OK TO GO ‘OVER’ BOARD
Big points can payoff in playoffs
Cowboys (+6) over PACKERS/ 53: Dallas has scant right to be here. They were undressed in last Sunday’s first half ... and you think that passinterference flag gets picked up (waaaaay too late, to be graceful) in a game played at Ford Field, with the Lions in defensive posture, under comparable circumstances, late? Uhuh. But having gotten a reprieve from the governor, here they are, with a chance to extend their season’s extraordinary unbeaten record away from AT&T Stadium.
Dallas’ 80 seasonal away from home reminds that sustained road success is frequently a hallmark of topshelf teams. The 49ers of the BillWalsh/JoeMontana/Steve Young era — which stretched from the early 1980s to the mid’90s — made a fetish of success away from Candlestick Park. They knew that if you can take care of business on the road, your home record tends to take care of itself.
All of this week’s Ice Bowl reminiscences (R.I.P., Jethro Pugh) lead to the inevitable weather overview. Tony Romo has been most fortunate over the years in avoiding bonechilling road trips. Romo has gone 12 in subfreezing temps. With a kickoff reading of eight degrees, last year’s Mondaynight 4528 December pasting in Chicago came when the Bears were respectable, and Jerry Jones’ team wasn’t quite there, yet. They also lost at Pittsburgh in ’08 under 22degree conditions. It is projected to be close to 20 degrees at Sunday’s noon (Central Time) kick at Lambeau Field.
On the other side, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers have hung up an unblemished record at their ball yard. The reigning percentage king of NFL coldweather quarterbacks, Rodgers’ precision and extraordinary comfort level at Lambeau yielded a 250 touch down to interception ratio at the old homestead this season. But Rodgers’ slight tear in his left calf will affect game flowif his take it down and run with it escapes are hampered.
Yes, the Cowboys’ last road playoff road win was in 1992’s postseason, during the final years of Jimmy Johnson’s reign. That was also the last time they were at least somewhat comparable to the present edition, though the contemporary defense is weaker. The Barry Switzer coached ’95 Super winner weren’t equal to Johnson’s best. Expecting a legitimate shootout, presuming Rodgers sees the final gun and the Lambeau footing’s good, as we expect.
Packers, 3027.
BRONCOS (7) over Colts/
Over 54: After that groundgame disaster in St. Louis, the Broncos braintrust rededicated itself to the proposition of convincing itself (and opponents) that it could run the ball down opponents’ throats if it had to, and proceeded to grind out 548 rushing yards in their three subsequent efforts — including an impressive 133 ground yards against Buffalo’s front.
Andrew Luck is an awesome talent. But the rest of the team’s development hasn’t kept up with Luck’s. The Colts have remained wholly incapable of dealing with legitimate opposition when away from Lucas Oil Stadium. And the results frequently have been ugly, with bad losses at Pittsburgh and Dallas.
There are Peyton Manning issues, here. It projects to be around 40 degrees at kick, and Manning’s record at temps much below that are discouraging, though much of that dossier was established a decade ago when Manning’s Colts teams were visiting New England’s winter wonderland.
Provided Manning isn’t overly rusty early and the weather is agreeable, Denver’s offensive package boasts more reliable weapons, though with a March 1976 birthdate, Manning is trying to be the oldest quarterback to win a Super Bowl — more than three months older than general manager John Elway was when Elway won his second against Atlanta in January 1999.
Give the Broncos their props for their sustained efforts to better balance the offense with their meaningful running game. With C.J. Anderson and his relatively fresh legs, sustained pounding of the Colts defensive front only can help as the game wears on, and it is tough to dispute that the Broncos defense is superior, when they are fully focused and not playing in “prevent” mode, as they were in the opener vs. Indianapolis and the Dec. 7 game against the Bills.