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NFL Capsules - Playoffs: Ravens LB Lewis a fan of Houston RB Foster
HOUSTON (AP) — Arian Foster was in his first season as a starter for Houston back in 2010 when the Ravens came to town.
When Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis grabbed the running back after a play, he didn't know what to expect. Turns out Lewis had become a fan and told Foster: "I love the way you play this game. You have a very, very bright future."
Since then, the pair have become friends, though that bond will be put aside Sunday when the Ravens and Texans meet in an AFC divisional playoff game. Foster was floored by the comments from Lewis that day and said they really meant a lot to him.
"I was having a little success, but he didn't have to do that, but he did it and it was kind of surreal," Foster said, shaking his head. "The whole game I was kind of just like, 'Ray Lewis just said ... .'"
Lewis, in his 16th NFL season, is impressed by Foster's football skills. But said he was drawn to the 25-year-old because of a quality that can't be seen in X's and O's.
"He's driven by a different burner inside," Lewis said. "He was an undrafted guy with a lot of talent, so he is fueled by something different. Anytime you add that type of fuel with talent you get Arian Foster."
Foster went undrafted out of Tennessee in 2009 despite running for 2,964 yards in his four-year career and was picked up by the Texans as a free agent. He was released that September, but signed to the practice squad the next day and made the active roster that November after injuries to Houston's other running backs. He ran for 257 yards in six games.
Foster became Houston's starter in 2010 and his career took off. He finished with an NFL-best 1,615 yards rushing, then followed that up by running for 1,224 yards this season despite sitting out three games.
In his first career playoff game last week, Foster ran for 153 yards and two scores to help the Texans to a 31-10 win over Cincinnati.
Foster has said the struggles he had in getting his NFL career going drive him, and knowing Lewis appreciates what he went through is the best compliment he could receive.
"As a man who's played in this league, who's respected by everybody who plays this game ... for him to say that, it's vindicating for everything that I've worked for just to be respected by your peers and not only your peers, but one of the greatest defensive players to ever play the game," Foster said.
The 36-year-old Lewis and Foster talk or text often — Foster wouldn't reveal what their texts have said this week — and they met up a couple of times during the offseason. Foster enjoyed spending a couple of hours chatting with Lewis after the pair attended the ESPYs.
"Those kind of moments are just priceless to me," Foster said. "Because he's just a great human spirit and anytime that you can be around people like that that inspire you, that's what life's about, is being inspired."
Foster fits no traditional mold. He studied philosophy at Tennessee, his name means "water bearer, holder of knowledge," he's written poetry since childhood and has a fascination for foreign cultures. While his Texans teammates certainly like Foster and appreciate his skills, some of them just don't understand his personality.
When he walked over to Andre Johnson on the sideline and bowed in front of him after the receiver scored a touchdown on Saturday, Johnson told him with a smile: "Man, get out of my face." Then there was the time Foster texted Johnson pictures of him feeding ducks.
"You get a text message from your teammate and you're thinking it's something important, something they have to say and it's a picture of him feeding ducks," Johnson said, laughing. "I don't know what that was all about, but he does stuff like that. It keeps you laughing."
Lewis didn't say if he's been on the receiving end of any such shenanigans. But he saw another side of Foster and decided early on that he would make him one of the players he hopes to guide in his career.
"That's one of my next young ones, that whatever I can do for him I'm going to do for him," Lewis said. "And that's the thing that I kind of got caught with, was his humility and who he is as a young man and the thing that drives him."
Of course, Lewis won't let his personal feelings get in the way of his task on Sunday. The Ravens held Foster to 49 yards rushing in a 29-14 win in October and know containing him this week will be a key to the game.
Lewis is also concerned about fellow running back Ben Tate and knows he could factor in to Sunday's game, too.
"You can't even really say he's a number two back, you got to say that he's a 1A and 1B, because he comes in and he gives a different kind of slash than Arian does," Lewis said of Tate. "Arian is a sleek cruiser, and Ben is more of a downhill, quick burst, really get downhill and fight for some tough yards. I just think they've got two good, good, good backs."
Ravens veterans gear up for crucial Super Bowl run
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Matt Birk made his debut in the NFL as part of a Minnesota Vikings team that went 15-1. Minnesota reached the playoffs in each of the next two seasons, too.
Although the Vikings never made it to the Super Bowl during that span, Birk figured it was only a matter of time before he would be fitted for a Super Bowl ring.
Now the starting center for the Baltimore Ravens, Birk is 35 years old and in 15th NFL season. He's still waiting for a chance to part of pro football's biggest spectacle.
"Two out of my first three years in the league I went to the NFC championship game," Birk said. "At that time, I probably didn't know what it meant or just how precious is was. And I haven't been back since."
Birk is one of 35 players on Baltimore's 53-man roster to have participated in an NFL playoff game. Only one, middle linebacker Ray Lewis, owns a Super Bowl ring.
For many of the Ravens veterans, this postseason run could represent their last chance to win a championship. Although Baltimore has reached the playoffs in each of the last four seasons, this team just might be the best of them all.
After winning the AFC North and going 12-4, the Ravens enter Sunday's home game against Houston (11-6) as the No. 2 seed in the conference. With a victory, Baltimore will move within one victory of booking a trip to Indianapolis for the Super Bowl.
"This is probably my best shot at it," Birk said. "My first year we were 15-1. That team and this team are the two best I've ever been on. The last three years we've been kind of building to this point. I think we've gotten better each year. Somebody my age, I realize this is probably my last and best shot at it."
