Arizona Cardinals 33, Carolina Panthers 13
What you need to know
Arizona Cardinals - On a rainy night in Carolina, Arizona shocked the heavily favored Panthers 33--13 with a balanced offense and a ball hawking defense. The Cardinals rushed 43 times for 145 yards while the Panthers -- the NFL's third best rushing attack -- were held to 75 yards. The Arizona defense forced six turnovers including two interceptions in the red zone. It was the same strategy they used to shut down Atlanta, which boasted the second best rushing attack in the league, and now the long shot Cardinals are one win away from the Super Bowl.The Cardinals scored on five consecutive drives as they raced out to a 27--7 halftime lead. Even though Anquan Boldin was inactive with a hamstring injury, Arizona was 3--1 this season without him in the lineup. Larry Fitzgerald came through with 166 yards on eight receptions and scored one touchdown. WR Steve Breaston, who replaced Boldin, chipped in with four balls for 28 yards while Kurt Warner completed 21 of 32 for 220 yards and two touchdowns. Arizona's commitment to running the ball seemed to confuse the Panthers and several key pass completions came off play action. Edgerrin James rushed 20 times and scored one touchdown while rookie Tim Hightower gained 76 yards and caught a short TD pass. In the second half the Cardinals' balanced attack turned into a smash mouth ground assault with Hightower doing most of the damage in the fourth quarter.
While the Arizona offense usually grabs the headlines, the defense deserves most of the credit for this victory. After Carolina quickly scored a touchdown on their first possession of the game the Cardinal defenders settled down. Arizona tied the score at seven and on Carolina's next drive DE Antonio Smith, who recorded a safety against Atlanta, stripped Delhomme and recovered the fumbled at the Carolina 13 yard line. Five different defenders intercepted Delhomme but Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was the brightest star in the Cardinal secondary. He intercepted a Steve Smith target at the goal line, jumped Smith's short slant route and deflected a pass that Antrel Rolle picked off, and stayed with Smith stride for stride on a deep pass and easily knocked the ball away. Rogers-Cromartie, who once had to choose between a career as an NFL defender or Olympic sprinter, apparently made the right decision.
Carolina Panthers - Carolina scored the first touchdown of the game and the last touchdown of the game. It was all that middle part that gave them fits. Jake Delhomme lost a fumble on the Carolina 13 yard line and threw five interceptions. Two came in the red zone despite the face that Carolina was statistically the best red zone team in the NFL.During the regular season the Panthers averaged 152.3 rushing yards per game, third best in the league. DeAngelo Williams ripped off a 31 yard run on their opening drive but only gained 32 more yards after that. Running mate James Stewart scored Carolina's first touchdown on a nine yard run but totaled just 12 yards in the game. Steve Smith didn't make his first catch until there was 48 seconds left in the third quarter. When he scored the last TD of the game with less than a minute to play only a handful of Panther fans were still in the stands.
While the Carolina defense had to often defend a shortened field because of all the turnovers it's hard to argue that better field position would have mattered. In their last six regular season games they surrendered 30 or more points four times, and the Cardinals' commitment to running the ball, even when the yards were hard to come by, eventually wore them down. Warner was at his playoff best and they couldn't figure out how to cover Larry Fitzgerald who torched them for 166 yards. At the start of the third quarter they blitzed more frequently with limited success, but still trailed 30--7 entering the fourth quarter.
What you ought to know
QB Kurt Warner, Pass: 21 - 32 - 220 - 2 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 3 - 1 - 0 - The former Super Bowl MVP only needed 30 minutes to lead Arizona to a blowout win over the heavily favored Carolina Panthers. After quickly falling behind 0--7, Warner tied the score on a drive where he completed four of four passes for 55 yards. He spread the ball around to eight different receivers as he engineered five consecutive scoring drives enroute to a 27--7 first half lead. The game was essentially over at that point and his primary duty in the second half consisted of handing the ball off to either Edgerrin James or Tim Hightower. Warner earned a QB rating of 93.2 by completing 21 of 32 for 220 yards and two touchdowns. Only five teams in NFL history have had three different receivers catch at least 75 passes in the same year and Warner quarterbacked three of those teams.RB Edgerrin James, Rush: 20 - 57 - 1, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (2 targets) - On at least three running plays, James tried to run wide but slipped down on the rain slick field. Otherwise he would have averaged more than 2.9 yards per carry. Still, he ran strong between the tackles and Carolina had to account for him on every play. It was off a play action fakes that Arizona was able to open up the passing attack. On third and one, Warner play faked a pitch to James and then hit Fitzgerald on a 50 yard pass play to set up their first TD. Following their fumble recovery at the Panther 13 yard line, James gained nine yards on a screen pass before he scored the go ahead touchdown on a four yard run off left tackle.
James seemed as if he had something to prove in this game. He was benched following Arizona's week eight loss to Carolina and played hardly at all in the next seven games.RB Tim Hightower, Rush: 17 - 76 - 0, Rec: 1 - 3 - 1 (2 targets) - Hightower entered the game late in the first quarter and promptly caught a short pass in the left flat and dashed into the end zone for the Cardinals first touchdown. He only carried the ball twice in the first half but finished off Carolina in the fourth quarter with 13 punishing carries. His longest run covered 17 yards and he led the Cardinal rushing attack with 76 yards. Late in the regular season he lost his starting job to Edgerrin James in part because of fatigue. Sharing the rushing responsibilities lessened the work load, however, and Hightower seems once again in midseason form.
RB J.J. Arrington, Rush: 2 - 11 - 0, Rec: 3 - 10 - 0 (4 targets) - In limited duty as the third down back Arrington rushed for 11 yards on two carries and caught three passes for ten yards. He also returned one kickoff for 23 yards.
RB Terrelle Smith, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0 (1 targets) - While Smith failed to gain a yard on his only carry and failed to catch his only target, he still should make the highlights. When Julius Peppers flushed Warner from the pocket in the second quarter and chased him toward the right sideline Smith peeled back and decleated Peppers with a clean but vicious hit.
RB Tim Castille, Rec: 1 - 3 - 0 (1 targets) - Castille caught a short pass to the Carolina three yard line in the first quarter that helped set up their first touchdown.
