Post-Game Notes as the Giants Upset the Top-Ranked Packers

The defense of their Super Bowl Championship is over as the top-seeded Packers lost their divisional-round matchup with the New York Giants by a score of 37-20.  Big Blue did everything right as they dominated the Packers from almost the outset of the game.  The Giants’’ run game continues to improve from their woeful regular season numbers.  Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw combined for 85 yards and a touchdown.  Hakeem Nicks had a whale of a game, as well, putting up 165 yards and 2 touchdowns on 7 catches.  Eli Manning was clutch and the line held its own against the Green Bay pass rush.  The defense continues to channel the 2007 version of itself, putting consistent pressure on Aaron Rodgers, playing physical coverage against a stable of talented pass catchers for the Packers, and holding up against the run.  For the Giants to top the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game, they’ll need to continue their winning ways during this current hot streak.  Of paramount importance is maintaining the pressure coming from the front four.  San Francisco’s worst loss of the season, to the Ravens on Thanksgiving, can largely be attributed to the pressure Baltimore put on Alex Smith.  The 49ers have a good run-blocking unit, but their offensive line has severe limitations in pass protection.  This could be a great matchup for the Giants and should present them with an excellent opportunity to get back to the Super Bowl.

Green Bay now has to go back to the drawing board and prepare for next season.  First on the agenda for the Pack should be finding a bookend pass rusher to pair with Clay Matthews and identifying a player that can get to the quarterback on the interior.  Not having Cullen Jenkins to pull blockers away from no. 52 really hampered his ability to get to the passer this season and affected every level of the defense particularly in pass coverage.  Another priority should be improving the talent-level in the secondary.  Charles Woodson really showed his age this year and may be best served kicking back to safety to close out his Hall of Fame career.  Tramon Williams needs to find a way to recapture the magic from last season.

While most of the offseason focus should rightly fall on the defense’s shortcomings, the offense has some issues of their own.  Green Bay has few pending free agents (see here), but the most important of these are on the offensive side of the ball.  Tight end Jermichael Finley was inconsistent this year, but his amazing athleticism and game-breaking skills would be difficult to replace.  He’s a candidate for the franchise tag.  Center Scott Wells is also set to hit the market.  He would be tough to lose, so expect the Packers to make a strong push to lock him up long term.  Finding a back to pair with James Starks will also be a target of Ted Thompson.  Other than those three issues, the main focus of the offense should be spending as much time as they possibly can this offseason with the Jugs Machine, because the dropped passes are now at the ridiculous level.

Post-Game Notes as the Ravens Outduel the Texans

The Baltimore Ravens overcame a late rally by the Houston Texans to secure a trip to the AFC Championship Game at Foxboro against the AFC East Champion New England Patriots.  The Ravens were fortunate to manufacture some timely plays today, because they were certainly not at their best.  The defense gave up huge yards on the ground to Arian Foster and gave up some big completions to Andre Johnson.  Joe Flacco and the offense were inefficient and lacked consistency on the ground and through the air, while the line allowed Joe Cool to be sacked five times.  Though they came up with the victory, if they put forward a similar performance next Sunday, the Patriots will be heading to Indianapolis as the AFC’s representative to the Super Bowl.  Also of particular concern is the health of star safety Ed Reed, who was injured at the close of the game and is a key to the Ravens’ chances in New England.

The Houston Texans had a great run and just came up short in only the second playoff game in their short history.  This season they disproved every negative moniker that has been associated with them in the past, such as allegations of being a mentally soft team that could not overcome adversity.  Adversity was the name of the game for the first-time AFC South champs as they suffered through and overcame key injuries to their top two quarterbacks, top pass rusher, their best wide receiver, and sporadic injuries to running backs Arian Foster and Ben Tate.  Moving forward, the future looks bright in Houston.

The Texans should be the favorite to repeat as AFC South champs next season.  They sport one of the best offensive lines in the league, a stable of running backs that are the envy of many, a top-three wide out in Andre Johnson, and winning options at quarterback with veteran stalwart Matt Schaub and rookie revelation T.J. Yates.    On defense, they are young and primed for continued success.  A decision is coming on pending free agent Mario Williams, who the team would like to retain, but they have options if he bolts to another locale, particularly considering that they successfully put pressure on the quarterback without him for most of this season.  Don’t expect the Texans to be big spenders in free agency this season, due to a lack of specific needs.  The Texans will focus their energies on the draft and work to build off of this year’s success.