Ravens safety Ed Reed joined the Ravens in 2002. He's received eight Pro Bowl nominations — including one this season — and has played in nine postseason games. But he's still waiting to experience the thrill of playing in the Super Bowl.
He isn't getting younger, either. Reed several grey hairs and no longer finds the trip to Hawaii for the league's all-star game to be worth the bother.
"I couldn't tell you the last time I've been to the Pro Bowl," he said, "so that tells you how I feel about that."
Lewis has the ring. He wants another. Mostly, though, he wants his teammates to understand just how special it is to own one.
"That's what it's all about. You see these young kids that come in this business, and they don't really understand how hard it is to win a Super Bowl," Lewis said. "They don't understand how everything has to be in place, how your health is a big issue.
"We have the team to do it now. We don't have too many more excuses. Let's go do it right now. Then whatever else comes after that for all of your careers, you go enjoy it, but go win a championship. There are a lot of men that came in this business, and that's the one thing they have left this business without, and that's the ring. I have touched it before. To go back with this group of men could be a special thing."
Defensive end Cory Redding spent six seasons with Detroit and another with Seattle before joining the Ravens as a free agent in March 2010. He got his first taste of the playoffs last season, and now the 31-year-old is eager to take the next step.
"To have the opportunity to play in the playoffs two years in a row, having the chance to continue to fight for what you have always been dreaming of when you were a little kid — hoisting up that (Lombardi) Trophy — it's a privilege and an honor," he said. "Right now, myself and everybody included in that locker room, I'm telling everyone to soak everything in and don't take this thing for granted. Because we don't know when the next time we're going to be here."
Linebacker Jarret Johnson is in his ninth season. He was part of the Ravens team that advanced to the AFC title game in 2008, only to be turned back by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
"You don't want to be the team that just has an 18-game season every year," Johnson said. "You don't want to be the team that's just satisfied with making the playoffs and then goes home early. We understand that you don't get this opportunity many times. You look at a guy like Dan Marino, Hall of Famer, he went one time. Every year, you can't take for granted the fact that you are in the playoffs. You have to take advantage of that because you don't know if you are ever going to make it again."
-- David Ginsburg
Brady looks to end three-game playoff slide
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Tom Brady is on his usual late-season roll. He'd just like to stop his recent playoff slide.
The quarterback with tunnel vision, focusing on the next practice and the next game, is on an eight-game winning streak. That may be a better sign of how his next one will go than his three-game postseason losing streak.
A win on Saturday night would send Brady and the New England Patriots to the AFC championship game and end the Tebowmania season of the Denver Broncos.
Preparing for the upcoming game is all Brady cares about.
"I haven't thought about anything about last year or last week," he said before practice this week. "I'm trying to think about today."
Before last week's bye, the Patriots (13-3) scored 49 straight points and beat the Buffalo Bills 49-21. During the winning streak, Brady has thrown for 19 touchdowns and just two interceptions. An acknowledged plodder, he's even run for three touchdowns in his last three games.
In the last four regular-season games over his 10 seasons as a starter, he is 34-6.
Brady's success has made an impression on Tebow.
He can learn, Tebow said, from "being able to watch a quarterback like that — how he handles himself, the emotion that he plays with but at the same time the calmness that he plays with, the accuracy, the leadership, the way he motivates his players, the way he gets in and out of great plays, the way he's able to handle any situation."
Except, lately, the playoffs.
Brady won his first 10 postseason games and three Super Bowls. He was 14-2 before having a drastic reversal with three consecutive losses — 17-14 to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl of the 2007 season, 33-14 to the Baltimore Ravens two years ago and 28-21 to the New York Jets last year. Those last two were at home.
How long did it take for him to get over the loss to the Jets?
"I don't know," Brady said. "I don't remember."
Other Patriots haven't forgotten the post-season slide.
"It sits in all of our minds for the guys that have been here and been a part of that," tackle Matt Light said. "You work that much, you put that much time into a season, you have success to a degree during the regular season and then you go out and you can't get it done in the postseason. That's a difficult thing to swallow."
The Broncos (9-8) want to make that even tougher. They lost their last three regular-season games but still made the playoffs as champions of the weak AFC West.
Then they beat Pittsburgh 29-23 on an 80-yard pass play from Tebow to Demaryius Thomas on the first play of overtime last Sunday. But Steelers quarterback Ben Roethsliberger was limited by a bad ankle and running back Rashard Mendenhall was sidelined with a knee injury.
The Patriots figure to pose a much tougher challenge. That's why they're two-touchdown favorites. The Broncos, on their home field, already have lost to them this season. Denver rushed for 167 yards in the first quarter, led 16-7, but committed three turnovers in the second and lost 41-23 on Dec. 18.
"We made mistakes. They exposed those mistakes. Obviously, our tackling in space needs to be better," Broncos defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said. "Obviously, we've got to get more pressure on Tom Brady somehow, someway, and affect him more. I think we hit him a couple of times in the pocket, sacked him twice, but we didn't really affect him enough in the pocket, and we've got to find ways to do that."
That's where linebackers Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil come in.
"Those guys are fast and explosive," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "They can go inside, outside, power rush, occasionally drop into coverage, make a lot of plays from behind. They're strong at the point of attack. They're very good, very good."
