Thoughts on the NFL Divisional Round
By Scott Burks
So much for home-field advantage and first
round byes. What do the Tennessee Titans and New York Giants have in
common? Not only did they squander their home-field advantages in the
divisional round, but they lost to #6 seeds in the process. This is not to
say that clinching a first-round bye and home-field advantage is a waste –
it’s not (ask Big Ben and the Pittsburgh Steelers). What both do not guard
against are match-up issues. Let me elaborate: the Baltimore Ravens, as a
6th seed match-up extremely well with the Titans. The ball-hawking Ravens
defense forced 3 turnovers and forced the game into QB Kerry Collins’ hands,
as they did in the first match-up. The Philadelphia Eagles and Giants are
bitter division rivals who know each other VERY well. It’s one of those
games where one can throw out the records.
All the divisional games proved once again
that defense wins championships. The common thread in all four games
can be described in two words: dominating defense. The Ravens, Eagles,
Cardinals, and Steelers all shut down their opponents in the divisional
rounds. Those same winning teams also forced a lot of turnovers. Case in
point: in the Cardinals-Panthers game, the Cardinals forced Panthers QB Jake
Delhomme into six turnovers, scoring 27 points off those turnovers. The
Ravens forced the Titans to commit three turnovers. The Eagles and Steelers
forced two huge turnovers in their respective games. I expect next week’s
games to be low-scoring defense struggles. I cannot wait!
The Carolina Panthers’ defensive staff
should be fired effective immediately. Could someone please tell the
Panthers’ defense staff that Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald is good? That
apparently was lost on the Panthers as they allowed Fitzgerald to catch
eight passes for a franchise-playoff record 166 yards and a touchdown in a
humiliating loss on their home field. I am no NFL expert, but upon learning
the Cardinals will be without Anquan Boldin, why in the world did the
Panthers play a soft zone against those guys? Why not roll coverage onto
Fitzgerald and have your best cornerback in Chris Gamble shadow Fitzgerald?
The Panthers defensive staff should be fired. Their defensive coordinator
should be tarred and feathered on the way out the door.
What the hell just happened?
The Arizona Cardinals will be hosting the NFC Championship game.
Even after typing that, I still cannot believe it.
