End Zone (Super Bowl)

1. The media is talking about how vulnerable Tom Brady is, you buying that?
KDC: So the media, as a rule always overplays certain storylines to death & this is one of them. Strangely, the media has been almost completely right this year about the playoffs, the Giants amazing repeat-run, the prolific Pats, the no-D Packers & so on. So yea, he’s vulnerable. The Giants made Brady look bad last Super Bowl & they’ll do it again.
Momo: This totally fires Brady up and we will see his wrath on Sunday. The same things were said about him when he faced Tebow and he torched him both times. What people forget about Tom is that he is the ultimate competitor. That part of his game is rarely mentioned. By the NY press totally playing up how he was man-handled the last two times he's faced the Giants will only make him raise his game a little more. Don't tug on Superman's cape.

2. With a win on Sunday is Belichick the greatest coach ever?
KDC: What?!?That would be 4 Super Bowl wins in 5 visits (& remember all the wins were only by 3 points). An old-timer named…what was his name? Oh yeah, Vince Lombardi! He won 5 NFL championships in 7 years(and lost another the year before the streak). It’s not his fault the Super Bowl wasn’t invented until the end of his tenure, but both of his Super Bowl wins were blowouts in a period of run-first offense.

Let’s give Belichick his due though, he is easily the best of his generation and probably in the Top 5 (3?) of all time. He’s a serious student of the game that everyone can learn from. To me, he’d have to win 2 more Super Bowls to be considered the greatest ever.
Momo: The one thing that will always haunt Belichick is the "Spygate" from earlier in this decade. He needs this win to try and validate his legacy. Belichick is a great coach but won't be one of the greatest of all time because of the cheating scandal. Did you know that since the "Spygate" story was broken that the Patriots are just 2-4 in the playoffs and have lost a Super Bowl? Belichick needs this win to validate him as a genius. Lombardi, Walsh, and Chuck Noll (who is always overlooked) are better coaches.

3. X-factor for the Giants is...
KDC: Can the secondary hold those tight ends & Wes Welker down. Those guys are tricky and the Giants Achilles Heel is their secondary.
Momo: It begins and ends with how much the Giants front seven can pressure Tom Brady. If they make Brady uncomfortable then the Giants will probably win the game. Also,if Belichick runs Julian Edelman out a defensive back and Eli picks him apart that will also be key. Eli is more seasoned than Flacco and will look to exploit this mismatch.

4. X-factor for the Patriots is...
KDC: Can they handle the line pressure consistently? If I’m the Giants, I’m blitzing some linebackers early to get Brady looking everywhere on every play.
Momo: Can their defense give up less than 24 points? If this game is a shootout that means that the Patriots defense has comeback to earth. Vince Wilfork is the biggest key, he has to get pressure on Eli and make his life miserable.

5. Your winner is...
KDC: Cough!Cough! I’ve been hating this Super Bowl for almost 2 weeks now. I always root against NY teams (being a loyal Midwesterner), but there’s no one I want to lose more than the NE Patriots, so that means I end up rooting for the Giants. ARGH.
At least the commercials should be funny.

Momo: I'm not a fan of either team but early in the week I said the Giants would win. But it all changed after Tuesday when you started hearing the Giants talking about how they can get to Brady anytime they want to. That was the wrong thing to say. Brady and the Pats squeak one out based on pride and the fact its difficult to beat a team twice in one NFL season.

Bonus question:
KDC: Madonna at the Super Bowl probably means there is few other "name" performers that are worth touting at the Super Bowl. So that probably means the Rolling Stones and Green Day are left..? What are they going to do in 3 years? The hardest part, of course, is translating a show into a stadium show. Michael Jackson did it & U2 was used to is. We'll see how the Material Grandma does it...
Momo: You stole part of my answer. I understand the wardrobe malfunction happened and you want to get safe performers but 25 years ago would Madonna be a "safe" pick? I think not. I guess Run DMC and Aerosmith will be up next. Again I say the league is missing who their target audience is. Someone like Jay-Z, Kayne West are safe performers who could put on a good show. I'm not going to watch it because she used to have a fake English accent and no one called her out on it. Plus, she's not interesting to me.

