There are few things about Super Bowl XLVIII than can be said that haven't been said already. So I'll do what I always do, give you my unvarnished opinion. And I'll do something a little different: make it short and sweet.
LEGACY DEFINED
The typical one sentence summary on Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning's career is that he is the greatest regular season signal caller of all-time. Digging deeper, there is a "yeah, but" that surfaces when discussing his postseason achievements. At this time, notwithstanding any future possibilities, yesterday's performance by Manning further solidified the aforementioned perception of Manning's career.
The Broncos defined their legacy as a franchise that is the most consistently successful AFC franchise in the NFL that was birthed in the American Football League. The Broncos played in their 7th Super Bowl - one in the 70s, three in the 80s, two in the 90s, and now one less than halfway through the 2010s. The Broncos played in one AFC Championship Game during the 2005 season. No former AFL franchise can make make a remotely similar claim with regard to success and longevity - with honorable mention to the Oakland Raiders and New England Patriots.
But on the big stage, the Broncos entered an exclusive cub; they became the first franchise, ever, to lose five Super Bowls. Generally successful they are. In a league with the Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, or Dallas Cowboys they are not.
This has to suck. 1
DYNASTY IN THE MAKING
The Seahawks won a Super Bowl in as convincing a fashion as conceivable in the 2013 season. Seattle earned the top seed in their conference's playoffs followed by winning two home playoff wins with the help of their home crowd, The 12th Man. For an encore they utterly destroyed the AFC's best team - a team with an MVP, future Hall of Fame quarterback at the helm.
When a team has a season like Seattle did, with a defense justifiably being compared to the 1985 Chicago Bears and the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, the "dynasty" talk is always around the corner. SLOW DOWN! Neither of the aforementioned evolved into a dynasty, though they remained competitive in the years following their championships.
The Seahawks are a young team with fewer salary cap challenges that many a Super Bowl champion faces. Their quarterback, Russell Wilson, is only in his second year as a pro and will continue to get better. This team isn't going away. But let them at least get back to the big game and (gasp!) perhaps win another Lombardi Trophy before rolling out the "D" word.
There's one. Not two...not three...not four.... One.... 2
The NFL has filed down its Lombardi Trophy suitors to four teams. Three teams are parts of an elite NFL fraternity of multiple Super Bowl winners. Two of the quarterbacks facing each other already have their tickets punched to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The other two quarterbacks squaring off are (functionally) sophomores on the fast track to NFL stardom. The football gods have delivered a gem to us as football fans.
2013 AFC Championship Game New England Patriots at Denver Broncos
How They Match Up
Offense: This is a "push" at the quarterback position. Peyton Manning Manning is having a career year. Tom Brady (4,343 yds, 25 TD, 11 INT 61% comp.) made something out of nothing for much of the year without three of his favorite targets from 2012: wide receiver Wes Welker (73 rec., 778 yds., 10 TD, free agency), tight end Rob Gronkowski (knee injury) and tight end Aaron Hernandez (jail). Brady is finally getting a little help from his mates in the backfield. Running back Shane Vereen appears to be 100% healthy after being injured in the opening week of the season. He will be valuable to Brady in third down situations out of the backfield. And the Pats have gotten some help from a nearly forgotten battering ram in running back Legarrette Blount (166 yds, 4 TD 6.9 avg. vs Colts last week).
The Broncos, on the other hand, appear to be in complete control every time their offense takes the field. This should come as no surprise with Peyton Manning (5,477, 55 TD, 10 INT, 68.3%) under center. Making the Broncos nearly "unstoppable" (as opposed to "excellent") is the presence of running back Knowshon Moreno (1,038 yds., 10 TD, 4.3 avg.). He is the component that allows a Broncos offense that can score at any time also control the tempo of the game if need be. The Patriots could have 12 men on the field on defense and it may not be enough to bottle up the Denver offense.
