TWO STORIED FRANCHISES SQUARE OFF IN SUPER BOWL XLV
I thought Championship Sunday would give us two interesting, competitive & entertaining games & it didn't disappoint. There were spectacular plays, momentum swings, only 2 field goals(always a good thing), a pair of ugly new trophies & CBS was good enough to let us see Jets' QB Mark Sanchez pick his nose & wipe it on teammate Mark Brunell. So it was a full afternoon & evening. The stage is set for Super Bowl XLV(that's 45 for you non-Roman numeral afficienados), the Pittsburgh Steelers versus the Green Bay Packers. Two of the NFL's most storied franchises. Personally I think they represent the 2 best fan bases in the league, they've won 9 Super Bowls between them & the franchises themselves are amongst the very best in all of sports. I have a personal dilemma, after the Chiefs, my favorite teams are Pittsburgh & Green Bay, so who do I root for? If you're thinking "what team are you going to bet on", I would say I doubt I'll bet on this game, just enjoy it for what it should be, a clash of the defensive titans led by the two sharpest defensive minds in the game, Pittsburgh's Dick LeBeau & Green Bay's Dom Capers. Both teams have a bevy of fast, skilled wide receivers & two quarterbacks that can deliver the ball. Las Vegas has installed the Packers as 2 1/2 point favorites with a total of 45 1/2. My playoff prediction record rose to 8-2, both losers were against the Jets.
Green Bay qualified for their 5th Super Bowl appearance by holding off the Chicago Bears 21-14. On their 1st drive, QB Aaron Rodgers led a 7-play, 84-yard drive for an early lead. The Bears could do nothing & field position kept swing more & more for Green Bay. Early in the 2nd quarter, after another three & out from their own 2-yardline, the Bears punted & the Pack set up shop at Chicago's 49. It wasn't long before RB James Starks scored from the 4 & Chicago's hopes for a second Super Bowl in four years was dimming. Just before halftime, Bear's QB Jay Cutler limped off the field after a 3rd down incompletion & headed for the locker room. He started their first series of the 3rd quarter but after a 3 & out, he went to the sideline never to return. Rodgers marched Green Bay into the Bear redzone for what appeared to be a knockout punch touchdown only to see Brian Urlacher pick off a Rodgers pass & return it 39-yards. Backup Todd Collins entered the game & he managed two 3 & out possessions. Then Bear coach Lovie Smith made a desperate move, he sent in 3rd string QB Caleb Hanie. He did so with 57-seconds remaining in the 3rd qtr, meaning, as the 3rd stringer, he would have to play the remainder of the game, regardless of how he did. Thems the rules folks, anytime a 3rd string QB enters the game before the 4th quarter, he must finish the game. The reason for that is the 3rd string QB isn't counted against the 45-man active roster, he's basically an emergency player. If you choose to play him, your other QB's are no longer eligible to play. Got that?
Well low & behold the 3rd year man from Colorado State takes Chicago on an 8-play, 67-yard touchdown drive to cut the Packer lead in half. Both teams stalled & after a Packer punt left the Bears at their own 10-yardline disaster struck. On 3rd & 5 the Green Bay zone blitzed, Hanie hurried his throw & it went right to DT B.J. Raji who snatched the ball out of the air & nimbly moved his 339-pound frame into the endzone for a 21-7 Packer lead. I thought the game was over. Not so fast, Hanie had something left. From their 40, it only took Hanie 4 plays to narrow the score to 21-14. They held Green Bay to a 3 & out & got the ball back with a chance to tie the game. Hanie squeezed out 3 first downs but facing a 4th & 4 at the Packers' 29-yardline, Hanie threw one down the middle & Sam Shields grabbed his 2nd interception of the day, securing the Green Bay victory.
Sadly, Green Bay was given precious little time to celebrate their win, Jay Cutler's injury had become the most talked about story from this game. Why didn't he return to the action? If his knee was hurt so badly, why was he standing on it without an ice pack for much of the 2nd half? Not only did the media start circling like buzzards but Cutler's peers around the league took to the social networks questioning his manhood, drawing all kinds of conclusions without ever really knowing the extent of his injury. Lovie Smith said after the game that the team doctors made the decision to keep him out of further action. He played the first series after half & said his knee was too unstable. The doctors apparently agreed & he was replaced by Todd Collins, in what must be his last NFL appearance. The TV guys went after Cutler like jackals, Trent Dilfer & Mark Schlereth on ESPN as well as The NFL Network's Deion Sanders & Michael Irvin all had remarks that questioned Cutler's devotion to win.
