Head coach search underway

Here's Bill Devaney's "shopping list" so far for the Rams' head coaching quasi-vacancy:
* Winston Moss. The Green Bay LB coach has already interviewed, and according to NFL
Network's Adam Schefter, was so impressive, he'll advance to the second round of interviews.
So that's an intriguing development.

Can I ask why the ST. LOUIS sports media can't come up with this information? Should Adam
Schefter really have a better "in" than all of our local guys? Are our local writers attached
to the wrong insiders? Are they shut out? Are they lazy?

* Jim Fassell. The former Giants HC will interview Thursday.

Add the Rams message boards to the list of message boards over the years to have a
NO! NOT FASSELL! thread. Thumbs down to the self-centered Fassell from the very beginning.

* Leslie Frazier.
* Rex Ryan.
The two prominent defensive coordinators at Minnesota and Baltimore may, though it is difficult
to know definitively, have already advanced to the second round of interviews. Neither has interviewed with the Rams, but both have interviewed with Devaney, last year in Atlanta. Or maybe he just sat in while Atlanta's actual GM interviewed the two. That much has never really been made clear. Frazier's interview is now expected to happen this week, while Ryan may interview on Sunday, after the Ravens have played Tennessee this Saturday.

* Todd Bowles.
* Ray Sherman.
Bowles, the Miami secondary coach and former Redskin DB, and Sherman, the Cowboys receivers coach, are less prominent names to have popped up early in Devaney's search. Interviews with both are expected to happen this week.

I appreciate that Devaney isn't sticking to the general consensus by tabbing Bowles and Sherman, but I also have no idea what's making either an attractive candidate. Has Miami's secondary been that terrific under Bowles? What about Dallas' wide receivers? Sherman sure doesn't show much ability to rein in big personalities, does he? Who's the best young player either has developed? Patrick Crayton? And didn't Roy Williams regress even worse once the Lions traded him to Dallas?

* and, of course, Jim Haslett, on the strength of that great 0-10 finish.

Reported interest:
* Arizona offensive line coach Russ Grimm.
* Tennessee offensive line coach Mike Munchak.
* Tennessee DC Jim Schwartz is also supposed to be a candidate after the Titans exit the playoffs.
* There is supposed interest in Steve Spagnuolo and Jason Garrett, though no word that any contact to interview either has been attempted.

What about:
* Eric Mangini? Haven't heard that the Rams have made even any effort to contact him. He will probably be named Cleveland's HC before the Rams even get off their 2nd coaching interview.
* Mike Shanahan? He's said to understandably want some time before he talks to anybody to weigh his options. Chip Rosenbloom has publicly claimed that money is no object in this next head coaching hire. Yet, most of the big-ticket guys are barely even being considered in this job search, including Josh McDaniel at New England.
* Ron Meeks? With the Colts' season over, I'm going to be very disappointed if the Rams don't show interest in their former secondary coach. He's going to get interviewed by other teams and I'd be flummoxed if he wasn't a candidate here after doing good work here.
* Bill Cowher and Marty Schottenheimer don't appear to be interviewing anywhere. Cowher's already turned the Jets and Browns down flat. Marty seems to be in consideration more for front office/team president roles, though not here in St. Louis by a long shot. Neither man appears to be as significant a coaching candidate as I'd thought they'd be.
* Scott Linehan? Just kidding.

I do like that Devaney's planning to interview offensive line coaches, secondary coaches and former LBs and DBs. Chuck Knox and Jim Hanifan were o-line coaches. (Hanifan was good enough to get the Big Dead one of their rare winning seasons here in 1984). Don Shula and I believe Chuck Noll were LBs, and Mike Singletary's already off to a strong start in San Francisco. Defensive backfield is even a richer vein for great head coaches: Tom Landry, Tony Dungy, Bill Cowher, Jeff Fisher among others I can think of off the top of my head.

So there's some good things about Devaney's coaching search. My biggest complaint is that the Rams for the most part aren't even getting their noses in there to compete for the top names.

NFC Wild Card Playoff: Eggles 26, Vikings 14

PREGAME
Do the Vikings really deserve to win a playoff game they struggled so badly to sell out? (If they even did) Are we really going to see a team win a playoff game this postseason led by Tarvaris Jackson? Better cover Bernard Berrian, Eggles.

Joe Buck and Troy Boy to call the game for Fox.

Pat Williams inactive for the Vikings. That's a lot of missing beef.

FIRST QUARTER
Vikings win the coin toss and defer. Because it worked so well for Miami.
Tentative kick return by Quentin Demps, only out to the 10. Wonderful start.
Vikings blitz on first down and McNabb fires high and incomplete for DeSean Jackson.
Ben Leber drops Brian Westbrook for a two-yard loss. Great, I'm going 0-for-4 this weekend.
With plenty of time, McNabb hits Kevin Curtis out to the 24.
Westbrook up the middle for maybe 2.
Hit as he throws, McNabb's bomb for double-covered Greg Lewis is incomplete. 3rd-8.
McNabb gets plenty of time on 3rd down again but the out pass to Brent Celek appears to be a little short. Yep, and Philly will punt.
More great punting this weekend, as Sav Rocca's 58 yard blast is only returned by Berrian to the Viking 10.

They drop Jackson back on first down near his goal line; he gets whacked by blitzing LB Stewart Bradley and throws a duck that is luckily incomplete. Adrian Peterson loses a yard outside on 2nd down; 3rd-and-11 quickly.
Delay handoff to Chester Taylor, who shoots up the middle for the first down... UNFORGIVABLY bad defense by the Eggles. You can't give up a RUN on THIRD AND ELEVEN!
Akeem Jordan, who Buck identifies as Trent Cole, stuffs Peterson for a two-yard loss.
Swing pass to Taylor, who has some pep today and gains 10. 3rd-and-2.
Troy gives Peterson credit for the earlier third down run instead of Taylor. It's a big difference when your announcers have to weekend in Minnesota instead of Miami.
Vikes go with Taylor up the middle again but he is stopped short. Minnesota to punt.

INCREDIBLE 60-PLUS YARD PUNT RETURN by Jackson. Just a speed play, really. There weren't any big blocks thrown for him, nor did any Vikings ever get close enough to him to so much as blow a tackle. They failed to force him up the home sideline, he got to the middle of the field, and the rest was Jackson.

Eggles run for a couple, and McNabb barely avoids a couple of sack attempts on 2nd down with a short scramble. 3rd-and-8 at the Viking 26. McNabb dodges a couple more sack attempts on 3rd down - how is he doing that?!? but WIDE OPEN Jason Avant drops the pass. Eggles were holding anyway, and the Vikings should have taken that penalty to push David Akers out of FG range. His 44-yard attempt splits the uprights and Philly takes a 3-0 lead.

Maurice Hicks is stopped at the 22 on the kick return.
Peterson over the left side for 3. He comes off with an injury but it doesn't look like anything serious.
Taylor gains about 5 to set up a 3rd-and-3. Quick underneath to Berrian converts that.
Jackson fires for Visanthe Shiancoe on 1st down but Quintin Mikell nearly picks it off.
Brian Dawkins, who put Peterson out with a shot to the chin and throat, lowers the boom on Taylor, but after he's downfield 7 yards. On 3rd-and-3, Jackson finds Bobby Wade across midfield for 11.
Peterson returns. He gains two over the left side.
Eggles blow up then 2nd-8 screen pass, which is too bad because Peterson would have had some running room. 3rd-and-8.
Eggles blitz big and the out pass for Sidney Rice is overthrown. Chris Kluwe's punt is POOR, only 26 yards. Eggles take over at their 16.

It's even worse than it looked when we come back from commercial, as Tony Corrente's crew has re-spotted the ball at the 25. A SEVENTEEN YARD PUNT.

Minnesota's blitz doesn't buy play-action, but McNabb almost miraculously hits Hank Baskett at the sideline for 7. Gotta believe Westbrook's going to take a screen for a long gain soon.
Or maybe Correll Buckhalter will bounce a middle run outside for 26 across midfield. Looked like Todd Herremans downfield for a key block.
Buckhalter gets 1 up the middle, then McNabb hits Reggie Brown on the sideline for 8. Lots of different receivers hit by McNabb already.
On 3rd-and-1, the Vikings call timeout with just 6 seconds left in the quarter.
The Eggles try A SWING PASS to Westbrook. ANOTHER Viking blitz alters McNabb's throw and it clangs off Westbrook's hand.
David Akers hits from 51 to extend Philadelphia's lead to 6-0.

SECOND QUARTER
Hicks is again barely out to the 23 with the kickoff return.
Offsides, Trevor Laws gives Minnesota 5 yards.
Jackson throws away under pressure. Good pressure coming up the middle off a stunt and from Juqua Parker on the outside.
Taylor loses a couple after Mikell puts 315-pound guard Anthony Herrera ON HIS ASS. 3rd-and-6.
Eggles bring the dog but Rice gets behind Sheldon Brown for a first down. 12 yards.
Jackson to Shiancoe on a comeback for 7.
Nice play-action, but a TD bomb for Berrian is into double coverage, incomplete, and should have been intercepted. Dawkins appeared to lose sight of it late.
Brown breaks up a pass to Aundrae Allison but gets a very late flag for DPI. Looks like he did get a piece of the receiver early.
Peterson sweeps right for 6. That raises his total on the day to 8 yards.
Peterson up the middle for 2.
Assante Samuel goes off with an injury.
After the break, Peterson bursts up the middle for a 41-yard TD to make it 7-6, Minnesota. He got big blocks inside by Herrera and fullback Naufahu Tahi on a blitzing LB, and with all the Eggles in the box, once Peterson got by that, he only had to outrun Demps for the TD. Not the first or last time Peterson's gotten such a TD.

Joe Buck blabs about Peterson the home-run hitter going deep, AND WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT BASEBALL CLICHES DURING A FOOTBALL GAME?

Kickoff is very short but Demps only gets it out to the 28.
Nothing for Westbrook sweeping right. He's done nothing so far. Darren Sharper hurt on the play.
McNabb stands tall and spears Curtis for 11.
Vikings blitz and Winfield just misses a pick-six opportunity on the quick hitch to DeSean Jackson.
Vikings have to use another defensive timeout on 2nd down.
McNabb hits Avant on the sideline for 5.
Big play as DeSean Jackson beats Marcus McCauley up the sideline with ease and McNabb hits him perfectly for 34 yards down to the Viking 21.
Westbrook right for only 3.
Inside handoff to Westbrook for 5, nice misdirection play.
McNabb's THROWING FOR THE END ZONE on third and 2, incomplete with Curtis slipping on the play. Akers hits from 33 to put Philadelphia back ahead 9-7. But the Eggles are reliving all their red-zone horrors from last year. A team that can't, or won't, run on third-and-short isn't one that's built to win this time of year, Andy Reid.

Hicks is out to the 29 with the kick return.
Peterson up the middle for 6.
Bradley bats down a pass for Jim Kleinsasser to make it 3rd-and-4.
Just a 4-man rush on 3rd-and-4, but Cole stunts and gets to Jackson as he throws a MILE short of Rice and right to Assante Samuel, who brings it back 44 yards for an Eggle TD and a 16-7 lead. Jackson gets spinebustered by Chris Clemons at the goal line for his troubles. Eggles get an excessive celebration penalty after the TD.

