ESPN’s NFL Wild Card Weekend Features

Written by Entertainment King Friday, 08 January 2010 12:55

News - Sports

Saturday and Sunday Editions of Countdown and Matchup Preview NFL Wild Card Weekend Matchups

ESPN’s comprehensive coverage of the NFL Wild Card Weekend will feature two editions of Sunday NFL Countdown – a one-hour special Saturday, Jan. 9, at 11 a.m. ET, and the regular two-hour edition Sunday, Jan 10, at 11 a.m – with host Chris Berman and analysts Cris Carter, Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson, Keyshawn Johnson.  ESPN senior analyst Chris Mortensen and NFL insider Adam Schefter will provide headlines and league news.

NFL Matchup, ESPN’s 30-minute, inside-the-film-room Xs and Os preview program with host Sal Paolantonio and analysts Merril Hoge and Ron Jaworski will also feature Saturday and Sunday editions (7:30 a.m.).  NFL PrimeTime will air two live shows – Saturday, 12:30 a.m. overnight, with Trey Wingo, Hoge and Trent Dilfer, and Sunday at 8:30 p.m. with Berman and Jackson.  Additionally, Wingo will host a two-hour SportsCenter Special: Wild Card Weekend Sunday at 9 p.m. on ESPN2 with Hoge and Dilfer, recapping the weekend and looking ahead to the NFL Divisional round.

NFL studio programs on ESPN and ESPN2 this weekend:

Sunday NFL Countdown features (Saturday):

• Nichols will highlight the relationship between former USC quarterbacks Carson Palmer of the Bengals and Mark Sanchez of the Jets, who will compete against one another Saturday. In the mid 1990s, Sanchez was Palmer’s ballboy at Santa Margarita High School before following in his footsteps with the Trojans.
• Werder will highlight how the injury to Pro Bowl linebacker DeMarcus Ware rallied the Cowboys.

Sunday NFL Countdown features (Sunday):

• A Greg Garber feature looks at the Ravens’ defense versus Tom Brady.
• Holtzman’s story will recount how the Packers made adjustments this season to provide better protection for quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
• In EA Sports Virtual Playbook, Jackson shows how Ravens running backs will us the ‘stiff arm’ successfully against the Patriots defense.
• With back-to-back Sunday games in warm Arizona, the Packers are grumbling about having to return to frigid Green Bay, says Kenny Mayne in “Mayne Event.”
• Defensive tackle Darnell Dockett of the Cardinals will be featured in Soundtracks.

On-site reporters at all four games:

ESPN’s NFL Wild Card playoff coverage will include pre- and post-game reports from all four stadiums: Saturday: Rachel Nichols (Jets-Bengals) and Ed Werder (Eagles-Cowboys) and Sunday: Sal Paolantonio (Ravens-Patriots) and Bob Holtzman (Packers-Cardinals).

State Farm NFL Matchup features (Saturday):

Jets vs. Bengals

• Jaworski opens his ‘Playbook’ and illustrates how the Bengals defense must account for the multi-talented Jets wide receiver Brad Smith in the running and passing game.  Hoge will use his ‘Coaches Clicker’ to show how the Bengals offense can use misdirection to counteract the Jets’ aggressiveness on defense.
• Jaworski explains how the pre-snap movement by the Jets defense creates deception and indecision in opposing offenses.

Eagles vs. Cowboys

• Matchup’s quarterback, Jaworski, goes ‘Inside the Matchup’ to point out how the Cowboys offense exploited the Eagles defensive tendencies and weaknesses Sunday.  Hoge breaks down the intricacies of the misdirection runs by the Cowboys offense and explains how the runs unsettled the Eagles defense.
• Jaworski unveils how the Eagles offense can use personnel packages and formations to create favorable matchups against the Cowboys defense. Hoge looks at the Cowboys defense and how their schemes in blitzing opposing quarterbacks are well planned.

State Farm NFL Matchup features (Sunday):

Ravens vs. Patriots

• Hoge exposes the flaws of the Patriots defense in underneath pass coverage and shows how the team’s poor run and play recognition results in slow reaction and tentativeness.
• Jaworski spotlights how the skills of rookie wide receiver Julian Edelman and the scheme of the Patriots offense can still force defenders to react in the same way that they did with injured Pro Bowl receiver Wes Welker.

Packers vs. Cardinals

• Jaworski shows how the versatile skills of tight end Jermichael Finley give the Packers offense liberty to expand their alignments, formations and overall scheme.  Hoge goes inside ‘The Film Room’ to explain how a three-man pass rush with a hybrid coverage in the secondary clouds quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ downfield vision, forcing him to hold the ball longer or make careless decisions.
• Hoge uses his ‘Coaches Clicker’ to highlight how the Cardinals offense has found balance with its emerging efficiency and execution in running the ball.