Let me say this, I have never been a fan of Jay Cutler, he reminds me too much of Jeff George, another supremely talented quarterback with little backbone, character or leadership skills. He appears aloof, arrogant & too often shows up his own teammates. He displays the worst body language of any quarterback I've seen in the NFL since George retired in 2001. When Hanie came to the sideline & began leafing thru the coverage photos, Cutler sat next to him offering zero help, instead staring off into space with this "woe is me" look on his face. He's not a player who will elicit much empathy. But toughness is one thing I wouldn't question about Cutler. This guy got brutalized early in the season, sacked 35 times in just 8 games & knocked down another 51. There's a lot to not like about Jay Cutler's game, but I've never questioned his toughness. Bear middle linebacker & captain Brian Urlacher bristled at the questions over Cutler's injury. "He's a tough S.O.B., he plays his ass off every Sunday, never complains, practices hard every day, never complains, I don't want to hear from some m*****f***** sitting on his couch questioning my quarterback's toughness" Urlacher said. Other teammates spoke up for Cutler as well but perception is big when it comes to football & Cutler might be reaping some bogus perception from the appearance he displays on the sideline or in the huddle. That being said, I think it's very irresponsible to assume to know the medical condition of a player you're miles away from & worse yet, to question that players' backbone without knowing just how badly he's hurt. Cutler will undergo an MRI today to access the damage to his knee, but the hits on his reputation may be too severe for him to stick it out in the Windy City, the evening news showed angry Bear fans burning Cutler jerseys in the parking lot after the game.
Next we moved to the Steel City for the AFC Championship. To say Pittsburgh dominated the 1st half of this game would be the understatement of the weekend. The game didn't seem as close as the score, which was 24-3. Pittsburgh took the opening kickoff & drove 66-yards in 15 plays for the opening touchdown. The drive consumed over 9 minutes of clock. By half, the Steelers had outgained New York 231-50. They out rushed the Jets 135-1. One stinkin' yard on the ground, that's how dominate Pittsburgh was. In fact, the Jets gained 44 of their 50 first half yardage in the last minute of the half, driving for a field goal.
That all changed on the 1st drive of the 2nd half, the Jets went 90-yards in just 5 plays, half of it on a 45-yard touchdown pass from Mark Sanchez to Santonio Holmes. A 4th quarter goal line stand by the Steelers left them with a 1st down at their own 2-inch line. A bad snap resulted in a safety & the Jets pulled within 24-12. After a free kick, Sanchez led the Jets on a 58-yard touchdown drive culminating in a Jerricho Cotchery 4-yard TD reception. With 3:06 left in the game & 2 timeouts, the Jets decided to kick deep, hoping to force the suddenly punchless Steelers into punting the ball back to them. Facing consecutive 3rd & 6 situations, QB Ben Roethlisberger rolled to his right & hit Heath Miller & then Antonio Brown for first downs. The last one clinched the game. Roethlisberger was once again an "ugly" winner, he does just what is needed to win when the game is on the line. Last week it was a 58-yard bomb to Brown on 3rd & 19 against Baltimore & Sunday it was 2 perfect passes converting two 3rd downs. He ran 12-yards converting another 3rd down on their 1st touchdown drive & also ran for a touchdown. The stat that rang true in this game was the 166-yards rushing for Pittsburgh. The Jets couldn't stop the run, especially in the first half. Pittsburgh also overcame the loss of Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey to an ankle sprain. This team doesn't rattle, they just circle the wagons & get even tougher. Coach Mike Tomlin will head for his 2nd Super Bowl in just his 4th season in Pittsburgh. With the age of this defense & Roethlisberger, I expect he'll challenge Chuck Noll for Super Bowl wins. He's making Steeler fans forget about Bill Cowher very quickly as well. On the losing side, Rex Ryan refused to be silenced, he said they'd be back next year in this game, "we're bound to win one eventually." Yeah, tell that to Marv Levy, he went 0 for 4 with Buffalo, it happens. During his news conference, he went almost 10-minutes before he begrudgingly gave Mike Tomlin & his team any credit for winning the game. Rex sure makes it hard on himself, but he learned from a master, his dad Buddy Ryan.
