ESPN NFL Content – Divisional Playoffs Weekend

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Postseason NFL Countdown Shows Saturday and Sunday to Preview NFL Divisional Playoff Games

ESPN will continue its coverage of the NFL Playoffs with two editions of Postseason NFL Countdown on Saturday, Jan. 16 at 10 a.m. ET and Sunday, Jan. 17, at 11 a.m. Both shows will preview the day’s NFL Divisional Playoff games. Host Chris Berman and analysts Cris Carter, Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson, Keyshawn Johnson, as well as segment host Wendi Nix and NFL Insider Adam Schefter will be featured.

Preceding the two-hour program on Sunday, Trey Wingo, Louis Riddick, Schefter and Mark Dominik will host the postseason NFL Insiders – Sunday Edition at 10 a.m. on ESPN.

ESPN NFL Programming Schedule:

Saturday Postseason NFL Countdown:
Bob Holtzman will cover the Chiefs-Patriots game, while Josina Anderson (Packers) and Pedro Gomez (Cardinals) will be in Arizona for Packers-Cardinals.

• Alex Smith’s Legs: After visiting the Chiefs last week, Countdown’s Chris Berman reports on the relationship between Andy Reid and quarterback Alex Smith. Reid discusses how Smith’s running style compares to his former Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb.
• Julian Edelman – E:60 Profile: Countdown revisits an E:60 profile of Patriots receiver Julian Edelman, by award-wining reporter Jeremy Schaap. The piece features Edelman’s impersonations of his quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick. Trailer.
• Carson Palmer’s Deep Ball: Veteran Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer has been deadly accurate with deep passes and he rank in the top-five in completions and touchdown passes that are at least 15 yards downfield. Countdown’s Jim Trotter talks to current and former players who have caught Palmer’s throws.

Sunday Postseason NFL Countdown:

Britt McHenry (Seahawks) and Ed Werder (Panthers) will report from Charlotte, N.C. while Sal Paolantonio (Steelers at Broncos) is in Denver.

• Da Coach and his former Player: In 1985, the Chicago Bears under head coach Mike Ditka rode a 15-1 regular season record en-route to a Super Bowl victory. Ron Rivera, head coach coach of the 15-1 Panthers, was in his second season with the Bears in ‘85. Countdown’s Ditka, the Hall of Famer and legendary coach, visits with his former linebacker to discuss the similarities between both teams and lessons Rivera learned from his playing career with the Bears.
• The State of the Seahawks: ESPN’s Chris Berman travelled to Seattle this week to find out how the reigning NFC champion Seahawks overcame a 2-4 start to the season, Kam Chancellor’s early season holdout, and running back Marshawn Lynch’s late-season injury.
• Emmanuel Sanders: Features reporter Michelle Beisner profiles Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, the former Pittsburgh Steeler who has caught balls from both quarterbacks in this weekend’s Steelers-Broncos matchup.

NFL Matchup with host Sal Paolantonio and analysts Ron Jaworski and Merril Hoge will preview the playoff games on Saturday, Jan. 16, at 5:30 a.m. (re-air on ESPN2 at 8:30 a.m.) and Sunday, Jan.17, at 6:30 a.m. on ESPN (re-air on ESPN2 at 7:30 a.m.).  Highlights:

NFL Matchup (Saturday):

• Chiefs at Patriots: Hoge reviews the film from the Patriots-Chiefs Monday Night Football meeting in 2014 and identifies key plays by the Chiefs defense caused by blitz pressures. He contends the Chiefs will look to do the same in their game Saturday. Jaworski describes how the Chiefs offense designed a play that led to tight end Travis Kelce’s big gain against the Texans man coverage.
• Packers at Cardinals: In his self-titled playbook, Jaworski shows how quarterback Aaron Rodgers creates more time in the pocket with his feet in a play that led to receiver James Jones’ three-yard touchdown. From their week 16 matchup, Hoge shows Arizona “factor back” David Johnson wining an option route against Green Bay linebacker Jake Ryan and offers the matchup as one key play the Cardinals will exploit.

NFL Matchup (Sunday):

• Seahawks at Panthers: Hoge explains how Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis was able to register a red-zone sack against Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson in their week 6 game. Jaws does the same with a play-action throw by Wilson that led to a 22-yard reception by receiver Doug Baldwin.
• Steelers at Broncos: Hoge and Jaworski take an in-depth look at how Denver’s defense will match up against the Steelers offense, taking into account the possibilities that wide receiver Antonio Brown and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger might be ruled out of the game.

ESPN The Magazine: The Joy of Cam Newton

In an ESPN The Magazine story – The Joy of Cam Newton: How a polarizing QB made (great) football fun – Tim Keown writes that though Newton’s celebrations might irk some, the Panthers quarterback, the NFL’s biggest kid, has grown into a signal-caller that plays like he owns the field. The story also captures Newton’s preparation for the NFL in 2011 under the watchful guidance of his dad, Cecil, his mentor, (Hall of Famer) Warren Moon, and quarterbacking guru George Whitfield Jr.

Mel Kiper Jr. 2016 NFL Draft Mock 1.0

ESPN Insider has released Mel Kiper Jr.’s 2016 NFL Draft Mock 1.0. To view.

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