Our Long National Nightmare is Over! Football Has Returned!

He's baaaack (Google Images)

After weeks of Deflategate hearings, talks of settlements, rumors of Tom Brady and his wife divorcing and a ruling that commissioner Roger Goodell overstepped his bounds, fans across the country were no doubt glad that September 10th had finally arrived. Now we can finally analyze an actually NFL game, a game that will count towards the standings and help determine who plays in Super Bowl L. (That's 50 for those of us who didn't learn Roman Numerals in school).

 The regular season kicked off with the Pittsburgh Steelers visiting none other than Brady and the New England Patriots. The matchup, which turned out to be a 28-21 Patriots victory, proved to be an exciting way to welcome football back into our lives for the next few months.

Before kickoff, the Pats unveiled their latest Super Bowl victory banner and the crowd was treated to team owner Robert Kraft and former players Troy Brown, Willie McGinest and Ty Law carrying out the team's four Lombardi Trophies. The crowd also chanted "Where is Roger?" late in the fourth quarter, a clear jab at Goodell who was absent from the game because he wanted the focus to be on the game and not the league's appeal of Judge Robert Berman's Deflategate ruling.

But because it was a game against the Patriots, in Foxborough, the game was not without it's controversy.

The Steelers reported that during the game, their headsets picked up communications from Pats coach Bill Belichick and his staff on the opposite sideline, making it impossible for Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin to communicate with his staff.  Tomlin told reporters after the game that issues like this are "always the case" at Gillette Stadium. However, NFL spokesperson Michael Signora stated that the interference was "entirely attributable to an electrical issue made worse by the inclement weather. It involved no manipulation by any individual. The Patriots had nothing to do with it."

This incident clearly didn't help New England put Deflategate behind them, which was obviously the plan from the first snap. But Brady and Rob Gronkowski did an excellent job of distracting from their quarterback's recent legal issues.

Gronk was the target for three of Brady's four touchdown passes, helping Tommy Boy set a franchise record with 19 consecutive completions in his 23rd game with at least four touchdown passes. This put Brady third on the all-time list, tying him with former quarterback and current denim salesman Brett Favre. Gronkowski also recovered a Steelers fumble at the Pittsburgh 1 yard line, which set up his third score.



Gronk reminded us Thursday why he's one of the best
tight ends in the league (Google Images)

The Steelers did try to keep the Patriots honest though (impossible as that can be at times), falling to New England by only a touchdown.

Roethlisberger went 26/38 for a total of 351 yards. Not horrible numbers considering the Steelers offense playing without running back Le'veon Bell and wideout Martavis Bryant. Both players were suspended for violating the league's substance abuse policy, Bell will sit out for two contests while Bryant was benched for four.

Running back DeAngelo Williams and receivers Antonio Brown and Heath Miller did yeoman's work filling in for these two star Steelers. Williams rushed for 127 yards on 21 carries. Brown and Miller combined for 17 receptions for 217 total yards While only Brown broke into the end zone, these three players put up some pretty stout numbers subbing for two of the best in the league.

But wait! There's more! This was just the first game in a week of football that saw some upsets, some underdogs rising to the occasion, and some flat out boneheaded plays that proved costly (cough... Big Blue... cough). In a demoralizing, one-point loss to the Cowboys Sunday night, the Giants led the majority of the way. Then came the two-minute warning.

With a three point lead, Eli Manning and the Giants offense took the field with every intention of running out the clock and handing their division rivals their first loss of the year. But with 90 seconds left in the game, Dallas with no more time outs and the Giants at the Cowboys 2, Eli Manning throws a bomb behind the end zone rather than taking a sack to keep the clock running. This left Tony Romo with over a minute to come back and score. We might make jokes about how often he gets intercepted, but there's no doubt Romo is also one of the most clutch play callers in the league. Handing him the ball with 1:30 left and a three point lead was the dumbest thing New York could have done. Because that was all the 'Boys needed to beat Big Blue 27-26.

Makes you wonder if the ink has dried yet on Manning's new four-year extension or if John Mara and the Giants can get their $84 million back.

New York's other team had a very nice afternoon. The Jets beat up on Cleveland Browns 31-10. The day started bad for the Browns, with QB Josh McCown getting knocked out early with a concussion after running the ball for a touchdown. With :140 left in the first quarter, McCown ran it himself after not finding any open receivers. He leapt into the end zone and took a couple wicked hits that spun him in mid-air and landed him on his knees. To add insult to injury (literally), McCown lost the ball and the Jets' Antonio Cromartie recovered it for a touchback.

McCown's misfortune meant that "Johnny Football" was able to make a triumphant return to the gridiron. Manzel worked the Browns offense down the field in his first series of the regular season and completed a pass to Travis Benjamin to put Cleland up 7-0.



