Let the Madness Begin

March. The month home to spring break, spring training, and the greatest three weeks in sports. Every year in March the NCAA puts on the greatest tournament in all of sports. This Thursday will begin a 64 team race to the city of Houston, Texas. College basketball experts, fans, professional athletes, actors, actresses, plumbers, hedge fund managers, teachers, students, moms, dads, grandpas, and grandmas; everyone has a bracket and everyone wants their bracket to be the best.

                This tournament is everything every other sport tries to emulate, but just can’t quite get that same pulse. The Super Bowl is close, but still doesn’t have this same mass appeal. It’s easy to pick between two teams playing one game, heck you could just flip a coin if you weren’t really sure who to pick. Granted, you could flip a coin through your entire bracket, but that’s just lazy and boring. March Madness allows you to create your own wild and outlandish calculation, like a mad scientist in his laboratory. That’s what creates the mystique around these three weeks. It’s the fact that anyone can fill out a bracket, and look like the expert. The casual on looker can keep a mild temper on the NCAA landscape and still come out looking like a Las Vegas odds maker.

             To us college hoops fans, this is our Christmas. We all have our team we follow closer than others, but it’s a sport where to love our team, we need to keep our eyes peeled to the entire landscape. Talking college basketball with a college basketball fan is a different kind of conversation. Much like the cult of hockey, there is a cult in college hoops. Diehard college hoops fans can tell you about the kid from Nobody St. who is a redshirt freshman in the Summit League who could possibly take over its first round game against a national powerhouse (Mike Daum – SDSU Jackrabbits). We can show you what it means to hate (30 for 30 – I Still Hate Christian Laettner) or we can show you how to love the tournament (Ron Hunter with son RJ Hunter last March).

              I am not going to break down every single game here – but I will give you my Final Four and champion. I am in a variety of pools, filling out numerous brackets (which my girlfriend is against – she is a one bracket kind of gal). But every bracket has ended up with 3 of 4 following teams ending up in Houston.

Final Four

Kansas vs Oklahoma

North Carolina vs Michigan State

National Championship

Kansas VS North Carolina

National Champion – and it pains me to say this…

North Carolina Tar Heels

Yes folks, I know I dogged them all year. Hell, I dog them every year, but this team is peaking right now, at a time when many considered them to be the odds on favorite at the start of the year. This is a classic Roy Williams team with strong and smart Point Guard play from Marcus Paige. Bryce Johnson and company are showing range and athleticism down on the blocks – with great play from wingman Justin Jackson. It truly does pain me to make this prediction. But I think they are the best team right now, primed and ready to make a run to a (gulp) 6^th National Championship. Dammit.

The next three weeks are a magical time for fans of the game and casual fans alike. We are all experts and we are all amateurs. It’s a spectacle that everyone can appreciate, biting their nails in anticipation of their pick upsetting the favorite, getting to be the person who says I told you so. Your bracket is the ultimate “in your face” to people you beat. This event comes back every March, and it feels like every year it’s getting more and more competitive, so enjoy it. Chances are you are going to see and feel something that is going to make your heart skip a beat with excitement.

SuperCam vs Everybody

First off, let me say, congratulations to the Denver Broncos for winning Super Bowl 50. That defense was top of the class from the first snap all the way back in September through the final snap of the NFL season… That was excruciating to type, gross.

Before the game started, the conversation around the match-up was focused on the quarterbacks, Peyton Manning and Cam Newton. The game was played and the attention again was focused on the two QB’s, despite Denver’s defense putting in a top 5 defensive effort in Super Bowl history. Peyton Manning didn’t even have a chance to put his championship shirt on before being asked if this was the last game he ever plays, and has since answered that same question about 100 more times. For Cam, all the attention went to his postgame interview, or lack thereof.

By now, many of you have seen one or both of Newton’s press conferences, with the postgame Super Bowl being the more infamous of the two. The way the NFL set up the postgame interviews, Cam could hear Chris Harris Jr talking about the game plan the Broncos had in place for the game. Newton, who was already showing his disappointment, looked dejected and walked out of the press conference. With that, a lot of you began bashing him. Most of the opinions I have read involve thinking Newton needs to “grow up”, “be a professional”, “lose with grace”, “Cam could learn from Russell Wilson”. I’ve seen posts where people were using quotes from Manning after the Super Bowl 48 loss to the Seahawks. Peyton was gracious and complimenting of the victors. Good for Peyton.

