#6 Jacksonville Jaguars -V- #3 Indianapolis Colts After winning the AFC South with not Peyton Manning, but a Matt Hasselbeck & Matt Flynn combination, the Colts faced the final wildcard team in the Jacksonville Jaguars who have been carried by Adrian Peterson. An AFC South rivalry is brought into the NFL playoffs right away this year and it surprisingly doesn't include Peyton Manning... The Colts went ahead early in the first quarter with a 10-0 lead after a Jay Feely field goal along with a 19 yard touchdown pass from Hasselbeck to Jacob Tamme. However in the second quarter, the Jaguars managed to bring it back to a 10-10 tie after a 42 yard field goal from Josh Scobee as well as a 16 yard scamper for a score by Adrian Peterson. Hasselbeck managed to bring the Colts back on top 17-10 by leading a 2 minute drill capped off with 7 yard touchdown pass to Austin Collie. With a 17-10 score at halftime, the Jaguars weren't ready to concede as Hill lead the Jaguars down the field, but had to settle on a 20 yard field goal by Scobee. The Jaguars quickly got the ball back and Hill lead his team to a score this time, a 7 yard pass to Leonard Pope. Unfortunately for the Colts, their quarterback Matt Hasselbeck was knocked out from the game and Matt Flynn took over the reigns for the rest of the game. The Colts were able to drive down the field just as well after that, capping the drive off with a 2 yard touchdown run by Rashad Jennings bringing the score to 24-20. With the loss of Hasselbeck, the Jaguars were beginning to play catch-up on the Colts on the arm of Shaun Hill. The forth quarter started with a 3 yard touchdown pass from Hill to James Jones giving the Jaguars the 27-24 lead. However that would be the last touchdown of the day for Hill as Flynn lead his team down the field for two field goals in the forth quarter as the Colts managed to squeak by the Jaguars 30-27. BOX SCORE Jacksonville: 27 Indianapolis: 30 INDIANAPOLIS Passing Matt Hasselbeck - 13/19, 124 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT Matt Flynn - 13/28, 193 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT Rushing Rashad Jennings - 17 attempts, 41 yards, 2.4 YPC, 1 TD Brandon Jacobs - 7 attempts, 21 yards, 3.0 YPC, 0 TD Donald Brown - 2 attempts, 9 yards, 4.5 YPC, 0 TD Receiving Jacob Tamme - 7 receptions, 86 yards, 1 TD Austin Collie - 6 receptions, 61 yards, 1 TD Lance Moore - 5 receptions, 99 yards, 0 TD Pierre Garcon - 5 receptions, 36 yards, 0 TD Brody Eldridge - 2 receptions, 19 yards, 0 TD Blair White - 1 receptions, 16 yards, 0 TD Sacks N/A Interceptions N/A Kicking Jay Feely - 3/3 FG, 3/3 XP JACKSONVILLE Passing Shaun Hill - 18/37, 205 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT Rushing Adrian Peterson - 16 attempts, 52 yards, 3.2 YPC, 1 TD Deji Karim - 11 attempts, 24 yards, 2.1 YPC, 0 TD Receiving Leonard Pope - 5 receptions, 43 yards, 1 TD Jabar Gaffney - 3 receptions, 37 yards, 0 TD Troy Williamson - 2 receptions, 46 yards, 0 TD James Jones - 2 receptions, 19 yards, 1 TD Jason Hill - 2 receptions, 19 yards, 0 TD Adrian Peterson - 2 receptions, 16 yards, 0 TD Montell Owens - 1 receptions, 24 yards, 0 TD Zach Miller - 1 receptions, 1 yards, 0 TD Sacks Marques Murrell - 2.0 sacks Interceptions N/A Kicking Josh Scobee - 2/2 FG, 3/3 XP #6 St. Louis Rams - V - #3 San Francisco 49ers Last week the San Francisco 49ers and St. Louis Rams met in San Francisco to determine the NFC West Divisional Champion with the 49ers coming out on top thanks to a huge 215, 2 TD yard performance by Tiki Barber. This week St. Louis and San Francisco meet again on the same field but for an even greater prize... the opportunity to advance in the NFL playoffs. The 49ers started off the game on the right vote as David Garrard led his team down the field to give the 49ers the 7-0 lead with a 16 yard touchdown pass to Vernon Davis. The 49ers were not about to let off the gas pedal though as Garrard leads the 49ers down the field yet again in the second quarter but this time Montario Hardesty pounds in the 2 yard score bringing the 49ers to a 14-0 lead. With the first half coming to a close, Joey Nedney is sure to get his two cents in with a 52 yard field goal! At halftime the 49ers have a convincing 17-0 lead. The Rams start off the second half pulling out all the stops. Sam Bradford