This helmet-to-helmet shot sent Josh McCown (13) spinning in mid-air
at the Jets' goal line (Google Images)

Much has been made about how Ryan Fitzpatrick would perform in place of Geno Smith and, aside from throwing a pick early in the second quarter (that was stripped seconds by New York's Brandon Marshall), Fitz was connecting with receivers and moved his offense down the field very well. It also helped that in the second half, Manzel began to fumble the ball and throw to a few guys who weren't wearing those atrocious orange and brown uniforms. While it seemed weeks ago that the Jets' season might have ended before it started, "Gang Green" might just be able to win some games after all with the underrated Fitzpatrick at the helm.

Manzel has had very little starting time since he arrive in the NFL one year ago. But two college players who will have to carry their teams this year are Jameis Winston (2013 Heisman winner) and Marcus Mariota (2014 Heisman winner). The respective first and second picks of this year's draft, Winston and Mariota met this past Sunday in Tampa Bay as Winston's Buccaneers took on Mariota's Tennessee Titans.

Mariota looked great in his first outing, not missing a step in his trip from Oregon to Tennessee. He completed 13 of his 16 passes and scored four touchdowns en route to a 42-14 massacre of the Bucs. A franchise that has been struggling to sell tickets the last few years, Winston was to be the savior of the team. However, his first NFL pass was an interception that was returned for a touchdown. The only other player to do that was Favre in his first year with the Atlanta Falcons. So while Winston is in good company in that category, he has a ways to before he is the championship contender he was as a Seminole. He went 16 for 33 and scored two touchdowns, but he was also picked off twice and sacked four times. Looks like it's going to be another bumpy ride in Tampa Bay, a team that hasn't won at home in over 600 days.

These were some of the bigger games from this first wonderful week of football. Here's how the rest of the league did.

- The Saints went marching out of Arizona disheartened after a 31-19 loss.

- Peyton Manning skated by after a so-so performance at home against the Ravens. They go into this Thursday's game against the Chiefs at Arrowhead on the heels of a 19-13 win over the Ravens.

- Speaking of the Chiefs, Kansas City took advantage of Houston's quarterback trouble, running all over Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett. They might still be looking for a touchdown from a wide receiver, but Kansas City remains undefeated after their 27-20 win over J.J. Watt and the Texans.

- The Falcons clipped the Eagles wings in Atlanta, winning 26-24.



Travis Kelce had two touchdowns in the Chiefs victory in Houston
(Google Images)

- The San Francisco 49ers struck gold against the Vikings, beating Adrian Peterson in his return to the NFL scene 20-3.

- Aaron Rogers and the Packers beat their rivals the Chicago Bears, mostly because Jay Cutler is not Aarons Rogers. He's barely an NFL quarterback period. Head coach John Fox lost in his regular season debut with Daaa Bears, falling to Green Bay 31-23.

- Nick Foles and the Rams beat the Seahawks, raising questions if Seattle can make it back to the Super Bowl for the third straight year.

- The Panthers beat the Jaguars 20-9, meaning Blake Bortles breakthrough season under center for the Jags is off to a rough start.

- Kirk Cousins led the Redskins offense very well and the team relied heavily on running back Alfred Morris after star receiver Desean Jackson left the game early. But it wasn't enough to beat Ryan Tannehill and the Dolphins as Miami won by a score, 17-10.

- In a stunner, the Buffalo Bills beat Andrew Luck and the Colts 27-14. In his first season with the team, Rex Ryan proved that the Bills still know how to circle the wagons.

- Philip Rivers and the Chargers shocked the Lions 33-28.

- After re-signing AJ Greene, the Bengals thumped the Raiders 33-13. It's obvious why the Oakland Coliseum is known as "The Black Hole," they bring in players like Justin Tuck and Amari Cooper and their talent gets sucked away into the emptiness of the Raiders' home field.

This Thursday night, Peyton Manning and the Broncos will visit Alex Smith and the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in what should be an incredible matchup to kick off Week 2 of the NFL season. Kansas City won their four preseason games and beat the Texans Sunday, but they haven't beaten Denver in four years. See if they can finally topple Manning Thursday at 8:25 pm on CBS.

Jaw and Order: J.E.T.S

Geno Smith won't be throwing passes for a while (Google Images)

In the New York Jets locker room, the team consists of two separate, yet equally hostile groups. The offense, led by a quarterback in debt, and the defense, led by one linebacker out to settle the score. This is their story.

 

Just when Jets fans thought their team couldn't get any more dysfunctional, something comes in out of left field and proves that things can always get stranger for Gang Green.

 

About a month ago, on July 14, defensive end Sheldon Richardson was arrested in St. Charles County, Missouri. He was driving his Bentley at speeds in excess of 140 mph with two other men and a 12-year-old boy in the car, all of whom smelled like marijuana. A loaded handgun was also found under the driver's seat.

