Super Bowl XLVI Game Notes

As a Patriots fan, that was one of most depressing sporting events to see.  Here are some things that probably won't get talked about (I wouldn't know, I'm not watching any espn or football coverage for a while).

• Steve Weatherford was the closest a punter will ever get to Superbowl MVP.  He pinned Patriots inside their own territory 4 times in the game.  Punters/Kickers always get overlooked as just side notes, but they are one of the most important players on the field.
• After such a dominating performance by Wilfork in the AFC Championchip I was expecting a much better showing in the Superbowl.  Giants interior lineman were thought to be a weakness that Wilfork and Patriots could easily take advantage of.  There was no pressure up the middle all game.
• Mankins played horrible.  A lot of the pressure that Brady felt during the game was coming from the man Mankins was blocking.
• Yes, if Welker caught that pass the Patriots would probally of had a parade yesterday, but that was not the only play that can be pointed at.  12 men on the field, Ninkovich offsides on 3rd and long, Bradys safety, and all the Giants fumbles falling right into Giants players.
• The interception Brady threw was a hard decision.  It was amazing he was still on his feet for that long after the quick pressure Giants got to him off the snap (from Mankins man).  Brady had gone through his first three reads before even getting to Gronkowski who was 1-1 with a linebacker who was teaching at a school a couple of weeks ago.  It would be an easy decision if Gronk was 100%, but he clearly was not.  You could see in the replay that he tried to come back for the ball but just couldn't push off his ankle to do so.  With the way Patriots were driving the smart decision would of been run for quick 5 yards and keep the drive going, but you have to understand the throw.  It was not the same as the interception vs. Ravens in which he threw to Slater who was double teamed.

Overall, a good game by Pats on all sides but a couple unlucky bounces, drops, and a couple dumb plays (12 man, safety) was their undoing.

Most Embaressing Pro Sporting Event Is..

Inspiring play at the line of scrimmage

The Pro Bowl.  Can it get any worse?  In football there is no real middle ground, either you are going all out, or you are not going at all.  In Basketball, where the all-star game is not the most exciting thing in the world either, it can at least be fun to see players throw alleys, try new dunks, and go one on one and do and-1 type of moves they can not do in the regular game.  In football, they hike the ball, lineman on both sides don't even pretend to try or care, and QB just throws it deep to receiver who is being half heartily covered.  I can not say it is the players fault, they are most likely already being underpaid with no guaranteed contract.  There is no way they should risk injury for a game that does not mean anything.  The pro bowl will never be popular or entertaining unless they drastically change the game.  No amount of dumb gimmicks, like allowing players to tweet during the game, will change it.  My solution, give pro bowl mention to O-lineman and D-linemen and a free trip to Hawaii and seats on the bench, and then have the game be 7-7 flag football with only skill players.  Might not be the greatest, but can't get any worse. 

Inside the NFL - 2012 AFC Championship

Another great video made by NFL.  Some of the highlights.

"Hey, we're on the big screen right now! give me a chest bump!" -Gronkowski

"You gotta (expletive) keep your head up and wrap the crap up on a tackle and hit with your (expletive) eyes. You can't go in there and throw your goddamn ass into him. Just make the (expletive) tackle." -Bill Belichick

"Yo, that bar is giving me (expletive) energy.  I was so hungry." -Gronkowski

Biggest Super Bowl Loser?

Michael Silver of Yahoo Sports got it correct.  Here is his great explanation as to why Sexy Rexy is the biggest loser of the super bowl.

1) Rex Ryan: If Super Bowl week will be uncomfortable for Manning, it’s a full-fledged fiasco for Sexy Rexy. The Jets’ coach must wistfully watch a media circus involving not his favorite public personality (himself) but, instead, the two franchises he has openly targeted and – as of right now – failed to surpass. The Patriots, with whom the Jets have vied for AFC East supremacy (and the team they eliminated from last year’s playoffs, which triggered a whole lot of gloating), have reestablished themselves as the Team of the Century. The Giants, the object of Ryan’s competitive taunts since he took over as coach before the ’09 season, not only humbled him in a late-December victory that essentially killed the Jets’ playoff hopes, but they also improved to 5-0 in NFC championship games (Ryan is 0-2) and are the clear-cut Kings of the City. In Ryan’s 2011 book, “Play Like You Mean It,” he wrote, “I have news for you. We are the better team. We’re the big brother. People might say they are the big, bad Giants, but we are not the same old Jets. … To me, it seems clear that right now we are the better team and we are going to remain the better team for the next 10 years. Whether you like it or not, those are the facts, and that’s what’s going to happen. I know it’s going to happen because our style of football is different. We are going to take over the town whether the Giants like it or not, so those fans on the fence that like both teams are going to be Jets fans in the end. The truth is, if I am going to watch one game, I am going to see the Jets, without a doubt. We are better.” Uh, what was that you were saying, Little Bro? You’d think Ryan might have backed off after hearing taunts like “it’s time to shut up, fat boy” from Giants running back Brandon Jacobs, but the man can’t help himself. (To be clear, as a journalist, I am not complaining about this in any way.) Before the AFC championship game, Ryan, a former Baltimore defensive coordinator, went on New York’s WFAN and proclaimed, “First off, the Ravens are going to win this game.” Alas, they didn’t – and now there’s no question that Ryan is the Biggest Loser of Super Bowl XLVI, regardless of what happens in the game.

