Ventura County Star du lieu suivant : Ventura, California • 28

1 IM 9 9 WW i i'mi mnmH rrTT a NFL Playoffs C6 Monday Jan 10 2005 FC The Star critics off the mark Playoffs at glance MlhwePST tt Louis 27 Settle 20 NY Ml Zt Sul Migo it or MIwmtl 41 Denver 24 Minnesota 2L Green Ony 17 SAN DIEGO The New York Jets had barely kicked the winning overtime field goal when the criticism of Marty Schottenheimer began Since Schottenheimer had just lost his fifth straight playoff game as a coach this time with the San Diego Chargers beaten 20-17 by the Jets in IttttMMlS NY Ml it Pttistwgh lilt pm (CBS) St Loulset ttnlt pm (Rm) SrattftttLlI t-H- J-l-l-l Mmcsou prwaonpnta i pjn Ota) MMttoBi a Nam England Ut pm (CSS) Saturday night's wild-card NFLt SrattftJH21 MFC Champkmhip Guru noon Ota) AFC Champkmhip Game 130 pm (CBS) making exactly the same decision and it paid off The only difference is that New York picked up its final first down at the San Diego 15 thanks to a 19-yard run by Lamont Jordan The Jets then pounded away twice picked up five yards and kicked Doug Brienk 28-yard try was good the Jets had won and the game was over 'Die difference between the decision of Schottenheimer and the one by Edwards? Seven yards of field position Well that and the kick going through the uprights So ah easy decision to second-guess even though not where the Chargers lost the game They lost it by not being able to stop the ensuing possession And in a perfect world yes the Chargers would have continued to think aggressively rather than defensively Unfortunately Saturday's game wasn't played in a perfect worid but in the NFL And in that league with so much money at stake coaches are almost -always going to take the hpM SattftM1 MkdMarifcHt AFC NFC 330 pm (Fox) percentage play This is probably more true when you consider the wet conditions and success of Kaeding (5 of 6 on field goals of 40 to 49 yards in the regular season 20 of 25 overall) less true only when you recall Kaeding is a rookie and had never faced this kind of situation or that kicking in general is something of a roll of the dice That doesn't necessarily make the decision to play for the kick a correct one (As Schottenheimer noted the result means it wasn't) And the whole play-to-kick approach is based in a really negative mindset that there's a bigger chance of an error in continuing to attack than there is in piling into the line three times and sending out your kicker (It's a dose cousin to the old Vfoody Hayes philosophy of offense only three things can happen when you throw apass and two of them are bad This of course makes Hayes one of the patron saints of coaching conservatism) And the play-for-the-kick approach certainly was frustrating for the 67536 at Qualcomm Stadium the third largest crowd in Chargers history given the way San Diego was moving the ball on that overtime drive To reach the New York 22 the Chargers picked up 48 yards in 10 plays Once they readied that point and were satisfied with their position they had minus-1 playoff summaries round game the criticism was predictable and it was easy A little too easy in fact The local columnists the talk-show callers the disappointed fans leaving Qualcomm Stadium all of them decided Schottenheimer had been too conservative in playing for a field goal in overtime partiailarly since the Nick Kacding was wide right on the resulting attempt from 40 yards with 4:19 left in the first extra period The problem with this a I IMS fldpmMr M-Mungre 2 pan Bom tanning (Vlnderiagt kick) 721 M-tm 1 ran (Wnderjigt kick) KwwfcDjMMzlanAP Chargers kicker Nate Keading is distraught after missing a 40-yard field goal in overtime against the Jets on Saturday criticism is that 95 percent of the knd-Clark is pad fre (VhnderlagtkickXfelL Den-fG Elam 33 5:191 M-Wkyna 35 pate Fn (taxfeflagt kick) 429 kid -Manning ran (Wndtrjagt kick) as conservative approach to unless the le overtime unless the very comfortable with the opportunity to kick it Nate has coaches in the NFL probably 1 the same would have played I football coach They are if you haven't noticed a generally conservative lot particularly in the National Football League been tough all year had ev every where profiles and paychecks are particularly high and playing it league does something like require more than a field goal to win an overtime game Which isn't going to happen anytime soon OK not ever because the NFL is at heart every bit as conservative as its coaches Contact Star columnist David Lassen at dlassenWmturaCountStarux)m Dan-ftSmkti pan i (Elam kick) ML Den-Putter 35 pnss from Ptummar (Bam kick) 1:11 tarthgmler kaMtayne 41 pm from tanning (Vanderjagt kick) situation the same way and that 5 percent