 

Clearly these are very serious charges, but because Richardson is an NFL player and not a brain surgeon, the chase was not without a somewhat comical conclusion.

 

Richardson pulled off the highway onto a residential street in an attempt to evade his pursuers. He pulled in a driveway and turned off his car thinking he'd lost the cops. Unfortunately, he forgot one basic part of drivers ed class. Whether the car is running or not, if your foot is on the brake, the brake lights still light up. Richardson left his foot on the brake, giving police a bright red path right to him.

There was not enough evidence to charge him with drug possession or child endangerment and guns are legal in Missouri, so Richardson was not formally charged with a crime. But the team has suspended him for the first four games of the season.

 

That all sounds pretty crazy, right? How could the Jets preseason possibly get any more interesting than including a real life version of Grand Theft Auto: Missouri Mayhem?

 



Fear the beard: Ryan Fitzpatrick will be the starting QB for the Jets
(Google Images)

Well, I'll tell you how.

 

On Tuesday morning, quarterback Geno Smith and defensive linebacker Ikemefuna "IK" Enemkpali got into a heated argument in the Jets locker room. The debate was over money that Smith owed Enemkpali, not anything related to football. While it is unclear what was said and what exactly happened overall, the end result was Smith taking a punch to the mouth that broke his jaw in two places. He will be out six to ten weeks due to surgery and Enemkpali has already been released by the team. He has since been picked up by the Buffalo Bills.

 

This means that Ryan Fitzpatrick will more than likely become the starting quarterback of the Jets this year. After bouncing around from the Rams, to the Bengals, to the Bills, to the Titans, to the Texans, the journeyman play caller has proven to be a solid choice who can win some games for the Jets. The same can not be said about Smith and many fans might be thinking that this could be a blessing in disguise, despite the fact that nobody wanted to see what happened happen. Had Smith not been injured, it would have been interesting to see if he could've improved after a 2014 season that could only be described as disastrous.

 

Sources have said that the dispute began when Enemkpali tried to collect a $600 debt form Smith. The linebacker lent Smith the money to purchase a plane ticket to attend a football camp in July. But unfortunately, a friend of Smith's was killed in a motorcycle accident around that same time, so he never attended the camp. ESPN football analyst and former safety for the Steelers, the Redskins and the Giants, Ryan Clark gave the New York Post a synopsis of what happened after the fact.

"These guys were in  each other's face," he told "Mike and Mike" on ESPN radio. "Geno put his fingers in the guy's face and told the guy, 'Well, you're not going to do anything about it.'"

“It became about the fact that Geno wasn’t necessarily apologetic and being in a way remorseful about the money when saying he was going to pay IK back and he didn’t. He was rather smug about it.” Clark also said that this isn't the first time Enemkpali has gotten worked up about not getting paid back in a timely manner. “This guy is really tight about money, he really is,” Clark said. “He couldn’t [move on]."

Clark said he's spoken to Enemkpali since the fight and said he was “extremely apologetic.”

Jets head coach, Todd Bowles (Google Images)

This has also been an interesting start to Todd Bowles first season as the Jets head coach. Bowles headed east at the end of last season after serving two years as the Arizona Cardinals' defensive coordinator. He told members of the media Tuesday morning that the fight was over "some high school stuff that some six year olds could have handled better than they handled it." He also said that the team wouldn't tolerate this kind of behavior.

As a side note, remember Sheldon Richardson? I guess that stuff he did is all within the rules as far as the Jets are concerned. Not that punching a teammate is good, but when you compare his four game suspension to Enemkpali getting cut, Richardson's punishment doesn't fit the crime.

When asked if Smith's spot was in danger and if they would consider putting him back in when he's back to health,  Bowles' response was to the point. Don't rock the boat.

"If the other guy's playing well, and the boat's going right, and there are no waves, and everything's going, and we're 4, 5, 6, 7-0? Yeah, you're not coming back to start." Which means that the Jets hopes for a winning season rest on having the Amish Rifle under center for most likely the entire season.

"Geno has put a lot of work in this offseason," Fitzpatrick said of Smith's injury Tuesday after his coach spoke. "There's been a ton of improvement with him. I think it was just an unfortunate situation. There was a lot of disappointment on that end of it for him." While this is not the way he wanted to win the starting job, by any means, Fitzpatrick and his epic facial hair are up to the challenge. He feels he still has a lot left in him and that he can help his team win

"That's why I still play," he replied. "If I didn't want to be here and if I didn't love this game and if I didn't have confidence in myself then I wouldn't be standing here in front of you guys. I would be on vacation with my five kids, sailing off into the sunset with a career that nobody probably thought I would've had. But for me I'm not satisfied with what I've done."

The Jets aren't satisfied with what they've done lately either. While this episode of Jaw and Order resulted in some rather harsh justice and the end of Geno Smith's season, Fitzpatrick and the New York Jets are both very hungry and that might be just what the fans of Gang Green need to get back to the post season.

