Tom Terrific and Patriots Crucify Tebow and Broncos

January 14, 2012 by 3 Comments

Tom Brady

It’s Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski’s world.

We just live in it.

There is not much to talk about in this game so I will keep it brief.

Brady and the Patriots came out firing early in this one and by halftime it was already 35-7 in the Patriots favor.

Brady tied a record for touchdown passes in a post-season game with 6.

Tebow and the Broncos looked very sluggish on offense to start. The option play wasn’t looking as good as it did back when Tebow was a Gator.

Brady and the offense poured it on in the first half.

Brady threw for 5 touchdowns, 3 of which were to his top tight-end target, Rob Gronkowski.

Gronkowski has had a stellar year.

In the regular season, Gronkowski set the record for tight ends with 17 receiving touchdowns and also tacked on a rushing touchdown as well.

It is almost too easy when you are 6’6 and 265lbs up against defensive backs maybe half your size.

Mr. Gronkowski

Brady has been here before and he knows how to win in the playoffs. This is why he gets my notch as the best quarterback ever to lace up. Brady has been to the super bowl 4 times, and won three only to lose his last one in 2007 to my boys in blue, the New York Giants.

Brady looked flat out phenomenal in this game and unless he begins to cool down, I don’t see how anyone can beat the Patriots.

I mean, if Jesus Christ (Tebow) himself can’t be up to the task, who else can?

Congrats to the Niners in their divisional win today as well. It was a well deserved win and they showed some great resilience against Brees and the Saints.

John 3:16

Tomorrow will be some great games as well.

The early game at 1:00 has the Texas squaring off against the Ravens in Baltimore.

Rookie quarterback T.J. Yates will likely have some problems against Baltimore’s smash mouth defense. Quarterback Joe Flacco will have to step up as well if the Raven’s want to win this game. There has been a lot of questions whether or not Flacco has what it takes to win.

He can prove it tomorrow.

At 4:30 the Giants face off against the Packers at Lambeau for a rematch of the 2007 NFC Championship game.

Eli Hoisting the Main Prize

The Giants have ton of momentum and are very dangerous in the playoffs when they are firing on all cylinders.

Their defense will have to step up and stop Aaron Rodgers from walking all over their secondary. It comes down to the defensive line. When they play good, the rest of the defense follows suit.

Expect Eli to show up as usual, and if Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw can run the football like they did last week, the Giants have a good shot to win this game.

 

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Niners Hang on at Home, Defeat Saints 36-32

January 14, 2012 by 3 Comments

Alex Smith Leading The Way

This was my #1 rated game heading into the weekend and it did not disappoint. Throughout the game there was an awesome display of defense, offense, and special teams.

In short, this game had everything.

Alex Smith leads the Niners down the field with under 2 minutes left in the game to seal the Saints fate and end their season.

Who would of thought that Alex Smith would lead the drive to put the Niners in the NFC Championship game?

I’ll admit it, not me.

Alex Smith threw for 299 yards, 3 touchdowns and NO INT’s

Vernon Davis was explosive  with 7 catches, 180 yards, and 2 touchdowns. Davis exploited one on one coverage all day and made the Saints pay big time.

The Niners have done it all year with a great defense, great special teams, and a balanced offensive attack.

That formula guided them to success against the Saints today.

The Niners forced 5 Turnovers

Teams that have a +4 Turnover Margin are 72-1 in the Playoffs (today’s game included).

However, the Saints did not go down quietly, Drew Brees connected with Jimmy Graham to put the Saints on top 32-29 with under 2 minutes left in the game.

Brees threw for 458 yards 4 touchdowns with 2 INT.

Despite Brees’ big numbers, his two interceptions gave away key opportunities to wear down the Niners defense and put pressure on the Niners offense.

Also, the Saints Special Teams really let them down today with 2 key turnovers that kept momentum on the Niners side, while Brees stayed on the sideline.

Brees was under pressure all day, mainly from Defensive End Justin Smith.

Smith was almost un-blockable and had a huge impact on the defense with key sacks and pressures on Brees.

This was an EPIC game and probably one of if the best Divisional games i have ever watched.The Saints played admirably but in the end, the turnovers cost them.

