NFL Playoffs – Road to Super Bowl
Jets Buzz Chargers’ Tower:
The San Diego Chargers fell to an unexpected loss on home field to the New York Jets who now go to the AFC Championship match-up following a narrow 17-14 success.
First year coach Ryan and rookie quarterback Sanchez of the Jets, out-thought the Chargers to gain an advantage in a testing game – they now encounter the Indianapolis Colts next Sunday.
San Diego had to be self-confident, going into the contest on an eleven match winning streak in the regular season to end up 13-3.
The New York Jets could merely covet the Chargers’ profile having managed barely 9-7 for the regular season. It was therefore no shock to see the Jets down in this games at the mid way point. You would have got huge odds on the Jets winning the contest at half way.
It was only in the third quarter that New York even got on the points board courtesy of Jay Feely and his successful kick which seemed to encourage the rest of the Jets’ side. The Jets defended well, stifling Rivers and snatching a pair of interceptions in the process.
The Jets drove on in the final quarter – Sanchez connecting with Keller and then Greene charging for fifty-three yards for a further score. It put the Jets ahead by ten points with less than half of the fourth quarter remaining.
The gap was soon cut to no more than 3 points, but with time against the Chargers, you continually felt that the Jets would run out praiseworthy winners in this game. New York kept the ball well to win it.
We still have the New York Jets as ‘dogs’ for the Superbowl but they might be the shock package they stand at around +700 currently.
Minnesota Cut Through Dallas:
Brett Favre and a brutal Minnesota Vikings defence pulverised the Dallas Cowboys to set up an NFC Championship encounter against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
Tony Romo suffered at the hands of Minnesota’s marauding army, he was sacked on six occasions and that was just for starters – add to that two turnovers and three fumbles handing the ball to the other side on each occasion.
Fear spread like an illness through the Cowboys’ ranks and they never really regained their composure. Brett Favre on the other hand was a picture of harmony, almost perfect, the ‘anti-Romo’ – leading his team to an inevitable victory.
Favre gave a lot of love to Sidney Rice, hitting him three times in the contest for touch-downs. subsequently, so as not to play any favourites, he passed to Visanthe Shiancoe with the two minute warning hanging in the air.
Kicker, Longwell added a two Vikings’ field goals to add to his total after kicking the touch-down extras.
The Vikings now look to move south and meet the Saints for an opportunity to make it to Super Bowl XLIV.
At present we think that the Vikings are third favourites for the Super Bowl at +450. You can follow all the betting with us.
Ravens Left to Pick at Scraps:
The Baltimore Ravens could find no sustenance on the field in their loss to the Indianapolis Colts, going down 20-3 and managing just a solitary field goal for the points board. The Indianapolis Colts didn’t post an impressive tally either but they merely needed to stay ahead of the stifled Ravens.
Completing the regular season 14-2 (best in the NFL) Indianapolis shut down Flacco (QB) and the other elements of the Ravens’ feared running game. When all was said and done it was easy for Peyton Manning.
After a dull first quarter it was Manning who brought the contest to life in the second. He hit team-mates Collie and Wayne who made good – and all at once the Colts were up 17-3 heading to the half way stage.
The real story however was how Indianapolis muted Baltimore’s offence with four turnovers – two of which were interceptions.
A Stover field goal in the fourth quarter pushed the score up ‘unnecessarily’ for the Colts – the Ravens’ looked like they had run out of ideas.
The Indianapolis Colts are at present the favorites to win the Super Bowl at even money or +100. Perhaps a little short but the market has spoken.
Cardinals Burn in Saints Blessing of Fire:
The New Orleans Saints destroyed the Arizona Cardinals 45-14 for a spot in the NFC Conference Championship game.
The three match losing streak at the conclusion of the regular season seemed to have been ancient history or maybe it was just that New Orleans needed the two-week interlude before this match.
It was nevertheless Arizona that started brighter, as Tim Hightower ran three-quarters of the length of the field leaving the Saints defence in his wake, for a touchdown just a few seconds into the fixture. But it was to be just a blip, as the Saints stormed back for three touch downs of their own in the same quarter, with Hamilton, Shockey and Bush the grateful beneficiaries.
The Cardinals responded satisfactorily with a Beanie Wells score but the Saints rammed home their intentions again with scores from Henderson and Colston.
Warner was replaced by Matt Leinart after an injury and at the half way the Saints were 35-14 ahead.
It was all New Orleans after the break with two fabulous scores, first Hartley hit a 43-yard field goal before Bush doubled up with a barn-storming eighty yard punt return to condemn the Cardinals to certain defeat.
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