My Super Bowl XLVI pick, plus Indy thoughts
INDIANAPOLIS — I feel like I’m playing linebacker on a football field, just keeping my head on a swivel. But instead of looking for blockers and opposing offensive players, I’m looking out for celebrities, hookers and NFL players.
Not necessarily in that order.
Super Bowl week has been a drain on my energy but I’m glad to say it’s coming to an end and we’ll all be game oriented by tomorrow morning. The visual distractions of people — both en masse and celebrity — can be a bit overwhelming. And right now, on this Saturday, the relentless stream of gawkers outside the media hotel are relentless. It’s getting to that uncomfortably weird stage in which everybody, celebrities included, want the game to just get here.
And while normally I would have my picks and predictions up on Thursday or Friday, I’m just getting to it now because of the relative quiet today surrounding the New England Patriots and New York Giants. There is no coach or player availability to the media.
So who do I got? I’ve been asked that quite a bit the past few days. More times actually than I have all season. I guess that’s what happens when people see you sitting at the Boston Globe booth. Admittedly though, I’ve been waffling on who I like. The Giants beat a strong 49ers team after a couple of special teams miscues, and the Patriots sort of backed into the big game after Billy Cundiff’s missed field goal with seconds remaining in the AFC Championship. Neither won outright, and that may be more of a reason why there’s such parity in the NFL than not. No one team has a lock on talent. But I do know one thing, the Patriots have a lock on discipline. And despite Brandon Spikes getting away with slugging a guy, the team is poised to play error free, much the way they’ve done the entire season.
The big question everyone wants to have answered is whether Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski is going to be good to go. He was listed as questionable for the game on Friday’s injury report. He practiced the final two practices, giving some assurance to Patriots fans that he’ll be available. I expect him to play and to play well. I think that bolsters the Patriots’ chances of winning this game tremendously. There’s no stopping him, Aaron Hernandez and Wes Welker.
The revenge factor here, which I think is blown out of proportion for some, is right on the money for Tom Brady. This is a game he doesn’t want to lose, not just because he hates losing and this is the Super Bowl, but because it was the Giants who last beat him and it was the Giants who last took away his glory in Super Bowl XLII. If vengeance has any bearing on any one player in this game, it’s the most dangerous player on the field in Tom Brady.
Again, I like the Giants. I like the fact that they only need four pass rushers to cause trouble. I love their receiving corps. I love how Eli Manning has been running this team. I’m not so much a fan of their running game, which I would have considered inconsistent up until about a month ago. I think their weakness is their offensive line, which lets Manning get banged up too much. But they’re a solid team and they play hard nosed. I just don’t think they have the gusto to make enough stops against this Patriots offense. Can you tell I’m hedging? Because I’m hedging. Who knows how this thing is going to turn out. After XLII, we all thought 19-0 was inevitable. But you remember what happened. I just think that the Patriots are better overall and more consistent in what they do. And what they do is almost entirely unstoppable.
Giants vs. Patriots
My pick: Patriots
Last week (conference championships): 1-1
Postseason: 6-3
Regular season: 135-83 (61.9 percent)
Enjoying Indy
I’ve only been here for a day and a half and I can already say that I’m enjoying Indianapolis. With the Super Bowl hanging over its head, and the throngs of media descending on its streets, there is quite a bit of Hoosier Hospitality on display.
Let’s see how this week plays out though before delivering judgment.
Back to grind mode.
In Indianapolis for the Super Bowl
In Indianapolis, the media center hotel is adorned with tons of Super Bowl logos.
Before I get too busy, I wanted to stop and share some thoughts with those that frequent this site. I’m here in Indianapolis for Super Bowl XLVI, the rematch game between the New England Patriots and the New York Giants. Who knew when I wrote on this very site five months ago that I was going to be taking a greater role in Patriots coverage that I would be here, that the Patriots would be here, and that I would have this opportunity. It really is a blessing.