Advantage: Broncos
Brady has succeeded in spite of offseason setbacks, like the loss of Aaron Hernandez. 1
Defense: Neither team is a world beater on the defensive side of the ball. The Patriots have a real problem on their hands however, as teams have run on them at will this year. The Broncos have a credible run defense, but it was dealt a blow a few weeks ago with the loss of star linebacker Von Miller (34 tak., 5 sacks, 3 FF) for the season with a knee injury. Their secondary was dealt a devastating blow when cornerback Chris Harris, Jr. (65 tak., 5 TFL, 3 INT, 13 PD) tore his ACL, ending his season. The Patriots aren't dealing with the major setbacks to which the Broncos are just now adjusting, giving them the slimmest edge on defense.
Advantage: Patriots
It's been a tough year for Von Miller. 3
X-factor: Quarterback play.... Tom Brady has owned Peyton Manning, head-to-head, throughout their careers, especially in the playoffs. The ray of hope for Broncos fans: Brady has not played in a post season game outside of the friendly confines of Foxboro, Massachusetts in seven years. That game? The 2006 AFC Championship Game. The winner? Peyton Manning's Indianapolis Colts. Still, the Patriots look like a well oiled machine that just keeps on running with interchangeable parts. The Broncos have, at times, had trouble recovering after taking a punch this year.
Advantage: Patriots
Game advantage: Patriots
Brady has a moat around his house and he's planning on feeding horse meat to his alligators. 2
2013 NFC Championship Game San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks
I'm sure you are as tired as I am about hearing that there will be no love lost between these two teams. We get it. They're division rivals. They're physical. They stand in the way of one another. I won't beat that dead horse.
How They Match Up
Offense: Power, power, and more power. This game has been hyped up as Seahawks QB Russell Wilson (3,357 yds., 26 TD, 10 INT, 64% comp., 101.2 QB rat, 539 rush yds.) vs 49ers signal caller Colin Kaepernick (3,197 yds., 21 TD, 8 INT, 58% comp., 524 rush yds.). The real deciders in this game will be the running backs. Out of Seahawks running back Marshawn "The Beast" Lynch (1,257 yds., 12 TD, 4.2 avg.) and 49ers veteran running back Frank Gore (1,128, 9 TD, 4.1 avg.), the player who does a better job of helping his team control the ball will give his team the better chance to win this game. The Beast has been in beast mode all year long, especially in big games (140 yds., 2 TD, 5.0 avg. vs Saints last week).
However, Coach Jim Harbaugh appears to have cut the safety cord off of Colin Kaepernick (113 postseason rushing yards) in the playoffs and let him run the option and run if he sees fit. Russell Wilson (103 pass. yds., 16 rush yds. last week) has been contained in his downfield passing attack and did not run wild in the Divisional Playoff Game against the New Orleans Saints. This tips the scales toward the 49ers.
Advantage: 49ers
Notice how Gore is still on his feet with two men wrapped around him. 4
Defense: Both of these defenses are incredibly talented. The 49ers have the best linebacking corps in the NFL in Aldon Smith (8.5 sacks, 4 TFL), Ahmad Brooks (8.5 sacks, 6 TFL), Navarro Bowman (145 tak., 5 sacks, 2 INT) and Patrick Willis (104 tak., 3 sacks, 7 TFL). The Seahawks have arguably the best cornerback in the league in Richard Sherman (8 INT, 1 TD, 16 PD) and their enforcer, free safety Earl Thomas (105 tak., 5 INT, 8 PD, 2 FF).
These teams are solid from top-to-bottom on defense, including their depth. However, linebacker play can dictate the flow of the game and the 49ers' foursome has been doing it all season long. I think San Francisco has the slightest edge on the defensive side of the ball.
Advantage: 49ers
Richard Sherman dancing with one of the Sea Gals after an interception against the 49ers on Sunday Night Football. The Niners do not want to see...this...again.