would have done things differently only if they had no confidence in their kicker Schottenheimer made it clear both with the call and afierward that he was not in that 5 percent we got the ball inside the 35-yard he said "I felt confidence he would make it In 2020 hindsight would I change it? Sure He make Without the benefit of that hindsight though Schottenheimer took the conservative approach Which nek your simply means hefe your basic yard in the ensuing three plays Unmentioned in the criticism safe is the better bet for job retention When Schottenheimer elected to think field goal once the Chargers had a firk down at their own 22 he was making the of course is that Jets coach Herman Edwards ended up Jets must refuel to upset Steelers 432 Droughnc 426 Putt 347 IMa 2-27Hwe2tCMMll 1-15 WttS 14 Wtaaptt Myna 10-22L dark 4112 Hantaan 4-50 Stokley 2-13 MM 2 28 Jama ML Mungro 1-L VUtsXLPdnZ7 Tl Ik Mai I Min-kLWI Mama SB pan from Culpepper (Andersen kick! 1321 Min-Moss 20 pen from Culpepper (Andaman kick) 930 Min-FG Andersen 35 66 GB-FB Longman 41 22 GB-ftanks 4 pan from Fame (Long-wet kick) lOcX Mkt-BurieanB pan from Culpepper (Andenen kick) fc3i tartkgml GB-Oavenport 1 ran Oongwefl kick) 1137 M(n-Moi 34 pass from Culpepper (Andersen kick) 10:19 A-7L075 AP lit photo Peyton Manning is sacked by the Patriots' Jarvis Green during last season's AFC Championship Game at Foxboro Mass Manning must shake off cold Colts have lost five straight to Patriots including AFC title game last season Foxboro in January Looking ahead First downs Total Net Verde Ruhea-yvds Passing RM Return Kickoff Retun Interceptions Ret 444 CSfflpAtMnt 1S-2M 22-33-4 Sacted-VardsLOSt 423 2-15 Puntl 432J 341J FUmMeMoat 24 14 PeneKertaids 7-66 455 TlmeofRssession 2MB 30:12 RMHNILSH1HICS MHRK-MhMtt Culpippir 464 OSmitfr 11-31 kUennett ML Bwa Green 2040 Dewnport 5-14 Favre 3-7 Fisher 1-4 Minna tanniia Culpepper 14 294-284 Mewl Irs Feme 2233-4216 omwina a Moss 4-70 Burleson 460 Wiggins 3-32 MJKIHlams 2-72 asmltti 222 kLBennett 212 CanvbeO 1-12 Roklnson 1-4 Om Driver 7-71 Hendmon 227 Ranks 2 32 VWhar 227 Chatman 225 Green 2 16 Luchey 210 Fisher 2L RM FBI (BUS Htamta An-denen 27 (BKL Rnaa Longman 20 (WLL "When the playoffs come around you defi-) be hitting on all said nitdywantto By Andrea Adeboa Jfu Associated Press HEMPSTEAD NY Jets coach Herman Edwards trudged to his news conference Sunday afternoon looking exhausted but somehow feeling rejuvenated Hours earlier he watched his team win a game with more drama than Broadway They survived a late roughingthe-passer penalty a missed San Diego field goal and a sideline spat between Edwards and an assistant in a bizarre game that ended in a 20-17 overtime victory It was all Edwards yvanted: a win after ending the regular-season on a slide quieting doubters who said they backed into the playoffs But can the momentum continue? Another tough test awaits Saturday at Pittsburgh in the AFC divisional round tired right now but the playoffs give you a shot of Edwards said think our guys understood that when we pulled up in San Diego I said this is a different atmosphere Things have We walked into the stadium It was electric in To recap: the Jets blew a 10-point fourth-quarter lead and nearly imploded on the sideline but ended up winning their first road playoff game in 22 years Eric Barton had the bone-head move of the game when he was flagged for roughing-the-passer on a play that would have given the Jets a victory in regulation Edwards and running backs coach Bishop Harris nearly came to blows late in the third quarter and fullback Jerald Sowell had to restrain the two Nate Kaeding missed a 40-yard field goal in overtime to help Barton redeem himself and Drag Brien nailed the game-winner with five seconds left in the extra period to win it Edwards said everything was fine with Harris but declined to discuss why the argument started saying "The other side came out of me the side that I have in me at times It shocked a lot of people to It also might have shocked some people to see the Jets win Now perhaps beating the AFC West champions can give the Jets another shot in the arm against the Steelers "Just winning this game is going to give us another level of confidence going into next NFL rushing champion Curtis Martin said tight end Dallas dark think we are and the team keeps getting better every Next weekend other AFC game is also a rematch The Steelers brat the Jets 17-6 in Chad Pennington's second game back from a bruised rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder Pennington's passes fluttered in that and he threw three interceptions He was a lot more confident in New Yoik's dramatic 20-17 overtime upset Saturday night in San