Actually, a bigger factor than Cole getting in Jackson's face on that pick-six was Darren Howard driving the extremely well-paid Steve Hutchinson right back into the Minnesota QB.

Hicks gets to the 36 after fielding the kickoff at the 12. Nice kick considering Philly was kicking from their 15.
Eggles swamp a pitch right to Peterson for -1.
Boy, that Stewart really attacks the ball for Philly, but Peterson bounces away this time to the left for a 6 yard gain. 3rd-and-5.
Philly blitzes everyone but Rocky Balboa but it blows up in their face. Jackson hits Berrian with a short pass and he breaks away from Sheldon Brown for 27. Vikings at the Eggle 31.
Peterson stuffed again for nothing. Mikell actually started tackling him with his back to him.
Philly brings the dog but Jackson beats it and hits Wade for 10. Those dog blitzes are way too slow-developing to do anything today.
Taylor bursts up the middle for 8. Ball at the Eagle 12.
Taylor slashes through the middle again, for 6. First and goal at the 2:00 warning.
Taylor up the middle again, to the 3. Eggles actually use a timeout here.
Peterson goes off left tackle for a 3-yard TD behind another big block by Tahi. 16-14. Strong block by Kleinsasser on that run, too.

Eggles fake a reverse on the return but are at just their 25 with 1:46 left in the half.
WIDE OPEN in the flat, Avant gains 13.
NOW YOU HANDOFF TO WESTBROOK? No gain, blown timeout, STUPID BLOODY CALL.
McNabb beats a blitz and hits Celek just short of the first.
Then he tries to catch the Vikings confused on D and throws long up the sideline for Curtis, but not only does Sedrick Griffin have it defended all the way, he picks it off.
WTF are the Eggles THROWING DEEP ON THIRD AND ONE?

And now the Vikings are RUNNING from their own 12 and not stopping the clock. Jackson misses Wade badly on 2nd down. Handoff to Taylor for 3 and Philly uses their last timeout with 29 seconds left and should get the ball back.

Some lousy 2:00 offense by both teams.

53-yard bomb by Kluwe returned by DeSean Jackson across the 40.
Dumpoff to Westbrook for 10. 13 seconds left. Eggles at the MN 46.
Another screen for Westbrook incomplete with 8 seconds left.
Good pressure on McNabb again, and it's ANOTHER STUPID DUMPOFF TO WESTBROOK, stopped by a nice open-field tackle in bounds by Chad Greenway.

Eagles 16, Vikings 14 at halftime.

I can see why Andy Reid drives Eggles fans nuts. There has been a lot of questionable play-calling in this half. Reid absolutely refuses to run on third-and-short, which is maddening. McNabb's held up pretty well under pressure. Philadelphia's biggest problem right now is that Westbrook is doing NOTHING. They need to start getting him the ball in space and run Buckhalter more. Maybe if they'd RUN WHEN THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO, they wouldn't bog down repeatedly in the red zone. McNabb's got to get help from his RBs, especially from his coaches using them. Viking D is relying VERY heavily on the blitz, and it's surprising they haven't been burned by it (yet) like Philly has. Westbrook is overdue to do something big with a draw or a screen in the 2nd half.

You can't change a leopard's spots; the Eggles are going to blitz, and often. They've gotten to Jackson with it, and they've gotten burned by some big plays with it. I don't expect them to change a thing, though. The second half's really on Tarvaris Jackson as I see it. He's made some solid plays against the blitz. If he can avoid making the huge mistake in the second half, he'll be good enough to win the thing for Minnesota and make me 0-for-4 this weekend.

THIRD QUARTER
Great play by Kyle Eckel upends Hicks at the 15 on the kickoff return. Minnesota's special teams are pretty crappy.
Jackson rolls right and hits Kleinsasser short, and he gains 16.
Peterson gets nothing over the left side. Slowed early on by Cole.
Pitch right to Peterson for just a couple and a HUGE collision with Bradley.
3rd-and-8. Eggles rush just 4, and Jackson beats them with a screen to Kleinsasser for another big gain, good for 20-plus. Vikings are 7-for-11 on third down, the key statistic of this game.
I missed a penalty on Philly; possibly an offsides. 1st-and-5.
Peterson stuffed up the middle for no gain.
At the Eggle 44, it's Taylor who gets stuffed this time, for -1, by Cole and Chris Gocong.
Eggle blitz pays off on third-and-6. Dawkins rips the ball out of Jackson's hand. The QB falls on it but loses 12. Philly wins this possession with the blitz; we'll see how that holds up throughout the half.
DeSean Jackson can't get past the 14 with the punt return, and the Eggles were holding, too.

Eggles start at their 5. McNabb bounces off a Viking lineman in the end zone and chucks it incomplete. Aikman questions the holding call on the punt return.
Westbrook stuffed AGAIN, by Brian Robison, who I'm happy to hear is over his varicose veins.
3rd-and-11, McNabb finds Avant WIDE OPEN for 11. HOW CAN YOU LET THAT HAPPEN, MINNESOTA? They just left Avant free to run a 12-yard hook and turn around and catch the ball.
Two for Westbrook. Vikings deserve to win, as well as they have shut him down.
Blitz is coming but McNabb finds Celek for 12.
And hits him deep again at midfield for 19. Not good coverage by Tyrell Johnson, who's in for Darren Sharper, who's questionable for this half. Sharper's injury may explain all the completions to TEs now.
Here's another one, to Matt Schobel for 7.
Quick pass for Curtis is knocked down to set up 3rd-and-3.
3rd-short, so the Eggles naturally empty the backfield. McNabb completes to Avant for 5.
From the MN 38, an end-around left to Jackson out of trips right formation gains 2.
NOTHING FOR WESTBROOK AGAIN, around left end. 3rd-and-7.
Vikings blitz and get to McNabb, and it's called a sack back at the 43. Looked like McNabb dumped the pass in time to me, but it's also true that his forward progress was stopped. Big play; it took Philly out of FG position, forcing a punt. Fox shot this play from the worst possible angle, so it's hard for me to break it down. Looked like big fat Nick Cole failed to pick up the blitzer.

Vikings at their 10 after the punt. Taylor cuts back left for 6.
Two for Peterson off right tackle. 3rd and a long 1.
Gocong and Bradley stuff the same play with Peterson trying to cut it back up the middle on 3rd down. Big defensive play.
DeSean Jackson fields the punt at the 30, sidesteps one Viking and goes clean up the home sideline for 30 yards. Golden opportunity for the Eggles to actually put this game a little out of reach with 1:31 left in the 3rd. Proving he's the kind of idiot I wouldn't have wanted on the Rams, Jackson decides to jaw-jack in Vikings HC Brad Childress' face after the play.

Westbrook for 2. Has he cracked 20 yards yet today?
Here's a little karma for ya, DeSean. Jared Allen, silent today till now, takes a wide split on Tra, er, William, Thomas, beats him clean around the corner and bats the ball out of McNabb's hand, with Fred Evans recovering the loose ball for Minnesota. Another BIG defensive play.

From the Viking 46, Jackson fires in the dirt for a double-covered Wade. Shiancoe's hurt on the play and we go to a break.
Peterson cuts back and powers left for 5. 3rd-and-5 at midfield as the 3rd quarter expires.

FOURTH QUARTER
Jackson gets FOREVER to throw with the Eggles just bringing 4 and eventually chucks it deep for Berrian. Looks like Jackson's arm may have been hit. Also looks like Mikell got away with a hold on Berrian, who hasn't been much of a factor today. Berrian can't come up with a circus catch on the underthrown pass and the Vikings punt.
Wow, I don't know how they can say McCauley didn't establish himself across the goal line on the punt, but they do, and it's a touchback as a result instead of Minnesota pinning Philadelphia inside the 5 again.

Good for Childress - he's challenging that call. It should be overturned.
Eggles ball at their 4.
Westbrook sweeps right for 1 as Philly gets away with a false start.
McNabb beats a blitz with an 11-yard completion to the quietly-effective Avant.
Nine-plus to Reggie Brown.
Westbrook up the middle for 3 and a first. One of his better runs today, actually.
Minnesota blitzes a DB, and McNabb hits Curtis on the opposite side for 14.
Draw to Westbrook. For nothing. Unbelievably, the tackle is made by JIMMY KENNEDY.
False start on Cole, THE CENTER, makes it 2nd-15.
Vikings fake-blitz and McNabb hits Curtis for 8. Horse-collar tackle not called. Penalty on Curtis for having a brutal pornstache also not called.
McNabb holds the ball FAR TOO LONG, gets drilled by Robison when he finally does throw, and Hank Baskett then can't come up with the knuckleball for the first down.
Funny how right after I mention a pornstache (a word that should NOT pass the spell checker), the guy who's hitting Hugh Hefner's sloppy seconds blows a catch.

Vikings take over at their 19 after the punt.
Peterson bounces outside for 5. I'm feeling him breaking one big any minute now.
Play-action rollout good to Rice for 14 after Samuel misses out on jumping the route for an INT.
Peterson cuts back a draw but only gets 1.
Berrian false starts with a blitz coming. 2nd-14. That was Minnesota's FIRST penalty? Really?
Another blitz results in an easy INT opportunity for Sheldon Brown. I have to say opportunity because he dropped a ball that was RIGHT IN HIS HANDS. Who does he think he is, Eddie Kennison? Tye Hill? Antonio Pittman? Drew Bennett?
Eggles flush Jackson right on third down and he pitches another risky incompletion. Tarvaris really walked the tightrope that whole possession.
Another poor punt from Kluwe, only 36 yards.

Eagles at their 29, and you know, there's only 7 minutes left? A TD would win it for Philly.
BOY DID I BLOODY CALL THIS. Philly finally calls a screen pass to Westbrook, and he scoots off with it for a back-breaking 71-yard TD. Big blocks by Nick Cole and Jamaal Jackson. Westbrook wasn't touched till Antoine Winfield blew a tackle at the 45, AND HOW ABOUT THE PANCAKE BLOCK DOWNFIELD BY KEVIN CURTIS! 23-14, Eggles.

Hicks is mauled at the 24. 6:30 left, and now Jackson has to throw.
Wade can't make a 1-handed grab of a high ball on first down.
Huge blitz by Clemons nearly gets Philly another TD. Dawkins swats the throwaway attempt after Clemons wallops Jackson but can't catch his own deflection.
Jackson rushes a 3rd-down bomb off his back foot for a triple-covered Wade, well incomplete. Where's Bernard Berrian been today?

DeSean Jackson steps out of bounds at the 25 with the punt. Philly should want to run out some clock here, but they can't, and they won't want to anyway.
Westbrook runs left, though, for 2.
The ENTIRE VIKING DEFENSE sees the screen pass coming, and Madieu Williams blows up Celek for a 4-yard loss. 3rd-12.
Draw to Westbrook, who nearly squirts through for the 1st down, getting 11. Under 4:00 when they punt. Eggles kept the clock running, which is good. They down the punt at the 15.

Brown breaks up a short pass for Rice.
I have no idea who Jackson was looking for on 2nd down. Wild pass, nearly intercepted. Jackson is 10-for-28.
Third down pass falls short under pressure but Jordan STUPIDLY roughs Jackson. Vikes get a first down at the 30.
3 to Wade.
Jackson steps out of double trouble from a blitz and scrambles out to midfield. 17-18 yards.
No-huddle; we're under three minutes.
AND THE GAME IS OVER. Terrible snap bounces off Jackson's foot and Juqua Thomas pounces on the loose ball for Philadelphia.