X-Factor: The 12th Man.... Several 49ers players said they were tired of hearing about The 12th Man - the Seattle Seahawks crowd of 67,000 at CenturyLink Field, capable of producing world record noise. If they're tired of hearing about the 12th man, they are going really tired of hearing the 12th man. They have forced more mistakes by visiting offenses than any other crowd in the NFL. Their ability to fire up their team is elite among NFL fan bases (if a fan base can be "elite"). The 49ers had better be prepared for the Seattle faithful or they will find themselves hitting a lot of speed bumps tomorrow.
Advantage: Seahawks
The 12th man is real. The 49ers would be fooling themselves to ignore it. 3
Game advantage: 49ers
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Every year, the Hat Trick talks about the great moments of past playoffs lore for the NFL's final eight surviving teams. This year is no different. Enjoy the 2013 NFL Playoffs edition of "Ghosts of Playoffs Past".
8) A Long Time Coming - January 22, 2006 - 2005 NFC Championship Game, Carolina Panthers at Seattle Seahawks Seahawks 34 Panthers 14
The Seattle Seahawks came into the NFL in 1976 in the AFC. In spite of reaching the 1983 AFC Championship Game in their 8th year of existence, the Seahawks were a franchise whose ceiling had been "above average" and were typically mediocre. That changed when former Green Bay Packers Head coach and Super Bowl XXXI champion Mike Holmgren took the helm in Seattle in 1999.
The Seahawks had everything come together for them in 2005, securing the #1 seed in the NFC (the Seahawks changed conferences in the 2002 realignment). The Panthers, NFC Champions from two years prior, were flying high, playing great football with an eye on finishing what they started after being nipped, 32-29, in Super Bowl XXXVIII. The Seahawks chewed the Panthers up and spit them out behind a pulverizing 132 yard, two touchdown performance from league MVP Shaun Alexander.
Alexander was an unstoppable force in the 2000s. 1
7) Tebow Time's Swan Song - January 8, 2012 - 2011 AFC Wild Card Game, Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos
Broncos 29 Steelers 23 (OT)
Second year quarterback Tim Tebow was the lowest rated starting quarterback in the NFL in 2011. He was the least accurate QB in the league in 2001. He led the seemingly hapless Broncos from an abysmal 2-5 start to a six game winning streak and an AFC West Division championship. Their prize? A visit from the defending AFC Champion Pittsburgh Steelers, who finish the regular season with four more wins than the Broncos in the regular season, but were a Wild Card team because they lost the AFC North Division to the Baltimore Ravens on the tiebreaker.
Tim Tebow couldn't throw an NFL quality pass to save his life and couldn't read defenses any more than most of us can read Chinese. But he was big. He was tough to tackle. And he was not stupid.
The Steelers, without Pro Bowl safety Ryan Clark who could not play in Denver's thin air due to a medical condition, insisted on blitzing Tebow, blitzing Tebow, and, when in doubt, they blitzed Tebow. As brilliant a defensive mind as legendary Steelers Defensive Coordinator Dick LeBeau is, he badly underestimated his opponent.
Most football enthusiasts who have never played a down have a good feeling for when a blitz is likely. Apparently LeBeau thought Tebow couldn't figure it out. Tebow dinked and dunked the Steelers to a death by 1,000 small cuts. When a man wasn't left open or in single coverage due to the blitzing, Tebow took off and ran with the ball, something he was good at.
The heavily favored Steelers went into overtime with the Broncos. Then Tebow dealt the Steelers the "suddenest" of sudden deaths in overtime.
Tebow's 80 yard pass to DeMaryius Thomas on the first play of overtime had the appearance of a fairy tale like beginning of a career. Instead, it was a memorable footnote in Broncos history.
6) Super Bowl Bound at Last! - January 15, 1995 - 1994 AFC Championship Game, San Diego Charges at Pittsburgh Steelers
Chargers 17 Steelers 13
The Chargers franchise is no stranger to being "good". They have had an aversion to deep playoff runs. Their only run past a league semifinal round at any level was their 1963 AFL Championship, before the first Super Bowl. In this franchises history, including the AFL, the Chargers had been to seven conference championship games. They lost every one except for during the aforementioned 1963 season, when no NFL team was involved in the competition.
