The 15-Play Drive

15 thoughts on Championship Sunday in the NFL...

1. I won't pretend to know what kind of pain Jay Cutler was feeling with a reported MCL injury, but with what was at stake my thinking is if you can stand and walk you can play. When his team needed him, I thought Cutler lacked toughness.

2. What are you complaining about Julius Peppers? You hit Aaron Rodgers helmet to helmet on that roughing the passer call early in the 4th quarter.

3. From the you can't make this stuff up department....Caleb Hanie threw for more TD's Sunday than Aaron Rodgers and Jay Cutler combined.

4. Mike Martz continues to outsmart himself. It's 3rd and 3 at the Green Bay 27 on Chicago's final drive of the game, and Martz is calling an end around for Earl Bennett. Result: 2-yard loss. Keep it simple there Mike. You'll stay employed longer.

5. Don't underestimate the impact Tim Masthay and the Packers punt coverage team had during Sunday's game. Masthay placed 5 of his 8-punts inside the Bears 20-yard line. On top of that, Green Bay held Devin Hester to 16-yards on his 3-returns. That's an outstanding job.

6. I have the feeling Packers GM Ted Thompson is still smiling today about the performances of Sam Shields and James Starks. Shields, an undrafted free agent out of Miami, had a sack and a pair of interceptions including the game clincher late in the 4th quarter. Starks, a 6th round pick from Buffalo, rushed for 74-yards on 22-carries with 1-TD.

7. Bart Scott's now famous post-game interview with Sal Paolantonio included this comment when Paolantonio told him see you in Pittsburgh, "Can't wait!" Apparently he could wait. Scott was one of the prime culprits in a first half of missed tackles by the Jets defense.

8. Ben Roethlisberger didn't put up big numbers, but he did what Peyton Manning and Tom Brady couldn't against the Jets...He kept his team on the field. Big Ben's ability to buy time helped the Steelers go 6 for 11 on 3rd down conversions.

9. Maybe you just can't reach a Super Bowl with a Schottenheimer. Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer had an awful night. Shall I count the ways....

3rd and 17 at NYJ 26: Down 17-0 with under 2-minutes to go in the half, no need to make a bad situation worse. Instead of a run or safe pass, Schottenheimer called for a play that had Sanchez looking down the field. Ike Taylor blitzed, drilled Sanchez, and caused a fumble which was returned for a touchdown.

3rd and goal at Pit 1: The Jets already tried a pass on 2nd down, yet they threw again on 3rd. Then when that failed, Schottenheimer went back to the run. LaDainian Tomlinson was stopped for no gain, and on a drive that took 8:06 off the clock in the 4th quarter, the Jets came away with nothing. Back to back throws from the 1-yard line? Are you kidding? Did I confuse ground and pound with duck and chuck?

1st and 10 at Pit 36: Sanchez just completed a 22-yard pass to Braylon Edwards. The Jets were trailing 24-12 at the time with less than 7 and a half minutes remaining. Yet they showed an unbelievable lack of urgency. No hurry up. That's pure incompetence there.

10. Nobody accounted for you Jamaal Westerman. How did you not block that punt?

11. Say this for the Jets defense...They made three elite quarterbacks look very ordinary at times during these playoffs. Manning, Brady and Roethlisberger combined went 57-90 passing for 657-yards with 3-TD's and 3-INT's.

12. Can't give enough credit to Rashard Mendenhall. On a night when no Steelers receiver had more than 2-catches, Mendenhall put the offense on his back at times. His ability to break tackles in the early going, and establish the run put the Jets on their heels.

13. Gusty play-calling by the Steelers on the final drive of the game. Instead of going conservative, they chose to be aggressive and threw for two first downs to put the Jets away.

14. At the same time, Antonio Brown's kickoff return allowed them that luxury. It may get lost, but Brown's 27-yard return to the Steelers 41-yard line made it easier for them to push the envelope.

15. One non-championship game note....A change of scenery may do him some good, but buyer beware on Carson Palmer. Too many times he looks like a stiff more than a savior.