Guess what, people? Cam Newton is not Peyton Manning. The man had just lost the biggest game of his life. He was heart-broken, angry, disappointed, and didn’t want to talk about it. Can you really blame him? People weren’t made to all be the same, he has every right to be pissed off, regardless of the obligation to talk to the media or not. Before the game there were countless documentary style biography segments from every sports media detailing Cam’s life from high school all the way to the Super Bowl. Of the three I watched, one thing was very evident across all of them; Cam has fun playing the game, but is all business at the same time. In addition, he hates losing. Literally has a serious hatred for losing. It’s a burning sensation inside him that after a loss on the biggest stage, boiled over into his press obligations.

All that led to the season ending presser from the locker room back in Charlotte. All the teams do this presser as a post season good bye till OTA’s come back around. Of course, the focus was all on Cam, and he didn’t disappoint. Still angry and showing disappointment, he showed that it doesn’t really matter what you think of him. Cam is going to do things his way, and why shouldn’t he? He is an incredible talent that is young and will be getter better, that’s the scary part.

The following are quotes from last Tuesday’s end of season media session in Charlotte:

“Who are you to say that your way is right?”

“I’m not trying to be this person or that person”

“I know what I’m capable of and I know where I am going.”

“I don’t have to conform to anybody else’s wants for me to do”

“I am my own person, I take pride in that.”

“This league is a great league, with or without me and I understand that.”

“Show me a good loser and I’ll show you a loser”

“It’s not a popularity contest, I’m here to win football games”

Mr. Newton, I root against you with a passion twice a season when you play my Bucs, but after your interview on Tuesday, you have become one of my favorite players in this league. Tuesday reminded me of my favorite athlete of all time, Muhammad Ali.  You are right to challenge the status quo about winning and losing in sports. You are showing kids that it is ok to be angry and disappointed when everything you worked hard for, doesn’t pan out the way you want it to. But you get back up and get back at it. Thank you. Thank you for being someone that I would be proud to have my kids look up to. I’m not going to buy your jersey, and there definitely won’t be any dabbing in my future, but you have gained a fan for life in me, minus those two Sundays a year.

“I know where I am going and I know the truth, and I don’t have to be what you want me to be. I’m free to be who I want”

– Muhammad Ali

Super Bowl Sunday

This Sunday, eyes worldwide will tune into CBS for the most unofficial holiday there is. The Super Bowl. The NFL’s golden Super Bowl has arrived with no shortage of storylines and anticipation. More people call into work the day after the Super Bowl than any other Monday of the year. Whether you tune in for the game, the halftime show, or just to watch the commercials, there is something for everyone to enjoy.

There is no doubt that these two teams earned their chance at taking home the Lombardi Trophy, here is how they got here:

Carolina Panthers

15-1, 1^st in NFC South

                From start to finish of the 2015 season, the Carolina Panthers were one of the most complete teams, if not the most complete team, in the NFL. Many coaches in the past have tightened their grip the week of the Super Bowl, but not Ron Rivera. He let the players decide their nightly curfew, no coach comes around for bed check, the players check in with team security officials much like checking into a hotel. The players appreciate that kind of trust and it lets the team take responsibility for themselves. Rivera’s defense is hardnosed and nasty, keeping up with the offense in terms of making big plays. It should be no surprise that this team has landed itself in Super Bowl 50, with a good chance to fly the Lombardi Trophy cross the country back home to Charlotte. Ron Rivera isn’t given enough credit for the job he has done. His team reflects his style of coaching; keeping things loose, while still keeping an emphasis on getting the job done.

                Offensively the story starts and ends with one name, Cam Newton. The boy having fun playing a game has morphed into the man having fun playing a game. He guided this team to the highest scoring offense in the league. The hype that follows him is justified, Newton accounted for 79.6% of the total yards gained, and was responsible for a whopping 83.33% of the offensive touchdowns this season. As hard as it is to remember when looking at those stats, we have to remember this is a team game, and the men Cam is throwing and handing off too are equally as important. Newton’s favorite target is tight end Greg Olsen, who had another year of top tier production. One could make the argument that he is the best tight end in football. With Olsen commanding so much attention, the most underwhelming group on the team, the wide receivers, enjoyed a nice season. Ted Ginn Jr in particular had somewhat of a career renaissance, leading the team with 10 touchdowns. The group has a decent mix of talent with veteran leadership, which helped Newton flourish throughout the year. But the unsung hero of the team is running back Jonathan Stewart. Carolina took a gamble letting DeAngelo Williams walk in free agency, sticking with the oft injured Stewart. In doing so, they also elected to buck the trend of a running back by committee, which most of the league uses these days. The gamble paid off, Stewart only missed three games this season (2 as a precaution), falling just 11 yards short of cracking 1,000 rushing yards for the year. Because of the effectiveness of the run game, the offense was able to keep defenses on their toes and honest.

