by Tony Bosma
The NFL will be doing it’s best impersonation of the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight this weekend. One thing is certain, this is the favorite weekend of sports for 95% of the sports media. How do I know that? Because pretty much every single member has said so in the past two days. The good thing? They just may be right.
Right now, it’s time to call out players or units from each team who will be under pressure this weekend.
Saturday
Arizona – If the Cardinals secondary has a repeat performance of last weekend, this could get ugly. There’s no question the Saints offense is just as, if not more explosive than the Green Bay Packers. The Cardinals gave up 422 passing yards and four touchdowns to the Packers Sunday night. Don’t think for a second the Saints will play run-first, pass-second against the Cardinals.
Cardinals secondary, the pressure is on.
New Orleans – The Saints may not be thinking run-first, but they can’t give the Cardinals too much time on the clock to match each of their scores. For as good as Drew Brees and his receiving corps is, Kurt Warner has an arsenal to match. If the Saints turn this game into a shoot out, they’ll be vulnerable. That means they MUST get a running game established to eat some clock and limit the amount of chances the Cardinals get.
Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell, the pressure is on.
Baltimore – Your defense is playing like it’s 2001. Willis McGahee is playing like he’s running the football for Miami again and Ray Rice is a small Mack truck. None of that will mean anything if quarterback Joe Flacco goes 4/10 for 39-yards and 1 INT, or at least to that caliber. The Colts are going to score, no matter how good the Ravens defense is. Add the best clock manager in the game, Peyton Manning, to that equation and this could be a blow out if all the Ravens can do is run the ball.
Joe Flacco, the pressure is on.
Indianapolis – The Colts can’t run the ball well and their defense doesn’t stop the run the well, either. That would spell doom for any team that wasn’t quarterbacked by Manning. But, Manning has seen his fair share of first-round exits and, even though he’s won a Super Bowl, there are still questions about whether or not he’s clutch in the playoffs. It may seem cliche to call out Manning given his resume and the fact that every other media outlet is doing the same thing, but it’s fair and needed. Time to prove the world wrong and wipe the only smear off your legacy.
Peyton Manning, the pressure is on.
Sunday
Dallas – So you finally won a playoff game. Your offense is clicking better than it ever has and your defense is pressuring the quarterback and stopping the run as good as anyone in the league. If you’re smart, you’ll let Brett Favre try to beat you and shut down Adrian Peterson. That’s no easy task, especially when your secondary rarely wraps a runner and tackles him to the ground. Too many times this year, the Cowboys secondary (Mike Jenkins, Terrence Newman, Gerald Sensabaugh, Ken Hamlin, and Orlando Scandrick) have tried to arm-tackle or simply run into an opponent really hard and make him hit the ground. That won’t work against the Minnesota Vikings. If you stop the run and Brett Favre beats you, so be it – that’s nothing to be ashamed of. But, put Favre in a situation where he has been known to make a mistake. Don’t let Peterson get to the second level where you’re vulnerable.
Cowboys secondary, the pressure is on.
Minnesota – Great defense. Powerful offense. But your two biggest playmakers, Favre and Peterson, have fatal flaws. Favre has been known to turn the ball over at key moments in the playoffs and Peterson may need to put some stick-em on his hands so he doesn’t cough the ball up. Turnovers always kill a team, and they end playoff dreams. The Vikings can’t survive if their two most important offensive players keep shoving the teams head under water.
Brett Favre and Adrian Peterson, the pressure is on.
New York Jets – The Jets are a more complete team than critics give them credit for. Strong running game, suffocating defense, and disciplined special teams play has been the M.O. of this team all year. But all we’ve heard all week is how great Darrelle Revis is. Yes, he’s shut down every No. 1 wide receiver he’s faced this year, and there’s no reason to believe he won’t do it again. However, it is rare for a player to never have a let down game. Revis cannot afford to take ANY plays off against Phillip Rivers, Vincent Jackson and the Chargers offense. Revis’ will to stop Jackson will be strong, but don’t under estimate a player (Jackson) who has heard all week that no one can run routes against the best cornerback in the game. Jackson will have under-dog syndrome Sunday.
Darrelle Revis, the pressure is on.
San Diego – The Chargers are solid all around. Phillip Rivers had an MVP-caliber season and with a corps of receivers as tall as the Empire State building, stretching the field and creating big plays won’t be a problem. The Chargers offense will be fine, I’m sure of that. But, what about the defense? Specifically, what about Shawn Merriman? He’s had almost a month to pamper a foot injury and hasn’t looked the same since being suspended for violating the leagues drug policy. Basically, he hasn’t backed up all the talk he likes to do. Thankfully, he’s been fairly quiet recently. That’s a joy to us all. The fact is, Merriman will be going after a rookie quarterback, who in his first playoff game was untested and didn’t have to do much. Merriman MUST be all over Mark Sanchez on Sunday and force him to make rookie mistakes. It can happen, but only if Merriman remembers who he used to be and shows the world again.
Shawn Merriman, the pressure is on.
