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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 19, 2019)
SPORTS East Oregonian B4 Saturday, January 19, 2019 Saints-Rams NFC title game a clash of like-minded coaches N F C C H A M P I O N S H I P Los Angeles Rams at New Orleans Saints Sun. • 12:05 p.m. • FOX 13-3 Regular 13-3 1-0 Postseason 1-0 Total yards (avg.): 421.1 Pass Rush 281.7 234.6 OFFENSE Total yards (avg.): 379.2 Pass Rush 139.4 252.6 233.6 Postseason: 420.0 Postseason: 459.0 273.0 186.0 308.0 126.6 132.2 283.0 238.0 137.0 DEFENSE Yards allowed (avg.): 358.6 Pass Rush 236.2 192.4 122.2 Pass Rush 268.9 227.3 80.2 Postseason: 250.0 Postseason: 308.0 258.0 278.0 Yards allowed (avg.): 349.1 50.0 32.9 Points for 24.0 Pts. allowed 201.0 195.0 49.0 SCORING (PPG) Postseason 28.6 31.5 Points for 22.1 Pts. allowed Postseason 30.0 20.0 22.0 14.0 SOURCE: National Football League By BRETT MARTEL Associated Press NEW ORLEANS — One way or another, the NFC Championship between the Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints will be won by a coach named Sean — with an Irish surname — who designs and calls plays for one of the most innova- tive and productive offenses in the NFL. The ties between the Saints’ Sean Payton and the Rams’ Sean McVay go well beyond a shared name. “We both cut our teeth in this league under Jon Gruden,” Payton said. “That (Rams) staff — there’s a ton of guys that we’re friendly with and that we know on that staff. Guys who we have worked with, and Sean and I have a real good relationship. He is an engaging guy, a fun guy to be around.” AP Photo/File At left, in an Aug. 9, 2018, fi le photo, New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton watches from the sideline during the fi rst half of an NFL preseason football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, in Jacksonville, Fla. At right, in a Nov. 19, 2018, fi le photo, Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay watches on the sideline during an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, in Los Angeles. Gruden, the current Oakland Raiders coach, was the offensive coordi- nator with the Eagles in 1997 when Payton was hired as quarterbacks coach. In 2008, Gruden was the head coach in Tampa Bay when he hired McVay as a receivers coach. During the past two seasons Payton and McVay have each led their teams to the playoffs with one of the best offenses in football, thanks in part to elite quar- terbacks — Drew Brees with New Orleans (14-3) and Jared Goff of Los Angeles (14-3). Both coaches have acknowledged they watch each other’s offensive fi lm nearly every week — not just because of the possi- bility of playing against one another; they’re looking for good ideas. And then there are some connections on the roster and coaching staff. One of the Rams’ top receivers, Brandin Cooks, was Payton’s fi rst-round draft choice in 2014. Los Angeles’ running game coordinator is Aaron Kromer, a former running backs and offensive line coach under Payton, including on the 2009 Super Bowl-winning squad. Players on both teams praise their coach’s intan- gible feel for how a game is developing. Saints Pro Bowl left tackle Terron Armstead extoled Payton’s “fearlessness” in his play calling and said the coach has “so much believe and confi dence in us and the system that we can go out and make a play no matter the down and distance.” Chiefs’ bandwagon rolling into mighty Patriots at Arrowhead By DAVE SKRETTA Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It seems football fans every- where are suddenly on the Kansas City Chiefs’ band- wagon, enthralled by their record-setting young quarter- back and exciting playmakers and hopeful their amiable old coach can fi nally win the big one. Then again, maybe they’re just fans of anybody facing New England. The Patriots have domi- nated the AFC for nearly two decades, and the coach-quar- terback combination of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady will be playing in an eighth consecutive conference title game Sunday night when New England visits the Chiefs at frigid, hostile Arrowhead Stadium. But whereas Brady & Co. once instilled awe in their opponents, the Chiefs view their showdown as an oppor- tunity for Patrick Mahomes AP Photo/File At left, in a Sept. 23, 2018, fi le photo, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady throws during a game against the Detroit Lions, in Detroit. At right, in an Oct. 7, 2018, fi le photo, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes throws a pass during a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, in Kansas City, Mo. to take the baton as the league’s best quarterback and for Kansas City, seeking its fi rst Super Bowl appear- ance in 49 years, to surpass the Patriots as the NFL’s “it” team. “It’ll be huge,” Mahomes said. “When I got here, the goal was to win the AFC championship and get to the Super Bowl, and win that. To do that early in my career, it would be a huge thing.” There aren’t two more dichotomous teams than the Patriots and Chiefs. New England has won fi ve Super Bowls during the Belichick-Brady era, setting all kinds of records along the way. The cruel effi ciency with which they’ve sliced up the AFC has made them the bane of fans everywhere, but New England and given them the kind of unbeatable aura that accompanied the New York Yankees teams of Derek Jeter and the Chicago Bulls teams of Michael Jordan. It’s not just petty jealousy, though. Many fans have been turned off by Defl ategate, Spygate and other instances over the years that have saddled the Patriots with a rather unsavory reputation. Brady has mostly shrugged it off. So has Beli- chick, who almost seems to embrace the villain role. “I don’t think about it too much, what people might say or think,” said Brady, whose team is a rare playoff underdog Sunday. “I know we’re playing against a very good football team. They’re the fi rst seed for a reason. They’ve had a great season and we’re going to have to go into a really tough environ- ment and play our best foot- ball, and it’s a great opportu- nity for us.” AFC C H A M P I O N S H I P New England Patriots at Kansas City Chiefs Sun. • 3:40 p.m. • CBS 11-5 Regular 12-4 1-0 Postseason 1-0 Total yards (avg.): 393.4 Pass Rush 224.6 266.1 OFFENSE Total yards (avg.): 425.6 Pass Rush 127.3 Postseason: 498.0 144.5 343.0 309.7 276.1 155.0 115.9 118.1 Postseason: 433.0 253.0 180.0 337.0 101.0 DEFENSE Yards allowed (avg.): 359.1 Pass Rush 251.2 273.4 246.4 116.2 112.7 Postseason: 335.0 316.0 27.2 Points for 20.3 Pts. allowed Yards allowed (avg.): 405.5 Pass 19.0 Rush 114.8 132.1 Postseason: 266.0 179.0 87.0 202.0 SCORING (PPG) 35.3 Points for 26.3 Pts. allowed Postseason 41.0 28.0 Postseason 31.0 13.0 SOURCE: National Football League COMING FEBRUARY 13 Rekindle Your Love For Reading Purchase a 1-year subscription to the East Oregonian and receive this highly collectable book, “Pendleton Round-up at 100,” absolutely free! 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