2009 Season Game Reviews
Divisional Play-offs
by Jody Jamieson
21/1/2010
 
Cardinals 14 Saints 45
 
Yet again the first play from scrimmage in a playoff game was a huge play as Tim Hightower took the carry 70 yards for a touchdown. The Saints were a little more patient than the Cardinals, putting together a positive 10 play drive, and they tied the game when Lynell Hamilton rushed in from 2 yards out. Saints defensive co-ordinator Gregg Williams said before the game that the Packers-Cardinals playoff game from the previous week “would set defense back about 100 years” and it looked like this week would be no different. That was until the second Cards drive began with a Kurt Warner completion to Jeremy Urban. Urban fumbled the ball after being stripped by Randall Gay and Darren Sharper recovered the ball.
 
New Orleans took over on the AZ 37 yard line and took full advantage of the turnover. Drew Brees hit Jeremy Shockey for a 17 yard touchdown and the 14-7 lead with just 8 minutes gone. Credit to Shockey who looked to be injured on the TD catch but on replay he was hobbling about when he ran his route. He did an amazing job to limp around and still get open and make the catch. Arizona continued to make their first play of each drive interesting as Warner and Beanie Wells crossed wires and put a handoff on the floor. Luckily Warner recovered, but the Cards went three and out and punted the football. Reggie Bush - who had been showing signs already in this one that he was going to be a force - juked out some would be tacklers and ripped off a marvellous 46 yard TD run. Arizona went three and out again as the Saints held a 21-7 lead at the end of the first quarter.
 
Darren Sharper made a marvellous interception when Warner floated one to the sideline, but a roughing the passer penalty negated the turnover. Arizona made use of their second chance when Wells rushed in from 3 yards out to make it a 7 point game, but the Saints struck back almost immediately. They called a brilliant flea flicker, and Devery Henderson was wide open for the 44 yard TD pass. Warner then threw a crazy interception to Will Smith and then got lit up trying to make a tackle. He left for the locker room as the Saints drove deep looking for their fifth TD of the half. Mike Bell looked to have scored, but a holding call wiped that out. Two plays later though they did score when Brees hit Marques Colston to make it 35-14. The Cards tried to kick a field goal to end the half, but Neil Rackers was short from 51 yards.
 
Rackers put the second half kickoff out of bounds, but the Saints bogged down and punted as Kurt Warner made his return. Garrett Hartley nailed a 43 yard field goal to make it 38-14 and Reggie Bush wrapped the game up midway through the third quarter, taking a punt return 83 yards for the score.
 
Ravens 3 Colts 20
 
Indianapolis were moving the ball very well on their opening possession, but a rare piece of confusion on the offense caused the drive to stall and former Raven Matt Stover kicked a field goal. Baltimore started on their own 7 yard line and ran 14 plays, but had to settle for a chip shot field goal by Billy Cundiff. Indianapolis failed to convert 3rd and 3 at midfield as a brisk first quarter came to an end with the score 3-3.
 
The second quarter was much the same until just before the two minute warning when Manning threw a TD pass to Austin Collie at the back of the endzone. The Colts then got the ball back after a quick three and out, and with seven seconds left Manning threw a 4 yard TD pass to Reggie Wayne.
 
In the second half the Ravens were turnover crazy and killed numerous opportunities to get back into the game. First, they turned the ball over on downs on the IND 45 but immediately got it back when Ed Reed picked off Peyton Manning. Unfortunately for the Ravens, Pierre Garcon hustled back and stripped Reed as the Colts caught a huge break. Reed then picked off Manning again but it was negated by a pass interference call on Corey Ivy. Ray Rice then ripped off a good run, breaking multiple tackles before Raheem Brock forced a fumble that was recovered by Clint Session. Flacco was then intercepted by Antoine Bethea. To complete a miserable day for the Ravens, Flacco was picked off again by Powers after the ball was tipped by Ray Rice.
 
Cowboys 3 Vikings 34
 
Dallas had a 3rd and 14 on the edge of field goal range and Tony Romo desperately tried to make a play. Unfortunately he was strip sacked and the Vikings took over on their own 35 yard line. Minnesota couldn’t profit from the decent field position as DeMarcus Ware sacked Brett Favre and the Vikes punted away. Dallas almost turned the ball over again when Romo put another one on the floor, but the Cowboys picked up the loose ball. Miles Austin then caught a tipped pass on third down, and the good fortune set up a field goal attempt from 48 yards but Shaun Suisham pulled it wide left.
 
The Vikings took the lead when Favre took a shot downfield to Sidney Rice. The ball was perfectly placed into tight coverage and Sidney Rice made the catch. Gerald Sensabaugh should have made a better adjustment on the ball, but the throw was perfect and the Vikes led 7-0 after the 47 yard TD pass. The Cowboys set up first and goal, but Romo was sacked and Suisham kicked a 33 yarder. Minnesota then put together a long drive, chipping away at the Dallas defense. Favre escaped pressure and threw to Sidney Rice for 16 yards and his second TD of the day.
 
