 |
 |
 |
|
Quick, now, before we forget: Here's what I just saw:
Playoff MVP: Peyton Manning, quarterback, Indianapolis. I don't care that he had two touchdown passes and six interceptions in three games. The Colts never, ever, get where they are without the guy. He wasn't just good in the second half against New England, he was sensational, and those 32 second-half points against Bill Belichick are the evidence. So are the 349 yards passing. I'm happy for the guy, and I'm not alone. There were a lot of people pulling for Manning to get over the hump. He won the big game, and hallelujah. Now all those questions about not making it to the Super Bowl will be reserved for brother Eli.
|
|
| Tony Dungy finally gets past Bill Belichick and the Pats in the playoffs. (Getty Images) |
Playoff Goat: OK, so it's Dallas quarterback Tony Romo for fumbling the hold on a game-winning field goal. But let's give the guy credit: He had the poise to pick up the ball and try to run for a touchdown -- and he would have made it were it not for an extraordinary game-saving tackle by Seattle's Jordan Babineaux. That was no solace to Romo, who sat alone on the bench and buried his head in his hands. "I don't know if I've felt this low at any point," he said.
Runner-up: Dallas wide receiver Terry Glenn. If he doesn't fumble that ball on the 1, we're not having this conversation.
Offensive player of the playoffs: Thomas Jones, running back, Chicago. All he did was shred New Orleans for a game-high 123 yards and score two TDs. He was also responsible for all 69 yards on a second-period scoring drive that wound up with Jones scoring on a 2-yard carry. "I never imagined I would be talking to you about going to the Super Bowl," Jones said. It doesn't matter if Rex Grossman can't hit the broad side of Mrs. O'Leary's barn. Jones kept finding holes in opponents' defenses -- scoring four TDs, running for 189 yards and averaging 4.7 yards a carry. Could someone please tell me again why this guy wasn't good enough to make it in Arizona and Tampa Bay.
Runner-up: Dallas Clark, tight end, Indianapolis. Every time I looked up he was making another big catch. So he didn't score. Big deal. In two of his three playoff games he had 100 yards in receptions, including a game-high 137 against New England. But that's not all, folks: His 17 receptions were more than either Marvin Harrison or Reggie Wayne, and his 281 yards nearly equaled the 289 of Harrison and Wayne, combined.
Defensive player of the playoffs: Asante Samuel, cornerback New England. He returns an interception for a touchdown against the New York Jets. He makes a critical third-down stop in San Diego. Then he intercepts a Manning pass and returns it for a touchdown. He should be in the Pro Bowl, and now you know why. He's also a prospective free agent, and he's about to make himself a bundle.
Runner-up: Seattle's Lofa Tatupu. He stops Dallas tight end Jason Witten inches short of a first down on the Seahawks 1 to force a field goal. As we know now, the field goal never was tried. If Tatupu doesn't make the play the Cowboys, not Seattle, advance to Chicago. Oh, yeah, Tatupu's also the guy who made a marvelous attempt to keep Glenn's fumble alive by batting it out of the air and into a teammate's arms. One problem: Tatupu's foot was out of bounds. Still, a great, great play.
Coach of the playoffs: Indianapolis' Tony Dungy. They said he couldn't win a big one. Well, he just beat Belichick and Brady in the playoffs, and only one other guy has done that: Denver's Mike Shanahan. Congratulations, Tony. You like to see good things happen to good people, and there's not a better guy out there than Dungy. Oh yeah, he also becomes the second African-American coach to reach the Super Bowl. The Bears' Lovie Smith beat him by about four hours. "If we have to play someone," Smith said after beating New Orleans, "and in my perfect world, I would like to see the Colts be that team. Tony Dungy has done an awful lot for our game. He hasn't had an opportunity to coach in the Super Bowl, so I'm pulling for him to do that." I guess it was a good day for Lovie, too. He won twice.
Game of the playoffs: The AFC Championship Game. It might as well have been the Super Bowl. There was offense. There was defense. There was a touchdown scored by an offensive lineman on a fumble recovery. No, there were two. There were great catches. Great runs. Clutch field goals. Tough calls. Lots of points. A photo finish. This was must-see TV, with Manning and Brady slugging it out in a game that will be talked about for weeks. No question about it, this was the game of the year.
Best call of the playoffs: It's third-and-2 at the New England 3, and there's 1:02 left. The Patriots lead by three and have two timeouts left. What do you do? You reach for the end zone, which means you put the ball in Manning's hands. Well, you're halfway there. The Colts gave it to Joseph Addai instead, and he found a hole wider than the White River off right tackle for the game-winning touchdown. A gutsy, gutsy call.
Five things that need to be explained
1. LaDainian Tomlinson is the best player in the league. No, he's the best football player on the planet. He has a history of shredding New England and is in the midst of a 123-yard performance that includes two touchdowns when the Chargers suddenly, and inexplicably, stop giving him the ball. He touches it nine times in the second half, and San Diego loses by a field goal. Offensive coordinator Cam Cameron has some explaining to do. Instead, he leaves town for the head-coaching job in Miami. Good luck with Ricky Williams, Cam.