Colts face familiar hurdle in NFL playoffs

SAN DIEGO, California: Indianapolis will have some reasons for revenge tomorrow when the Colts visit San Diego in the opening weekend of the NFL playoffs.

San Diego spoiled the Colts' bid for a perfect season in 2006, when Indianapolis went on to beat Chicago in the Super Bowl, and also eliminated the Colts from last year's playoffs.

"We know them well," Chargers safety Eric Weddle said.

This time, the Colts carry a nine-game win streak into a matchup against a San Diego squad that won its last four games to finish 8-8, the worst record of any team in the playoffs but good enough to win the AFC West division title.

"This is obviously history," Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers said. "We know the expectations we set out with and how high they were. All we've done is reopen some of those expectations now that we've got ourselves into January."

Other first-round matchups find Atlanta at Arizona tomorrow with Baltimore at Miami and Philadelphia at the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

Tennessee, Carolina, Pittsburgh and the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants each earned first-round byes and await the winners in the quest for a trip to Super Bowl 43 on Feb 1 in Tampa, Florida.

The Colts, who went 12-4, won 23-20 at San Diego during the regular season when Adam Vinatieri kicked a 51-yard field goal as time expired on Nov 23.

Indianapolis took a seventh consecutive playoff appearance by not losing in two months but cannot have a home game because they did not win a division crown, losing out to top-seed Tennessee.

"I like where we are and we'll be ready to go wherever we have to go," said Colts coach Tony Dungy.

San Diego's Phillip Rivers threw for 4,009 yards and 34 touchdowns while Peyton Manning of the Colts threw for 4,002 yards and 24 touchdowns.

Chargers star running back LaDainian Tomlinson, who ran for 1,110 yards and 11 touchdowns, could be slowed by a groin strain.

The Vikings, powered by NFL rushing champion Adrian Peterson, will also see a familiar foe in Philadelphia.

Minnesota coach Brad Childress spent seven years as an Eagles assistant before joining the Vikings in 2006 and is a long-time friend of Eagles coach Andy Reid.

"I'm happy for him getting in," Childress said. "I don't particularly relish playing those guys, just from a personal standpoint."

Peterson led the NFL with 1,760 yards rushing while Brian Westbrook had 936 yards to lead Eagles runners. The Vikings also led the NFL in run defense, allowing an average of only 76.9 yards.

The Eagles' attack will rely upon Donovan McNabb, who threw for 3,916 yards and 23 touchdowns this season.

The NFL's best comeback tales will be on display Sunday.

Miami went 1-15 a season ago but went 11-5 this season, the best reversal from a one-win season in league history, under first-year coach Tony Sparano.

"I couldn't be prouder for any of my players in the locker room, but certainly for the guys that were here last year," Sparano said.

Baltimore beat Miami 27-13 in October but the Dolphins went 9-1 after that to claim a playoff spot.

That victory snapped a three-game losing skid for Baltimore and began a season-ending 9-2 run by the Ravens, who also went 11-5 after a dismal 5-11 finish in 2007.

"They're a different team right now," Ravens safety Ed Reed said. "We're a totally different team too."

Chad Pennington, cast aside by the New York Jets in favor of legendary Brett Favre last August, leads a Dolphin attack that produced the fewest points of any playoff team.

"It has just been an unbelievable ride," Pennington said. "We're really enjoying ourselves right now."

Baltimore boasts the NFL's second-best defense, which forced an NFL-best 34 turnovers, but newcomer Joe Flacco will be called upon to produce enough points to lift the Ravens to victory.

Flacco and Atlanta's Matt Ryan became the first rookie quarterbacks to start all 16 games and lead their teams into the playoffs. But such signal callers have only gone 2-6 in playoff games since 1970.

"It's about having a chance," Ryan said. "We're happy to have a chance."

Ryan revived a Falcons team that went 4-12 in 2007 as quarterback Michael Vick went to prison for funding a dogfighting ring. Atlanta went 11-5 and went 5-1 late in the season to reach the playoffs.

AFP

(China Daily 01/02/2009 page11)