Since I’ve come to the Globe, Boston sports teams have done extremely well. I took part in our coverage of the NBA Finals in 2010 as the Celtics and Lakers went toe to toe. I was on the ground in Vancouver when the Bruins throttled the Canucks in Game 7, and then Vancouverites throttled their city. And now I’m here in Indy as the Patriots try to cap a really serendipitous season.
In the words of Kevin Garnett, “Anything is possible.”
Overachieving 49ers spruced up the football season
One week you love Alex Smith, the next week he's back on the chopping block.
In retrospect, the San Francisco 49ers played astronomically beyond their talents this season. Probably nobody knows this more than Jim Harbaugh. But I imagine he still must be distraught over Sunday’s 20-17 overtime loss to the New York Giants in the NFC Championship. I know 49ers fans are.
One can only look at Alex Smith and marvel at the 49ers’ turnaround season. With Smith at the helm, the franchise was teetering on edge in all of its 18 games. Could he make the big throw? Will he make the throw? Will the season go down in flames because of him? He transcended all of that, helping the 49ers to a 13-3 regular season and a stellar divisional playoff victory over the New Orleans Saints. And yet, still, the 49ers faltered.
Blame Kyle Williams if you want, but there were way too many plays left on the field against the Giants. And Smith, in my opinion, is just as worthy of fault as Williams.
Sunday’s NFC Championship was much like the 49ers’ Thanksgiving Day game against the Baltimore Ravens. The 49ers made too many mistakes to survive. The fumble by Williams in overtime stands out, but when Smith started playing target practice with the ankles of his receivers to begin two straight drives in the fourth quarter, there was more than a bit of trepidation seeping in the building. Smith’s final line was 12 of 26 passing for 126 yards and two touchdowns. If one didn’t know any better, you’d think the team in red and gold was playing with its backup under center.
However, in keeping with the 49ers’ theme of the year — stellar defense, mediocre offense — the team somehow fought its way into a position to win the game, pushing the Giants into overtime despite going three-and-out on two straight possessions with less than five minutes left in regulation. An inability to punch it into the end zone literally murdered the 49ers’ chance at Super Bowl XLVI.
Forget Williams. Get over that. It was a team loss, one marked by a deficient offense and tired defense. But what you can’t forget is that the 49ers went 14-4 despite what we all knew to be a limited team. It’s because of their phenomenal success that this year has been so satisfying for football fans, whether you’re from the Bay or not.
The loss to the Giants is not the first time the 49ers have disappointed me — and it surely won’t be the last. But this season also happens to have provided some surprises, for the better. I can live with that.
This week’s picks: 49ers and Patriots
I’m not even sure there should be a full length explanation after this headline. The 49ers, with the top defense left in the NFL, and the Patriots, with the top offense left in the NFL, will bring two worlds together for this particular scribe. I’ve watched the 49ers my whole life — before I even cared for football (many, many years ago) — and I’ve watched the Patriots intently for the past three seasons. They are in my opinion the best two teams left, regardless of conference, bias included.
(My head is spinning with thoughts on the possibility … the probability … that the Patriots will play the 49ers, let alone in the Super Bowl. I feel like Quagmire in Family Guy … giggity.)
The tough part here is that I think the 49ers have a greater chance to lose against an amazing New York Giants team that has been balling out in the last month than the Patriots do against the Baltimore Ravens who make way too many mistakes for a team of its caliber. However, I do think the 49ers prevail. They showed me something against the New Orleans Saints. There’s some mustard in that bottle that we didn’t know was there before. And now that the whole world has had a chance to see the gusto in which Alex Smith can play, you have to look at the 49ers’ offense as equally competent as the team’s defense. It’s a tough sell against a Giants team that features Eli Manning and a defensive line to die for. But these aren’t cavalier times. It’s one side or the other and I’m going with the hometown team.
For my reasons why I’m picking the Patriots, check out my Patriots-Ravens predictions. That should tell you everything you need to know.
Giants at 49ers
My pick: 49ers
Ravens at Patriots
My pick: Patriots
Last week: 3-1
Postseason: 5-2
Regular season: 135-83 (61.9 percent)
Patriots-Ravens predictions
There will be 'Gronking' on Sunday. (Photo by Barry Chin, Boston Globe)
Editor’s note: This originally appeared on Boston.com.
