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CAROLINA PANTHERS
According to Gaston Gazette staff reporter Steve Reed, the Panthers still aren’t sure if leading rusher Stephen Davis will practice today or play in the NFC Championship game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.
Head coach John Fox said Davis is still bothered by a strained quadriceps, and his status will be dependent on how well the eight-year NFL veteran responds to treatment.
Fox had inadvertently referred to the injury as a groin pull on Sunday, but corrected himself on Monday by saying Davis has a pulled quadriceps.
"Typically you just start treatment on those, and kind of play it by ear," Fox said. "It’s day to day."
When asked how long it normally takes a player to recover from such an injury, Fox replied, "Everybody’s different. It’s the degree of the pull, the particular player and how they handle injuries. So there’s no 100 percent right diagnosis."
If Davis can’t go, DeShaun Foster will start. Foster proved again to be a suitable replacement on Saturday, running for 95 yards on 21 carries in Carolina’s 29-23 double-overtime win over St. Louis.
Davis ran for a franchise-record 1,444 yards during the regular season despite missing two games. However, the Panthers were 2-0 in the games Davis didn’t play even though Foster didn’t put up great numbers in either game, rushing for a combined 131 yards on 43 carries -- or slightly more than three yards per carry.
However, it two other games in which Davis started and left the game with an injury -- against Indianapolis early in the season and St. Louis last week -- Foster came up, running for a combined 180 yards on 37 carries.
"We want Stephen back there, but if not we know DeShaun will step in and do a pretty good job," Jake Delhomme said.
Fox said the Panthers won’t alter the game plan if Davis can’t play.
"The coaching staff and players have had confidence in him all year long," Fox said. "When called upon, he’s done an outstanding job. In a similar game against Indianapolis, on the road, he stepped in and did a great job.
"We have a lot of confidence in him. People don’t know as much about him because he hasn’t had as much playing time, but we don’t feel like we drop off with him in there at all."
Although there’s a public perception that Davis and Foster have completely different running styles, Fox doesn’t view it that way.
"The similarity is they’re both big, fast strong runners, that can run outside and inside," Fox said. "I don’t see a lot of differences. ... I look at them the same."
Eagles head coach Andy Reid also said there isn’t any dropoff in talent.
"I think they have two good running backs there," Reid said. "Foster is pretty good and I don’t think there’s a whole lot of loss there. They’re different players. They’ve both very effective and both strong in their own ways. You just prepare that they’re going to have a good running back. One way or another, there’s going to be a good one there."
Foster said he’s ready for the challenge if called upon to start.
"If I know I’m just going to get one carry, I’ll have the same confidence if I’ll get 30 carries," Foster said. "I’m the same way no matter what. We rotate when we’re in there anyway. I’ve been in that situation the whole year. This game he just got hurt and I had to step it up. It was a playoff game, so it may have been a little bigger."
Although the Panthers brought Foster along slowly this year following a season-ending knee injury last year, Fox said Foster has improved as the season has progressed.
"He’s very smart," Fox said. "He’s got a passion for the game, he works at it very hard, both on the field and off the field. He’s an intelligent young guy that’s not afraid to work. He’s gotten better every time he’s been in."
And as Reed added: "No matter who plays, the Panthers are expected to have some decent success running against an Eagles defense that has allowed an average of more than 160 yards per game on the ground over the past 12 weeks. However, the Eagles have defied conventional wisdom by winning 11 of those 12 games."
None of which surprises Fox.
"I’m not a big statistics guy as far as yards, because really the game is measured by points," Fox said. "People have weaknesses and people cover up things and ultimately you’re just doing the best you can as a coach to put your guys in position to win.
"If that means giving up rush yardage or pass yardage to do so you just do it. I think they’ve done an outstanding job as witnessed by their record."
In a related item. ... Nick Goings, who had a season-high six carries last Saturday, could see more action this week if Davis is unable to play.
Also of interest. ...
