HIGHLIGHTS
Seattle’s Sonic Boom- For those of you that thought Seattle was just another NFC West creampuff for San Fran to pad their stats with, think again. The long culture of losing in Seattle to be at an end, at least when it comes to football, given the impressive run the Seahawks have had this season (especially of late). It is amazing when any team turns itself around despite a long culture of losing and the Seahawks are doing it in such a special way that even Marv from Home Alone 2 would be proud (sorry this movie has been making the rotation non-stop for the last month). Indeed, in their quest to get out the basement, the Seahawks are doing it with a rookie quarterback, no notable “superstar”, a defense that has seen its best player(s) absent and/or in jeopardy of being absent (I hear Adderal is a helluva drug), a surprisingly tough division and a shifty coach. However, in reference to the latter, while Pete Carroll is perhaps the shiftiest person in sports not named Nick Saban, he has somehow found a way to bring the best out his players. The result? Almost every Seahawks is playing over their heads and now they are even poised to wrestle the division title away from a San Fran team most everyone thought was headed to the Superbowl. I guess being shifty has its advantages.
Ravens Resurrection- Ever since the Ravens lost Ray Lewis to what was then-thought to be a season ending injury, they have not looked the same. Of course, the Ravens could have moved forward with the loss of but one, but the Lewis loss coupled with the losses of other defensive playmakers like Ladarius Webb and Terrell Suggs seemed like too much to recover from especially if you are a defensive powerhouse like the Ravens. Their play on the field immediately reflected their mounting injuries as losses too started to mount. Joe Flacco was proving himself to be the non-elite quarterback everyone knows him to be, and everyone except Ray Rice seemed to be playing with a total lack of urgency. However, last week just when the Ravens were at their worst (and somehow backed into the playoffs despite their latest loss), word surfaced that Ray Lewis might not be done after all, and would likely be back for the playoffs. In truth I do not know what kind of hold Lewis has over the Ravens, but it must be something spectacular as the Ravens this past week played like the team they were before his injury. The Ravens got it done in all three phases of the game, and soundly beat the World Champion Giants who were playing in a game they absolutely had to have. It truly is amazing how one player can affect the fortunes of a team composed of over 50 players, but in this respect guys like Ray Lewis, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck really are in a class by themselves.
Colts win Again- At the start of the season along with many others I predicted that Andrew Luck was the best player to come out of college in many years and that he would have an immediate impact on the Colts. As the year progressed and people started to jump all over RG3 and his bandwagon, I reiterated my position, emphatically announced that Andrew Luck was the Rookie of the Year and that if he could get his team into the playoffs he should be given serious consideration for MVP. Well here we are, and at season’s end Andrew Luck has gotten his team into the playoffs with a game to go, and in doing so has managed to set the rookie mark for wins and completely turn around a franchise that at 2-14 last season was in complete disarray. With all the kudos to RG3, Peyton Manning, Matt Ryan or whomever else, Andrew Luck is clearly the MVP this year. I just can’t understand an argument for anyone else. RG3 has a ton of help and a coach with a winning pedigree, Peyton Manning’s squad went to the playoffs last year, is in the weakest division in football and he also has a ton of help around him, Matt Ryan is leading an Atlanta squad that no one is scared of, has won nothing and also too has a ton of help. I am sorry but for Luck to do what he is doing with the 2-14 talent around him and a coach dealing with tragic circumstances, there is no way he is not the MVP let alone not the rookie of the year. I know I am certainly in the minority on this, but RG3 a.k.a. Michael Vick 3.0 a.k.a. Cam Newton 2.0 will see his luster fade soon enough given his style of play, Manning is likely going to get bounced from the playoffs by New England and if Matt Ryan wins a playoff game I will be shocked, but what Andrew Luck is doing is not only historic, but it is laying the groundwork for a championship franchise to come for many years. I have not seen one player do it alone like this since maybe Tom Brady (and even he had Bill Belichek). Andrew Luck is the definition of an MVP, so it should be all his.
LOWLIGHTS
The Cowboys Expected Implosion- Just when you thought it was safe to be a Dallas Cowboys fan again, they go out, lose a game right there for the taking and in so doing find a way to kick you square in the nuts. If anyone expected the Cowboys to utilize the fact that they were playing at home as an advantage, you must not have watched a Cowboys game in the last 16 years. Somehow the Cowboys have managed to turn their gaudy new palace into nothing more than a shrine to mediocrity and disappointment. They are truly the Bizzaro Seattle Seahawks of the NFL.
