JETS AT COLTS
Rex Ryan owes more than a few favors to the Indianapolis Colts. In their regular season matchup a few weeks ago,coach Jim Caldwell decided to start resting his key starters, when his team had a 15-10 lead over New York in the third quarter.Ryan has a sense of humor, and shared it after that game by acknowledging that his Jets had defeated the Colts “Junior Varsity team”.You’ve got to love his candor. Indianapolis took out their key players, like Manning, Freeney,Mathis, as well as Brackett, and it was the third string quarterback for the Colts , Curtis Painter, who went in to complete the game. After the changes were made, the then 7-7 Jets went on to win the game 29-15, and that enabled them to get a playoff birth. The Jets were the top ranked rushing team in the NFL, during the regular season, while the Colts were last, but with Indianapolis, that is more by design, in accord with the type of offense that they run, with a lot of passing.Indianapolis was ranked 24th against the run. New York has one of the best offensive lines in the league, and have benefited greatly by the addition of former Pittsburgh Steeler guard Alan Faneca. Center Nick Mangold is a huge part of the Jets success up front as well. Rookie running back Shonn Greene has been a tremendous addition to the roster. He has surpassed 100 yards rushing in his two playoff games. It’s pretty amazing that he was projected as a first round pick, but dropped to the third round, because he didn’t run so well in his shorts at the combine. He’s evidently running pretty well now.
Bill Polian continually shows why he has been so successful as a football man. He is brilliant at finding players to fill roles. There are several examples. DL Raheem Brock was a 7th round draft pick of the Philadelphia Eagles, but for some reason, they couldn’t fit him under their salary cap. He is now in his 8th year. LB Gary Brackett was undrafted out of Rutgers, at 5’11” and 235 lb’s. Some say, he’s really more like 5’8”. Whichever it is, it doesn’t really ,matter, because he is described as “a short Ray Lewis”. Not too shabby for an undrafted player, who has been with Indianapolis since 2003. Safety Melvin Bullitt was also undrafted, at 6’1”, out of Texas A&M. All he’s done, is fill in for one of the very best in the game, safety Bob Sanders. LB Clint Session is a very good player and he’ll probably be looking forward to playing against his former University of Pittsburgh Panthers teammate,CB Darrelle Revis, one of the very best defenders in the game.
There is obviously a huge difference at the quarterback position in this game, so I have to pick the Colts. Peyton Manning is incredible at managing critical situations, and marching his team downfield when the game is on the line. Indianapolis will end the New York Cinderella story, by winning 31-17.
VIKINGS AT SAINTS
It’s an all time great matchup with Favre and Brees. The Vikings defense will present some tough challenges for Brees and the Saints. DE Jared Allen is regarded as among the very best pass rushers in the game, if not the very best. DT’s Pat and Kevin Williams ( not related ) are very tough to run against.
Reggie Bush was on fire last week,as was Drew Brees. Whatever kind of funk New Orleans was in before the playoffs, they have obviously remedied the problem. Gregg Williams has improved the Saints defense,from where it was last year. New Orleans seems unstoppable, once they get going . I believe they will get going all the way to the Super Bowl by beating Minnesota 41-35.