So did you catch a glimpse of the new George Halas & Lamar Hunt trophies? They suck, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. The former designs were just fine & had been in use for decades, the new versions look almost cheap.
The classic version of the Lamar Hunt trophy awarded to the AFC Champions since 1971.
The cheesy new version
Finally, I'm guessing Jets' owner Woody Johnson as well as the parents of Mark Sanchez were so proud when CBS plastered the quarterback on big screens all over the nation picking his nose & then wiping it on teammate Mark Brunnell's parka. It was a Hallmark moment to be sure.
There was more news around the NFL which I will impart to you later today, I need to try to get to sleep before my drugs wear off.
Green Bay qualified for their 5th Super Bowl appearance by holding off the Chicago Bears 21-14. On their 1st drive, QB Aaron Rodgers led a 7-play, 84-yard drive for an early lead. The Bears could do nothing & field position kept swing more & more for Green Bay. Early in the 2nd quarter, after another three & out from their own 2-yardline, the Bears punted & the Pack set up shop at Chicago's 49. It wasn't long before RB James Starks scored from the 4 & Chicago's hopes for a second Super Bowl in four years was dimming. Just before halftime, Bear's QB Jay Cutler limped off the field after a 3rd down incompletion & headed for the locker room. He started their first series of the 3rd quarter but after a 3 & out, he went to the sideline never to return. Rodgers marched Green Bay into the Bear redzone for what appeared to be a knockout punch touchdown only to see Brian Urlacher pick off a Rodgers pass & return it 39-yards. Backup Todd Collins entered the game & he managed two 3 & out possessions. Then Bear coach Lovie Smith made a desperate move, he sent in 3rd string QB Caleb Hanie. He did so with 57-seconds remaining in the 3rd qtr, meaning, as the 3rd stringer, he would have to play the remainder of the game, regardless of how he did. Thems the rules folks, anytime a 3rd string QB enters the game before the 4th quarter, he must finish the game. The reason for that is the 3rd string QB isn't counted against the 45-man active roster, he's basically an emergency player. If you choose to play him, your other QB's are no longer eligible to play. Got that?
Well low & behold the 3rd year man from Colorado State takes Chicago on an 8-play, 67-yard touchdown drive to cut the Packer lead in half. Both teams stalled & after a Packer punt left the Bears at their own 10-yardline disaster struck. On 3rd & 5 the Green Bay zone blitzed, Hanie hurried his throw & it went right to DT B.J. Raji who snatched the ball out of the air & nimbly moved his 339-pound frame into the endzone for a 21-7 Packer lead. I thought the game was over. Not so fast, Hanie had something left. From their 40, it only took Hanie 4 plays to narrow the score to 21-14. They held Green Bay to a 3 & out & got the ball back with a chance to tie the game. Hanie squeezed out 3 first downs but facing a 4th & 4 at the Packers' 29-yardline, Hanie threw one down the middle & Sam Shields grabbed his 2nd interception of the day, securing the Green Bay victory.
Sadly, Green Bay was given precious little time to celebrate their win, Jay Cutler's injury had become the most talked about story from this game. Why didn't he return to the action? If his knee was hurt so badly, why was he standing on it without an ice pack for much of the 2nd half? Not only did the media start circling like buzzards but Cutler's peers around the league took to the social networks questioning his manhood, drawing all kinds of conclusions without ever really knowing the extent of his injury. Lovie Smith said after the game that the team doctors made the decision to keep him out of further action. He played the first series after half & said his knee was too unstable. The doctors apparently agreed & he was replaced by Todd Collins, in what must be his last NFL appearance. The TV guys went after Cutler like jackals, Trent Dilfer & Mark Schlereth on ESPN as well as The NFL Network's Deion Sanders & Michael Irvin all had remarks that questioned Cutler's devotion to win.
