Hi Folks,

 

Please find following our last two game recaps of the year.��

 

We set out on this project back in the Summer doing our best to bring to you what happened in each game each week.�� Over 500 games and a jillion words later, we hope we helped at least a little to keep you on top of what was happening.�� I do know it�s been a lot of fun bringing these to you.

 

Have a great week.

 

Joe

 

***********************

Joe Bryant�

[email protected]

Owner � www.Footballguys.com

 

 

Championship Weekend Playoff Game Recaps

 

 

Writers:�� David Shick, Jim Enochs

Editor:�� Joe Bryant�

 

 

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

 

Brad Johnson did his best Tom Brady impersonation. He wore gloves for the first game in his career and he led his team to the Super bowl.

 

Mike Alstott and Michael Pittman were held to a combined 42 yards on 25 carries. They did not have a chance as they usually got hit behind the line first.

 

Joe Jurevicius was the feel good story of the day. After missing practice while looking after his premature son, he made the 71 yard catch that sparked the team and put them on the road to victory.

 

Cornerback Ronde Barber was the star of the day with a sack, a forced fumble, several passes defended, and an interception returned for a touchdown. This was a dominating performance.

 

Tampa won the game with a tough defense and creating a 3-1 turnover ratio.

 

Philadelphia Eagles:

 

Donovan McNabb was overmatched in this game. He had zip on his passes and appeared to have his legs back, but the Tampa defense was just too much for him as he turned the ball over 3 times and couldn�t get the ball into the end zone.

 

Duce Staley was one of the Eagles that actually looked good in the game. He ran hard and it usually took multiple defenders to bring him down.

 

Chad Lewis had a great game and was the main chain mover in the fourth quarter.

 

Brian Mitchell gave the Eagles a great start with 2 long returns on the first two kickoffs. The first return set the team up for its only touchdown.

 

Cornerback Bobby Taylor made a nice interception in man coverage.

 

 

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

 

QB: Brad Johnson did his best Tom Brady impersonation and decided to wear gloves to combat the cold for the first game in his career. It paid off as Johnson completed 20 of 33 passes for 259 yards leading his team to its first Super bowl. Johnson threw mostly short ball control passes and he hit his mark more often than not. Even his 71 yard pass to Joe Jurevicius was only a 15 yard crossing route and Jurevicius ran for the rest. His only interception was an under thrown, forced pass to Keyshawn Johnson who was also the recipient of the only passing touchdown of the day. The Philadelphia pass rush was not too tough in the first half, but was tougher in the second half. The pass rush, and the lack of Tampa running game, forced Johnson to make quick decisions play after play. He answered the call and led Tampa to its first NFC championship.

 

RB: Mike Alstott was the primary ball carrier today. He gained 25 yards on 17 attempts. That is a 1.5 yard per carry average. He is a bull, but the Philadelphia defense stood him up at the line and did not let him break a long run. He did scored a touchdown from one yard out on a sweep. Warren Sapp, who was playing tight end on the play, sealed off the corner and allowed Alstott an easy score. Alstott is fun to watch, but I can�t imagine the team can be too happy with the 1.5 yard per carry average.

 

Michael Pittman carried the ball 8 times for 17 yards. His 2.1 yards per carry average isn�t much better than Alstott, but Pittman did his damage as a receiver. He gained 53 yards on 5 catches on screen and dump passes. Pittman was an important part of the passing attack. He did leave the game early with a mild concussion, but he returned to the game.

 

Aaron Stecker came in as a change of pace back for a few plays while Pittman was out with the concussion. He looked very fast on his one carry gaining 9 yards. He also caught one dump pass for 3 yards. He did not see much playing time.

 

WR: Keyshawn Johnson caught 3 passes for 40 yards including a 9 yard touchdown. He was the target of several other passes including the under thrown interception. Johnson was part of the game plan early, but once the team had the lead, the play calling got very conservative in an effort to run the clock.�� Did have an ugly drop on an important pass that hit him right in the hands.

 

Keenan McCardell caught 5 passes for 37 yards. He made several key catches, but none of them were downfield. He seemed to be the go to guy for the short possession receptions. He has good hands and knows how to get open in tight coverage.