                The defense was equally as impressive, being led by their field general Luke Kuechly. Finishing the season as the 6^th overall defense, this unit excelled all year. The defensive line is the key to the success this season, with Kony Ealy, Kawaan Short, Jared Allen, and Star Lotuleilei constantly getting pressure into the backfield. When the line performs at that level, Thomas Davis and Kuechly are free to roam from sideline to sideline in the middle of the field from the linebacker positions. They are both vastly underrated as cover linebackers, though this season more teams were exposed to Kuechly’s downfield coverage. The pressure line creates helps out the secondary the most, which is a good thingbecause if the defense has a weakness, the secondary is it. Josh Norman is still young, but has emerged as one of the league’s better cover corners, closing off half of the field. As the season went on, the rest of the secondary steadily improved. Safeties Roman Harper and Kurt Coleman really stepped up and provided some stability for whichever corner was starting opposite Josh Norman. Defensive coordinator Sean McDermott has a knack for getting the best out of his players. Ron Rivera was a member of the 1985 Monsters of the Midway defense in Chicago, his influence on McDermott and this defense is evident. They play their defense, with minimal adjustments, forcing the offense to adjust to what the defense is giving them.

Denver Broncos

12-4, 1^st place AFC West

                2015 was different from the previous 4 years for the Denver Broncos. After all of us here in Denver were spoiled watching Peyton Manning and this offense carve up defenses in previous seasons, 2015 came in and gave us the pleasure of watching a defense dictate and control games. As a matter of fact, it’s the biggest reason this team earned a number one seed and is playing for their third Lombardi trophy.

                The heart and soul of the 2015 Denver Broncos is the #1 ranked defense in the NFL. All season this group has been a terror for teams to game plan for. All the success for this defense starts up front with DeMarcus Ware, Malik Jackson, Derek Wolfe, and Von Miller. The havoc these four cause is world beating good. For all the praise Cam has received this season, these four deserve an equal amount. Von and DeMarcus get all the press, but the dominance of Jackson and Wolfe on the inside is what drives this defense. With offenses having to account for their pressure, it allows at Ware or Miller to get one on one with a tackle on the outside, which is never a good situation for the offense. The AFC championship game was one of the most impressive games any of us have seen from a defensive line. Of course, that’s just a piece of the defense. Denver has an embarrassment of riches as far as talent goes at every other level of the defense as well. Linebackers Danny Trevathan and Brandon Marshall are the “weakness” of the defense, which is to say, they don’t really have a weakness. They were 1 -2 on the team as far as tackles go, but both have been seen spreading out wide to cover tight ends and running backs in passing situations; it doesn’t matter the situation, they play up to the talent around them.

Once you get passed that level, you are looking at the best secondary in football. Aqib Talib, Chris Harris Jr., Bradley Roby, T.J. Ward, and Darian Stewart have meshed so well this season, they even look alike when making a play on the ball. Darian Stewart replaced David Brouton (fractured fibula), and the defense didn’t miss a beat. Wade Philips has been a talented coordinator in this league for a long time, but for the first time, he has the exact players that fit every position in his scheme.

                Offensively the story all season has been quarterback play. Peyton Manning entered the year the unquestioned starter, starting the season 7-2 despite having one of the worst seasons of his career. Manning threw for 9 touchdowns and 17 interceptions, before finally revealing he had been playing with a torn plantar fascia in his left foot. Foot injury aside, Peyton didn’t look comfortable making pre-snap reads of the defense from under center, an adjustment he had to make with head coach Gary Kubiak preferring his offense to Peyton’s spread style. Peyton was sent to recover, which worked out for both parties. Manning was able to get some rest on the injury while studying the offense more, and the Broncos were able to get a good look at backup QB, Brock Osweiler. Osweiler went 5-2 during his time as the starter, he showed great promise, and could eventually take over this franchise.

The strength of this offense resides in its pass catchers. Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders are one of the top duos in the league, supported by a strong cast of talent behind them. Jordan Norwood, Andre Caldwell, Cody Latimer and Bennie Fowler all had catches and games that helped this team get to where they are. Throw in Owen Daniels, Virgil Green, and Vernon Davis at the tight end position, and this team has a bunch of offensive talent that is hard to account for.

                The questionable parts of the offense are the running backs and offensive line. This team lived and died based on the play of them this season. Both positions play better when Manning is calling the shots, which is mostly due to his knowledge and experience. There isn’t a defense he hasn’t seen, which allows him to make the correct protection, audible, and quick throw; which helps the line play better.

