The NFL was turned on its ear this past weekend with both #1 seeds in the NFL now out of the playoffs. First game of the weekend was Ravens at Steelers. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's 58-yard completion to Antonio Brown set up Rashard Mendenhall's game winning 2-yard touchdown run with 1:33 left in the game. Despite the game's high score, it was actually a defensive battle, with both teams combining for just 389 yards and scoring most of their points off turnovers. Roethlisberger was sacked 6 times, and Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco was sacked 5. Meanwhile, the Ravens were held to just 126 yards and were buried under a mountain of turnovers, penalties, and dropped passes.
After forcing the Ravens to punt on the opening drive, Pittsburgh drove 80 yards on the way to Mendenhall's 1-yard touchdown run, assisted by a 37-yard pass interference penalty on Baltimore defensive back Josh Wilson. But the Ravens countered with a 68-yard scoring drive, aided by a 33-yard pass interference penalty on Pittsburgh's Anthony Madison. Ray Rice finished the drive with a 14-yard touchdown run to tie the game. Then two plays into the Steelers next drive, Roethlisberger was hit by Terrell Suggs as he pulled his arm back to throw a pass, resulting in a fumble. Nearly all the players on both teams thought it was an incomplete pass since the ball went forward and headed back to their huddles, but Ravens lineman Cory Redding realized the play was still ongoing and returned the ball 13 yards for a touchdown.
In the second quarter, Ravens safety Ed Reed recovered a fumble from Mendenhall at the Steelers 16-yard line, setting up Flacco's 4-yard touchdown pass to Todd Heap that gave them a 21–7 lead. Pittsburgh responded with a drive to the Baltimore 25-yard line, but came up empty when Shaun Suisham missed a 43-yard field goal attempt with 25 seconds left in the half.
However, the Steelers dominated the third quarter, forcing three turnovers and holding the Ravens to negative yardage. Less then five minutes into the quarter, Rice lost a fumble while being tackled by Ryan Clark, and linebacker LaMarr Woodley recovered it on the Baltimore 23-yard line. After a 14-yard run by Mendenhall, Roethlisberger threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to tight end Heath Miller. Then after an exchange of punts, Clark intercepted a pass from Flacco and returned it 17 yards to the Ravens 25-yard line. Mendenhall started the drive with a 13-yard run, and Reothlisberger finished it with a 8-yard third down touchdown pass to Hines Ward, tying the game at 21. Just two plays after the ensuing kickoff, Flacco fumble a snap and Steelers lineman Brett Keisel recovered it at the Baltimore 23. This time the Steelers were unable to get a touchdown, as Roethlisberger was sacked by Suggs on third down and six after driving inside the 10-yard line, but Suisham kicked a 35-yard field goal to give Pittsburgh their first lead of the game with 12:15 left in regulation.
Later on, Baltimore's Lardarius Webb returned a punt 55 yards for a touchdown, only to have it called back by a holding penalty on Marcus Smith. Still, his return gave them good field position on the Steelers 29-yard line. On the first play of the drive, Flacco completed a 21-yard pass to Heap. But over the next three plays, Baltimore rushers were stuffed twice and then receiver Anquan Boldin dropped a pass in the end zone, forcing them to settle for Billy Cundiff's field goal to tie the score with 3:54 remaining in the game.
David Johnson returned the ensuing kickoff 16 yards to the 35-yard line, and Pittsburgh retook the lead with a 65-yard drive featuring three key third down conversions. After starting out with two incompletions, Roethleberger threw a 12-yard pass to Ward on third down and ten. Then Roethlisberger was sacked for a 9-yard loss by Redding and Paul Kruger and threw another incompletion, bringing up third down and 19 with 2:07 to go. On the next play, Roethlisberger dropped back and launched a 58-yard bomb to Brown at the 4-yard line. After a defensive holding penalty moved the ball to the 1, the Ravens defense kept Mendenhall out of the end zone for two more plays. But on third down, he scored on a 2-yard touchdown run to give the Steelers a 31–24 lead with 1:33 remaining in regulation.
Le'Ron McClain returned Suisham's squib kick 12 yards to the Steelers 48-yard line, giving Baltimore a chance to drive the tying touchdown. But their offense was unable to move the ball. After two incompletions and an 8-yard sack by Ziggy Hood, receiver T. J. Houshmandzadeh dropped a potential first down catch, ending any chance of a comeback.
Roethlisberger completed 19 of 32 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns. Steelers linebacker James Harrison recorded 5 tackles, two assists, and three sacks. Suggs finished with five tackles, three sacks, and a forced fumble. With this win, Pittsburgh advanced to their fourth AFC championship game since 2004.
Now on to the first upset of the Weekend the Packers take down the Falcons. The Packers blew out Atlanta by racking up 442 total yards, 28 first downs, and a franchise playoff record 48 points. Aaron Rodgers was nearly perfect, completing 31 of 36 passes for 366 yards and three touchdowns, while adding another score on the ground. Green Bay never punted the ball, and got a big performance from defensive back Tramon Williams, who picked off two passes from Matt Ryan and returned one of them 70 yards for a touchdown.
