NFL Playoffs Round 3: The Intangibles of Experience
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| Mike Neri - 1/16/2011 1:37 PM |
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NFL Playoffs Round 3: The Intangibles of Experience by Mike Neri So how much does experience help in big playoff games? There are not many bigger than the Conference Championship games this weekend. Well, how much did it help in Round 2? The Steelers and the Ravens got it on in another divisional dogfight on Saturday. The Steelers have an impressive postseason resume, not only over the last 40 years but in the last five. QB Ben Roethlisberger led them to two Super Bowl titles over the last six years, and is alive for a third. The Ravens? Baltimore has a veteran defense, but a young offense, quarterbacked third-year player Joe Flacco. Flacco has put up very good numbers once again, but he has not been stellar in close games. Two years ago he led them to the AFC title game after two playoff wins as a dog each time over the Dolphins and Titans. Impressive. But then came the AFC Championship game, at Pittsburgh, and Flacco underperformed and was overwhelmed in a 23-14 loss. Last season the Ravens blew away the Patriots on the road in the first round of the playoffs, though that was more the defense and running game of Rice Ray than anything Flacco did. People may forget that a week later the Ravens went to Indy and didn't even show up on offense in a 20-3 defeat. Than this season, a blowout win at Kansas City last week, followed by Saturday's 31-24 collapse at Pittsburgh. There are really no excuses for this offense to be so underahiveing in big games, especially this season with the addition of WRs Anquan Boldin and T.J. Houshmenzadah. Yet, what a collapse, blowing a 21-7 halftime lead. Two second half turnovers and a terrible final drive, despite taking over around midfield with plenty of time left and one turnover. The offense looked like it didn't want to be there. A lack of clutch experience at crunch time? It sure looked like it. A fumble by Ray Rice (his first of the season), an interception by Flacco and a fumble by Flacco ?/span> all in Ravens' territory turned into 17 points. The game probably would have been in Baltimore if Flacco doesn't fumble late in that regular season meeting, a loss they essentially handed to the Steelers. The Steelers (13-4 SU/11-6 ATS), meanwhile, are on a 10-3 SU, 8-5 ATS run since QB Ben Roethlisberger returned. They did so many things wrong in the first half, but didn't panic and regrouped in the second half making big play after big play. The biggest was when the Steelers faced a third-and-19 at their 38 with just over two minutes left, and Roethlisberger uncorked a deep pass that rookie Antonio Brown caught at the Baltimore 4. Score one, a big one, for experience over inexperience at crunch time. In Atlanta, neither QB, Matt Ryan or Aaron Rodgers, has a lot of experience in big games, particularly in the postseason. But Rodgers is a 6-year veteran and certainly looked far more comfortable in an upset win at Atlanta. Rodgers carved up the 22nd ranked secondary, while the younger Ryan too many bad decisions. Ryan's two first half interceptions killed the Falcons, helping to throw away a 14-7 lead. They call him "Matty Ice," but why? Ryan is now 0-2 SU/ATS in the playoffs. Atlanta failed to make the postseason last year and was one-and-done in 2008, losing 30-24 at Arizona. Clearly there are two levels of experience and clutch play: regular season, then up one notch in postseason. You master the first one (which Flacco hasn't, but Ryan has), then master the second. Ryan may have a string of clutch plays during the regular season, but has not mastered both, like Tom Brady and Big Ben have. The dogs have been sensational in this postseason, starting 5-1 SU/ATS. The biggest upset was when Seattle, a 10-point home dog, took down the defending champion Saints, 41-36. The key player in that upset? No question it was Seattle QB Matt Hasselbeck. Experience? Loaded with it! Hasselbeck is in his 30s and has been in many big game in his career, including a Super Bowl. He looked calm, cool and collected with some sensational touch passes. As you watch the playoffs unfold, keep in mind the intangibles such as experience, especially with coaches (their playoff history) and the key position like quarterback. |
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