NFL

Super Bowl XLIX preview

Chris McGlynn Football, NFL , ,

It all ends here. Tonight the Seattle Seahawks will take on the New England Patriots in the biggest game of the NFL season to decide who will be crowned champion. The Seahawks are looking to become the first team to win back to back Super Bowls since the 2003-2004 Patriots. The current Patriots enter the game looking to win their first Lombardi trophy since they won 11 years ago. This should be another great matchup tonight with the best defense in the league squaring off with the best offense. We saw this script before, in last year’s big game, but this one should be very different.

Last year’s blowout saw a team get absolutely dominated in every aspect of the game. I don’t think we will see that tonight. I actually expect Russell Wilson to struggle again, much like he did in the NFC Championship game against Green Bay. The Packers’ defense is good, but New England’s is better. Their front seven is an above average group, capable of getting to the quarterback. The Pats finished tied for thirteenth in sacks this season. The strength of this unit though is the secondary. They finished the year with three more interceptions than Seattle’s vaunted group. This defense in total ended up with 25 takeaways this season. They also had the best turnover margin this season behind only Green Bay. Bill Belichick is a defensive mastermind. If Wilson had four interceptions against the Packers, it could be scary how many he might end up with when he is throwing at Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner.

The other thing that makes New England intimidating is their versatility on offense. Everyone knows that Tom Brady and his receivers can light it up. Danny Amendola has started to look like he has found his footing this postseason and Julien Edelman continues to be the Pats’ jack-of-all-trades. Rob Gronkowski and Tim Wright make this team scary from the two tight end set. Brady might be up against a very talented defense, but he will have his opportunity to pick out his matchups. But what really sets this Patriots team apart from last year’s Broncos is when the Seahawks want to drop into coverage, Brady can hand the ball off to a one man wrecking crew by the name of LeGarrette Blount. He shredded the Colts defense last week to the tune of 148 yards and three touchdowns. He is a powerful runner that has a knack for getting stronger as the game goes on. It almost reminds you of another bruising running back who plays in the Pacific Northwest.

For as good as Blount can be, Marshawn Lynch is even better. Lynch has been the model of consistency for Seattle this season, racking up yards whenever they need him to. Playing against the Packers two weeks ago, Lynch rattled off 157 yards on only 25 carries. That is over six yards per attempt. New England’s rush defense was pretty solid this season. Playing against the Colts though, Daniel Herron ripped off over 50 yards on only 10 carries. Lynch is a more talented runner than Herron and that could spell trouble for New England. The Seahawks struggled two weeks ago when Wilson tried to make too many plays with his arm. When Seattle reverted to feeding Lynch the ball, the momentum completely switched and Pete Carroll’s team began dominating the game. If Seattle finds some early ground success with Lynch or even Wilson, it will keep Brady on the sideline and protect the Seahawks from needing to attack the most dangerous part of the Patriots defense.

Even when Brady does take the field though, he is going to have to note the location of a couple different players on every down. Richard Sherman is not someone you want to test very often. Newly crowned MVP Aaron Rodgers found that out the hard way. Brady’s security blanket is usually Gronk but he will be matched up with the best safety in the league in Kam Chancellor. Brady also has to keep in mind that when he drops back he will have Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett working to collapse the pocket. He also cannot get to comfortable hanging the ball in the air because the ball-hawking, speed demon named Earl Thomas will go and get it. That isn’t even including K.J. Wright or Bobby Wagner either. The Seahawks’ defense was the best in the NFL for a reason. They only allowed 186 passing yards per game this season and 82 yards rushing. Those both rank in the top three in the NFL. New England could end up winning the turnover battle, but they will have a very tough time moving the ball.

This is going to come down to who can control the clock more. Both teams can capably run the ball, but Seattle’s rushing attack offensively and rushing defense are elite while New England’s are simply above average. Brady might be one of the best Super Bowl quarterback’s the league has ever seen. He has a 93.8 rating total and has thrown 9 touchdowns to only 2 interceptions in his previous 5 appearances. I just do not think the Patriots will be able to bottle up the Seahawks’ running game. That means Brady will be forced to pass and that will definitely give Seattle the edge. The Seattle defense is hard to beat and while offense wins games, defense wins championships. The Seahawks will be back to back champions, winning 28-21.