WR Larry Fitzgerald, Rec: 8 - 166 - 1 (13 targets) - Without his pro bowl receiving partner Anquan Boldin, Fitzgerald turned in a monster performance in arguably the biggest game in franchise history. His 50 yard catch on a third and one call set up the tying touchdown in the first quarter. Late in the second quarter he caught a crossing pattern deep in Carolina territory. He was about to be forced out of bounds short of the end zone but he dove, stretched the ball out with his left hand, and tucked the ball inside the pylon. The play covered 29 yards and made the score 27--7 Arizona.
WR Steve Breaston, Rec: 4 - 28 - 0 (4 targets) - While technically Boldin's replacement, Breaston saw limited action as Warner utilized eight different receivers and the running game took over the second half of the game. Still, he gained over 1,000 yards this season and is a key component in the Arizona aerial attack.
WR Jerheme Urban, Rec: 2 - 5 - 0 (2 targets) - With Arizona committed to a balanced attack, Urban only caught two third quarter passes for five yards.
During the regular season Urban was an effective WR4. He scored four touchdowns, caught 34 passes, and included in his 448 yards were big plays of 56 and 50 yards.WR Early Doucet, Rec: 1 - -4 - 0 (1 targets) - Doucet saw some duty as the third or fourth receiver in different formations, but was not a factor.
TE Stephen Spach (1 targets) - The Cardinals lined up with two tight end sets none caught a pass. Spach, who has stabilized the position and made some key grabs, injured his knee in the fourth quarter. Even though he was able to walk to the sidelines he left the stadium strapped to a cart.
PK Neil Rackers 4 - 5 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 15 points - Rackers hit field goals from 49, 30, 33, and 20 yards, but missed a 53 yarder into the wind and rain at the end of the first half. He also converted all extra points.
ARI Rush Defense - For the second week in a row the Arizona defense shut down a high powered rushing attack. Last week it was Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood, this week DeAngelo Williams and James Stewart were held in check. The Cardinals now have the defensive line depth that allows them to rotate players into the game and keep everyone fresh. They are playing their gaps and staying at home, and S Adrian Smith is playing like a fourth linebacker. Outside of Carolina's first drive of the game, when Williams found a cut back lane and ripped off a 31 yard run and Stewart scored from nines yards out, the third best rushing attack was virtually shut down.
ARI Pass Defense - Antrel Rolle, Ralph Brown, Roderick Hood, LB Gerald Hayes, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie all intercepted passes, but Rodgers-Cromartie clearly had the greatest impact. He covered Steve Smith most of the game and intercepted a pass targeted for Smith in the end zone. He also deflected another pass intended for Smith that Rolle picked off.DE Antonio Smith made a game changing play in the first quarter when he sacked Delhomme, swatted the ball to the ground and recovered at the Carolina 13 yard line. The Cardinals scored the go ahead touchdown two plays later and never looked back. DE Bertrand Berry also recorded a sack.
QB Jake Delhomme, Pass: 17 - 34 - 205 - 1 TD / 5 INT - Delhomme, who had a playoff record of 5--2 and QB rating of 95, only threw 12 interceptions all season but had five picked off by the Cardinals, two in the red zone. Only one pick could not be considered his fault, and Delhomme, as much as any one player can be, was primarily responsible for this defeat. He lost a fumble at the 13 yard line that set Arizona's go ahead touchdown and only hit Steve Smith on a short pass with less than minute for a meaningless touchdown. He finished with a QB rating of 39.1. Delhomme once served as backup quarterback to Kurt Warner with the Amsterdam Admirals of the now defunct NFL Europe.RB DeAngelo Williams, Rush: 12 - 63 - 0, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (2 targets) - On Carolina's opening drive of the game Williams found a cut back lane and dashed 31 yards to set up the first touchdown of the game. He was only able to pick up 32 more yards throughout the rest of the game, however, as the Arizona run defense settled down and kept him in check. As the Cardinal lead increased the Panthers felt compelled to try and pass the ball more frequently.
Williams led the league with 20 touchdowns and set a franchise record with 1,515 rushing yards. In week eight against Arizona, he rushed for 108 yards and a TD.RB Jonathan Stewart, Rush: 3 - 12 - 1, Rec: 3 - 39 - 0 (4 targets) - Stewart scored the Panther's first touchdown on a nine yard run straight up the middle of the Arizona defense. Unfortunately, for the rest of the game he only gained three more yards. In the fourth quarter he was targeted four times and caught three passes for 39 yards.
Stewart finished his rookie campaign with 836 yards and ten rushing touchdowns.RB Brad Hoover, Rec: 1 - 7 - 0 (1 targets) - Hoover caught a short pass for a first down on Carolina's opening drive.
WR Muhsin Muhammad, Rec: 5 - 55 - 0 (11 targets) - Muhammad was a key ingredient in Carolina's resurgence this season. While he led his team with eleven targets and five receptions for 55 yards they need him to be the complimentary back to Steve Smith. Muhammad had to fight through tight coverage and eight of his targets came in the second half. He is primarily their short yardage receiver, and while his biggest gain covered 20 yards he still only averaged 11 yards per reception.
WR Steve Smith, Rec: 2 - 43 - 1 (7 targets) - Steve Smith, who averaged over 100 receiving yards per game during the regular season, and has averaged over 100 receiving yards in every playoff game of his career, didn't make his first catch until there were 48 seconds left in the third quarter. The play covered 35 yards. When he caught his second pass and scored a TD with less than a minute to play in the game, only a handful of Panthers fans were left in the stands.
WR Dwayne Jarrett, Rec: 2 - 27 - 0 (3 targets) - Jarrett was target once each in the second, third, and fourth quarter. He caught two passes for a 13.5 average.
WR Mark Jones - Jones didn't play in the Carolina offense but he was probably the Panther's most effective offensive player. He helped set up their first touchdown when he ran back the game's opening kick to midfield and amassed a total of 151 yards on five kickoff returns.
TE Dante Rosario, Rec: 3 - 28 - 0 (4 targets) - Rosario caught his first pass on the Panthers' opening drive.
PK John Kasay 0 - 0 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 1 points - Kasay never attempted a field goal and converted is only extra point. When the Panthers scored their second touchdown with less than a minute in the game they went for two points.
CAR Rush Defense - While the Arizona running backs only averaged 3.4 yards per carry, Edgerrin James scored a touchdown on a four yard run and Tim Hightower scored on a three yard pass. In the fourth quarter, Hightower carried 13 times and took over the game, finishing with a 4.5 yard per carry and a long run of 17. With the Cardinal passing attack one of the most dangerous in the NFL, even without Anquan Boldin, not enough attention was paid to controlling the line of scrimmage.
