Although this game was not a shootout like the Chiefs Colts game, it was not any less exiting. The Saints were able to eek this one out on the last drive of the game. By no means did they play very well, but they did enough to win the game.
The Eagles offense was not able to do much in this game. LeSean McCoy struggled to find much running room, which left the Eagles vulnerable to third and longs. Nick Foles struggled to find much success downfield and had to settle for shorter passes most of the game. He finished with 195 yards on 33 attempts, but did throw for two touchdowns. DeSean Jackson was neutralized by the Saints as they focused on him the whole game and allowed the other receivers to get theirs as long as they didn't let Jackson kill them. Their game plan worked as Jackson finished with only three catches for yards, but 40 of those came on one play. Riley Cooper took advantage of the increased attention on Jackson and finished with 6 catches for 68 yards and a touchdown. The Eagles needed to come out with a better game plan to spread the Saints defense out and make room for McCoy and Jackson. Chip Kelly was out coached in his first playoff matchup, but he should have many more ahead of him.
The Saints started to pick up their game in the second half after scoring only 6 first half points. One of the major reasons the Saints were able to put points on the board was because of the running ability of Mark Ingram. Ingram finished with 97 yards on 18 carries and he found the endzone on one of his carries. Ingram has played well recently and the Saints will need him to continue this type of production if they plan on advancing further in the playoffs. The defense will also need to continue to produce as well as they did in this game. They were able to withstand the Eagles offense and held LeSean McCoy under 4 yards per carry. This was instrumental in gaining the win because that forced the Eagles into third down situations that they do not want to be in.
Drew Brees did not play particularly well. He threw two interceptions, but came up strong when he was needed the most. He needs to be more consistent, but he was good enough to get by against the Eagles. The Eagles were focused on taking away Jimmy Graham by doubling him, but Brees knew how to find his guys when he needed to as he completed passes to nine different receivers. Brees was able to adjust throughout the game and handle anything the Eagles threw at him.
The Saints will now have to travel to Seattle for the divisional round of the playoffs. This will be a tough matchup for them and will have to find new ways to get receivers open against Seattle's great defense. Ingram will have to continue his very good play as of late if the Saints have any chance of escaping there with a win.
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Chiefs Colts Game Recap
What a way to kick off the NFL playoffs! This was a crazy game and I do not anticipate any other wildcard game matching the excitement of this game. Going into the game, I was sure that the Colts would run over Kansas City. They man-handled them in week 16 and now they got to play them at home.
However, the Colts decided not to show up for the first half of the game. Aside from their first drive, the Colts had a hard time getting anything going on offense. The Chiefs, on the other hand, dominated the first half. Jamaal Charles left the game during their first drive with a concussion and did not return. However, Alex Smith and Knile Davis lead the charge and played very well. Alex Smith was close to unstoppable during the first half, making defenders miss left and right and he also threw the ball very well. Smith was able to carve up the Colts defense with ease in the first half. Davis filled in well for Charles, but he is not the playmaker Charles is, which limited their offense a little bit.
The second half was a whole different story. Although Luck started the half off with an interception and threw another when his team was making a comeback, the Colts were able to shove the all down Kansas City's throat the entire half. Luck was making plays that you would expect him to make and his defense was helping him out as they held Kansas City to only 13 second half points. Alex Smith was not able to recreate the magic that he had in the first half. The Chiefs had to deal with a lot of injuries as well. Brandon Flowers was knocked out of the game as well as Donnie Avery and Knile Davis. This meant they had to play their third string runningback, Crus Gray. Avery was probably the biggest blow after Charles because of what he does in that offense. Without Avery, Smith had trouble finding targets other than Bowe.
The Colts took advantage of their opportunities and mounted a serious comeback. Luck was simply amazing down the stretch and got things going with both his feet and his arm. Luck made the biggest play of the game when the Colts were down 10 and had driven all the way to the Chiefs goal line. He handed the ball to Donald Brown who the fumbled, but Luck picked it up and dove into the end zone to bring the Colts within a field goal. After that drive the Chiefs had to settle for a field goal, which did not faze luck as he hit T.Y Hilton on a 64 yard touchdown pass for what would be the winning score. The Chiefs almost got into field goal range for the win, but an Alex Smith intentional grounding doomed them as they eventually lost the game.
Andrew Luck displayed why many think of him as the next great QB. Even though he did not play well for a good portion of the game, he lead the Colts to eventual glory. The Chiefs were not able to hold onto the lead, but one would think what could have been with a healthy Jamaal Charles running out the clock in the second half.
The Colts will move onto the divisional round and either travel to New England, if the Chargers win, or Denver if the Bengals win.
However, the Colts decided not to show up for the first half of the game. Aside from their first drive, the Colts had a hard time getting anything going on offense. The Chiefs, on the other hand, dominated the first half. Jamaal Charles left the game during their first drive with a concussion and did not return. However, Alex Smith and Knile Davis lead the charge and played very well. Alex Smith was close to unstoppable during the first half, making defenders miss left and right and he also threw the ball very well. Smith was able to carve up the Colts defense with ease in the first half. Davis filled in well for Charles, but he is not the playmaker Charles is, which limited their offense a little bit.
The second half was a whole different story. Although Luck started the half off with an interception and threw another when his team was making a comeback, the Colts were able to shove the all down Kansas City's throat the entire half. Luck was making plays that you would expect him to make and his defense was helping him out as they held Kansas City to only 13 second half points. Alex Smith was not able to recreate the magic that he had in the first half. The Chiefs had to deal with a lot of injuries as well. Brandon Flowers was knocked out of the game as well as Donnie Avery and Knile Davis. This meant they had to play their third string runningback, Crus Gray. Avery was probably the biggest blow after Charles because of what he does in that offense. Without Avery, Smith had trouble finding targets other than Bowe.
The Colts took advantage of their opportunities and mounted a serious comeback. Luck was simply amazing down the stretch and got things going with both his feet and his arm. Luck made the biggest play of the game when the Colts were down 10 and had driven all the way to the Chiefs goal line. He handed the ball to Donald Brown who the fumbled, but Luck picked it up and dove into the end zone to bring the Colts within a field goal. After that drive the Chiefs had to settle for a field goal, which did not faze luck as he hit T.Y Hilton on a 64 yard touchdown pass for what would be the winning score. The Chiefs almost got into field goal range for the win, but an Alex Smith intentional grounding doomed them as they eventually lost the game.
Andrew Luck displayed why many think of him as the next great QB. Even though he did not play well for a good portion of the game, he lead the Colts to eventual glory. The Chiefs were not able to hold onto the lead, but one would think what could have been with a healthy Jamaal Charles running out the clock in the second half.
The Colts will move onto the divisional round and either travel to New England, if the Chargers win, or Denver if the Bengals win.
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