Top five most devestating Super Bowl losses

Chris McGlynn Football, NFL , , , , , , ,

Last night’s game was exciting and captivating until the very end. If you sat through it all you were even treated to an on field brawl with some punches thrown. The Seahawks had every right to be emotional though. They came one yard from clinching their second consecutive Super Bowl title when Russell Wilson had his pass intercepted by cornerback Malcom Butler. It was one of the most gut wrenching ends to a game ever. Here are the top five most devastating Super Bowl losses of all time.

#5 Super Bowl XXIII 49ers 20 Bengals 16
This is one of the most famous Super Bowls of all time. Joe Montana was a class act throughout his career but this game solidified his nickname “Joe Cool”. With just over three minutes left in the game, down by three. Montana led his team 92 yards, picking apart the Bengals defense on the final drive. He hit wide receiver John Taylor in the endzone with just 34 seconds remaining on the clock. The Bengals could not believe that they came that close. This last minute decision left Cincinnati quarterback to famous say, “I guess I’m not going to Disney.” The folks from Disney, who were waiting for the game to end to film their annual commercial, left Esiason immediately in pursuit of Montana following the game. The Bengals saw their first Lombardi trophy stolen from then as Montana walked away with his third ring.

#4 Super Bowl XXV Giants 20 Bills 19
This game was a thriller until the very end. New York played this game with its back up quarterback due to Phill Simms’ season ending injury at the end of the regular season. The Giants had the odds stacked against them. The Bills led early in the game 12-3 and looked in control. The Giants eventually look a 17-12 lead before a Thurman Thomas run gave Buffalo stole it back for Buffalo. The Giants ate up the majority of the clock in the fourth quarter, driving 74 yards on 14 plays. New York came up three yards short though and had to settle for a field goal making the score 20-19. The Bills drove 61 yards in the closing seconds to set up a 47-yard field goal. Scott Norwood famously missed the game-winning try wide right and the Giants won their second Super Bowl in franchise history

#3 Super Bowl XLII Giants 17 Patriots 14

What makes this game so heartbreaking is what was on the line for the Patriots. New England entered the game undefeated looking to become the first team in history to finish the season 19-0. The Patriots were also 12-point favorites in the game. No one gave the Giants a prayer of winning this one. And in the end, it took a prayer for New York to win the game. Eli Manning and David Tyree made the most improbable and famous play in Super Bowl history when Tyree pinned the football to his helmet to secure a huge catch with the game on the line. This set up Manning to find Plaxico Burress in the endzone with only 35 second on the clock. The Giants pulled off the greatest upset in Super Bowl history in spectacular fashion.

#2 Super Bowl XLIX Patriots 28 Seahawks 24
This might have been crazy but this is not number one. The Patriots looked all but beaten last night. Seattle had the ball on the one-yard line with less than 30 seconds to play. Rather than hand the ball off, Seattle called a slant to wide receiver Ricardo Lockette. Malcom Butler made probably the best defensive play in recent Super Bowl memory picking off Russell Wilson at the goal line. The Patriots ended up completing the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history. It is easy to say what if at the end of the big game but this one will have question marks surrounding it forever. The Seahawks were one yard away from a second Super Bowl victory in as many years. They weren’t the first team to end up that way.

#1 Super Bowl XXXIV Rams 23 Titans 16
This game wins simply because of how the last play actually happened. The Titans trailed in this game to the “Greatest Show on Turf” 16-0 in the third quarter. They roared back to tie it at 16 all. Rams’ quarterback Kurt Warner hit Isacc Bruce on a long touchdown to regain the lead. Tennessee got the ball back at their own 12-yard line with only 1:48 remaining in the game. Titans’ quarterback Steve McNair drove his team all the way down to the 10-yard line with only six seconds remaining and no timeouts left. He dropped back and hit Kevin Dyson in stride at around the four. Rams’ linebacker Mike Jones hit Dyson and hung on to his leg. Dyson spun and extended the football but was only able to reach the one-yard line. The Titans came only a yard short of forcing overtime and forever will be remembered for being those three feet short of a chance to win the Super Bowl.