CAR Pass Defense - Damione Lewis was able to sack Warner in the first quarter but it was the only time the Panthers got to him. Larry Fitzgerald was left alone on crossing patterns and was able to beat double teams down the field as he gained 155 yards on six passes and scored a touchdown in the first half alone. In the second half the Cardinals were less inclined to throw the ball.San Diego Chargers 24, Pittsburgh Steelers 35
What you need to know
San Diego Chargers - QB Philip Rivers put up big statistics on a day when he was under almost constant pressure. He was as effective as possible considering the lack of a run game for the Chargers, and even the interception wasn't entirely his fault.Save for a fairly meaningless 62 yard touchdown reception late in the fourth quarter, RB Darren Sproles was very quiet offensively. He had just 15 rushing yards on his 11 carries.
WR Vincent Jackson made a terrific catch to haul in a 41 yard touchdown two minutes into the game, but went on to catch just one more pass the rest of the way.
Pittsburgh Steelers - The Steelers used a power ground game and a short passing attack to dominate the San Diego defense. Pittsburgh had 42 rushing attempts to San Diego's 12, and the third quarter stats demonstrate just how much they dominated. Pittsburgh ran 24 plays to San Diego's one. Pittsburgh had 122 total yards to San Diego's 0. And Pittsburgh controlled the clock for 14:43, allowing San Diego to possess the ball for just seventeen seconds the entire quarter.QB Ben Roethlisberger wasn't getting a ton of time early on, but as the game wore on and the Charger defense began to tire, he had all the time in the world. He didn't complete a ton of long passes, but they converted a number of third down and long situations using underneath shorter passes.
RB Willie Parker was consistently moving the chains from beginning to end. He totaled 146 yards on the ground to go along with two touchdowns and really helped set the tempo right from the outset.
What you ought to know
QB Philip Rivers, Pass: 21 - 35 - 308 - 3 TD / 1 INT - Rivers opened the game as well as one possibly can against the best defense in football. On San Diego's opening drive, he completed his first two passes for a total of 33 yards. And on his third pass, he tossed a perfect strike down the seam for a 41 yard touchdown bomb to WR Vincent Jackson. Rivers was hit as he threw, but still put the ball in an absolutely perfect spot. On his next deep ball attempt, he again tried to hook up with Jackson, this time down the sideline. It was initially ruled a 43 yard reception, but after a challenge by the Steelers, replays confirmed that the ball had hit the ground and it was ruled incomplete. In the second half, Rivers and the Chargers were hit by some bad luck. Following a Pittsburgh touchdown drive, Darren Sproles had a 63 yard kick return to the Pittsburgh 23 yard line that seemed to put the Chargers in business. Unfortunately for them, Rivers' first pass from scrimmage was deflected into the air and intercepted by the Steelers. After forcing a punt on that possession, S Eric Weddle allowed the ball to bounce off his helmet and it was recovered by the Steelers. Yet despite driving, the Steelers again came up with zero points. Despite not scoring any points, those two turnovers hurt Rivers directly because they combined to enable the Steelers an extra 6:34 of possession that they otherwise wouldn't have had. The Chargers offense was on the field for all of one play in that third quarter. In the final frame, they tried making up for lost time to an extent. First, Rivers capped a quick scoring drive with a four yard strike to WR Legedu Naanee from four yards out. He also found the aforementioned Sproles down the seam for a relatively easy and meaningless 62 yard touchdown pass. Yet despite the fourth quarter scores, all was not well as the Steelers were bringing loads of pressure. A lot of times, Rivers was forced into either bad passes or bad decisions because of the relentless pass rush and he didn't look terribly sharp a lot of the time.RB Darren Sproles, Rush: 11 - 15 - 0, Rec: 5 - 91 - 1 (6 targets) - Sproles looked set up to have a huge game early on. He turned the corner with precision on his first reception of the game, showing good footing and a quick burst despite the wintry conditions. He looked shifty inside and seemed able to get out of the way of the defenders that were coming to meet him in the backfield. That was perhaps the biggest issue for San Diego's rushing attack. It wasn't that Sproles was bad, despite what the numbers look like. What actually happened is that the Pittsburgh defenders were living in the San Diego backfield. Sproles actually did well to get back to the line of scrimmage more often than not. And despite the frustrations of an 11 carry, 15 yard game, all was not lost. He broke a 63 yard kick return early in the third quarter that temporarily restored momentum to San Diego, and he later ran a straight burst down the seam for a 62 yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter. It was a fairly meaningless touchdown that made the score 35-24, but it still showed off the outstanding speed for the free agent-to-be.
RB Michael Bennett, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (1 targets) - With San Diego trailing for much of the game, there wasn't much room for establishing a rushing attack. And when Pittsburgh controlled the ball for 14:43 in the third quarter, that made a ground game just about impossible. The Chargers took to the air, which meant there was almost nothing left in the way of touches for Bennett.
WR Chris Chambers, Rec: 4 - 72 - 0 (5 targets) - Chambers turned in what has become a typical performance from him in 2009. He caught four passes, with a long of 25. That long pass was down the seam late in the fourth quarter that helped set up the Naanee touchdown, and came at a time when the outcome of the game was still very much in question. His other long catch of the game, for 20 yards, came in garbage time on San Diego's last possession.
WR Vincent Jackson, Rec: 2 - 49 - 1 (6 targets) - Jackson hauled in a tremendous 41 yard touchdown bomb less than two minutes into the contest. He had beaten CB Ike Taylor down the middle of the field and he made the grab despite Taylor hooking his elbow as the ball got there (no flag was thrown, however). Jackson appeared to have made a catch for the ages early in the second quarter. He got wide open behind the defense, but the pass from QB Philip Rivers sailed a bit too far. Jackson laid out for the pass in full extension and appeared to make a remarkable grab with just his fingertips. It was initially ruled a 43 yard catch, but replays showed the nose of the ball hit the ground. It was challenged by the Steelers, and overturned. With the early-game fireworks, Jackson appeared well on his way to a big day. However, he would go on to catch just one more pass, and that was for just eight yards.
WR Legedu Naanee, Rec: 1 - 4 - 1 (3 targets) - Naanee's afternoon started poorly, as he missed a tackle on Santonio Holmes during a punt return touchdown that would have prevented him from getting into the end zone. But Naanee will likely remember this as the day he caught his first NFL touchdown. It came off a quick slant from four yards out early in the fourth quarter, and cut Pittsburgh's lead to 28-17.