Against the Steelers, rookie Miller got only his second sack in the five games he's played with a cast to protect a torn ligament on his right thumb. He had 11 1/2 in the regular season and said his thumb is feeling better.
But before he can tackle Brady, he has to get to the quarterback.
"He stays pretty shallow in the pocket," Miller said. "You've just got to be able to beat your guy quickly."
In the regular season, the Broncos did a decent job on stars Wes Welker and Rob Gronkowski, limiting each to four catches. But tight end Aaron Hernandez stepped up with nine receptions for 129 yards and a touchdown.
"They've got a lot of weapons," Dumervil said. "We also feel confident with our guys. We've just got to play sound, play smart and, I think, no blown assignments. Everybody does their job and executes, and it will give us a good chance."
Safety Quinton Carter said the Broncos made many mistakes on their pass coverage assignments.
"There were a lot of big catches and guys wide open with nobody defending them," he said.
Belichick hasn't seen a tight-end combination with such receiving skills very often in his 37 NFL seasons.
"I see it every day in practice," he said.
Now its Denver's turn to face that formidable pair a month after its first encounter.
"They've got tough matchups They're all great players," Broncos coach John Fox said. "Tom's as good as anybody at finding those matchups and it will come down to that again this time, I'm sure."
Brady didn't do enough of that in his last two playoff games.
Two years ago against the Ravens, Brady threw for 154 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions and was sacked three times.
Last year, the Jets sacked him five times, he threw an interception on his first series and he never got the lead back after New York went ahead 7-3 five minutes into the second quarter.
Light isn't sure how much those two losses hurt the quarterback whose blind side he's protected since 2001.
"I haven't talked with him about it, but he doesn't typically take losing too well," Light said with a grin. "I've noticed that over the years."
-- Howard Ulman
Bailey, Brady renew their rivalry this weekend
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The last time the Broncos and Patriots met in the playoffs, Champ Bailey returned an interception 100 yards, sparking a big Denver win and handing Tom Brady his first postseason defeat after 10 wins and three titles.
Six years later, they meet again this weekend, both men a lot longer in the tooth but just as transcendent.
At 33, Bailey was just named to his 11th Pro Bowl, extending his record for cornerbacks. He helped the Broncos (9-8) reach the playoffs for the first time in six seasons.
"He's really a playmaker for them," Brady said. "He's a great leader. He's everything you look for in a football player."
That's pretty much what Bailey said about Brady.
"He's smart, accurate, he has all the tools," Bailey said. "He's tough, confident. Everything you want in a player."
At 34, Brady threw 39 touchdown passes, the second-highest total of his brilliant career, and he led the Patriots (13-3) to the top seed in the AFC by winning his last eight starts, including a blowout at Denver on Dec. 18.
The heavily favored Patriots are 8-2 in home playoff games under Brady, whose 14-5 postseason record is tied with Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw for the best mark in league history.
Bailey and the Broncos, however, will be out for their seventh win in 10 tries against him. No other team has had that much success against the two-time MVP and perennial Pro Bowler.
Still, the Broncos' captain readily acknowledges he doesn't particularly enjoy facing Brady.
"It's more frustrating when you're out there because he's so good. He's one of the best ever," Bailey said. "I think a lot of people want to find out who's going to be the next guy, but he always reminds everybody he's still the best."
Brady said he's not thrilled to see Bailey again, either.
"I wish I could have him on our team and not play against him. I'm tired of playing against him," Brady said. "He definitely challenges us. He is a huge factor in every game that we play against them. I have a ton of respect for him and you always have to be careful throwing the ball to his side of the field."
That's what happened back on Jan. 14, 2006, when Bailey made the play that ended New England's dominating dynasty along with Denver's years of playoff misery.
Trying to become the first team to win three straight Super Bowls, the Patriots were driving for the go-ahead score in the third quarter. But on third down from the Denver 5, Bailey stepped in front of Troy Brown in the end zone for the pick. He sprinted down the Broncos' sideline.
With the goal line almost in reach, Bailey, huffing and puffing, slowed and was bringing the ball down to his hip when tight end Ben Watson caught up and knocked him down, sending the ball flying out of bounds at the 1 — or was it through the end zone?
With Bailey lying on his back, grimacing and gasping for air, Patriots coach Bill Belichick challenged the call, saying the ball flew out of the end zone, not at the 1, which would have given New England the ball back on a touchback.
The challenge was unsuccessful, and Mike Anderson scored to give Denver a 17-6 lead on its way to a 27-13 triumph, the Broncos' first playoff win since John Elway's second Super Bowl victory in 1999.
"Considering how much they won the previous years, they were pretty much unbeatable," Bailey recalled. "To get a play like that and to change the game, to get a win against a team like that, yes, it's a special moment."
Still, Bailey cringes a bit at the thought of getting caught, although he jokingly takes solace in knowing it took a fellow Georgia Bulldogs alum to chase him down.
"If anybody's going to do it," Bailey cracked, "it'd better be a guy from Georgia."
Bailey's big play was one of five turnovers by the Patriots that day. The Broncos might need similar circumstances to upset New England on Saturday night.
The Broncos self-destructed in a 41-23 loss to the Patriots in Denver last month, committing a trio of turnovers in the second quarter that New England turned into 13 points, erasing what remained of an early nine-point deficit.
"I expect us to play better, make it a little more difficult for them," Bailey said. "But it's Tom Brady. He's good for a reason. I mean, he's won a lot of games, won a lot of big games, Super Bowls."