Super Bowl XLVI Predictions

It's a lot harder to predict a football game than a basketball game. One play can change a whole game, and often times, that play will be a lucky one. If you need evidence of this proposition, then just look at last week's games, where a kicker shanked a 30 yarder that would of sent a game to OT, and a punt returner fumbled/muffed two punts that led to two crucial scores. With that disclaimer out the way, here are my predictions.

As a Patriots fan, I both wanted and feared the Giants. The Patriots need to beat them to make this year official and to avenge their ruined perfect season. The 49ers would of been a much easier opponent, as their offense is essentially Vernon Davis and Frank Gore. Alex Smith is more athletic than given credit for, but is still a one read QB. The Patriots should not of had too hard a time containing that offense and putting some points on the board.

The Giants offense features a revitalized running game (not too hard to revitalize when you're 32nd in the league) and one of the better 1-2 punch at WR in football. Eli Manning is playing great, and the pass rush might be the best in the NFL right now. Those two things, WRs and pass rush, are the two biggest problems for the Patriots in the recent history. If you can get to Brady with rushing 4 or less, and are therefore able to drop 7 back in coverage, it is huge. The Patriots DBs, although they have been playing better recently, are still a huge liability, and Nicks and Cruz should be able to abuse them. Working against the Giants is they do not have a great O-line, they have poor LBs, and their DBs are overrated due to pressure created by the pass rush. For much of the year, the Giants' pass defense wasn't all that much better than the Patriots.

Patriots have arguably the best QB in the game right now, the best two TE combo, and their offense is extremely hard to match up with. When you see two TEs in the offensive huddle you can not assume anything. Against most teams, a defense can look at who is on the field, and then send out the appropriate package to defend it. But if you play small and send your nickel defense vs. 2 TE sets against the Pats, then they will run it up the gut. BenJarvus Green-Ellis is not the most talented RB in the league, or even on his own team, but he gets what is blocked, doesn't dance, falls forward, and never fumbles... literally.. he never fumbles. When the defense sends out the run stopping unit vs. the 2 TE sets the Pats can easily spread the field and force opposing defense's run stopping LBs to match up with Gronkowksi and Hernandez, which is not good. Either way, you have to pick your poison. And this is all without even mentioning the WR with the 2nd most receiving yards in the NFL, Wes Welker. The Patriots need to be balanced on offense, not outsmart themselves with trick plays (running sweeps with Hernandez on 3rd and short in the redzone), and keep Brady standing. The best defense against the Pats has been trying to confuse Brady with zones while rushing 4, and hoping your pass rush can get to him. It worked for the Cowboys, Steelers, and Giants so far this year.

On the Patriots defensive side, their D-line has been a whole different unit the 2nd half of the year compared to the 1st (one has to wonder if Haynesworth's leaving helped). They have been getting pressure from Mark Anderson from the the DE position, and Wilfork has been doing a great job of pushing the line. The front 7 has also been playing well vs. the run this year whenever Spikes has been there. NFL Films analyst Greg Cosell calls Brandon Spikes, "arguably the most physical and violent inside linebacker in the NFL." Kyle Love is one of the more underrated players there is, and combined with Wilfork is one of the harder DTs to move. The Patriots need to get pressure on Manning, make him feel uncomfortable, and limit the big plays as much as possible. They also really need to get him off the field on 3rd downs. Also, Manning has been prone to throwing interceptions throughout his career, and the Patriots defensive backs have been pretty good ballhawks this season, so turnovers could be huge.