TE Antonio Gates, Rec: 5 - 59 - 0 (6 targets) - Gates put up stats that were, for him, very marginal. He opened up with a 21 yard reception on the first play from scrimmage but was fairly quiet after that. He finished with 59 yards, meaning he had just 38 more after that first initial reception. There have been far more instances than ever before this season where Gates disappears from the offense for longs stretches of time, and this afternoon's game was the latest example.
PK Nate Kaeding 1 - 1 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 6 points - Kaeding was perfect on his only field goal attempt, coming from 42 yards out. He apparently injured his groin in last week's win over the Colts, but showed no ill effects despite the weather conditions.
SD Rush Defense - Pittsburgh did a great job of opening up holes for Willie Parker right from the opening drive of the game. Early in the second quarter, the Steelers had so much success running the football that they did it almost nonstop. They got a great push up front from the line on Parker's first touchdown run, as the blockers were absolutely driving San Diego defenders back on their heels. It didn't help, either, that the Charger defenders were missing tackles all over the field.
The Chargers regrouped a bit as the game went along, however. First, Antwan Applewhite sniffed out a fake punt attempt and drove Ryan Clark backward for a four yard loss. Then early in the fourth quarter, Carey Davis was stuffed short of the end zone on a fourth and goal rush to keep the score 21-10 Pittsburgh. It was a run of success that wasn't built to last, however, as the San Diego defense just got more and more tired as the game went on. On its next goal line stand attempt, Gary Russell burst into the end zone on a first down run, and Parker broke through for a 16 yard score one possession later.
SD Pass Defense - Unlike the first meeting between these two teams earlier in the season, this time around the Chargers couldn't generate any kind of pass rush. In the first meeting, they sacked Ben Roethlisberger four times. In this game, they got to him just once. By the second half, San Diego wasn't even able to get to Roethlisberger even when they were blitzing. On one particular drive in the third quarter, the Steelers converted on a third and seven, third and eleven, and finally third and eight. All three were converted with the pass, and there was no one anywhere near Roethlisberger on any one of them. In fact, the Chargers were fortunate that it wasn't much worse. Twice WR Santonio Holmes got wide open behind the defense for a deep ball only to have Roethlisberger overthrow him on each occasion. Later, rookie WR Limas Sweed got behind the defense for what should have been a 66 yard touchdown pass from QB Byron Leftwich, but Sweed let the ball bounce off his hands.In addition to the defensive front getting good pressure, the defensive backs didn't help much either. Besides letting Holmes run free in the deep secondary, WR Nate Washington drew a long pass interference penalty on S Eric Weddle in the end zone. That helped set up a touchdown that made the score 28-10 and out of reach. CB Cletis Gordon was also in on the coverage of Washington on the play because starter Quentin Jammer had earlier left the contest with a cramp. LB Shaun Phillips also briefly left the game after taking an elbow to the throat, but he was okay.
QB Ben Roethlisberger, Pass: 17 - 26 - 181 - 1 TD / 0 INT - Early on, Roethlisberger looked a bit rusty as the Steelers had a little bit of trouble moving the football against San Diego. But by the second quarter, it was obvious that Roethlisberger was going to have a nice game. He was getting tons of time to throw the football, even when the Chargers were blitzing. He even threw a key block to take out DE Luis Castillo on a third down WR reverse handoff, which proved that Roethlisberger was feeling no ill effects from the concussion he suffered two weeks ago. The key to this game was the fact that he got so much time to throw the ball, which in turn meant a lot of sustained drives for the Steelers. Never was that more evident than during the third quarter when the Steelers controlled the ball for all but 17 seconds of game play. They converted three separate third down and long plays, capping the possession with Roethlisberger's only touchdown pass of the day (off a play fake to TE Heath Miller). He could have easily had better passing statistics, but he misfired on at least three passes that could have gone for big yardage. First, he missed WR Santonio Holmes for what would have been about a thirty yard completion. He again missed Holmes with an overthrow for what could have been a possible 49 yard touchdown pass. And he also missed Miller wide open in the flat on a pass that he tried to rush. But despite the missed opportunities, Roethlisberger did more than enough to secure the victory and made a number of big-time passes; certainly enough to convince us that he's not still feeling the effects of the concussion, at least.RB Willie Parker, Rush: 27 - 146 - 2 (1 targets) - Parker was helped along by his offensive line opening up mammoth holes for him early on and throughout the contest. He got great blocking on his first touchdown run, as the San Diego defenders that came up to make the play were absolutely driven backwards. But it wasn't only the blocking that got the job done; Parker himself had a phenomenal game. He was fighting for extra yardage on just about every play, and he was getting that extra yardage on just about every play. It seemed as if he picked up five or six yards with each touch of the football. He added a second touchdown late in the fourth quarter, this time from 16 yards out, to cap his performance. He was close to a touchdown earlier but was tackled down at the one yard line. The only thing negative regarding Parker is the lack of goal line touches that he sees, but he is good enough to score from just about any spot on the field so it doesn't affect his value too much.
RB Mewelde Moore, Rush: 3 - 13 - 0, Rec: 2 - 12 - 0 (2 targets) - Moore was mostly quiet out of the backfield, limited to third down situations for the most part. He had just five offensive touches, none of which were terribly crucial in the grand scheme of things. His long gain on the day was a nine yard reception.
RB Gary Russell, Rush: 4 - 5 - 1 - Used almost exclusively in short yardage situations, Russell got the call on a number of occasions in this game. Midway through the second quarter, he was called upon to convert a third and one carry. He picked up the necessary yardage with a strong second effort. Then late in the third quarter, he took a third down carry to the goal line but could go no further. Carey Davis came in for the ensuing goal line run but was stuffed. On Pittsburgh's next possession, Russell again got the call from the one and this time he converted. The touchdown put the Steelers up 28-10 and effectively put the game out of reach.
RB Carey Davis, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0, Rec: 3 - 7 - 0 - One carry and three receptions aren't ordinarily enough to warrant mentioning, but Davis was involved in one of the bigger plays of the game (at least at the time). Facing a fourth down and goal at the San Diego one yard line to open the fourth quarter, Davis got the call to try and get in the end zone. He lost the handle on the exchange and never was able to get enough momentum to push into the end zone. The Steelers turned it over on downs, though it didn't cost them much. It was Davis' long rush attempt of the afternoon. On Pittsburgh's next goal line attempt, it was Gary Russell who got the call (and converted for the touchdown).