There's the rub. The most decorated cornerback in NFL history, Bailey has never been to a Super Bowl. A week after beating Brady in '06, the Broncos lost to Pittsburgh in the AFC championship and didn't return to the postseason party until this year.
It's a long shot, but Bailey would like nothing more than to have to skip his annual trip to Honolulu for the Pro Bowl on Jan. 29 so he could prepare for a Super Bowl a week later.
"Well, it makes me feel like people still respect my game at this age, but I really don't put a lot of thought in the Pro Bowl too much," he said. "It's just, I want to win a ring, and that's why I still play."
-- Arnie Stapleton
Broncos long snapper misses practice again
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos, whose stellar kicking game played a huge role in their return to the playoffs after a six-year absence, had to practice most of this week without long snapper Lonie Paxton.
He was excused to attend to a family matter, coach John Fox said Thursday without revealing specifics.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family," Fox said. "He'll be day-to-day just like all of our injuries."
Asked if there's any concern Paxton might not play Saturday night at New England, Fox said: "We'll answer that day to day."
After practicing Tuesday, Paxton missed workouts Wednesday and Thursday. If he's unable to play against the Patriots, Russ Hochstein might be the fill-in.
"Like any position on the team, we're well-prepared," Fox said.
Right guard Chris Kuper used to be the backup long snapper but he broke his left leg two weeks ago and was placed on injured reserve. Hochstein, an 11th-year pro who spent six seasons in New England, replaced Kuper on the offensive line.
If Paxton rejoins the team in time for the game, kicker Matt Prater and holder/punter Britton Colquitt said they weren't worried their timing would be disrupted.
"We work so much in the last year, offseason, preseason, that it doesn't affect anything," Colquitt said. "He's such a professional, it's not going to affect him. We just have to make sure we're doing our thing. Whenever he's there, it's like we never parted."
Paxton is a 12th-year pro who spent his first nine seasons with the Patriots before joining the Broncos in 2009. He had just one errant snap all season, which resulted in a botched extra point last month.
Prater, who kicked a series of game-winning field goals this season, sounded as though he expected Paxton to play.
"Lonie is a pro. He's a pro at everything he does," Prater said. "I'm not worried about Lonie at all."
There's a possibility Paxton could get in some work Friday morning when the Broncos (9-8) hold their walkthrough before flying out for their AFC divisional playoff game against the Patriots (13-3).
Prater said Paxton was doing the right thing by taking care of his family first.
"Lonie is a genuinely nice guy on and off the field. I told him if I had family issues, I'd be doing the same thing," Prater said. "You have your priorities: family, faith and football. I think in that order, too."
"It's just tough," Colquitt said. "Football doesn't matter if there are personal family issues. That's more important. There's more life outside of football than there is in it. It's more important that everything is good on the home front than anywhere else."
-- Arnie Stapleton
NFC
Saints have advantage in playoff experience
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Center Jonathan Goodwin has been going around San Francisco's locker room offering bits of veteran insight here and there. Playoff knowledge, Saints knowledge.
The NFC West champion 49ers have eight players who have been to the postseason previously. The New Orleans Saints? A whopping 39 before their victory over Detroit last weekend.
"I think some of the guys who didn't get a chance to go to the playoffs in the past, they're hungry," 49ers tight end Vernon Davis said. "They're really hungry. I don't know what it's going to be like, I just know I'm playing in the playoffs. I try not to get too excited because I want to keep myself under control."
That's where Goodwin comes in.
Among the key offseason acquisitions for San Francisco, Goodwin is one of those playoff-tested guys for the Niners (13-3). He won a Super Bowl ring with the Saints two years ago.
"Should be pretty fun," Goodwin said. "Hopefully my experiences seeing that defense a lot during training camp and sometimes during the season will be valuable."
When the 49ers head into their first postseason appearance in nine years Saturday afternoon against Drew Brees and the high-powered Saints (14-3), quarterback and 2005 No. 1 draft pick Alex Smith will be just one of many San Francisco regulars making postseason debuts and taking their most significant steps yet onto the NFL's big stage.
Of the eight 49ers who have been to the postseason before, one is little-used wide receiver Brett Swain, another is long snapper Brian Jennings and also record-setting kicker David Akers. Jennings is the only player still around from the 49ers' 2002 playoff season, when San Francisco rallied to stun the New York Giants 39-38 in their NFC wild-card game.
From star linebackers Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman, to Davis, running back Frank Gore and left tackle Joe Staley, punter Andy Lee and even safety Donte Whitner, this will be a monumental first.
What a difference from the dominating Saints, with almost an entire roster of men who have played such important games before this year. The 49ers are considered an underdog again — a role first-year coach Jim Harbaugh relishes — this week despite playing at home in sold-out Candlestick Park.
San Francisco earned the NFC's No. 2 seed over the Saints, who did their share of scoreboard watching late in the season in hopes of stealing the second spot and a first-round bye.
"The bigger the games get, I think you fall back on your routine and your preparation," Smith said. "What you've always done, the things that got you here. Continue to fall back on all those little things."
Brees will be up against a stingy San Francisco defense that allowed only three rushing touchdowns and all in the final two games — and the Niners had 38 takeaways to only 10 turnovers for a plus-28 turnover differential. That matched the second-best mark in NFL history.