Working for the Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Star’s Kent Babb’s recent article (here) documents the alleged difficult working conditions in place at Arrowhead, and the development of an environment of secrecy and suspicion instituted and fostered under the Scott Pioli regime.  If half of these allegations are true, this is not only a horrible situation for those working for the Kansas City Chiefs, but the Chiefs’ leadership could potentially be engaging in illegal activities.

The article is an excellent and informative read that reveals how the pursuit of wins can lead to negative consequences in the workplace.  Give it a read and let us know what you think.

Post-Game Notes as the Patriots Rout the Broncos

The New England Patriots dismantled the Denver Broncos and will host either the Texans or the Ravens in the AFC Championship next Sunday.  Tom Brady and the offense where their usually stellar selves, with Brady tying a record for touchdown passes in a postseason game with six and tight end Rob Gronkowski tying the record for most touchdown receptions in a postseason game with three.  The line stood up well to the Broncos’ pass-rushing duo of Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil.  And fellow tight end Aaron Hernandez not only caught the ball well, but also ran the ball out of the backfield with effectiveness.

The big story of the night, though, was the play of the previously inept New England defense.  Jerod Mayo, Rob Ninkovich, and Brandon Spikes hemmed in Tim Tebow when he broke containment and played solid run defense.  The line had its best game to date, collectively, knifing into the backfield with regularity.  The pass defense also wasn’t awful, benefiting from the return of Patrick Chung at safety.  Whoever New England hosts in the Championship Game should be alarmed by the complete game the Patriots played tonight.  If they can maintain this same standard of play, it’s hard to see an AFC team other than the Patriots playing in the Super Bowl.

For the Broncos tonight, the magic finally ended.  And while they should be proud of their accomplishments this season, many questions remain.  Of paramount importance is determining the future at quarterback.  Tim Tebow has proven that he can win some games and be a clutch player, but it still is unknown whether he can become an elite player in his own right.  His maddeningly inconsistent performances have to make John Fox and John Elway scratch their heads wondering what it is they have a the game’s most important position, a dynamic playmaker or a novelty player.  At the very least, expect Denver to bring in competition for the starting spot.  Also on offense, building depth at running back is a need.  Willis McGahee has been a pleasant surprise this season, but he can’t be expected to carry this large of a load next year.  Knowshon Moreno has proven to be no more than just a guy.  A dynamic runner with home run speed should be a target in free agency or the draft.

The defense is in pretty good shape.  Some decisions need to be made at defensive tackle and I’m sure getting more youth at cornerback is a priority, but building quality depth should be the main goal of Elway and company when it comes to their already quality defensive unit.

Post-Game Notes as the 49ers Squeak Out a Win Over the Saints

The 49ers are moving onto the NFC Championship after a series of big plays propelled them to victory over the NFC South Champion New Orleans Saints by a score of 36-32.  If they can produce another game where they apply constant pressure on the quarterback and force five turnovers, they’ll have a good chance to advance to the Super Bowl.  But all was not perfect on the afternoon for San Francisco.  Alex Smith was sacked four times and was harassed most of the game.  If they face the Giants in the Championship Game, it’s difficult to see the 49ers being able to hold up in pass protection.  San Francisco also lacked the killer instinct to put the Saints away when they had multiple opportunities to do so.  The running game was inconsistent and was unable to close out the game.  If facing the Packers and their explosive offense, they need to be able to run the clock and keep the opposing offense off the field.  Even with these issues, though, San Francisco has the look of a difficult opponent for whomever they play next weekend

The Saints will feel this loss for a while.  Despite the turnovers and miscues the Saints managed to stay in the game and take the lead in the 4th quarter, but the defense couldn’t hold up in the end, allowing Vernon Davis to torch them in the game’s closing minutes.  They need to try to turn the page quickly, though, because this will be a challenging offseason for New Orleans (for more on the pending free agents in New Orleans look here).  The Saints have a number of key players with expiring contracts, including star quarterback Drew Brees and steady wide out Marques Colston, and they are going to have to make some difficult decisions to make.  Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams has an expiring contract and is rumored to be interested in joining Jeff Fisher’s staff in Saint Louis.  Though the defense has never been a highly ranked unit in yards and points allowed, it has been an opportunistic unit that historically has created timely turnovers and forced mistakes with creative pressure packages.  Replacing Williams will not be easy.