Hey, I'm going to get a game right this weekend!

Westbrook for 3 as Minnesota uses their first timeout.
Eggles are THROWING and McNabb hits Celek for 17-18 with a sweet pass out into the far flat.
Vikings are forced to use another timeout.
No gain for Westbrook and one last timeout for Minnesota with 2:30 left.
Eggles hold on the next run, stopping the clock at 2:22. Dummies! Westbrook lost a yard and Minnesota declines the penalty. Westbrook gets about 5 off the left side as the 2:00 warning arrives.
A FG attempt seems unnecessarily risky here, but Akers drills it from 45 to put the Eagles ahead 26-14.

So, both six-seeds are going to win games this weekend. Huh.

Hicks idiotically returns the kick from the end zone and doesn't even cross the 15.
3 in the flat to Taylor.
False start, Ryan Cook.
Screen to Taylor for 9 as the Vikings continue to go nowhere fast. 5 more or so to Taylor. Vikings spent a minute just getting that initial first down.
Jackson scramble called back by a hold.
Dawkins crashes into Berrian, pass incomplete.
Another false start on Cook.
Jackson scrambles and wings it out of bounds as the clock expires. As the soccer announcers say, Philadelphia are through. Actually, Minnesota is through.

I want to watch the 24 movie when it comes on after the game, so postgame analysis will be very delayed.

Jack Bauer is still the world's biggest badass! He broke a guy's neck with the crook of his knee!

He won't get MVP for today's game, though; I'm giving it to Assante Samuel, though Brian Dawkins is equally worthy. Their efforts played a big part in Berrian's near complete silence today, which really messed Jackson up, because that's his go-to guy. Dawkins was a dangerous blitzing weapon and Samuel's pick-six was the big turning point of the game as I see it.

I don't know that I'd pick the Eggles in New York next week. True, they won there in the last meeting, but their inability to establish the running game doesn't sit well with me going forward. And defensively, they'll face a QB nowhere near as outmatched as Jackson in Eli Manning. The Giants are not playing their best ball, and they can be run on, but I think they slip by Philly this time.

Carolina should romp over the Big Dead on the east coast factor alone. It will be interesting to see if the Cards stay with their newly-found running game more. Their run defense Saturday gives them hope of slowing DeAngelo Williams down. But I don't see who they have that can stay with Steve Smith, and how will they perform in a hostile environment? Kurt Warner had an uncharacteristically good outing in Carolina in the regular season, and the Big Dead still lost. If they can establish the run again, if they can protect Warner from Carolina's tough d-line, if they can blitz Jake Delhomme's head off, they've got a very good chance. I don't like their chances of pulling that off, though.

So I'm going Tennessee, San Diego, Giants and Carolina next weekend. Doesn't bode well for three of you guys.

The Vikings now enter a very tough offseason. I can't tell if it's time to give up on Jackson or not, but odds are that the Vikings will. They benched him early this season, and now he went very foul for them in the clutch. They could be crazy and go with an aging Gus Frerotte, but I expect QB to be the big focus for them in the offseason. They're pretty solid everywhere else. They could use a punter and a kick returner, though. They need one of the young WRs to step up and help Berrian out. And today proved Darren Sharper ain't getting any younger and the Vikes don't have anybody who can hold his, um, fill his shoes.

Good weekend of games; hope next week's a repeat. Except I predict a lot better, of course.

Will probably start breaking down the Rams' head coaching search tomorrow; I know I've fallen behind on that. Maybe not as far as they have, but more on that later.

AFC Wild-Card Playoff: Ravens 27, Dolphins 9

PREGAME
The best story of the playoffs now that Atlanta is out, the Miami Dolphins went from 1-15 and first draft pick last year to first place in the AFC East this year, keeping the Patriots out of the playoffs in the process. They deserve an award for that alone. Will Tony Soprano's crew have the juice to whack fellow rookie coach John Harbaugh's Ravens, whose offense has become surprisingly explosive down the stretch with rookie Joe Flacco hitting previously-invisible WR Mark Clayton? Anybody out there who thought hiring the Eagles' special teams coach as head coach in Baltimore was a great idea when it happened, raise your hand. Eh, not so fast, EARTH. Bad news for Miami: I picked them in my football pool, which went 0-for-2 yesterday. Will the home teams continue their success today?

Yeah, I didn't think CBS was going to be able to keep Nantz and Simms away from south Florida in January.

FIRST QUARTER
Miami kicks off after deferring on the coin toss. Tom Zbikowski out to the 26.
Big LeRon McClain bounces a run left for 9.
Lorenzo Neal up the middle for 3. The Ravens are in no-huddle! Who ever thought we'd see that from a team that once went five weeks without scoring?
Play-action, Flacco gets forever and hits Derrick Mason on the sideline for 18.
From the Miami 43, McClain draws for 6.
And now the Miami mindset pays a giant dividend. Soliai meets McClain in the backfield and knocks the ball loose, with Joey Porter scooping it up and returning it to midfield.
The Dolphins have been thriving on turnovers all year and are at it again.

Ronnie Brown up the middle for a couple.
Pennington gets plenty of time and hits Patrick Cobbs downfield on the home sideline. He sidesteps a DB and gains 11. Miami already at the Raven 38.
Inside handoff to Brown in motion shut down for -1 by Ray Lewis.
Cobbs WIDE OPEN in the right flat again, with Miami faking the Ravens into thinking left, gains 30, and the Dolphins are inside the 10.
Ganja Boy blasts down to the 1.
PLAY ACTION FROM THE 1? Pennington rolls right and barely avoids a sack by Jarrett Johnson. Dumbass call.
3rd-and-goal, the Ravens give Brown no room, and he appears to lose ground.
Miami SHOWED FEAR on second and goal, and they may pay for it today. Great, my football pool's going 0-and-3.
Carpenter hits a 20-yard FG to put Miami ahead 3-0.

The story of the day hasn't even been mentioned yet, anywhere. Today's head referee? Ed Hochuli, who everybody thought was buried for life after he screwed up the end of the San Diego-Denver game in week 2.

For some reason, the kickoff is basically a squib to McClain the up man, and he returns it across the 35. Squib kicks? BLOODY STUPID. And the Raven HC used to coach special teams!
Ravens from their 36. Willis McGahee up the middle for a couple.
Long ball for Heap is well beyond him, 3rd-and-8.
Flacco gets FOREVER to throw, and finds Clayton with a step on his man, but it's way overthrown. Andre Goodman is called for DPI for not doing very much to Clayton at the beginning of the route, though. First down, Baltimore.
And Flacco hits Mason on the Raven sideline for 10 and another first. Ravens now at the Miami 46.
McClain up the middle for about 4.
Jared Gaither false starts, 2nd-and-11.
Flacco, though, rolls right and hits Clayton for most of the yardage, then sneaks it across on third-and-short for the first down.
From the 35, Flacco gets ALL DAY AGAIN and finds Heap WIDE OPEN at the 20. He runs all the way down to the 4 for 31 yards and first-and-goal.
Joey Porter stuffs McClain for no gain.
The Ravens ALSO play-action on 2nd-and-goal; Flacco's pass is well wide of Mason in the left corner of the end zone.
3rd-and-goal, Flacco hits Heap at the goal line but Yeremiah Bell knocks it out before Heap can secure it. Ravens settle for a 23-yard FG from Matt Stover to tie the game at 3.

What we're seeing so far is a lot of good pass protection / poor pass pressure and fear to run the ball near the goal line.

Plus points to Nantz for the Ace Ventura reference; minus points for bragging about Miami's weather earlier, as if he had done anything special to deserve it. Announcers who do that drive me nuts.

Cobbs out to the 32 with the kick return.
Sweep left for Brown, who gains all three yards after contact.
Brown off the right side for 5 more, and we go to Wildcat formation.
And the Ravens ain't having any of it. Brown tries to fake a handoff to Ganja Boy and take off, but Race Bannan and Ray Lewis shut it down.

Remembering how awful the Ram defense was against Wildcat this year, that's my vote for Rex Ryan for head coach right there.

The least likely punt returner ever, Jim Leonhard, brings it back to the 24.
McClain cuts back left through a BIG hole and gets 11. Good blocks by Gaither and Jason Brown.

3-3 after a quick-moving first quarter.

SECOND QUARTER
Ravens at their 36. Flacco rolls and throws it away deep.

According to Phil Simms, and I have no idea where he gets this information because I have never seen it reported anywhere for any season, Ed Hochuli and crew graded out as the #1 crew in the NFL this season.

Despite the fact Hochuli completely ruined the first San Diego-Denver game with his notoriously-terrible incomplete pass call on the clear fumble by Jay Cutler.

When a crew can COMPLETELY BLOW a game and still be considered the league's best, what does that say about the rest of the league's officiating? THAT's how BAD refereeing is in the NFL.

2nd-10, Flacco gets FOREVER again and rolls right, but lets Channing Crowder WHACK him before throwing it away. Way to get yourself killed for no reason, rook. 3rd-and-10.
Brown loses Rodrique Wright badly right up the middle but Flacco steps up and hits Mason for 10.
Grubbs jumps. 1st-15, followed by Baltimore's first timeout.
Good draw by McClain for 6 or 7.
Dumb pass by Flacco is nearly picked off by two different Dolphins, leaving 3rd-and-9.
Dolphin blitz gets to Flacco at the last second and Flacco chucks it out of bounds. About time somebody started bringing some extra pressure.
Sam Koch's punt just lands in the end zone for a touchback.

Terrell Suggs nearly blows up a naked bootleg, but Chad Pennington hits Davone Bess short and he tap-dances for 9.
Ganja Boy sweeps left for 6. Pancake block by TE David Martin. Helmet-to-helmet hit by Ray Lewis not called.
Lewis nearly blows up a screen pass that Suggs misses intercepting by concentrating on delivering a big hit. 2nd-10 at the 36.
Pennington to Cobbs in the flat for 9. Baltimore gets away with more dirty play as Corey Ivy face masks Cobbs.
Loussaka Polite out of what I guess is called "triangle" formation for 2 up the middle and a first down.
Flip to Ganja goes left for a couple. Miami at midfield.
Ravens have been getting a lot better pressure this drive and it pays off. Suggs beats a double-team to flush Pennington right, and with Bart Scott bearing down on him out there, Pennington throws a TERRIBLE pass that's picked off by Leonhard and returned to the Miami 45. That's a case of beating Miami at their own game.

McClain breaks a tackle on a stretch handoff left for 3.
McClain draws for about 3 more.
Troy Smith replaces Flacco on third down, and the Ravens clearly outsmart themselves. All he does is plunge up the middle for a couple! Whaaaaaa???
Ravens field the punt and pin the Dolphins at the 6.

