Offense/defense - The AFC game was offensive and the NFC game was defensive. Should make for an interesting bowl game.
Omaha - I thought maybe Manning would eliminate the popular call after last week's excitement of it in social media and despite companies in the city offering up money to Manning's charity each time he used the word, but he fooled me. I lost count of how many times he used the word, but it sort of became a superstition for me and certainly calmed me when I heard him yell it.
Aqib Talib - He shouted obscenities at a reporter when asked to speak? Pfft. When he was here in Tampa that was daily. We're just glad he is out of town.
Broncos - Peyton Manning threw for 400 yards to add to his collection and made sure to keep his offense on the field for as long as he could. Matt Prater kicked four field goals. The receivers jumped and flew through the air to make unbelievable catches with Demaryius Thomas catching seven passes for 134 yards and a touchdown. It was an offensive delight for Denver fans, but their defense did a good job of covering the Patriots and keeping Brady spooked. A good enough game to get the job done and get to the Super Bowl.
Craziness - The Seahawks and 49ers game was just brutal. Hard hits. Fighting. Trash talk. Apparently during the week the exchanges back and forth on social media alerted the officials enough to tell both teams they would put a stop to anything they deemed out of control. Uh, yeah. And what would that have been? Because things on the field were crazy. One of those things looked into this week by the NFL had better be the sideline shenanigans of the 49ers. On a punt return in the second quarter Seahawks cornerback Jeremy Lane was taken out by someone on the 49ers sideline when he was forced out of bounds and attempted to return to the field. When I first saw the play on Fox's replay I thought he had been clotheslined. Now that I've had the opportunity to review it in slow motion I see the staff member stuck out his foot and tripped him. Naughty, naughty. Seriously, though? The NFL has a lot of work this off season to get this game back into some kind of control.
Russell Wilson - He screwed up on the first play of the game, fumbling the ball, and every time I thought he was just off he would come back and make a bad ass play that kept the Seahawks in the game. He needs to talk to his O line this morning and demand better protection in the Super Bowl, but kudos to him in his second year.
Aqib Talib - He shouted obscenities at a reporter when asked to speak? Pfft. When he was here in Tampa that was daily. We're just glad he is out of town.
Broncos - Peyton Manning threw for 400 yards to add to his collection and made sure to keep his offense on the field for as long as he could. Matt Prater kicked four field goals. The receivers jumped and flew through the air to make unbelievable catches with Demaryius Thomas catching seven passes for 134 yards and a touchdown. It was an offensive delight for Denver fans, but their defense did a good job of covering the Patriots and keeping Brady spooked. A good enough game to get the job done and get to the Super Bowl.
Craziness - The Seahawks and 49ers game was just brutal. Hard hits. Fighting. Trash talk. Apparently during the week the exchanges back and forth on social media alerted the officials enough to tell both teams they would put a stop to anything they deemed out of control. Uh, yeah. And what would that have been? Because things on the field were crazy. One of those things looked into this week by the NFL had better be the sideline shenanigans of the 49ers. On a punt return in the second quarter Seahawks cornerback Jeremy Lane was taken out by someone on the 49ers sideline when he was forced out of bounds and attempted to return to the field. When I first saw the play on Fox's replay I thought he had been clotheslined. Now that I've had the opportunity to review it in slow motion I see the staff member stuck out his foot and tripped him. Naughty, naughty. Seriously, though? The NFL has a lot of work this off season to get this game back into some kind of control.
Russell Wilson - He screwed up on the first play of the game, fumbling the ball, and every time I thought he was just off he would come back and make a bad ass play that kept the Seahawks in the game. He needs to talk to his O line this morning and demand better protection in the Super Bowl, but kudos to him in his second year.
Richard Sherman - After his impromptu on the field interview with Fox's Erin Andrews, the NFL might want to rethink that whole players must talk to the media thing. Especially directly after the game while emotions are high and players are asked to comment while still on the field.
Media - And continuing on that very subject...the NFL really needs to address this issue. The media is part of the game, part of the job. Yes, many reporters ask stupid questions. Yes, many times being asked to speak after a loss, or in Sherman's case directly after stopping a huge play in the end zone that wins the game for his team, is not high on a player's list of things to do. But tough. Fans want to see what the players have to say. Fans want to feel a part of the excitement. What needs to happen is the NFL needs to work with these guys on speaking to the media. Teach these guys how to respond. Have them watch the greats like Peyton Manning who lines up on the field for the media, win or lose, and who speaks calmly and eloquently. And when players, or coaches, say things that goes out side the lines, when they do speak off the cuff, make stupid remarks, tough. The media too needs to relax and not make such a huge deal.
Bill Belichick - And I might as well keep on talking...apparently the Patriots coach made comments this morning regarding a hit the Broncos, and former Patriot, receiver Wes Welker made on Patriot defender Aquib Talib that resulted in Talib out of the rest of the game. Belichick led off his conference with this subject without being asked about it. He called the hit "a deliberate play" and "one of the worst plays I have seen." O.K. Look, I know that everyone thinks Bill Belichick is one of the best. Terry Bradshaw considers him THE best. While I agree he is a good coach, I don't consider him one of the best. One of the best to me means being fair, not cheating, and helping others. Belichick does not like being crossed. He has ideas and he has what he expects of others. Apparently Wes Welker, like his former assistant Eric Mangini, crossed a Belichick line by not sticking with the Patriots and taking a pay cut. Belichick needs to stop ruining his legacy with these types of comments. He "deliberately" set the NFL on Welker, and on a hit that didn't look dirty to me.
Tom Brady - And then after all of that nonsense we have some calm in the leader of the New England Patriots. While he is not one of my favorites, he is growing on me. He is usually respectful and classy and yesterday was no different. He was outplayed and he said so.
CBS vs FOX - Such little differences, but...
- When the game is moving along and passes are flying through the air the announcers sound intelligent and have worthwhile things to contribute, but when the game is a defensive, low scoring game even good announcers like Joe Buck and Troy Aikman end up making inane comments and are just plain boring.
- Yes, yes, everyone wants their analysts to remain neutral at the desk and when reporting, but I for one love when these guys are true to their teams. I had no problem with CBS's Shannon Sharpe's enthusiasm for his Denver Broncos, pulling out his helmet at the end of their broadcast. Made for funny television. Didn't cross the line in my book, any more then Michael Strahan's excitement for his New York Giants a couple of years back. These guys played years for teams that they still love. I respect that. I love it myself.
- CBS did a better job of interviews on the field after the game compared to Fox, but I was disappointed that CBS left as early as they did when the game ended. Kudos to Fox for hanging around and giving fans more. I'm sure it had to do with rules and regulations, but I'm sure it left Bronco fans feeling empty.-
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