far they go.
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Tom Brady and wideout Randy Moss. (Getty Images) </TD><TD width=15></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
New England Patriots
The skinny: This is another explosive offense, even without Wes Welker, who is out with a knee injury.
Randy Moss can stretch the field, but it's up to players like Julian Edelman to come through without Welker. Bill Belichick and Tom Brady have three rings, so you know they will be playoff ready.
Team strength: Brady throwing to Moss and whoever. They seemed to hit their stride late in the season.
Area of concern: Pass rush. They've traditionally been very good in this area, but not this season. They had just 31 sacks. They have to be better in the playoffs.
Player on the spot: Moss. All eyes will be on him to see if he has any meltdowns or if he's back to being a team player again. What happens when things don't go his way?
Unsung player to watch: OLB
Tully Banta-Cain. He led the team in sacks with 10, but you'd be hard-pressed to find many who know much about him. He's back for a second term with the team and he has played well.
Will go the Super Bowl if ... they don't miss Welker and they play better on defense. They've been hit a lot by the big play
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Receiver Derrick Mason and Joe Flacco. (US Presswire) </TD><TD width=15> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Baltimore Ravens
The skinny: The Ravens didn't get in until the final week, but that doesn't meant they don't have talent. This team is capable of turning it up in the postseason. We've seen that before. The key will be how well they can move the football, especially through the air. This is the second playoffs for
Joe Flacco, and it will be interesting to see how much more comfortable he is this time.
Team strength: It's tough to run on the Ravens. They limited opposing rushers to 3.5 per rush, which was best in the NFL.
Area of concern: The pass rush has been a strong point for this team for a long time, but they had only 32 sacks this season. That number was down because Terrell Suggs missed time with injuries. He's back now, which is a big plus.
Player on the spot: Ray Rice. He is the player who makes this offense go. They have to run it and use him in the passing game.
Unsung player to watch: Nose tackle
Kelly Gregg has one of the worst bodies in football. But he is key to what the Ravens do. He is a powerful player who holds up against the run. He's had a great season.
Will go the Super Bowl if ... Flacco plays at a high level and the corners hold up when put in man coverage.
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