Race Bannan jumps at Pennington's hard count. 1st-5.
Nothing for Brown up the middle. He hasn't done much today.
Flip right to Brown, who turns a loss into a 4-yard gain. 3rd-1.
Handoff to Polite for 3. First down.
Sweep right to Ganja Boy for a couple, but Anthony Fasano gets flagged for holding.
1st-and-19. Ton of time for Pennington, but he can only hit Brown on the circle route for 5.
Miami avoids a delay of game by calling their first time out, right AFTER the play clock ran out. Why are referees as poor as they are at noticing when the clock runs out? How can it possibly be hard?
Brown runs right off the direct snap for 4 or 5. 3rd-and-8 from the 19. 3:00 till halftime.
AND THE RAVENS BEAT MIAMI AT THEIR OWN GAME AGAIN. Ed Reed 58 INT return for TD, Baltimore leads 10-3. Baltimore blitzed big, and Pennington threw deep for Ted Ginn, who didn't appear to have any idea where the ball was. Reed has a much better line on the ball, fields it over his shoulder, loops back over to the Miami sideline and is never touched on the way to the end zone. Didn't even look like he needed any blocks, but he got a huge one from Haloti Ngata. How many times has Ed Reed done this for the Ravens? Shouldn't he get MVP discussion one of these days?

Also, if Phil Simms calls Reed the "best center fielder" in the NFL one more time, I am going down there and shooting him in the foot. I detest the use of baseball cliches by football announcers! Ed Reed is the best free safety in the NFL. He ISN'T A BLOODY CENTER FIELDER! Torii Hunter is a center fielder. Ed Reed is a safety. OK, Simms? You IDIOT?

Miami takes over at their 20 with 2:30 left in the half. Pennington gets lots of time but Suggs eventually beats Jake Long to drop Chad for a 12-yard sack. The Dolphin train has crashed into a bus, derailed and is sliding down the side of the mountain into a pit of molten lava.

Looks like I'm going 0-for-3 in the freaking football pool. Lotsa luck at 3:30, Philly.

Miami's at their own 8 after the 2:00 warning. Five to Cobbs over the middle. Ravens use their 2nd timeout on 3rd-and-17.
What a funky look here by Baltimore. They use TWO down linemen, then blitz Ray Lewis and two DBs from the back. The pressure gets to Pennington and he throws an awful screen pass into the ground. Crap offensive call anyway.

Leonhard returns the deep punt to the 40. 1:37 left, the Ravens may not be done scoring.
Flacco rolls left and hits McGahee for 9.
Fake handoff to McGahee and Flacco runs through Matt Roth for a first down when he should have lost a couple. Ball at the Miami 48, 0:50 left.
OUTSTANDING protection, OUTSTANDING sideline throw by Flacco, OUTSTANDING catch and footwork by Derrick Mason for 31 yards down to the 17, though Mason's footwork's going to be reviewed by the replay booth. And he got all his toes down. Bloody OUTSTANDING play.
Ravens at the Miami 17 with 35 seconds to go.
Inside handoff to McGahee? for 4. Way to expend your last timeout, dummies.
Now the Ravens get a play off after the play clock runs out. AND AGAIN, NO FLAG. Flacco grounds a quick screen pass with two Miami blitzers in his face. 3rd-and-6.
Another Dolphins blitz flushes Flacco and gets him to overthrow everybody.
Matt Stover hits from 31; 13-3, Baltimore.

Another touchback on the kickoff, and Miami's likely falling on it to run out the last 0:16.
They do, actually, Marques Douglas blows up a handoff to Brown for a 4-yard loss.

13-3 Ravens at halftime.

I'm way behind again and need to try to keep halftime analysis short again. Miami is in big trouble. Ronnie Brown is doing nothing. The Dolphin o-line protected well early but hasn't coped well since Baltimore turned up the blitzing. They desperately need Brown to get untracked so they can use him on some draws and screens. They're ridiculously thin at WR - THEY ONLY DRESSED THREE? - and haven't gotten the ball to their TEs at all. TE is a major part of their offense. They need to get the ball to them and keep hitting Patrick Cobbs, their only receiving weapon right now. I respect the job Baltimore's done against the Wildcat, but it should be working better than it has, too. Miami running that only twice is out of character for them, too. This whole half hasn't been in character for the Dolphins.

Can't say the Ravens should change anything they're doing on offense or defense. Miami has had to blitz more and more to try to get any pressure on Flacco. They should be highly susceptible to draw plays in the second half. Flacco has been pretty damn good, just make sure not to ask him to do too much with a 10-point lead. If the Ravens can find a way to get some straight-up pass rush, which they really couldn't do in the first half, the Dolphins are dead for sure.

THIRD QUARTER
WHY DOESN'T BLOGGER TOGGLE IN AND OUT OF BOLDFACE CORRECTLY????? HOW CRAPPY DOES A PROGRAM HAVE TO BE TO BOLD WHEN I DON'T HAVE BOLD ON??????? HOW MANY MILLIONS IS THIS COMPANY SUPPOSEDLY WORTH, AND I'M GETTING BOLD PRINT WHEN THE BOLD ICON INDICATES IT'S NOT ON?????????

Now would be a fun time to sarcastically say, good thing Miami deferred on the opening coin toss, but at least they do get the ball to start the third. The Ravens continue the tried and true strategy, one the Rams NEVER use, of kicking the ball deep and forcing a touchback.

Miami from the 20, where Brown gets helicoptered by Ngata for only a yard.
And one for Brown again, as he runs into a wall on the left side and gets dragged down by Leonhard.
3rd-and-8. TERRIBLE and STUPID throw by Pennington into double coverage for Bess near midfield and Fabian Washington picks it off, returning it to the 39. Pennington's supposed to be a big-mistake-free manager of the Dolphin offense but that was his THIRD interception.

GAME OVER. I am freaking 0-for-3 in the football pool.

3-yard run by McClain followed by Flacco getting plenty of time and making more with a rollout before finally throwing it away. Solid blitz pickup by McClain. 3rd-and-7.
Throw for Clayton on the Raven sideline is behind him and incomplete.
Incredible punt by Koch up the Raven sideline is downed by his coverage inside the 2.

Inside handoff to Polite for 11, one of the few successful plays for Miami today. Solid block by Ndukwe.
Ganja Boy runs for 1 off what appeared to be a halfback option.
Pennington finds Brandon London on the home sideline for 10.
No 4-man pressure from the Ravens the last play, but Trevor Pryce beats Vernon Carey EASILY to drop Pennington for -6 this play. Like I said, the Dolphins are toast.
Incomplete behind a diving London.
Shotgun sweep to Cobbs gains about six before Marques Douglas strips the ball out and Samari Rolle SPLATTERS HIM. Ravens recover at the Miami 19. FOURTH turnover by a team that has barely turned it over all year.

McClain bangs twice down to the 14; 3rd-and-5.
Flacco gets all day and hits Clayton at the 8. First and goal.
Huge hole up the middle for McClain, who barrels through for an 8-yard TD that puts the game away with 7:33 left in the 3rd. 20-3, Baltimore.

Cobbs makes a seemingly foolish decision to return the deep kickoff, but he gets it out across the 30.
Miami starts this drive with a false start on Ernest Wilford.
Brown works hard to take a dumpoff the next play upfield for 23, though.
Pennington gets a long time with the Ravens just rushing 4 and hits Brown for 4.
Ravens blitz this time, but Pennington just barely gets away from Pryce to hit Ginn for 6. Ball at the Raven 42.
Just a 4-man rush, and Baltimore's letting Pennington get a rhythm. Underneath to Ginn for 9.
Ravens blitz this time, but Pennington hits Ginn AGAIN, for 8 inside the Raven 30.
Four-man rush, Pennington gets all day and hits Brown in the flat, who makes a nice effort to get extra yards and gain 6.
Fasano picks up the blitz and Pennington hits Ginn on the Raven sideline at the 13.
Quick screen to Martin loses 2. One of the rare times today a TE has gotten the ball.
Dot-dot-dot-Dash-dash-dash... Pennington telegraphs a TERRIBLE pass into TRIPLE coverage and it's picked off by game-MVP to be Ed Reed.

FIVE TURNOVERS by the Dolphins now.

Ravens take over at their 20. Kendall Langford stuff McClain for no gain, but he drives for 5 the next play. 3rd-and-5, inside handoff to McGahee gains only 3. Baltimore curiously punts as the third quarter runs out instead of letting the clock run. Koch blasts it over 50.

15 minutes left in Miami's season.

FOURTH QUARTER
Dolphins at their 26. Do I hear five INTS for Pennington?
DPI on one of my favorite young players in the league, Haruki Nakamura, for 5.
Pennington misses Ginn on the Baltimore sideline, 2nd-5.
DROP by Davone Bess, 3rd-5. Ravens were doing the walk-up blitz on this play and came heavy from the LT side.
Plenty of time for Pennington, who can't hit Ginn because Washington hauled him down at midfield. First down.
And now the Dolphins get a big play from Bess, who takes a screen pass, whips by Corey Ivy, outruns all the Raven LBs, and runs down to the 4 after a terrible missed tackle by a guy who's not on the Yahoo roster. 46 yards, first and goal.
Weird swing pass to Brown is marked down at the 2 even though he stepped out of bounds at the 4 or 5.
2.5 hours after I brought it up, Nantz asks if a message wasn't sent, a tone for the game set when Miami couldn't score a TD from the 1 the first time they had the ball. Clueless as ever, Simms disagrees.

I hate Phil Simms.

Fake pitch freezes Suggs way outside of RDE and allows Brown to circle him and make a difficult catch for a 2-yard TD. Naturally, Baltimore blocks the extra point. 20-9, Ravens. That's a heck of a weird time for a zone blitz, Ravens.

Leonhard takes a knee with 13:09 left. The PAT earlier was blocked by Frank Walker.
Ravens at their 20.
Dolphins blitz big but Flacco gets off a bomb just beyond Clayton. 2nd-10.
McGahee draws for 4.
Miami blitz gets to Flacco very late, but his bomb for Clayton is just long again.
Pretty questionable play-calling by Cam "Camtastic" Cameron there. How about taking some time off the clock, genius? They took off all of 1:11 in giving Miami the ball back.

Miami from their 32. Pennington nearly picked off overthrowing Bess over the middle. Jake Long false started, no call.
4-man rush, Martin takes an underneath pass for 15.
Pennington escapes the rush and dumps to London, who appears to whirl for the first down.
1st down at the Raven 43. Short pass to Ginn for 8.
Draw to Ganja boy for 7; Dolphins are inside the 30. Ravens better start bringing some people.
Screen to Martin for 4.
TERRIBLE PLAY here for Miami. The Ravens blitz into an attempted end-around to Ginn. Ray Lewis' pressure causes a blown exchange and Ginn loses SIXTEEN yards finding and fumbling around with the ball. Ginn can't get both feet in on the 3rd-down sideline catch.

Leonhard fields the punt at the 14 and draws a STUPID and ticky-tack interference penalty from Derek Smith. Ravens will take over near their 30.

McClain over LG for 1.
McClain again, with a STRONG surge up the middle for 8.
Wow, toss to Lorenzo Neal in the flat for 7. First down!
McGahee for a couple. Clock down to 5:00.
McGahee breaks a tackle at the line by Bell, a tackle by Renaldo Hill ten yards down field and sprints all the way down to the 4. About a 50-yard run.
Roth drops McGahee for a loss and the Dolphins call timeout with 4:05 left.
Flacco gets a throw off against a blitz on 2nd-and-goal, but just short of McClain at the goal line and incomplete. He then takes it in himself on the QB draw for a TD to make it 27-9.

By the way, you can't spell "MIAMI DOLPHINS" without MIDOL.
Give me credit for calling this game over for Miami after they opened the scoring with a FG. Discredit me for being stupid enough to pick them to win this game earlier this week. Have I mentioned I have gotten all three god damn playoff games wrong so far?