The Steelers under Head Coach Bill Cowher, were inching closer to returning to the Super Bowl for the first time since the seasons of the 1970s, when they won four Super Bowls. Both teams had iron clad defenses. On Pittsburgh's final possession with time running out, when they needed a touchdown but had marched down to the San Diego nine yard line on seven consecutive completions by Steelers quarterback Neil O'Donnell.
The Chargers held the Steelers and forced a 4th and goal from the Chargers' three yard line. O'Donnell flipped a short pass to running back Barry Foster, but Chargers middle linebacker Dennis Gibson reached in and swatted the pass away, sealing the Chargers' first, ever, trip to the Super Bowl.
Dennis Gibson (#57) raises his hands in triumph after sealing the Chargers trip to Super Bowl XXIX. The playoffs have a way of granting a nugget of immortality to otherwise anonymous players in NFL history. 2
5) The Death of The Greatest Show on Turf - January 10, 2004 - 2003 NFC Divisional Round, Carolina Panthers at St. Louis Rams
Panthers 29 Rams 23 (2 OT)
The Rams were the most fear-imposing offense of the past five years, winning two NFC championships and Super Bowl XXXIV. Future Hall of Famer Kurt Warner was injured earlier in the year, but replaced by Marc Bulger. Head Coach's Mike Martz's Greatest Show on Turf continued to roll on.
The Panthers enjoyed a resurgence from the doldrums, two years removed from an abysmal 1-15 record, with free agent quarterback Jake Delhomme in his first year with the team and second year Head Coach John Fox. The Panthers' strength, however, was its defense. The Rams couldn't have its way with Carolina as it had with so many others.
The fourth quarter ended with the score tied at 23. Fifteen minutes of extra football couldn't settle it. Deep in their own territory, on 3rd and 14, the Rams had a chance to get the ball back in manageable field position. But on the first play of double overtime, Delhomme heaved a 69 yard bomb to Pro Bowl wide receiver Steve Smith to advance the Panthers en route to their only Super Bowl appearance.
The Rams, as we knew them, were at the beginning of the end. Warner was traded to the New York Giants in the offseason.The Rams would make one more playoff run in 2004 and never reach the postseason again to this date. The Greatest Show on Turf was over.
Steve Smith has been doing the damn thing for a long time. Game breaker in the 2003 playoffs...2013? 3
4) Vinatieri, The Legend Continues - February 1, 2004 - Super Bowl XXXVIII, New England Patriots vs Carolina Panthers
Patriots 32 Panthers 29
The Panthers appeared to be set to force overtime for the first time in Super Bowl history. With time running out, the Patriots faced 1st and 20 following a Troy Brown offensive pass interference penalty pushed them back into their own territory. On 3rd down, Patriots QB Tom Brady found Deion Branch for 17 yards to get the ball down to the Panthers' 23 yard line to set up Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri for a second career Super Bowl winning 41 yard field goal.
Scroll to 6:10. This man belongs in the Hall of Fame when his career is over.
3) Peyton Manning's Greatest Comeback - January 21, 2007 - 2006 AFC Championship Game, New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts
Colts 38 Patriots 24
Peyton Manning's Colts had been eliminated, rather unceremoniously, by the Patriots in the 2003 and 2004 Playoffs. Those games were played at Foxboro, where the Patriots had been close to bulletproof in January during the past three decades. The tables shifted, playing at the RCA Dome in Indy.
Or did anything change? The Patriots jumped on the Colts early, going up 21-3 in the second quarter. Manning and company did not panic. They kicked a field goal before the half. They scored on their opening possession of the second half. Folks, we had a ballgame.
After tying the score at 21-21, Manning and the Colts engaged in a duel with Brady for the ages. After taking the lead, 38-34, with a minute to go Brady would get the ball back one last time. Adam Vinatieri couldn't bail the Pats out this time' they needed a touchdown.