In free agency and the draft, defense will be the focus.  The Saints need to find some pass rushers.  Will Smith and Cameron Jordan are not getting it done.  And New Orleans has a crying need at outside linebacker where they could use a more dynamic option than Scott Shanle.  On offense, they need to restock at wide receiver and at the backup tight end spot.

Changes in Atlanta

Over the past two days the Atlanta Falcons have seen the departures of two of their coordinators.  Defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder left to take the same job with the Auburn Tigers.  Today offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey has reportedly accepted the head-coaching job with the Jacksonville Jaguars.  After last weekend’s humiliating loss in the wildcard round of the playoffs to the New York Giants, many fans and of the Dirty Birds will see this as addition by subtraction.  While that may ultimately be the case, it’s important to keep in mind that these two coaches have been integral parts of the transformation of Atlanta into a regular contender.  Anyone familiar with the rather moribund history of the Falcons can appreciate the significance of this feat.

Furthermore, this could mean significant schematic and personnel changes are in the offing, dependent of course on the replacements at the coordinator positions.  Quarterback Matt Ryan only has experience in Mularkey’s system at the NFL level.  A fundamental shift in philosophy could be a difficult adjustment for the young signal caller.  It’s also possible that the defense could take a step back early on next season.  In the ultra-competitive NFC South, early season struggles would be difficult to overcome.  This was already set to be a difficult offseason for the Falcons, considering their pending free agents (discussed here: Important Contributors Set to Hit the 2012 Free-Agent Market-Part One: The NFC South) and the manner in which their season ended, but this situation adds another element of uncertainty.

 

Post-Game Notes as the Broncos Shock the Steelers

Unbelievable.  Finish.  In.  Overtime.

The Denver Broncos upset the Pittsburgh Steelers by a score of 29-23 at Mile High on a long touchdown pass from Tim Tebow to Demariyus Thomas on the first play of overtime.  Next weekend the Broncos will be traveling to New England for a divisional-round matchup with the Patriots.  With the Broncos’ clock-churning running attack and the rebirth of the long ball, Denver presents a more significant challenge to the AFC East Champions than would have been thought a week ago.  If the Steelers had trouble containing the Tim Tebow-to-Demariyus Thomas connection and Denver’s multi-pronged option-run attack, New England’s weak pass coverage and soft run defense will have a tough time keeping the Broncos out of the end zone.  Tebow appears more comfortable and more confident, which should really worry the Pats’ coaches and defenders.

It is unrealistic to think that the Broncos’ defense can shutdown the Patriots’ dynamic offensive attack.  But if they play to the same level as they did today, they may be able to slow them down enough to steal a win at Gillette Stadium.  Champ Bailey and D’Andre Goodman played extremely well against explosive receivers Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown and should matchup well with Wes Welker and Company.  What is unknown and the key to keeping the Patriots in check is whether Denver can effectively cover tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez?  No team has yet, but we shall see if divine intervention can give the Broncos a hand with that.

One other interesting element to keep in mind is the presence of former-Broncos’ head coach Josh McDaniels on the Patriots’ sideline.  He has in-depth knowledge of many of the current Bronco players and could offer key insight in the formulation of the game plan.

The Steelers start the offseason early this season.  Once again, the Steelers need to concentrate on building up the talent level of their offensive line.  Rookie Marcus Gilbert has earned the starting spot at right tackle and Maurkice Pouncey is already a two-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro selection at center, but the rest of the spots up front are manned by short-term answers.  Of more recent concern is the status of starter Rashard Mendenhall at running back.  His late-season ACL tear means he will be unlikely to return at full strength by the beginning of next season, so Pittsburgh will be looking for bodies to add to the backfield rotation.

Look for Pittsburgh to also continue to retool their aging defense.  Kevin Colbert has done an admirable job bringing youth and effective play to the defensive end and outside linebacker spots with draft picks like Ziggy Hood, Cameron Heyward, and Jason Worilds.  Adding developmental players to the secondary is a high priority, at both safety and corner.  Finding a long-term replacement for nose tackle Casey Hampton could be a target as well.

The Steelers are never particularly active in free agency, so expect a quiet offseason on the acquisitions front until the draft.  Pittsburgh, though, has very few needs and should be back in contention once again in 2012.

