ESPN Sunday NFL Countdown Notes and Quotes: NFL Playoff Weekend
ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown host Chris Berman and analysts Cris Carter, Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson and Keyshawn Johnson reviewed the first two games of the NFL’s Divisional Playoff’s and looked ahead to today’s two matchups. Some excerpts:
On Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers…
Jackson: “If you catch him in a dome, perfect weather conditions, he is right now with the rules the way they are, unstoppable.”
Johnson: “Lights out…like California. In a dome, great weather situation. Great wide receivers play out of their mind for him. His ability to escape the pocket and throw the football is unbelievable.”
Ditka: “This is the greatest individual performance in a playoff game that I’ve ever seen.”
On Steelers comeback win over the Ravens…
Jackson: “Solid defense from the Pittsburgh Steelers which we expect, inept offense from the Ravens and then turn the ball over and that’s how you drop a 21-7 halftime lead.”
Johnson: “Late in that game somebody needed to make a big play…and a young kid stepped up in Antonio Brown (Steelers wide receiver)…He made a big play for them when I guy like T.J. Houshmandzadeh (Ravens wide receiver) did not.”
On whether Patriots can repeat the MNF 45-3 win against Jets…
Carter: “Can he repeat it, absolutely. Why, because the route runners on New England are great route runners.”
Jackson: “Not only can repeat it, will try to repeat it.”
Ditka: “If he does have the same success, all I can say is shame on the Jets. If you don’t learn from your past mistakes, C’mon guys. Swallow your ego, rush four, try to pressure with four, drop seven, bump and run, and tackle after the catch, that’s the most important thing.”
On what adjustments must the Jets make against the Patriots…
Jackson: “Defensively, which is where they live, they have to adjust what they do in terms of coverage. Make Tom Brady take the second look somewhere.”
Carter: “What Rex needs to do, is do some stealing and steal some of the game plans that Belichick had to slow down the greatest show on turf. Play cover two in the field, bump the receivers, take Brady off of his first read and then once you get to the red zone play more conservative.”
Johnson: “In Rex’ adjustment he needs to call the best game in his life. In doing that, his defensive players have to back him up. They can’t get all enamored when you look at different formations…Same cake, different icing.”
Berman: “Make the Patriots young defense, many of whom have been in either none or one playoff game…make them play young.”
On Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie and how he should match up against the Patriots…
Jackson: “You have to understand who you’re dealing with…What you’re going to have to do is change your style of play. You’re a big guy with long arms. When you get in front of people, bump and run…Don’t play like your 5 foot 10”, play like the 6’3” that you are.”
On Patriots wide receiver Danny Woodhead…
Jackson: “What he is, is an outstanding football player, I don’t care what size he is. What coach Belichick does, and he does this with a lot of players, I’m going to take what you do best and find the matchups that benefit us the most and then use them as often as I can.”
Ditka: “Bill Belichick knows what he’s doing and Tom Brady is smart enough to know that this guy is a weapon and I’m going to use him.”
On Jets vs. Patriots pre-game trash talk…
Carter: “I believe in trash talk, but I believe in talking once you get on the field. Not personal, not getting into a guys life, his wife, his kids. I am talking about his ability to cover me, or maybe something else to give me some advantage.”
Berman: “Is it that important for the Jets to keep up this image or is it more that they’re trying to convince themselves that things will be better?”
Jackson: “The one thing they’ve been since Rex took over, they have been one thing. They have been upfront with the fact that we are coming to beat you.”
Countdown featured Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli’s defensive tactic of getting into attack mode with a different type of game film – videos of animals such as lions, cheetahs and sharks hunting their prey.
Marinelli: “You can say the same thing over and over, and it can get mundane. They may not hear it. So you try to change the environment in the room and you capture their attention from that moment and make the subject come alive.”
On Bears wide receiver Devin Hester and today’s matchup against the Seahawks…
Jackson: “He’s the greatest return man in the NFL…(Seahawks) Coach Pete Carroll has said he is going to kick the ball to Devin Hester. That would be a mistake. If you do it to him three times, at least once, he’s going to end up in your end zone.”
On Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck…
Jackson: “I think Matthew Hasselbeck in the playoffs has been a little bit better than people give him credit for. He’s got more experience than all of the other NFC quarterbacks combined…10 playoff games, nine picks. If he goes in and doesn’t give the ball away, you have a tremendous football game.”
Countdown did a feature on Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and the youthful energy he brings to his team, despite being the second oldest coach in the NFL at age 59…
Matt Hasselbeck: “He’s awesome. He’s kind of like the most fun grandfather you’ve ever seen.”
Sean Locklear: “He’s probably the ultimate players coach.”
-30-
Recent Comments