As the quote above might suggest, Fox has consistently maintained that statistics are for losers, and the only stat that matters is victories. But as Charlotte Observer staffer Stan Olson reminded us Monday, the Panthers' stats are looking pretty good after two playoff games. Carolina leads the NFC in total offense and total defense. The Panthers have averaged 432.5 yards. That was helped by playing into the sixth quarter at St. Louis, but then you have to consider that they lead in defense (292.0 average) despite working all that overtime.
Also, receiver Steve Smith leads the NFL in postseason yards from scrimmage, with 305 (298 receiving, seven rushing). No one else is within 100 yards.
I'll also remind you that Smith's game-winning 69-yard touchdown reception at the beginning of last Saturday's second overtime set an NFL record for the longest play to end an overtime playoff game.
The former record lasted just a week; it had been set in the first round when Green Bay's Al Harris intercepted a pass and returned it 52 yards for the win against Seattle. ...
In a column published Monday, ESPN.com insider Len Pasquarelli offered kudos to offensive coordinator Dan Henning for the manner in which he has given Delhomme more leash in the final month of the season and now the playoffs.
Pasquarelli then went on to note: "[Smith] will be the most dangerous wide receiver on the field [in Philadelphia this weekend] and, even when the opposition defense knows that Delhomme has tunnel vision for Smith, he still seems to find a way to shake open. Delhomme and Smith are earning themselves a lot of money with their recent performances. Smith will be a restricted free agent and general manager Marty Hurney will have to ante up a pricey contract to keep him for the long-term. Delhomme will go into the final season of his two-year deal in 2004 and he, too, needs an extension."
But Smith isn't necessarily a lock to return.
According to Pro Football Weekly, the Panthers are more than willing to reward Smith for a stellar season, "but they aren’t going to be offering him Randy Moss-like money. If Smith demands such a contract, the Panthers will be willing to let him walk if another team is interested in signing him as a restricted free agent. ..."
And finally. ...
Also according to Olson, watching Delhomme storm off the field last Saturday after being sacked to end a Panthers drive just out of field goal range late in the first overtime period, you could sense his fury. As could backup quarterback Rodney Peete. He immediately grabbed Delhomme and began talking to him in an attempt to settle him down.
"The thing that was disappointing is that I believe that was the drive I completed it to [Muhsin Muhammad] and we got down to the 35," Delhomme said. "We liked our position there, and we just went backwards. As the quarterback it's your job to make them go forward.
"I guess emotions just really started to come into play at that time. I got a little frustrated and Rodney just grabbed me, and I said, 'OK, that's it. I'm done, I'm fine.'"
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THIS WEEK'S INITIAL INJURY REPORT:
Questionable: RB Stephen Davis (quadriceps)
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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 1300 PT:
QB: Jake Delhomme, Rodney Peete, Chris Weinke
RB: Stephen Davis, DeShaun Foster, Nick Goings, Rod Smart
FB: Brad Hoover, Nick Goings
WR: Steve Smith, Muhsin Muhammad, Ricky Proehl, Kevin Dyson, Karl Hankton, Eugene Baker
TE: Kris Mangum, Jermaine Wiggins, Marco Battaglia
PK: John Kasay
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INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
In an article published Tuesday, Indianapolis Star News beat man Mike Chappell advised readers that Marcus Pollard -- taking a moment to consider the havoc the Colts offense has caused in playoff victories over the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs, couldn't help but flash a playful smile.
"If we play any better than this," the veteran tight end claimed, "y'all just need to go ahead and hand us the ring.
"But I don't think they're going to do that. The game's got to be played on the field. That's what it's all about."
Of course, this Sunday it's all about the Colts going up against New England -- and its No. 7-ranked defense -- in Foxboro with the AFC championship and a berth in Super Bowl XXXVIII hanging in the balance.
The Colts possess an offense that ranked No. 3 in total yards and tied for No. 2 in scoring during the regular season, but one that has taken execution and productivity to new heights during the postseason.
"They're just really focused in," head coach Tony Dungy said Monday afternoon. "We're good enough, talent-wise, that when we're not making mistakes, we're tough to defend."
And as Chappell put it: "There was no argument from the Chiefs on Sunday, not after being outscored 38-31 at thunderous Arrowhead Stadium. Just like there was none the previous week from the Broncos, who were overwhelmed 41-10."