Diego and his arm looked a lot stronger Dome The Eagles are favored by 9 points the Falcons by 7 The most interesting game will be in Foxboro matching Manning and the other record breakers in the offense against the defending champs They also have the home-weather advantage Of Manning's record 49 touchdown passes 32 were indoors 26 at home and six more at Ford Field And in the five losses to New England dating to 2001 Manning has thrown just nine By Dm Goldberg AP football writer The long-range weather report for Foxboro Mare next Sunday is partly cloudy with temperatures from 20 to 30 degrees Not exactly the RCA Dome this week: no wind and 72 Yes Peyton Manning is great the best active NFL quarterback and moving up the list of the best ever But beating a flawed Denver team 49-24 at home in the first round of the playoffs Sunday is not the same as going into frigid Foxboro against the winner of two of the last three Super Bowls So far road teams have fared well in the playoffs better than ever before in fact Three of the four winners in the wild-card round were road teams The Colts were the Receiving "Obviously I play well the last time we played Pittsburgh so those questions will TD passes along with nine interceptions Once again he will be facing Tom Brady who have numbers but has the nqolmoMvjoriiAiptt 240-Erlc Moukh AFC mild cmd Buffalo at Miami I receptions Jan 2 19M -227 -Anthony Cvtar NFC Division Minnesota at San Francisco 10 raccF Gone Jan 9 1901 221-Reggie Wayne AFC mild card Indianapolis vs Denver to receptions JM 12005 title two actually that Manning lacks So Fbxboro will be a different story only home tram to win and be the best of the second-round road teams They will need all the skill they can muster they have lost to the Patriots five straight be asked Pennington said Sunday Most of Pittsburgh's starters will have had two weeks off going into the game the subs actually played well enough in the finale to knock Buffalo out of the playoffs So Ben Roethlisberger who became the first quarterback ever to be voted NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year will have rested his bruised ribs and Plaxico Burress and other banged-up Steelers will be healthier Rested teams sometimes get rusty though Probably not the Steelers coach Bill Cowher wont allow it: He had the backups playing hard in Buffalo and the starters sure- times including in last AFC Champi- Shtofthis onship Game and on the opening night of Quote it though it probably will be more like this opener a 27-24 New England victory than last season's title game a 24-14 Patriots win that wasn't really that dose Manning threw four interceptions in the title game He had just one in this season matchup in the end zone by the Tedy Bruschi on a pass thrown from the New England 6 on the first possession The end of that ffune was also indicative of why the Patriots have won those two Super Bowls had a 21-jpme winning streak over two seasons and are just the third team with back-toJiack 14-2 regular seasons With the Colts in position for a game-tying field goal Manning was sacked by Willie McGinest for a 13-yard loss a typical big play by one of the many big- season both times in Foxboro Indianapolis-New England will be the final game of next Super Bowl quarterfinals which will begin with the other AFC semifinal tire New York Jets at Pittsburgh on Saturday The Patriots are favored by 3 points the Steelers by 9 In the NFC Minnesota will be at Philadelphia early Sunday after upsetting Green Bay 31-17 joining St Louis as the first 8-8 teams to advance in the playoffs The Rams who beat Seattle 27-20 on Saturday now go to Atlanta for a Saturday night game As with the AFC games these are re- wili come rat strong against the Jets Philadelphia which started 13-1 before liking its last two games should be the prohibitive favorite in the NFC But they will be ve never been in a game where felt almost hopeless They knew what they were John Lynch Broncos safety after Denver was dominated by the Colts in the playoffs for the second straight season without Tbrrcll Owens The Vikings have the offensive weapons to cause problems for the Eagles although Randy Moss was limping throughout the 31-17 win in Green Bay St Louis will have what it likes in Atlanta an indoor stadium and a fast track But the track also benefits Michael Vick play guys for the Patriots Mike Vanderjagt forced to kick from 48 yards after the sack missed a field goal and New England won' matches Philadelphia beat the Vikings 27-16 in the second week of the season a day after But the Colts seem confident they can keep their prolific offense going even in Atlanta beat St Louis 34-17 in the Georgia 1 I -r i i ma 1 I A.