WR Santonio Holmes, Rush: 2 - 7 - 0, Rec: 2 - 25 - 0 (5 targets) - Holmes helped grab back the momentum after San Diego jumped out to an early 7-0 lead. He took a harmless looking punt return back the other way 68 yards for the touchdown, a play that really got the team going. He could have provided some fireworks on offense as well, if Roethlisberger hadn't missed him twice for big plays. The first was a potential 30 yard pass at the ten yard line that Roethlisberger simply misfired. The second was a deep ball that should have been completed. Holmes beat the defense downfield and again had gotten wide open, but Roethlisberger's pass was overthrown for what should have been a 49 yard touchdown pass.
WR Hines Ward, Rec: 4 - 70 - 0 (5 targets) - Ward had eleven catches in the first meeting between these two teams, but San Diego did a far better job on him in this game. They held him to just 70 yards on four receptions, though one of his catches did go for 41 yards. He didn't come close to scoring, but he made his presence felt simply by being there. After the first meeting, the Chargers knew they had to account for him on every play. All the attention being paid to him helped open up the middle of the field for the running game to really work well.
WR Nate Washington, Rec: 3 - 30 - 0 (6 targets) - Washington caught just three passes and none were longer than 18 yards, so his impact in the game wasn't large. But he did draw a key pass interference penalty in the end zone on S Eric Weddle late in the fourth quarter. That play helped set up a Gary Russell touchdown, a score that would put Pittsburgh up 28-10 to essentially end the game.
WR Limas Sweed (1 targets) - It didn't matter in the grand scheme of things, but Sweed got an opportunity to make a big play late in the fourth quarter. With Pittsburgh already comfortably out in front, the backups entered the game. Sweed got behind the secondary for a deep ball that should have been caught and run in for a 66 yard touchdown. The only problems is that Sweed forgot to catch the ball first and it bounced off his hands for an incompletion.
TE Heath Miller, Rec: 3 - 37 - 1 (5 targets) - Miller, who missed the first meeting between these teams with an injury, made up for lost time by catching a key touchdown pass on Pittsburgh's opening possession of the second half. That score helped turn the tide of the game and transform a 14-10 nail biter into what would eventually become a blowout.
Miller had earlier lost thirteen receiving yards after Pittsburgh was whistled for an illegal formation penalty. And he also lost an opportunity for a big play when Roethlisberger simply misfired a pass to him in the flat, a play on which he was wide open.PK Jeff Reed 0 - 0 FG, 5 - 5 XP, 5 points - Reed was never called upon to attempt a field goal. Pittsburgh passed up a chance to attempt a 52 yard field goal late in the first quarter due to the weather conditions. They also passed up an 18 yard attempt to start the fourth quarter, instead opting to go for it on fourth down at the San Diego one yard line. They were stopped short.
PIT Rush Defense - The Chargers ran the ball just twelve times for a measly 15 yards, so that should tell you just about all you need to know about how well Pittsburgh played. They were basically living in the San Diego backfield on handoffs, and held the lightning fast Darren Sproles to a long run of just eight yards. That means they allowed him just seven yards on his ten other carries, an amazing 0.7 YPC average.
PIT Pass Defense - The Steelers opened the contest on very shaky ground, allowing a 41 yard touchdown to Vincent Jackson on San Diego's opening possession. CB Ike Taylor was beaten on the play and actually looked like he tried to interfere, but to no avail. Soon after, Jackson beat the Steelers for what appeared to be a 43 yard pass down the sideline. However, that play was overturned after a challenge. Still, the defense was beaten badly on the play. Pittsburgh really settled down after that, and began to make things happen.In the third quarter, a deflected Philip Rivers pass ended up in the hands of LB Larry Foote for the interception. The Steelers also really started getting after Rivers, putting a ton of pressure on him and getting to him more and more as the lead grew larger and larger. They allowed a couple of late touchdowns to Rivers that didn't mean much in the overall outcome, though it will negatively impact the stat line.
Philadelphia Eagles 23, New York Giants 11
What you need to know
Philadelphia Eagles - Playing under windy circumstances, the Eagles took a strange path to a 10-8 halftime lead. They fell behind early, after a Giants field goal, but came back with a score of their own on a Donovan McNabb one yard touchdown plunge. Following a safety on a play where McNabb was flagged for intentional grounding in the end zone and another New York field goal, the Eagles came back to take the lead on a David Akers field goal before the half.The Giants took the lead in the third quarter after another Carney field goal, but the Eagles then ran off 13 unanswered points to come away with the divisional round win and earn a trip to the NFC Championship game next week. The scores came on two Akers field goals and a one yard touchdown pass from McNabb to TE Brent Celek.
New York Giants - The Giants trailed 10--8 at halftime as they were able to muster just two field goals and a safety behind an offense that struggled to move the ball and convert on third downs in the windy, cold weather. For the rest of the game, they were able to manage just one more successful field goal as their offense was held without a touchdown and missed two field goals that could have put them within striking distance of the Eagles and made the score much closer.RB Brandon Jacobs ran well when he was given the opportunity, and finished with 92 yards on 19 rushes, but the New York offense couldn't get anything going in the passing game, where QB Eli Manning threw for just 169 yards, zero scores, two interceptions and poor play on third downs. Their struggles on those third downs not only forced field goal attempts, two of which the Giants missed, but killed promising drives throughout the game and caused their offense to be completely out of rhythm.
What you ought to know
QB Donovan McNabb, Pass: 22 - 40 - 217 - 1 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 5 - 16 - 1 - McNabb did just enough against the Giants to lead his team to victory as he finished 22 of 40 for 217 yards and one score through the air, and five rushes for 16 yards and a score on the ground. He did throw two interceptions and gave New York a safety on an intentional grounding play in the end zone, but Philadelphia was able to play through the turnovers and hold on for the win. McNabb's scores came on a one yard run at the goal line in the first quarter and another one yard score on a pass play to TE Brent Celek in the fourth that put the game out of reach for the Giants.RB Brian Westbrook, Rush: 18 - 36 - 0, Rec: 2 - 10 - 0 (5 targets) - Brian Westbrook was the main focus of the New York defense and was held to 36 yards rushing on 18 carries and had just two receptions for ten yards on five targets in the passing game. For the game, he had a long rush of just eight yards and received a few goal line carries that he could not convert into scores.