Now, back in the postseason, the 49ers face the daunting task of trying to slow down Brees, whose versatile offense produced a playoff-record 626 yards in Saturday night's 45-28 win over the Lions. Brees threw for 466 yards and completed 33 of 43 passes — and no doubt will provide the toughest test yet for San Francisco's deep and talented defense.
Darren Sproles ran for two touchdowns against Detroit and Pierre Thomas also rushed for a score.
The 49ers realize the challenge — and plan to stick with what got them this far. They have lost the last six meetings with New Orleans.
"I haven't been to the postseason in my life," safety Dashon Goldson said. "I won a championship in high school. But other than that, no. ... We've got a good chance."
Brees knows playoff experience won't mean much. New Orleans was set to arrive in San Francisco on Thursday evening, then hold a walk-through practice at Candlestick on Friday.
"I think that can be beneficial at times, your guys are used to playing in big games, they're used to being in playoff situations, that kind of thing," Brees said. "But to be honest with you each team is different. I would say San Francisco is a 13-win team just like we're a 13-win team and we've all played in a lot of big games this year and we've all had to win down the stretch."
The 49ers, who won their division to end an eight-year playoff drought, have been planning for New Orleans for a week now. San Francisco took a 24-3 beating in the Big Easy back in August during the teams' exhibition opener.
"My advice so far is pretty much, when it all comes down to it, it's still football," Goodwin said. "You might have a little anxiety that first series. After that, it's something that you've done for plenty of years of your life."
Akers, the oldest player on the team at 37 and in his 14th year, has the most playoff experience of the bunch after spending his last 12 NFL seasons with the Eagles.
Smith, not about to reflect on his comeback year, and the rest of the first-timers are looking to make their own memorable mark on these playoffs.
"Had a great season up to this point. Got ourselves the bye," Smith said. "Put ourselves in a good situation. It doesn't guarantee you anything beyond that, we all understand that. So much of the playoffs is the hot team and the team that's peaking and continuing to get better here at the end of the season. That's really our focus, is just to continue to get better."
Saints coach Sean Payton isn't counting on an advantage based on past postseason success — like that title two years ago.
"Our game, it's three hours long, so it's going to be 12 to 14 series each, it's going to be some plays in the kicking game," Payton said. "Last week the same question was asked before we played Detroit. We've got a number of guys who are playing without it. I don't think it hurts, but it certainly doesn't entitle you or guarantee anything."
-- Janie McCauley
Saints linemen say chemistry was a key to success
METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Moments after his missed block caused a recent sack of Drew Brees, right tackle Zach Strief looked up to find fellow Saints linemen converging on him.
Pro Bowl guard Jahri Evans told Strief to "flush it" from his mind, while New Orleans' two other Pro Bowl linemen, guard Carl Nicks and left tackle Jermon Bushrod, teased him about it.
"I knew what they were all doing is saying, 'Hey, it happens, we're behind you,'" Strief said as he recalled the aftermath of a sack in the Saints' first-round playoff win over Detroit last weekend.
"I was able to smile and move on rather than sitting there stewing about it."
At Saints headquarters, everyone from coaches to star players such as Brees and Darren Sproles say the success of their record-breaking offense starts with their big blockers up front.
"They're smart, they work hard, but the thing about them, whatever they see on tape, they always come back and tell us so we're always on the same page," Sproles said. "They've got to know a lot of stuff, so they play a big role."
The linemen, meanwhile, say it's more than their size and ability that has made them a force both in pass protections and in opening holes for the running game.
They also get along well, which makes it easier to work together.
"During a football season, for about 25 weeks, we see each other about eight to 10 hours day, six days week. If you don't like each other and you don't get along, it grinds on you," Strief said. "You get to a point where you don't want to go to work. We have the absolute polar opposite of that."
Saints offensive linemen go out for dinner every Thursday night with Brees. They also tend to work together on charity events, socialize after games and hang out together at Saints headquarters during breaks between practices and meetings.
"Being close and having that kind of togetherness, that's real, it's not forced," Strief said. "That stuff carries over to the field."
Strief's contention is backed up by the results.
Brees, who was sacked 24 times, set an NFL single-season record with 5,476 yards passing. Meanwhile, the Saints were sixth in the NFL in rushing with 133 yards per game, helping them gain more offensive yards in one season — 7,474 — than any team in league history.
The offensive line's contribution was not lost on those with Pro Bowl votes. The Saints had three of their starting five linemen selected to the NFC squad.
"We're just a bunch of guys trying to get it done," Bushrod said, "and I guess somebody noticed."
The Saints have bucked recent trends in the way they've built their offensive front.
While a top priority for many teams is finding an elite tackle to protect their quarterback's blind side, the Saints placed more emphasis on their interior line, acquiring and keeping two of the best guards in the NFL in the 6-foot-4, 318-pound Evans and 6-5, 343-pound Nicks.
With the middle of the line strong enough to hold its ground consistently, offensive tackles don't have to tie up defensive ends so much as divert them into a wider rout into the backfield while Brees comfortably steps up in the pocket.
"Other teams don't do that because they can't," Strief said. "It's not like we came up with something no one ever thought of. It's just that we have an interior that can do it."
The San Francisco 49ers, who'll host the Saints in a second-round playoff game Saturday, have noticed how effective the Saints' blocking scheme has been.
"They just have everything you want in a big guard, especially the way they pass protect," Niners defensive tackle Justin Smith said. "(They) let the tackles get beat around the edges so Brees steps up in the pocket."