Best Dunk Ever? Not to me, but its stil pretty good

While everyone is focused on the Super Bowl, last night Blake Griffin probably had the best dunk of his career. For me, this dunk moves into my top ten of all-time, with the greatest being Vince Carter jumping over Frederic Weis in the Olympics (when somebody else jumps over a 7-footer then I'll replace Vince's dunk. The reason why this dunk is so significant is because of two reasons: 1. The Oklahoma City Thunder has the league's best record but the one area that they can be exposed is on the defensive end of the floor. 2. Perkins is supposed to be the team's primary defensive stopper and that dunk takes some of his stature down a few pegs. Yes I know not every team has a Griffin, but what most teams saw was the way the Clippers attacked the the Thunder on the wings and in the playoffs those areas can be exploited more. The Clippers sent a strong message to the Thunder and the rest of the West by winning that game and Griffin's dunk put the rest of the league on notice that there is a new and younger team in Los Angeles to be reckoned with. Now, where is Frederic Weis so we can see if Blake can do the same thing Vince did:)

Teaser Ads for Super Bowl Commercials

Since it was more culture-related, I dropped some thoughts on the weird sprouting of Teaser Ads for Super Bowl Commercials at sister blog Collideoscope.

Peyton's New Place? (Updated)

The back and forth between Peyton Manning and Jim Irsay is getting kind of annoying. Peyton is trying to position himself as the good guy with the fans if the Colts cut him and Irsay is trying to be the next Cuban or Jerry Jones by having more involvement with the team. Both guys just look bad and need to quit their griping in the press. If Manning is healthy I think the Colts would be dumb not to bring him back. However if he is healthy and they do cut him here are some of the teams I think that would want his services and if they are a good fit:

New York Jets: Mark Sanchez is there and he clearly needs some motivation. The Jets have a so-so running game. The Jets would love to bring Manning in because they are a team that believes they should be in the Super Bowl. Peyton would love to be near Eli and sharing the press with his little brother. Biggest reasons why it wouldn't work is Rex Ryan's mouth and the NY media. Ryan's boasting all the time and making Manning a target is something in the long run that would not work. Manning would have enough trouble learning a new offense, he wouldn't need Ryan's mouth putting more pressure on him. Think about the coaches he is used to playing for. Philip Fulmer, Tony Dungy and Jim Cladwell. Not real high profile, in your face guys. Also as I stated before, the NY media is relentless and a guy that likes to control the media like Peyton does could not handle the NY press.

Washington Redskins: Daniel Snyder would love to make a huge splash with a Manning signing. The Redskins haven't had a good quarterback since Mark Rypien(and if you are under the age of 25 you may have to Google that). Mike Shanahan would then have a quarterback he should trust but this team is not in a position to win now. Their defense is good but their offense is woeful. The Skins have no receivers and I don't even think Manning could make them better.

Miami Dolphins: Dolphins owner Stephen Ross got left at the altar again this year when he tried to hire Jeff Fisher, if Manning is available you can bet he would put a full court press to get him to fill the seats in Miami. The problem here is two-fold with the Dolphins.First the Dolphins have a new coach in former Packers coordinator Joe Philbin and he has hired Mike Sherman former Packers coach and they will probably go after soon to be former Packer Matt Flynn who knows their offense. Plus the Dolphins are not close to winning being in the brutal AFC East.

Seattle Seahawks: It's a small market which fits Manning. The Seahawks could easily contend in the weak NFC West. However, their receivers are nearly as bad as the 49ers. Highly unlikely.

Now for the Wild Cards:

New Orleans Saints: Drew Brees hasn't signed a new deal. Peyton is from New Orleans and that city would embrace him with open arms. They have a strong receiving core and are in a winnable division. The Saints real issues are on the defensive side and that can be fixed through the draft and free agency. Do I think Brees will sign an extension? Yes but the longer it takes, the more of a possibility the Saints are waiting to see if Peyton is healthy or not.

