Now we move to ESPN’s previews of the Divisional Weekend. ESPN has plenty of programming to analyze the four games this weekend. Check it out below.
ESPN NFL Programming Update – Divisional Playoffs Weekend
ESPN’s comprehensive coverage of the NFL Divisional Playoffs weekend will include two editions of Sunday NFL Countdown and NFL Matchup, and five reporters covering the four games. Highlights:
Schedule:
Date Time (ET) Show Networks Sat, Jan 11 8:30 a.m. NFL Matchup
Sal Paolantonio, Ron Jaworski and Merril HogeESPN2 10 a.m. Sunday NFL Countdown (2 hours)
Chris Berman, Cris Carter, Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson, Keyshawn Johnson, Ray Lewis, Chris Mortensen and Adam SchefterESPN 12 a.m. NFL PrimeTime
Wingo, Trent Dilfer and HogeESPN Sun, Jan 12 6:30 a.m. NFL Matchup
Paolantonio, Jaworski and HogeESPN 10 a.m. Sunday NFL Countdown (3 hours)
Berman, Carter, Ditka, Jackson, Jaworski, Johnson, Lewis, Mortensen and SchefterESPN 7 p.m. SportsCenter (NFL segments)
Berman, Dilfer, Jackson and John SaundersESPN 9 p.m. NFL PrimeTime
Berman, Dilfer, Jackson and SaundersESPN 10 p.m. SportsCenter Special
Wingo, Jaworski and Tom WaddleESPN
Reporters and Features on Countdown (Saturday):
Ed Werder (Saints at Seahawks)
Bob Holtzman (Colts at Patriots)
- Closing Speed: Countdown’s Ray Lewis visits with Seahawks All-Pro safety Earl Thomas to discuss the NFL Defensive Player of the Year candidate’s “closing speed.”
- Bill Belichick Conversation: With a win on Saturday, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick will tie legendary Dolphins coach Don Shula for second all-time in playoff wins. Ahead of the Divisional Playoff game against the Colts, Belichick sits for an in-depth conversation with Countdown host Chris Berman.
- Saints Soundtracks: Saints head coach Sean Payton and quarterback Drew Brees, one of the top coach-quarterback tandems in NFL history, is the subject of this Countdown’s Saturday “Soundtracks.”
NFL Matchup:
- Game Changer: Using key matchups in their week 13 game, Ron Jaworski previews a game-changing aspect of the Saints-Seahawks game – the Seahawks successful zone coverage defense against the Saints passing game.
- Coaches Clicker: Merril Hoge shows how the Saints offense must attack the middle of the Seahawks run defense to be successful.
- Inside the Matchup: Hoge goes inside the matchup to show why quarterback Russell Wilson and the Seahawks offense were successful against Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan’s blitzing schemes.
- Shot Play: Jaworski shows how the Saints offense must vary the personnel and formations on their “Post-Wheel” plays to make it harder for the Seahawks defense to read.
- Between the Lines: Jaworski goes to the telestrator to show Andrew Luck’s vision downfield and to describe how the Colts quarterback delivered a touchdown pass to his speed receiver T.Y. Hilton against the Chiefs.
- The Film Room: Hoge explains why the Patriots have been consistently successful with the play-action pass.
- X and O Files: Jaworski breaks down the Xs and Os of Tom Brady’s third-down plays and the Patriots concerns with their offensive line’s protection on third downs.
Josina Anderson (49ers) and Wendi Nix (Panthers)
Sal Paolantonio (Chargers at Broncos)
- The Tracks of My Tears: One of the memorable images of the 2013 NFL season is the tears flowing down Denver running back Knowshon Moreno’s face during the singing of the National Anthem before the week 13 game in Kansas City. SportsCenter anchor Lindsay Czarniak gets to the root of Moreno’s emotions.
- Cam Newton Conversation: Countdown’s Keyshawn Johnson, a former Panthers wide receiver, sits for a conversation with the third-year Panthers quarterback Cam Newton.
- NaVorro Bowman: After NaVorro Bowman learned of a family secret and the passing of his biological father he never knew and the father that raised him within months of each other, the 49ers linebacker embarked on a personal journey to discover his family and himself. ESPN.com senior writer Jeffri Chadiha tells the E:60 exclusive story on Bowman’s search for the truth.
- Frank Caliendo – Dr. Phil: Frank Caliendo, the comedian and impressionist, plays television personality and psychologist, Dr. Phil, and offers the Chargers and Broncos advice on resolving their differences.
- Run to Daylight: Hoge shows the multi-dimensional run game of the Panthers including elements that involve quarterback Cam Newton in the pistol formation.
- Blitz Breakdown: The Panthers have great speed on defense, contends Jaworski, as he shows how they combine speed with double-gap pressure to disguise their coverage.
- Jaws Playbook: Jaworski explains how 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick creates successful plays with his legs on third-and-long situations.
- Inside the Matchup: Hoge shows how the Panthers defense eliminated Kapernick’s running ability by playing zone coverage during their week 10 game.
- Between the Lines: Jaworski describes how the Denver Broncos use wide receiver Demaryius Thomas in the screen game and employ multiple formations to get him the ball in open space.
- Coaches Clicker: Hoge shows the Chargers run game via key formations and how it caused problems for the Broncos nickel defense during their week 12 game
- Inside the Matchup: The Chargers held Denver’s offense to under 400 yards, a rare occurrence in the NFL. Hoge explains their defensive alignments and versatile pressure concepts that have proven successful against the Broncos.
And we have a look at one of the features that will air on today’s edition Sunday NFL Countdown.
Saturday Edition of Sunday NFL Countdown (Saturday, 11 a.m., ESPN)[youtube=http://youtu.be/IJpNCrY-j_I&rel=0&w=560&h=315]
New England’s three-time Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Belichick tells Chris Berman how Tom Brady led the Patriots to their 11th playoff appearance in 14 years, what it’s like being part of the “Boston Strong” community and the challenges his team faces Saturday against the Colts.
“I have a lot of respect for this team. I’ve demanded a lot from them. And they’ve responded in a very positive way in doing what’s best for the team, and being able to perform and execute under pressure.” — Bill Belichick, Patriots coach on the 2013 team
“A quarter of your season is going to come down to some type of field-goal play, field position, blocked field goal, made field goal, missed field goal, red area stop. Wherever you get those three or four points from, that’s going to decide a quarter of your season.” — Belichick
That will do it.
