GOLD SHEET
Dallas 28 - MINNESOTA 20—Well, maybe it was all just Jessica Simpson’s
fault. Or Carrie Underwood’s. (Sorry, we couldn’t resist!) Whatever, it’s
coincidental that once Tony Romo’s love life stopped making tabloid headlines,
he finally shed his notorious late-season and postseason demons, Dallas wins a
playoff game for the first time since Bill Clinton’s first term in office, and HC Wade
Phillips wins a playoff game for the first time, period. Now, can the Cowboys do
it again, at Minnesota?
Perhaps so. Especially based upon recent results, which indicate the Vikings’
best football of the season was played prior to Thanksgiving, before the team
appeared to lose its edge and drop 3 of 4 games, in ugly fashion, no less, during
December before recovering in the regular-season finale vs. the dispirited Giants.
The many mixed signals from the Twin Cities down the stretch include Brett
Favre’s sideline spat with HC Brad Childress during a 26-7 loss at Carolina Dec.
20, plus subsequent innuendo about diva-like behavior and suspicions that
Favre’s aging arm might have worn out, as it seemed to do late last season with
the Jets when his fastball lost its velocity. Then Favre authored a resurgence in
the Vikes’ last game-and-a-half vs. the Bears and G-Men, when he completed 46
of 62 passes for 601 yards and 6 TDP (with no picks) in his last 5+ quarters of
work, leading that 44-7 romp past the Giants Jan. 3.
But at the moment, Dallas brings a lot more, especially defensively, than either
the Bears or Giants. Phillips’ stop unit has been suffocating the past few weeks,
recording a pair of shutouts, throttling the explosive Eagles twice, and keeping the
potent Saints without a TD until the 4th Q of their game at the Superdome Dec.
19. Its high-octane pass rush featuring DeMarcus Ware has recently made life
miserable for Drew Brees & Donovan McNabb and affords Phillips the luxury of
not having to send his LBs on blitzes to pressure enemy QBs. Indeed, the
banged-up Viking OL might have problems protecting Favre or opening holes for
Adrian Peterson. Meanwhile, Romo (28 TDP & only 9 picks TY) is enjoying a rich
vein of form, complemented by an electric ground game sparked by the coast-tocoast
dimension of now-healthy RB Felix Jones (49 and 73-yard TD runs the last
two weeks). And Minnesota’s “D,” not quite as stifling vs. the run as in the past,
was victimized recently by the likes of Matt Moore & Jay Cutler. After the
Cowboys survived at New Orleans and exorcized demons vs.the Eagles, winning
indoors at Mall of America Field doesn’t seem too hard to imagine.
SAN DIEGO 24 - N.Y. Jets 22—Despite the obvious QB advantage owned by
the Chargers in the person of Philip Rivers (4254 YP, 28 TDs, only 9 ints. TY), the
upstart Jets appear to own enough edges of their own to keep the host nervous.
First, N.Y.’s solid running game (tops in the NFL TY)—propelled by four firstround
OL draft choices—should be able to attack the S.D. defensive front thinned
by injuries, most notably those to run-stuffing NT Jamal Williams and young
backup NT Ogemdi Nwagbuo. Meanwhile, OLB Shawne Merriman (nagging foot
injury; only four sacks TY) has rarely flashed his old, intimidating form. The
Charger rush defense ranked 20th this season.
Meanwhile, the San Diego OL, which battled injuries all season beginning with
its opener in Oakland, must now deal with the multiple stunts of Rex Ryan’s
defense, which is brimming with bravado after 6 wins in its last 7 games while
allowing the fewest points, total yards, and passing yards in the regular season
(albeit due partly to disinterested foes in the Jets’ last two reg.-season games).
Most importantly, third-year CB Darrelle Revis (7 ints. all told) has blossomed into
one of the best cover men in the league and has the long arms to deal singly with
one of the 6-5 Charger WR threats of Vincent Jackson (68 recs., 9 TDs) &
Malcolm Floyd (45 & 1). Of course, the N.Y. defense cannot afford to get careless
in handling TE Antonio Gates (79 recs., 8 TDs) & the lethal screens and draws run
by the super-quick Darren Sproles, who nearly single-handedly sabotaged the
Super Bowl hopes of the red-hot Colts (had won nine straight) last year.
In a game of this magnitude, there is always the chance rookie QB Mark
Sanchez (only 54%, 20 ints. in the reg. season; hails from just up I-5 in Mission
Viejo), will fall victim to false confidence after easier-than-expected victories the
last three weeks. Nevertheless, Sanchez’ improvement under the tutelage of
offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer (former S.D. QB coach and son of
former HC coach Marty) has been impressive, as his passes after misdirection
play fakes in frigid Cincy were nearly flawless. If the Jets get their crunching
ground game going, they should keep things interesting all day.