3:53 left before mostly empty stands now in Dolphin Stadium.
Dolphins take over at their 35 after a personal foul on Walker. Bomb for Martin in triple coverage incomplete.
Nakamura and Leonard get Pennington on a big blitz for a 10-yard loss.
Pennington hits London for 10, leaving 4th-and-10.
4th down pass to London was ALWAYS short of the first down and the Ravens take over. I'm just going to ignore the rest of this game unless something truly notable happens.

Ravens 27, Dolphins 9.

The MVP of this game is obviously defensive, and it's going to Ed Reed for his two INTs, including the pick-six that essentially ended the game, even though it was only the 2nd quarter and the score was only 10-3 at the time. That play completely took the air out of a Dolphin team accustomed to making those kind of plays themselves, and they went on to commit a rancid FIVE turnovers.

If there's a reason the Ravens don't win at Tennessee next week, it'll be their offense. Flacco's numbers were truly underwhelming - he's like 8 for 20 today, and they won't get away with that against a top, opportunistic D like Tennessee's, though Albert Haynesworth's condition merits watching. The Titans are also a MUCH better run defense than I saw out of Miami today. There are going to be more times when Flacco has to make a play, and I have my doubts with the youngster there.

On the other hand, Baltimore's defense is perfectly capable of turning Kerry Collins into the quivering bowl of jelly they turned Pennington into today, especially if they can similarly shut the run down. The important thing today, even as much as the Miami o-line struggled, was that the Ravens couldn't really get much pressure on the QB with straight-up rush. If the Ravens are again forced to blitz in Tennessee, I'd look to Collins to do a FAR better job finding his TEs than the Dolphin offense did today. I respect the Titans too much to pick against them in what'll surely be a close, hard-hitting and memorable game.

San Diego also has a VERY good chance of winning in Pittsburgh next weekend. They're playing their best ball. They can shut down Pittsburgh's run game like they did Indy's and put the Steeler offense in big trouble. Big Ben's mistake-prone enough without also having to recover from a concussion to boot. On the other hand, I don't think San Diego got to Manning last night and their pass coverage wasn't very impressive. Then again, Big Ben is a lot easier to get to than Manning is. I'm probably outsmarting myself, but the Chargers look like a nice upset pick next weekend.

The Dolphins had a surprising number of problems crop up today considering the fine season they had. How long did they go without a WR even getting open? If they can get their hands on a quality big WR in the 1st round (Jeremy Maclin?), they'd better do it. Their o-line wasn't good, but it's young, and Baltimore makes a lot of lines look bad. Let them gel. Their defensive line was also quite unimpressive. With Porter practically invisible - how many times did his name get called, once? - nobody else stepped up. They could certainly stand to add a quality DE. And they'd better be happy with who they have as QB of the future - it ain't Chad Pennington.

Eggles at Vikings in a few minutes, with Philly representing my final chance to predict a game correctly this weekend. Amazing.

AFC Wild-Card Playoff: Chargers 23, Colts 17 (OT)

PREGAME
Bad news for the Colts: I'm picking them to win this game after missing the first game today.

LaDainian Tomlinson's groin is the most talked-about one since Britney Spears', and though I ripped him mercilessly for his postseason no-show last year, if he has the groin tear I've heard reported, I'm impressed the guy can walk, let alone play football against NFL opposition. I don't think he should even suit up. Chargers beat the Colts in last year's playoffs without him (or Philip Rivers or Antonio Gates) anyway. :)

FIRST QUARTER
San Diego receives the opening kickoff; Indy stops Darren Sproles at the 22.
A visibly-limping Tomlinson sweeps around right end for 13.
Bob Sanders submarines LT after 2 more.
Short pass to Gates for 6. 3rd-and-2.
Chargers are PASSING and Robert Mathis smushes Philip Rivers for a sack. Fathead Madden blames RT Jeremey Clary for not "getting the job done", when Mathis cut inside of Mike Goff, overwhelmed by the DT, to get the sack. That sack's on Goff, fathead.

I hate John Madden.

Punt is fair-caught at the 9.
Manning to Harrison for 8.
Draw to Addai shut down for no gain, it looked like by LB Jyles Tucker.
With plenty of time, Manning hits Anthony Gonzalez on a slant for 12. Gonzalez invited bad karma by not announcing he was from "THE Ohio State University" in the player intros.
Safety blitz forces a throwaway. 2nd-10.
False start, Ugoh. 2nd-15.
RON WINTER is refereeing a playoff game? Boy, is refereeing getting worse.
Manning long and incomplete for Harrison, but Marvin lobbies the officials for DPI. That call put the "tick" in "ticky-tack". 30 gift yards for Indianapolis.
Addai plunges for 2 from the SD 44.
Manning up top for a VERY open Reggie Wayne, who got turned around while the ball was in midair. Incomplete, 3rd-and-8.
DROP by Wayne over the middle, almost as bad as DT Ryon Bingham coming in clean at Manning and STOPPING his pass rush.
Nice attempt at a deep pin by the Colts, but the ref calls touchback.

Colts have the first-down screen pass covered and Rivers dumps it incomplete.
Colts swamp the backfield and stuff Sproles for no gain.
Dumpoff to Gates is good for only 7. Clary false-started anyway. Second straight 3-and-out for S.D.

Deep kick returned to the 19. Wasn't expecting a defensive struggle here, either, but we're getting one so far.
Federkeil (K-Fed?), the RG from the University of Calgary, false starts.
4 to Dallas Clark in the flat. Shoutout to Clark for having two great weeks for me in the fantasy football playoffs!
Short over the middle to Gonzalez for 6 more. 3rd-and-5.
Bubble screen to Wayne for 8 and a first down.
Addai over the left side for 3.
Clark dodges a tackle and gains 9. Michaels inexplicably said that was a 3rd-and-2 play. IT WAS SECOND AND 7!!!!!
Colts at their 44. Manning gets all day, hits Gonzalez about 8 yards downfield, and AG speeds and weaves through the Charger secondary for 35. Manning hits him again on the Charger sideline at the 2 yard line. First and goal.
Addai pumps down to the 1.
Inside handoff to Addai for an easy TD. 7-0, Colts.
Manning was 6-6 that drive, 81 yards.

Sproles gets BLOWN UP at the Charger 25 on the kickoff return.
Rivers to Gates for 6.
Rivers has all night before finally getting flushed right and then misses MANU WIDE OPEN by a mile. Chargers were illegally downfield anyway, Goff, who's not off to a great start tonight.
Rivers falls leaning away from Freeney's pressure and his throw is low and incomplete.
So then Sproles RUNS for the first down, a 13-yard draw through traffic. THAT IS INEXCUSABLE that the Colts let SD RUN for a first down on THIRD AND NINE.
LT up the middle for 3.
Sproles up the middle for 3 more. 3rd-and-4.
Someone named Melvin Bullitt breaks up a quick slant to Chambers. Nice play, MELVIN.
The quarter expires on the punt, which San Diego downs inside the 5.

SECOND QUARTER
Dominic Rhodes gains 1 out to the 4.
Quick pass to TE Robinson against a blitz gains only 2.
Pressure right up the middle from Castillo as the completion to Gonzalez comes up a yard short. That probably saved a first down.
Terrific punt by Smith, easily over 50 yards, but Sproles brings it back into Colt territory.

Chargers from the Colt 44. Play-action, bootleg right to Gates for 9.
LT gets the first down down to the 33.
Slant to Gates, who breaks TERRIBLE tackles by Kelvin Hayden and Antoine Bethea and rumbles behind the Colt secondary down to the 3-yard line. 30 yards. Should have been 8.
Tomlinson coasts over the left side for an easy TD. Chargers 7, Colts 7. Key block by Jacob Hester, who Madden describes as an undersized fullback. That means Hester's already made more effective blocks in his career than Brian Leonard has.

Lord, I love the Charger cheerleaders.

SHORT kickoff returned by the upman to the 33 as idiot Nate Kaeding FALLS during the kick. Trust me, Kaeding will find any way he can to make non-clutch plays in this postseason game.

Amazing grab by Gonzalez, full extension fingertip catch for 20. Blitz pickup by Addai.
Addai whirls in the middle for maybe 1.
Manning with plenty of time to Addai for 8.
END AROUND TO CLARK ON THIRD AND ONE is good for 6. That's an effed-up call, but the Colts got all the Chargers looking left while Clark whirled around to their right.
Incomplete deep for Wayne.
2nd-10 from the 29. DROP over the middle by Gonzalez.
Colts no-huddle, but good Charger pressure forces Manning to dump off short for Clark. Colts will try a FG.
Adam Vinatieri hits from 43 to put the Colts ahead 10-7.

Sproles gets hit HARD again and upended at the 28 on the kick return and is lucky not to fumble.
And he's stuffed for no gain on first down.
OH MY GOD WHY DO YOU HAVE MANU TRYING TO BLOCK DWIGHT FREENEY seven yard sack.
3rd-and-16, more good pressure forces a dumpoff to Sproles. Chargers punting.

MOON SHOT by Scifres checks up at the 5; 67-yard punt. Colts take over at their 7.

We get to hear about Norv Turner complaining that Scifres didn't make the Pro Bowl. Hey, at least the guy who beat him out was the #1 punter in HIS conference. Signed, the disgrunted president of the Donnie Jones for MVP campaign.

Rhodes up the middle for 3.
Incomplete for Wayne on the sideline, as he was juggling it. Also had a toe on the line.
3rd-7. Colts are challenging the catch? TERRIBLE decision. All Dungy's doing here is throwing away a timeout. Call is confirmed.
Stupid screen to Clark is good for nothing. Chargers outwitted Manning here, checking out of a blitz after Manning audibled to a blitz call. Nice.

TERRIBLE punt by Smith downed at the Colt 45. San Diego is winning the battle of field position decisively this quarter.
3:01 till halftime.
Sproles darts left and cuts back for 11.
Rivers to Chambers on the sideline with a diving catch for 12. First Charger completion to a WR.
2:00 warning, Chargers at the 22.
Huh, Chambers DIDN'T get his toes down on that catch. Too bad Dungy already STUPIDLY wasted a challenge earlier and needs to keep one for the second half.
Sproles for 3.
Naked bootleg for Gates is overthrown. 3rd-7.
Rivers completes to Chambers at the 9 for first-and-goal.
Sproles gets a nice crease and drives through an ankle tackle for a 9-yard TD. Chargers 14, Colts 10. Key blocks by Hester (again) and Clary.

Here we go again with the Chargers having the Colts' number. 42 seconds till halftime.

And now Chad Simpson coughs up the kick return. Kassim Osgood ripped it loose. The call on the field is that Simpson was down, but THAT IS WRONG. Simpson is less close to being down than Michael Turner was on the fumble Ron Bartell stripped last week. Should be Chargers ball AGAIN inside the Colt 20.

WOW they are calling that the runner was down. The ball was clearly MOVING when his knee was down! Colts ball at the 20.

Out route to Clark nearly picked off by Eric Weddle.
Inside handoff to Addai for 3. CHARGERS call time out. So much for running out the clock for Indy.
Another draw to Addai, who gains about 11 and runs out of bounds with 15 seconds left.
Manning throws it away with 11 seconds left. It's been some time since the Colts have gotten anything going downfield.
Play action, Gonzalez wasn't looking for the throw. 3rd-10.
Draw to Addai ends the half.