RB Correll Buckhalter, Rush: 5 - 7 - 0, Rec: 3 - 19 - 0 (4 targets) - Buckhalter got a little work against the Giants and finished with five rushes for seven yards on the ground and had three receptions for 19 yards on four targets in the passing game.
WR Jason Avant, Rec: 4 - 43 - 0 (6 targets) - Avant received six targets and finished with four receptions for 43 yards. He was targeted twice on third downs, and came up with a big reception on a third and 20 play to give Philadelphia a first down.
WR Kevin Curtis, Rec: 4 - 40 - 0 (10 targets) - Curtis was targeted a team leading ten times, but finished with just four receptions for 40 yards. He was targeted twice on third downs and twice on deep routes, had one red zone target and a pass intended for him was picked off by the Giants on a tipped ball at the line of scrimmage.
WR DeSean Jackson, Rec: 4 - 81 - 0 (7 targets) - Jackson received seven targets and came down with four receptions for 81 yards, including a 48 yard reception that helped set up a Philadelphia field goal. One pass intended for Jackson was picked off and three of his receptions resulted in Eagles first downs.
TE Brent Celek, Rec: 3 - 12 - 1 (5 targets) - Celek was targeted five times and finished with just three receptions for 12 yards, but came through with a big fourth quarter play for Philadelphia when he caught a one yard touchdown pass to start the fourth quarter to extend the Eagles lead to 9.
TE L.J. Smith, Rec: 2 - 12 - 0 (2 targets) - Smith caught the only two passes thrown his way for 12 yards.
PK David Akers 3 - 3 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 11 points - Akers was successful on all three of his field goal attempts from 25, 35 and 20 yards out and added two extra points to finish with 11 points in the game.
PHI Rush Defense - The Eagles allowed 138 yards on 32 rushes for a 4.3 ypc average, but held the Giants running game in check and forced them to make plays through the air. RB Brandon Jacobs flirted with a 100 yard rushing day, but was held to just under that, and Philadelphia held New York to zero rushing scores.
LB Stewart Bradley led Philadelphia with seven solo tackles and four assists.
PHI Pass Defense - Philadelphia allowed 169 yards through the air, but held the Giants out of the end zone in the passing game, picked off two Eli Manning passes and held New York to three of 13 on third downs.DB's Asante Samuel and Quentin Mikell each had interceptions for the Eagles and DB Brian Dawkins finished with eight solo tackles and two assists to lead the secondary.
QB Eli Manning, Pass: 15 - 29 - 169 - 0 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0 - Manning had a rough outing under windy conditions against the Eagles and finished just 15 of 29 for 169 yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions. Manning played with a glove on his left hand and a bare right, but threw numerous passes that fluttered and either fell short of receivers or flew over their heads. For the game, the Giants were just three of 13 on third downs and were forced to attempt five field goals for their lack of success in finishing drives. Manning had one rush for no gain on the ground.RB Brandon Jacobs, Rush: 19 - 92 - 0 - Jacobs had a productive day rushing the ball for the Giants and finished with 19 rushes for 92 yards. However, it just seemed New York could not hold drives together long enough for Jacobs to be used more effectively, and the Giants gave him the ball in predictable situations and the Eagles were ready for it. Jacobs was stopped on a key fourth and one play. He also had a five yard rush called back after officials ruled the snap came after the two minute warning before halftime.
RB Derrick Ward, Rush: 12 - 46 - 0, Rec: 5 - 24 - 0 (7 targets) - Ward chipped in with 12 rushes for 46 yards and added five receptions for 24 yards on seven targets in the passing game. Five of his targets came on third downs, mostly on short screen plays where Ward was lined up on the outside.
WR Domenik Hixon, Rec: 2 - 37 - 0 (6 targets) - Hixon was targeted six times and finished with two receptions for 37 yards.
WR Steve Smith, Rec: 2 - 17 - 0 (5 targets) - Smith received five targets and totaled two receptions for 17 yards. One pass intended for Smith was picked off and he lost a fumble on a reception with less than two minutes left in the game. Two targets came on third downs.
WR Amani Toomer, Rec: 2 - 26 - 0 (4 targets) - Toomer finished with two receptions for 26 yards on four targets in the passing game. He had one third down target for the game.
TE Kevin Boss, Rec: 3 - 52 - 0 (7 targets) - Boss was targeted seven times and finished with three receptions for a team leading 52 yards. He was targeted twice on third downs and three of his receptions resulted in first downs.
PK John Carney 3 - 5 FG, 0 - 0 XP, 9 points - John Carney had a rough day under windy conditions for the Giants as he connected on just three of five field goal attempts. He hit from distances of 22, 34 and 36 yards out, but missed on attempts from 46 and 47 yards out that would have made it a different game for New York.
NYG Rush Defense - The Giants played well against the run and shut down Philadelphia's main offensive weapon in Brian Westbrook. For the game, they allowed just 59 yards on 28 rushes, for a 2.1 ypc average. They allowed a long run of just nine yards, but did give up a short yardage touchdown in the first quarter on a Donovan McNabb one yard score.
LB Antonio Pierce led the way with seven solo tackles and three assists to lead the Giants.
NYG Pass Defense - New York defended the pass well throughout the game, but seemed to give up key plays at crucial times in the game that allowed the Eagles to keep drives alive. Although Philadelphia had just 217 passing yards, the Giants allowed one passing score and surrendered seven of 14 on third downs and gave Philadelphia 12 passing first downs for the game. They also had two interceptions and caused a safety on an intentional grounding play in the end zone, but failed to record a sack.DB Kevin Dockery and DL Fred Robbins each had interceptions for the Giants.
Baltimore Ravens 13, Tennessee Titans 10
What you need to know
Baltimore Ravens - The Ravens defense gave up over 200 total yards of offense in the first half. But what made the defense so special was that they were able to come up with the big stop when necessary. On two occasions they stopped the Titans inside the 20 yard line by forcing a fumble and coming up with the ball. The first fumble and recovery came during the end of the first half when the Titans had the defense on its heels and were driving for points just before half time. The second turnover was more costly to the Titans as it came inside the five yard line and was eventually recovered on the one. The Ravens were not able to escape the shadow of their end zone and had to punt the ball back after three plays and the Titans were able to tie the game on their next possession.The final numbers on Joe Flacco may not look impressive, he only completed 50% of his passes and threw for 161 yards, but he performed well given the parameters he had to work with. He only attempted 22 passes and did not throw an interception and was not sacked. The Ravens played a conservative game, relying on ball control and field position to win. When asked to throw, he mainly threw deep bombs downfield that served more to keep the defense from crowding the line of scrimmage than go for touchdowns.
