Sunday Wild Card Thoughts

Congratulations to the Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints, San Diego Chargers, and San Francisco 49ers on their Wild Card playoff wins.

Three of the four games were, at least, great. The 49ers-Packers game was fantastic.

The Chargers-Bengals was lacking due to the very un-playoff like play of the Bengals.

Very bold move by the 49ers to go for it on 4th-and-6 from the Packers 35 on their first possession. A 31-yard Colin Kaepernick to Michael Crabtree throw made the call brilliant. A great defensive 4-yard line stand by the Packers kept the damage to a field goal.

Kaepernick may have gained about twice as many yards on the ground against the Packers in last year's playoff game but his 98 yards yesterday were twice as important. His last, clutch run was a dagger to the Packers hopes and set up a chip-shot, game-winning field goal by Phil Dawson.

Packers cornerback Davon House was oh-so-close to blocking that field goal. I actually thought that he was going to get that ball. It went right through his arms.

On further review, it looks like House might have been called for being offsides.

The 49ers used a timeout before they even ran a play to start the 2nd half. You don't see that very often. It didn't matter. They used their last timeout to set up the game-winning field goal.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and receiver Randall Cobb really work well together when things start to break down. It's amazing that both were sidelined by injuries for most of the season.

Packers rookie running back Eddie Lacy is a keeper. Rodgers and a talented back. Oh my.

Rodgers had 177 yards passing in the game. It was his lowest total for a playoff game. I think that was more the game plan than an indication of an off game by Rodgers. Lacy, Starks, the cold, and the fact that Rodgers is only weeks removed from a broken collarbone had a lot to do with the passing totals.

Ah, the weather.
5 degrees/-10 wind chill in Green Bay was absolutely balmy compared to the forecast.

Losing corner Sam Shields to a knee injury early in the first quarter was a significant blow to the Packers defense.

After the game, 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said that receiver Michael Crabtree has the best hands in football history. It's great that he's propping up his own player but Harbaugh is out of his mind. Everyone knows that recently inducted Hall of Fame receiver Cris Carter has the greatest hands of all time.

If I was told that quarterback Philip Rivers would throw for 128 yards in a playoff game, I'd say that there was no way that the San Diego Chargers would win that game. Rivers did throw for 128 yards and the Chargers knocked the Cincinnati Bengals out of the playoffs.

Three Chargers running backs each gained over fifty yards. The Chargers gained 196 yards on the ground.

The Bengals are one of the most talented football teams in the league. They've been knocked out in the first round of the playoffs in each of the last three years. I wonder how long owner Mike Brown stays patient with coach Marvin Lewis. Lewis is 0-5 in the postseason overall. That looks like a Dennis Green postseason record.

Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton struggled. Two interceptions. He could have had a few more. One fumble. He threw for over 300 yards but he never looked comfortable. He didn't get a lot of help. All-Pro receiver A.J. Green dropped a deep throw in the fourth quarter that he simply has to catch. Running back Giovani Bernard had a couple of drops. He also fumbled the ball as he was approaching a touchdown in the second quarter. If he keeps the ball and the Bengals punch in that touchdown, the Bengals have a 10-point lead and it's a different game.

In three playoff games, Dalton has one touchdown and six interceptions.

One Bengals offensive player that did help Dalton was former Cal receiver Marvin Jones.

Former Cal receivers are actually doing quite well in the NFL. DeSean Jackson has been one of the more explosive offensive players in the league for a few years. Jones has become a terrific compliment to A.J. Green for the Bengals in his second season. Keenan Allen of the San Diego Chargers might take home this year's rookie of the year award.

That rookie of the year award is likely a tossup between Allen and Lacy. I'd give it to Minnesota Vikings returner/receiver Cordarrelle Patterson. But, that's just me.

Danny Woodhead looks more like your paperboy than an NFL running back. I can't believe that Bill Belichick let him get out of New England. The Chargers were smart to grab him in free agency. Woodhead is a terrific football player.

I hope that Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer is on the first plane to Minnesota. He's my top choice to be the next head coach of the Minnesota Vikings.

I think that it's ridiculous that the NFL fined Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch $50,000 for failing to make himself available to the media throughout the season. If the NFL is going to demand that the players be available to the media, the NFL should demand that the media not be idiots.

Congratulations to North Dakota St. on their third straight FCS national title. That's tough to do at any level and they have to go through a real playoffs.

In lieu of a real playoff, we have Florida St.-Auburn tonight in the last championship of the idiotic BCS.