Of the Saints' starting linemen, only Brian de la Puente, a 6-3, 306-pound center, has been in New Orleans fewer than four years. He joined the club in 2010 as a practice squad player and worked his way into the starting lineup in the middle of this season.
The 6-7, 320-pound Strief also is a first-year starter at right tackle who spent his first five seasons as a backup at both left and right tackle.
Bushrod, who is 6-5, 315, has started since 2009, the season the Saints won the Super Bowl.
Evans has started since the first game of his career in 2006, while Nicks worked his way into the starting lineup as a rookie in 2008.
"Any offensive line has to be a very close-knit group of guys, kind of with the same vision," Bushrod said. "We know the system. We know what we need to do to have success. We have to be in synch with the quarterback, the running backs. We all have to work together.
"Sometimes it's the running backs making us look better than what we usually are," Bushrod added with a slight grin, "but we've got a very talented, skilled group of guys."
Notes: WR Lance Moore (left hamstring), LB Jonathan Vilma (left knee) and TE John Gilmore (toe) did not practice, though Vilma said there was no setback with his knee and he was just getting some rest. Coach Sean Payton said he also expected Vilma to play Saturday. ... SS Roman Harper (right ankle) and LB Jonathan Casillas (right knee) were limited in practice.
-- Brett Martel
Rodgers makes accuracy top priority for Packers
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — For the Green Bay Packers, Sunday's playoff game against the New York Giants brings up not-so-fond memories of Brett Favre's interception in overtime that led to an NFC title game loss four years ago.
With Aaron Rodgers under center for the Packers ever since, that deflating feeling of watching a quarterback give away the game with a bad decision or wild throw remains just that — a memory.
Much is made of the idea that Rodgers had three years on the bench behind Favre to learn how to play quarterback in the NFL. For all of Favre's brilliant plays and big moments, wide receiver Greg Jennings thinks it's possible that Rodgers spent some of that time learning what not to do.
"It's like, 'I'm not going to do that when I get in that position,'" Jennings said. "Without him ever even saying that, you know that crosses your mind: 'I'm going to make that play when I get my opportunity. I'm not going to make THAT play when I get my chance.'"
Rodgers doesn't trace his distaste for turnovers back to that frigid NFC championship game against the Giants — "That game, I was just trying to stay warm most of the time," he joked — or any other moment he spent behind Favre.
Instead, Rodgers said it goes back to his days at Pleasant Valley High School in Chico, Calif..
"I mean, that's No. 1, it really is — really going back to my freshman year of high school, when I actually threw more interceptions than touchdowns," Rodgers said. "Just making a conscious decision to be smart with the football. Since then, I haven't had any of those years."
Four years into his tenure as the Packers' starter, Rodgers has established himself as an elite quarterback, a Super Bowl MVP who can make all the throws, dodge pressure with his feet and generally light up scoreboards.
His most impressive trait might be his uncanny knack for avoiding big mistakes.
In 502 passing attempts this season, Rodgers completed 68.3 percent of his passes for 4,643 yards with 45 touchdowns and six — six! — interceptions.
"His decision-making is second to none," Jennings said. "He's so smart and he's so aware of the situation, down and distance, where we are in the game, what play he needs to try to make — and what play, 'Hmm, I don't need to try to force this.'"
After watching Rodgers march the Packers to a game-winning field goal in a 38-35 victory on Dec. 4, the Giants know what they're in for Sunday.
"He has great velocity on the ball, he has great accuracy and good vision," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "He sees people from the corner of his eye. He moves the ball around and has large contributions from a whole bunch of players so the distribution of the ball is handled very, very well."
With winter finally making an appearance in Green Bay this week, Rodgers said he doesn't expect cold or snow to hurt his game.
"I don't know what everybody else is feeling, I'm kind of hoping for 10 or 15 degrees on Sunday," Rodgers said.
The weather had been unseasonably pleasant in Green Bay this week, with a record high of 51 degrees Wednesday.
"I was telling a couple of the rookies, particularly the ones from the South, this is the best day you'll see in the next six months so you better suck it all in," McCarthy said then.
That changed in a hurry Thursday as a snowstorm swept across the Midwest, reminding everyone that it's January.
"We've been in the bad weather before," Jennings said. "We've performed well in the bad weather. It's just all about execution."
The forecast for Sunday calls for temperatures in the low 30s. But the one thing that can really set a quarterback back, high winds, aren't expected. McCarthy said he expects winds between 6 mph and 8 mph on Sunday.
Backup Matt Flynn recently showed that huge offensive numbers are possible even in the wind, throwing for a franchise-record 480 yards and six touchdowns despite 20-mph winds in the Packers' regular-season finale against Detroit. Jennings was impressed by Flynn's performance in that game, and figures Rodgers might be even more effective in bad weather.
"No disrespect to Matt in any way, Matt is going to be a phenomenal quarterback, he is a great quarterback, but Aaron, he has a couple years on Matt," Jennings said. "He can do some things special."
-- Chris Jenkins
Giants receivers rank on par with Packers wideouts
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Three days before the biggest game of his life, Victor Cruz wasn't discussing either the Green Bay Packers' secondary or the New York Giants' chances against the defending Super Bowl Champions on Sunday in the NFC divisional round.
There would be time for that.
Cruz instead was answering questions about being a dad for the first time, how much sleep was he getting, and spending his first night at home with his daughter, Kennedy.