Manning had to think, "Oh no! Not again!" as Brady drove into Colts territory. Then the skies parted for Indy. Marlin Jackson intercepted Brady to seal the deal and send Manning to his first Super Bowl en route to a Super Bowl XLI championship.
Brady stifled in the playoffs: it was new to him back then. Get used to it! 4
2) The Catch III - January 14, 2012 - 2011 NFC Divisional Round, New Orleans Saints at San Francisco 49ers
49ers 36 Saints 32
The Hat Trick discussed this game in detail earlier this week. After the lead changed hands for the third time in two and a half minutes, the Saints led by three points with about 90 seconds left on the clock. Vernon Davis torched the Saints to help the 49ers get into the red zone. Then...why tell you? When I can show you...!
One of the greatest games ever played, unless you're a Saints fan.
1) Hallelujah! - February 7, 2010 - Super Bowl XLIV, New Orleans Saints vs Indianapolis Colts
Saints 31 Colts 17
The Saints completed the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history (tied with Washington Redskins vs Denver, Super Bowl XXII) with one of the most dramatic plays in the history of the NFL's signature game.
Trailing the Saints by seven points in the final minutes of the game, Petyon Manning marched the Colts inside Saints territory. Facing a third down and five, the Colts needed to get a first down. Manning tried to thread the needle to a tightly covered Reggie Wayne. ten seconds later, Tracy Porter held the ball forward, crossed the goal line following a 74 yard pick six, and the Who Dat Nation smelled its first Super Bowl championship in team history.
No explanation needed....
Don't forget to vote in the fan polls! To advertise with The Daily Hat Trick, or to submit a guest column, please contact the editor at eric@thedailyhattrick.info. The Daily Hat Trick is sponsored by Sports N Stuff. For great deals on jerseys, shirts, cologne, and other guy stuff, visit http://www.sportsnstuff.biz/.
Last week's advantage/disadvantage record, excluding series: 6-1 2013 Advantage/Disadvantage FINAL Record, excluding series: 106-81 2013 Advantage/Disadvantage FINAL Record (series only): 22-13-4
Give me some props. I closed out 2013 HOT! Time for the first Must See of the new year....
If you don’t want some football, then you should go home!
Friday, January 10
Miami Heat atBrooklyn Nets
Winners of four straight games (including a win over the
Oklahoma City Thunder), the Nets appear to be salvaging a catastrophic start to
this season. While it is more of a reflection of how abysmal the Eastern
Conference is, the cold hard fact is that if the season ended today, the Nets
would be in the post season. If a veteran team like that can get hot at the
right time, watch out!
Give me the two-time defending champion Heat in this
contest.
Advantage: Heat
Get ready for your recovery to hit a King sized speed bump, Nets fans! 1
Saturday, January 11
NFL
2013 NFL Playoffs
New Orleans Saints (12-5) at Seattle Seahawks (13-3)
The Saints were blown to smithereens in their December 2,
2013 meeting in Seattle. Since then, the Seahawks secured home field advantage
throughout the NFC playoffs while the Saints have been uncomfortably close to
.500 and suffered a rash of injuries. The sudden emergence of running back Mark
Ingram (97 yds., TD, 5.4 avg last week vs Eagles) is encouraging for the Who
Dat Nation, but I haven’t seen the Saints do much on the field to indicate that
the wide gap shown in December has closed.
Advantage: Seahawks
They should take the Saintsations with them for good karma. They haven't lost yet when the girls are in the building! 2
Indianapolis Colts (12-5) at New England Patriots (12-4)
Indianapolis needed injuries, a little “Luck”, and a
coaching meltdown on the Kansas City Chiefs’ sideline to pull off the
second-greatest comeback in NFL history and survive into the second round. Indy
was at home. Tom Terrific won’t let that happen to his troops in his own
building at Foxboro.
