SUPER BOWL RECAP: FROM MANNING TO LEGEND
The seconds couldn't go by any quicker. The always calm Peyton Manning stood there with his arms folded and an eye on the clock. As the Bears raced down the the field in their last attempts to make up the twelve point deficit, Manning was happy to finally just stand there. His mind was on the game, but there was no question some thoughts about his place in history were beginning to creep into his head. As the time went down, perhaps he was envisioning the early days as a child on the field with Archie, Eli, and Cooper. Then his focus would shift down to the disappointment he felt as a quarterback at Tennessee trying to bring his school the national championship. The NFL came next and his countless records. Those were all nice but far from his mind at this point. Instead you could expect the games against New England and Pittsburgh, as well as the terms and phrases "chokes" and "the next Dan Marino: great stats, no ring" bouncing around his head. For this was the last time he would have to field the inevitable question, "Will you ever win a Super Bowl?" All of these memories were replaced by new ones now. For this was a career that, as great as it was, had only just begun. The final seconds ticked away and Peyton pumped his fist in the air knowing a new word would be found next to his name. Legend.
As for Chicago, it was an all around disappointing performance for the NFC champs. In reality they only had two successful plays the whole game. The first being the electrifying kick return by Devin Hester, which just happened to be guaranteed here on Friday. The second was the 52 yard run by Thomas Jones that set up the second touchdown. Take away those two plays and you possibly have one of the worst offensive performances in playoff history. When you consider who is at blame here, there are many areas to focus on. First and foremost is the head coach Lovie Smith who had one of the worst game plans I can remember in Super Bowl history. He was fully aware that if the Bears were going to win they had to run the football, but once they got in a hole and got stuffed at the line of scrimmage a few times, they gave up on Thomas Jones for much of the second half. Also, the way he used Rex Grossman was abysmal. Smith basically determined from the start of the game that he would protect Grossman by not allowing him to throw. As a result of this, Grossman was unable to ever get in a rhythm, and when he was called on late in the game, he was on a whole ineffective.
Speaking of Grossman, just because he was used poorly doesn't mean he gets out of this mess with his hands clean. First of all, he better pay close attention next season when the Bears go over how to take a snap because apparently he never learned this crucial lesson of being a quarterback. Also, I can't even fathom a guess on why he throws some of these passes. He need to start to recognize that when the other team is in front of your receiver, it is not a good idea to throw the ball there.
Finally, the Bears were expected to have one huge advantage in this game. What I speak of was the matchup of their rush defense versus the Colts rush offense. However, the Bears were pushed around all day by the offensive line of Indianapolis and allowed the Colts to have the threat of both the rush and pass.
As the Bears look towards the offseason and eventually next season, a few areas need to be addressed. Most importantly is quarterback. The Bears must decide whether Grossman can improve or if this is the limit for the former Florida Gator. Brian Griese did not do enough to push Grossman this season, so look for Chicago to at the very least bring in another veteran to compete with Rex. Also it is crucial that the Bears lock up free agent Lance Briggs as well as add some depth to the defense. If they can do this, there is no reason why Chicago will not once again contend for the Super Bowl.
With Super Bowl on our mind, its time we shift our focus to this year's winners. Enough has been said about Manning so let's start with running game. Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai, considering what they were facing, but together one of the best rushing performances in recent memory. Rhodes rushed for over 100 yards while averaging more than 5 yards a carry and punching in a score. The versatile Addai not only rushed for around 70 yards but also contributed with ten catches. The early success of the Colts rushing game was enough to open up the offense so that the Bears were forced to respect both the run and pass.
Part of the rushing success was due to the tremendous offensive line play of the Colts. Led by center Jeff Saturday, the big men up front for Indy dominated the Bears defensive line all day long. Not only was the heralded Bears rush defense held in check, but the Colts were able to keep the pressure on Peyton Manning to a minimum. It's hard to recall many instances in which Manning was hurried let alone sacked. Their punishing play up front was the main reason they won the game, and I wouldn't have hesitated to give everyone of them a share of the MVP award.
Like the Bears, Indianapolis is in terrific shape for the upcoming season. Their major free agents are Cato June and Dominic Rhodes, however a loss of either would not have that much of an impact on the Colts. Although the defense played well late, Indianapolis will most likely look to at the very least add some depth to it during free agency and the draft. Regardless of what the Colts do, they are a lock for next year's playoffs and should be the favorites to repeat as champions. We could very well be looking at the beginning of a new dynasty.
That's it for the football coverage this season. It was a lot of fun and a pleasure to write about all the stories going around the NFL. I'll be back in April for a preview of the draft. For now, enjoy the baseball previews that will be leading up to the season.