Holy Schnikes! Tommy Boy Suspended Four Games

Tom Brady has been benched for the first four games of the 2015 NFL season
(Google Images)

The NFL has dropped the hammer on the New England Patriots. Hard.

After the Wells Report came out last week, stating that Tom Brady more than likely had a knowledge that he was playing with underinflated balls during last season's blowout of the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship Game, the NFL decided to suspend the defending Super Bowl winning quarterback for the first four games of this upcoming season.

For those who don't know, the Wells report is the 243-page report compiled by Ted Wells, the attorney appointed by the NFL to investigate Deflate-Gate. It's the story of a man named Brady who was passing with some underinflated balls. Wells then began investigating and he knew that it was much more than a hunch that Brady had knowledge of this rules violation, despite the fact that he vehemently denied knowledge of any wrongdoing. He only passes the ball and has no other contact with them or any input as to how they are prepped. As a side note, if you haven't seen the SNL parody of Brady's infamous press conference, it's an absolutely brilliant representation of how Brady really sounded during his actual presser. It's even better if you're a Jack Nicolson fan.

Wells states that, "for the reasons described in this Report, and after a comprehensive investigation, we have concluded that, in connection with the AFC Championship Game, it is more probable than not that New England Patriots personnel participated in violations of the Playing Rules and were involved in a deliberate effort to circumvent the rules," the report says. "In particular, we have concluded that it is more probable than not that Jim McNally [the Officials Locker Room attendant for the Patriots] and John Jastremski [an equipment assistant for the Patriots] participated in a deliberate effort to release air from Patriots game balls after the balls were examined by the referee. Based on the evidence, it also is our view that it is more probable than not that Tom Brady [the quarterback for the Patriots] was at least generally aware of the inappropriate activities of McNally and Jastremski involving the release of air from Patriots game balls."




This is just one of the many Internet spoofs about Deflate Gate
following the Pats Super Bowl win (Google Images)

The Wells Report also states that there is evidence that McNally took game balls into a bathroom at Gillette Stadium and remained inside for approximately a minute and a half, which is "an amount of time sufficient to deflate thirteen footballs using a needle." Referee Walt Anderson was also unable to locate the previously approved footballs at the start of the game. In 19 years as a league official, that was the first time this had happened to Anderson.

McNally and Jastremski have been suspended indefinitely, the team was fined $1 million and they lost it's first-round selection in next year's draft and it's fourth-round pick in the 2017 draft. But the league put themselves in a box and had to do something about Brady as well. As experts and pundits have said since Deflate Gate began last year, playing with footballs that are under-inflated by a pound or two of air is not a big deal.

Yes, it's against the rules, but it's not the same as a helmet to helmet tackle or, say beating your wife in an elevator at a casino. But the league had to do something so they decided to suspend Brady for the first four games of the season. I agree they had to penalize him somehow, but this is a little much, especially since Ray Rice was initially suspended two games for beating his fiancé before being cut from the Ravens. So we're all supposed to believe that letting some air out of a few footballs and hurting the "integrity of the game" is a bigger deal than knocking a woman unconscious. Good call Roger Goodell. It looks like this is another instance where you "didn't get it right" when punishing a player. There isn't a whole lot of integrity to defend when you're this inconsistent.

I feel this called for maybe a two game suspension and a fine at most, so Brady and the NFLPA (the players' union) are going to appeal the ruling. While Brady will more than likely sit out the Pats' season opener against the Steelers, the rub lies in how many games he will miss after that.

The NFLPA put out a statement saying that they believed a neutral party should hear Brady's case. "Given the NFL's history of inconsistency and arbitrary decisions in disciplinary matters, it is only fair that a neutral arbitrator hear this appeal." Just look at Rice's penalty versus Brady's. Hard to argue that inconsistency point. However, under the 2011 collective bargaining agreement, the NFLPA and the NFL both agreed that Commissioner Goodell will rule on matters like this.

Can we say impartiality?

No date has been set for the appeal yet, but it will be interesting to see which way Goodell rules and whether or not any of these penalties are reduced. All eyes will definitely be on this case until Brady's appeal is heard.

Post Season Shakeups Getting More and More Interesting

Buffalo Bound: LeSean McCoy will head north to play football in 2015
(Google Images)

The offseason in the NFL often leads to a lot of new faces in a lot of new places when the new season kicks off and 2015 has been no exception. There have already been some interesting moves and once the new league year and free agency both begin on March 10th at 4 pm there are going to be a few more.

One of the biggest and most surprising moves came when the Philadelphia Eagles decided to trade LeSean McCoy to the Buffalo Bills. The Eagles star running back inked a five-year, $40 million deal, with $26.5 million guaranteed. In exchange, Philly will get linebacker Kiko Alonso. This deal was a bit surprising because McCoy was nothing short of spectacular in his time with the Eagles. Since being drafted by Philadelphia in 2009, he has the NFL's third-most rushing yards (6,792) and fourth-most rushing touchdowns (44). Last season, he ended the year with 1,319 rushing yards. That was good for third-most in the NFL.

Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh will be walking around the Miami Dolphins locker room Tuesday saying, in the words of Johnny Cash, "My name is Suh. How do you do." Except, unlike these classic Cash lyrics, we aren't talking about a "Boy Named Sue." We're talking about a 6'4" tall, 307 lb "Beast Named Suh." And come Tuesday afternoon when he signs with the Fins, Suh will also become the highest paid defenseman in the NFL, surpassing Houston Texans defensive end and arguably the best defensive player in the league today, J.J. Watt.



Houston, we have a problem: Will Justin Houston return to
the Chiefs in 2015? (Google Images)

How much will Suh be making you might ask? Reportedly, his deal will be for six years and worth a staggering $114 million, $60 million of which is guaranteed. Detroit had offered Suh a deal worth $17 million per year and $58 million guaranteed, but Suh decided to make a couple extra bucks and head down south. By comparison, last year Watt inked a deal worth $100 million that will keep him in Houston for the next six seasons. So while it might only be a scant $14 million more than Watt's contract, Ndamukong Suh will soon become the highest paid defensive player in football.

Speaking of key defensive players, the Kansas City Chiefs defensive line has been a topic of conversation this off season. Coming off a 22-sack season, outside linebacker Justin Houston will be a hot commodity. This is why Chiefs owner Clark Hunt and general manager John Dorsey placed the franchise tag on him a few weeks ago and why everyone in Chiefs Kingdom hopes Houston will return to anchor their D-line in 2015.

However, according to Pro Football Talk, Houston is not happy with KC and intends to pursue other offers. This is a complete 180 from Houston's original intentions of signing the franchise tender and accepting the $13 million for one year of work. But now, he will supposedly entertain teams willing to trade two low first round picks to get him. If he can't get a deal done before the season begins, PFT says Houston will stay away from the Chiefs until the Week 10 deadline, after which he'll return to finish the year in a Chiefs uniform and be eligible for free agency next year.

While Houston's status might be in limbo, Chiefs fans will be excited to learn that they have worked with their other outside linebacker, Tamba Hali to restructure his contract and stay on with the squad in KC. He will take a $3 million pay cut to stay on. This team has also had major issues at wide receiver this past year. Alex Smith didn't connect with any of them for a touchdown. As a result, the Chiefs are expected to cut wideout Dwayne Bowe. Bowe has simply not earned the salary that he has been getting lately and, while there were rumors that, like Hali, Bowe might restructure his deal, Kansas City is hurting when it comes to salary cap space. So cutting Bowe, who would be good for $5 million in cap room if cut before June 1 and $11 million if cut after June 1, will free up a good deal of cash.

Clipping his wings: Nick Foles will trade the wings on his helmet for
horns when he moves to St. Louis (Google Images)

Cash that will apparently be spent on another, more proven wide receiver. It was reported on Monday that a deal to nail down wide receiver Jeremy Maclin is all but done. Maclin, who was drafted by the Eagles in 2009, will be reunited with the head coach who picked him, Andy Reid. After missing the 2013 season with a torn ACL, Maclin is coming off the best year of his career. He recorded 85 catches for 1, 318 yards and 10 touchdowns. His deal will reportedly be worth $11 million per year. By comparison, Randall Cobb took $10 million per year to stay in Green Bay. If the Chiefs again fail to score a touchdown with a wide receiver in 2015, they definitely want to show fans that it won't be because they didn't try to bolster their team at that position.

Last, but not least, the Eagles made one other blockbuster trade on Tuesday. After resigning quarterback Mark Sanchez, they decided to trade their other play caller Nick Foles to the St. Louis Rams in exchange for their QB Sam Bradford. This was surprising because of how well Foles played last year, leading his team in a tight battle for the NFC East title with the Dallas Cowboys until an injured clavicle sidelined him for the year after just seven weeks. But Bradford has also had his share of injuries. While he has been good under center for the Rams, he tore his ACL in a preseason game and missed the entire 2014 season. The year before, Bradford threw for nearly 1,700 yards, completed 14 of those passes for touchdowns and threw only four interceptions in seven weeks of the 2013 season; the best season of his career. Both Foles and Bradford have potential to be great quarterbacks, but both have some durability issues. It will be interesting to watch these two in their new environments next season.

Free agency is young and the 2015 season is off to an interesting start. While a few players have found new homes, there are a great many men whose futures are still up in the air. It will be very fun to watch and see where everyone lands once this big game of musical chairs comes to an end.