Advantage: Patriots
Their Luck might run out at Foxboro. 3
Sunday, January 12
San Francisco 49ers (13-4) at Carolina Panthers (12-4)
Colin Kaepernick (7 rush att., 98 yards last week vs Green
Bay) went back to his read option roots and his favorite target in Michael
Crabtree (8 rec., 125 yds. Last week vs Packers) to melt the Green Bay Packers
on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field. Timing is everything in sports as in
life. The 49ers are playing their best ball and have all of their weapons that
they had on their 2012 run to Super Bowl XLVII.
The Panthers still have a touch and go passing attack,
notwithstanding the menacing dual threat of quarterback Cam Newton (3,379 yds.,
24 TD, 13 INT, 62% comp.), and wide receiver Steve Smith, the heart and soul of
the team, has not played since December 22nd due to a knee injury
and was limited in practice yesterday. The momentum is on the 49ers side as is
the advantage in this game.
Advantage: 49ers
Crabtree is back and the Panthers' 15 minutes are up. 4
San Diego Chargers (10-7) at Denver Broncos (13-3)
You guys are going to think, “Just because the game is in
Colorado, doesn’t mean you can smoke rope like you’re in Colorado.” I think the
Broncos meet their Waterloo in this game. The Chargers are red hot, winners of
five straight and six of their last seven games, including a butt-whooping (in
spite of the 27-20 score) in Denver on Thursday Night Football last month.
Peyton Manning has been known to press in the playoffs, with
a 9-11 lifetime record. Compounding matters, the Broncos confirmed that star
linebacker Von Miller (5 sacks, 3 FF, 1 FR, 9 GP) will miss the rest of the
season with a torn ACL. The Chargers offense has seemed unstoppable for most of
the season, moreso in the last two months. Finally, San Diego Chargers Head
Coach Mike McCoy, Manning’s former position coach, worked intensely with
Manning during his comeback from neck surgeries. Call me crazy, but in a game
of matchups, I think the Chargers have the Broncos’ number.
Advantage: Chargers
Manning might be sick and tired of this walk of shame, but he's used to it. 5
Monday, January 13
NCAA Basketball
#18 Kansas Jayhawks at #9 Iowa State Cyclones
Kansas climbed as high as #2 this season after beating Duke
in the “Clash of the Future” in November. Andrew Wiggins (15 PPG, 5 RPG), the
likely #1 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, showed his skills against Duke’s
Jabari Parker. Since then, Kansas has lost four games against formidable
competition and has slid down the rankings.
Iowa State has started its season 14-0 and quietly slipped
into the top 10. Beating #7 Baylor this past Wednesday in their first week of
Big 12 play has the attention of the college basketball world. The Cyclones are
all new and all out for the Big 12 title this year.
How are the all-new Cyclones doing it? There is some all-new
blood in big, imposing senior point guard DeAndre Kane (16 PPG, 7 RPG, 6 APG),
a transfer from Marshall. Success can be contagious as Kane’s floor leadership
has helped forward Melvin Ejim (Sr. – 18 PPG, 7 RPG) have a breakout year.
The
raised eyebrows with an early season win over then-seventh ranked Michigan. They made a statement with a win over big
brother Iowa last month. They have all eyes on them after sticking it to
conference rival #7 Baylor.
I expect Kansas to have a sense of urgency and be “up” for
this game. However, ISU is on fire and doing all of the little things right.
The Cyclones are at home and have yet to lose a game this season. Except for
the Duke game, Kansas has not risen to any occasion against tougher
competition. Give me the Cyclones.
Advantage: Iowa State
DeAndre "Big Daddy" Kane is taking the Big 12 by storm...like a Cyclone! 6
Don't forget to vote in the fan polls! To advertise with The Daily Hat Trick, or to submit a guest column, please contact the editor at eric@thedailyhattrick.info. The Daily Hat Trick is sponsored by Sports N Stuff. For great deals on jerseys, shirts, cologne, and other guy stuff, visit http://www.sportsnstuff.biz/.