manages to put the Rams on the board with a 3 yard touchdown pass to Mark Clayton. The third quarter ends with San Francisco still in the lead 17-7. The game begins to get a little more interesting at Josh Brown nails a 24 yard field goal to make it a one possession game at 17-10. David Garrard continues his struggles leading to a punt and when I bring up a punt it always means something bad is about to happen to one team. Donnie Avery takes the return 57 yards to bring the game to a 17-17 tie with under ten minutes remaining. David Garrard with the help of Tiki Barber leads his team down the field with a nearly 8 minute drive, but has to settle on a 20 yard field goal by Nedney giving the 49ers the 20-17 lead. However this gives Sam Bradford a little over 2 minutes to work his magic in his attempt to prove his draft status in 2010. Sam Bradford wastes no time by throwing a 39 yard pass to Plaxico Burress in the endzone to give the Rams a 24-20 lead! With under 2 minutes remaining, it's David Garrard's turn to work his magic but it just doesn't work out for the 49ers as the Rams come out on top with a miraculous 4th quarter 24-20 comeback win. BOX SCORE Rams: 24 49ers: 20 ST. LOUIS Passing Sam Bradford - 17/32, 224 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT Rushing Alex Green - 16 attempts, 41 yards, 2.5 YPC, 0 TD Leon Washington - 6 attempts, 11 yards, 1.8 YPC, 0 TD Steven Jackson - 2 attempts, 3 yards, 1.5 YPC, 0 TD Receiving Kevin Boss - 4 receptions, 42 yards, 0 TD Plaxico Burress - 3 receptions, 67 yards, 1 TD Mark Clayton - 2 receptions, 36 yards, 2 TD Donnie Avery - 2 receptions, 28 yards, 0 TD Mike Karney - 2 receptions, 22 yards, 0 TD Alex Green - 2 receptions, 10 yards, 0 TD Leon Washington - 1 reception, 11 yards, 0 TD Danario Alexander - 1 reception, 8 yards, 0 TD Sacks N/A Interceptions Benny Sapp - 1 Interception Kicking Josh Brown - 1/1 FG, 3/3 XP SAN FRANCISCO Passing David Garrard - 18/39, 202 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Rushing Tiki Barber - 24 attempts, 55 yards, 2.2 YPC, 0 TD Montario Hardesty - 9 attempts, 13 yards, 1.4 YPC, 1 TD Anthony Dixon - 3 attempts, 8 yards, 2.6 YPC, 0 TD Receiving Malcolm Floyd - 5 receptions, 47 yards, 0 TD Vernon Davis - 4 receptions, 26 yards, 1 TD Tiki Barber - 3 receptions, 80 yards, 0 TD Josh Morgan - 3 receptions, 32 yards, 0 TD Taylor Price - 2 receptions, 14 yards, 0 TD Michael Robinson - 1 reception, 3 yards, 0 TD Sacks Greg Hardy - 1.0 Sack Interceptions N/A Kicking Joe Nedney - 2/2 FG, 2/2 XP #5 Pittsburgh Steelers - V - #4 Denver Broncos With Pittsburgh coming off a 4 game win streak on the arm of Matt Ryan and legs of Rashard Mendenhall, they must take on the AFC West champions Denver Broncos who managed to tip-toe to a 9-7 record. Tim Tebow has enjoyed success his first year as a full time starter in Denver but how far can prayers take him? The game starts out fast as Eddie Royal manages to bring the Broncos into Steelers territory with a big return. However Tim Tebow cannot manage to move the chains so they settle on a 45 yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri giving them the 3-0 lead. Rashard Mendenhall isn't about to be outdone and scampers for a 43 yard touchdown as the Steelers are down on top 7-3 only three minutes into the game! With Tebow still unable to move the Broncos offense, the balls goes back to Matt Ryan where he drives down the field to set up a 20 yard field goal by Mason Crosby. The quarter ends with the Steelers up 10-3. The Broncos continue to struggle on offense, but Tebow manages to provide enough spark to get the Broncos into field goal range once again. A 48 yard field goal by Vinatieri makes it a 10-6 ball game in Pittsburgh's favor. Matt Ryan isn't letting off the gas pedal quickly though as moments later he hooks up with Hines Ward for a 27 yard touchdown pass giving the Steelers a 17-6 lead. While the game looks to be taken a turn for the worst, Maurice Jones-Drew quickly puts the team on his shoulders and breaks a 86 yard touchdown as the Broncos are now down 17-13. Ryan and Tebow break even as the first half comes to a close with the Steelers holding a 4 point lead. The third quarter starts out a tad bit better for Denver as Tebow has a little bit more success than in the first half as he hooks up with Brandon