The Patriots and Giants played earlier this year, it came down to the last possession, when the Giants marched down the field to score with 15 seconds left to go up 24-20.  All points were scored in the 2nd half.  The Giants won the turnover battle as Brady threw 2 interceptions, lost a fumble, and had to watch as Edelman lost a fumble on a punt return. This was a game in which Nicks and Ahmad Bradshaw did not play due to injury, Haynesworth (cut 3 days after the game) was still on the Pats, both Spikes and Chung left before the finish due to injury, and Andre Carter was not injured yet.

I think Brady and Belicheck will not allow this team to lose again to the Giants in the Super Browl. Brady will rebound from his worst rated playoff game ever and play well, while limiting mistakes, the Patriots D will come up with some big plays on the D-line and from the linebacking core, BGE will run for 75+ yards, and Eli Manning will make a few costly mistakes. Patriots 31 Giants 21

Tim Tebow Magic!

The man has something special.  Right when you think its over that special thing comes up, saves the day, and earns him a W.  Some people call it intangibles, I call it defense, luck, and a running game.

The Broncos are now 7-1 since Tebow took over as starting QB.  In all of the wins the defense has held opponents to an avg of 16 points per a game and only twice allowed more then 15 points.  In only two of those games has the Bronco's scored more then 17 points.  During that same period of time Denver has gotten 1 onside kick, had a punt return for a TD, won a game with 2 passing completions, had a defensive TD, missed fg in OT by the opposing team, had their kicker kick 2 50+ yard fg in OT, had their kicker hit a 59 yarder to tie a game, and forced and recovered two fumbles in OT in two different games.  When you actually look at all three of Tebow's great OT winning drives, they covered a combined 73 yards with 24 of them coming on one McGahee run, meaning Tebow has covered a combined 49 yards.  Magical.  But, as Tebow says, "If you believe, then unbelievable things can sometimes be possible."

Passing on Mallett

 In the NFL in this day and age it is extremely hard to be a winning team without a good QB.  It makes you wonder what certain teams were doing passing on Ryan Mallet, one of the best natural QBs in the 2011 NFL draft.  Yes, he had character issues and 'red flags', but he also has one of the highest ceilings of anyone in the draft.  He has the prototype body for a QB, 6'6 230, arguably the strongest arm in the draft, great mechanics, played in Bobby Petrino's pro-style offense in Arkansa, and really knows his football (son of a coach).  His accuracy needs some help, but that is a lot easier to work on then a QB with a weak arm.  There is a gamble, but one certainly worth taking.  Mallett could easily be the cornerstone for any team if he plays up to his potential.  Here are the the three teams that really stood out to me for passing on Mallett.

Miami Dolphins: No matter what they say, I don't think anyone in Miami is a believer in Chad Henne.  After passing up getting Mallett in the draft they decided to go after Matt Moore in free agency.  The same Matt Moore who couldn't win the starting QB job in Carolina vs. the great Jimmy Clausen.  Instead, they chose to trade away their 3rd, 5th, and 7th round for a 2nd rounder and pick a RB (How I feel about RB).  So far through the preseason their RB, Daniel Thomas, has looked extremely average.  Thomas has avg 3.56 ypc and has gone done easy on first signs of contact through 2 preseason games.

Seattle Seahawks:  They only had one pick ahead (1st rounder) of Patriots drafting Mallett 74th, but they had the 75th pick and I am sure could of traded up at some point to get him.  After letting Hasselbeck walk (Amount of money Titans paid him can't blame Seattle) they turned to Tavaris Jackson.  Jackson has been mediocre at best his whole career and has never shown signs of having potential to be better.  His career QB rating is 76.6, completion% 58.7, and yards per pass attempt is 6.61.  To put it simply, you are not winning anything with him as your QB. 

Washington Redskins:  There is a QB battle going on right now in Washington.  Sexy Rexy vs. John Beck.  Beck is 30 years old and has played in a combined 5 games in his NFL career.  All in 2007.  Sexy Rexy is.. Sexy Rexy.  Do I really need to say more?

On the bright side for these teams, they can probably trade a 2nd rounder, their best CB, and hand out a huge contract for Mallett in a couple years.

James Harrison the Diplomat

James Harrison was interview by the Mens Journal and really showed his friendly likable side.  The issue comes out this Friday.  Here are some of the better quotes that have already been released.