Super Bowl

Panthers

Cam Newton – Cam Newton – Cam Newton. Carolina has not seen a defense as good as the Broncos all season, they will rely on their MVP leader to have his best game of the season. Newton needs to be patient and be aware of where those defensive ends for Denver are on every play. A key matchup will be Panthers wide receiver Corey Brown lined up in the slot. Expect to see a lot of him. His speed can neutralize the defense, opening some underneath routes for Olsen to sit on. With that, they will need to run the ball well. If there is a way to beat this defense, it’s keeping them on the field. Continue to #KeepPounding and wear the defense out, by the fourth quarter they will get tired and you can open the offense up.

                On the defensive side, you have the 6^th ranked defense in the league. They need to continue to do what they have done all season. The Panthers personnel is the exact profile that gave the Denver offense fits all season. Get pressure on Peyton Manning. Carolina’s secondary cannot keep up with Denver’s wide receivers, so the faster you can get to Manning, the lesser the chance he has to find the open target.

Broncos

                Much like Cam Newton never seeing a defense like Denver’s, Denver’s defense has never seen a talent like Cam Newton. He is bigger, stronger, and faster than every QB they faced this year. Don’t be surprised if Danny Trevathan is set up to spy Newton throughout the entire game. With dominate corners, Denver should be able to line up in man coverage, allowing the defensive line and safeties to focus on keeping Newton contained. The struggle is going to come from Greg Olsen. Rob Gronkowski lit this defense up in the AFC championship, but it was hardly an aberration, Denver struggled to cover tight ends all season. Chris Harris should get the call, letting Brandon Roby covering the number 2 receiver.

                 On offense Denver will need to run the ball effectively. One key to stopping Cam Newton is to keep Cam Newton off the field. In Carolina’s lone loss this season, they only controlled the ball for 24 minutes. Denver should do everything they can to score at least 28 points. Denver’s defense holds their opponents offense to 5 points less than the teams average points scored, which in this case that number would be 27. Peyton Manning is a tense guy, and he gets tighter when it comes to bigger games, but he seems to be much looser this time around. That’s a good sign for Denver fans. Manning will have had two weeks to prepare for Carolina’s vaunted defense, which is enough time for him to have found tape on Josh Norman in high school and find the negative tendencies in his coverage. One has to wonder if Kubiak will open up the offense a little bit, much like they did in week 8 against Green Bay. That would catch Carolina off guard and blow this game wide open.

X-Factor

Turnovers. These are two offenses going against two dominate defenses, this game is going to come down to whichever team can force turnovers and put their offense in good position to score some points. 

Prediction

Denver 26 Carolina 20

Cam Newton is going to win a lot of football games, but not this one. Defense wins championships, and Denver’s defense is not only built to win championships, they are the most capable defense to defend SuperCam.

                Folks, be safe, after this game Federal Boulevard is going to be wild with cruisers, downtown Denver is going to be a madhouse of gleeful drunks, and the airport is going to get packed with people waiting to welcome their champs back to town. Gross.

College Basketball is Mayhem!

Whoa! Have you been watching this wild college basketball season? Coming into the season there were a couple of teams who many considered to be better than the rest of the competition. But since the first tipoff of the year, all that has changed. The March Madness landscape is looking like it’s going to be a wild ride. There is a reason the tourney is one of the greatest spectacles in sports. Here are some of the top storylines thus far…

What’s in the corn in Iowa?
          Do you know what North Carolina, Michigan State and Oklahoma all have in common? They all lost in the state of Iowa whilst being ranked number one. UNC losing to an unranked Northern Iowa, Michigan State to a then unranked Iowa, and Oklahoma to a 19^th ranked Iowa State. Iowa has since climbed to number 3 in the country, and Iowa State jumped up to 13, but still, that state is a nightmare for top ranked teams to travel to. Over the last decade, basketball in Iowa has been competitive, but never considered a real threat to make a deep run in the big dance. Iowa and Iowa State have been the most consistent throughout the years, but recently Northern Iowa has shown the ability to compete with the big boys. Sprinkle in some competitive teams from Drake University over the years and suddenly you are looking at a state with four competitive programs that could take out a ranked opponent at any time.

The Curious Case of Southern Methodist University

With a 2^nd round, 1 point upset at the hands of UCLA in last year’s tournament, this program was looking to build off their 27-7 record. Then in the month of September the program was hit with sanctions due to multiple rule violations, the biggest of which was academic fraud. The penalties were the loss of 9 scholarships over the next 3 years, Head Coach Larry Brown was suspend for the first 9 games of the 2015-16 season, and the team was banned from competing in the 2016 postseason. With all that, this team could have just gone through the motions this year, but they didn’t. They came out of the gates swinging, starting the season 18-1, with their first loss coming this past Sunday against Temple. It’s a shame that one of the best teams in the country will not be allowed to compete for a national championship.