1, 2) Images previously cited in The Daily Hat Trick
It is with great pleasure that the first Daily Hat Trick
posting of 2014 is discussing the New Orleans Saints first, ever, road playoff
win in Philadelphia over the Eagles on Saturday. Saints kicker Shayne Graham
drilled a 30 yard field goal right through the middle of the uprights to give
the Saints the 26-24 win and set them up for a rematch with the top-seeded
Seattle Seahawks in Seattle next Saturday.
FIVE GHOSTS
January 6,
1991 – 1990 NFC Wild Card Game, New Orleans Saints at Chicago Bears:
Bears 16
Saints 6
In a game in
which the Saints could muster absolutely no offensive threat, a defense loaded
with Pro Bowlers and a future Hall of Famer kept the Saints within striking
distance. In the fourth quarter, Robert Massey of the Saints appeared to block
a field goal which initially was recovered and returned for a Saints touchdown
to tie the score. Massey was penalized for lining up offsides, though replays
showed the call was at best close but questionable and at worst dead wrong. Kicker
Kevin Butler of the Bears would later tack on the three points and put the game
out of reach of the frozen and inept Saints offense.
Hall of Fame linebacker Rickey Jackson (#57) had to bolt across the country to San Francisco before he could win a Super Bowl ring. 4
January 6,
2001 – 2000 NFC Divisional Playoff Game, New Orleans Saints at Minnesota
Vikings:
Vikings 34 Saints
16
The Saints
would not play another playoff game on the road for another 10 years, to the day.
Coming off of the euphoria of the franchise’s first, ever, playoff win the
prior week hosting the St. Louis Rams in the Wild Card round, the Saints’
Cinderella carriage turned into a pumpkin quickly. Chris Carter and Randy Moss
were unstoppable, combining for 241 receiving yards and three touchdowns. The
game was all but over by halftime.
This was the view of Randy Moss branded into the memories of Saints defenders. 3
January 21,
2007 – 2006 NFC Championship Game, New Orleans Saints at Chicago Bears:
Bears 39
Saints 14
Playing in
their first, ever, conference championship game, the Who Dat Nation was riding
higher than it ever did. In the third quarter, the Bless You Boys appeared to
have a chance to deliver the ultimate post-holiday gift to their fans – a trip
to the Super Bowl, less than 18 months removed from the wide-spread and total devastation
of Hurricane Kartina.
After
holding the Bears to red zone field goals three times in the first half, Saints
running back Reggie Bush took a screen pass 88 yards for a touchdown to bring
the Saints to within two points. With an opportunity to take the lead, Saints
kicker Billy Cundiff missed a long field goal and the Saints’ wheels completely
came off. In spite of Bears quarterback Rex Grossman’s performance being…well…gross,
man…the Saints had absolutely no answer for Bears running back Thomas Jones,
who finished with 123 yards and two touchdowns. The Bears ripped off 23
unanswered points en route to their first Super Bowl appearance in 21 years.
Not enough...not ready for the big game.
January 8,
2011 – 2010 NFC Wild Card Game, New Orleans Saints at Seattle Seahawks:
Seahawks 41
Saints 36
The Seattle
Seahawks won an abysmal NFC West division with a 7-9 record with a Week 17 win
over the St. Louis Rams. The Saints were the defending Super Bowl champions
with an 11-5 record, two games back of the NFC South champion and top-seeded
Atlanta Falcons. The Seahawks were the
object of ridicule and criticism all week. The Saints were 10 point favorites
at kickoff, making the Seahawks the largest home underdog in NFL playoff
history.
In spite of
having the #4 defense in the NFL during the regular season, the Saints could
not stop a runny nose, let alone the running of Seahawks running back Marshawn
Lynch, who finished with 131 yards and a touchdown highlight for the ages.
Still, Drew Brees and company were able to cut the Seahawks lead down to four
points with several minutes remaining in the game. One stand by the defense,
and the Saints would get the ball back and a chance to win the game. Then this
happened, and the Saints allowed it to happen:
Seriously....