Lloyd for a 13 yard touchdown pass giving the Broncos the 20-17 lead. Matt Ryan isn't exactly phased by the strike by Tebow as he drives down the field putting the Steelers in position to tie the game with a 40 yard field goal by Crosby. With the game all knotted up, it comes down to forth quarter heroics. Tebow is knocked out of the game to start off the forth quarter, but journeyman Charlie Batch comes to rescue. Batch marches down the field with the aid of Maurice Jones-Drew and Vinatieri gives the Broncos the 23-20 lead with a 32 yard field goal. With minutes remaining, now is the time for Matt Ryan to show he can perform in the playoffs. Unfortunately for Ryan, the Broncos defense manages to tighten as the Broncos run away with a 23-20 upset over the Steelers. BOX SCORE Steelers: 20 Broncos: 23 DENVER Passing Tim Tebow - 13/26, 148 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT Charlie Batch - 7/11, 84 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT Rushing Maurice Jones-Drew - 22 attempts, 160 yards, 7.2 YPC, 1 TD Ronnie Brown - 7 attempts, 17 yards, 2.4 YPC, 0 TD Tim Tebow - 4 attempts, 7 yards, 1.7 YPC, 0 TD Patrick Cobbs - 1 attempt, 4 yards, 4.0 YPC, 0 TD Receiving Brandon Lloyd - 7 receptions, 78 yards, 1 TD Maurice Jones-Drew - 4 receptions, 46 yards, 0 TD Jared Cook - 3 receptions, 31 yards, 0 TD Mike Thomas - 2 receptions, 12 yards, 0 TD Tony Richardson - 1 reception, 32 yards, 0 TD Eric Decker - 1 reception, 19 yards, 0 TD Patrick Cobbs - 1 reception, 8 yards, 0 TD Eddie Royal - 1 reception, 6 yards, 0 TD Sacks Jared Allen - 2.0 Sacks Donte Whitner - 1.0 Sack Interceptions Donte Whitner - 1 Interception Kicking Adam Vinatieri - 3/3 FG, 2/2 XP PITTSBURGH Passing Matt Ryan - 15/26, 199 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Rushing Rashard Mendenhall - 18 attempts, 93 yards, 5.1 YPC, 1 TD Jason Snelling - 5 attempts, 16 yards, 3.2 YPC, 0 TD Jamie Harper - 2 attempts, 3 yards, 1.5 YPC, 0 TD Receiving Hines Ward - 8 receptions, 146 yards, 1 TD Emmanuel Sanders - 2 receptions, 17 yards, 0 TD Vontae Leach - 1 reception, 19 yards, 0 TD Heath Miller - 1 reception, 8 yards, 0 TD Rashard Mendenhall - 1 reception, 4 yards, 0 TD Devin Aromashodu - 1 reception, 4 yards, 0 TD Reggie Kelly - 1 reception, 1 yard, 0 TD Sacks David Bowens - 2.0 Sacks James Farrior - 1.0 Sack Interceptions Dawan Landry - 1 Interception Dunta Robinson - 1 Interception Kicking Mason Crosby - 2/2 FG, 2/2 XP #5 Chicago Bears - V - #4 Green Bay Packers The division rivalries continue in the playoffs this year as one of the greatest rivalries comes to town this year... the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers are set to face each other at historic Lambeau Field. The Packers had the last two victories against the Bears this season which was the tiebreaker in determining the NFC North Division Champion this year between the two. However this time there is more on the line and without Aaron Rodgers, the Packers will have to rely on the arm of the infamous Peyton Manning back-up Jim Sorgi. The Packers start off the game quickly as Sorgi drives down the field and puts the Packers in field goal range. Ryan Lindell capitalizes on the field position with a 45 yard score giving Green Bay the 3-0 lead. However Sorgi isn't done yet this quarter as he continues to drive down the field, this time delivers a 8 yard touchdown pass to Donald Driver. The first quarter ends and it's looking like a long game for the Bears. The scoring continues for Green Bay as Lindell connects on another 45 yard field in the 2nd quarter giving them a 13-0 lead. Jay Cutler finally shows some signs of life at the end of the half, throwing a 27 yard score to Steve Smith putting the Bears on the board. With Green Bay up by less than one touchdown, the Bears will need to capitalize on the opening kickoff in the second half. Jay Cutler starts right where he left off in the first half as he leads the Bears down the field in a time-consuming drive. However Forte cannot put the ball into the endzone so the Bears settle on a David Akers 19 yard field, putting the Bears within 3 points to tie the game. However the first overall pick, Patrick Peterson changes those intentions to tie as he takes the kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown giving the Packers a 20-10 