 

Joe Jurevicius only had one catch on the day, but it might have been the catalyst that launched Tampa to San Diego. Philadelphia was ahead 7-3 and appeared to have momentum before the play. With Tampa pinned deep in their own territory, Jurevicius caught a 15 yard crossing route over the middle. He then followed his blockers to the sideline where he turned up field and strode all the way to the 5 yard line before being knocked out of bounds. That set up Mike Alstott�s touchdown run and for the rest of the game, momentum was wearing a Tampa jersey. This story is straight out of Hollywood (not too far from San Diego) because Jurevicius had missed practice to be with his premature son and wife in the hospital. You have to love a happy ending, his son is getting better and he makes the key play to get Tampa to its first Super bowl. By the way, is it just me or does Jurevicius look faster now that he�s with Tampa?

 

TE: Ken Dilger caught 3 passes for 41 yards. He was an important part of the passing game to beat the blitz. When the pressure came, Dilger would bleed into the flat and Johnson would flip it to him while back peddling. He was left wide open several times and was allowed to turn up field and pick up the first down. He was also the target of a few more passes that did not connect.

 

Ricky Dudley caught only 1 pass for 7 yards. He is an afterthought in this offense and is still very inconsistent.

 

Pass Defense: The Tampa Bay passing defense won the game. Besides holding the Eagles to 232 passing yards and not allowing a touchdown, the defense made 2 sacks for fumbles and returned an interception for a touchdown. This unit proves week in and week out that it is the best defense in the game. Defensive end Simeon Rice sacked McNabb forcing a fumble that Rice recovered. Ronde Barber not only sacked McNabb as well, forcing the other fumble, he knocked down several passes with good coverage. Then, in the 4th quarter, with Philadelphia on the Tampa 8 yard line and threatening to get back into the game, Barber faked a blitz then dropped back and jumped the hot read slant route to intercept the pass and then returned it 92 yards for a touchdown. Even though it was a tremendous team effort on the defensive side of the ball, Ronde Barber was the star of the day.

 

Rushing Defense: After giving up the 20 yard touchdown to Duce Staley on the first drive of the game, the rushing defense tightened up and held Philadelphia to 80 yards. There really was no individual standout in the rushing defense. The defense took turns hitting the ball carrier hard. Even though defensive tackle Warren Sapp missed some time with a swollen eye, the Eagles could not run the ball consistently. This is a tough defense.

 

Special Teams: The kickoff team allowed Philadelphia return man Brian Mitchell a couple of long returns on the first two kicks. They then went to squib kicks for the rest of the game.

 

Martin Gramatica was perfect on the day making both field goals and all three extra points. His only miss was a poor acting job trying to draw a roughing penalty after making one of his field goals. He should seek Joe Nedney for coaching.

 

 

Philadelphia Eagles:

 

QB: Donovan McNabb completed 26 of 49 passes for 243 yards. While McNabb appeared to have his legs back, he didn�t have what it takes to get passed the tough Tampa defense. His passes had zip and he looked good on the 3 runs he made for 17 yards. The Tampa pass rush was too much for McNabb. Even though he was only sacked twice, he fumbled the ball both times for turnovers. In his defense, his receivers did drop a few passes. At the end of the game, the Eagles went to a no huddle spread offense that allowed McNabb to move the ball more freely. But when the Eagles had a chance to score and get back in the game, he threw the ball right to Ronde Barber who returned it for 92 yards and a touchdown ending the Eagle�s chances. The three turnovers cost Philadelphia the game. McNabb was simply overmatched.

 

RB: Duce Staley carried the ball 13 times for 58 yards including a 20 yard touchdown run on his first carry. He also gained another 26 yards on 6 receptions. He fought hard on every carry and it normally took more than one defender to get him down. Staley did the most with his limited touches. He is a top quality back and it will be interesting to see what happens next year if Buckhalter returns healthy.

 

Dorsey Levens was on the field so infrequently that he received an accidental �Duuuuce� cheer from the stands on 2 of his 3 carries. He did not gain a yard on those 3 carries. It was not a good game for Levens, but he just was not part of the game plan.

 

Brian Westbrook had 2 carries for 5 yards. He also had 1 catch for 8 yards and a much needed first down. He lowered his head and ran through the defender for that first down. He has a good combination of speed and power. What will his place be next year? This is one crowded backfield.

 

WR: James Thrash made 4 catches for 23 yards. The line could not give McNabb enough time for deep routes, so Thrash was limited to possession routes. He had a hard time getting open against the blanket coverage of Tampa.

 

Antonio Freeman caught 5 passes for 66 yards. He made a couple of nice catches over the middle for good gains. He may have lost a step from his prime, but he still has good hands and he is not afraid to go over the middle.