The fact the Saints were even in the game with 5 Turnovers is a true credit to their defense. I can give you all the numbers from this game, but there are two key components to the game that the Niners outplayed the Saints in.

Turnovers and Big Plays.

It is no coincidence the Niners are moving on, they took the ball away and made great plays when needed. That is what wins in the playoffs, takeaways and big plays.

The Niners played better in both aspects of the game.

I don’t think there is any question that Jim Harbaugh is the NFL Coach Of the Year and Alex Smith is the Comeback Player Of The Year.

Smith and Harbaugh Have Worked Great Together

 

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Schottenheimer Out: Turmoil in Jets Locker Room Continues

January 11, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Brian Schottenheimer

Well Jets fans, our prayers have been answered.

At 11pm on January 10th, Brian Schottenheimer informed the Jets he would not return for the 2012 campaign.

When I heard of this news, I literally hugged a fellow Jet fan and thanked God Schotty was not coming back.

Where do the Jets go from here?

The new offensive coordinator is former Dolphins Head Coach, Tony Sparano. I like the move, Sparano brings energy and discipline to a team that badly needs it from the offensive side of the ball. Also, it never hurts taking a divisional rival’s head coach, so I like the thinking from Rex’s point of view.

Offensive Line and Assistant Head Coach Bill Callahan is not returning, he has accepted an offer from the Cowboys as the Offensive Line Coach.

Wide Receivers Coach Henry Ellard is also out.

So on the offensive side of the coaching staff we have two vacant positions.

League sources say Todd Haley is interviewing for both of the vacant positions.

I can also see the Jets landing Todd Haley as a Wide Receivers coach/Assistant Head Coach. Haley, also an offensive mind can help improve the Jets 25th ranked offense.

Haley, however, is the complete opposite of Rex, he is a strict disciplinarian and it can be hard to mesh these personalities. In addition, do you think players such as Santonio Holmes will respect the new coaching changes?

I hope so.

In my opinion this could be the most important season in the franchise’s history. I have never seen a team in such turmoil, everyday someone else comes out with an opinion on either Rex or Sanchez. I am not saying they do not deserve to be criticized, but when it comes from within, it is a MUCH different criticism.

If you’re going to say something, PUT YOUR NAME OUT WITH YOUR STATEMENT.

I am disgusted as a fan to see these reports of “anonymous” players calling out Sanchez and the Jet Organization. The only player that had the courage to actually say something and put his name out was 3rd-String quarterback Greg McElroy.

All of this back-talking only makes the Jet locker room look even worse than what people thought. Now I understand why this team failed, a lack of character. Things always go wrong in Football, it is how you respond that makes you better and shows a true medal of the team.

With the addition of Sparano and hopefully Haley, it will bring respectability to the Jets offensive coaching staff and a fresh start for the Jets Offense. Both coaches bring discipline and character to a team that desperately needs it.

 

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Wild-Card Recap: Divisional Preview

January 10, 2012 by 3 Comments

Wild Card weekend has come and gone but will not be forgotten anytime soon.

There were many good match ups this past weekend and they did not disappoint.

Big Ol' Brandon Jacbos

Giants Pound Falcons 24-2 – This game was a combination of bad play from Atlanta and flawless execution from the Giants. Eli Manning led the way with 277 yards passing and 3 touchdowns. Besides an intentional grounding penalty in the end zone, Eli played flawless. Another important note for this win was the re-emergence of the Giants running game.

Jacobs and Bradshaw combined for 172 yards on the ground. If the Giants can sustain a run game, look for this team to make a Super Bowl run.

Last but not least, the Defense showed up to play. Atlanta has one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL and the Giants completely shut down the pass and run. The Defense was also stout in 3rd/4th and short plays. Atlanta went for twice on 4th and inches and were denied both times, tipping momentum and the game in their favor.

As for Atlanta, another year without a playoff win. Matt Ryan was ineffective and the defense was soft. This marks the 3rd straight year the Falcons have been one and done in the playoffs under the Mike Smith/Matt Ryan era.

Matty “Ice” has not lived up to his nickname in the playoffs and questions will only get tougher to answer the longer Ryan does not win in the playoffs.

