Final thoughts on the Super Bowl, plus a look ahead
Let's put this season to bed!
* Peyton Manning's status is unchanged after the Super Bowl. He didn't deserve his MVP, and I would have loved to see voters have the balls to give it to the entire offensive line. Whether he won or not, he's still one of the best in the game (even though I don't like him). Winning championships in the ultimate team game doesn't make you "great." John Elway was great before he won Super Bowls. Dan Marino and Warren Moon and Dan Fouts are great quarterbacks. If you want to discuss greatest quarterbacks ever and base it on championships, it's easy: Bart Starr and Terry Bradshaw.
* Of course, that doesn't mean Rex Grossman didn't stink and cost his team a win. Chicago needs to think long and hard about whether he should be their long-term starter. It's not that he played poorly, it's that he couldn't get the center exchange down correctly! What the hell?
* Why don't teams put more pressure on Peyton Manning? I know some teams try and fail, but the Bears didn't even try. The only way to beat Manning is to pressure him. The Colts have the ultimate rhythm offense, and Chicago allowed him to get in a rhythm early. Stupid. Sure, you might give up a big play, but fortune favors the bold! Many quarterbacks don't like to be rushed - who would? - but Manning really doesn't like it.
* This was on of those Super Bowls that, for me, was no-win. If the Colts won, we'd get to hear how Manning is the greatest quarterback ever for the entire offseason (and beyond). If the Bears won, we'd hear about Da Bears! forever and how blue-collar they were and how Chicago deserved a championship, even though the damned town won SIX of them in the 1990s. I didn't like either team, so now I'm stuck with hearing about the greatest team ever for eight months. Win a few more, Indianapolis, and we'll see.
* So who wins next year? Let's break down the divisions and look at the only teams who could possibly win it (teams in bold could win):
AFC East: New England, New Jersey Jets, Buffalo, Miami. The Jets are a nice story, but can't go much further than they did this year, Buffalo doesn't have the quarterback, and Miami is a mess.
AFC North: Cincinnati, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Cleveland. The Steelers are breaking in a new coach, and without a power running game, Roethlisberger is vulnerable. Cleveland is Cleveland. Sorry, Browns fans!
AFC South: Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Tennessee, Houston. I'm not buying Vince Young yet, and the Texans are a horrible franchise.
AFC West: San Diego, Denver, Kansas City, Oakland. Denver will be breaking in a new quarterback, Kansas City doesn't have a good one (Green is too old), and Oakland vies with Houston for worst franchise in the league.
NFC East: Philadelphia, New Jersey Giants, Dallas, Washington. Two words for the Giants: Eli Manning. Three more words: No Tiki Barber. The Cowboys will have a new coach, an old Terrell Owens, and a new quarterback. Washington has a new quarterback and not much else.
NFC North: Chicago, Minnesota, Green Bay, Detroit. Chicago by default, really. The Vikings don't have much at quarterback, Green Bay gets another year of Favre (good for the rest of the league, bad for the Packers), and the Lions retained Matt Millen, so they obviously don't care about winning at all.
NFC South: New Orleans, Carolina, Tampa, Atlanta. The Panthers are too weird, the Buccaneers have quarterback issues, and Atlanta gets another year of Michael Vick. Maybe he'll surprise us all, but I doubt it.
NFC West: Seattle, San Francisco, St. Louis, Arizona. Yes, the 49ers. St. Louis had its chances, but they don't protect Bulger at all. Arizona is a year away. They might actually make the playoffs this year.
That's 11 teams out of 32 that have a realistic shot at winning the Super Bowl. Since 12 teams make the playoffs, some loser team will get in! So who wins? Well, you know I'm going to say the Eagles, but here's why: If (and it's a big "if," to be sure) Andy Reid commits to the run like he did at the end of this season, McNabb can stay healthy because he won't be doing everything himself, and they can win the Big One. I hope Andy Reid saw the light this season. We'll see at the beginning of next year. If he reverts to form, then I don't know. Indianapolis seems to have the best team, but they'll be the targets, and that's never good. Why not New England?
* Is it September yet?????
* Peyton Manning's status is unchanged after the Super Bowl. He didn't deserve his MVP, and I would have loved to see voters have the balls to give it to the entire offensive line. Whether he won or not, he's still one of the best in the game (even though I don't like him). Winning championships in the ultimate team game doesn't make you "great." John Elway was great before he won Super Bowls. Dan Marino and Warren Moon and Dan Fouts are great quarterbacks. If you want to discuss greatest quarterbacks ever and base it on championships, it's easy: Bart Starr and Terry Bradshaw.