In some senses, the scene was remarkable. A year ago, no one would have cared about Cruz and his family. He missed most of the season with a hamstring injury after making the roster as a free agent.
People can't get enough of him now after a year that saw him set a team single-season record for yards receiving (1,536), while being named second-team All Pro.
"My life has changed a lot," Cruz said. "Definitely a year ago no one would have thought my baby would be a topic of interest, or let along knowing I would have a baby," he said. "It's been a blessing. It's been a great ride for me, but we still have some goals ahead that we have to reach and those are still intact."
Goal No. 1 is ending the Packers' reign as NFL champions.
The Giants (10-7) have a shot at top-seeded Green Bay (15-1) in large part because they might be able to match Aaron Rodgers and the high-scoring Packers point for point.
Credit for that goes to Eli Manning and his receiving corps which has emerged as one of the NFL's elite.
The Packers have an outstanding one, too, with Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, Donald Driver and tight end Jermichael Finley. They combined for 227 catches for 3,424 yards and, 38 touchdowns.
The Giants' group of Cruz, Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham and tight end Jake Ballard had 235 catches for 3,855 yards and 24 touchdowns.
"We are a dangerous corps," said Nicks, who had 76 catches for 1,192 yards and 7 scores. "I feel like we're all No. 1 receivers. With our offense, if you try to take one guy away, it opens it up for the other two guys. You try to take two guys away, it opens it up for the third receiver and the tight end as well."
What makes the Giants' statistics interesting is that they produced in a season in which New York's running game was ranked last in the league, averaging less than 90 yards.
In their 24-2 victory over Atlanta in the NFC wild-card game last weekend, the Giants running game finally broke out and ran for 172 yards.
"If we can establish the run game, that makes everything a lot easier," Manning said. "You get in better down-and-distance, you start to dominate the line of scrimmage, it slows down the pass rush. It does all of those things. The last time we played them, they liked to play a lot of two-high safeties. It's tough to throw against that look. If you can bring their safeties down, then we can get some better looks to throw it."
Manning didn't do too bad against the Packers in the 38-35 loss on Dec. 4 with a running game. He hit 23 of 40 passes for 347 yards and three touchdowns. He also threw an interception that Clay Matthews returned for a score.
Cruz and Nicks both had big games, despite Manningham being sidelined with a knee injury. The 25-year-old Cruz, who seemingly has sparked an interest in salsa dancing with his touchdown celebrations, had seven catches for 119 yards. Nicks also had seven receptions for 88 and two touchdowns.
Manningham was in the lineup last weekend and he added another threat, catching a 27-yard touchdown pass to seal the win over Atlanta.
"I hope they forgot about me," Manningham said. "I like not being under the microscope."
Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride didn't want to compare the receivers in the game. He likes his guys.
"I think they're looking forward to the challenge of not only beating the Packers, but also proving that they're in the same class as the Packers receivers that everybody acknowledges as a special group," Gilbride said. "I think the thing that we're probably the most proud of is just the growth that's taken place, particularly with Victor obviously, but also with Jake Ballard, whom I know you're not including.
"But to me, he's an integral part of our passing game as well.'
Ironically, the last time the Giants played the Packers, backup tight end Travis Beckum opened the scoring with a 67-yard catch and run for a touchdown during which he cut back against the grain three times in the final 30 yards.
Gilbride knows the Packers, who were missing their two inside linebackers in the last game, will tweak some things on defense. His goal will be to anticipate the changes and make adjustments on the fly when they do something else.
For Cruz, Nicks, Manningham, Ballard and Manning, they need to make plays on Sunday.
Until then, all they can do is get ready.
When Cruz is not doing that, he can play with his daughter.
"I was able to bring her home and put her in my bed and talk to her, stuff, like that," Cruz said. "It was pretty good."
What a year.
NOTES: RB Ahmad Bradshaw missed his second straight practice. While coach Tom Coughlin said Bradshaw struggled this week with foot and back woes, he hopes he will be able to practice Friday. ... CB Corey Webster, whose interception set up Lawrence Tynes' game-winning field goal in the 2008 NFC title game with the Packers, and S Deon Grant were added to the injury report Thursday with hamstring and quad injuries, respectively. Coughlin said it wasn't a big deal. ... The Giants feel Kansas City beat the Packers this season because they were physical with them. Expect the same from New York. ... DE Osi Umenyiora on being back: "I never left, was just injured." ... Defensive coordinator Perry Fewell thinks he has a better feel for the Packers after facing them twice in the past two years.
-- Tom Canavan
Ex-Jets punter Weatherford thriving with Giants
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Steve Weatherford still has Christmas lights lined around his locker and a holiday-themed welcome mat placed in front.
It's an eye-catching setup that greets you upon entering the New York Giants' locker room. Not nearly as gaudy is the note taped on the inside wall of his locker that has motivated him all season. It's a headline from a story in September when Mike Westhoff, his former special teams coach, said Weatherford "wasn't good enough" to punt anymore for the Jets.
"Yeah," Weatherford said with a laugh Thursday. "It's just a little fuel for my fire. Know what I mean?"
Well, the Giants certainly do. In his first season with them, Weatherford has been mostly a consistently solid addition with one terrific punt after another.
"I enjoy coming to work," he said. "People perform well when they're having fun. This is an environment where I'm enjoying it, having fun and able to relax."
