Bell: Questions to ponder heading into NFL playoffs (BLOG)

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWS3EJ6c_gc-3mgKXmDef-NEOD2iIhnXrVW1pkezfi3vrcyhzo6Qru9LVjyAeklfTyHoE3XOqBPvmq96bVNkrOaeIQ5vxDPRC_pGKgOPVrcYzszwzyCGirEVNua5JxpOm352OzjbIJmxQ/s1600/1388718143000-USATSI-7613060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWS3EJ6c_gc-3mgKXmDef-NEOD2iIhnXrVW1pkezfi3vrcyhzo6Qru9LVjyAeklfTyHoE3XOqBPvmq96bVNkrOaeIQ5vxDPRC_pGKgOPVrcYzszwzyCGirEVNua5JxpOm352OzjbIJmxQ/s320/1388718143000-USATSI-7613060.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">The answers will be provided soon enough, where it matters most – on the field.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">But as another NFL postseason kicks off this weekend, the questions persist.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">A few things to wonder about …</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span style="font-weight: 700;">How dangerous are the Packers with Aaron Rodgers back?</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">Green Bay's wait for its former MVP quarterback to return from a broken collarbone was rewarded by the best-case scenario.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">You know what they say: Just get in. Anything can happen.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">Like last weekend, when Rodgers connected with Randall Cobb on a 46-yard, fourth-down heave at Chicago that won the NFC North crown. Or like three years ago, when the Packers got in as a sixth seed and won it all.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">The Packers (8-7-1) were 6-2 this season in games that Rodgers started and finished. But there can be no magical playoff run this time unless Green Bay, suspect defense in tow, can find a way to handle a physical 49ers team that it has succumbed to three times since the start of the 2012 season.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span style="font-weight: 700;">VIDEO: Wild card weekend story lines</span></div><div class="story-asset video-asset" id="module-position-M3cy5vDf29Q" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;"><div class="video" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/VideoObject" style="display: inline-block; height: 304px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 60px; overflow: hidden; position: relative; width: 540px;"><img alt="" class="videoStill" height="304" src="http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/fd7cf0f07db23e04787c44bf5a19473d907ce74d/r=x307&c=540x304/http/videos.usatoday.net/Brightcove2/29906170001/2014/01/29906170001_3002010711001_Screen-Shot-2014-01-02-at-9-48-35-AM.jpg" style="border: 0px; cursor: pointer; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; vertical-align: middle; z-index: 0;" width="540" /><div class="videoStillPlay" style="background-image: url(http://www.gannett-cdn.com/static/usat-web-static-12.2.2/images/buttons/button_video_play.png); background-position: 0px -2px; cursor: pointer; height: 91px; left: 270px; margin: -46px 0px 0px -46px; position: absolute; top: 152px; visibility: visible; width: 93px; z-index: 0;"></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span style="font-weight: 700;">Can the Saints finally win a road playoff game?</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">With the forecast for temperatures near 32 degrees in Philadelphia on Saturday night, New Orleans coach Sean Payton had his team practice outdoors this week.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">The Saints are 0-5 in road playoff games in franchise history. The 3-5 road record during the just-completed regular season reflected that a Drew Brees-armed offense scores about half as much on the road as it does in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. New Orleans averaged 34 points per game at home, 17.8 on the road.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">The Saints are bringing a better defense under first-year coordinator Rob Ryan -- New Orleans ranked fourth for yards allowed one season after allowing an NFL-record 7,092 yards. Yet the unit couldn't hold up in crunchtime of two of the most heartbreaking road losses this season – at New England and at Carolina. So it still might take winning a shootout.</div><div class="story-asset image-asset" id="module-position-M3cy5vEVKxw" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;"><aside class="wide single-photo" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" style="margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 60px; margin-top: 25px;"><img alt="2014-01-02-cam-newton" itemprop="url" src="http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/89bbbb030fc81029937a0c0535b8c61f8991ca4a/c=0-148-1456-1243&r=x383&c=540x380/local/-/media/USATODAY/test/2014/01/02//1388718311000-USATSI-7640645.jpg" style="border: 0px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="540" /><div style="color: #646464; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 6px; padding: 0px 5px 0px 0px;">The Carolina Panthers are a heavy run time, but do they need more from quarterback Cam Newton in order to succeed in the postseason?<span class="credit" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 400;">(Photo: Daniel Shirey, USA TODAY Sports)</span></div></aside><div class="clearfix"></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span style="font-weight: 700;">Does Cam Newton have to produce bigger passing games for the Panthers to advance?</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">Not necessarily. The Panthers are built for the tough, gritty, tightly contested games that often mark the higher competition of postseason football. One of the NFL's most dominant defenses will keep them in most games, and they have demonstrated a knack for rallying to pull out games at the finish.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">Yet balance is a virtue. Carolina has the NFL's 29th-ranked passing attack. And with Newton's most proven wideout, Steve Smith, nursing a knee injury, the ripple effect could be a crucial factor.