The Patriots last playoff matchup with the Baltimore Ravens provided a stinging reality in New England. Despite the team’s success that season (10-6), home field advantage, and the not-so meager hopes behind one Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr., there was a bit of humble pie to be dished out by the more physical and more defensively gifted Ravens. Not this year. The inequality that once existed between the Ravens and Patriots no longer exists. The talent gap has closed on the defensive side of the ball. And with it, the Patriots’ physicality has progressed. This will be a junkyard fight. And despite having a troublesome year with the team’s secondary, the Patriots are peaking right now. It’s with these thoughts in mind that we lay down our predictions for Sunday’s matchup in the AFC Championship.
Joe Flacco, Tom Brady matchup is the elephant in the room
There is no one player that will have a larger impact on the AFC Championship than Tom Brady. Joe Flacco, while in the driver’s seat as the opposing team’s quarterback, is clearly second fiddle to the Ravens’ success behind running back Ray Rice, who should be aptly considered the engine of their offense. But because of Brady’s legendary skills, his temperament in big games, and his extraordinarily competitive nature — not to forget an aversion to punishing teams that have beaten him in big games — the Patriots will likely force a shootout, with the Ravens’ Flacco thrust into the hero’s chair. In that scenario, he’s either the hero or the goat. We know how Brady will react. How will Flacco respond?
The tendency breakers are still coming
In the Patriots’ win over the Broncos, Aaron Hernandez carried the ball five times for 61 yards, including a 43-yard jaunt in the first quarter that caught Denver by surprise. It’s called a tendency breaker. Coach Bill Belichick said afterward he wanted to keep the Broncos honest. Expect more flare this week. The Ravens showed one of their tendency breakers in the first quarter against the Houston Texans. Quarterback Joe Flacco threw a 1-yard touchdown to backup tight end Kris Wilson. It was Wilson’s first catch of the season.
Special teams will be a determining factor
If the Ravens defense is to be feared, even slightly, there will be greater emphasis on special teams play, both in terms of playmaking and ball security. With a plethora of veteran returners at coach Bill Belichick’s disposal (Julian Edelman, Wes Welker, Danny Woodhead, Kevin Faulk), the Patriots are in a position to be conservative and play mistake free. But expect the Ravens to come in and aggressively strip at the ball to win the turnover battle. That aggressiveness will provide opportunities for some big plays by the Patriots. They have to take advantage.
The Patriots will abandon the running game
Worried about Stevan Ridley’s ball security? Don’t be. After fumbling twice in the past two games, losing one against the Denver Broncos, his playing time will likely be slashed in favor of BenJarvus Green-Ellis, essentially giving coach Bill Belichick reason to abandon the running game entirely. A back like Green-Ellis, who finds his way through holes the mean and ugly way, can be boring for the Patriots’ high flying offense. And unfortunately for Green-Ellis, that style of offense favors Baltimore, something the Patriots can’t afford. Expect Tom Brady to toss 45 plus.
Ed Reed will be avoided
Against the Denver Broncos, Tom Brady threw in Champ Bailey’s direction only once, according to Globe teammate Greg Bedard. You can expect the same of Brady when it comes to the versatile safety. Reed has the hands of a wide receiver and the range of Jacoby Ellsbury in center field. His dangerousness cannot be overstated. Just ask T.J. Yates. This game will be another great opportunity for third, fourth and fifth option receivers to explode on the Ravens. Just not when Reed is sitting above them in coverage.
There will be Gronking
“Gronking” – The act of spiking a football with extreme ferociousness after scoring a touchdown. Despite the increased attention, the double coverage, and the physicality he’ll likely face in the trenches, the Patriots all-pro tight end will continue his Gronking ways. With his build, his speed, and his hands, there is no stopping the talent named Rob Gronkowski. Not even against a defense as vaunted as the Baltimore Ravens. Expect two more scores from the big fella.