Ravens runners found it tough going against the Titans defense as the linebackers crowded the line of scrimmage to take away the running game. The Ravens were only able to gain a total of 50 yards on the ground and the longest run, up until the final drive, was an eight yard scamper off of a busted play when Flacco just tossed the ball backwards to LeRon McClain to avoid a sack.
Flacco was able to connect with three different receivers on pass plays longer than 23 yards. Mark Clayton was the one man who Flacco looked to most often when he called for a deep strike. Clayton's longest reception, a 45 yarder, was the result of his defenders losing their feet while the ball was in the air.
Tennessee Titans - The Titans started well, taking an early seven point lead on a Chris Johnson touchdown run the first half. Some experts thought that the Titans would have trouble running the ball with the absence of Kevin Mawae, but they were able to rush for over 79 yards in the first half behind Johnson's strong running. After the first touchdown they were not able to score again until the fourth quarter, but that was due to their own mistakes. Twice they got the ball inside the red zone and fumbled it away, missing two excellent scoring opportunities. On one other possession they attempted a 51 yard field goal, with the wind at their backs, but missed wide left as the usually reliable Rob Bironas missed.Kerry Collins performed well in the face of a blitzing Ravens defense. They did not blitz him on every play, but did send men in key situations to try and take Collins out of his rhythm. Collins was able to recognize the blitz and get the ball away, but not always to a receiver as he often did not have much time to throw when the blitz was coming. He attempted a total of 42 passes as the Titans were forced to go to the air in the second half due to a floundering running game.
The running game floundered during the second half when Chris Johnson had to leave the game with an ankle injury. When Johnson was in the game the offense seemed to flow better and the defense was on its heels more often as they seemed to be afraid to attack and get burned by the speedy back.
Justin Gage was able to find open spots against the Raven defense and caught a game high ten receptions. He was easily Collins' most consistent target among his receivers. When Gage caught the ball he made sure to protect it with both hands as he knew that the defenders would do their best to knock the ball out.
What you ought to know
QB Joe Flacco, Pass: 11 - 22 - 161 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 5 - 5 - 0 - The Ravens protected their rookie quarterback by trying to establish a running game early, choosing to play for field position and to capitalize on Titan mistakes instead of attacking the defense through the air. This has been the bread and butter of the offense all season and it did not change during the second playoff game. He only attempted eight passes in the first half, but he made the most of his limited throws by connecting with Derrick Mason on a deep bomb down field for a touchdown in the first quarter. The deep throws were set up by the running game sucking in the defenders. The Titans rarely blitzed, but they were able to get some pressure on the quarterback. Flacco responded to the pressure by finding his hot receiver, or on one instance locating a player standing behind him and just tossing him the ball as he was going down. Flacco seems to do best when not faced with pressure, but he does have the ability to make plays when it seems all around him is falling apart.RB Willis McGahee, Rush: 12 - 32 - 0, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (1 targets) - When McClain went out with the injured ankle, McGahee stepped into the role of primary back and filled in well. He carried the ball ten times during the second half and was a good change of pace from the pounding running style of McClain. McGahee was able to use his speed and cutback ability to have more success running against the strong defense, especially outside of the tackles. His longest run came when the Ravens needed it the most, they had a first and ten on the Titan 45 and he took the ball around the left end for an 11 yard gain that set the Ravens up in position for a field goal attempt.
RB LeRon McClain, Rush: 12 - 12 - 0 (1 targets) - McClain started and was the main running back during the first three quarters as the Ravens tried to run against a tough front seven. He had to fight for every yard, and his longest gain of the game came on a busted play when Flacco just tossed him the ball in order to avoid a sack. During the second quarter he had to leave the game with an injured ankle, but he was able to return in limited action during the second half but was not effective as he gained a total of -2 yards on the ground during the half.
RB Lorenzo Neal, Rush: 1 - 1 - 0, Rec: 1 - 7 - 0 (1 targets) - Lorenzo Neal did very little in the box score, but played an important role as the lead blocker for the tailbacks. His only carry was on a second and two play where he came up a yard short of the first down. In the passing game his only target was on a screen pass on first and ten that put them in a good short yardage situation.
WR Derrick Mason, Rec: 5 - 78 - 1 (9 targets) - Derrick Mason is the favorite target of Flacco and the man that gets looked at when a big play is needed. His first reception was for a touchdown as Flacco was able to get him the ball on a deep pass in the end zone while Mason was double covered. After the initial deep pass he went to work on shorter routes where Flacco could hit him in stride and enable him to gain yards after the catch.
WR Mark Clayton, Rec: 2 - 45 - 0 (4 targets) - Clayton did not see many balls thrown in his direction, but he was used as the deep receiver in the passing game. His first target was almost a reception, but he had stepped out of bounds as he came down with the ball. After not being able to come up with the second target on a deep ball, he was able to catch a pass while being double covered inside the ten yard line. He was able to catch the ball when the defender in front of him slipped and the defender behind him tripped before the ball arrived. Clayton caught the ball and spun around, attempting to get into the end zone before other defenders arrived on the scene but was unable to do so and was tackled at the five. His final reception was also important as it was an eight yard catch that set the team up in position for the game winning field goal.
WR Marcus Smith (1 targets) - Marcus Smith had a quiet game as his only reception was on a play that was wiped out due to an illegal shift penalty against the offense. The reception was a good one as he was able to come up with a pass that was tipped into the air by the Titans defender.
WR Yamon Figurs (1 targets) - Figurs was unable to come up with his only target on a pass down the right sideline as he was out of bounds when he caught the ball.
TE Daniel Wilcox, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (1 targets) - Wilcox was used as an extra blocker in passing situations and only saw one ball thrown in his direction.
TE Todd Heap, Rec: 1 - 23 - 0 (2 targets) - Heap only saw two passes thrown in his direction as the Ravens rarely threw to the middle of the field. He was unable to hold onto his first target as he was hit immediately by two defenders just as the pass arrived. His second target helped get the team into field opponent territory on their game winning drive.
PK Matt Stover 2 - 2 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 7 points - Matt Stover was the clutch kicker on an afternoon when it would come down to a field goal to win the game. He made two field goals I the second half, one from point blank range and the other a game winner from 43 yards out.
