What went wrong on Wild Card Weekend? Steven O’Rourke is here to try and find the answers.
LAST THURSDAY, I was so confident that the defending champion New Orleans Saints would beat the Seattle Seahawks – who STILL have a losing record – I didn’t even bother to preview the game.
In fact, I went as far as saying “If the Saints don’t win comfortably I’ll buy, season and then eat my hat come Monday morning.”
Now, this column doesn’t find it difficult to admit when it’s wrong. It finds it extremely difficult. But here goes. I. Was. Wrong. And there’s a self-portrait of me eating a hat to prove it.
New Orleans Saints 36 @ Seattle Seahawks 41
So what went wrong? Well, in fairness, I couldn’t have predicted that a New Orleans defence that had given up just 13 passing touchdowns in their previous 16 games would concede four in one. I also couldn’t have envisaged that RB Marshawn Lynch would beat eight players to score a 67 yard rushing touchdown with just over 3 minutes left.
But that’s football and that’s why we love it. It may be a cliché but any team can win on any given Sunday – though in this case it was a Saturday night. So let me be the first to say well done to the Seahawks, who advance despite having to win the Super Bowl in order to achieve a winning record this season.
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Green Bay Packers 21 @ Philadelphia Eagles 16
In the NFC’s other playoff game, the Green Bay Packers put on a master class in containing Michael Vick to secure QB Aaron Rodgers first career playoff victory. Clay Matthews and Charles Woodson can take particular credit for limiting Vick to less that 300 yards passing.
The previously one-dimensional Packers found a running game on offense and itwas on the ground – through James Starks especially – that the Packers made the Eagles pay for missing two makeable field goal attempts.
Eagles’ fans will be left wondering why Vick didn’t decide to spike the ball and kill the clock with 30 seconds to go. Instead, the one time front runner for the league MVP threw an interception which effectively killed the game.
Vick has admitted he got greedy but the Packers won’t mind knowing their Super Bowl dreams are still alive.
New York Jets 17 @ Indianapolis Colts 16
While the Eagles may well be kicking their kicker off the roster, the Jets have theirs to thank for edging out the Colts in this AFC clash. In what was, in truth, a poor game from both sides, the final minute contained almost every twist and turn imaginable.
With 53 seconds to go the Colts took the lead 16-14 thanks to the boot of Adam Vinatieri. However, the Colts’ special teams unit allowed Antonio Cromartie to return the football 47 yards, giving the Jets excellent field position. With 29 seconds to go, the Colts decided to call a time out to re-organise defensively.
However, this backfired immediately as Jets’ QB Mark Sanchez threw an 18-yard pass to set up the game-winning field goal.
The Jets reward, a trip to the New England Patriots who beat them by 42 points last timed they played at Foxboro.
Baltimore Ravens 30 @ Kansas City Chiefs 7
This was probably just as big a shock as the Seahawks victory. Not because the Ravens won, but because of the margin of victory.
While Joe Flacco ended the longest streak of postseason passes without a touchdown, the Ravens had their defence to thank for this win.
Ray Lewis, Ed Reed – who played despite the news his brother is missing, presumed dead, following an incident on Friday – and company forced five turnovers from a Chiefs offense that had only committed 14 all season.
More than that, the Ravens put on the performance of the weekend, one that will give Steelers’ fans some sleepless nights over the coming week.
As for the Seahawks? They’re still terrible.
Steven O’Rourke is the offensive coordinator of Tullamore Phoenix American Football Club. When not obsessing with football he can be found at 4fortyfour.
Pass the salt: 'If the Seahawks win, I'll eat my hat'
What went wrong on Wild Card Weekend? Steven O’Rourke is here to try and find the answers.
LAST THURSDAY, I was so confident that the defending champion New Orleans Saints would beat the Seattle Seahawks – who STILL have a losing record – I didn’t even bother to preview the game.
In fact, I went as far as saying “If the Saints don’t win comfortably I’ll buy, season and then eat my hat come Monday morning.”
Now, this column doesn’t find it difficult to admit when it’s wrong. It finds it extremely difficult. But here goes. I. Was. Wrong. And there’s a self-portrait of me eating a hat to prove it.
New Orleans Saints 36 @ Seattle Seahawks 41
So what went wrong? Well, in fairness, I couldn’t have predicted that a New Orleans defence that had given up just 13 passing touchdowns in their previous 16 games would concede four in one. I also couldn’t have envisaged that RB Marshawn Lynch would beat eight players to score a 67 yard rushing touchdown with just over 3 minutes left.
But that’s football and that’s why we love it. It may be a cliché but any team can win on any given Sunday – though in this case it was a Saturday night. So let me be the first to say well done to the Seahawks, who advance despite having to win the Super Bowl in order to achieve a winning record this season.
Green Bay Packers 21 @ Philadelphia Eagles 16
In the NFC’s other playoff game, the Green Bay Packers put on a master class in containing Michael Vick to secure QB Aaron Rodgers first career playoff victory. Clay Matthews and Charles Woodson can take particular credit for limiting Vick to less that 300 yards passing.
The previously one-dimensional Packers found a running game on offense and itwas on the ground – through James Starks especially – that the Packers made the Eagles pay for missing two makeable field goal attempts.
Eagles’ fans will be left wondering why Vick didn’t decide to spike the ball and kill the clock with 30 seconds to go. Instead, the one time front runner for the league MVP threw an interception which effectively killed the game.
Vick has admitted he got greedy but the Packers won’t mind knowing their Super Bowl dreams are still alive.
New York Jets 17 @ Indianapolis Colts 16
While the Eagles may well be kicking their kicker off the roster, the Jets have theirs to thank for edging out the Colts in this AFC clash. In what was, in truth, a poor game from both sides, the final minute contained almost every twist and turn imaginable.
With 53 seconds to go the Colts took the lead 16-14 thanks to the boot of Adam Vinatieri. However, the Colts’ special teams unit allowed Antonio Cromartie to return the football 47 yards, giving the Jets excellent field position. With 29 seconds to go, the Colts decided to call a time out to re-organise defensively.
However, this backfired immediately as Jets’ QB Mark Sanchez threw an 18-yard pass to set up the game-winning field goal.
The Jets reward, a trip to the New England Patriots who beat them by 42 points last timed they played at Foxboro.
Baltimore Ravens 30 @ Kansas City Chiefs 7
This was probably just as big a shock as the Seahawks victory. Not because the Ravens won, but because of the margin of victory.
While Joe Flacco ended the longest streak of postseason passes without a touchdown, the Ravens had their defence to thank for this win.
Ray Lewis, Ed Reed – who played despite the news his brother is missing, presumed dead, following an incident on Friday – and company forced five turnovers from a Chiefs offense that had only committed 14 all season.
More than that, the Ravens put on the performance of the weekend, one that will give Steelers’ fans some sleepless nights over the coming week.
As for the Seahawks? They’re still terrible.
Steven O’Rourke is the offensive coordinator of Tullamore Phoenix American Football Club. When not obsessing with football he can be found at 4fortyfour.
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