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BY TIMOTHY BERNSTEIN

In print | Published January 21, 2010

New Orleans Saints 45, Arizona Cardinals 14

Could the game’s first play — a 70-yard touchdown run by Cardinals back Tim Hightower — have been more appropriate to what everyone expected from this game? Of the previous week’s Arizona-Green Bay matchup that yielded 96 points, Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams remarked that “[it] set defense back a hundred years.” Fortunately, Hightower’s touchdown only set run defense back a hundred years.

Because their quarterback has thrown for 9400 yards since 2008, the Saints’ rushing offense doesn’t get much attention, despite ranking sixth-best in the league this year and featuring three above-average backs in Pierre Thomas, Mike Bell and Reggie Bush.

Today was their coming-out party as they combined for 171 yards and two touchdowns while forcing the Cardinals’ defense to divide their focus between running and passing attacks.

It may have just been me, but the Saints’ fumble recovery in the first quarter, forced following a 28-yard completion by Arizona, felt like a microcosm of the entire year of a defense that ranked 26th in pass defense but 1st in takeaways. No one is debating which unit on the Saints is more dominant, but the defense has stood out this year on its ability to create turnovers.

Offensive MVP: Bush (84 yards rushing, 4 receptions, 1 punt return TD). It seemed like this was the first year where Bush’s versatility was duly appreciated. His tenure in New Orleans has been up and down, but his performance on Saturday shows how dangerous he can be at a number of positions.
Defensive MVP: Randall Gay led the Saints’ defense in tackles, and forced a fumble early on that turned the momentum dramatically in favor of his team. On a defense that overachieved against Arizona, Gay stood out.

Indianapolis Colts 20, Baltimore Ravens 3

CBS analyst Dan Dierdorf wasn’t overstating the case when he called Baltimore’s 3-and-out before halftime “disastrous.” Not only did the series — featuring two dropped passes — take just 22 seconds off the clock, it also gave the ball back to the Colts, already up 10-3, on their own 36 with two timeouts left. Final score at the half? 17-3 Colts. At this point, the Manning brothers might as well copyright the 2-minute drill. Eli can even get a head start on the paperwork.

Ultimately, though, more damaging than anything Peyton Manning did were Baltimore’s self-inflicted wounds. Look no further than both of Ed Reed’s interceptions, one negated by a pass interference call on Ravens corner Corey Ivy, the other fumbled away by Reed after he brought the ball deep into Colts territory. It’s hard not to be impressed by the quickness of this Colts team on both sides of the ball, and the turf at Lucas Oil Stadium only helps them. Against San Diego, the main concern for the Jets was size. Against the Colts, it will be speed.

Offensive MVP: Peyton Manning (30/44, 246 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT) didn’t complete a pass over 20 yards and didn’t have to. Without any semblance of a run game (42 yards total), he maximized the effect of his other weapons, completing at least four passes to four different receivers.

Defensive MVP: The unit as a whole performed exceptionally, but facing one of the league’s best rushing attacks, middle linebacker Gary Brackett (5 tackles, 1 sack) anchored a corps that held Baltimore to 87 yards on the ground.

Minnesota Vikings 34, Dallas Cowboys 3

Memo to Cowboys’ linebacker Keith Brooking: Here’s what you’re saying to the Vikings offense by whining about them running up the score: “We both know we can’t stop you, so please try to go easy on us.” If you want to shut Minnesota up, try holding them under 30 points next time. On the plus side, your tantrum near the Vikings’ sideline showed more energy than anything the Dallas defense did all day.

Lost in the one-sidedness of Minnesota’s victory were more questionable decisions on the part of head coach Brad Childress. Specifically: his play calls that gave the ball back to Dallas before halftime when his team had a 17-3 lead. It didn’t come close to mattering on Sunday, but next week’s opponent — New Orleans — is the last team you’d want to give that opportunity to.

Despite being blown out in Minnesota, it’s been an overall positive year for Wade Phillips. He went into this season with his job hanging by a thread and responded with the best coaching job of his career, navigating the team around their usual late-season struggles and becoming the first Cowboys coach since Barry Switzer to win a playoff game. For the first time since he arrived in Dallas, Phillips will go into the offseason with his job secure.

Offensive MVP: Brett Favre (15/24, 234 yards, 4 TD). Favre and Sidney Rice are almost interchangeable in terms of how much they brought to the table Sunday, but Rice’s career high in receiving yardage prior to this year was 396. With Favre under center, he’s on his way to the Pro Bowl.

Defensive MVP: Ray Edwards (5 tackles, 3 sacks). Jared Allen is Minnesota’s best pass-rusher, but Edwards will be the reason the Saints can’t double-cover him.

New York Jets 17, San Diego Chargers 14

87 yards of penalties, three missed field goals, and two interceptions from the Chargers make it easy to say that San Diego gave the game to the Jets. This is unfair to New York, whose defense more than lived up to its billing as the league’s best by limiting the receivers’ yards after the catch, consistently pressuring Philip Rivers, and getting their own offense on the field (San Diego was 4 of 13 on third-down plays).

If there was any doubt that LaDainian Tomlinson’s fantastic career in San Diego is finally coming to an end, Sunday’s performance (12 carries, 24 yards) took care of it. As indebted as the franchise is to L.T., the Chargers’ refusal to involve Darren Sproles more in favor of their former superstar burned them badly and appears to have confirmed that, whether or not he retires, Tomlinson will not be a Charger in 2010.

What kind of BASEketball-style psyche-outs are the Jets special teams using? So far in the 2009 playoffs, five field goals have been attempted against the Jets unit. None were converted. Kicking against the Jets will be the Colts’ Matt Stover. If I’m the Colts, I’m blasting, “Hey, Stover, I hear your mom’s going out with… SQUEAK!” over the loudspeaker during practice this week.

Offensive MVP: Shonn Greene (23 carries, 128 yards, 1 TD). Mark Sanchez wasn’t as sharp as he was in Cincinnati, but none of that mattered once Greene broke free for a fourth-quarter touchdown to give the Jets a 17-7 lead. Now that his fumbling problems appear behind him, Greene deserves to be the Jets feature back going forward.

Defensive MVP: Kerry Rhodes (8 tackles, 1 sack/forced fumble). Nothing wrong with giving this to Jim Leonhard, whose third-quarter interception set up the Jets’ go-ahead score. Still, as was the case with the Giants’ Corey Webster in 2007, it’s nice to see a starter respond to being benched early in the year by making big plays when they get their chance.

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