Seattle's Questionable Call Helps Pats Win First Super Bowl in a Decade

Malcolm Butler's (21) game winning pick, grabbing the
ball from Ricardo Lockette (83) (Google Images)

Super Bowl XLIX was everything a super bowl should be, especially following last season's 43-8 blowout of the Denver Broncos. It was a close game the entire way, even into the final seconds when a fight broke out and a key play won the Patriots their fourth Lombardi Trophy by a score of 28-24.

With literally seconds to go, it appeared that the Seattle Seahawks were on their way to a second consecutive super bowl victory. Then, on the one yard line, Seattle head coach Pete Carroll decided to have Russell Wilson throw the ball rather than hand it off to Marshawn Lynch. The result of the play: an interception in the end zone by Pats' rookie cornerback Malcolm Butler with 20 seconds left that won New England the game.

The debate is still raging as to whether or not Carroll should have called for Wilson to throw that fateful short slant to Ricardo Lockette rather than have Lynch run it in from inside the one-yard line. After all, the guy's called "Beast Mode" for a reason and, next to Jamal Charles, he's arguably one of the best, most versatile backs in the league. But while Carroll admitted he thought about calling a run play, he felt that throwing it offered his team the best shot to win.

"I made the decision," the coach told ESPN post game. "I said 'throw the ball,' and we went with the play that we thought would give us a chance to get in the end zone. We were going to run the ball, but not on that play. I didn't want to waste a run play on their goal-line guys. It was a clear thought, but it didn't work out right. [Butler] made a play that no one would have thought he could make."



Refs try to break up the fight at the end of the game (Google Images)

Players, pundits, and fans alike have been questioning Carroll's decision to call that ill-fated pass, saying that it was that play that cost the Seahawks their second championship. While that might be true, with a game as close as this one was it's hard to say that the final score came down to one play.


The game began with a scoreless first quarter and saw New England draw first blood a few minutes into the second when Brady connected with wide receiver Brandon LaFell. But Seattle answered right back when Lynch scored the Hawks' first points of the game two positions later. The rest of the quarter saw both teams score one more touchdown each. Going into halftime, the score was tied at 14-all and it was anyone's game to win.

After Katy Perry performed in the Pepsi halftime show, it was time to get back to one of the most exciting super bowl's in recent memory. The Seahawks went on to shut out the Patriots in the third quarter, while tacking on ten more points themselves. But once the fourth quarter started, the excitement and suspense went up in a hurry. Brady managed to throw two touchdown passes to wide receivers Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman respectively and put his team out front by a score of 28-24. The four point deficit meant that the Seahawks needed a touchdown to win the game. No small task with two minutes left in the Super Bowl.

Wilson managed to lead his team down the field in miraculous fashion and following a circus catch by Jermaine Kearse, Seattle was at New England's 5-yard line and one play away from winning their second Lombardi Trophy. Beast Mode then gained his team one more yard after a handoff from Wilson, but Pats linebacker Dont'a Hightower stopped him from getting any further. Then, on the following snap, Wilson threw that ill-fated slant that was picked by Butler in the end zone, winning the game for New England.

When the Patriots offense retook the field, Brady had to get out of the end zone and avoid a safety before he could take a knee to seal the victory. But rather than having to do the work himself, Seattle handed New England another gift. This time, it was five free yards because defensive end Michael Bennett was called for encroachment. The following snap, Brady took a knee and the game was over. But that didn't mean that the players' emotions died down any.

Tom Brady with his fourth Lombardy Trophy (Google Images)

Seahawks linebacker Bruce Irvin, as well as the rest of the Legion of Boom, got into a shoving match with the Patriots' offensive line. Irvin wound up getting himself ejected because he traded punches with Pats tight end Rob Gronkowski. Even though this skirmish tarnished what was otherwise an absolutely fantastic game, Brady took another knee and, once the clock wound down took his fourth Lombardi Trophy. This was the Patriots' fourth Super Bowl title and their first one in a decade, and this most recent victory will not be without it's controversy.

In the wake of "Deflategate," many will question the merits of the team that won the game. Should this game have an asterisk next to it in the history books? I wouldn't go that far because the Patriots' balls had to be legal. No team could be stupid enough to play with footballs with low air pressure two weeks after the NFL nailed them for it. Plus, while it is an advantage, it's really not the kind of thing that's going to make that big of a difference. Like Patriots' owner Robert Kraft said after the game, they beat the Colts in the AFC Championship game 45-7 and they won the Super Bowl 28-24. The other team still has to play well and the Seahawks played better than the Colts did.

The Patriots won Super Bowl XIX and with the way they played and came back against the Seahawks, they showed they deserved to be on that stage with that trophy.

Should He Stay or Should He Go?