BAL Rush Defense - The Ravens rush defense did well, in the second half. During the first half they were unable to keep up with the running of Chris Johnson as he was able to find holes in the line and burst through them for long gains and then break off good chunks of yardage to the outside. When Johnson left with an ankle injury the defense was able to keep the bigger, slower, back in check by plugging the primary holes and hitting him behind the line of scrimmage.
BAL Pass Defense - The pass defense was effective in getting pressure on Kerry Collins with multiple blitz packages. When they blitzed they were able to force Collins into getting rid of the ball early, or making him throw a bad pass off of his back foot. The only interception came as a result of a blitz forcing Collins into a bad pass against strong pressure up the middle. QB Kerry Collins, Pass: 26 - 42 - 281 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0 - Collins did a very good job of getting the ball off in the face of a blitzing defense. The defense was only able to get any type of pressure on him with the blitz, as his offensive line provided excellent protection. The pressure did force him into some bad throws, but he was able to locate some of his hot reads while in the presence of defenders. When not faced with pressure he had plenty of time to throw and was able to easily locate his targets. Collins still has a strong arm and was able to rifle the ball into small areas, between defenders, that gave his receivers the best chance of coming up with the ball. He was able to complete 62% of his passes, with the majority coming on medium to deep routs against a zone defense.RB LenDale White, Rush: 15 - 45 - 0, Rec: 4 - 35 - 0 (5 targets) - White was asked to carry the load when Johnson left the game and was not able to provide the same spark that Johnson did. White had a tough time getting through holes in the line as they seemed to close before he got to the line of scrimmage. He also went down easy when hit head on, but was able to slip some tackles if the defender did not get a good shot at him. On a first down play he took a hand off to the right side of the line, slipped and a tackle and seemed to have an open field if he could get by the defender. The defender hit him squarely and White bounced backwards instead of fighting for extra yardage. His fumble was even more costly as it came toward the end of the first half when they got inside the red zone. He was fighting for extra yards, but failed to secure the ball and had the ball knocked loose and ended an excellent scoring chance.
RB Chris Johnson, Rush: 11 - 72 - 1, Rec: 1 - 28 - 0 (1 targets) - The offense flowed really well while Johnson was in the game. When he left the game in the second half with an ankle injury the offense seemed to sputter. He was an important part of the game plan as he was able to find holes off tackle and take runs to the outside. It seemed that the defense did not have an answer for his speed. His touchdown run came after they got the ball down inside the five yard line on a deep pass play. On the next play from scrimmage he took the handoff to the right side and bounced off of a tackler and hit the pylon on his way down to score the game's first touchdown. His only reception set the tone for the first half as he took a pass behind the line of scrimmage and slipped a tackle to get into the secondary for a 28 yard play. On the next series he slipped through a hole off tackle and sped for 32 yards into the secondary before being brought down. If he had cut back in the opposite direction it is possible that he would have scored his second touchdown.
RB Quinton Ganther, Rush: 1 - -1 - 0 - Ganther only saw playing time when Chris Johnson went out with an ankle injury. He provided LenDale White with some rest as White was the primary ball carrier during the second half.
RB Ahmard Hall, Rec: 1 - 11 - 0 (1 targets) - Hall's only reception was on a screen pass when the Titans were facing a third and ten on the one yard line. He caught the ball and ran toward the first down marker where he was hit hard just as he passed the marker. He was able to hold onto the ball despite losing his helmet in the collision.
WR Justin Gage, Rec: 10 - 135 - 0 (18 targets) - Justin Gage was the only one receiver who was able to consistently get open and catch the ball. He converted his 18 targets into ten receptions, as he was able to find open spots in the middle of the field. His day did not start well as his first target was on a pass just thrown outside of his reach while on a crossing route. He caught the next six throws in his direction before being the target of a pass into double coverage while in the end zone. Gage's sure hands were also on display as he made sure to secure the ball immediately after catching it as the defensive backs were intent on knocking the ball out every chance they got.
WR Justin McCareins, Rec: 2 - 24 - 0 (6 targets) - McCareins was ineffective as he was often the target on passes that were overthrown. He caught his first two targets but then disappeared from the offense as he was unable to get open against the defense. During the fourth quarter he was pulled from the game and was seen sitting of the sideline, not paying attention as the Titans were driving into field goal range.
WR Brandon Jones, Rec: 2 - 16 - 0 (3 targets) - Brandon Jones replaced an ineffective Justin McCareins in the lineup during the second quarter as the Titans were mounting their comeback. He had one reception each on the final two drives as they first tied the game at 10 and then attempted to get into field goal range to tie the game at 13.
TE Bo Scaife, Rec: 4 - 23 - 0 (7 targets) - Bo Scaife is the primary pass catching tight end and had a good game, catching four of his seven passes. He did have one reception that was overturned on official review when the official ruled that he did not have possession before getting both feet down inbounds. The call overturned a five yard reception and pushed a go ahead field goal attempt back five yards. Bironas would miss the field goal and the five yards could have been the difference in the attempt being successful.
TE Alge Crumpler, Rec: 2 - 9 - 0 (2 targets) - Crumpler ended up with two receptions, but what happened after the second reception will be remembered by fans for years to come. As the offense was driving inside the ten yard line Crumpler caught a pass and was fighting for extra yards inside the five when he had the ball knocked loose for a fumble that was recovered on the one yard line. That was the third turnover of the game and proved to the be the most costly as they had a first down inside the five yard line and would have come away with at least three points and a tie game.
PK Rob Bironas 1 - 2 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 4 points - Bironas has a strong and accurate leg, but it was the one kick that he missed that will have fans wondering what could have happened. With just over ten minutes left in the third quarter Bironas missed a 51 yard field goal, with the wind at his back, wide left that would have given the Titans a three point lead.
TEN Rush Defense - The rush defense did an excellent job in holding the Ravens to a total of 50 yards rushing for the game. The defense crowded the line of scrimmage to take away the running game and forced the offense to pass in order to move the ball. The two longest running plays allowed came on a busted play and an outside run on the final drive when the defense was expecting a run up the middle.
TEN Pass Defense - The pass defense was able to get some pressure on Joe Flacco, but was not able to sack him once. Flacco was able to move around in the pocket enough to find open receivers and connected with them enough times to keep the defense honest. The defense allowed three completions of over 20 yards, but they were all on plays where the receiver was double covered and Flacco was somehow able to get the ball to the receiver.