But early in the game, it seemed things would go in Atlanta's favor. After Michael Koenen's 33-yard punt pinned the Packers back at their own 8-yard line, Rodgers threw a short pass to Greg Jennings, who took off for a 30-yard gain. But he fumbled the ball after being hit from behind by Stephen Nicholas and defensive back Brent Grimes recovered the ball at the Green Bay 48-yard line. On the Falcons ensuing drive, a 22-yard reception by Michael Jenkins and a fourth down conversion run by Ovie Mughelli set up a 12-yard touchdown run by Michael Turner. Green Bay responded with an 81-yard scoring drive that took nearly 8 minutes. Rodgers completed 7 of 7 passes for 48 yards on the drive, the last one a 6-yard touchdown toss to Jordy Nelson, who caught the ball near the sidelines and just managed to stretch the ball into the pylon while being shoved out of bounds. However, Atlanta quickly retook the lead when Eric Weems returned Mason Crosby's kickoff 102 yards for a touchdown, the longest scoring play in NFL playoff history.
But the Packers suddenly stormed back with 35 unanswered points. Rodgers quickly completed two passes to Jennings for 22 yards and then hit James Jones for a 34-yard gain to the Falcons 16-yard line. Two plays later, fullback John Kuhn scored a 1-yard touchdown run to tie the game. Atlanta responded with a drive to the Packers 19-yard line. But on the next play, Charles Woodson sacked Ryan for a 7-yard loss. Then on third down, Williams stepped in front of a pass intended for Jenkins and made a leaping interception in the end zone. Rodgers took over and went back to work, completing 6 consecutive passes on an 80-yard scoring drive that ended with his 20-yard touchdown completion to Jones, giving the Packers a 21–14 lead with 42 seconds left before halftime. Aided by two pass interference penalties against Green Bay, Atlanta drove to the Packers 26-yard line. But once again the defense prevented a score. First linebacker Clay Matthews sacked Ryan for a 9-yard loss. Rather then attempt a 50-yard field goal, the Falcons tried one last play to move the ball closer. But Williams intercepted Ryan's pass and returned it 70 yards for a touchdown as time expired in the half.
In the second half the Packers picked up right where they left off. Rodgers was sacked by John Abraham for a 10-yard loss on the first play. But it didn't stop Rodgers from completing 5 of 6 passes for 56 yards on an 80-yard scoring drive that ended with his 7-yard touchdown run, making the score 35–14. Atlanta was forced to a three-and-out on their next drive after a Green Bay replay challenge overruled a first down catch by Jenkins, and Koenen's punt went just 21 yards to midfield. Green Bay subsequently drove 50 yards and scored with a Rodgers' 7-yard pass to Kuhn.
This time, the Falcons finally managed to respond. Ryan completed seven consecutive passes on their next drive, the last one a 6-yard touchdown throw to Roddy White. But Green Bay dominated the rest of the game, forcing two more turnovers that were both converted into field goals by Crosby, making the final score 48–21.
Jennings finished with 8 receptions for 101 yards, while Nelson added 8 receptions for 79 yards and a touchdown. This game gave Rodgers ten touchdown passes in his first three playoff games, setting an NFL postseason record. Matthews had three tackles and two sacks. Weems had six kickoff returns for 195 yards. Turner, who rushed for over 1,300 yards during the season, was held to just 39 yards on 10 carries.
Now on to Sunday's matchups. First its the Bears hosting the surprise Seahawks. Chicago dominated the game from start to finish, outgaining Seattle in total yards 437 to 276 and scoring 28 unanswered points over the first three quarters. After forcing Seattle to a three-and-out on the opening drive, Chicago scored on their third play of the game when tight end Greg Olsen ran past safety Lawyer Milloy, caught a pass from Jay Cutler, and took it 58 yards to the end zone. Later in the quarter, Bears receiver Devin Hester returned a punt 26 yards to midfield. Following a 33-yard reception by Olsen and a fourth down conversion run by Cutler, Chester Taylor scored on a 1-yard touchdown run. After forcing a punt, Chicago got the ball back on their own 37-yard line early in the second quarter. Cutler started the drive with a 22-yard completion to Olsen, and later finished it with a 6-yard touchdown run to give the Bears a 21–0 lead.
In the second half, Chicago increased their lead to 28–0 with Cutler's second touchdown run at the end of a 14-play, 70-yard drive. After being completely dominated up to this point, Seattle managed to mount a comeback. First, Leon Washington's 62-yard kickoff return set up a 30-yard field goal by Olindo Mare. Then Seahawks linebacker Aaron Curry intercepted a pass from Bears running back Matt Forte and returned it 23 yards to the Bears 33-yard line. Aided by a defensive holding penalty on Tim Jennings that nullified his interception, Seattle cut the score to 28–10 with Matt Hasselbeck's 2-yard touchdown pass to Mike Williams.