 

Todd Pinkston made 3 catches for 51 yards. For Pinkston, it was a day of �what could have been�. He dropped a key pass that stalled a drive in the fourth quarter that hit him right in the chest. Also, Pinkston�s speed allowed him to get behind the defense and open deep several times. McNabb either did not see him or just could not get the ball to him. Pinkston has talent and next year will be his 3rd year. Will he follow the 3rd year wide receiver breakout rule?

 

TE: Chad Lewis had 6 catches for 65 yards. He was the main chain mover in the fourth quarter and was also charged with an offensive pass interference penalty that negated a 20 yard first down catch. He is not that big and not that fast, but he knows how to get open and he has good hands. His numbers were hurt this year with the revolving quarterback situation. Do not compare him to Tony Gonzalez, but look for him to improve next year.

 

Pass Defense: The Eagle�s passing defense was not good. They did hold Tampa to 259 yards, but Tampa was happy to run out the clock on the ground in the second half. Cornerback Bobby Taylor intercepted a pass intended for Keyshawn Johnson in man coverage early in the game. That was the team�s only take-away. The unit tried to pressure Brad Johnson, but he mostly threw quick passes and got rid of the ball before the rush could reach him. They were not able to record a sack on the day or force a fumble.

 

Rushing Defense: The Eagle�s rushing defense was very tough. They held Tampa to only 49 rushing yards on 32 carries. That�s solid. Linebacker Levon Kirkland led the team in tackling with 4 solo tackles and 5 assists even though he missed part of the game with an injury. You would think holding the team to 49 rushing yards on 32 carries would win the game. Not if your quarterback turns the ball over 3 times.

 

Special Teams: Return man Brian Mitchell returned the first kickoff to the Tampa Bay 26 which set up the Duce Staley touchdown run. He then returned the second kickoff to the Philadelphia 44. These returns caused Tampa to squib kick the remaining kickoffs. He is a dangerous weapon.

 

 

 

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

 

 

Tennessee Titans:

 

Fumbles from Robert Holcombe and John Simon just before the half completely swung the momentum going into the locker room. Instead of heading to the locker room with the lead, the Titans found themselves down by seven points. These two turnovers combined with a punt that would have surely been blocked by Eric Johnson (Hentrich decided to run) in the third quarter put Tennessee in a hole they couldn�t get out of.

 

Steve McNair played well enough to win this game, but his defense and special teams let him down. McNair posted three scores (one passing and two rushing). His scrambling when things broke down kept drives alive in the first half.

 

Eddie George ran hard. Five of his fifteen carries went for 9+ yards. His offensive line opened up some nice holes and George made sure the pile went forward after contact. Tennessee had to abandon the run after Oakland opened up the 10-point lead in the fourth quarter.

 

Oakland Raiders:

 

Through three quarters the Raiders called 40 pass plays and only 1 running play, a 2-yard gain by Charlie Garner. Gannon was able to control flow with the short passing game beautifully. Gannon completed only two passes that were longer than 17 yards, both in the first quarter.

 

The WR trio of Rice, Brown, and Porter combined for 18 catches and 204 yards. Having to place your nickel cornerback or safety in front of one of these guys is a scary proposition. It will be interesting to see how the Tampa Bay cover-2 will adjust to the Raiders 3-WR package.

 

The Raiders committed 14 penalties for 127 yards in the game. The Raider defense helped Tennessee move down the field by making mental errors. Without the penalties this could have been much more of a rout.

 

 

 

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

 

 

Tennessee Titans:

 

QB: Steve McNair: 21-36-194 passing yards (1 TD), 5-53 yards rushing (2 TD). Steve McNair may have been hurt all week (and all year for that matter), but he simply made plays. His 13-yard scramble for a TD at the end of the third quarter made it a 3-point game. McNair can be counted on again next season to be a top ten QB because he can make plays with his legs as well as him arm.

 

RB: Eddie George: 15-67 rushing yards, 1-9 receiving yards (3 targets). Eddie George was a factor through three quarters while the game was still close. He looked motivated and determined to grind out yards running hard and moving the pile. When it became apparent that the Tennessee defense couldn�t stop the Raiders the Titans had to give up on running the ball.� George didn�t have a carry in the fourth quarter

 

Robert Holcombe: 9-24 rushing yards, 5-25 receiving yards (7 targets). Holcombe�s second quarter fumble hurt the team badly. It killed the Titans momentum. Also, Holcombe�s target and receiving numbers were inflated late in the game when the outcome had already been decided.

