NFL
Gimme five
By Times Staff
Published January 18, 2004
Colts at Patriots
Five Players to Watch
1. Peyton Manning - Is there a hotter player in the league right now?
2. Tom Brady - All he does is lead, by example and by consistency.
3. Edgerrin James - Truth is, he's the key to the Colts passing game.
4. Richard Seymour - He's rapidly becoming one of the game's best tackles.
5. Rodney Harrison - The 10-year safety must have his best career game.
Five stats you should know
1. Tom Brady has not thrown an interception at home this season.
2. The Patriots defense has given up two touchdowns at home in the past seven games.
3. Edgerrin James has rushed for 374 yards on 70 carries in his past three games.
4. The temperature is expected to be a balmy 28 degrees at game time.
5. These two teams combined for 72 points and 652 yards of offense the first time they met.
Five keys to a Patriots win
1. Trap the cold front. The Colts can deny it all they want but brutal cold takes getting used to.
2. Keep the Colts offense off the field by dominating time of possession.
3. Forget everything that happened when they beat the Colts in November.
4. Don't buy the play-action, it's the bread and butter of the Colts offense.
5. Get the ball to Bethel Johnson. Face it, he can make plays.
Five keys to a Colts win
1. Win the toss and score on the first drive. Rhythm is a heck of a thing.
2. Look for Brandon Stokley down the middle. He's money down there.
3. Give Dominic Rhodes some carries in the second quarter, so Edge will be fresh at the end.
4. Realize that the majority of Brady's throws travel 10 yards or less.
5. Remind punter Hunter Smith that he has a job so that he'll do it well if asked.
Final Five Words
See you later, Bill Belichick.
Mills pick: Colts 24, Patriots 21
Panthers at Eagles
Five Players to Watch
1. Donovan McNabb - These days, even Michael Vick wants to sit and watch.
2. Steve Smith - He talks a big game, plays a bigger one.
3. Julius Peppers - One of the premier pass rushers in the league right now.
4. Brentson Buckner - Shoot, he might be better than Peppers.
5. Freddie Mitchell - Lakeland product is emerging as McNabb's playmaker.
Five stats you should know
1. The Eagles are playing in their third consecutive NFC Championship Game.
2. The Panthers are averaging 4.3 yards per carry in the playoffs (323 yards on 75 carries).
3. Mitchell caught a 28-yarder on fourth and 26 to keep the tying drive alive against Packers.
4. Peppers had two sacks and 22 tackles through the first 12 games, five sacks and 18 tackles through his past six.
5. The Eagles are 6-1 when they give up 100 yards on the ground. That includes 115 to Stephen Davis in a 25-16 win over the Panthers on Nov. 30.
Five keys to a Panthers win
1. Don't depend on Andy Reid to make the same curious moves as Mike Martz.
2. Make sure when they get to McNabb, they bring him down.
3. Hope that Stephen Davis is back. They'll need him and DeShaun Foster.
4. Remind McNabb that he is 0-for-2 in NFC Championship Games.
5. Keep rubbing the Jake Delhomme bayou-magic voodoo doll. It's brought luck all season.
Five keys to an Eagles win
1. McNabb, McNabb, McNabb! And furthermore, McNabb!
2. Protect better at the line of scrimmage. These guys can really rush.
3. Make a play on special teams. It'll neutralize the Panthers mojo.
4. Get production from all three running backs. That'll keep the line off of McNabb.
5. McNabb, McNabb, McNabb! In case you missed it, McNabb!
Final Five Words
Finally, Philly feels feverishly festive.
Mills pick: Eagles 21, Panthers 17
[Last modified January 18, 2004, 01:01:02]
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