Surprise, surprise: Brandon Deaderick’s turn
In Week 17, it was Mark Anderson who recorded a sack and tackle for a loss. Against the Denver Broncos, it was Shaun Ellis who recorded one sack and a bone crushing hit on Tim Tebow. This week, it looks like Brandon Deadrick is in a position – much like last week against the Broncos – to get in on the sack party. He had two assisted tackles against the Broncos and was in the thick of the Patriots dominant defensive effort. With increased playing time since Andre Carter was placed on injured reserve, it’s only a matter of time until he registers his big sack. Sunday is looking ripe for his name to be called.
Hello, Indianapolis!
Whether the opponent is the San Francisco 49ers or the New York Giants, the Patriots will be on a plane to Indianapolis after this Sunday’s game. The deal breaker is Joe Flacco. If the Patriots can harass the quarterback sufficiently while allowing its front seven to continue its aggressive ways, they’ll be headed to their fifth Super Bowl in the last 10 years.
Alex Smith makes good
Alex Smith is creating a new legend in San Francisco lore.
I think we all can agree that Alex Smith has come of age this season. In the best game of his turbulent seven-year career, the man who played his college ball in Utah and never seemed to bring his helmet with him to the NFL, has leapfrogged every expectation thrown at him this season under first-year coach Jim Harbaugh. Smith provided San Francisco 49ers fans with an unbelievable performance to admire for years to come, besting the highly touted New Orleans Saints and their MVP-candidate quarterback Drew Brees. In the 49ers’ 36-32 win Saturday, Smith was nothing short of phenomenal (24-of-42 passing for 299 yards and three touchdowns). And while it was really a complete game for the 49ers, with the team being carried for three quarters by the defense, Smith really turned it up a notch in the fourth quarter as the offense carried the team. And it’s because of his late game heroics that I’m so enamored with the guy I openly said should be out of football — both here on this site and in my columns for The Union.
49ers linebacker Larry Grant, who I attended school with, expressed that the mood of San Franciscans has changed in regard to Smith, something I think has occurred nationally too.
“Being a San Francisco guy, I’ve seen the ups and downs in the past with Alex Smith,” Grant said. “Not only am I, but the city of San Francisco is proud of what happened. His success is leading us to the next level each week.”
A few plays on offense stand out to me and I think they should be noted here:
1) I’ve been critical of Smith because of his seeming lack of accuracy, penchant for tunnel vision, and general flappableness under duress. Not on Saturday. Not in the red zone. In the first quarter, on a patented West Coast slant, Smith hit Michael Crabtree in stride for a 4-yard touchdown to give the 49ers a 14-0 lead, erasing any doubts about his ability to pull the trigger and be a gunslinger with the best of them. I think I tweeted at the time it was a big boy throw. Better than the 49-yard touchdown he threw to Vernon Davis to go up 7-0 moments ago. It put the Saints on their heels and made Brees antsy, throwing multiple times into coverage. That was great for an opportunistic defense.
2) On what seemed like the 49ers’ last drive, their last chance to tie or win the game, on 3rd-and-7 with a little more than two minutes to go, Smith broke out left on a bootleg with tackle Joe Staley sprinting in front of him. Simultaneously, the realization of both talents came to fruition on a national stage. Staley, the veteran tackle and leader on the 49ers’ offensive line, performed one of the best blocks of his career and Smith, looking every bit the athletic quarterback he was touted in 2005, toed the sideline en route to a 28-yard touchdown. With the 49ers’ defense, the thinking was that the Saints were toast. Not so fast …
3) After giving up an unforgivable 66-yard touchdown to Jimmy Graham, the 49ers were faced with another long drive to win the game, with 1:32 left to do it. Smith, still with his big boy shorts on, made two not-so quick passes to Frank Gore to get the 49ers going. But it’s what he did on the fourth play of the drive that picked up the chins of the fans at Candelstick Park and those watching around the world. On 2nd-and-10, Smith threw a dart to Davis over the middle of the field with tight coverage on him. Davis turned it up field, sprinting for a 47-yard gain. Again, the old Alex wouldn’t have made that throw. He would have been paralyzed by the fear of making a mistake in that situation. But Harbaugh has him brooding with confidence, rightfully so, and he was able to show the world again that he was a quarterback that belongs.
