2009 NFL Week 20 Game Recaps

Colts 30, Jets 17

It’s really amazing how different the first 28 minutes of this game were compared to the final 32 minutes. The Jets led 17-6. They were hitting big plays against a sloppy Colts defense, and Peyton Manning was dancing around in the pocket as if he were battling the Chargers. New York even sacked Manning twice in the first two drives.

Starting in the final two minutes of the first half, however, Manning seemed like he figured out the Jets’ schemes. Manning, seldom pressured anymore, scored 24 points in his next five drives. New York, meanwhile, continuously had blown coverages in its secondary.

Manning proved exactly why he was voted MVP this year. With Reggie Wayne (3 catches, 55 yards) eliminated by Darrelle Revis, Peyton Manning repeatedly went to his young guys, Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie. Collie had seven grabs for 123 yards and a touchdown, while Garcon had 11 receptions for 151 yards and a score.

Oh, and Manning was 26-of-39 for 377 yards and three touchdowns. Not too shabby.

Though the Jets had the NFL’s top rushing attack and the Colts had the league’s worst ground offense (statistically), Indianapolis outrushed the Jets, 101-86. Joseph Addai gained 80 yards on 16 attempts.

Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene, meanwhile, had 83 yards on 26 attempts. Greene was the better rusher (10-41), but injured his ribs in the third quarter and didn’t return. His absence really hurt the Jets; they didn’t score a single point after he left the contest.

Mark Sanchez played a great game. He went 17-of-30 for 257 yards, two touchdowns and a late interception in what Wade Phillips would call “desperation mode.” It’s amazing that a rookie was able to perform this well on the road in an AFC Championship. St. Louis Rams – take note.

Goat of the game: Jay Feely. The Jets enjoyed watching Shayne Graham and Nate Kaeding whiff on easy field goals in the first two rounds of the playoffs. They got a taste of their own medicine here, as Feely missed from 44 and 52 (not difficult in a dome). Feely hit a 48-yarder in between, but if he would have nailed all of his kicks, the Jets would’ve covered. Just saying.

This was a fun game to watch until it got out of hand at the very end. I do want to express my frustration with the officiating. The refs clearly favored the Colts; the Jets were penalized six times, while Indianapolis was whistled for only one infraction, which was an obvious false start. The zebras missed a late hit on Sanchez that nearly made Rex Ryan puke up his 10 breakfasts. That official was really fortunate that there were people around; otherwise, Ryan would have eaten him alive.

Having said that, congratulations to Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts on their ~~18-0~~ 16-2 season and their second Super Bowl appearance in four years.

Saints 31, Vikings 28

It’s a shame when officials decide any football game, let alone a postseason contest. But once Garrett Hartley nailed a 40-yard field goal to seal a Super Bowl berth for the Vikings, thousands of NFL.com Gamecenter users focused on what they believed was a crooked game.

I thought Pierre Thomas converted the first down in overtime and that Robert Meachem made an ensuing catch, but the pass interference call on Ben Leber was bogus and it mirrored the infraction in last week’s Colts-Ravens game. It seems like officials nowadays have no grasp of what the word “uncatchable” means.

The Saints also got away with an earlier roughing-the-passer penalty where a defender dived at Brett Favre’s legs and injured the veteran quarterback. The Vikings should have been awarded a first down and had the interception nullified, though to be fair, Favre wouldn’t have been able to play right away and Tarvaris Jackson just would have thrown a pick anyway.

But with that in mind, all the shady second-half and overtime calls would have been, as Emmitt would say, “none and void” if the Vikings hadn’t committed five turnovers. Minnesota fumbled the ball six times and lost three. Favre’s second interception (at the end of regulation) was a horrific decision that Jay Cutler would have been proud of. Favre threw the ball late across his body over the middle of the field and had it picked off by Tracy Porter. This nullified a game-winning field goal attempt by Ryan Longwell.

And remember, none of this would have happened if Minnesota didn’t have 12 men on the field. I was not surprised – Brad Childress is a disciple of Andy Reid, and this is something Reid would have been guilty of.

Three of Minnesota’s fumbles belonged to Adrian Peterson. Peterson ran well otherwise (25 carries, 122 yards, 3 TDs), but continuously put the ball on the ground and cost Minnesota the game. The Vikings, by the way, outgained the Saints, 475-257.

For a 40-year-old getting hit hard on what seemed like every play, Favre played a heck of a game (the second interception aside). Favre was 28-of-46 for 310 yards, one touchdown and those two picks.

It was nice to see Bernard Berrian actually do something for a change. Berrian caught nine balls for 102 yards. Visanthe Shiancoe chipped in with four grabs for 83 yards, while Sidney Rice also had four catches for 43 yards and a score.

Drew Brees went just 17-of-31 for 197 yards and three touchdowns. He and the Saints offense uncharacteristically failed to convert numerous third-and-short situations.

After a dynamic performance last week, Reggie Bush did nothing outside of two great catches. He carried the ball seven times for eight yards. He also muffed a punt that set up the Vikings with a short field.