Stampede Blue: AFC Championship Q&A

We sent over some questions about the AFC Championship game and the Indianapolis Colts to Stampede Blue – see the results below.

What weakness of the Jets are the Colts going to exploit?

Probably inexperience and sub par play of the Jets passing attack. While Mark Sanchez has not gone out there and thrown the “killer” INT in the two Jets playoff wins, he has not played all that well either. The Colts will look to stop the Jets ground game and force Mark Sanchez to throw from the pocket.

What weakness on the Colts will the Jets go after?

The Jets will likely attack the Colts inability to create a consistent ground game. Against the Ravens, who run a very similar defense to the Jets, the Colts ran the ball for only 42 yards and averaged 1.7 yards a rush. They were able to convert key third downs passing, and Peyton Manning was able to attack weaknesses in the Ravens secondary. The Jets will likely look to do the same thing against the Colts, but attempt to limit Manning.

Evaluate the Colts head coach (and staff) in terms of being ready for a playoff game like this.

During the preparation leading up to the Ravens game, no one coaching staff had more pressure on them to win than Jim Caldwell and his group. The Colts had rested starters down the stretch in the regular season, and such a formula has often been unsuccessful. Against the Ravens, the Colts bucked that trend. Jim Caldwell used the time to keep his players fresh, and when they did practice he made the #1 offense practice against the #1 defense. This is something rarely done during the regular season and even rarer in the playoffs. So, for this upcoming AFCCG, I think Caldwell will have his men ready and focused.

Give us a ‘surprise’ player who could be a star on Sunday.

Pierre Garcon starts at WR alongside Reggie Wayne. Wayne is the Colts best receiver, and he will likely have a battle royale lasting all afternoon with the outstanding Darrelle Revis. The Jets will likely shift their coverages to limit Wayne and Dallas Clark. This means possible one-on-one opportunities that young, second-year player Pierre Garcon could take advantage of. Garcon has had a heavy heart of late, worrying about whether friends and relatives in Haiti after the earthquake.

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