* Of course, that doesn't mean Rex Grossman didn't stink and cost his team a win. Chicago needs to think long and hard about whether he should be their long-term starter. It's not that he played poorly, it's that he couldn't get the center exchange down correctly! What the hell?
* Why don't teams put more pressure on Peyton Manning? I know some teams try and fail, but the Bears didn't even try. The only way to beat Manning is to pressure him. The Colts have the ultimate rhythm offense, and Chicago allowed him to get in a rhythm early. Stupid. Sure, you might give up a big play, but fortune favors the bold! Many quarterbacks don't like to be rushed - who would? - but Manning really doesn't like it.
* This was on of those Super Bowls that, for me, was no-win. If the Colts won, we'd get to hear how Manning is the greatest quarterback ever for the entire offseason (and beyond). If the Bears won, we'd hear about Da Bears! forever and how blue-collar they were and how Chicago deserved a championship, even though the damned town won SIX of them in the 1990s. I didn't like either team, so now I'm stuck with hearing about the greatest team ever for eight months. Win a few more, Indianapolis, and we'll see.
* So who wins next year? Let's break down the divisions and look at the only teams who could possibly win it (teams in bold could win):
AFC East: New England, New Jersey Jets, Buffalo, Miami. The Jets are a nice story, but can't go much further than they did this year, Buffalo doesn't have the quarterback, and Miami is a mess.
AFC North: Cincinnati, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Cleveland. The Steelers are breaking in a new coach, and without a power running game, Roethlisberger is vulnerable. Cleveland is Cleveland. Sorry, Browns fans!
AFC South: Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Tennessee, Houston. I'm not buying Vince Young yet, and the Texans are a horrible franchise.
AFC West: San Diego, Denver, Kansas City, Oakland. Denver will be breaking in a new quarterback, Kansas City doesn't have a good one (Green is too old), and Oakland vies with Houston for worst franchise in the league.
NFC East: Philadelphia, New Jersey Giants, Dallas, Washington. Two words for the Giants: Eli Manning. Three more words: No Tiki Barber. The Cowboys will have a new coach, an old Terrell Owens, and a new quarterback. Washington has a new quarterback and not much else.
NFC North: Chicago, Minnesota, Green Bay, Detroit. Chicago by default, really. The Vikings don't have much at quarterback, Green Bay gets another year of Favre (good for the rest of the league, bad for the Packers), and the Lions retained Matt Millen, so they obviously don't care about winning at all.
NFC South: New Orleans, Carolina, Tampa, Atlanta. The Panthers are too weird, the Buccaneers have quarterback issues, and Atlanta gets another year of Michael Vick. Maybe he'll surprise us all, but I doubt it.
NFC West: Seattle, San Francisco, St. Louis, Arizona. Yes, the 49ers. St. Louis had its chances, but they don't protect Bulger at all. Arizona is a year away. They might actually make the playoffs this year.
That's 11 teams out of 32 that have a realistic shot at winning the Super Bowl. Since 12 teams make the playoffs, some loser team will get in! So who wins? Well, you know I'm going to say the Eagles, but here's why: If (and it's a big "if," to be sure) Andy Reid commits to the run like he did at the end of this season, McNabb can stay healthy because he won't be doing everything himself, and they can win the Big One. I hope Andy Reid saw the light this season. We'll see at the beginning of next year. If he reverts to form, then I don't know. Indianapolis seems to have the best team, but they'll be the targets, and that's never good. Why not New England?
* Is it September yet?????
Labels: Chicago Bears, Indianopolis Colts, Peyton Manning, Rex Grossman, Sports, Super Bowl
posted by Greg | 7:37 AM
2 Comments:
I know you don't like Peyton, but you have to admit that comeback against New England was incredible. I'm glad the Colts won.
For next year, I predict the Browns to go 16-0 before splatting Oakland in the AFC Championship Game and crushing Arizona 66-0 in the superbowl. Cincinnati become the first team not to finish a season after their entire squad gets jailed.
But I did say England would win the World Cup...
It's not that I don't like Manning, it's just that I've always thought he was a bit overrated. Of course, now he's won the damned thing, so I can't think that anymore ...
His Championship Game was very good, after he worked the early kinks out.
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