The 79 points in two games are the second most since the NFL adopted the current wild-card/divisional round format in 1978.
The Chiefs believed they were prepared for what was to come. They had a change of heart after yielding five touchdowns on eight possessions to the Peyton Manning-led Colts.
According to Chappell, Kansas City defender Vonnie Holliday didn't seem to know whether to ask for autographs or the number of the truck that hit him.
"They're on fire right now," he said. "I fully expect them to go into New England and do the same thing and I would really be surprised if they didn't."
Holliday was especially impressed with Manning. In the two playoff games, the league's co-MVP has completed 78.6 percent of his passes for 681 yards with eight touchdowns and no interceptions. No other QB has passed for more than three touchdowns in the postseason.
"You don't think that after what you saw them do last week that he would be able to come out and do it again," Holliday said.
But that's precisely what Manning and the offense did.
More yards. More points. More of the same.
The two-game numbers are so comprehensively gaudy that they seem straight out of a fantasy league. The Colts' 17 postseason possessions have generated 10 touchdowns and three field goals.
Manning has compiled a perfect quarterback rating of 158.3 on third down (13-for-13, 186 yards, three TDs) and a 144.2 on first down (19-for-25, 360 yards, two TDs). Over the two games, he's at 156.9.
Dungy, who has been involved with the NFL for more than two decades, was hard-pressed to give Manning's two-game streak perspective.
"To put two together like that in the playoffs in high-pressure situations, I'd have to think back a long ways," he said.
Touchdown drives against Denver covered 70, 81, 80, 87 and 64 yards. At Kansas City, the Colts navigated 70, 76, 71, 64 and 81 yards.
"It's not trickery," Manning said. "We're not running flea-flickers. We're not running reverses.
"We're running the same plays we've run all season. But we have really sharpened up our execution."
Manning has been the ringmaster, making the proper calls and getting the football to the right place at the right time. And he has used his entire arsenal. Eight players have at least one reception, and Manning has divvied his eight TD passes to four receivers.
As for execution, consider the offense has converted 14-of-19 times on third down and has yet to draw a penalty in eight quarters. The only turnover, a lost fumble by running back Edgerrin James, came after the Colts built a 41-3 lead over the Broncos.
As unstoppable as his offense has been, coordinator Tom Moore wants more.
"We've had some production," he said, "but we can still get better. We're not going to sit back. (Denver and Kansas City) are history. New England doesn't care what we did."
In fact, if history is any indication, the Patriots will be more than ready for whatever the Manning and the Colts can dish out.
As Chappell suggested this morning, there's a widely held perception that Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has Manning's number -- a perception that bears examination.
Belichick has been on the sideline opposite Manning's nine times since Manning entered the NFL in 1998, four times when Belichick was defensive coordinator of the New York Jets and five since he has been New England's coach.
Belichick's team has won five of those encounters, including the past three. Manning has completed 60.5 percent of his passes for 2,288 yards and 15 touchdowns with 14 interceptions.
Over the first five games, Manning was a .581 passer with six touchdowns, 10 interceptions and a sickly 64.4 passer rating. Over the past four, the numbers are 63.9 percent, nine touchdowns, four interceptions and an outstanding 98.2 rating.
Manning was 29-for-48 for 278 yards and four touchdowns with one interception when the Patriots won 38-34 at the RCA Dome on Nov. 30. He helped the Colts recover from a 31-10 deficit to tie the score at 31.
"You've got to find a way to attack them," Dungy said. "Last game, we attacked them better as the game went on."
Of course, the passing attack is only part of the bigger picture.
Remember, James ran for a career playoff-best 125 yards and scored two touchdowns, the last proving to be the difference, against the Chiefs.
And if you believe Star News staffer Phillip B. Wilson, it might have been the "finest hour in James' five-year career."
After all, this was the venue where the two-time NFL rushing champion's 2001 season came to a painful halt after six games when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and needed reconstructive surgery. Speculation was that he might never be the same.
