Some key individual performances dominated the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs.
Arian Foster did not stumble against an elite rush defence, Drew Brees made history against the Lions, Eli Manning was nearly perfect, and lost in the coverage of Tim Tebow’s exploits, was a sensational performance by Broncos lead playmaker Demaryius Thomas.
Let’s break down the numbers to find out how sustainable these performances are.
Foster Runs Wild: 6.4 Yards Per Carry
Coming into the Wild Card match-up against the Houston Texans the Bengals were respected for their defence, particularly against the rush. Cincinnati ranked sixth during the regular season, allowing just 3.9 yards per carry.
Yet, when the Wild Card match-up unfolded they could not stop Foster despite the Texans going with a third-string quarterback under center. Foster was, undoubtedly, the key to the Texans’ success.
The top running back of the 2010 season got off to a slow start this season because of a lingering hamstring injury. However, once he regained his health there were no running backs quite as effective.
Despite playing three fewer games than a season ago, Foster actually improved on his receiving yards this season, averaging an astounding 47.5 receiving yards supplementary to 94.2 rushing yards. Though he played in just 13 games Foster ranked fifth in rushing yards and third in receiving yards at his position.
It was clear that coming into the showdown with the Bengals, the Texans were going to ride the talent of Foster while hoping the defence would help the lead stick. Sure enough, the defence rose to the occasion, forcing three turnovers, while Foster surpassed 150 rushing yards for the third time this season.
Next in line is a Ravens defensive unit that tied the Niners as the NFL’s stingiest defence against the rush. Once again, the Texans will ride their workhorse in the backfield against the odds.
Brees Provides Aerial Attack: 10.8 Yards Per Attempt
It is one thing to average 10 yards per completion, but to post more than 10 yards per pass attempt is a statistic that no quarterback averaged over the regular season. Brees simply elevated his level of play in the first round match-up against the Lions.
Broncos fans will be quick to point out that their Tebow averaged 15 yards per pass attempt, but we’re talking about a very different type of performance. Tebow only tossed 21 passes, and completed 10 of them. That said, the game-winning touchdown to Thomas already accounts for four yards per pass.
With Brees, we’re talking about a pass-first offence with 43 pass attempts and a mind-blowing 77% completion rate.
Things will get more interesting this weekend as the Saints take on a 49ers defence that ranked second in the NFL with 23 interceptions.
Also credit the Saints offensive line, as Brees was not sacked last week. Niners linebacker Aldon Smith nearly averaged a sack per game by himself. It’s classic offence versus defence between these two teams this weekend.
Eli’s Calming Presence: Connects on 72% of Passes
In baseball terms, what Eli Manning offered the New York Football Giants last week was the equivalent of a one-hitter. The only blemish on his record was an intentional grounding penalty that resulted in a safety, and two points for the Falcons.
Manning has always had a strong arm and an uncanny ability to make things happen in the fourth quarter. However, unlike his older brother Peyton, Eli has rarely been associated with consistency.
That seems to be changing this season as Manning was the one constant for the Giants passing attack while his top receiver Steve Smith and tight end Kevin Boss left during free agency.
Sure, Victor Cruz deserves a lot of credit, but it’s Manning who gets the ball into his hands.
On Sunday, the Falcons opted to double team Cruz, leaving Manning to spread the ball between Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham, and others. In total, six receivers hauled in at least two grabs while Manning connected on 72% of his pass attempts.
Manning will likely need a perfect game to dethrone the Packers this weekend. The last time Manning squared off against the Packers, he tossed an interception and lost a fumble.
Those extra two possessions proved costly for the G-Men who lost by a field goal in the week 13 match-up.
Thomas averages 51 Yards Per Catch
The passing game is not just about the quarterback. Joe Montana had jerry Rice, Peyton Manning has Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne, and Troy Aikman had Michael Irvin.
Well, Tim Tebow has Demaryius Thomas.
While everyone recalls Tebow getting nabbed with Denver’s 25th overall pick of the 2010 draft, everyone seems to have forgotten that his top playmaker was actually drafted three picks ahead of him.
Thomas dealt with injuries and inconsistency throughout the first season and a half of his career, but over the last few months he finally broke out.
The Georgia native hauled in two touchdowns along with 144 yards in a three-point win over the Vikings in week 13, and then followed-up with seven receptions in each of the next two games.
Though he has clearly replaced Brandon Lloyd as the Broncos top target, there was never a more important performance in Lloyd’s career than what he offered in his post-season debut.
Already with 124 yards on the day, Thomas opened the overtime period against the Steelers with a grab up the middle, then headed for the sideline displaying incredible speed to outrun the Steelers secondary to find the end zone.
Already averaging 40 yards per catch in the game before that grab, Thomas should be celebrated as much as Tebow for the game’s surprising result.
Some further good news is that the last time he faced the Patriots defence he came up with 116 yards through the air. If the Broncos have any chance of keeping up with Tom Brady and the Patriots, it will start with Tebow and Thomas.