The Blue Bloods are looking Gray

Kentucky - John Calipari has become the preeminent coach for producing teams comprised of one and done players. This season was no different as there is no starter left over from last season’s final four team. All four of the Wildcats losses have come against unranked teams, without much to take away from the wins, Calipari’s run might finally come back to earth a little bit. The big saving grace for Kentucky is the conference in which they play, the SEC. It is still a conference that lacks enough talent to challenge an even less talented Kentucky team for the top spot. In a couple of years the league could become more competitive with Bruce Pearl down in Auburn, LSU’s ability to recruit talent, and Texas A&M building a foundation for strong future. Currently A&M is ranked 5^th in the country, but until they take out Kentucky in a big show down next month, its Kentucky’s conference to win.

Duke – Coach K has a lot of work to do. After Monday’s lost to Miami, Duke has lost 4 of its last 5 including back to back losses at Cameron Indoor. A season after cutting down the nets with a group of engaging freshmen, this season’s freshman class needs the Mike Krzyzewski of old. Some floor slapping, high intensity focus on the defense end of the court. This team made a complete 160 degree turn when power forward and senior leader Amile Jefferson went down with a foot injury. Jefferson wasn’t just a bit player from last season’s championship roster, he was a defensive presence when someone tried to drive the lane. Without Jefferson out there this season, the defense is nonexistent. He recently shed his walking boot and is rehabbing, but it looks like he may not be back for a while.

It’s crazy to think that when discussing Kentucky and Duke this season we are talking about two teams who are ranked 20^th and 24^th. We could realistically be looking at two teams who have cut down the nets 3 out of the last five years being bounced in the opening round. Of course, both could turn it around and get hot at the right time to advance in the dance.

March will be Madness

This season has been, and will continue to be, unpredictable. In January alone, teams ranked in the top 10 have lost 14 times. For the first time since 1949, five different teams ranked number one have lost in the same season. And then look at the top 10, every team one through ten has at least two losses. Oklahoma is the only team we can objectively look at as possibly separating from the pack. Both of their losses came on the road against high quality Kansas and Iowa State teams. They have a true player of the year candidate in Buddy Hield, and have the components to make a deep run in the tournament. Even then, no team should be considered safe this season. The way this season has been playing out, a 12 seed beating a 5 seed isn’t going to be that big of an upset come tourney time. It could be a year we see multiple 2 and 3 seeds losing in the first round, and maybe (and it’s a huge maybe) a 16 actually takes out a number 1 seed. Last year’s tournament was wild and crazy, it’s wild and crazy to think that this year’s conquest could be wilder and crazier! Buckle up, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.  

NFL Championship Weekend

AFC Championship

New England Patriots at Denver Broncos

Sunday January 24 at 1:05pm (MT)

East Coast vs West Coast. Left Coast vs Right Coast. bEAST Coast vs Best Coast. Beantown vs The Mile High City. Legend vs Legend. Tom Brady vs Peyton Manning. #1 vs #2. This game has the feel of the Super Bowl…except all you win is a trip to the actual Super Bowl. The culmination of the AFC season comes down to the two teams who have been the best two teams all season. Parts of the season looked shaky for both before making the playoffs, but now that we are here, we shouldn’t be surprised. The last few weeks of the regular season both teams were dealing with injuries to key players that affected game plans. But after each earned a bye week in the first round of the playoffs, they’re healthy. After Wednesday’s injury report it looks like we will have a full go for both teams, which is good, because I don’t know if I could handle another “excuses” battle between the fans on social media. The Broncos reported a full practice for every player, which is a good sign heading into this game. The Patriots…well they listed 15 players as “limited”, which is a typical Belichick mind game, expect everyone healthy and ready to rock come Sunday afternoon.