Chargers 14, Colts 10 at halftime

I'm running behind so I'll need to cut halftime analysis short. To their credit, the Chargers have shut down the Colt running game and have pretty much taken Reggie Wayne out of the game. Manning had success getting the ball downfield early but is getting nothing now. Can't say San Diego should change a thing. Colts have got to get Wayne involved and have to be able to get some draws and screens against the increasing Charger pressure.

Things happening in opposite when the Chargers had the ball, as their offense got more and more effective. They're benefiting from great field position more than anything else. The Colts are getting to Rivers, and they're stuffing Sproles and getting good licks on him from time to time. He's also slipping away for some nice gains, but I don't know that the Colts have to change a lot in the second half, either, other than not getting caught near their own goal line so much. I don't see anything special the Chargers are doing, but they have Sproles rolling going into halftime and should stay with him.

At halftime, Costas asks Peter King about the NFL's four coaching vacancies: Browns, Broncos, Lions, Jets. That's how far the food chain the Rams have fallen: Bob Costas doesn't even count the coaching vacancy of his HOMETOWN TEAM!

THIRD QUARTER
Colts start at their 27. With Addai picking up the blitz, Manning hits Wayne on a corner route for 31. Wayne Torry Holts it for about 10 yards; I thought he had a chance to make that an even bigger play.
Addai over left guard for a couple.
Clark picks up the blitz as Manning hits Addai for almost 8.
3rd-inches. Addai loses at least a yard. Whole Charger left side was in the Colt backfield.
GOING FOR IT on 4th down, Manning gets flushed right and can't hit Robinson on a comeback pass, broken up by Weddle. Tough chance at best. AWFUL play-calling sequence by whoever's calling the shots in Indy.

Colts stuff Sproles at the 33.
Dumpoff to Sproles for about 4.
Freeney gets a hand on Rivers but he hits Chambers for 8 and a first.
From the 45, Rivers play-fakes and throws it away after getting flushed.
Draw to Sproles, running hard for 8.
Rivers is hit as he throws and Chambers drops it. San Diego's still set up to pin the Colts deep and resume the field position pattern they had going in the first half.
Fair catch at the 9. Mike Scifres may indeed be the MVP of this game.

I am totally looking into getting a St. Louis Sling Dog franchise.

Quick slant to Harrison for 8. My God is Jamal Williams fat. Addai up the middle for 5.
Bomb for Wayne incomplete, Cromartie has him well-covered. Little Joseph Addai is terrific at picking up blitzes, by the way. Any reason Steven Jackson can't do that on a consistent basis?
Offsides, Chargers. 2nd-5.
Weddle hits Wayne early but no call. Incomplete, 3rd-5.
But Manning gets the Colts lined up for a quick snap, catching the Chargers confused, and Wayne gets behind the Chargers secondary for a 67-yard TD bomb. Brilliant work by Manning; Chargers really should have called a timeout there. And that's on the coaching staff. Anybody over there could have called one and saved themselves a TD. 17-14, Colts.

Touchback starts the Chargers at the 20. Rivers beats good pressure and hits Hester for 6.
Super open-field tackle by Hayden stops Sproles for a loss. 3rd-6.
Rivers scrambles left and hits a WIDE OPEN Chambers for 25. TERRIBLE coverage by Indy.
Sproles to midfield for maybe 1.
Sproles breaks through the middle this time for 12. Key blocks by Goff and Dielman.
Rivers throws it away on first down. And now it's MICHAEL BENNETT up the middle for 12?
Chargers at the Indy 28. I don't know if there were any pancakes on that play, but Bennett is being sued by a guy who alleges he and another Buc player beat him up in the parking lot of a Tampa IHOP.
Rivers rolls right and throws it away. 2nd down pass is a dart between two guys to Legedu Naanee inside the 10.
Clint Session(?) stuffs Sproles at the 9.
Screen to Sproles... he squirts down to the 1 and the ball comes out, with Raheem Brock recovering it in the end zone. Call on the field looks correct to me. What a critical fumble by Sproles, who had done everything right tonight up to this point! The Colt who forced the fumble was Tim Jennings, who I misheard earlier as "Ken Jennings". Too much Jeopardy!

God bless Coors for bringing the Jim Mora commercial back. PLAYOFFS?

Colts at their 20 after the big turnover. Manning to Clark in the flat for 3. Cromartie drops an interception chance on 2nd down. Manning's nearly picked off again on 3rd down, as Steve (No Last Name) Gregory jumps a pass for Harrison. Big stop for San Diego.

Decent punt by Smith this time but Sproles brings it all the way out to the 45. Smith outkicked his coverage with the 58-yard boot. I understand why that happens since Smith has been so inconsistent tonight.

Sproles gets a big hole on the right side for 9. Key blocks by Gates and Clary.
Sproles gets all the way down to the Colt 38. I swore he was down 5 yards before that. First down San Diego as the quarter runs out.

FOURTH QUARTER
Quarter starts with a huge play by the Colts as Freeney spins Marcus MacNeil silly and sacks Rivers at midfield. Draw to Bennett for 5. 3rd-and-13. Sproles was down at the 41 on his earlier run, btw; terrible call by Michaels.
Rivers steps up and scrambles toward the home sideline and DIVES for the marker, coming up just a little short. It's 4th and a yard at most.
San Diego GOES FOR IT. The QB sneak may not have worked; NBC was ridiculously late getting back to live play. Rivers got it by a nose.
From the Colt 32, Rivers appears to have Chambers open in the end zone but misses him and it's INTERCEPTED by Bethea. There's a flag, but it's for an illegal block on the return. The second time tonight the Chargers appeared on their way to an imminent score and came away from it with NOTHING.

Colts need to score here and put this game away. They'll start at the 21. Clark turns the corner with a short pass and gets up the sideline for 20+, but it's coming back for a tripping penalty on Jeff Saturday. Colts go back to their 11.
Fake draw and screen to Clark again, but only for 4.
Manning beats big blitz and hits Wayne for 16.
Addai weaves up the middle for 4. 6 to Clark in the flat for the first down.
Rhodes for 5 after Ryan Diem gets away with a big fat false start.
Another Diem false start not called as Manning hits Harrison for 3.
Diem AND Saturday flinch on 3rd down with no call. Rhodes slides by on the left side for 3 yards and the first.
Colts at the SD 46. Addai picks up ANOTHER blitz, but it's ANOTHER DROP by Gonzalez over the middle. Antoine Cason short-hops it. Good call. 2nd-10, Colts.
Manning chucks it into the stands under pressure. But holding on Ugoh sets them back to 2nd-20.
Draw to Addai loses a yard as d-line gets a great jump. 3rd-21.
Dumpoff for Addai is incomplete and Colts held again anyway. Chargers came up with super pressure the last few plays when they really needed it.
BLOODY TERRIBLE KICK by Hunter Smith travels ONLY 28 YARDS.

Chargers, who I'm betting take the lead this drive, start from their 29. Rivers dumps off to Sproles, who motors after the catch for 17.
5:25 left. Sproles right for maybe 3.
Rivers rolls left and should have been picked off deep by Ken Jennings. What is "off his hands", Alex? 3rd-and-7. Dumpoff to Bennett, who splits THREE Colt defenders after the catch and appears to have dived for the first down. Ref gives him a first down by a couple of pebbles on the grain of the leather. Spot was off by a foot.
1st down from the Colt 45, they cut Bennett down for only 1.
Rivers, who has been great at making time for himself in the pocket tonight, does it again, and Naanee has his man beaten by a step down the Colt sideline, but it's underthrown and broken up. 3rd-and-9. Timeout, Chargers. 3:15 left.
HUGE SACK by the Colts. Freeney gets a ton of pressure up the middle, and Mathis wheels around Clary to take Rivers down.
Scifres' punt BEAUTIFULLY checks up and makes a left turn toward the sideline at the 1. The Charger who grabbed the ball and slid out of bounds with it kicked the pylon, though. That SHOULD be a touchback, we'll find out after the commercial break. 2:41 left.

The call is NOT made, and the Colts have it at their 1-yard line after the 52-yard punt. Big hole on the right for Addai for 6. Give credit to K-Fed the Calgary guy for the block. Timeout, Chargers; I believe they have one left.
Big split by San Diego made that last run possible, too.
Handoff left to Addai gains just 2. Third-and-2, 2:29 left as the Chargers use their last timeout.
Empty backfield and Manning gets SACKED at the 1, never seeing Tim Dobbins coming. Addai's been picking up blitzes all night; how can you empty the backfield there? What the bloody hell would have been wrong with RUNNING on 3rd-and-2? And now, with 2:00 left, Smith's punting from the very back of his end zone? The Colts will be lucky if that spaz gets the ball across the 20!

Michaels brings up the idea of the Colts just taking the safety. He always thinks of that, to his credit. The Colts punt, though, and Smith, naturally after I've ridden him for ten minutes, BLASTS it 63 yards. There's no Colt within 30 yards of him, though, and he returns it all the way to the Indy 38 with 1:48 left.

The Chargers can tie the game without even getting a first down, if Kaeding has any clutch in him.

Sproles gets knocked down on an attempted screen pass and Rivers has to ground it (legally).
Gates gets what I think is his first catch of the second half and waltzes inside Freddie Keiaho for 11 and a first.
Rivers to Gates for 12 more, down to the Colt 21. 1:00 left and counting. Rivers spikes at 0:53.
Rivers gets all night, scrambles right, throws it away. 0:46.
DRAW TO SPROLES FROM THE 16 IS GOOD FOR NEARLY NINE. Colts get caught with their pants down on a third down run AGAIN. Looks like San Diego will settle for the chippie FG and the tie, though. Call a timeout if you're Indianapolis? Go for it if you're San Diego? 4th-and-1 at the seven.
Dungy does get a timeout with 34 seconds left.
Bad snap, great hold by Scifres, and Kaeding ties the game at 17 with a 26-yard FG.

31 seconds left. Simpson only gets out to the 18 with the kick return and burns seven seconds doing it.

My TiVo is set to record for four hours, by the way.

Fake draw, useless dump to Addai for 7, timeout. Overtime appears to be coming.
Indy gets their timeout back because a Charger player was injured.
From their 25, Manning hits Addai near the sideline for 7 and Indy uses a timeout again.
:08 left. Manning launches deep and Cromartie knocks it down with :01 left.
Colts kneel and we're going to overtime.

FIRST OVERTIME
Chargers win the toss. Colt D better be stiffer than it was most of the 2nd half or this'll be a 20-17 final pretty quickly.

Sproles returns a very deep kickoff out to the 25.
Brock stuffs a draw to Sproles for -1.
Rivers has to throw away a play action pass, 3rd-and-11.
Rivers goes hot read to Sproles, who sprints upfield for 13 and a first down. Huge defensive fail right there.
Bennett up the middle for 6.
From the 43, there's a flag as Hagler takes Sproles down for a loss. It's DEFENSIVE HOLDING on Eric Foster.
First down Chargers at the Colt 48. Indy needs a stop RIGHT NOW.
Sproles is engulfed at midfield for 2.
Gates lumbers for 8 and another FIRST DOWN at the Colt 42, actually recovering his own fumble on the play.
Colts blow up a screen and want intentional grounding, but Rivers got it reasonably close to Hester.
2nd-and-10. Darrell Reid drops Sproles for a 1-yard gain. 3rd-and-9. Play of the game coming up.
Rivers shot puts one for Chambers as Jennings gets called for holding. Yep, play of the game.
First down Chargers at the Colt 37. Sproles for 2, and A FACE MASK ON SESSION puts the Chargers at the 20. Colts have MELTED DOWN here in overtime.
Sanders WALLOPS Sproles for a loss of 3.