Will Peyton Manning wear No. 18 again next season? (Google Images)

Chiefs, Chargers and Raiders fans might have cause to celebrate. That's right, even Raiders fans. With recent news that John Fox has been canned as the Broncos head coach and that Jack Del Rio will move from his position as Denver's defensive coordinator to Oakland's head coach, many of the people that made the Denver Broncos team a perennial Super Bowl contender are no longer there.
The Broncos have won the AFC West for the last four seasons and, while Fox and Del Rio have been integral parts to Denver's success, the biggest reason they have won the last two division titles is because they won the Peyton Manning lottery before the 2012 season started. But in  recent years, after neck surgery forced the Indianapolis Colts to release him, the Super Bowl XLI MVP has been playing through a strained quad since his Dec. 14 start against the San Diego Chargers. This could very well be the reason Manning struggled against his former team this past weekend, missing out on a chance to topple Tom Brady in the AFC championship game two years in a row.

But whether his thigh injury was the reason for the Broncos' 24-13 loss to Andrew Luck and the Colts one week ago, football is over in the Mile High City; a city with "Mile High" hopes that Manning would be the savior who could deliver them their first Super Bowl title since John Elway won them back to back Lombardi Trophies in 1997 and 1998. Now, as the Broncos' General Manager and VP of Football Operations, Elway might have to think about something he probably wasn't considering.

What if Peyton Manning retires?

But before you say, "NO-Maha!" or "Say it ain't so-Maha!," the news about Manning retiring is only speculation at this point. The Broncos won't easily be able to replace a quarterback who knows as much about the game as Manning does. In 2010, Sporting News chose him as the 14th smartest athlete in sports. They also would have a rough time finding a guy who has had the same level of success and consistency that Manning has had. Just this past October, Manning connected with Demaryius Thomas against the 49ers for his record setting 509th career touchdown pass. This placed him as the all-time leader, ahead of another legendary quarterback, Brett Favre. And when it comes to being a fan favorite and a marketing machine, you'd be hard pressed to find a better one than Manning. He's done everything from hosting Saturday Night Live to getting paid in pizza franchises for doing Papa John's commercials. That coupled with commercials for Nationwide Insurance, Buick and other major companies, it's good to know he has a few dollars in the bank in case he retires.


Manning will have plenty of time for more commercials if he retires
(Google Images)

However, when you look at the fact that Manning played through a serious thigh injury that could make throwing much more difficult and that he had fairly serious neck surgery before he left Indy, how much longer does he really have to play? Manning is 38 and , while that isn't old by any stretch, that's old for a professional athlete in any sport. Elway retired from the Broncos in 1999 after two Super Bowl rings at age 39. Because of his age, Manning is also a creature of habit. You can't always teach an old dog new tricks and with a new head coach at the helm next year, and not that many years left to play, Manning could decide to hang up his helmet and not bother trying to learn another coach's offense.

Obviously, fans of the Chargers, the Chiefs and the Raiders all hope Manning decides to give it up. He's made life in the AFC West miserable since he got there two years ago, enabling the Broncos to win the division the last four years in a row. Kansas City has not been to the Super Bowl since their win over the Vikings in Super Bowl IV in 1970, San Diego only has a 1994 AFC championship  (as well as a pre-merger, 1963 AFL Championship Game win over the Boston Patriots), and Oakland would simply just like to have a winning season. "Commitment to Excellence"? Not so much. No more Manning, a quarterback who has been next to unstoppable against these three teams, might just make for more exciting, interesting competition in the AFC West next season. Throw in how good the Chargers and Chiefs have it could be a dogfight for the divisional crown in 2015.

While the hype around Peyton's retirement has died down in the wake of the many head coaching shakeups and "Deflate Gate" scandal that has made headlines since Sunday night, come the off season, any news or speculation should return to the forefront. While it would not be all that surprising to see the future hall of famer announce his retirement, it might be just as surprising to see Manning return for one last crack at a second Lombardi Trophy before he is enshrined in Canton.

It will be interesting to see if Mile High Stadium is still "Peyton's Place" in 2015.

Duel in the Desert: Seahawks Look to Defend Super Bowl Title Against Embattled Patriots

Super Bowl XLIX will feature the Patriots and the Seahawks (Google Images)

The matchup for Super Bowl XLIX is finally set. And the two teams duking it out really aren't that surprising. On February 1st in Glendale, Arizona, the defending champion Seattle Seahawks will take on the New England Patriots at University of Phoenix Stadium.

 

For the Seahawks, this is their second consecutive Super Bowl appearance, making the trip to the desert after an overtime win against the Green Bay Packers last Sunday. Russell Wilson and his team will look to defend last year's Lombardi Trophy against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, fresh off a home field hammering on the Indianapolis Colts. But while the NFC title game was a close battle and the AFC game was simply a blowout, both of these games left us with some storylines heading into the biggest game of the year.

 

Obviously, the biggest story out of the NFC is Seattle's return to the big dance after beating a Packers team that appeared to be on the fast track to the 49th Super Bowl. That would've made headlines too because, despite the dominance of Aaron Rodgers, his making it all the way with a torn calf muscle would've been a very big surprise.