In that case, Weatherford must have been having a blast last Sunday, when he averaged 45.8 yards on four punts against Atlanta in a 24-2 win last Sunday, with three of them going out of bounds — at the Falcons 21-, 21- and 10-yard lines. The other punt was a 54-yard touchback late in the first half, keeping Eric Weems from doing any damage.
With four kicks and no returns, it was the equivalent of a punting shutout. And it made coach Tom Coughlin and special teams coordinator Tom Quinn pretty pleased.
"He was outstanding last week," Coughlin said. "The fact that there was no punt return yardage, although we would like to have the touchback go out of bounds at the 3, the three balls that he did kick out of bounds were well placed. They were good directional punts and helped us tremendously because of the nature of the returner."
Weatherford, whose 45.7 punting average tied him for fourth in the NFC during the regular season, will be counted on to have another big performance Sunday as the Giants take on the Green Bay Packers and their talented returner, Randall Cobb. The rookie averaged 11.3 yards per punt return, and had an 80-yarder for a touchdown against Minnesota in November.
"This guy is very dangerous," Quinn said. "Obviously, the numbers that he has and the run skills, he is electric with the ball."
But the Giants have plenty of confidence Weatherford can be a big equalizer.
"I'm a lot more confident this year," Weatherford said. "I'm not afraid to make a mistake. If you go out there trying to make a play instead of trying not to screw up, you're going to be a whole lot more successful. Tom Coughlin and Tom Quinn have treated me like gold since I've been here. I've really, really enjoyed being a Giant, and I've been able to execute for them."
The 29-year-old Weatherford is in his sixth NFL season, and hopes to have found a home after spending time with New Orleans, Jacksonville, Kansas City and the Jets. He set an NFL record with 42 punts inside the 20-yard line for the Jets, but New York opted to not re-sign him in the offseason. Weatherford enjoyed playing for Rex Ryan, but had a sometimes-rocky relationship with Westhoff.
He has no hard feelings, though, about his former coach or team. After all, the Jets are in turmoil, while Weatherford is still punting in the playoffs.
"The decision that was made benefited me," Weatherford said. "I enjoyed my time there. Rex was great. It was a decision made that I thought, for my career, this was the place I'd rather be."
Weatherford talked with Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes and long snapper Zak DeOssie before signing with the crosstown-rival Giants.
"They were saying, 'Oh, man, you'll love it here. Tom Quinn's the greatest, a real players' guy,'" Weatherford said. "That was very attractive for me. Having a great relationship with your position coach was very important to me."
And he fit right in with his Giants teammates immediately.
"He's a fun guy, man," said Tynes, whose locker also is still decorated, along with DeOssie's. "He was here maybe a day and he already had a boom box over there, so I was thinking some people might think bad of that. But, we've taken him in, we love him and he's a great athlete"
Weatherford is an energetic presence, a guy who has several tattoos, loves his heavy metal music and bounces around the locker room like a little kid. He also has his quirks, too. Such as the pink argyle socks he slipped on after practice.
"You love 'em, man," he said. "That's swag!"
Oh, and he's also a workout maniac who appeared in a recent issue of Men's Fitness magazine and described as "The NFL's Fittest Kicker." And, that's no exaggeration.
"Obviously, everybody looks at his muscles," Tynes said, laughing. "It's got to be somewhat genetic because he just can't be that ripped. He's got good family genes. But, nah, he works at it. He's in the weight room a lot."
Besides the added confidence Weatherford gained when he joined the Giants, he attributes his solid season to what he did with his body during the lockout. He trained with former NFL kicker John Carney, his best friend, and developed a routine that made him stronger than ever.
"I had seven months straight with no interruptions or vacations just to work out," he said. "We got together and John was able to come up with a really good schedule as far as developing strength, flexibility and kind peaking at the time I wanted to peak. So right now, in relation to last year, I just feel a lot stronger, more well-rested."
And it has certainly shown with his performance. He's scheduled to be a free agent again, but would like to return to the Giants next season.
"For me, I wanted a home and I knew that if I was able to play well here, they like to lock their guys in," Weatherford said, "so it's definitely a possibility."
-- Dennis Waszak Jr.
News & Notes
Pittsburgh mayor selling Tebow jersey for charity
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl is trying to turn the Steelers playoff loss to the Denver Broncos into a win for city school students.
Ravenstahl is selling a Tim Tebow jersey he wore Tuesday while striking a prayerful, one-kneed pose — known as "Tebowing" — made popular by the Broncos quarterback. Ravenstahl "Tebowed" in front of news photographers to settle a bet with Denver Mayor Michael Hancock on Sunday's playoff game, which the Broncos won 29-23.
Ravenstahl has signed the jersey and any money raised by the eBay auction will be donated to the Pittsburgh Promise.
Ravenstahl helped found the scholarship program which provides college tuition assistants to graduates of Pittsburgh Public Schools who maintain certain minimum grade-point averages.
Two bands, celebrity chef headline Super Bowl party
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Jane's Addiction and The Roots will headline the third Rock & Roll Super Bowl Fan Tailgate Party on Feb. 5 in Indianapolis. Rolling Stone magazine announced the acts Thursday. Music begins at 1 p.m., a little more than five hours before the Super Bowl kickoff.
Jane's Addiction, an alternative rock band, has sold more seven million records in the U.S. since forming in 1985. Hip-hop artists The Roots are the house band on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," which will broadcast from Indianapolis that week.
Peter Wentz, the bassist for Grammy-nominated band Fall Out Boy, will be the disc jockey, and celebrity chef John Besh will cook food.