lead. Cutler manages to drive the Bears halfway down the field and lean on the leg of David Akers as he boots a 50 yard field goal to bring it back to a one possession game. This is the time where Aaron Rodgers is needed, where the game is close in the forth quarter. However Jim Sorgi makes you re-think just that as he connects on a 4 yard touchdown pass to Donald Driver. And less than six minutes later, Sorgi hits Driver with another touchdown pass, this time for 8 yards... giving the Packers a 34-13 lead with a little over four minutes remaining. The Bears manage to kick a 30 yard field goal to make it a 34-16 game but just can't recover from the Sorgi and Driver forth quarter show as the Packers send the Bears packing with a loss for the third time this season. BOX SCORE Bears: 16 Packers 34 GREEN BAY Passing Jim Sorgi - 28/40, 248 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT Rushing Ryan Grant - 19 attempts, 46 yards, 2.4 YPC, 0 TD James Starks - 6 attempts, 15 yards, 2.5 YPC, 0 TD Noel Devine - 3 attempts, 6 yards, 2.0 YPC, 0 TD Receiving Jordy Nelson - 8 receptions, 101 yards, 0 TD Donald Driver - 6 receptions, 48 yards, 3 TD Greg Little - 4 receptions, 35 yards, 0 TD Jermichael Finley - 3 receptions, 29 yards, 0 TD Justin Gage - 3 receptions, 26 yards, 0 TD Randall Cobb - 2 receptions, 13 yards, 0 TD Greg Jones - 2 receptions, 6 yards, 0 TD Sacks Clay Matthews - 2.0 Sacks Erik Walden - 1.0 Sack Mike Neal - 1.0 Sack Interceptions Clay Matthews - 1 Interception Kicking Ryan Lindell - 2/3 FG, 4/4 XP CHICAGO Passing Jay Cutler - 16/34, 196 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Rushing Matt Forte - 17 attempts, 49 yards, 2.8 YPC, 0 TD Mike Hart - 2 attempts, 7 yards, 3.5 YPC, 0 TD DeMarco Murray - 1 attempt, 3 yards, 3.0 YPC, 0 TD Receiving Kyle Rudolph - 5 receptions, 55 yards, 0 TD Brian Hartline - 4 receptions, 64 yards, 0 TD Steve Smith - 4 receptions, 75 yards, 1 TD Jacoby Jones - 2 receptions, 5 yards, 0 TD Matt Forte - 1 reception, -3 yards, 0 TD Sacks N/A Interceptions N/A Kicking David Akers - 3/3 FG, 1/1 XP DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS (SIM DATE: JANUARY 11/12, 2012) #4 Denver Broncos - V - #1 New England Patriots Tim Tebow looks to shake off his poor performance to take on Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. While the Patriots all-star offense consisting of Brady, Fitzgerald, Jennings, and Rob Gronkowski seems scary, the Broncos were able to defeat them early in the season. This time they'll have to do so without their Pro Bowl tackle, Ryan Clady, because of a torn rotator cuff suffered in the win over the Steelers. #3 Indianapolis Colts - V - #2 Baltimore Ravens A team that was never expected to even make the playoffs in the Indianapolis Colts will travel to Baltimore to take on the Ravens. Joe Flacco has been playing out of his mind this year and Vincent Jackson has been a big time help to Flacco. Last time the two teams met in week 14, the Ravens took the game in overtime... the question is, can Hasselbeck make it through the entire game? #6 St. Louis Rams - V - #1 Dallas Cowboys The St. Louis Rams are the definition of a hot/cold team because when they're good... they're tough to beat. However consistency remains an issue with Sam Bradford so it's a toss-up which quarterback shows up. The Cowboys fought their way into the first seed of the NFC and will rely on Tony Romo and DeMarcus Ware once again this playoff season. #4 Green Bay Packers - V - #2 Carolina Panthers With Aaron Rodgers lost for the season, it'll be up to Sorgi to finish the job that Rodgers started. Sorgi looked real good against the Bears, throwing three touchdown passes to Donald Driver, but can he put up the same numbers against a stiff Carolina defense that has the most takeaways in the NFL? Kevin Kolb has been living up to expectations in Carolina thus far but now will be the time to really set himself apart.
It's a mystery to me too, my man. You have the best turnover differential in the NFL so I think that is a big reason behind it... plus your linebackers are playing great.
I would say "Yeah... even Tim Tebow is winning," but for some reason he is doing the same in the NFL.
Fixed, and on both accounts really. Now if the Broncos win 23-20 this week, I'll just defenestrate myself because the world is nuts.