The seconds couldn't go by any quicker. The always calm Peyton Manning stood there with his arms folded and an eye on the clock. As the Bears raced down the the field in their last attempts to make up the twelve point deficit, Manning was happy to finally just stand there. His mind was on the game, but there was no question some thoughts about his place in history were beginning to creep into his head. As the time went down, perhaps he was envisioning the early days as a child on the field with Archie, Eli, and Cooper. Then his focus would shift down to the disappointment he felt as a quarterback at Tennessee trying to bring his school the national championship. The NFL came next and his countless records. Those were all nice but far from his mind at this point. Instead you could expect the games against New England and Pittsburgh, as well as the terms and phrases "chokes" and "the next Dan Marino: great stats, no ring" bouncing around his head. For this was the last time he would have to field the inevitable question, "Will you ever win a Super Bowl?" All of these memories were replaced by new ones now. For this was a career that, as great as it was, had only just begun. The final seconds ticked away and Peyton pumped his fist in the air knowing a new word would be found next to his name. Legend.As for Chicago, it was an all around disappointing performance for the NFC champs. In reality they only had two successful plays the whole game. The first being the electrifying kick return by Devin Hester, which just happened to be guaranteed here on Friday. The second was the 52 yard run by Thomas Jones that set up the second touchdown. Take away those two plays and you possibly have one of the worst offensive performances in playoff history. When you consider who is at blame here, there are many areas to focus on. First and foremost is the head coach Lovie Smith who had one of the worst game plans I can remember in Super Bowl history. He was fully aware that if the Bears were going to win they had to run the football, but once they got in a hole and got stuffed at the line of scrimmage a few times, they gave up on Thomas Jones for much of the second half. Also, the way he used Rex Grossman was abysmal. Smith basically determined from the start of the game that he would protect Grossman by not allowing him to throw. As a result of this, Grossman was unable to ever get in a rhythm, and when he was called on late in the game, he was on a whole ineffective.
Speaking of Grossman, just because he was used poorly doesn't mean he gets out of this mess with his hands clean. First of all, he better pay close attention next season when the Bears go over how to take a snap because apparently he never learned this crucial lesson of being a quarterback. Also, I can't even fathom a guess on why he throws some of these passes. He need to start to recognize that when the other team is in front of your receiver, it is not a good idea to throw the ball there.
Finally, the Bears were expected to have one huge advantage in this game. What I speak of was the matchup of their rush defense versus the Colts rush offense. However, the Bears were pushed around all day by the offensive line of Indianapolis and allowed the Colts to have the threat of both the rush and pass.
As the Bears look towards the offseason and eventually next season, a few areas need to be addressed. Most importantly is quarterback. The Bears must decide whether Grossman can improve or if this is the limit for the former Florida Gator. Brian Griese did not do enough to push Grossman this season, so look for Chicago to at the very least bring in another veteran to compete with Rex. Also it is crucial that the Bears lock up free agent Lance Briggs as well as add some depth to the defense. If they can do this, there is no reason why Chicago will not once again contend for the Super Bowl.
With Super Bowl on our mind, its time we shift our focus to this year's winners. Enough has been said about Manning so let's start with running game. Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai, considering what they were facing, but together one of the best rushing performances in recent memory. Rhodes rushed for over 100 yards while averaging more than 5 yards a carry and punching in a score. The versatile Addai not only rushed for around 70 yards but also contributed with ten catches. The early success of the Colts rushing game was enough to open up the offense so that the Bears were forced to respect both the run and pass.
Part of the rushing success was due to the tremendous offensive line play of the Colts. Led by center Jeff Saturday, the big men up front for Indy dominated the Bears defensive line all day long. Not only was the heralded Bears rush defense held in check, but the Colts were able to keep the pressure on Peyton Manning to a minimum. It's hard to recall many instances in which Manning was hurried let alone sacked. Their punishing play up front was the main reason they won the game, and I wouldn't have hesitated to give everyone of them a share of the MVP award.
Like the Bears, Indianapolis is in terrific shape for the upcoming season. Their major free agents are Cato June and Dominic Rhodes, however a loss of either would not have that much of an impact on the Colts. Although the defense played well late, Indianapolis will most likely look to at the very least add some depth to it during free agency and the draft. Regardless of what the Colts do, they are a lock for next year's playoffs and should be the favorites to repeat as champions. We could very well be looking at the beginning of a new dynasty.
That's it for the football coverage this season. It was a lot of fun and a pleasure to write about all the stories going around the NFL. I'll be back in April for a preview of the draft. For now, enjoy the baseball previews that will be leading up to the season.
posted by The Answer Man @ 1:31 PM
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