The NFL versus Marshawn Lynch

Chris McGlynn Football, NFL, Social Issues ,

The NFL has a reputation for being overly serious and unnecessarily strict about very peculiar things. Chad Johnson (or Ochocinco depending on the year) was constantly being fined by the NFL for his antics after scoring touchdowns. They viewed it as unsportsmanlike conduct, something that usually just results in a penalty. However, they fined Johnson over and over again. It got to the point where no one took the league seriously and fans began looking forward to Johnson scoring because they knew he would do something to incense the NFL.

The situation with Marshawn Lynch though, is not that. The NFL is repeatedly targeting a player for one of the most innocent objects to the league’s rules. The Seahawks’ running back has been fined repeatedly by the league for not talking to the media. Lynch is not doing it to prove a point or be defiant at all. He simply does not enjoy meeting with the press. The NFL has not consented to accept that Lynch is opposed to being interviewed. Instead, they continually threaten to fine him with exorbitant amounts of money, unprecedented fines as well, until he finally agrees to talk. It is not far from extortion at this point. The NFL is delivering an ultimatum where it cannot lose. Either the league shows its power in levying a massive fine against a player, or it demonstrates that it always gets what it wants, one way or another.

The amounts of money are starting to get out of hand as well. The league apparently held a half million dollar fine over Lynch’s head if he did speak to reporters at the annual NFL Media Day. That is a lot of money in general, but just how does it compare to some of the other fines levied by the NFL. According to a New York Daily News article, it would not have been the most but it would’ve been tied for the fourth most. Those joining him at fourth? Bill Belichick for his role his the Spygate scandal, the San Francisco 49ers organization for violating the salary cap and Jim Irsay for violating the code of conduct policy when he landed a DWI. Granted Irsay was also suspended for six games but he did receive the same fine. Lynch’s refusal to talk to the media apparently was more severe though than Shaun Rodgers carrying a semiautomatic handgun in a carry-on bag at a Cleveland airport or Ray Lewis being charged with obstruction of justice in a murder trial. They were fined $400,000 and $250,000 respectively. Apparently, bringing a semiautomatic weapon and helping cover up a murder results in a lesser penalty than telling a couple of reporters you are not interested in answering their questions.

Maybe that is a little extreme to make that comparison and obviously the NFL would never say that, but that is how it appears. If you fine a player more for avoiding the media than a gun issue or the obstruction of justice charge, it seems like avoiding the media is the bigger problem. The one upside for Lynch is that he showed up and did what he had to so he could leave as quickly as possible. However, he did taunt the media a bit with his resistance to answer questions, repeating, “I’m just here so I don’t get fined,” to every reporter who asked him something. So what did the NFL do in response? They announced that they were mulling fining Lynch anyway, for wearing a hat provided by a brand that the NFL had not approved. Seriously? This is just getting to be a little pathetic. It was not offensive in anyway. It was a “Beast Mode” hat, Lynch’s nickname. It was a harmless gesture and fans I have talked to found it interesting because it was the former Cal player expressing himself a little.

The one thing that the league clearly has not realized is that it is alienating fans with its treatment of Lynch. The fans are absolutely siding with the introverted 28-year old. We all know that he has not done anything wrong and the NFL is making itself look foolish for continuing to pretend that he has. It seems like the league is intent on having a certain type of player whose personality is outlined and determined by NFL executives. Simply stated: just leave the guy alone. He clearly does not have any interest in complying with the media’s questioning. You are antagonizing a man who is one of your employees, and likely one of the more profitable ones as well. The league needs to stop trying to act as if it controls every aspect of player’s lives. The NFL has managed to overlook issues of domestic violence and sexism this year but cannot seem to accept one of its players is uncomfortable in front of the press. I sincerely hope Lynch continues to stay strong in the coming days as his publicity reaches an all-time high. It might just be enough to get the NFL to change its ways.

Assigning NFL Honors

Chris McGlynn Football, NFL , , , , , ,

The fourth annual NFL Honors ceremony is a week from tonight in Phoenix, Arizona. The ceremony is a big publicity event that the NFL has modelled similar to the Grammy’s or Oscar’s announcing all of the various award winners for the season. Like all award shows, there are tons of celebrities and a comedic personality hosting the show, this year being Seth Meyers. The real reason fans tune in though is to see who has been given the big awards for the year. Here is who I think should take home this year’s batch of trophies.

