NFL Playoffs: Championship Sunday
The best day of playoff football in 2010 by a mile happened Sunday. We got to watch Indianapolis validate its decision to rest its starters in its final two games of the regular season, and Brett Favre validate himself as perhaps the worst decision maker among great quarterbacks in NFL history.
Indianapolis 30, New York Jets 17: The Jets did not embarass themselves in this one. They were very competitive with the best team in football, leading until the 8:03 mark of the third quarter. In the end, Peyton Manning and the Colts were just the better team. Manning was masterful Sunday, throwing for 377 yards and three touchdowns. As you figured he would with Darelle Revis covering Reggie Wayne for most of the game, Manning got his other receivers involved. Pierre Carcon and Austin Collie each exceeded 100 yards receiving, and they both, along with Dallas Clark, caught touchdown passes.
The Jets rushed for just 86 yards on 29 carries, which meant Mark Sanchez would have had to do more to keep pace with the Colts than he is capable of doing ... at least at this point oin his career. He sure didn't get help from Jay Feeley, who missed two (long) field goal attempts. Sanchez was very impressive this postseason, as were the Jets as a whole, and they should be very excited about their future. But Indianapolis is in a league of its own.
New Orleans 31, Minnesota 28 (OT): More of the credit for this one than I thought was possible has to go to the Saints defense on a day when Drew Brees was very average and his receivers were drop-happy. They looked terrible early, allowing the Vikings to drive down the field and score touchdowns on their first two possessions. They weren't statistically great, allowing a whopping 475 yards and 31 first downs. But while much of the credit for Minnesota's five turnovers has to go to the Vikings' own inability to hold onto the football, along with Favre's awful decision to throw across the field at the end of the game, they did force five turn
Everyone in the world considered Adrian Peterson the best running back alive at the beginning of the season. While watching this game, I said I'd bench him for his fumble-itis, and Minnesota coach Brad Childress did, at least temporarily. Favre played very well for most of the game, but it was overshadowed by his late interception. The offensive line didn't protect him at all. All in all, every part of the Vikings offense can share the blame for losing on a day when coordinator Leslie Frazier's defense was the best unit on the field from either team.