Let me say this, I have never been a fan of Jay Cutler, he reminds me too much of Jeff George, another supremely talented quarterback with little backbone, character or leadership skills. He appears aloof, arrogant & too often shows up his own teammates. He displays the worst body language of any quarterback I've seen in the NFL since George retired in 2001. When Hanie came to the sideline & began leafing thru the coverage photos, Cutler sat next to him offering zero help, instead staring off into space with this "woe is me" look on his face. He's not a player who will elicit much empathy. But toughness is one thing I wouldn't question about Cutler. This guy got brutalized early in the season, sacked 35 times in just 8 games & knocked down another 51. There's a lot to not like about Jay Cutler's game, but I've never questioned his toughness. Bear middle linebacker & captain Brian Urlacher bristled at the questions over Cutler's injury. "He's a tough S.O.B., he plays his ass off every Sunday, never complains, practices hard every day, never complains, I don't want to hear from some m*****f***** sitting on his couch questioning my quarterback's toughness" Urlacher said. Other teammates spoke up for Cutler as well but perception is big when it comes to football & Cutler might be reaping some bogus perception from the appearance he displays on the sideline or in the huddle. That being said, I think it's very irresponsible to assume to know the medical condition of a player you're miles away from & worse yet, to question that players' backbone without knowing just how badly he's hurt. Cutler will undergo an MRI today to access the damage to his knee, but the hits on his reputation may be too severe for him to stick it out in the Windy City, the evening news showed angry Bear fans burning Cutler jerseys in the parking lot after the game.
Next we moved to the Steel City for the AFC Championship. To say Pittsburgh dominated the 1st half of this game would be the understatement of the weekend. The game didn't seem as close as the score, which was 24-3. Pittsburgh took the opening kickoff & drove 66-yards in 15 plays for the opening touchdown. The drive consumed over 9 minutes of clock. By half, the Steelers had outgained New York 231-50. They out rushed the Jets 135-1. One stinkin' yard on the ground, that's how dominate Pittsburgh was. In fact, the Jets gained 44 of their 50 first half yardage in the last minute of the half, driving for a field goal.
That all changed on the 1st drive of the 2nd half, the Jets went 90-yards in just 5 plays, half of it on a 45-yard touchdown pass from Mark Sanchez to Santonio Holmes. A 4th quarter goal line stand by the Steelers left them with a 1st down at their own 2-inch line. A bad snap resulted in a safety & the Jets pulled within 24-12. After a free kick, Sanchez led the Jets on a 58-yard touchdown drive culminating in a Jerricho Cotchery 4-yard TD reception. With 3:06 left in the game & 2 timeouts, the Jets decided to kick deep, hoping to force the suddenly punchless Steelers into punting the ball back to them. Facing consecutive 3rd & 6 situations, QB Ben Roethlisberger rolled to his right & hit Heath Miller & then Antonio Brown for first downs. The last one clinched the game. Roethlisberger was once again an "ugly" winner, he does just what is needed to win when the game is on the line. Last week it was a 58-yard bomb to Brown on 3rd & 19 against Baltimore & Sunday it was 2 perfect passes converting two 3rd downs. He ran 12-yards converting another 3rd down on their 1st touchdown drive & also ran for a touchdown. The stat that rang true in this game was the 166-yards rushing for Pittsburgh. The Jets couldn't stop the run, especially in the first half. Pittsburgh also overcame the loss of Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey to an ankle sprain. This team doesn't rattle, they just circle the wagons & get even tougher. Coach Mike Tomlin will head for his 2nd Super Bowl in just his 4th season in Pittsburgh. With the age of this defense & Roethlisberger, I expect he'll challenge Chuck Noll for Super Bowl wins. He's making Steeler fans forget about Bill Cowher very quickly as well. On the losing side, Rex Ryan refused to be silenced, he said they'd be back next year in this game, "we're bound to win one eventually." Yeah, tell that to Marv Levy, he went 0 for 4 with Buffalo, it happens. During his news conference, he went almost 10-minutes before he begrudgingly gave Mike Tomlin & his team any credit for winning the game. Rex sure makes it hard on himself, but he learned from a master, his dad Buddy Ryan.
So did you catch a glimpse of the new George Halas & Lamar Hunt trophies? They suck, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. The former designs were just fine & had been in use for decades, the new versions look almost cheap.
The classic version of the Lamar Hunt trophy awarded to the AFC Champions since 1971.
The cheesy new version
Finally, I'm guessing Jets' owner Woody Johnson as well as the parents of Mark Sanchez were so proud when CBS plastered the quarterback on big screens all over the nation picking his nose & then wiping it on teammate Mark Brunnell's parka. It was a Hallmark moment to be sure.
There was more news around the NFL which I will impart to you later today, I need to try to get to sleep before my drugs wear off.
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