New England Patriots

Tom Brady is 2-6 in Denver all time, which includes 0-2 in playoffs, 1-2 against Peyton Manning in conference championships, blah blah blah. What an annoying and pointless stats for fans or analysts to toss out. Any Given Sunday isn’t just the name of a football movie, it was and still is a phrase that echoes around fans and analysts EVERY single year. Rant over. Back to the team...
         As I mentioned above, the Patriots are healthy this time around. I know Broncos fans like to point out that they weren’t healthy when these two teams played in week 12 as well, but if they really looked at it, it wasn’t the same. Denver’s injuries were spread out a bit more, whereas the Patriots injuries were almost solely on offense, specifically the receiving corps. Getting Julian Edelman back is the biggest key for this team. Everyone focuses on what Gronk’s impact is to the offense, and while it is extremely important, it’s Edelman’s presence that opens up the lanes and routes for Gronkowski to get open. In addition, it’s the attention on Gronk that opens up everything for Edelman as well. New England has an almost non-existent rushing attack since Dion Lewis’s injury back in week 8, but that doesn’t really matter. The Patriots have proven year in and year out that they can use the passing game as its running game through bubble screens and quick out routes from receivers.
          Tom Brady is by and far one of the most competitive players we have ever seen play the QB position. He wants to win this game because of the historical value as much as possibly cementing himself higher than Peyton Manning on the greatest all-time list. Brady was once asked which Super Bowl win was his favorite, his answer was “the next one”. However, there may be one person who wants to win this game more than anyone in the Patriots organization; Joshua Thomas McDaniels. He has coached against Denver multiple times since he was fired, but this game has the feel of him validating himself against the #1 defense in all the land and to quiet the haters who trash him all the time in Denver. You think he doesn’t want this game? Watch out.

Denver Broncos

Who wants to hear another dumb stat people are throwing out? Peyton Manning is 0-5 in playoff games when the temperature is below 40 degrees. Just wanted to throw that out there for you blowhards who think that’s important. The Denver offense looked anything but efficient last weekend against the Steelers, however I think this had less to do with Manning and more to do with the Steelers defense. When the two teams met in week 15, the Pittsburgh secondary made some halftime adjustments that changed the coverage and prevented the Broncos from moving the ball consistently, they continued that in the divisional playoff game. So coming into the battle against the Patriots will prove to be a little bit different.
            Is Gary Kubiak going to loosen the reins a little it? There is no better man on the planet better suited to play against a Bill Belichick defense then Peyton Manning. Peyton has seen every defense known to man, including the looks he is going to see this Sunday. Kubiak for heaven’s sake, let the man be the man this weekend. He isn’t going to go crazy and throw the ball 45 times, he is going to check into runs, change the directions of a run, and help this offensive line look better. Before Peyton took to the sidelines, we knew the line play was iffy at best, but nobody was really calling out individuals. Once Brock Osweiler became the starter, all I read and heard out of Bronco Country was how terrible Michael Schofield was. I’ll admit, he isn’t the best right tackle in football, but he sure as hell didn’t get help from Brock at all. Notice last week that Schofield played the entire game, and was rarely mentioned. Peyton makes everyone around him better. If this offense is going to win the game, they are going to have to trust Peyton’s judgement and run the ball well.

X-Factor

Both teams have the same x-factor and nobody is talking about it. Defense. Everyone knows Denver is the number one defense, but what may surprise most of you is New England’s defense is stout themselves, ranked 9^th overall. I am a firm believer that defense wins championships, and that will be proven here again. Patriots are going to need Dont’a Hightower to step up. In the first meeting, before Hightower was injured, the Broncos had 16 carries for 46 yards. After the injury, Denver had 16 carries for 133 yards. For the Broncos it’s all about two key factors; the pass rush and health of DB Chris Harris Jr. If there is one thing that has consistently bothered the hell out of Tom Brady his entire career, its pressure. Of course, if there is not a lot of pressure, Denver is going to need Harris to effectively cover Edelman.

I had to sleep on this decision, still not sure I got it right: New England- 24 Denver- 13

NFC Championship

Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers

Sunday January 24, 2016 4:40pm (MT)

Last year the Arizona Cardinals were decimated by injuries that took a team that looked like a juggernaut and turned them into a baby wipe. This year the Cardinals came back strong and healthy, and look the part of the best team from top to bottom. The Carolina Panthers currently hold that top spot after finishing with the best record in the land at 15-1. Unlike the AFC, these two teams never really looked that shaky and were clearly the top two teams in the conference all season. Whereas the AFC game comes with all the history and drama, this game comes with the feel of a heavy weight bout. Both have strong offenses lead by QB’s who are out to prove everyone wrong about them, both have top 10 defenses actually finishing 5^th (Cardinals) and 6^th (Panthers), and both come in with strong wins over tough opponents. I can see this feeling like whoever survives will be the Super Bowl champ.