But after forcing a punt, Tommie Harris sacked Hasselbeck on third down at his own 13-yard line, and Jon Ryan's punt went just 35 yards to the Seattle 48. Two plays later, Cutler threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kellen Davis, putting Chicago up 35–10.
With less than five minutes remaining in the game, Seattle refused to give up. Hasselbeck completed six consecutive passes on the next drive, the last a 17-yard touchdown strike to Williams. After forcing a punt, Hasslebeck completed a 46-yarder to Benjamin Obomanu and followed it up with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Stokley, bringing the score to 35–24. But Chicago put the game away by recovering Mare's onside kick with 1:25 left in the game.
Cutler finished his first career playoff game 15 of 28 for 274 yards and 2 touchdowns, with no interceptions. He also rushed for 43 yards and two scores. His 43 rushing yards were the most by a Bears quarterback in the postseason since Sid Luckman in 1943. He also joined Otto Graham as one of two players ever to run and throw for multiple touchdowns in a playoff game. Olsen had three receptions for 113 yards, all in the first half. Chicago running back Matt Forté rushed for 80 yards, caught three passes for 54, and threw one pass which was intercepted. Harris had two sacks, which were his only tackles of the game. Hasselbeck threw for 258 yards and three touchdowns. Stokley had eight catches for 85 yards and a score.
Finally on to my game of the weekend the Jets and Pats. Mark Sanchez completed 16 of 25 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Jets to victory, avenging a 45–3 loss to New England in December.
On the Patriots first drive, Tom Brady threw his first interception since Week 5 of the regular season, which linebacker David Harris picked off and returned 58 yards before tight end Alge Crumpler made a touchdown-saving tackle at the 12-yard line. But New York could not get any points off the turnover, as they were unable to get a first down and Nick Folk missed a 30-yard field goal attempt. Several plays into New England's next drive, Brady completed a 28-yard pass to Crumpler at the Jets' 12-yard line. But after a 5-yard run by Danny Woodhead, Crumpler dropped a pass in the end zone and then Brady was sacked by Shaun Ellis, forcing them to settle for Shayne Graham's 34-yard field goal to give them a 3–0 lead.
In the second quarter, a third down sack of Brady by Drew Coleman forced New England to punt from their own 16, and Jerricho Cotchery returned the ball to the Patriots 49-yard line. A few plays later, Sanchez' 37-yard completion to Braylon Edwards set up his 7-yard touchdown pass to LaDainian Tomlinson. Later on, New England attempted a fake punt with a direct snap to safety Patrick Chung on fourth down and four. But Chung fumbled the snap and was tackled on his own 25-yard line, and the Jets converted the turnover with Sanchez' 15-yard touchdown pass to Edwards with 33 seconds left in the half, making the score 14–3.
Late in the third quarter, New England drove 80 yards in 11 plays, with Brady completing a 37-yard pass to Rob Gronkowski and two passes to Deion Branch for 28 yards on the way to a 2-yard touchdown pass to Crumpler. Then Sammy Morris scored a 2-point conversion run, cutting their deficit to 14–11. But the Jets quickly countered, with Sanchez throwing a short pass to Cotchery, who took it 58 yards to the Patriots 13-yard line. Two plays later, Sanchez threw a high pass for Santonio Holmes, who managed to catch the ball and land in the end zone while falling out of bounds, giving New York a 10-point lead two minutes into the fourth quarter.
After the kickoff, New England drove to the Jets 34-yard line with an eight-minute drive, but then faced fourth down and 13. Rather than risk a 52-yard field goal attempt, they attempted to get the first down, but Branch dropped a pass from Brady and the Patriots turned the ball over. New England's defense then made a key defensive stand, forcing a quick three-and-out, and Julian Edelman returned Steve Weatherford's punt 41 yards to the New York 43-yard line before being tackled by Weatherford himself. Brady then led New England to the 17-yard line where Graham made his second field goal to cut their deficit to 7 points. However, Jets defensive back Antonio Cromartie recovered Graham's onside kick attempt and returned it 23 yards to the Patriots 20-yard line. Shonn Greene then scored with a 16-yard run, making the score 28–14 with 1:41 left in the game.
Brandon Tate returned the ensuing kickoff 23 yards to the 41-yard line, sparking a 59-yard scoring drive that ended with Brady's 13-yard touchdown pass to Branch with 24 seconds left. But Graham's second attempt at an onside kick also failed, ending any chance of a miracle comeback.
Brady finished the game 29 of 45 for 299 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception. His one pick ended his NFL record of consecutive passes without an interception at 340. Cotchery had five receptions for 96 yards; Harris had nine tackles, three assists, and an interception; while Ellis added 5 tackles and two sacks. With this win, the Jets advanced to their second consecutive AFC championship game in Sanchez' first two years as a starter.
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