Matchups to Exploit - Week 20
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January 17, 2008 @ 22:46:38
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By Hot off the Wire Network Contributors
Edited by Nicholas Minnix
Chargers RBs LaDainian Tomlinson, Michael Turner and Darren Sproles vs. Patriots run defense
Tomlinson (knee) will be less than full strength because of a hyperextended left knee, and that's worrisome with the Chargers needing to keep New England's potent offense off the field by maintaining possession. Tomlinson had just 43 yards on 18 carries when the teams played in September. Clearly, Turner and Sproles will be part of the game plan with Tomlinson ailing. Turner had 71 yards on 17 carries against the Indianapolis Colts last Sunday. New England's run defense ranked 10th in the NFL, with Pro Bowl nose tackle Vince Wilfork plugging things up in the middle.
Patriots RB Laurence Maroney vs. Chargers defensive line
The Chargers play a 3-4 defense, the same alignment Maroney lines up against every day in practice. Chargers nose tackle Jamal Williams (ankle) and defensive end Igor Olshansky are key run-stoppers, but Williams has been battling an ankle injury. Maroney has been excellent in New England's last four games, with 428 yards (5.3 yards per carry) and five touchdowns. He has given defenses one more thing to account for in the Patriots offense. It's not enough to cover wideouts Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Donte' Stallworth and Jabar Gaffney, along with tight end Benjamin Watson; now Maroney can gash you, too.
Patriots WR Randy Moss vs. Chargers cornerbacks
Moss caught eight passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns when these two teams met in September. That was before cornerback Antonio Cromartie was a starter. This time, Cromartie will often be called on to cover Moss, especially since, at 6-foot-2, he has the size required to cover the 6-foot-4 Moss effectively. When Cromartie, who led the NFL with 10 interceptions and received a Pro Bowl invite, isn't the corner on Moss, either Quentin Jammer or Drayton Florence will draw the assignment. Moss set an NFL record with 23 touchdown receptions this season while re-establishing himself as one of the game's top receivers. With a chance to get to the Super Bowl for the first time in his career, Moss likely will want to contribute more than the one fourth-down catch he had last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Giants QB Eli Manning vs. Packers pass defense
Manning has been highly inconsistent as the Giants' starting quarterback the past three years, and this season was no different. He ranked 25th in the NFL in passer rating (73.9), 29th in completion percentage (56.1 percent), 11th in touchdown passes (23) and 31st in interceptions (20). However, he hasn't fumbled or thrown an interception this postseason. That was a huge key in the Giants' ability to get past the No. 1-seeded Cowboys. In that game, he ran a key drive in the two-minute offense at the end of the first half that tied the game at 14. In the playoffs, he's completing passes at well over the 60 percent rate set for him in training camp, and he has four touchdown throws. The question is whether he can perform similarly against the Packers' strong cornerback duo, made up of Charles Woodson and Al Harris, especially considering the likelihood of a sub-zero wind chill. Defensive end Aaron Kampman is the Packers' leading pass rusher with 12 sacks, but Manning has had good protection of late. That's going to be important in terms of allowing the quarterback time to read the defense, find his receivers and not make mistakes. Kampman works in tandem with defensive end Kabeer Gjaba-Biamila, who has 9.5 sacks. The Packers had two sacks against the Seattle Seahawks last week.
Giants WRs Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer vs. Packers CB Al Harris
Lately Burress and Toomer have made big catches, none bigger than Toomer's two touchdown grabs against Dallas last week. But there's a difference between going against Cowboys cornerback Jacques Reeves and Green Bay's Harris, a Pro Bowl right corner who made four interceptions this year. Harris is a long-time veteran who knows how to cheat routes. Toomer came up huge with his two touchdowns, catching the first one at the 35 and turning it upfield after shaking off a tackle. His second, which capped a game-tying 46-second drive at the end of the second quarter, was a four-yarder on which he caught the ball at the 1-yard line and fought his way into the end zone. Burress' role has diminished of late, but he's still a dangerous receiver.
Packers QB Brett Favre vs. Giants pass rushers
Favre has turned the clock way back this year, looking more like a 28-year-old than the 38-year-old quarterback he really is. In a snowstorm last week, Favre was 18-for-23 for 173 yards and three touchdowns, with no interceptions. His big downfield threat now is wideout Greg Jennings, who caught two of those scoring tosses, and Pro Bowl receiver Donald Driver is a reliable, go-to possession receiver. The Giants' pass rush is the most potent in the league, however, and it succeeded in harrassing Cowboys passer Tony Romo in the fourth quarter. Liberal use of blitzing by linebacker Antonio Pierce plus effective pressure up front from defensive ends Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora had Romo on the run. The threat of another sack was a direct factor in his final interception, in the end zone.
Packers OTs Mark Tauscher and Chad Clifton vs. Giants DEs Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora
The starting point for this game is the matchup between the Giants' pass rushers and the Packers' pass protecters; more specifically, Strahan against Tauscher and Umenyiora against Clifton. Strahan (nine sacks) and Umenyiora (13 sacks) are the key to the rush because they can squeeze the pocket from the sides. Defensive tackle Fred Robbins is a good bull rusher in the middle, so the Giants are good at taking away scramble lanes. Don't forget about defensive end Justin Tuck - as the third defensive end, he had 10 sacks, and he often teams with those three to help form a dangerous line on passing downs. Whether or not Favre has a good game depends in large part on the ability of Tauscher and Clifton to protect him without too much help. That would allow the Packers to help their other linemen or keep all five eligible receivers in pass patterns.
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