Championship Sunday Recap

Colts 30 Jets 17

If you would have told me early in the week the Colts would score 30 points, I would have told you the Colts would win.

If you would have told me early in the week the Jets would not rush for 100 yards, I would have told you the Jets would lose.

If you would have told me early in the week the Colts would score 30 points, I would have told you the Colts would win.

With those combined circumstances coming true on Sunday, it would be hard for the Jets to win, but they came close. They had Peyton confused early and they tried some different disguise coverages that worked to perfection on the first 2 Colt drives. Then Donald Strickland got injured on the Colts third drive, and Peyton took advantage of Lito Sheppard who looked like a completely different person from last week. He was awful. Garcon catches the ball for a big gain, but the Colts commit a false start and come away with only 3 points. On the very next play after the kickoff, the Jets hit the big play in the passing game I said they would need if they wanted to win. They run a SLO-GO with Edwards on Powers replacement Lacey for an 80 yard TD to put the Jets on top. The Colts respond on their next drive with a FG again to cut the lead to 1. The Jets drive right down the field and answer thanks in part to a Wild Cat pass by Brad Smith that lead to a Keller TD and the Jets are up 8. The Jets are smelling blood. The Colts drives are stalling and the Jets are looking to blow it open. On the Colts next possession, Pace comes flying into the backfield and hits Addai before he even has a chance to secure the hand-off from Peyton and the Jets recover the fumble at the Colt 29. This is where the Jets need to punch it home. They commit a false start penalty at the most inopportune time on 1-10 and they settle for a field goal. Great teams make the most of their opponents mistakes. The Jets did not. Now Manning has a little over 2 minutes left in the half and he begins to feel it, he hits Collie in the seem who was covered by Drew Coleman who had great position, but got greedy and laid out for the ball looking for an INT but missed. What are you doing there son? You are with the receiver stride for stride and had more of a chance for the INT if you hadn't dove for it. Its a play he will look back on and ultimately regret. Peyton hits Collie again in the endzone where he was wide open where Rex said there was some "miscommunication" and the Colts were right back in it.

In the second half, Shonn Greene got injured after 2 plays and would not return. The Jets again did not deviate from their offensive identity. They stuck with the running game with Thomas Jones who was fighting an injury and doesn't have the explosiveness that Greene has. The Jets on their first drive missed a 52 yard FG, Peyton drives down the field again and scores, and the feeling Jets fans know all too well began to take effect. The Jets did not move the ball offensively in the 2nd half as well as they did in the first half, but don't blame the Jets offense, credit the Colts defense. The Colts defense committed to the run for the entire game. They did not let the Braylon Edwards TD or the Brad Smith Wild Cat pass to Cotchery effect their game plan. They knew if they took away the Jets running game they would not win.

The Jets lost this game because of their defense. The Garcon and Collie were running uncovered in the secondary all game long and the Jets had no answer for it. Now what can cover that up is a pass rush. The Jets sacked Manning on the first 2 drives, they never sacked him again. The only thing that covers up shaky coverage is a pass rush, and the Jets did not have it. Manning dinked and dunked and caught fire, throwing for 377 and 3 TD's and the Jets had no answer. Ball game.

Saints 31 Vikings 28

This had to be one of the sloppiest championship games I have ever seen. Neither team looked like they wanted to win the game. Adrian Peterson's fumbling issues continued, Reggie Bush muffed a punt, and interceptions took place that were mind boggling.

At the end of the half, Reggie Bush muffed at his own 10 yard line that the Vikings recover. 2 plays later, Favre and Peterson have exchange problems and the Saints recover to keep the score tied at the half.

Lets fast forward to the Vikings final drive. The score tied at 28. 1-10 and the 21. The Vikings execute a perfect drive combining the run and pass to get the ball down to the Saints 33 yard line. The Vikings call a timeout with 19 seconds left. They come out of the timeout, and they have 12 men in the huddle. 12 MEN IN THE HUDDLE, AFTER A TIMEOUT! Now they are on the outer boundary of field goal range. Favre rolls right on a boot, has a bout 15 yards ahead of him to run out of bounds. What does he do? He sees Sidney Rice open in the middle of the field. He throws across his body, forces the ball to Rice, and is intercepted. This is a play that defines Brett Favre. He has the safe play right in front of him right there for the taking to put it in the hands of one of the most reliable kickers in the league. Now if Favre had not come out of the game earlier to get his ankle tapped up after the abuse he was taking, would he have run? Probably not. Favre was manhandled all day, but the Saints did not have a single sack.

Game goes to overtime, Saints win the toss. After 2 first downs, the Saints have 1-10 from the Vikings 41. Brees overthrows his receiver on the left sideline, but the back judge calls a dumb penalty on the Vikings linebacker on a ball that is clearly uncatchable. The Saints get another 1st down, and Hartley kicks the game winner from 40 to send the Saints to their first Super Bowl. I could not be any happier for the people of New Orleans, Drew Brees and Sean Payton.

But the better team lost this game. Its been said over and over and over again that the team that commits the most mistakes usually does not win, and the team that makes the most of their opponents mistakes usually does. The Vikings made the most mistakes, and the Saints made the most of their opportunities.

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