Divisional Weekend was heavily featured with anticipated rematches from the regular season and face-offs between old foes and fresh, new rivalries.
All the favorites – the Broncos, Seahawks, Patriots and 49ers (even though they were not a top-two seed) – took care of business this weekend as expected. But what did the football world really learn from the second round of the playoffs?
1. A Blount is better than a Brady (from IND vs NE): As humorous as that may sound, let’s stick to the game of football. With the season-ending injury of tight end Rob Gronkowski and wide receivers Kenbrell Thompkins and Aaron Dobson ruled inactive for Saturday’s meeting, one might assume that stacking the box and stopping the run would play in the Indianapolis Colts favor. Unfortunately for Indy, the running game proved to be their worst enemy. Third-year running back LeGarrette Blount dominated the Colts defense as he rushed for 166 yards and four touchdowns, averaging seven yards a carry on 24 attempts. Stevan Ridley also pitched in with 52 yards and two scores on the ground and Shane Vereen had a handful of touches, but Blount was star of the game. He gashed the Colts on a 73-yard touchdown scamper that pushed the Pats lead to 14 points early in the fourth quarter; the final margin of victory was 21 points. Keep in mind that the Patriots scored more than 40 points without Tom Brady throwing a single touchdown! Some may conclude that this was a bad loss for Indianapolis, but a game like this once again embodies a trademark of the perennially-successful Patriots: doing whatever it takes to get the job done. Denver’s nickname may be the Broncos, but the New England Patriots backfield is the stable of horses that will receive much attention leading up to Championship Sunday.
2. Manning withstood the early postseason pressures (from SD vs DEN): When it comes to Peyton Manning, we know two things for sure: For one, we’re going to witness a stellar regular season and also…well that might be the only sure thing. Manning has been deemed as the greatest regular season quarterback of all-time, but his sub-par postseason resume has tainted his legacy. Manning entered Divisional Weekend with a 9-11 career record in the playoffs. His 11 losses are tied for the most playoff losses by a starting quarterback in NFL history; eight of those losses were one-and-done finishes. Manning will certainliy win his fifth MVP award this season, but wins in the playoffs are not quite a sure thing. Along with history, Manning had to fight off the surging San Diego Chargers, who have won five straight overall including their road win against the Cincinnati Bengals during Wild Card Weekend. The Chargers split the season series with the Broncos with a Week 15 victory in Denver to keep their playoff hopes alive. Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers has experienced his share of success against Manning beating him five times total, including twice in the postseason. The Broncos were placed on Upset Alert, but Manning responded with a 230-yard, two-touchdown performance to propel them to an AFC Championship date with the Patriots at Mile High. Let’s think: Peyton Manning lost to Tom Brady twice in Foxboro in the playoffs. Peyton beat Tom at home in order to play in Super Bowl XLI. Does this graphic indicate a Bronco Super Bowl on the horizon?
3. Healthy Pieces make the Perfect Puzzle (from SF vs CAR): In this duel of signal-callers from the 2011 NFL Draft, Colin Kaepernick got the best of Cam Newton in the rematch as the 49ers defeated the Panthers 23-10 in Charlotte. The difference between this game and the first time around in the Bay Area back in November was the injuries. The 49ers were missing receiver Michael Crabtree, who didn’t even touch the field this season until December. His absence affected the Niners vertical attack and it placed more pressure on Anquan Boldin and Vernon Davis, who combined for a woeful four catches for 25 yards against Carolina in Week 10. On Sunday, Boldin exploded with eight receptions for 136 yards. Crabtree has already made his presence known this postseason after his eight catches for 125 yards in the Wild Card round against the Packers. With the key offensive players intact along with their elite defense, San Francisco continues their road journey into Seattle for the NFC crown. Kaepernick mocked Newton’s signature “Superman” gesture, but will he be able to kiss his own muscles in front of the 12th man?
4. All [Defense] or Nothing (from NO vs SEA): The Seattle Seahawks came into the new year as the team to beat in the NFC and they proved to be so once again by beating the New Orleans Saints for a second time to open up Divisional Weekend. Saturday’s 23-15 triumph over the Saints was nothing near their 34-7 thrashing of the Black and Gold on Monday Night Football back on December 2. Russell Wilson threw for 310 yards and three touchdowns the first time, but the stellar Seahawks defense was the story of the game holding the usually-explosive Saints to only 188 total yards. The “Legion of Boom” once again rose to the occasion to halt the Saints’ passing attack. This time, Wilson was held to only 103 yards on just 18 passes. His modest performances have become a trend as of late; Saturday was the fourth time in five games in which he has thrown for less than 200 yards. It has been well-documented of what “Beast-Mode”, Marshawn Lynch, can deliver on the ground game, but can Wilson deliver a on a big drive to help out his defense for a change? The Niner defense won’t make it easy on him.
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