Sunday NFL Countdown, NFL Matchup Features for NFL Conference Championship Weekend

Baltimore Ravens All-Pro Linebacker Ray Lewis In-Studio for Countdown

January 17, 2008 -- Sunday NFL Countdown Presented by IBM featuring Chris Berman, Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson, Keyshawn Johnson and Emmitt Smith will preview the AFC and NFC Championship games Sunday at 11 a.m. ET with Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, who will join the crew as a special in-studio guest. Chris Mortensen will provide headlines and league news, and Steve Young will contribute his weekly Sunday opinion segment, “Young is Restless.”

Sunday’s pre-game show will offer team reports from Bob Holtzman (Chargers) and Sal Paolantonio (Patriots) at the AFC Championship in Foxborough, Mass., as well as Rachel Nichols (Giants) and Ed Werder (Packers) at the NFC Championship at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. Planned features:

One-on-One with Brett Favre

Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre talks one-on-one with Chris Berman to discuss a multitude of topics – how this season resurrected Favre’s career, how the Packers transformed into a 13-3 team and what it feels like to be one game away from another Super Bowl.

Brady Bunch – An E-SPN True? Hollywood Story

Before he was a NFL MVP and the quarterback of the undefeated New England Patriots, Tom Brady was a struggling actor in his home state of California. In this original E-SPN True? Hollywood story investigation, Countdown uncovers that Tom was actually the fourth Brady brother on the TV series The Brady Bunch. Members of the cast and Brady himself detail his rise and fall on the show – and how being fired from the TV show eventually catapulted him into NFL stardom.

New York Giants: Road Warriors

The Giants enter Lambeau Field having won their last nine games on the road – an NFL record for consecutive road wins in one season. The Giants’ long road to the NFC Championship and possible Super Bowl has had many twists and turns and even involved a trip outside the country. The crew takes a look back at life on the road for New York.

Mayne Event: How Favre Succeeds in Frigid Weather -- Naked

The NFC Championship pitting the Giants against the Packers at Lambeau Field is calling for frigid weather with a wind chill in the minus-teens. This plays right into Packers’ quarterback Brett Favre’s hands because, as Kenny Mayne finds out, Favre’s ability to succeed in Green Bay’s winter weather comes from practice. Favre trains by running in and about the town naked - at least, that’s what the tongue-in-cheek Mayne Event thought.

Soundtracks: The Patriots vs. the Chargers

Last season, the Patriots and Chargers staged a playoff game during the Divisional weekend that fueled a tense rivalry. Soundtracks details the sights and sounds from that memorable playoff game.

Film Room: Chargers Defense

The Chargers made some mid-season changes to their defense that helped catapult them into the AFC championship game. Tom Jackson goes into the film room to analyze their success.

Tale of the Tape: NFL Conference Championship Weekend

The crew takes a look at who has an edge on offense, defense, special teams and coaching in a complete breakdown of the Chargers vs. Patriots and Giants vs. Packers matchups.

Start 'Em or Sit 'Em

ESPN.com fantasy expert Matthew Berry takes questions from fantasy players across the globe posted by fans on www.espn.go.com/sundaycountdown in “Start ‘Em or Sit ‘Em” and will also preview weekly trends and sleepers for Week 18.

Berman, Ditka, Jackson, Johnson and Smith will pick the biggest games of the day and tell fans which players will make the biggest impact in the NFL’s Conference Championship weekend action.

STATE FARM NFL MATCHUP SUNDAY 3 A.M. AND 8:30 A.M.

State Farm NFL Matchup (Sunday at 3 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.) with host Sal Paolantonio and analysts Ron Jaworski and Merril Hoge will preview the NFL Conference Championship weekend by bringing viewers inside the film room. The 30-minute X’s and O’s program – taped each week at NFL Films in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey – highlights team strategy and game planning. This week’s features:

Chargers “D” vs. Patriots “O”

The Chargers beat the Colts last week, but their defense looked vulnerable against Peyton Manning and the Colts offense. Jaworski breaks down how the Colts exploited San Diego’s pass defense by creating favorable mismatches and how the Patriots should be able to do the same. Hoge details what makes Patriots quarterback Tom Brady the best in the game at manipulating linebackers in coverage, attributing some of the success to running back Kevin Faulk’s blocking skills. Hoge also explains why the Patriots “underneath” passing game is so unstoppable.

Chargers “O” vs. Patriots “D”

The Patriots defense may have looked vulnerable against the Jaguars, but Bill Belichick always adds a new wrinkle to the Patriots defensive schemes in crucial situations. Hoge highlights a play used against the Jaguars where the Patriots executed a snap they hadn’t used all season, leading to Rodney Harrison’s game-sealing interception.

Giants “D” vs. Packers “O”

The Packers running game has evolved from the worst in the league to one of the best. Hoge examines the rushing offense and how the Packers have used their tight ends in the backfield to create an advantage against opposing defenses. Quarterback Brett Favre and running back Ryan Grant are the standout performers in the Packers offense, but the offensive line also deserves credit for the success. Jaworski shows how they must handle the Giants on Sunday to advance to the Super Bowl.

Giants “O” vs. Packers “D”

The Giants have used a safe, ball-control offense to propel themselves into the Championship game. Jaworski deciphers how they can generate explosive plays through the air with their passing game. The Packers’ press coverage can cause problems for opposing teams’ passing offenses, but Hoge believes this type of defense can be exploited in the running game. He illustrates how the Giants can create big plays on the ground.

Source: ESPN

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