But the James who walked out of Arrowhead Stadium last weekend was sound in mind and body. The strong-legged runner powered through the Chiefs' 30th-ranked run defense for 4.8 yards per carry.
"Last year, he was not the same guy," Manning said of James. "Now he's back to where he was. And I think he may even be stronger.
"What he has done is get a little bit smarter. You see him take himself out. He used to think he had to be in there every play."
James concedes he's wiser.
"I got out of the fantasy league business," he said of his previous pursuit for piling up yardage to earn contract incentives. "Back then, it was about scoring points and getting 100-yard games.
"Now, the perspective is different. It's like, do what it takes."
Other notes of interest. ...
As reported by the Sports Xchange, Tom Lopienski scored his first NFL touchdown with a 2-yard catch at Kansas City. Lopienski, an undrafted rookie from Notre Dame, has spent most of the season on the Colts' practice squad. He has been used almost exclusively as a short-yardage blocker after being signed to the active roster in early December. ...
According to the Sporting News, Pollard underwent an MRI on his sprained right ankle and may be limited in practice this week. He was sore after the game but appears in no serious danger of missing Sunday's AFC championship.
Also according to TSN, Marvin Harrison injured his ribs during Sunday's game and could be limited in practice this week. Both men are expected to start and play as usual.
And finally. ...
The long-range weather forecast for Massachusetts: Partly cloudy, high of 28 degrees, wind at 12 mph.
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THIS WEEK'S INITIAL INJURY REPORT:
Out: TE Dallas Clark (ankle)
Questionable: S Idrees Bashir (shoulder)
Probable: S Cory Bird (leg/shoulder); S Mike Doss (ankle); CB Nicholas Harper (low back); CB Walt Harris (knee); WR Marvin Harrison (chest); DE Robert Mathis (groin); G Tupe Peko (shoulder); TE Marcus Pollard (ankle); CB Donald Strickland (knee/shoulder)
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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 1300 PT:
QB: Peyton Manning, Brock Huard
RB: Edgerrin James, Dominic Rhodes, Ricky Williams
FB: Tom Lopienski
WR: Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Brandon Stokley, Troy Walters, Aaron Moorehead, Terrence Wilkins, JaJuan Dawson
TE: Marcus Pollard, Joe Dean Davenport, Pete Mitchell, Dallas Clark
PK: Mike Vanderjagt
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NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
As Boston Herald staffer Michael Felger suggested this morning: "The numbers jump out at you -- and they don't lie. If playoff football is about defending the run above everything else, then the fact the Indianapolis Colts have advanced to the AFC Championship Game stands as a statistical aberration.
"The Colts haven't stopped anyone on the ground for some time, but thanks to their offense they've been able to cover for that weakness on the scoreboard. Unfortunately for the Colts, history has not been kind to teams such as theirs."
Of course, the big question for Sunday's title game at Gillette Stadium is whether the Patriots can take advantage of it.
While not statistically impressive, the Pats have certainly run the ball well enough to win 13 straight games. And when they've faced bad run-stopping teams of late (most notably the Jets on Dec. 20), they've capitalized.
But complicating matters this week are leg injuries to the Pats' best interior lineman, Damien Woody, and their starting running back, Antowain Smith.
Woody apparently hasn't fully recovered from being stepped on by left tackle Matt Light in the regular-season finale against the Buffalo Bills. He was in and out of the lineup last week against the Tennessee Titans, with Russ Hochstein doing a capable job in relief.
Smith reportedly suffered a quad injury against Tennessee but will be ready for the Colts. The injury apparently occurred late in the third quarter after Smith ran for 17 yards deep in Pats territory. Smith may also have tweaked his ankle, as he appeared to be favoring that body part in the postgame locker room.
But whatever the injuries, the Pats still feel confident in the ground game. Whether it's Woody or Hochstein, whether it's Smith, Kevin Faulk or Mike Cloud, the Pats believe they'll continue to get the job done.
"We've been plagued with that all year," said guard Joe Andruzzi. "We've had guys fill in and do the job. It's a 53-man team, and there's no one just collecting a paycheck here. When it's your chance to get in there you have to be ready."