4) With 14 seconds on the clock, and 49ers’ season seemingly on the brink, Smith stepped into another echelon of quarterbacks in San Francisco lore. Joe Montana did it. Steve Young did it. Now Alex Smith has done it. Looking for Davis again over the middle, Smith connects with the burly tight end on a laser of a pass for a 14-yard touchdown, one in which if it wasn’t as timely or as on target, would’ve likely been an interception. Even more phenomenal, Davis took his route, a post, behind Saints linebacker Scott Shanle in zone coverage and in front of Saints safety Roman Harper who was sitting two yards in the end zone. He had to bulldoze his way over the safety for the score. But it was small window of opportunity that amazed me. The possibility and probability of success on a throw like that must be very, very small. It was a Brett Favre throw. It didn’t make much sense, but it won the game. And with it, it won over more than few Smith detractors, myself included.
I could go on and on about this game. I could nitpick how the defense almost gave it away after setting a physical tone. I could look at five other Smith throws that I don’t think he would’ve made a year ago. I could go in length on the ballsy call by Harbaugh on Smith’s touchdown run. But the unrelenting sentiment is that this team, and in particular Smith, are overachieving underdogs. And despite being counted out, both in his career and in these playoffs, Smith has proven everyone wrong by leading the 49ers on this remarkable journey to the NFC Championship. The win against the Saints has been billed as an instant classic. Vernon Davis has said to call his touchdown “The Grab,” following in the footsteps of Montana’s “The Catch” and Young’s “The Catch II.” (On Twitter and Facebook, I called it The Catch III. I’ll defer to Vernon on this.) It can only get better for the 49ers. And certainly, if the season were to end on Sunday against the New York Giants, the overwhelming feeling now is that Alex Smith is the 49ers’ quarterback going forward. He has earned it.
Patriots-Broncos predictions
I expect the Patriots to win and I expect them to win big.
Editor’s note: This originally appeared on Boston.com.
The Patriots are facing what appears to be a tough opponent, a stingy defense and an unconventional quarterback. But there’s a mirage playing out in the Centennial State. As 14-point favorites going into Saturday’s divisional playoff game, the onus is on the Patriots to live up to their own expectations and kill the Broncos’ hallucinations of an AFC Championship trip. The following are bold predictions for Saturday’s game, one which we very much believe the Patriots will win.
Tom Brady will eviscerate Tim Tebow’s Broncos
Let’s not beat around the bush here. Tom Brady is a competitive monster. Despite what he says in the media, he’s taking into account every slight that “Tebow magic” and “Tebow time” has taken away from his own glory. This is a three-time Super Bowl champion facing an overhyped, under-skilled, fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants, fad of a QB. After the Tebows go down, the Broncos’ organization will be set back another five years.
BenJarvus Green-Ellis is the horse to ride on
Bill Belichick has done quite a bit of tinkering with his running backs rotation. So much so that one wonders from week to week how the carries will break down. How do you utilize Danny Woodhead (77 carries, 351 yards, 4.56 avg.)? Stevan Ridley (87 carries, 441 yards, 5.07 avg.)? Green-Ellis (181 carries, 667 yards, 11 touchdowns, 3.69 avg.)? Kevin Faulk (17 carries, 57 yards, 3.35 avg.)? Expect Green-Ellis to be the go-to back on first and second downs, with Woodhead locked in solidly on third down. The game film speaks to Green-Ellis’ experience finding holes and making things happen out of nothing.
Expect a full dose of #Powwwww
Brandon Spikes, whose signs his Tweets with #PoWwWwW, missed a large stretch of the regular season, including the Patriots’ 41-23 win over the Broncos in Week 15. As a run-stuffing linebacker, his presence was missed. The Broncos pounded away at the Patriots in the first quarter for 167 yards on the ground en route to 252 yards on the day. Sure, the Broncos were felled by turnovers and penalties, but they had a solid gameplan. Enter Spikes. With the colorful linebacker on board, the Patriots will have some added toughness in their front seven to slow down any Broncos rushing attack.