Arizona Cardinals

Arizona Head Coach Bruce Arians could not have picked a team better suited for his talents. The Cardinals personnel on offense matches exactly what Arians style was in Pittsburgh and Indianapolis as an offense coordinator; crafty with a strong vertical game. Carson Palmer throws one of the most beautiful deep balls the league has ever seen, and Arians lets it fly early and often in his games plans. Larry Fitzgerald had a career renaissance of sorts, playing like he is ten years younger. Arians masterfully puts together an offensive game plan that attacks the weakness of a defense, but it’s his ability to make a what a defense thinks is its strength and turns it into weakness, with just one weeks prep time.
            In addition to the top NFL offense, Arizona flashes the NFL’s 5^th rated defense. For the past few seasons Arizona has been home to one of the league’s best defenses, and this year was no different, even with the departure of defensive coordinator Todd Bowles. Patrick Peterson and the honey badger himself, Tyrann Mathieu (before the injury), were the names everyone talked about, but it’s the big defensive line that allows the secondary to shine. A solid mix of veteran leadership mixed with youth among the front seven give this team the chance to win every game. Let’s not forget about the special teams unit for this team either. Of all the teams left, Arizona has the strongest special teams, which seems like a menial part of the game to bring up, but is a major factor. Patrick Peterson elevates this unit to levels none of the other teams left can match.

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers are right where we expected them to be, right? Finished the season with the best record in the league, bright and shiny young QB with the rocket arm and 4.5 speed (not to mention front runner for MVP), and the 6^th rated defense led by the defending NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Oh and by the way, they don’t have a wide receiver that strikes fear into any defense. Time after time throughout this season people questioned whether this team was for real, and time after time, they stepped up and beat everybody. The offense is led by Cam Newton, who for all the smiles and flashiness, is one hell of a quarterback. He seemingly finds a way to just get the job done, no matter what. As long as Greg Olsen is healthy and running routes, it doesn’t matter who the Panthers wide receivers are. Cam’s size and speed are already an unfair advantage, but then add his crazy arm that has a great mix of both power and finesse and all of sudden we are describing a super hero in athlete form. Arizona’s front seven are quick and shifty to get to the QB, Cam is an elusive runner who senses pressure quickly, and I expect this to be a fun battle to watch. We should keep an eye on Greg Olsen’s late injury last week, it’s being downplayed, but could become a factor if aggravated again.
            On the other side of the ball, all-world linebacker Luke Kuechly leads a defense that has been nothing short of incredible throughout the season. And make no mistake about it, this is his defense. The strength of this defense resides in the unit Kuechly is on, the linebackers. It’s their ability to cover large amounts of space in pass coverage and against the run. All three have sideline to sideline speed, and can cover tight ends on their own. This allows the DB’s and defensive linemen the ability to just go out and focus on their one job.

X-Factor

Which of these teams is going to exploit the others weakness. As I stated above, Arizona does that and then some, creating a weakness that maybe nobody saw before. Look for Arizona to attack right where the Carolina defense is strongest, the middle of the field. Multiple routes coming across the field will pull Kuechly in a direction, leaving Carson Palmer to find the open man in a different area. Vice versa I see Arizona’s quick and shifty defensive line becoming more assignment heavy, holding their landmarks keeping Cam Newton in the pocket, giving the secondary time to blanket Greg Olsen. Double teams will be all over the Carolina tight end, because they corners for the Cardinals should have no trouble in single coverage on the Panthers receivers.

The Cardinals are the most complete team in the league: Arizona 28 Carolina 18

These games are going to be wildly entertaining. How many of you can remember the last time we were privy to watching 4 teams all in the top 10 of defenses? For fans of defensive football this weekend should be a grand display. Or maybe we are all excited to watch 4 extremely talented quarterbacks dissect these tough defenses, who knows. All I know is its going to be a great day of football Sunday, look forward to watching Bronco fans go on the emotional roller coaster, Patriot fans defending their legacy over and over again, Panther fans and their “us against the world” mentality, and Cardinal fans cheering the high flying offense. Happy Championship Sunday folks.

Hockey? Yeah, hockey!

As you read this today you are probably sick and tired of hearing me blab weekly about the NFL. So I will hold off on the Conference Championship post until this coming Friday. Today, let’s talk about my adventure into a sport I know little about, but respect greatly: Hockey.

Hockey is a sport that we all know, but don’t all pay attention to. It really shouldn’t be an afterthought for sports fans, it has nuances that contribute to an artistic flow on the ice. If that last bit of sentence seems too delicate to you, just remember it is the only sport that allows you to put fist to face for a couple of minutes. I am what you call a casual fan of hockey, and by casual I mean I check the standings so I know at least who is winning and losing. I lightly follow the Detroit Red Wings mostly just to talk trash to Colorado Avalanche fans, being the antagonist that I love to be. A few months back I met up with some friends who were headed to an Avs game, and as I sat back and listened to them talk, I realized how very little I actually know about hockey. As Caitlin, Gordon, and Jason were discussing the greatest Russian NHL player ever, I just soaked it all in. The wealth of information they were tossing around was tremendous and reminded me that even though it’s considered the red-headed stepchild of American sports, its fans have a very cult like obsession. And I don’t mean cult in a bad way, I mean cult in the sense of “It’s OUR sport” type of vibe.