GAME OVER
Sproles 22 TD. Chargers win, 23-17.
Keyunta Dawson missed a chance in the backfield and Sproles just ran around the corner and by everybody else for the TD. The Colts were blitzing and Sanders was in the box so there was no help downfield. San Diego held the ball for 6:30. Manning never got the ball.

The Colts' postseason misery continues at the hands of the San Diego Chargers. At least for getting in the playoffs with a miserable 8-8 record, San Diego's done damage while they're in there.

MVP of the game, with a nod to punter Mike Scifres, is Sproles, with 2 TDs, around 100 yards rushing and a bunch of good punt returns, one of the overlooked stories of the live broadcast, by NBC and me. The two teams playing tonight were the league's hottest; Tennessee or Pittsburgh will not have a walkover if they have the Chargers for an opponent next week.

NATURALLY, Michaels and Madden put Sproles and Scifres on the horse trailer. Why do they even put one box on that thing for each game? Why not four or five like they usually end up rewarding?

Should I mention here that Mike Martz passed on Darren Sproles in the 4th round in 2005 to draft the injured, and always broken-down afterward, Jerome Carter?

In the playoffs, you have to be able to run the ball and defend the run. The Colts were not good enough at either to carry the day today. They have a pretty well-regarded offensive line to have rushed as poorly as they did today. Tony Ugoh was Alex Barron-like today, Ryan Diem didn't do much, and Jeff Saturday looks as overrated as the rest of the line. But I'd probably count on them to bounce back next year, and like I recommended for the Falcons after the first game, go all defense in the 09 draft. They're getting by with a bunch of nobodies who really can't play. They got nothing today out of their LBs and their secondary, the CBs in particular, are mediocre at best. If they beef up the D, and maybe buy Gonzalez some stickum, they'll be fine again next year. And probably lose to San Diego again in the playoffs.

Two super games today, hope tomorrow's 6-3 matchups can live up to today but I very much doubt it. And bad news, Eagles, Dolphins; you're the teams I picked in the football pool for tomorrow, and I was 0-for-2 today.

I can't possibly go 0-for-4, can I?

Ravens-Dolphins live blog around lunchtime tomorrow.

NFC Wild Card Playoff: Big Dead 30, Falcons 24

PREGAME
I had a good time blogging last year's playoff games, so I'm taking another stab at it this year, beginning with the Falcons-Cardinals game in about 10 minutes.

Good luck to Kurt Warner, but I'm rooting for Atlanta to win.

Blogging will be as close to live-time as I can possibly do it, but I will probably lag behind a little to rewind plays on TiVo.

NBC has pulled Tom Hammond out of Notre Dame's ass to call the game and paired him with Cris Collinsworth.

FIRST QUARTER
Falcons kick off; JJ Arrington plays the bouncing ball poorly and barely gets it across the 10.
Atlanta doesn't usually blitz much but they do on the first play of the game and nearly get Warner. Incomplete for Fitzgerald down the Arizona sideline.
Deep pass up the other sideline for, believe it or not, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, well underthrown when Keith Brooking hits Warner.
3rd-10. Dumpoff to Ben Patrick gets 7.
Harry Douglas brings a 50-yard punt back across midfield.

Early advantage, Atlanta.
Ryan rolls right and scrambles for 3.
Dansby drags Turner down in the backfield for a 1-yard gain.
3rd-6. Ryan throws it RIGHT TO Arizona CB Ralph Brown at the Cardinal 35. Terrible play by the rookie QB, who the Cards did not have any extra pressure on. So much for the early advantage.

Edgerrin James gets about 7 over the left side.
Draw to Edge gets the first down across midfield.
Cards run Edge again, which sets up a flea flicker the next play. Lawyer Milloy bit a little on the fake and Fitzgerald makes a splendid leaping catch in the end zone to put Arizona up 7-0.
Kickoff is a touchback, and just like that, Arizona has all the momentum.
This next possession for Atlanta is already a big one.

Uh-oh. Turner stuffed on first down, followed by a false start.
John Parry's crew, a good one, I believe, tabbed to call today's game.
Turner gets the penalty yardage back, 3rd-and-10.
First down to Roddy White on the home sideline. Big play.
Cardinals appeared to jump offsides, no call, Ryan has to chuck it out of bounds under heavy pressure. Just when I say something nice about officials.
Cardinals are not known for their run defense but they just stuffed Turner again. They use a defensive timeout with 3rd-and-13 coming up.
Sack for Chike Okeafor as Ryan can't find an open man downfield.
Rolle and Rodgers-Cromartie fight one another for the punt. Rolle fields it but Atlanta's awesome punt coverage unit holds him to losing a yard.

From their 25, pitch left to Edge for 5.
Fitzgerald beats Chris Houston up the seam for 31. Ball at Atl 40.
Edge gets a big hole, bounces off a tackle and goes outside right for 7. Atlanta's poor run D is sinking them. Cards use their second timeout after the play.
Draw to Arrington for a loss. 3rd-5.
Warner has Boldin open across the middle short but he drops it. Running with it before he caught it.
Arizona downs the punt around the 7.

Turner left for 3.
Ryan fake pitches but his deep corner pass for Michael Jenkins on the home sideline is broken up by Roderick Hood. 3rd-7.
Bertran Berry WHIPS Sam Baker for a sack. 2nd sack for the Cardinals, who are dominating this game.
Steve Breaston nearly fumbles the bouncing punt but is down safely at the Arizona 45.

Falcons blitz on 1st down again, as Foxworth covers Fitzgerald pretty well up the Atlanta sideline for an incomplete.
Safety blitz by Atlanta this time; Warner gets rid of it just as he's hauled down. 3rd-10.
Arizona - What happened to the run?
Warner steps up and throws it RIGHT TO Brooking, but it goes through his hands.
Douglass swamped inside the 10 on the punt return.

Atlanta from their 8.
Turner up the middle for 2.
Ryan beats a blitz and hits White for a first down at the 20.
Turner gets big hole at left end but only gets 2 yards out of it.
He closes the quarter with easily his best run of the day, driving through a couple of tackles for 8 and a first down.

Arizona 7, Atlanta 0 after 1

SECOND QUARTER
One thing I was expecting out of today's game, that we're apparently going to get, is a lot more scoring. I was thinking in the 60-point range. Instead, Arizona's defense has shown up big time.

There's been some controversy that the Cardinals have their dome roof closed today despite the weather being nice in the area. I assure you Bill Bidwill has the roof closed to keep those people on the mountaintop in one of the earlier shots from being able to see any of the game for free.

After a mass audible, Turner blasts off left tackle for 13. Uh-oh, the Falcon running game is getting untracked.
Jenkins catches a short pass and gains another 13 across midfield.
The Falcons apparently don't have hand signals for audibles. Ryan has to tell several players the play in person, and they pass it on to the players further outside.
Turner catches a pass for 8. The difference for the Falcons right now is that they have gone no-huddle. Good move, it even looked at the end of the 1st like Arizona was wearing down a little anyway.
Turner up the middle for another first down off a fake end-around.
Harry Douglas continues to have a rough day, DRILLED by Hood on a screen. 2nd-11 outside the Arizona 30.
Another smoke route to White on the home sideline, and he gains the first down. Falcons at the 20.
Great play by Jerious Norwood, who picks up a blitz and falls on Marcus Pollard's fumble at the 20.
2nd-10.
Turner loses a yard. Falcons went full-huddle for that play. 3rd-10.
Hood falls and leaves Jenkins wide open at the 11. Jenkins appears to extend the ball for the first down, but the refs don't give it to him. Falcons call timeout, 4th and inches at the 11. Jenkins did a good job concentrating on his sideline footwork and extending the ball but may have missed a chance for a TD. His back was to Hood when Hood fell. Collinsworth says Atlanta should challenge the spot. I agree. Actually, he agrees with me. I was ahead of him both on that and Atlanta going no-huddle. :)
Atlanta does not challenge, however, and Jason Elam's FG makes it 7-3, Arizona. Funky defensive alignment by the Cards there; I think they were guarding against a fake.

Cards start at the 28 after the kickoff.
Warner throws a quick pass right at (Hey) Biermann, who knocks it down like Bill Russell stuffing Spud Webb. Little screen pass to Boldin gains only 1.
Atlanta blitzes a DB the next play and pays dearly for it. Warner finds Boldin in the flat and he outruns Lawyer Milloy's awful coverage all the way up the Arizona sideline for a 70-yard TD.
Arizona 14, Atlanta 3.

Atlanta's defense is just such a mess today. They're blitzing a lot more than they typically do and their secondary is getting burned badly. All set up by Arizona running well early. Then again, the last two drives, Arizona hasn't even tried to run, and Atlanta has adjusted for that very, very poorly.

Looks like Boldin tweaked a hammy on the TD run.

Falcons at their 24 after the kickoff. Ryan to White for 5, and about 8 more on another smoke route.
WHITE DROPS A BEAUTIFUL BOMB FROM RYAN INSIDE THE CARDINAL 30. 2nd-10.
Wild high ball for Jenkins on the Arizona sideline incomplete. 3rd-10.
Norwood picks up another blitz; Ryan steps up and hits Jenkins on the Cardinal sideline for 21.
Ryan barely avoids a sack and connects with Jenkins for 5.
Falcons in no-huddle again. Delay handoff to Turner gets nowhere. 3rd-6.
4-man rush by Arizona; Ryan beats it and hits White on a comeback for 8. Big first down.
Falcons at about the 30. Ryan has to throw the first down pass away under pressure from Darnell Dockett.
11 over the middle to White. Pass protection has been the story of this drive.
Ryan has all day and scrambles around right end for 2. Surprised Norwood wasn't open; nobody picked him up when he went into motion right out of the backfield.
A couple more for Turner. It's 3rd-6.
Ryan hits Finneran for a first down in the flat at the 8-yard line.
And Turner coasts in for a TD to make the score 14-10 Arizona. More than anything, the LBs were fooled and didn't think the play was going outside. Turner's TD was never in doubt.

The Arizona fans who DIDN'T EVEN SELL OUT THEIR STADIUM for the FIRST HOME PLAYOFF GAME IN FRANCHISE HISTORY BOO their team on the play.

Kickoff is a touchback with 2:55 before halftime.
Edge - NOW they're running? - runs into his own man and gets no gain.
Warner dumpoff is incomplete with good pressure from (Hey) Biermann coming. 3rd-10.
INTERCEPTION as Warner's short throw is behind Jhereme Urban, off his shoulder pad, and into Chevis Jackson's hands. Atlanta ball at the Arizona 23.

Ryan up top to Pollard for 6 at the 2:00 warning.
Turner surges up the middle for 4. First down. Turner blew Dansby's helmet off.
Gabe Watson offsides. Atlanta back inside the 10.
Pretty play action, Ryan has White WIDE OPEN in the corner of the end zone but overthrows him BADLY. 2nd-5, 1:12 left in half.
Timeout, Atlanta.
HANDOFF to Turner gets one. 3rd-4 from the 7.
Ryan hits his go-to man White on a flare route right at the first-down marker. First and goal at the 3. 27 seconds left.
Play action, and Justin Peelle is WIDE OPEN in the back of the end zone and Ryan hits him on the roll right for a TD and a 17-14 Falcon lead.

