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Seattle over New Orleans. No one saw this coming and I mean no one. The Seahawks scored one of the biggest upsets in NFL playoff history by defeating the defending NFL champs. Matt Hasselbeck played like he found the fountain of youth lighting up the Saints defense with four touchdown passes. Marshawn Lynch clinched the game and become an instant playoff legend with a tackle breaking 67 yard touchdown run over seemingly the entire Saint defense. The Seahawks showed offense fire power that had not been there all year. Hasselbeck was on the money overcoming a early interception. They ran the ball effectively and the Seahawks won even without getting any big plays out of return specialist Leon Washington. The Saints scored enough to win but on defense they were inept in every way. The defining moment was when Tracy Porter who scored the game clinching interception in the Super Bowl was stiff armed into the field turf during the Lynch touch down run. The Saints which on paper had been one of the a top ranked defense all year was non existent the entire game. They played like the spent the entire week preparing for this game by drinking too many hurricanes on bourbon street. They were hit by long touch down passes and were fooled by the old fake block then slide wide open in the end zone play. A terrible effort sending the defending champs home early. New York edging Indianapolis. The Jets won on a last second field to defeat their playoff nemesis. The Jets overcame a hype up Mark Sanchez who seem to overthrew wide open receivers all game long, and went old school in the second half and pounded the Colts into the ground and keeping the ball away from Peyton Manning. The key to last second comeback besides the game winning kick was Antonio Cromartie's kickoff return to mid field. And Sanchez's back shoulder pass to Braylon Edwards to make the field goal attempt shorter. Their defense which has been exploited in few games recently kept the Colts and Peyton Manning off balance for most of the game, except for the one long touchdown pass. Darrelle Revis held down his island holding Colts standout receiver Reggie Wayne to a measly one catch and one yard. The Colts just didn't have enough at the end. Too many injuries throughout the season finally caught up to them. At the end they were playing with Manny, Moe and Jack on defense. They wore down in the second half and could not stop the run. Manning played well playing mistake free football, but the key for he and the Colts was not getting one more first down before Vinatari's kick to take off more time off the clock. One minute was too much time with a defense loaded with guys recently signed off the street. Baltimore blasting Kansas City. In the only blow out of the weekend Joe Flacco and the typical Ravens defense outplayed and outclassed the not ready of the big boy football Kansas City Chiefs. Flacco who is not quite an elite quarterback moved well and the pocket avoiding the relentless pass rush of the Chiefs and found a go too tight end Todd Heap all game long. The Ravens controlled the clock for over two thirds of the game, keeping their defense off the field. When the Ravens defense was on the field they created turnovers and made Matt Cassel wish he was back in college as a back up quarterback. The Chiefs kept it close but could never get untracked outside of a 41 touchdown run by Jamaal Charles. They never found a way to cover tight end Todd Heap. Basically they were boys playing against the men and it was no contest. Green Bay edging Philadelphia. The Packers lead by Aaron Rodgers error free football and rookie James Starks (who is he really?) gained over 120 yards helped the Packers defeat the Eagles. Rodgers played his usual solid game, he didn't force the ball down field, his late second quarter pass to James Jones that was dropped could have blown the Eagles out at the point, changed the momentum of the game but he and the Packers recovered. This biggest surprise was the new found running game that has been missing for most of the season. Starks was elusive, and more important did not fumble. The Packers defense lead by Cly Matthews and Charles Woodson played it's typical great game and put the clamps on the explosive Eagle offense for most of the night. Tramon Williams last second interception was the clincher, but it was a game saving ankle tackle by linebacker Desmond Bishop on DeSean Jackson in the last minute that saved the day. Jackson was shifting into high gear and would have easily scored. The Eagle were outplayed and out hit for the most of the game, but still had a chance to win at the end. The offensive line which was dominated from the start prevented them from running the ball and Vic was often running for his life. Bbut it was too many dropped passes and missed field goals by the reliable David Akers that did them in. Still the Eagles almost this game. Jackson getting barley ankle tackled by Bishop will run through his mind the entire off season. Vic last pass was the perfect call, it just wasn't executed. Vic pumped faked the safety and had one on one coverage on then outside, a receiver Riley Cooper who was several inches taller than the defensive back, Vic just did throw the ball high long enough to give Cooper a chance. A stunning ending to a remarkable and exciting comeback season for Vic. http://MrCleo3586.info
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