The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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BY CHRIS BALAS F ormer Michigan wide receiver Jason Avant saved his best game of the season for last, but it wasn't enough to help the Kansas City Chiefs upset the juggernaut New England Patriots in an AFC divisional playoff game Jan. 16. Kansas City relied on young receiv- ers Chris Conley and Albert Wilson ahead of Avant for much of the sea- son, but the 10-year veteran made several highlight reel plays among his four catches — including a 41-yarder in the third quarter — to help keep the Chiefs close in an eventual 27-20 loss. His team-high 69 receiving yards marked his best yardage output as a Chiefs player. "I go out and give 100 percent all the time, every time I step out there," he told the team's website. "I had the opportunities today, and I can do that —- and I can do that all the time." Avant didn't catch a pass in a 30-0 AFC wild card win at Houston Jan. 9. He finished the regular season with 15 catches for 119 yards, while start- ing one of the 16 games in which he appeared. He will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason and seems interested in returning to the Chiefs. "I think the sky's the limit," he said of the franchise. "The experience that you get from these types of games for a lot of the young players is huge, and this team is full of young players. It sets you up for [success] in the next couple years." Former Michigan quarterback Tom Brady was a big reason the Chiefs' season ended. He completed 28 of 42 MICHIGAN IN THE PROS Michigan Has Strong Presence In NFL Playoffs Tom Brady guided the Patriots to the AFC Championship Game for 10th time in the past 15 years, throwing for 302 yards and two scores in a 27-20 win over Kansas City Jan. 16 in the divisional round. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS/ DAVID SILVERMAN