On Commissioner Roger Goodell:

"If that man was on fire and I had to piss to put him out, I wouldn't do it," Harrison told the magazine. "I hate him and will never respect him."  His other descriptions of the commissioner include an anti-gay slur, "stupid," "puppet" and "dictator."  If the Steelers had defeated the Green Bay Packers in the Super Bowl, Harrison said, he would have whispered in Goodell's ear during the trophy ceremony: "Why don't you quit and do something else, like start your own league in flag football?"

On Ben Roethlisberger:

“Hey, at least throw a pick on their side of the field instead of asking the D to bail you out again. Or hand the ball off and stop trying to act like Peyton Manning. You ain’t that and you know it, man; you just get paid like he does.”

On Troy Polamalu:

“He’s the one guy in football I respect absolutely, ‘cause he’s spiritual and lives it like he talks it. You know, he gets more flags than anyone on our team but never gets fined for nothin’. He’s so polite and talks so softly that he could tell he could tell Goodell to kiss his ass, and Goodell would smile and say thank you.”

On Black vs. White QBs

“Clay Matthews, who’s all hype — he had a couple of three-sack games in the first four weeks and was never heard from again — I’m quite sure I saw him put his helmet on Michael Vick and never paid a dime. But if I hit Peyton Manning or Tom Brady high, they’d have f*cked around and kicked me out of the league.” And: “I slammed Vince Young on his head and paid five grand, but just touched Drew Brees and that was 20. You think black players don’t see this shit and lose all respect for Goodell?”

On 2004 season:

“I should have another ring. We were the best team in football in 2004, but the Patriots, who we beat during the regular season, stole our signals and picked up 90 percent of our blitzes [in the AFC title game]. They got busted for it later, but, hey, they’re Goodell’s boys, so he slapped ‘em $500,000 and burned the tapes. Was he going to rescind their Super Bowls? Man, hell no!”

On High Hits:

“I get dinged about three times a year and don’t know where I am for a little minute. But unless I’m asleep, you’re not getting me out of the game, and most guys feel the same way. If a guy has a choice of hitting me high or low, hit me in the head and I’ll pay your fine. Just don’t hit me in the knee, ‘cause that’s life-threatening. How’m I going to feed my family if I can’t run?”

Other random attacks:

Also on the receiving end of Harrison’s ether were other NFL execs, Patriots-turned-commentators Rodney Harrison ("dirtiest player ever, a steroid cheater") and Tedy Bruschi (an idiot, straight-up simple.), Houston’s Brian Cushing (”juiced out of his mind”),  and teammate Rashard Mendenhall ("a fumbling machine) .

How to stop Head Injuries:

Harrison believes the solution to prevent a head injury is to shorten the season to 14 games, delay the start time for offseason workouts and trim the length of training camp so “we’re not bangin’ heads so much in August; that’s where the brain trauma comes from.”

Okay, can't really say much about the last quote, he is probably right.  Mendenhall replied to the attack on twitter by linking rushing statistics from last year where he ranks fourth in carries with 324 and only fumbled twice.  (He did fumble twice in the playoffs.).

One random side note though, does his quote about Polamalu remind anyone else of this great commercial?

Passing on Ingram and Most Overrated position in Football

 Ever since the NFL Draft I have heard on the radio, internet, and everywhere else how the Pats messed up to pass on Ingram.  Having a great running back at this point should be almost last on every teams list of needs.  Before you get carried away, I am not saying a running game does not matter, but rather having ONE great running back is vastly overrated.  Ever since major rule changes started happening in early 00's, like Brady rule after his knee injury and Manning's rule after Pats DBs roughed up Colts WRs in a Pats playoff win, football has steadily tilted more and more towards a heavy passing and a high scoring game.  This is being even taken further with concussion rules and how the defense can and can not hit a 'defenseless' receiver.  The end result is higher scoring games where teams need to be able to pass the ball and put points on the board to really compete. 

To add on to this, which already devalued a RB greatly, there are less and less teams who haven't caught on to the back by committee approach.  By my count, there are only 10 teams left who go with a single back, ATL, STL, HOU, PIT, CIN, TEN, MIN, CLE, CHI, SF.  Only 3 of them made the playoffs last year.  It is easier on the team financially, and easier in general, to find a backs who can fit one specific need (Power, 3rd down, etc.) and have a them form a two or three headed monster in your backfield instead of overpaying or using high draft pick on top RBs.  Although there is no RB who will admit it, the committee approach is probably better for their career as well.  They might not get as much credit, money, or playing time as they want, but this approach will lengthen their careers, and maybe even their life.  This is taken from a ESPN article where it was looking at what Chris Johnson from Tennessee, one of the ten teams using single back approach, new contract would be worth on the open market. 