Post-Game Notes as the Giants Defeat the Falcons

The NFC East Champion New York Giants have just concluded a thoroughly dominating performance against the Falcons, defeating Atlanta 24-2.  Up next for the Giants is a matchup with the defending Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers.  The Giants could pose some real problems for the Pack.  Their pass rush looks to be in 2007 form.  Jason Pierre-Paul is abusing offensive lineman and the rest of the line is bringing the heat as well.  With the Packers’ offensive line banged up and the inconsistency of the run game, the Giants should have no problem getting after Aaron Rodgers in Lambeau.

Green Bays’ susceptibility to the big play in the passing game should also give the Giants some hope.  Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz, and Mario Manningham can stretch the field.  As long as Eli Manning can avoid costly interceptions and the running backs and receivers can hang onto the ball, the Giants should put up some points against Charles Woodson and company.  It’s likely to be a shootout in Green Bay next Sunday.

For Atlanta, the Falcons in the Mike Smith/Matt Ryan era have come up empty in the playoffs once again, making them three-for-three in playoff one-and-done appearances.  Thomas Dimitroff will once again be looking this offseason for the element(s) that will take them over the playoff hump.  First of all, the Falcons need to spend some draft or free agency capital on the offensive line.  The Giants were able to get a great deal of pressure on Matt Ryan and the miscues in short-yardage situations are inexcusable for a run-heavy offense like the Falcons.  Improvements at right guard and left tackle are imperative.

When healthy, the back seven of the Falcons’ defense is pretty solid, but there are significant issues with the pass-rush ability of the front four.  Ray Edwards has been ineffective, as has Kroy Biermann.  John Abraham, their lone consistent pass rusher, is a free agent and his future with the organization is uncertain.  It will be difficult for the Falcons to secure a blue-chip pass rusher in the 2012 NFL Draft.  Their first-round selection was sent to the Cleveland Browns in the Julio Jones trade in 2011.  Look for the Falcons to search high and low for reinforcements that can get after the quarterback in free agency this offseason.

Of further concern are Mike Smith’s questionable calls in short-yardage situations throughout the season.  Smith and his staff need to reevaluate how they approach these in-game situations.  There’s being aggressive and then there is shooting yourself in the foot.

Post-Game Notes as the Saints Defeat the Lions

The New Orleans Saints brought the heat and dominated the Lions in the second half of their wild-card matchup, defeating Detroit by a score of 45-28.  The Saints will be traveling to San Francisco next week to face the NFC West Champion 49ers.  The three-headed backfield of Pierre Thomas, Chris Ivory, and Darren Sproles adds another dynamic element to an already potent offensive attack, which despite ranking 6th in rushing this season oftentimes was unable to capitalize on all three runners abilities during regular season games.  Along with the success running, the aerial attack was just as dynamic with Drew Brees throwing for 466 yards, the second most in playoff history.  The absence of Lance Moore was not deeply felt as Robert Meachem stepped up with a big game catching four passes for 111 yards and a touchdown.  The offensive line had a whale of a game against an effective Lions’ front four.

The only worrisome aspect of the game for the Saints was the inability of the defense to shut down the Lions’ offense.  Now as long as they come up with timely turnovers, it’s not going to make a huge difference.  But with a game against a 49ers team that rarely coughs up the ball coming up, the defense is going to have to play a better game to get out of Candlestick Park with a win.

Detroit is surely disappointed that a rematch against the Packers is not forthcoming, but the future looks bright in Motown.  The Lions have a potent offense returning with Matthew Stafford coming off his best season as a pro, Calvin Johnson just entering his prime, and tight end Brandon Pettigrew and rookie wide out Titus Young developing into consistent playmakers.  The return of Mikel LeShoure from an Achilles injury and a determination on Jahvid Best’s future should help to bring light to the future at running back.  If Best can’t return, look for the Lions to look at runners like LaMichael James early in the 2012 NFL Draft.  Detroit should also look for reinforcements in the trenches, particularly at tackle.

On defense, depth at linebacker is needed.  But the most pressing needs are at corner.  Simply put, the Lions are deficient at this most vital position.  Chris Houston is their most consistent performer, but guys like Eric Wright, Alphonso Smith, and Aaron Berry have proven to be clear liabilities in coverage.  Improvement here should be the Lions primary goal this offseason.

With another offseason of development combined with the taste of success from this season, the Lions should be hungry for more and right in the thick of the chase for a Lombardi Trophy next season.