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">Still, Carolina has been one of the NFL's best teams on third downs. While Newton hasn't produced the huge passing numbers, he's raised his game by making better decisions that ultimately reduce the chances of losing.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">And with the game on the line, all stats go out the window.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span style="font-weight: 700;">Can Andy Dalton raise his game for the Bengals?</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">Dalton is just the fifth quarterback in NFL history to lead his team to the playoffs in each of his first three seasons, but to this point he has not demonstrated any ability to spark his team to a higher level in January. Cincinnati was eliminated the last two seasons in first-round openers at Houston, with Dalton combining for four picks and zero TDs.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">Yet playing in his first home playoff game should make a difference – at least for the opening round. In going 8-0 at home this season, Cincinnati averaged 34.4 points and posted an average margin of victory of 17.6 points per game.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">Still, it has been such an up-and-down season for Dalton. He ranked third in the NFL with 33 TD passes, but no quarterback in the playoffs threw as many interceptions (20).</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span style="font-weight: 700;">How can the Patriots offense thrive without Gronk?</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">It has been a season of adjustments for Tom Brady and the New England offense, but losing the 6-6 weapon that is all-pro tight end Rob Gronkowski becomes more glaring in the red zone. The Patriots have plugged leaks with the likes of receivers Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman, but they lack the radius to create red-zone mismatches.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">So much will undoubtedly ride on Brady's arm. Despite Brady's modest numbers this season, his impact in developing targets throughout the season has been essential.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">But he can't create another Gronkowski. Maybe New England's best answer when it gets into the red zone was demonstrated in Week 17 with the power running of LeGarrette Blount, whose 24-carry, 189-yard game was the biggest rushing performance by a Patriot since 1998.</div><div class="story-asset image-asset" id="module-position-M3cy5vF5Q3c" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;"><aside class="wide single-photo" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" style="margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 60px; margin-top: 25px;"><img alt="2014-01-02-crabtree" itemprop="url" src="http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/d51349adbb69052d8ef1b77192c566d65e4be5dc/c=142-0-3451-2488&r=x383&c=540x380/local/-/media/USATODAY/test/2014/01/02//1388718599000-USATSI-7593532.jpg" style="border: 0px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="540" /><div style="color: #646464; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 6px; padding: 0px 5px 0px 0px;">San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree could be the key to the team revitalizing its passing attack in the playoffs.<span class="credit" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 400;">(Photo: Kyle Terada, USA TODAY Sports)</span></div></aside><div class="clearfix"></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span style="font-weight: 700;">Have the 49ers solved their issues in the passing game?</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">Getting Michael Crabtree back surely made a difference. It is no coincidence that Colin Kaepernick – who finished the regular season with a 310-yard outing at Arizona that marked his biggest passing game since his career-high 412-yard game in Week 1 against Green Bay – has been in a better rhythm since Crabtree returned from his torn Achilles in Week 13.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">During the last six games, when the 49ers mounted a six-game winning streak that is longest in the NFL as the playoffs begin, Kaepernick has a 10-1 TD-to-interception ratio that is best in the league.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">With their tough defense and potent rushing attack, the 49ers probably don't need Kaepernick to pass for 300 yards on a weekly basis. But if they can throw effectively when they need to or want to – and Crabtree's presence opens windows for Anquan Boldin and Vernon Davis -- it would add another dimension to the most dangerous wild-card entrant in the playoffs.</div><div class="story-asset gallery-asset" id="module-position-M3cy5vFsuSc" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;"><div class="sports-story-gallery sports-story-gallery0"><div class="galleries embedded_story hasendslate" data-base-page-type="gallery" data-cst="sports/football/nfl" data-gal-pageurl="http://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/sports/nfl/2014/01/01/2013-mvps-for-each-nfl-team/4275213/" data-gallery-id="4275213" data-seo-title="2013-mvps-for-each-nfl-team" data-ssts="sports/nfl" data-title="2013 MVPs for each NFL team:2013 MVPs for each NFL team" data-topic="sports,sports_nfl" style="background-color: #fafafa; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border: 1px solid rgb(242, 242, 242); height: 550px !important; margin: 10px 0px 20px 60px; position: relative; width: 540px;"><br /></div></div></div></div>

Bell: Questions to ponder heading into NFL playoffs (BLOG)

The answers will be provided soon enough, where it matters most – on the field. But as another NFL postseason kicks off this weekend, the qu...

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