|
Awesome playoff contender team releases
January 6, 2009
Cold, Hard Football Facts for January 06, 2009
Here's are links to each of the team releases for divisional playoff weekend. Sorry we missed wildcard weekend, but it was a bit hectic with all the ice fishing and drinking up in Maine with the fam' while still trying to run a football website.
We published these team releases last year, by the way, to great response. They're full of tons of great info and, quite frankly, they're better than most of the stuff you read in the mainstream sports media, which has the misfortune and being butchered all to hell. But you're smart enough to draw your own conclusions from these releases, which are pretty neat. In fact, we don't know why they're not published in more places to begin with. But that's why you have us to cuddle with around the postseason ice-fishing campfires.
Postseason records fell everywhere last week for an organization that won just the third playoff game in its 89-year history and first at home since they were the Chicago Cardinals in 1947: Arizona scored a franchise record 30 postseason points against the Falcons, while Larry Fitzgerald (42 yards) and Anquan Boldin (71 yards) caught the two longest TD passes in franchise playoff history.
The 2008 Ravens set a franchise record with a 60.6 Defensive Passer Rating this year, even better than the mark posted by the famous Super Bowl champion Baltimore defense of 2000 (62.5).
DeAngelo Williams set franchise records this year in rushing yards (1,515), touchdowns (20), rushing touchdowns (18), yards per attempt (5.5) and 100-yard rushing games (eight).
The Giants will battle the Eagles for the 152nd time since the Eagles joined the league in 1933. But this is just the fourth meeting in postseason history. The Giants own a 79-67-2 advantage in the regular season and a 2-1 edge in the postseason. But New York is just 17-18 against the Eagles in Giants Stadium (including playoffs).
The Eagles have made more appearances in the divisional round in the Donovan McNabb Era (1999-present) than any other NFL team (seven). And among active coaches, only Bill Belichick (15) has more postseason victories than Philly coach Andy Reid (nine). (The release lists Mike Holmgren with more, which is true (13), but he's retired as of the end of the 2008 season.)
The Steelers have never beat the Chargers in the postseason, losing the two previous meeting in 1982 and 1994, both in San Diego. In fact, Pittsburgh, arguably the most successful franchise of the Super Bowl Era, does not have a winning postseason record against any member of the AFC West: 0-2 vs. Chargers; 3-3 vs. Broncos; 3-3 vs. Raiders and 0-1 vs. Chiefs.
San Diego
No release yet from the Chargers. We'll publish it once it's avaiable.
Kerry Collins enters Saturday's game against Baltimore with a chance to become the first starting quarterback in history to win at least one playoff game with three different franchises. His past victories have come with the Panthers and Giants, who he led to Super Bowl XXV, where they were blown out by Baltimore.
|