AP Most Valuable Player: Tony Romo, Cowboys
This has been one of the most difficult to determine MVP races in a few years. My pick this year though has to be Romo. The Cowboys’ quarterback finished the year with the best completion percentage, highest yards per attempt average and top passer rating. He did all of this while battling through a tough back injury that plagued him throughout the season. Romo also took care of the ball throwing only nine interceptions. What really validates Romo as the MVP was his five game winning drives, which tied for the league lead. He led the Cowboys to their first playoff berth since 2011 as well. He was the best player in the league this year.

AP Coach of the Year: Bruce Arians, Cardinals
If I had told you that the Cardinals were going to win the NFC West this year back in September, you would’ve laughed at me. While they did not win it, only losing on a tiebreaker with Seattle, they finished tied for the best record in the league and made the playoffs despite losing the first two quarterbacks on their depth chart. That is a testament to the hard work of Arians. His team managed 12 wins this year despite having one of the most banged up offenses in the league. The Cardinals defense was simply incredible in some games this season and Arizona’s coach found some creative ways to move the ball offensively. Even when backed up against a wall, he succeeded. There is no doubt that Arians was the best coach in football this year.

AP Offensive Player of the Year: LeVeon Bell, Steelers
You can argue DeMarco Murray all you want, but when you play behind the road grading line that he had this year, you should do well. Plus the guy fumbled it five times this year. Meanwhile, Bell never fumbled the ball on any of his 290 carries or 83 receptions. Bell also averaged the same number of yards per carry so it stands to reason that he could have had Murray’s same production if had the same number of attempts. What really sets Bell apart is his versatility; he was a threat on the ground and through the air. Bell finished only 46 yards from scrimmage behind Murray, despite having 73 fewer touches. Bell was impressive and effective on his way to being the best offensive player in the league.

AP Defensive Player of the Year: J.J. Watt, Texans
This one is absolutely no contest. Watt was far and away the best player on the defensive side of the football this season. He finished the season with over 20 sacks, the most tackles by a defensive lineman and the most pass deflections by a defensive lineman as well. He was a disruptive force yet again with his big play ability, scoring two defensive touchdowns, one on an interception and one on a fumble recovery. Watt showed a knack for forcing turnovers as well with his four forced fumbles and five recoveries. It is not set in stone, but this is the most sure thing at the NFL Honors ceremony.

AP Offensive Rookie of the Year: Odell Beckham Jr., Giants
And he only needed 12 games to do it. He could even make a case as the best overall receiver this season. Beckham had over 90 catches, 1300 yards and 12 touchdowns. Every single one of those totals ranks in the top 10 for the NFL this season. The Giants’ rookie also had the most receiving yards per game by any player in the league. He also had the highlight reel catch of the decade thus far. No one deserves the award more than the New York wideout and I think he will walk away with it next Saturday.

AP Defensive Rookie of the Year: C.J. Mosely, Ravens
People are clamoring for Khalil Mack here but I think Mosely had the better season. The Ravens linebacker racked up 133 tackles this year, good for seventh in the NFL. He also had 3 sacks, 2 interceptions and a forced fumble. He became the backbone of a stout Baltimore rush defense allowing the fourth fewest rushing yards per game. He was also named a Pro Bowler, the first Ravens rookie ever to be named one. Considering Ray Lewis played for this franchise, that is downright impressive.

AP Comeback Player of the Year: Rob Gronkowski, Patriots
You have to look at Gronk and wonder, “Wait he was hurt last year?” The Patriots tight end looked fairly fluid with how he moved around the field this season. His credentials for the award speaks for itself. He finished with the fourth most receptions, the most receiving yards and tied for the most receiving touchdowns among tight ends. He made some spectacular catches and proved once again that he is a very solid blocking tight end. Gronk roared back to life this year and should be awarded for his triumphant comeback.
Those are all of the top awards. There are several other ones to be named that night but these are the ones that are the most talked about. So now, I want to know if I got them right. Let me know what you think.

What is the Patriot way?

Chris McGlynn Football, NFL

Leave all your previous feelings toward this team at the door. Forget whether you are a fan of the team or you absolutely despise the organization. Do not be sympathetic for the players you like on the team or bitter to the ones you cannot stand. Just simply view this as a fan of football. Someone who loves the game and how it is played. Put yourself in that mindset. That is going to help as we take a look at one of the most successful franchises in sports history. The New England Patriots have been caught up in a major scandal that has rocked the NFL. I will review this as unbiasedly as I possibly can, presenting both sides of the story. This latest misstep begs the question for the league of where do you say it has been enough?