Mr. Rodgers' Packers held Mr. Wiiilllson's Seahawks scoreless through the entire first half, maintaining a 16-0 lead going into halftime. Rodgers' completed 19 of 34 passes for a total of 178 yards and one touchdown, while Wilson completed threw for 209 yards and 14 completions in 29 attempts. He also connected for one of those 29 passes for a touchdown.



A very clever Krispy Kreme doughnuts ad inspired by the Pariots
(Google Images)

But Seattle was plagued by turnovers and, despite Rodgers' injury, Wilson's inaccuracy made it hard to score any kind of points. But once halftime was over, it was like a switch flipped and Seattle returned and played like the team that scored an improbable Super Bowl win last season. The Seahawks mounted a charge and with just over a minute left in the game, Wilson handed the ball off to Marshawn Lynch. Known as Beast Mode, Lynch exploded from Green Bay's 24 and ran it in for a touchdown. After a two-point conversion, Seattle grabbed it's first lead of the game, 22-19. However, their lead was short lived, as Green Bay rallied to score a field goal and tie the game at 22.

The game proceeded into overtime and, just three minutes into it, Wilson connected wit wide receiver Jermaine Kearse for the improbable game winning score. This was a very impressive, come from behind victory for a Seattle team that was outplayed for most of the game. Speaking of being outplayed, there was another game Sunday; one that has generated much more controversy.

"Deflate-Gate" has been the topic of conversation over the last week. Did the New England Patriots under inflating 11 of their 12 game balls really give Tom Brady an advantage? Should the NFL penalize the team, especially given their history of stepping out of bounds? (Pun intended). But Colts cornerback Darius Butler when he tweeted the NFL, "So we get to play the game again or nah?" ESPN, among other media outlets have been debating this issue for days now and, because of this, the Seahawks-Patriots matchup has been put on the back burner while we delve deeper into what Tom Brady and Bill Belichick knew during Sunday's game.

After the "Spy-Gate" incident a few years back, nobody on the Patriots team is going to be given the benefit of the doubt. They waived that right a long time ago. Hearing Brady and Belichick talk to the media, both have vehemently denied any knowledge of any type of wrongdoing, both saying that they hadn't heard about any under inflated balls until Monday after their 45-7 blowout of the Indianapolis Colts. Belichick "told us everything he knew" and "had no explanation for what happened," said Thursday that he "honestly never touched a game ball." Coming from a man who is almost as high on the New England totem pole as owner Robert Kraft and who is as meticulous as they come when it comes to everything about his team, nobody in their right mind will believe for one second that Bill Belichick had no knowledge of who was handling the team's footballs before the AFC title game. He also proceeded to pitch his star quarterback directly under the bus, saying Brady's preferences are his own and he would be much more knowledgeable about this issue. However, Brady's speech was no better than his head coaches.



Fans have also been having fun at the Pats' expense
by creating different memes (Google Images)

The Patriots' signal caller stood at the same podium as Belichick at 4pm Eastern on Thursday afternoon and flat out lied to football fans everywhere, with a fake grin on his face like the cat who ate the canary. Brady has said that he likes his footballs inflated to 12.5 psi, towards the lower end of the spectrum as far as mandated air pressure. There is no way we can be expected to believe that he told the Patriots' equipment managers to inflate the balls to anything other than that and it's even harder to believe that the equipment managers would inflate the balls to any less than that of their own volition.

Brady said after he picks the perfect footballs, they are not to be touched. Why would a rouge equipment manager take it upon himself to let air out of a football and risk the wrath of Tom Brady? There is no way that people as high on the food chain as Brady and Belichick are clueless as to what happened, especially Brady.

Former Steelers great Jerome Bettis  put it best on ESPN's NFL Live when he said that this is not a big deal in the grand scheme of things. The only reason this has incident has been blown out of proportion so badly is because Brady and Belichick insist on playing dumb and not acknowledging that they ran afoul of the rules. While it was a competitive advantage for New England, it was not the deciding factor in their game against Indy. Again, they won 45-7. The Colts just did not show up to play. Brady could've been throwing basketballs and it wouldn't have made tackling Rob Gronkowski any easier. The best thing the Patriots organization can do is stop assuming we're stupid, admit to this misdemeanor, take their fine and move on to the Super Bowl.

So now, as this "Deflate-Gate" controversy comes to a head and we try to determine who in Foxborough ordered the Code Red, we move onto the biggest game of the year. Well, we actually move onto the Pro Bowl. Then we get into Super Bowl XLIX, a matchup of two teams with a lot to prove.

The Seahawks are looking to prove that last season's Lombardi Trophy was not a fluke and that they can contend for years to come. Meanwhile, the New England Patriots are simply looking to prove that they can win a game with balls that are inflated to the proper level.