San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers receivers are terrible but they do have a weapon in Vernon Davis that is appealing. Also the Niners stout running game and defense prove that they are in a win now phase. The only negative is that Manning is not as mobile as Alex Smith. Harbaugh likes to run his quarterback on a lot of bootlegs and Manning is a true pocket passer. However, Peyton's talent may be too much to pass up, especially with a team that is so close to going to the Super Bowl.

Houston Texans: Why the Texans you ask? Word is that the team does not believe Matt Schaub can stay healthy. The Texans proved this year that with a healthy quarterback they can truly be contenders. Manning would take this already good team and make them great. The defense has playmakers all over the field. The offense has depth at the skill positions and the offensive line is truly great. Their division is up for grabs because the Colts would be rebuilding, the Jaguars are rebuilding and the Titans are well the Titans.Peyton is pretty calculating and wouldn't it be great to play the team that dumped you two times a year, especially in the stadium you built? This team would stun everyone if they got Manning.

I will restate this again, I think it would be dumb for the Colts to let him walk away if he is healthy. Peyton could be their legacy player and that is a good thing for football and for the city of Indianapolis. Manning also has to realize that he would have to give a little on his contract, especially with the Colts drafting Luck. You can't make all of those demands in the past because you are not in the position you once were. Coming off three neck surgeries in 19 months, definitely gives a team cause for concern. All of this would be mute if Peyton isn't healthy. Although the possibilities are endless if Manning is cleared to play.

A few minutes after my post, the Colts issued this statement from Irsay and Manning. Who knew my little blog was this effective?:)

Thanks for reading and comments are always welcome

Championship Sunday Recap

1. The Patriots did not win the AFC Championship, Baltimore lost it. The Ravens had plenty opportunities to win it and they failed to cash in. They controlled Brady and held him to zero touchdown passes. Still luck and some shoddy and questionable officiating were on the side of the Patriots.

2. A question was posed to Peter King and the writer wondered if John Harbaugh was a good coach? I'm not sure if I can say he's not a good coach but I think he made some questionable decisions. One was when Ray Rice got hurt in the 4th quarter, Ricky Williams came in and as my cousin Mark put it, "He was running in Beast Mode!!." Williams was stiff-arming defenders in the backfield and dragging defensive backs for 4 and 5 yards, so why would you pull him on the potential game tying drive? The other issue I question is not calling a timeout to have the booth at least some time to review the Lee Evans dropped TD pass. Its those little attention to details that cost the Ravens and it makes fans question the head coaches ability to lead this team.

3. Flacco actually stepped up and made some good throws. He did throw the one interception but that didn't hurt them because the Ravens got the ball back. It amazes me how critical people are of him. He's better than Trent Dilfer (although Dilfer has a ring) but not nearly as good as Big Ben. If you compare him to the rest of the quarterbacks taken in his class he has the most playoff wins. I think the Falcons would prefer him to Matt Ryan.

4. I said the Packers Achilles heel was that they could not run the ball. The Patriots run game is even worse. People barely even know who their running backs are. The lack of a running game actually plays into the Giants hand. Its not like they are going to find it in two weeks.

5. Not sure if people's dislike comes from Belicheck or Brady. In talking to people its split 50/50. I just don't like the smugness and arrogance both guys portray.

6. The 49ers with such a rich history of wide receivers: Jerry Rice, John Taylor, Terrell Owens, and Brent Jones, now have the worse receiving core in the history of the NFL. 1 reception for a receiver is awful. I know they run Stanford offense with two tight-ends but the receivers need to get open. Their performance was AWFUL

7. "The Tip-Toe Burglar" aka Brandon Jacobs, faded away again in a big game again. The Giants need him to play well to win the Super Bowl. He can't be running east and west for as big as he is.

8. Patrick Willis is the Ray Lewis of the NFC. Love watching him hit everything that moves in a different uniform. He doesn't get a lot of coverage because he is on the west coast.

9. Who knew Ted Ginn Jr. was so important on Special Teams? Kyle Williams was trying to make a name for himself when he should have just held onto the ball.

10. Why is Tom Coughlin not mentioned among elite NFL coaches? Maybe taking his Giants to the Super Bowl twice in four years people will start to recognize.