Dallas 28 - MINNESOTA 20—Well, maybe it was all just Jessica Simpson’s
fault. Or Carrie Underwood’s. (Sorry, we couldn’t resist!) Whatever, it’s
coincidental that once Tony Romo’s love life stopped making tabloid headlines,
he finally shed his notorious late-season and postseason demons, Dallas wins a
playoff game for the first time since Bill Clinton’s first term in office, and HC Wade
Phillips wins a playoff game for the first time, period. Now, can the Cowboys do
it again, at Minnesota?
Perhaps so. Especially based upon recent results, which indicate the Vikings’
best football of the season was played prior to Thanksgiving, before the team
appeared to lose its edge and drop 3 of 4 games, in ugly fashion, no less, during
December before recovering in the regular-season finale vs. the dispirited Giants.
The many mixed signals from the Twin Cities down the stretch include Brett
Favre’s sideline spat with HC Brad Childress during a 26-7 loss at Carolina Dec.
20, plus subsequent innuendo about diva-like behavior and suspicions that
Favre’s aging arm might have worn out, as it seemed to do late last season with
the Jets when his fastball lost its velocity. Then Favre authored a resurgence in
the Vikes’ last game-and-a-half vs. the Bears and G-Men, when he completed 46
of 62 passes for 601 yards and 6 TDP (with no picks) in his last 5+ quarters of
work, leading that 44-7 romp past the Giants Jan. 3.
But at the moment, Dallas brings a lot more, especially defensively, than either
the Bears or Giants. Phillips’ stop unit has been suffocating the past few weeks,
recording a pair of shutouts, throttling the explosive Eagles twice, and keeping the
potent Saints without a TD until the 4th Q of their game at the Superdome Dec.
19. Its high-octane pass rush featuring DeMarcus Ware has recently made life
miserable for Drew Brees & Donovan McNabb and affords Phillips the luxury of
not having to send his LBs on blitzes to pressure enemy QBs. Indeed, the
banged-up Viking OL might have problems protecting Favre or opening holes for
Adrian Peterson. Meanwhile, Romo (28 TDP & only 9 picks TY) is enjoying a rich
vein of form, complemented by an electric ground game sparked by the coast-tocoast
dimension of now-healthy RB Felix Jones (49 and 73-yard TD runs the last
two weeks). And Minnesota’s “D,” not quite as stifling vs. the run as in the past,
was victimized recently by the likes of Matt Moore & Jay Cutler. After the
Cowboys survived at New Orleans and exorcized demons vs.the Eagles, winning
indoors at Mall of America Field doesn’t seem too hard to imagine.
SAN DIEGO 24 - N.Y. Jets 22—Despite the obvious QB advantage owned by
the Chargers in the person of Philip Rivers (4254 YP, 28 TDs, only 9 ints. TY), the
upstart Jets appear to own enough edges of their own to keep the host nervous.
First, N.Y.’s solid running game (tops in the NFL TY)—propelled by four firstround
OL draft choices—should be able to attack the S.D. defensive front thinned
by injuries, most notably those to run-stuffing NT Jamal Williams and young
backup NT Ogemdi Nwagbuo. Meanwhile, OLB Shawne Merriman (nagging foot
injury; only four sacks TY) has rarely flashed his old, intimidating form. The
Charger rush defense ranked 20th this season.
Meanwhile, the San Diego OL, which battled injuries all season beginning with
its opener in Oakland, must now deal with the multiple stunts of Rex Ryan’s
defense, which is brimming with bravado after 6 wins in its last 7 games while
allowing the fewest points, total yards, and passing yards in the regular season
(albeit due partly to disinterested foes in the Jets’ last two reg.-season games).
Most importantly, third-year CB Darrelle Revis (7 ints. all told) has blossomed into
one of the best cover men in the league and has the long arms to deal singly with
one of the 6-5 Charger WR threats of Vincent Jackson (68 recs., 9 TDs) &
Malcolm Floyd (45 & 1). Of course, the N.Y. defense cannot afford to get careless
in handling TE Antonio Gates (79 recs., 8 TDs) & the lethal screens and draws run
by the super-quick Darren Sproles, who nearly single-handedly sabotaged the
Super Bowl hopes of the red-hot Colts (had won nine straight) last year.
In a game of this magnitude, there is always the chance rookie QB Mark
Sanchez (only 54%, 20 ints. in the reg. season; hails from just up I-5 in Mission
Viejo), will fall victim to false confidence after easier-than-expected victories the
last three weeks. Nevertheless, Sanchez’ improvement under the tutelage of
offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer (former S.D. QB coach and son of
former HC coach Marty) has been impressive, as his passes after misdirection
play fakes in frigid Cincy were nearly flawless. If the Jets get their crunching
ground game going, they should keep things interesting all day.