Felger went on to advise readers the Pats bristle at the suggestion their running game is sub par, even though the numbers (100.4-yards per game; 27th in the NFL) say they're worse than that.
"We don't have a Clinton Portis or a Ricky Williams, so everyone thinks we can't run the ball," Andruzzi said. "We have two very good guys, and I think it's actually three with Cloud. We don't get looked at because we might not have that big-name guy, but we have the combo. We get the job done."
There's been a perception that the Pats have committed more to the ground game since the start of December, when their schedule turned exclusively to outdoor games in the Northeast. But the statistical evidence does not back that up. Instead, the numbers have been consistent throughout the season.
Over the past five games, the Pats have averaged 30.2 attempts, 104.4 yards and 6.6 first downs rushing per game. Over their previous 11 games, the Pats averaged 31.7 attempts, 107.3 yards and 5.9 first downs.
"It's the same playbook since training camp," Andruzzi said. "It's just what plays we chose to run against certain teams."
What has been different is the play of Smith, who has been running with more purpose since being a healthy scratch at Indianapolis Nov. 30. In the five games since, Smith has averaged 72.6 yards on 18.6 carries per game. Previously, he had averaged only 34.8 yards on 10.5 carries.
Meanwhile, the Colts (20th in the league against the run) have given up some eye-popping totals. In Kansas City last week, they allowed 196 yards and an average of 6.5 yards per carry. In their wild card blowout of Denver the week before, they gave up 146 yards and 5.6 yards per carry even though the Broncos were forced to go to the air early. Over the last four games of the regular season, they allowed 4.5 yards per carry to Houston, 4.2 yards to Denver, 4.8 yards to Atlanta and 4.9 yards to Tennessee.
Also of interest. ...
As reported by the Sports Xchange, tight end Daniel Graham struggled Saturday night. He committed the Patriots' lone turnover when he fumbled near midfield and then later dropped a perfectly thrown pass down the middle at the Titans' 4-yard line on what ultimately was the game-winning field goal drive. But that catch would have given the Patriots a first-and-goal situation with about 4:00 remaining in the game.
"I don't think confidence is a problem," head coach Bill Belichick said of Graham. "I am sure that every player that played in the game is going to look back on that one and see some plays that they thought they did well on and others that they would like to have back. That goes for everybody."
But Graham has had a problem with dropped passes all season and his confidence, and it would certainly be understandable if Tom Brady's confidence in him begins to wane. He could be a significant weapon deep down the middle against the Colts cover-two scheme, but only if Brady throws to him and he can catch it.
And as an unnamed AFC scout told ESPN.com insider Len Pasquarelli: "It looks like New England can take advantage of the Indianapolis safeties in the passing game. But to do that, Graham has to catch the ball. I thought he was getting better as a receiver but, from what I saw [Saturday] night, he's got hands like feet. ..."
In naming him his Special Teams Player of the Week, Sports Illustrated insider Peter King wrote: "Adam Vinatieri, whose 46-yard field goal in a minus-10-degree wind-chill Saturday night wafted clumsily over the goalpost with 4:06 to play and put the Patriots ahead for good 17-14. Ask any kicker, and he'll tell you that booting a football on a night that cold is like trying to move an oblong brick.
"'The ball wasn't real soft," Vinatieri said later. "But the nice thing about it [was] you really couldn't feel your feet anyway, so it didn't matter.'
"Vinatieri's postseason resume now includes a 45-yard field goal during a blizzard in 2002 to send the divisional playoff game against Oakland to overtime, a 48-yarder at the gun to win Super Bowl XXXVI over St. Louis and this one. ..."
According to the Sporting News, Vinatieri has been receiving treatment for injuries to his back while Brady has reportedly has had up to four pints of fluid drained from his knee since suffering an injury during the Patriots final regular season game.
Brady also banged the knee last Saturday night, but did not come out of the game.
Both men, however, will play as usual this weekend.