Deion Branch will be the X-factor
In Week 15, when the Patriots beat the Broncos in the regular season, Deion Branch missed the game with a groin injury. In his absence, Chad Ochocinco caught his first touchdown as a Patriot. We’re not proposing some flip-flop here of successes, but do expect Branch to take a greater role this time around. What Ochocinco showed in that Week 15 game, on a blown coverage pass from Tom Brady, was that the Broncos have a tough time with fourth- and fifth-option receivers. Branch is in a prime position to have a great game.
The Patriots will mix coverages
Last year, when the Patriots played and lost to the New York Jets in the divisional playoffs, Tom Brady was bombarded with a mix of coverage so indescribable it was eventually labeled “chaos.” Last week, when the Broncos beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in the wild-card 29-23, the Steelers were cheating up with their safeties in the box so blatantly they forced Tim Tebow to fire away throughout the game. Expect the Patriots to give Tebow varied looks, and confuse the quarterback as much as possible. Mind games will be paramount.
Secondary thoughts
In an anybody’s guess secondary, one thing we do know is that the Patriots will rely on the talents of defensive back Devin McCourty, ballyhooed by his success in the final two games of the regular season, either at the corner or safety position. With a big target to defend like Demaryius Thomas, and a slippery one like Eddie Royal, the Broncos will provide the stage for McCourty to reclaim his good name. As a tough tackler and instinctive ball hawk, McCourty fits perfectly into a defense that’s up against an offense as run-oriented as the Broncos.
There will be trick plays
NFL teams often have gimmick plays installed and ready to go every week with a “break glass in emergency” attitude about their implementation. Not the Broncos. This is a team that depends on reverses, half-back passes, and fake kicks almost as much as its patented play-action. So expect some trickery. Just don’t expect the Patriots to be fooled.
There will be no ‘Tebow Time’
This game is not going down to the wire, as is the case for most Broncos games. Turnovers may, or may not, be at fault. It doesn’t matter. The Patriots, led by Tom Brady and a renewed focus on run defense, will make sure this game sewed up by the fourth quarter with a two-touchdown lead.
My divisional playoff picks: Patriots, 49ers, Texans and Giants
Are you shocked already? You should be. I’m going on a limb here, both because of a rookie quarterback, some new faith in Alex Smith and the New York Giants.
Make no mistake about it, this is a weekend in which a lot of faith is necessary. The 49ers will not have an easy go of it against the New Orleans Saints. There’s no team hotter in the NFL right now. What Drew Brees can do with a football makes my eyes light up like a little kid. But the same can be said of the 49ers’ defense. There’s no team like it in the NFL, and also in that sense, there’s no team like the 49ers that changes the offensive strategy of an opponent. Opposing teams literally have to give up their running game. With an eye on defense, and the unbelievable possibility that Alex Smith will surprise, I see the one of three big upsets occurring in the divisional playoffs. Yup, I went there.
Saints at 49ers — See above.
My pick: 49ers
Broncos at Patriots — I happen to think that the Patriots are a better team than the Steelers offensively in every fashion. So much better than the Steelers, and Broncos, that I believe Denver’s defense will find itself on its backside by midway through the second quarter. The onus will be on Tim Tebow to save his team by helping the Broncos put up more than 30 points, something they haven’t done since early December. The Patriots average 32.1 points per game, almost two touchdowns more than the Broncos (19.3). In the last go round, everything came down to turnovers. This time, everything will be much more offensively oriented. At least that’s my prediction. (Depending on how you look at it, that could mean defensively oriented.) The Patriots win that battle.