Saints Muzzle Roar, Defeat Lions 45-28 – After falling behind early, the Saints showed their championship pedigree and experience and completely outplayed the Lions. Drew Brees was outstanding throwing for 466 yards and three touchdowns. The Saints displayed their offensive greatness by setting playoff records for total yards(626) and first downs (34).

The Saints offense has just been amazing this season and just looks unstoppable. This team is just unbeatable at home going undefeated so far this season (including playoffs).

Make no mistake about it, the Saints completely outmatched Detroit.

However, the Lions are coming. The Lions just happen to have run into the worst possible match up for their team.  Stafford is the real deal, Calvin Johnson is a beast, and the defense will get better with time. 4 seasons ago this was an 0-16 team, since than this team has made significant progress and have only gotten better.

Trust me, the Lions will be good for a long time and the future looks bright.

Houston Outplays Cincy, Defeats Bengals 31-10 - Congratulations to Houston for their first playoff win in team history. The Texans won their first division title and playoff game and played like a team that has been there before. What made this so impressive is the journey this team has taken this season and winning the style in which they won this playoff game.

If you told me the Texans would lose Matt Schuab, Mario Williams for the season and not have Andre Johnson consistently this season , I would have thought you were crazy.

Arian Foster torched the Bengals defense with 24 carries for 153 yards and a pair of touchdowns.  Clearly Arian Foster is the MVP for this team. Ben Tate’s emergence gives the Texans an excellent two-headed monster in the backfield.

Another impressive point, the Texans defense was dominant with forcing turnovers and holding the Bengals to only 10 points.

These are not the same old Texans, with no defense and just a prolific passing game, this team runs the ball extremely well and has a dominant defense.

And to think, the Texans had one of the worst pass defenses in NFL HISTORY.

Wade Phillips is the best off season acquisition of the year.

The Bengals had an impressive year going 9-7 and making it to the playoffs.

Nothing was expected of this team pre-season.

However, they have found their quarterback of the future in Andy Dalton and their go-to guy in A.J Green. With two first round picks in this upcoming draft, look for the Bengals to improve and become a force in the AFC North.

Tebow Throws For 316 Yards

Mile High Victory, Broncos Defeat Steelers 29-23 – The first postseason playoff game in history under the new overtime rules did not come into effect.

Why?

Tim Tebow on the first play from scrimmage in overtime, threw an 80 yard touchdown pass to Demaryious Thomas to seal Pittsburghs fate.

This was by far the most exciting game of the weekend.

Besides Ike Taylor getting completely owned by Thomas to end the game, The Steelers just looked old and confused. Poor tackling and man coverage along with an unhealthy Big Ben  and Pouncey also led to the Steelers demise.

Tebow threw for 316 yards (John 3:16 reference) and 3 touchdowns against the #1 RANKED DEFENSE.

I’m sorry Tebow Hater Nation, but now I am a believer.

The Defense stepped up also. They shut the door on Big Ben twice in the final minutes when the game was tied, so i give the Broncos defense an enormous amount of credit in this win.

Big Ben was sacked 5 times and threw an INT. This is not the Big Ben we are used to seeing in the playoffs.

Of course the Steelers would forget how to tackle and have important players out (Ryan Clark, Pouncey) against the Broncos.

Tim Tebow has GOD on his side

Despite my sarcasm, it is remarkable how Tebow has turned around this 1-4 team under Kyle Orton into one of the most talked about and inspiring teams of the year.

Matchup Ratings for Divisional Games:

1.) Saints At 49ers, 5 Stars - Great offense meets great defense. Old school versus new school football, this will be a great game in my opinion.

Can the Saints stop the run?

Can the 49ers contain Drew Brees?

Which philosophy will dictate the game and eventually win?

So many questions and such an intriguing match up, I “can’t wait” (Bart Scott reference)  for this match up, it should be a great one.

2.) Giants At Green Bay, 5 stars – Both teams have suspect defenses and great quarterback play.

Which quarterback will have the better game?

Both Eli and Aaron have had historic seasons and in my opinion, which ever quarterback has the better game will win it in the end.

This match up gave us one of the great games of the regular season with the Packers staying perfect and edging the Giants 38-35 (the same score they lost to the Patriots to when they went on to win the Super Bowl).

So will history repeat itself for the Giants? or will Aaron Rodgers continue his dominance this season and lead the Pack to the NFC Championship game.