Last year, no NFL quarterback took more hits than Jay Cutler, who was hit 92 times, according to the league. So consider this: Chris Johnson ran 316 times and caught 44 passes. He was hit presumably four times as much as Cutler, and that's before he threw a block.


This is why the average NFL running back doesn't last three full seasons, the shortest average career of any position group. These are the basic facts from the NFL Players Association, with 2.57 years cited in a recent study.

While 2.57 years is extremely short, it should not be too surprising.  How many elite RB have we seen rise and fall since '00? Also, how many elite RB since '00 have have actually won a ring?  While it may not be fair to put that entirely on their shoulder, it is interesting to look at.  Here is my own list of the top RB since 2000.  All players listed had multiple seasons going over 1200 yards rushing.

Adrian Peterson, LaDainian Tomlinson, Maurice Jones Drew, Chris Johnson, Curtis Martin, Ahmen Green, Tiki Barber, Thomas Jones, Ricky Williams, Clinton Portis, Preist Holmes, Jamal Lewis, Shaun Alexander, Edgerrin James, Steven Jackson, Corey Dillon, Jamaal Charles, Marshall Faukl

Of the 18 top backs only 3 have rings.  Corey Dillon with the Pats, Jamal Lewis on the Ravens, and Marshall Faulk with the Rams.  Almost every back on that list has been on a losing team at some point in their prime.  So is it really worth using such a high pick or huge contracts on a player who, odds are, will have a short career and even if they do pan out to the best RB in the world, won't automatically make you a contender?  By comparison, every elite QB since '00 (Brady, Manning, Rivers, Rodgers, Brees, Favre, Big Ben, Warner) now has a ring, except for Phillip Rivers, and they all almost always were on a winning teams.

So for all the people who are mad the Pats passed on Ingram and let him slip to 28th, don't be.  Be mad Pats didn't get anybody for their pass rush and be happy Pats aren't overpaying or reaching for a RB, and would rather improve O-line and plug in right players to fill the needed roles in the backfield.

QB > Defense > O-line > WR/RB

Kenny Britt's Path to Retirement

For some people the off-season is looked at as a time to get better at things you struggle in, get over injuries, get in shape, and work towards really reaching your potential.  Kenny Britt is not one of those people.  He has showed his talent on the field and could consistently be a top receiver in the league year in and year out, but seems like if you give the guy a weekend off he will find trouble.  After his latest mishap, one of the smaller ones, I thought it would be nice to look at a what he has done to get better this prolonged offseason.

• February 22nd: Britt has to go to court in NJ for 'theft-by-deception' charge in which he  promised to pay $12,500 bail for childhood friend and rapper Albert "Albee Al" Robinson.  Charges were eventually lowered to a misdemeanor.  Albee Al was later arrested, while out on bail, for murder.  Police allege he threw a shot teenager into the Hudson River where he drowned to death.
• April 12th: Got into a car chase in NJ with police and was arrested for evading and lying to police.  A couple miles into the car chase Britt tried to stop the car and walk away as if he was a passenger.  Didn't work.  Charges were reduced and he ended up only paying $478 and being charged with 'careless driving' . 
• He does not show up to players only workouts in Tennessee and chooses to stay at his home in NJ. 
• June 8th: Arrested by New Jersey narcotic officers and charged with two counts of of resisting arrest.  He is accused of pushing police and not submitting to handcuffs after they found him smoking marijuana.  All charges were downgraded to 'disorderly persons' offense.
• June 13th: Britt becomes a wanted man in Nashville for outstanding misdemeanor warrants.  Britt had two arrest warrants out in the city via the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Police claim Britt made "inaccurate statements" on driver's license applications, and he is now expected to turn himself in.
• June 20th: Posts "Retiring from NFL.  F*** You Goddell" on his facebook page.  He later recanted and said someone hacked his page and it was a mistake... With his track record, any reason not to believe him?

Since the Titans have drafted Britt '09 he has been arrested six times and a wanted man once.  What is it about Wide Receivers that seems to bring in all the idiots, egomaniacs, and every type of stupidity to that position?  Also, I hate reality TV shows, but could anyone think of a better one then having Kenny Britt, Dez Bryant, and Legarrette Blount  spend their off season together and record what happens?

It is being reported that Britt will probably only be seeing a game or two suspension.  He should consider himself lucky (and also a great sleeper pick in fantasy).