14 |
weekend | E X P R E S S | 0 1 . 1 7. 2 0 1 4
sports NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS One of four teams to allow more than 2,100 yards rushing They ranked 30th in run defense, giving up 134.1 rushing yards a game
Four rushers with more than 200 yards Stevan Ridley (773), LeGarrette Blount (772), Brandon Bolden (271), Shane Vereen (208)
A Super Bowl-winning QB The Broncos’ Peyton Manning won one with the Colts. The Patriots’ Tom Brady is a threetime Super Bowl champ.
Player with 150 points or more scored this season The only two players in the NFL with more than 150 points were kickers Stephen Gostkowski (Patriots, 158) and Matt Prater (Broncos, 150)
DENVER BRONCOS One of six teams to allow more than 4,000 yards passing They ranked 27th in pass defense, giving up 254.4 yards a game
Four receivers with more than 700 yards Demaryius Thomas (1,430), Eric Decker (1,288), Julius Thomas (788), Wes Welker (778)
Committed less than 70 penalties
Committed more than 115 penalties
They had 69, the secondfewest in the NFL
They had 117, the fourthmost in the NFL
AFC MATCHUP
So Alike, Yet So Different
There are a lot of parallels between the facing teams in each conference title game. There’s Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning in the AFC championship — a battle of former Super Bowl winners in their mid-30s. Then there’s the NFC’s matchup of defensive-minded division rivals — each led by a young, up-and-coming mobile quarterback. But it’s not like these teams are mirror-images of each other. Here are Venn diagrams of Sunday’s two matchups to break down the teams’ similarities and differences. JEFFREY TOMIK (EXPRESS)
NFC MATCHUP
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
A tight end with double-digit TDs Vernon Davis has 13
Two 2013 Pro Bowl inside linebackers NaVorro Bowman and Patrick Willis
A QB skipped over in the draft once by every team in the league Colin Kaepernick was a second-round pick (No. 36) in 2011
Former Pac-10 coach The 49ers’ Jim Harbaugh was at Stanford (2007-10). The Seahawks’ Pete Carroll was at USC (2001-09).
Top five defense in yards and points allowed The Seahawks ranked 1st in both. The 49ers were 5th in yards and 3rd in points.
* All stats based on the regular season
A running back with double-digit TDs Marshawn Lynch has 12
Two 2013 Pro Bowl safeties Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor
A QB skipped over in the draft twice by every team in the league Russell Wilson was a thirdround pick (No. 75) in 2012