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THIS WEEK'S INITIAL INJURY REPORT:
Doubtful: C Damien Woody (knee)
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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 1300 PT:
QB: Tom Brady, Damon Huard, Rohan Davey
RB: Kevin Faulk, Antowain Smith, Mike Cloud
FB: Larry Centers, Patrick Pass
WR: Deion Branch, David Givens, Troy Brown, Bethel Johnson, Dedric Ward
TE: Christian Fauria, Daniel Graham, Fred Baxter
PK: Adam Vinatieri
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PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
In an article published Tuesday, Associated Press sports writer Dan Gelston noted that Donovan McNabb tried to shed the running quarterback label, insisting he was a pocket passer who only scrambled when plays broke down.
This season, McNabb seemed hesitant to run, often passing up chances when he had open lanes or waiting too long and getting sacked.
But he just couldn't help himself in last week's playoff win against Green Bay. With his receivers forced outside, McNabb had all the room he needed to run for 107 yards -- an NFL postseason record for quarterbacks.
Combined with his 248 yards and two touchdowns passing, the Eagles beat the Packers 20-17 in overtime to reach their third straight NFC title game Sunday against Carolina.
McNabb shrugged off the record, saying he ran out of necessity.
"I just tried to protect the ball," McNabb said. "I knew they were blitzing, I looked at my first and second read and I knew I was about to get hit, so I just tried to protect the ball."
Head coach Andy Reid had a simpler explanation.
"It looked like he was the one guy that they didn't account for," Reid said.
Not account for McNabb's running with leading rusher Brian Westbrook out with an injury?
Perhaps it was because McNabb has tried to become a quarterback who makes plays with his arm instead of his feet at the first sign of trouble. Still, when the Eagles needed to run, McNabb delivered. He ran 41 yards in the first quarter. And then he had runs of 22 and 24 yards before throwing the game-tying TD pass.
"Instead of sitting back there and patting the ball, I tried to pick up what I could get, move the chains, and put us in a position to score," McNabb said.
McNabb rushed for only 355 yards this season and never had more than 55 yards in a game, though he was sacked 43 times -- the most in three years -- and the Packers sacked him eight times.
Last season, he had 460 yards and two 100-yard games in 10 games before he broke his leg. He had a 125-yard game against Washington in 2000 when he finished with a career-high 629 yards rushing.
While McNabb used to be an option out of the backfield, the Eagles used a running trio this season led by Westbrook. Even with Westbrook out for the playoffs with a triceps injury, Duce Staley and Correll Buckhalter were non factors for most of the game, gaining 57 yards on 14 carries.
Reid had no complaints with McNabb's scrambling.
"He ran for over 100 yards, that was pretty good," Reid said. "He threw the ball well, we got 300 yards-plus (381) of total offense and we can live with that. That's good stuff."
Reid said limiting Staley's carries was probably a mistake, though a 14-0 deficit changed the play calling.
"We probably could have run a little bit more, period," Reid said. "We didn't have a lot of success early with it and then when we got behind, it snowballed from there."
When the Eagles needed clutch runs in the game-tying drive in regulation and the winning one in overtime, they went to Staley.
With the Eagles trailing 17-14, Staley broke off left tackle and went 22 yards on the first play of the drive. The run, however, was lost after McNabb's fourth-and-26 completion to Freddie Mitchell which set up David Akers' game-tying field goal.
In overtime, Staley had an 11-yard run to Green Bay's 14. Two plays later, Akers won it with a 31-yarder.
McNabb knows he'll be on the move again against the Panthers, though he only ran twice for 6 yards when the Eagles beat Carolina in November.
"I don't know how we're going to do it because he's crazy, a double threat," Carolina defensive tackle Brentson Buckner said. "You can say all you want to take away the throwing option, but then he takes off and is running like Eric Dickerson. All you can do is go out there and line up, stay technically sound and hope for the best."
Speaking of Buckner and the Carolina defense. ...
Trenton Times staffer Mark Eckel suggests the team's offensive line will have to deliver a huge effort against the Panthers and keep McNabb protected.