My pick: Patriots
Texans at Ravens — On the road against a rested and feisty Baltimore Ravens team, I envision the T.J. Yates led Texans beating the Ravens. Not because of the rookie though, but because of its phenomenal defense (amazing effort against the Bengals) and the lack of a passing game that has come to characterize the Ravens’s offense (No. 19 in the NFL) in the final weeks of the season. I don’t believe a weekend away from the gridiron can correct their problems. On the other hand, there’s game film on these two from Week 6, a 29-14 win for the Ravens, when Joe Flacco was still pitching like a top-flight quarterback and Matt Schaub was healthy. The difference now, it seems to me, is that one team is hot and the other is not. Any team that struggles with the Cleveland Browns and falls to the San Diego Chargers isn’t deserving of going forward from this point. But then I also said any team that loses three in a row to end the season is bound for a plane ticket home too.
My pick: Texans
Giants at Packers — It is my humble opinion that when an awesome defense faces an awesome offense, and a very good offense faces a mediocre-to-poor defense, the team with the awesome defense will win. What we saw in wild-card weekend was an awesome defense, fiery and dominant in every respect. The Packers are an amazing team, but even in their 38-35 win over the Giants in Week 13, they allowed an alarming amount of points. Imagine if the Giants can wipe at least one touchdown off the board? Don’t imagine it. It’s going to happen.
My pick: Giants
Last week: 2-2
Regular season: 135-83 (61.9 percent)
Reaction to wild-card weekend, Tebow strikes again
Tim Tebow, the incredible, struck again. This time, against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Why is it every time I feel the odds are stacked against Tim Tebow, particularly when I think there is NO WAY he can overcome them, he goes ahead and wins football games in the most stunning of fashions? Certainly I’m not the only one to feel this way. And I guess that’s what adds to the phenomena behind Timothy Richard Tebow. He simultaneously surprises, enthralls, inspires and enrages football fans. The way he wins, both awkward and unorthodox, late but timely, and marvelously highlight driven, is uncharacteristic in any regard. It’s spawned Tebow Time, and Tebow Magic, something no quarterback has ever done in comparison. It’s historic. It’s humbling. It galvanizes. It’s pure entertainment.
On the first play of overtime, Tebow found Demaryius Thomas over the middle of the field on a play-action pass for an 80-yard touchdown. Heads are still spinning. With Thomas’ quick stiff arm and 55-yard sprint, he left a wake of dropped jaws and speechless Twitter users. (How many times did you see just “Wow” in your Twitter stream?) Not to forget a felled Pittsburgh Steelers team that was destined to go in and challenge the juggernaut in New England. I can’t think of a play even as close to amazing as that one from the entire weekend.
But besides the Broncos shocking the world (there is truly a “world is against them” aura floating over there), there were three other games going on of high interest. Saints-Lions, Texans-Bengals and Giants-Falcons. Just a couple of thoughts on each.
- I swear the Lions would’ve won against the Saints if they could simply catch the gift-wrapped interceptions Drew Brees was floating to their defensive backs. A failure to capitalize on turnovers is just as much as a failure to score points in the playoffs. It was so egregious I was ready to suit up and sub for Aaron Berry (no relation) to get the job done. (C’mon dude, no one would ever know….)
- The Falcons are disappointing. Forget the fact that I picked against them in this game, but at least have the cajones to put some points on the board. Two points? 2? Dos? That’s irresponsible. Outrageous even. You can’t win unless you score some points, plain and simple. Credit to the New York Giants for shutting them down. Matt Ryan is not an elite quarterback.
- How many times was Andy Dalton going to go for the home run, rather than look for a single? Yes, let’s use a mixed sports analogy here in describing the quarterback of the Cincinnati Bengals. Dalton’s three interception were inexcusable in the Bengals’ loss to the Houston Texans. Particularly his fourth quarter bomb to Houston’s Danieal Manning with seven minutes remaining. That’s what sealed the loss. Forget the pass to Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt, which was a freak of athletic nature. But his final two interceptions really were boneheaded picks, something only a rookie would do. On the flip side, I liked T.J. Yates’ game and Arian Foster. I can see the Texans doing well against the Baltimore Ravens. And on that note …
I’m going to follow up with my picks for the divisional playoffs later today. It’ll be the first time I pick for, or against, the Patriots. So there’s that. Check it out.
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