Arrington tentatively brings the kickoff out from deep in the end zone and only gets to the 16. Looks like Arizona'll be falling on it with just 0:17 left. No, but a quick screen to Fitzgerald does bupkus to the strains of BOOS from the home crowd.

Atlanta 17, Arizona 14 at halftime

The pace of this game has picked up and Atlanta has taken the lead thanks in part to excellent offensive adjustments in the second quarter. They shifted to a lot of no-huddle to wear the Big Dead defense down. That not only got Ryan and the passing game moving in a better tempo, it loosened up the running game for Turner. Atlanta's poised to pound Turner at Arizona the whole second half and I doubt they can stop him. In addition, the o-line and Jerious Norwood have been terrific on Arizona blitzes. If Arizona can't blitz you, they're in trouble.

The coaching's been less impressive when Arizona has the ball. The Dead were running great but then got away from it, even though the Falcons weren't bringing more men in the box. Stick to what works! And, yes, the Dead have the big pass plays, mainly because Lawyer Milloy has been awful. You could blame him for both TDs. Atlanta's D HAS to stop exposing Milloy like that and cut back on the blitzing; Atlanta wasn't a big blitzing team all year anyway. Stick to what works! You can't blitz Kurt Warner this year anyway.

Atlanta wins if they get decent 2nd-half contributions from Turner and the so-far invisible John Abraham. And if they don't get burned by any more stupid blitzes. If the Cardinals are going to abandon the run, they'd better just sell out completely with a lot of 4- and 5-WR formations and set Kurt up for some more big plays.

WHY IN THE HOLY HELL IS MATT MILLEN PART OF NBC's STUDIO COVERAGE? He's supposed to be any kind of football expert after that stint in Detroit? Absolutely bloody ridiculous.

THIRD QUARTER
Falcons from their 27. Short out to Peelle for 3.
BIG PLAY FOR ARIZONA AS ROLLE SCORES A DEFENSIVE TD. 21-17, BIG DEAD.
Ryan and Turner blow an exchange thanks to a surge from Dockett, the ball pops right into Antrell Rolle's hands and he showboats in for a 27-yard TD.

By the way, Arizona is going to lose this game. You don't showboat like Rolle did on that play, nearly giving Ryan a chance to knock it away from him at the goal line, and get away with it.

Touchback by Norwood.
Game-saving timeout by Arizona, as Turner explodes off left tackle and appears to have had an 80-yard TD for the taking. It'll still be 1st-10 at the 20 instead.
Making a run for game MVP, Dansby trips Turner in the backfield for a loss.
White pinballs off Dansby for an apparent first down, but it comes back for a hold. Ouch.
Ryan's 2nd down pass incomplete under pressure from Berry.
Second half shaping up as a complete disaster for the Falcons. Delay of game pushes them back inside their own 5. 3rd-and-25.
They try a bomb out of the end zone but Ryan and Jenkins don't appear to be on the same page.
Falcons interfere with Breaston's opportunity to field the punt and Arizona will start at the Falcon 38.
Absolutely crucial for the Falcons to hold them to 3 or less here.

Edge cuts back up the middle for 5.
Falcons blitz and Warner just misses Fitzgerald deep down the Atlanta sideline.
Chris Houston gets away with a hold on Fitzgerald on 3rd-and-5, followed by Neil Rackers INEXCUSABLY missing a FG attempt INDOORS, from 51 yards out.

Atlanta has survived the onslaught; let's see if the tide didn't just switch with that Josh Brown-esque momentum-killer of a whiffed FG.

Falcons at their 40. Turner gains maybe 1.
Quick out to White for 5.
Big Dead blitz big on 3rd down and the pass is through White's hands.
Rare three-and-out for this game and a big missed opportunity for the Falcons.
Koenen shanks the punt out of bounds at the Arizona 24.

Edge pounds off left tackle for 2, then cuts back and breaks a tackle for 6.
Nicely-setup screen to Spach lives long and prospers for 5 and a first down.
Edge runs into a blocker again and ends up with nothing.
Warner's suddenly throwing to everybody; 5 to fullback Terrelle Smith on his sideline.
3rd-5. Good rush from Atlanta but Kurt escapes and trucks for 5 and a first down.
Cardinals at their 48. Edge bounces outside, breaks Coy Wire's tackle and gains 10. Should have been 2. Foxworth taken off with an injury.
Tim Hightower up the middle for 3.
Quick hitch to Urban for 5.
Warner hits Edge on the hot route under heavy pressure for about 9 down to the Atlanta 26. Classic play by Kurt.
Hightower breaks a tackle and smashes down to the 20. Cardinals are having a game-finishing drive here.
Draw to Hightower gains maybe 1.
Warner steps up and hits Breaston at the 4. Kurt is leading a magnificent drive.
Warner got bloody flattened by Grady Jackson that last play and I'm surprised he is still alive.
Hightower duplicates Turner's earlier TD to put Arizona ahead 28-17. Good outside block by Spach, logically.

This game may be over.

Kickoff is a touchback again. Notice how the Cardinals have taken Norwood out of the kicking game WITH DEEP KICKS, unlike the Rams last week.
And now the game IS over. Ryan BADLY underthrows White on a fly route up his sideline and it's picked off by DRC. Terrible bloody throw by Ryan, who was under NO PRESSURE AT ALL. Even Bulger doesn't foul up throws that badly.

Edge blasts right for 5. I didn't pick Arizona to win this game, and I doubt anybody was expecting them to run as well as they have. Atlanta HAS to address its defense in the offseason. Every pick on D, guys.
They do stuff Edge on 2nd down, though. 3rd-5.
Warner looks off his primary, scrambles right and throws it away. Good coverage on the left side of the field gains Atlanta a stop they HAD to have.
(Hey) Biermann nearly blocks the punt, which is downed at the 16.

Berry tracks down Turner for no gain, though he could have had him for -4. That's another surprise, the way Arizona's been able to shut down Turner.
Norwood up the middle for 4 leaves Atlanta facing a critical 3rd-and-6.

FOURTH QUARTER
Ryan overthrows a well-covered Jenkins to force a punt. Hoo boy.
Breaston fair-catches the punt at his 44.

James gets 6 off right tackle. Add a face mask on Curtis Lofton, and Arizona's already at the Falcon 35.
Falcons blow up a screen to Arrington for -3.
Atlanta blitzes but the quick screen to Urban gains only a couple.
Looks like a missed blitz adjustment by Breaston, as Warner's throw for him is well short with Atlanta bringing lots of heat again.
Arizona's threatening to let Atlanta back into the game by getting away from the run.

Stick. With. What. Works!

Arizona's going to have terrible field position after the punt, though. It's downed inside the 5 and they were called for a hold.

Falcons at their 3. Referees are VERY slow with the whistle, but Antonio Smith clearly has Ryan in the grasp for a safety; 30-17, Cardinals. Smith manhandled Sam Baker, who is having a lousy game.

Dockett got a richly-justified penalty for "riding the pony" on Smith after the play. The referee should also get a penalty for grabbing so much of Dockett's crotch trying to break up the celebration.

Ewwwwwwwww.

Great free kick by Koenen; 66 yards, and Breaston can only return it to the 15.
Cards start at their 8 after a penalty. Fitzgerald for 7.
Edge plows up the middle for 7 and a first down.
After a false start, Warner teleports one to Spach for 5.
Falcon blitz yields a good stuff of Edge by Biermann. Edge should have been called for a face mask after the play. Big Dead were called for a hold.
2nd-19 at the 13. Hightower draws for 7.
No pressure, but Warner just dumps to Fitzgerald underneath for 7 more.
Douglas returns the punt to the 42. Atlanta has about 8:00 left to make their comeback.

Bomb by Ryan is just past Douglas and incomplete.
4 to Finneran underneath.
Huge blitz by Arizona; Ryan back-foots a pass for Jenkins that is broken up by Hood.
Falcons going for it on 4th-6. Collinsworth was punting here, I guess; says it's too early to go for it. I say they HAVE to go for it.
BIG PLAY as a screen pass to Norwood gains 30 down to the 26.
Cards got caught blitzing on 4th-and-6. WHY ARE YOU BLITZING ON 4th AND 6?
6 to the TE. Falcons back to no-huddle. Great grab by Jenkins for 3. 3rd-1.
Ryan gets 2 on the QB sneak down to the 15.
Cards jump offside; 1st-5 at the 10.
Quick hitch to White for 5; first and goal.
Quick screen to White, who sheds DRC's tackle fairly easily for a 5-yard TD. Arizona 30, Atlanta 24.
Lousy defensive drive by the Cardinals, who blitzed on 4th down and 6, and as Collinsworth pointed out, were laying 10 yards off the receivers on first-and-goal at the 5.

This may not be over yet; 4:15 to go.

Arrington returns the deep kick out to the 20.
Atlanta has all three timeouts.
Warner fires to Fitzgerald for 15. They must really HATE to run if they're not running here.
Pitch to Edge right; he loses 1.
Atlanta timeout at 3:18.
PASSING AGAIN, Warner hits Breaston downfield for 25. Ball at the Atlanta 40. That was a real dagger.
Hightower struggles for 2-3. Atlanta uses timeout #2.
END AROUND TO BREASTON?!?!?!?!? LOSES EIGHT. Big play by Abraham after NBC's feature on how invisible he has been today.
Atlanta uses their final timeout. 2:17 left, 3rd-16 from the Atlanta 46.
GAME IS LOGICALLY OVER AFTER SPACH IS WIDE OPEN OVER THE MIDDLE FOR 22. Keith Brooking another defensive Falcon having a bloody terrible day. Cards can just fall on it now and win out the game.

And for the first time in 46-plus years of ownership, Bill Bidwill has finally won a home playoff game.
It couldn't happen to a less-deserving guy. Bad news for the Cardinals, this sends them to the East Coast next week, the Meadowlands or Carolina. The Giants should drill them, but I'll give them a fighter's chance in Carolina. Kurt Warner has had some terrible cold-weather games in Carolina in the past, though.

As much as I hate to pull the stunt Madden and Michaels always do with the "horse trailer", I don't see how you can separate between the Cardinal tackles, Mike Gandy and Levi Brown, for co-MVP of the game. John Abraham didn't do a damn thing, Warner wasn't sacked and usually had plenty of time to throw, and the Cards controlled the line of scrimmage and were able to bang out yards on the ground, which they haven't been able to do all season.

Matt Ryan was very up-and-down and made some awful plays, but I'm not worried about him; he'll learn from this game. Atlanta's got to be disturbed they couldn't establish Turner on the ground against a team they should have been able to do it to, and in a situation where you HAVE to be able to do it to win. But I'm focusing on defense in the offseason if I'm them. They need a DE who can stay healthy and take pressure off Abraham. They need a big run-stuffer inside, an amazing thing to say for a team that has 400-pounder Grady Jackson. They don't remotely have a shutdown corner, and Milloy is so done at safety I just know we're going to be seeing him in a Rams uniform next season. And their linebackers, much to my surprise, are flatout terrible. They might want to see what they can get for Keith Brooking's reputation in the offseason and draft an MLB if a good one falls that far. They're going to get somebody good on defense in any event.

And continued good luck to Kurt, as I get ready for Colts-Chargers.