We’ll wait and see..

3.) Broncos At Patriots, 4 1/2 Stars - Literally 30 minutes after the Broncos win, the Patriots released an AP report stating that Josh McDanniels will be on the sideline for the Patriots as an offensive consultant.

Classic Belichek, congrats on your playoff win Denver, now i will hire your former head coach from last season that drafted both Tim Tebow and Damaryious Thomas.

Perfectly done, Mr. Belichek

It just seems that Patriots always have an edge and in this match up they are clearly the team with the edge.

Despite Tebow’s dramatics, Tom Brady is too good and rarely loses at home in the playoffs.

The biggest factor in this game will be if the Broncos can control the clock and keep Brady off the field.

Something that is very possible, the Patriots have one of the worst defense in the league. However, with the signing of McDaniels, the Patriots have gained an inside advantage on the Broncos most important offensive weapons, Tebow and Thomas.

The Road To The Superbowl

4.) Texans At Baltimore, 4 Stars – I love defensive struggles so this might be a high ranking depending on the style of football you enjoy.

The Ravens seem to have a clear advantage across the board on paper.

The Ravens are more experienced, have home field advantage, and are healthy.

I feel that the Texans have been a great story, but their end could be near.

Both defenses are stacked and are the clear strengths of both teams. Also both teams present excellent running back play (Rice from Baltimore, Foster from Houston).

Which quarterback makes the mistake to cost their team the game?

The pressure is all on Baltimore, with Pittsburgh out, this could be their best chance to finally obtain a Super Bowl birth.

On the other hand, Houston is playing with house money, they do not have their quarterback and best defensive player. However, they have played inspired football and i could see this backfiring on Baltimore with the pressures of finally being home in the playoffs.

Can Flacco perform at home and not lose it for his team? or Will Arian Foster carry Houston to an upset?

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Wayne and Mathis’ future with Colts in Jeopardy

December 11, 2011 by 1 Comment

Reggie Wayne grabs a Touchdown with one hand

All that Indianapolis Colt fans are hearing about are rumors of what will happen with the Peyton Manning/Andrew Luck dilemma. This is 100% the most important decision for the Colts in the offseason, but we are forgetting about the other superstars that will become free agents.

Although they may seem irrelevant because of the Colts  0-12 record this season, WR Reggie Wayne and DE Robert Mathis are a huge part of Peyton Mannings’ success.

Pro Bowler Reggie Wayne has been one of the most consistently electric wide receivers in the NFL for the last 8 seasons. Since 2004, he has surpassed 1,000 yards receiving every season, and has a total of 60 TD catches. He plays a very significant role in the Colts dynamic offense and his free agency situation should not be taken lightly.

After Marvin Harrison retired, Reggie Wayne became Mannings “go to guy” and their success (along with Bob Sanders amazing playoff performance) won them a Super bowl.

Reggie Wayne becomes a free agent after this season, and there is a chance that the Colts will not give him the money he deserves. If the Colts end up taking Andrew Luck and also keeping Peyton Manning they will be spending ALOT of money already.

Same goes for Defensive End Robert Mathis.

Another Pro Bowl caliber player that the Colts NEED to pay. I honestly feel that he is more valuable than Reggie Wayne as of now. Mathis and Dwight Freeney are the ENTIRE colts defense and without them the Colts may go win-less WITH Peyton Manning (Not really, but you know what I mean).

Robert Mathis

Since 2004, Robert Mathis has a combined 80 sacks. He has 4 seasons with more than 1o sacks and 37 career forced fumbles.

These stats are a main factor of the colts success in this decade, and they will need to atleast sign one of these guys. I would prefer Robert Mathis simply because Manning has proved that he can make any receiver into a play maker. No Disrespect to Reggie Wayne but Mathis is more valuable.

The decision on signing Mathis OR Wayne also depends on what quarterback the colts decide on having. If they decide to take Andrew Luck and drop Manning, Reggie Wayne would be more valuable. If they decide to start Manning for the next couple of years, Robert Mathis would be of more value.

All of these questions will be answered during the offseason, but as a Colt fan it is hard not to think of our future right now.

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My Opinion on Tim Tebow

December 7, 2011 by 1 Comment

Tim Tebow, the man, the awkward throwing motion, the legend. 

