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Home Field Wins
By: Keith Dobkowski, NFL News Writer
January 18, 2005
The weekend ended and unlike the wildcard a week ago, this time
home field won. The home field swept the weekend and
improved from 1-3 during the wildcard week to a nifty 5-3. As we
will dissect the AFC and NFC championship games later this week,
it is currently time to breakdown the weekend that was.
On everyone’s mind is the defeat and pure crush the New
England Patriots laid upon the Indianapolis Colts. A 20-3
drubbing that will not soon be forgotten. Many throughout the
country felt that the Pats weak secondary would end their five
game win streak over the Colts. However, Tony Dungy reverted
to playing Marty-ball and took the conservative approach.
This very column predicted a Colts victory due to the Pats inability
to cover a three-wide out set. Problem was, the Colts didn’t use
a three-wide out set. Instead the Colts were their own worst
enemy by calling in conservative in the most important game of
the year.
A look at Dungy history and we see the very reason that the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers fired Dungy and replaced him with Jon
Gruden. Gruden went on to win a Super Bowl with the very same
team that Dungy had coached. The separation between good
and great coaches is apparently fear. There are those who have
no fear, stick by their game plan and win Super Bowls. And then
there are the Marty Schottenheimer’s of this world. Dungy is
slowly joining the Marty-ball group.
Entering the game the Pats were missing both starting
cornerbacks and their primary pass rusher. And entering the
game, the Colts boasted the best offense in the league and
possibly NFL history. This Colts’ team was not supposed to be
stopped yet they only managed three points. Had the Colts
played in the manner that won them 13 games by spreading the
field and going deep, the Colts would be playing this weekend
and looking for a trip to Jacksonville. Instead the Colts must now
assess their team and dream of the Super Bowl in 2006.
The Pats, well the Pats are winners. Tom Brady is a winner. Bill
Belicheck is a winner. And Bob Kraft runs an organization that
breads winning. The heart of a champion, an often overused and
simplistic cliché, was alive and well on Sunday as the Pats
destroyed the Colts.
The Pittsburgh Steelers got two very lucky breaks and now New
York Jets kicker Doug Brien has been put up on Ebay. So far there
are no takers and the post has been removed. Brien missed two
field goals with less than two minutes remaining in the game. The
first bounced off the crossbar and the second was missed wide
right.
In overtime the Steelers reverted back to the game plan that won
them 15 during the regular season. The Steelers marched right
down the field and kicked a short field goal for the win. Ben
Roethlisberger looked the rookie but still came away with the
win. With one playoff game under his belt Roethlisberger is sure
to now understand the pressure as he awaits New England.
The Atlanta Falcons won the game on their second play from
scrimmage. A bootleg was called and the St. Louis Rams played it
nearly perfectly. That is nearly because of a guy named Michael
Vick. As the whole line moved to the left and the pocket
collapsed, Vick juked one tackler and then another and simply
gained 60 yards on a bumbled play.
The Falcons ran everywhere on the Rams who looked every bit as
mediocre as their record. 47 points later, several hundred rushing
yards gained and the Falcons are on the verge of the Super Bowl.
The Philadelphia Eagles looked well rested and not rusty as the
starters all played together for the first time in a month while
dispatching the Minnesota Vikings. Randy Moss was held to just
three catches, was kept out of the end zone, and his pants
remained on.
Donovan McNabb looked his regular self and even showed
immense confidence in his receiving core that was missing star
Terrell Owens. As the Eagles head to their fourth straight NFC
Championship game, the questions for the first time in over a
month will have to do more with run defense than a missing wide
out who is rumored to be suiting up this weekend.
Make sure to check out the NFC and AFC championship game
previews later this week.
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