 

WR: Derrick Mason: 5-41 receiving yards (8 targets). Mason was blanketed most of the game by Charles Woodson. His longest reception was only 14 yards.

 

Drew Bennett: 3-58 yards receiving (TD & 7 targets). Bennett torched Woodson for an early touchdown, but couldn�t shake coverage and gain separation afterwards. He could remain a stable third option next season for the Titans behind Mason and Dyson (assuming he returns from injury).

 

Chris McCareins: 0-0 yard receiving (2 targets). McCareins was targeted twice on the first Tennessee possession and was non-factor through the rest of the game.

 

Eddie Berlin: 1-5 yards receiving (3 targets). Berlin was targeted deep twice in the game. He dropped a nice McNair pass on one play, but a terrible underthrown pass from McNair on another play where Berlin had gained deep separation was almost picked off.

 

TE: Frank Wycheck: 4-41 yards receiving (8 targets). Wycheck was not able to help McNair like he did last week, but he did have two receptions pirated by backup TE Kinney.

 

Pass Defense: The Titans were not able to put pressure on Gannon (zero sacks). Rice, Porter, and Brown were able to run free underneath throughout the game.

 

Rush Defense: The Raiders only called nine rushing plays in the game (one through three quarters). Gannon was the leading Raider rusher with 41 yards. When things broke down they were not able to keep Gannon contained.

 

Special Teams: An argument can be made that the Tennessee special teams cost the Titans the game. The fumble from John Simon and the screwed up punt play spotted the Raiders an extra 10 points. Nedney hit his only FG attempt in the game and injured his leg making what some might call an attempted tackle. Hentrich took on the place kicking duties after the injury.

 

 

Oakland Raiders:

 

QB: Rich Gannon: 29-41-286 yards passing (3 TD), 8-41 yards rushing (TD). Rich Gannon continues to cement his place as the 2002 NFL MVP. Gannon played nearly flawless football and made plays with the game on the line. The Raiders are proving you can control the ball in a West Coast style offense without even attempting to run the ball.

 

RB: Charlie Garner: 7-36 yards rushing, 7-55 yards receiving (TD & 11 targets). Garner only got 14 touches in the game. Oakland didn�t even make a feeble attempt to run the ball through three quarters. However, Garner�s first carry in the fourth carry went for 18 yards and lead to the score that put the game out of reach.

 

WR: Jerry Rice: 5-79 yards receiving (9 targets). Rice continues to defy father time and add to his own records. He took a wicked hit from Tank Williams at the 1-yard line and fumbled, but seemed to fight through the cobwebs to recover the ball.

 

Tim Brown: 9-73 yards receiving (12 targets). Tim Brown was targeted early and often, including inside the 5-yard line on several occasions. Several of the Raiders mentioned that winning this game for Brown was a team goal. The Raiders seem intent on giving him a glorious exit to help smooth the way for Porter.

 

Jerry Porter: 4-52 yards receiving (TD & 7 targets). Jerry Porter made two great grabs in the game including the longest Raider play from scrimmage. Porter could be the #1 WR on half the teams in the NFL. For now he seems content to play behind his future hall of fame teammates.

 

TE: Doug Jolley: 3-13 yards receiving (TD & 4 targets). Jolley came up big with his TD off play action on the goal line. The entire world fully expected Zack Crockett to pound in another from 1 yard out. Of note, Jolley was assessed multiple false start penalties for the second week in a row.

 

Pass Defense: The Raiders were able to bring some pressure on McNair, but early in the first half McNair was able to escape for three big gainers (16, 12, and 9 yards). Except for a 13-yard TD they were able to keep McNair contained and the WRs under wraps in the second half.

 

Rush Defense: The Raiders looked vulnerable to the run. George, Holcombe, and McNair all put up decent yardage early in the game. At half the Titans had 96 yards on the ground. Had the Tennessee special teams not made horrendous mistakes the Titans may have been able to keep the Oakland offense off the field by controlling the ball more with the run late in the game.

 

Special Teams: Janikowski made both his attempts in the game (43 & 32). They kick return team forced a fumble just before half. Eric Johnson would have easily blocked a punt early in the third quarter had Hentrich not tucked the ball and avoided the rush. Special teams play were a huge factor.