Run: It was the first 100-yard day by a Patriots running back all season. Antowain Smith easily found holes created by the offensive line and exploited them. It was a performance of note by the O-line considering they played without their best lineman, center/guard Damien Woody. He won't play this week and his presence possibly will be missed. N.E. ran well the past two weeks, including against Tennessee, the top run defense in the league, but will have their biggest challenge against maybe the best defensive interior in the league...The one-yard touchdown run by RB Deshawn Foster is the best run I've seen all season. He broke five to six tackles on that one play. It's also an indication that he can be physical as well as elusive. Stephen Davis will get a majority of the carries, but the workload might be split fairly evenly, like in the NFC Championship. The run blocking by Carolina's offensive line has been dominant.
Pass: The Patriots should had scored at least two more touchdowns. Quarterback Tom Brady threw a pick in the endzone right after tight end Christian Fauria dropped a would-be touchdown. The receivers dropped about five passes on the day. Wide out Troy Brown didn't start, but was moved to the slot. All of his receptions resulted in first downs. It was a pure genius call for the touchdown: A fake receiver screen used for the first time. Might be useful against press coverage...Since less is more in regards to the 'Lina passing game, 14 attempts out of quarterback Jake Delhomme was the best thing to happen to the offense. He was fortunate on the touchdown pass as the defenders never looked for the ball. Interesting to note the distribution of the ball as no third wide out nor tight end caught a pass in the NFC Championship. It's a trend for the Panthers in the playoffs: Tight ends Jermaine Wiggins and Chris Mangum along with third receiver Ricky Proehl have combined for just five of the 43 receptions.
Run: Indianapolis had success running against the Patriots 3-4 defense but opted to throw instead of pounding away. They finished with 98 yards on 25 carries. Inside linebacker Tedy Bruschi strained his calf in the game but is listed as probable for the game. Nose tackle Ted Washington was neutralized and finished with no tackles. Also quiet was defensive end Richard Seymour with three tackles...'Lina's run D was disappointing in Philadelphia, giving up 137 yards on 26 carries. Is this a fair indication of the run defense or were the first two playoff games? Because the D-line didn't do a good job, linebacker Dan Morgan picked up his game, finishing with 13 total tackles. Defensive tackle Kris Jenkins was absent from the stat sheet, as he finished with no tackles but he always draws extra attention.
Pass: Cornerback Ty Law had a career day for the Patriots. He held Indy's top receiver, Marvin Harrison, to just three receptions while snatching three interceptions. But the tone was set by the pick in the endzone by safety Rodney Harrison to end Indianapolis' opening offensive drive. Harrison also forced a fumble just before the first half ended, canceling yet another potential scoring drive. The secondary did a solid job of coverage, forcing quarterback Peyton Manning to hold on to the ball, resulting in four sacks, including three for reserve defensive tackle Jarvis Green who saw lots of time for his pass rush...Rookie cornerback Ricky Manning Jr. matched Law's prowess with three picks of his own, although one was assisted by a crushing hit by safety Mike Minter on a Philly wide out. The Panthers were assisted by the stone-handed Philadelphia receivers who dropped a handful of passes. Minter also had one of the team's five sacks that knocked quarterback Donovan McNabb out of the game.
Indianapolis made it a point not to kick to New England returner Bethel Johnson. It gave the Pats slightly better field position but at least Johnson didn't rip off a big return. Punter Ken Walter did his job, as did the coverage unit. There were no punt returns. Kicker Adam Vinatieri was a perfect five for five...Because Carolina doesn't have a high-powered offense, they play for field position and punter Todd Sauerbrun is vital to that objective. He pinned Philadelphia inside the 20 twice and averaged 40.7 yards on seven punts. Kicker John Kasay has had trouble kicking outdoors recently, missing his last several. Returner Rod Smart can make New England hate he if he has a big return like the 40-yarder he had against Philly.
Vinatieri for the extra point: The offense bogs down in the red zone.
Any points are nice, but touchdowns will make a big difference.
Take 'em head on: They know Carolina is going to run. If they don't at
least slow them down it could be a very long evening.
So fresh, so clean: Brady is yet to be sacked during the playoffs because
he gets the ball away quickly and his O-line protects very well. If Brady has time, he can
pick apart the defense.
1...2...2...: They need to disrupt the rhythm of the passing
game on defense. Many of the routes are timing plays.
Front-running: New England won the last 27 games when they led after
three quarters. Get a lead and hold on to it.
Open things up: Make use of the other potential receivers, tight ends
Mangum and Wiggins and third wide out Proehl. Smith and Muhammed won't always be open.
The Pick: The Carolina players have a chip on their shoulders, feeling some people aren't giving them the respect they deserve. They've earned a lot in the playoffs and will earn some more with their play in the biggest game. They just won't earn a win. Patriots 23, Panthers 13.
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