Eckel added: "Carolina's front four can get after a quarterback and force mistakes. A key matchup will be Eagles LT Tra Thomas vs. Panthers RDE Mike Rucker. Thomas, who never receives much help, rarely gets bull-rushed or overpowered. When he is beaten, it's usually by outside speed or a quick move. Rucker, who had 12 sacks this season, has speed and moves. ..."
For what it's worth. ... McNabb on Sunday moved into second place in NFL history for lowest postseason interception percentage -- for now.
McNabb threw 39 passes without an interception against the Packers, improving his career playoff ratio from one interception every 41.3 passes to one every 47.8.
The only quarterback in history with a better ratio is Bart Starr, who threw three interceptions in 213 career pass attempts, or one every 71 attempts. McNabb bumped Phil Simms into third. Simms threw six interceptions in 279 attempts.
Tom Brady is 12 attempts short of the 150 required to qualify for the all-time postseason passing leaders. He has thrown just one postseason interception in 138 attempts.
Other notes of interest. ...
In an article published Monday, Pro Football Weekly noted that offensive coordinator Brad Childress told the media last week he thinks this Eagles team is tougher and a little more "battle-hardened" than last year’s model.
PFW went on to suggest there's no question it's not as talented a group, if for no other reason than it has been battered by injuries. But that adversity also has brought out the best in the group -- not just McNabb -- after such a slow start, according to senior assistant Marty Mornhinweg.
"Sometimes [a player’s struggles] go unseen, and they just work things through," Mornhinweg told PFW. "But it didn’t happen. And then all of a sudden, everything clicked, and it had as much to do with the timing and the rhythm as it did with [McNabb] getting better. I really believe all 11 players were struggling, not just McNabb. It made us tougher to realize that. ..."
And finally. ...
As Philadelphia News staff writer Dana Pennett O'Neil put it: "David Akers missing a 33-yard field goal is akin to Andy Reid missing a free buffet.
"It just doesn't happen."
But it did last weekend, despite the fact that in his entire NFL career, Akers has missed just one other time from such a close distance, muffing a 30-yarder against the Giants in a playoff game after the 2000 season.
Of course, Akers bounced back nicely, making clutch field goals at the end of regulation and in overtime despite Green Bay's attempt to ice him like a college kid at the free-throw line.
"I understand that a kicker doesn't make or break a team and doesn't win or lose a game," Akers said. "But I know that it's like a quarterback where a lot of the glory and the blame is put on that person and it comes with the territory. You swallow your pride sometimes and you get patted on the back sometimes when you shouldn't."
O'Neil went on to suggest that Akers is hampered to some degree by the design of Lincoln Financial Field. The open plazas where fans can congregate are wonderful elements for people trying to grab a dog and a beer and still watch the game, but a nightmare for kickers. The swirling winds coming out of those open spaces can shift in the span of a series, let alone during the course of a game.
In the regular-season home finale against San Francisco, Akers lined up for a 42-yarder that seemed good all the way and then caught the wind and fell to the ground like a weight.
"It's a learning process," Akers said. "This is my first full season in this place here and when southwest winds come out of there, it's brutal coming through that one opening."
In the end, though, that miss provided a good tutorial. Akers studied the wind like a meteorologist and when it was time to go to work again, he adjusted his approach. On the miss, he allowed Koy Detmer to give him his normal hold, leaning the ball to one side. On the makes, he went a different route.
"I told Koy, 'Look, just give me the ball straight or up,' and that let me draw the ball into the wind a little bit more and I just aimed for the right post," Akers said. "And it came back real hard, too. It almost looked like a rightfooted kicker the way the ball kind of came in. ..."
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THIS WEEK'S INITIAL INJURY REPORT:
Probable: RB Correll Buckhalter (knee); DE Jerome McDougle (arm); CB Troy Vincent (hip); DE Brandon Whiting (knee)
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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 1300 PT:
QB: Donovan McNabb, Koy Detmer, A.J. Feeley
RB: Correll Buckhalter, Duce Staley, Reno Mahe, Brian Westbrook
FB: Jon Ritchie
WR: Todd Pinkston, James Thrash, Freddie Mitchell, Greg Lewis, Billy McMullen
TE: Chad Lewis, L.J. Smith
PK: David Akers
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