Divisional Recap

1. The last 4 minutes of the Saints-Niners was incredible.

2. Was I the only one thinking that Alex Smith should have went down at the 1 yard line to run more time off the clock?

3. Gregg Williams is a good defensive coach but the Saints defensive got torched by a mediocre quarterback. Is that enough to make Jeff Fisher rethink hiring Williams for the Rams? Apparently not. Not sure what Fisher is thinking by wanting to hire Brian Schottenheimer. There are more creative play-caller than him. Schottenheimer was one of the problems with the Jets, not sure he is the answer Bradford and the Rams need.

4. The Broncos offensive line looks over matched against the Patriots. However, they are running a high school offense so pros can look over matched.

5. Watch all this week how much Belichick and Brady get for beating a bad Denver Broncos team. The media will look at the score and highlights but not actually pay attention to the real story, which is:Denver backed into the playoffs and got pass an "arrogant" Steelers team. The Broncos were not a real threat to the Pats.

6. Was I the only one who thought the Packers looked flat? They dropped passes, loss fumbles and generally looked confused on defense. They played completely uninspired football.

7. How great is it to watch Ed Reed play defensive back. He is an all-time great.

8. Thought it was ultra cool that Arian Foster and Ray Lewis traded jersey's at the end of the game. Foster recognizes greatness and professionalism on the field and Ray knows his time is almost up.

9. You know if the Ravens ACTUALLY gave Flacco sometime in the pocket to pass, maybe his numbers would be better.

10. Eli Manning gets no credit. He gets constantly compared to his brother and in the end he may have more Super Bowls than Peyton. Eli never gets mentioned with the Rodgers and Brady's of the league but this Sunday he sure stepped up and proved he should be. Eli has stepped out of his brothers shadow and is making a name for himself in a very tough media market. Think Peyton could survive NYC? I don't think so.

11. I have written in the past how there are no more legacy and maybe I was looking on the wrong side of the ball. The Ravens have two guys that are legacy players in Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. In my lifetime the only linebacker and safety that have been better at their positions are Lawrence Taylor and Ronnie Lott, and those two guys were rivals. Lewis has been the most dominant linebacker for the last 10 years or so. He may have lost a step speed-wise but makes that up with football intelligence. Reed on the other hand is probably the best ball-hawking safety I have ever seen. Brady will have a lot of trouble fooling Reed and the Ravens because of these two legacy players.

12. My X-factor player in the Ravens-Patriots game is Haloti Ngata. He has to dominate the Pats o-line and make Brady uncomfortable.

13. The X-factor for me in the Giants-49ers game will be Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter. If these guys can run for big yards and catch the ball out of the backfield for decent games it will make life on Alex Smith and Vernon Davis a lot better.

End Zone (Divisional Playoff Edition)

Bold Prediction:
Momo: The Giants WILL BEAT the Packers IF Brandon Jacobs rushes for 90 yards or more. The key to beating the Packers is by keeping Aaron Rodgers on the sidelines. If the Giants running game works as well as it did against the Falcons, the Packers will have a tough time stopping the run. The Packers defense is 2nd worse in the league and they are awful at stopping the run. Also, the Giants pass rush has been rolling the last few weeks and they can generate pressure on Rodgers.

Is Joe Flacco the key to the Ravens winning?
Momo: Not really. The Ravens identity is truly Ray Rice. Flacco just needs to make sure that Rice gets all of his touches because in the end, it makes Flacco and the passing game a lot better.If Rice gets around 90-100 yards rushing and receiving then Flacco looks like a superstar. Flacco is not an elite qb, he is more like a stronger arm version of Trent Dilfer.

Game you most want to see: Saints vs. 49ers or Broncos vs. Patriots?
Momo: I want to see if the 49ers are allowed to hit the Saints. Brees has a tendency to throw more picks when he plays outside and the Niners are the best at taking the ball away. Also, the Niners defense is great at stopping the run. This game is way more intriguing. The 49ers have to score touchdowns and not kick field goals. Alex Smith can not settle for three points, and that's a problem because Smith has been horrible in the Red Zone.