On the first play of the next Cowboys drive Tony Romo was hammered by Jared Allen and Ben Leber picked up Romo’s third fumble of the day to give Favre and the offense the ball in the redzone. They couldn’t take full advantage though and settled for a field goal to make it 17-3. Patrick Crayton muffed a punt, but was quick to recover to avoid potential disaster.
 
The Cowboys had driven down to the 25 yard line at the start of the second half, but went backwards. Suisham had the leg from 49 yards, but pushed it just wide for his second miss of the day. Punting became the order of the day until the Cowboys literally chucked away any chance of a comeback. Romo threw a pick to Ben Leber and the Vikings kicked a field goal at the start of the 4th quarter to make it a three score game and they made sure of it with 8 minutes remaining when Rice caught his third TD pass of the day to make it 27-3. Chad Greenway stopped Jason Witten on 4th down as Leslie Frazier’s defense stamped it’s authority in a dominant performance. Favre tossed a late touchdown to Visanthe Shiancoe to rub some salt in the wounds and complete the blowout. Keith Brooking went berserk at the Vikings sideline, but when you’re paid millions of pounds to stop a team, then why are you complaining when you can’t stop them? They were also taking timeouts to preserve the clock, so it’s stupid to expect the Vikings to stop trying. It’s not as if it was 55-3 in Week 1.
 
Jets 17 Chargers 14
 
San Diego’s vaunted offense looked out of whack on their first possession when Rivers fumbled a snap, and a careless delay of game penalty left them in a 3rd and 23 situation. Predictably they weren’t going to convert and last year’s Wildcard Weekend hero Mike Scifres punted the ball away. The Jets could do nothing with their first possession either and Steve Weatherford could only manage a 28 yard punt. Weatherford had missed the game against the Bengals after being diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat, so it was excellent to see him back. The Chargers attempted a 38 yard field goal on their second possession, but Nate Kaeding missed badly to keep the game scoreless. The first quarter was riddled with penalties and sloppiness. San Diego finally put points on the board in the second quarter when Rivers threw a 13 yard touchdown pass to a wide open Kris Wilson.
 
New York looked to have forced a key turnover on a Malcolm Floyd fumble, but Jerome Boger somehow managed to overturn the ruling on review despite there being no irrefutable evidence. Floyd was hit as he established two feet down and tucked the ball but Boger saw enough to call it an incomplete pass. The Chargers did punt the ball, but the Jets would have had much better field position if the rules were followed correctly. The Jets started with four straight three and outs and finally got a few first downs on their fifth possession, but still ended up punting. San Diego played conservatively to end the half, but a Darren Sproles run to midfield changed the mindset. Nate Kaeding attempted a 57 yard field goal, but it was short and wide. Darrelle Revis returned the ball to midfield, but there were no Cromartie-esque heroics to end the half.
 
New York started well on their first possession of the second half. Brad Smith’s return put them on the 40 and they ran the ball very well. They were also aided by a third down pass interference call, but found themselves in a strange position on 4th and 1. Dustin Keller was ruled just over a yard short, but it was clear he was at worst half a yard away from the sticks. Rex Ryan wouldn’t have won the challenge by any means but the ball would have definitely been moved closer. Instead they messed around too long and took a timeout. If he was going to take the timeout anyway, why not challenge the spot? They ended up kicking a field goal anyway to make it 7-3.
 
New York’s next possession didn’t quite go so well as Sanchez had his pass tipped and intercepted by Quinton Jammer, but Revis made a marvellous interception in reply. The ball didn’t hit the ground and Revis stayed alive to take it on the bobble while lying on his back. The Jets made nothing of this possession, but the punt by Weatherford was downed at the two and this proved to be huge. Rivers threw a careless pass into coverage trying to get his team some breathing room and Jim Leonhard returned the interception to the SD 16. Sanchez rolled right on third down and eventually found Dustin Keller open in the corner of the endzone to give the Jets their first lead of the game with 13:35 remaining. Antonio Cromartie then fumbled the ball on the kickoff but luckily Darren Sproles fell on it.
 
San Diego had to punt the ball after Rivers was sacked, and the next Jets drive was a killer. Shonn Greene broke through the middle for a 53 yard touchdown and a 17-7 lead with just 7 minutes to play. A very conservative squib kick-off gave San Diego the ball on their own 48. They set up a field goal attempt from 40 yards, but Kaeding sliced it to seemingly end their chances of a comeback.
 
The usually automatic Kaeding was choking away any chance San Diego had, and when they got the ball back and drove down quickly to make it 17-14 on a Rivers QB sneak, the missed had cost them dearly. The Jets recovered the onside kick, but the Chargers had the two minute warning and one timeout to help them out. The Jets ended up with a 4th and 1 at the SD 30 and when Thomas Jones took the handoff for three yards, the Jets booked their trip to Indianapolis. A Jets win seemed extremely unlikely after their first half offensive troubles but defensively they were marvellous and gave Sanchez and his offense all the time they needed to figure it out and put points on the board.