I want to start this off by saying I am NOT a Tebow fanatic, however I respect what he is doing for the Denver Broncos. 

 When I think of great quarterbacks, I think Tom Brady and Peyton Manning (Aaron Rodgers/Drew Brees are working their way up my list) but the fact is not every team in the NFL has the luxury of having these Hall of Fame caliber quarterbacks.

Unless you have been living under a rock you have probably heard that Tebow is 6-1 as a starter this season for the Broncos and has them in position for a division title and a playoff berth.

Looking at his statistics, they are not terrible, in his 7 starts, Tebow has thrown 10 touchdowns to ONE interception, but with a completion percentage of 48.5%, He also has 468 rushing yards with a 5.7 Yards per carry and 3 Touchdowns with 6 fumbles (2 were lost). 

 So overall Tebow has 13 Touchdowns to 3 Turnovers, the numbers indicate he is a game manager, very inaccurate, he doesn’t turn the ball over and does not cost his team games, yet his completion percentage is terrible which is expected from a young quarterback coming from the spread in college.

 However, you put on the game film of this kid in the 4thquarter it is unreal. As a loyal jet fan I watched my vaunted defense get “Tebowed” after the Jets defense dominated throughout the game, Tebow takes his team of Willis Mcgahee and practice squad players for 95 yards for the go ahead score, crushing my ego, but with defeat comes respect. However, what Tim Tebow is doing right now is crushing any barrier of what a quarterback SHOULD BE.

 As NFL fans we want our Quarterbacks to be dominate in the passing game and have perfect mechanics (Aaron Rodgers 2011 season, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady’s careers) but in reality, not every quarterback can be like that, but as fans the one thing we should want is our Quarterback to win and be clutch in key moments of games, as of now Tebow has done that.

Now, what I have trouble with in regards to Tebow is the fact that nobody seems to be giving credit to the Denver Defense or Willis McGahee (solid signing?). Tebow has given the NFL fans great moments this season, but Willis McGahee along with the Denver Defense have been playing flat out awesome and have been just as important to Denver’s resurgence as Tim Tebow’s play.

 Here is a debate I heard and I thought was very interesting and true, Mark Sanchez, Quarterback for the New York Jets has been under intense scrutiny about his play, now there are stats to prove that, five of his turnovers have resulted in defensive touchdowns (most in the NFL),on the other hand his 11 come from behind victories are most in the NFL over the past two years, and he has led his team in his first two years to AFC championship games (all on the road).  

 His play at times can be flat out disgusting and brutal to watch as the same can be said for Tebow, yet both of these quarterbacks find ways to win in clutch moments when their team needs them most. Sanchez also has done it in the playoffs, which remains to be seen with Tebow.

Yet with Sanchez, all I hear is that the Jets defense is stout and the defense is the reason why the Jets have been successful, which is true, I am not disputing that, but I am disputing that Sanchez has done nothing to help the Jets win down the stretch in the season and in the playoffs.

Denver’s Defense has been just as important to Tebow’s success as the Jets defense has been to Sanchez’s success in fact, in Tebow’s wins Denver’s Defense has allowed 348.6 YPG and 17.3 PPG, with 8 Turnovers and 19 sacks. So is it fair to give Tebow all this praise when in his wins, his defense is clearly doing their part, than give Sanchez no credit when he wins and his defense does their part?  We have to be consistent in our criticism with Quarterbacks, if you’re going to give credit to Tebow, you gotta give credit to Sanchez.

I’m not saying they are the best Quarterbacks in the NFL, both have a long way to go to become elite Quarterbacks, but each of their play should be criticized fairly.

In the end, everyone has their own opinion, I am enjoying this Tebow mania, it is different and something I have never seen before and this only makes the NFL better which seems almost impossible, but that is why we watch and critique.

Enjoy the NFL games, it could always be worse. You could be John Elway right now deciding whether to keep or cut Tebow at the end of the year.

 Imagine this, Denver wins division, makes playoffs, loses in first round, Denver cuts tebow, drafts a Quarterback in the first round and goes 4-12 in the 2012 campaign meanwhile, Tebow rejuvenates a dormant fan base and  thrives for his hometown team. The Jacksonville Jaguars.  Good luck John.

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