The Patriots have been around since 1960, but it is really the last 15 years that make them relevant. In 2000, New England drafted a quarterback out of Michigan by the name of Tom Brady. Brady was not considered much of a pro prospect in those days but very quickly, he proved that he absolutely had what it takes to compete at the highest level. The mastermind behind it all: Bill Belichick. These two have since gone on to become the winningest quarterback-coach tandem in NFL history with 117 regular season wins and now 20 postseason wins. The issue has been the various speed bumps that the organization as a whole has hit along the way.

Spygate came about in 2007 after the Patriots were caught taping signals used by the New York Jets. The incident involving the Super Bowl against the Rams is unimportant because after further probing the NFL found that the video of the walkthrough tape supposedly filmed by the Patriots film staff does not exist. To the 2007 issue, the whole issue was overblown and largely carried away by the media. However, the reality is that the Patriots were filming the Jets illegally, following a league memo informing teams that the practice was not to be practiced. Belichick said following the allegations that he misinterpreted the rule but either way it was clear that the Pats were looking for a loophole. It also does not help that the memo came only weeks before the incident. Belichick was punished though with a then-record $500,000 fine and a game suspension. The issue here for me here is not why they were filming the game signals, because the film was not used for that game, it is that the Patriots were filming at all. It was a violation of NFL rules, albeit a rather insignificant one.

Over the weekend, the Colts accused the Patriots of deflating game balls for the AFC Championship to the point where they were no longer of regulation size. The NFL announced last night that those allegations were in fact correct, and that of the twelve footballs each team has, the Patriots had eleven that did not meet standards. The other aspect is that it was deliberate as it was recorded that NFL official Walt Anderson checked every ball before the start of the game, more than two hours before kickoff, yet the balls were deflated by the time the game started. It would be possible to consider that some outside force tampered with the balls, such as the cold or such, but that would not explain why there was one ball still at regulation size. A deflated football can be kicked further and gripped better which would give the Patriots a clear advantage. What also needs to be noted it the Colts had different footballs they were using when their offense was on the field. However, it probably does not account for the fact that New England routed Indianapolis. If you want to maintain that the Patriots would never have had a passing touchdown or a converted field goal playing with regulation balls (which is extreme) the Pats still scored three rushing touchdowns, more than enough to beat Indy’s one score.

This newest smudge against the Patriots franchise is much larger than that of Spygate. The Pats might have just been looking for a competitive edge, but found it illegally. The bigger deal too is that this absolutely had an impact on the game being played, unlike Spygate. Several Baltimore Ravens’ players have voiced similar complaints regarding the footballs used in their Divisional round playoff game with the Pats. I would not be surprised to see that investigated as well. Once again, one of the premier franchises in the NFL will have an asterisk next to it. This time it seems a little more deserved. Spygate was overblown but what many are now calling deflategate has much more serious implications. The Pats will definitely be fined by the league, if it turns out that this was something orchestrated by more than just one individual, the league would have precedent to penalize the organization with a loss of draft picks.

As a football fan, you have to wonder why the Pats keep doing this to themselves. They clearly are a premier team in the league and do not need an unfair advantage to ensure a victory. According to FiveThirtyEight, the Patriots have actually won more games in the time since they stopped filming team’s signals. The reality is that New England has been the most dominant football franchise likely in league history with Brady and Belichick running the show. The problem these continual incidents pose is that it takes away from the motto of doing things “The Patriot Way,” a saying that Belichick has embodied in his time in New England. Sure, deflategate probably did not change the ultimate storyline of the game, but the Patriots cheated. It is as simple as that. I think only now does that phrased truly have any merit. I still view them as the best team in the AFC without a doubt this season but this definitely tarnishes everything that the Pats have spent so long building up. It is sad that this franchise now has another label to shake. The likelihood is that it was one person within the organization who took matters into his own hands but in reality that does not matter because it is a representation of the team as a whole. I sincerely hope that the Patriots are punished for this but then it can be forgotten. This is still a phenomenally talented team with the potential to beat any team on any day in any game. The Patriot Way has served this organization so well for the last decade and a half but it will take some image reconstruction for that saying to have the same meaning again.