January 14,
2012 – 2011 NFC Divisional Playoff Game, New Orleans Saints at San Francisco
49ers – “The Catch III”:
49ers 36
Saints 32
Known as “The
Catch III” among 49ers followers, Saints fans could fittingly call this “The
One That Got Away”. The 2011 Saints, in my opinion, were better than the 2009
team than won Super Bowl XLIV. The problem for the Who Dat Nation is that the level
of competition in the NFC rose as well. In spite of a 13-3 regular season
record, the NFC South champion Saints had to play in the Wild Card round as the
defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers finished 15-1 and the 49ers finished
13-3 and held the tiebreaker over the Saints based on conference record. The
game was almost immediately described as one of the greatest games ever played
by many in sports media. In spite of my personal disappointment, I agree.
In spite of
turning the ball over five times and trailing by as many as 17 points, the Saints
rallied to take the lead, 24-23, on a 44 yard Drew Brees pass to Darren Sproles
in a game that would see the lead change hands four times – all of which
happened in the final five minutes of the game. After a fast and furious drive
down the field, capped by a legendary 28 yard touchdown run by (normally
immobile) 49ers quarterback Alex Smith just before the two-minute warning, the
Saints answered 30 seconds later with an equally legendary 66-yard catch and
run by Saints tight end Jimmy Graham to retake the lead 32-29 after the two
point conversion with less than two minutes remaining.
Great
players rise to greatness when the need is greatest. Niners tight end Vernon
Davis, who finished with 180 receiving yards and two touchdowns, torched Saints
safety Malcolm Jenkins on a 44-yard bomb with 40 seconds remaining in the game.
He delivered a second helping of “you got burned” on third down with a 14 yard
game winning touchdown reception with 14 seconds remaining in the game.
Building on
the historic catch of Dwight Clark from Hall of Famer Joe Montana in the 1981
NFC Championship Game that launched the 49ers nearly two-decades long dynasty
in the 1980s and 1990s and Terrell Owens’ catch on a pass from Steve Young
(also in the Hall of Fame) on the final play of the 1998 Wild Card Game at the
end of that dynasty, Vernon Davis’ 14 yard catch on the pass from Alex Smith
launched a new era of 49ers football.
There were a
total of 105 passes thrown in this game, seven for touchdowns, totaling 761
yards. Four players – Davis, Graham, Sproles, and Saints wide receiver Marques
Colston had over 100 receiving yards. Had the Saints held on to win, they would
have hosted the NFC Championship Game in the Superdome, where they were 9-0 in
the 2011 season. The run of, arguably, the greatest regular season Saints team
to date was over.
January 10, 1982: The Catch; January 3, 1999: The Catch II; January 14, 2012: The Catch III1
SO WHAT?
The only
people more tired than Saints fans of hearing about the Saints futility on the
road this season and in the playoffs throughout their history are the Saints
themselves. After breaking through against the Eagles on Saturday night, the
Saints were awarded a rematch with the Seattle Seahawks. The same Seahawks that
embarrassed the Saints on Monday Night Football last month…the same Seahawks that,
three years ago, were as unworthy as any team in NFL history to reach the
playoffs and ended the Saints reign as defending Super Bowl champions with a
backbreaker play that took away a piece of the manhood of every Saints
defensive player that day, many of whom are still on the team.
While all of
the players and coaches involved are professionals, this game has overtones
that are deeply personal to the Saints. Personal gut-checks in sports offer motivation
that often generates an even greater laser-like focus on practice and
preparation during the week. This extra fire often doesn’t come without a
measure of testicular fortitude like this one.
The Seahawks
are justifiably favored in the game. They are playing at home. Their record in
the last two seasons at home is daunting. The Saints have a rare opportunity at
redemption by demonstrating why they play
the games.
Seahawks 34 Saints 7: No player's memory is that short. 2
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