In any event, back to the game. While on paper it would appear that this was a close game, do not let the final score fool you. Dallas was getting torched for over 60 minutes, and if it weren’t for Dez Bryant and Tony Romo this game could have easily been 607 to 3. As expected Dallas’ secondary, more specifically their safeties, couldn’t break up a Taylor Swift relationship let alone a big play, and that coupled with the injuries to the Cowboys’ linebacking core allowed the Saints to feast on the middle of the field all day long. However, not to be outdone, Jason Garrett found a way to upstage even the terrible Dallas defense as he made numerous suspicious calls all day long. However, of the most offensive was some dubious play calling that went undetected by the announcers during the game and most of the media after it. At the close of the second half, New Orleans in desperate need of a score to bring them back to even from 7-14, was running out of time to get the touchdown they needed. However, Garrett being Garrett was actually CALLING TIMEOUTS despite the fact that Drew Brees is one of only a handful of quarterbacks who can score on you in about 5 seconds given that time. I have no idea what Garrett was thinking, but his moronic timeouts allowed the Saints and Drew Brees to get comfortable and execute whatever they wanted without fear of the clock. The result? Not only did New Orleans get their equalizing touchdown, but given Garrett’s further bumbling of the clock (i.e. throwing on third down when the Cowboys had the ball back on the ensuing drive), allowed the Saints to get the ball again and get another 3 points with a field goal to close the half. Forget Mike Brown’s offense, Jason Garrett is the one making Princeton look bad.
In sum, the Cowboys do what they always do; lose important games they can and should win. However, by the grace of fate, somehow they find themselves in a game this Sunday against Washington that if they win, would give them the division title and a home-game in the playoffs. As such, I would immediately advise anyone reading this entry to put whatever money they can on the Washington Redskins. While I of course make this statement in jest, I have already put down my money on the Washington Moneyline myself and am counting on a nice payday Sunday night.
How did the Giants win the Superbowl again? -In contrast to the fading Bears and Ravens, the Giants do not really have a hurt fallen leader to point to as the catalyst for their misfortunes. In truth, something has just looked off about the Giants this season and despite a couple of bright spots, they really have been a shell of their former selves from last season. Are the Giants really like the Olympics, in that they only show up every four years? After their performance in Baltimore one really has to wonder.
Those Greedy 49ers- Although losing a game on the road to a tough divisional opponent is nothing to be ashamed of, what the 49ers have done is symptomatic of one the biggest problems afflicting our society today-greed. Instead of being content with their incredible performance over the last 2 years during the Jim Harbaugh era, the 49ers decided to tempt fate and bench the man largely responsible for getting them there, their on-field leader, Alex Smith. Now do not get me wrong, Alex Smith is certainly no Tom Brady, hell he isn’t even Andy Dalton from a skills perspective, but what he is was the right person for that system. How do I know this? Well the results and Smith’s record over the last two years speak to that. He is the right person for that system and the chemistry of that team worked. If he was in Green Bay, New England or New Orleans, than things would probably be different. But he isn’t, he plays on the 49ers, and the 49ers play around a tough defensive scheme, with a ground and pound offense facilitated by a game manager (i.e. Alex Smith) who will through the odd ball here or there to keep defenses honest. This system was clearly working, and Alex Smith had no reason to get benched (at least this year he didn’t) in favour of another guy who plays a completely different style of ball. I can’t remember the last time a winning team change their prescription for success so drastically on the fly in this manner and it worked. I can concede that Colin Kapernick is flashier and even the better quarterback on paper, but what works on paper and what works in the real world are often two totally different things. If they were the same, Jamarcus Russell and Ryan Leaf would be perennial MVPs and the Philadelphia Eagles would be on their way to their second Superbowl title. You have to look at systems, you have to look at chemistry and most importantly you have to look at results. If something is working well, to needlessly alter it drastically speaks to greed and arrogance.
I am not sure of many things, but this move is likely to come back and bite the 49ers because it displays a total lack of loyalty, football chemistry and common sense.