Many people say one of the biggest issues with hockey is it being hard to follow because the puck is too small, or the game flow is so fast. Listen folks, those are excuses, it’s not that difficult at all. If you have trouble keeping up with the puck, watch the players without it. Like any other sport, watching the players without ball/puck is poetry in motion. Watching the players without the puck helps you and I understand the little things the game offers up. There are so many things to watch that it’s impossible to get bored watching, line changes, coaches, fast breaks, penalties, and the way plays set up.

I know many of you watch hockey, it’s very surprising to me that I didn’t get more into it. I have many friends who are deeply rooted in the cult of hockey. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t excited about learning more about this mysterious sport, so I hope you guys can come along on this journey with me. Yes to this point the dominate sport on the blog has been football, specifically the NFL, but it is time to really start writing about all the sports, because they are all important. But I have to put in a lot more work for hockey, and if watching a sport is any kind of work, than it’s the best work out there. Gordon, Jason, and any of you other hockey fans, be prepared and expect tons of questions as I learn more and more. If you are a reader that doesn’t really know hockey yourself…let’s make this transition as smooth as the Zamboni leaves the ice!

Playoffs Part Duex

Last week I went 2-2. Not what I wanted, but “any given Sunday” as they say. This week we will look at the divisional round. Let’s go!

Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots

The premier matchup of the weekend if you ask this humble blogger. The Chiefs shutout of the Texans last weekend in the Wild Card round was more than just a win on the road in the playoffs, it was a statement. It may not seem like much, being that the Texans were the weakest team in the playoffs, but anytime you shut out a team in their stadium, you are asserting yourself as a team not to be reckoned with. Alex Smith was once again the role model for an efficient game managing quarterback. That should never be considered an insult to any QB, game managers go out and win ball games. The defense was the star of the day though, causing 5 turnovers and keeping the pressure on the entire game. The negatives for the Chiefs are injuries. Wide receiver Jeremy Maclin (high ankle sprain), running back Spencer Ware (sprained ankle), offensive linemen Mitch Morse and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (both have concussions), and defensive linemen Justin Houston (knee) and Tamba Hali (broken thumb, knee). As of today, everyone is expected to go except those O-linemen. Neither have passed NFL concussion protocol. Andy Reid and his team of coaches will have this team ready to go. Their foe this week, the New England Patriots, are coming off another season in which they have a bye week in the first round of the playoffs. After being hobbled towards the end of the season they are expected to get some of their key playmakers back this week. Julian Edelman is expected to play after being absent for two months which will make Tom Brady’s job a little bit easier. If you are the Patriots, the health of tackle Sebastian Vollmer is the number one priority. He didn’t play the last few weeks of the season, and the line showed its vulnerability without him. For all the talent and praise Tom Brady has received in his career, he is like any other QB who is pressured constantly, pedestrian. The Chiefs defense has a real strong defensive line, making the trenches the most important matchup to watch this Saturday. It will determine the outcome.

A coin flip, but my coin continues to land with the Chiefs: Kansas City 31 New England 23

Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals

Aaron Rodgers, you wild man you. Last week I challenged you and your fans to admit you can’t be in the conversation as a top QB without working with lesser tools, and out you came. It took a little bit of time into the game to get started, but when you did, you reminded me and everyone else who doubted you why you are an MVP and deserve the praise you get. I stand emphatically corrected. Going into Arizona is going to be a much bigger challenge than was presented with Washington. The Packers running game looked much improved last week, with both James Starks and Eddie Lacy hitting the hole hard and getting around the edge multiple times. The question marks going in are DaVante Adams (MCL sprain) and David Bakhtiari (sprained ankle). Adams, while important, can be overcome with the talent in Rodgers right arm, but Bakhtiari is another issue. Since Bakhtiari hurt his ankle, the line has given up 13 sacks, 8 of them coming from the carousel at left tackle. It’s a major issue because of the defense they are going up against. Since Bruce Arians took over down in the desert, his offense has soared, but the quiet giant on the team is the defense. Multiple times this season the Packers have looked pedestrian, but no more so than when they faced this Cardinals team in week 16. The Cardinals won that game 38-8, when both teams were still fighting for either a playoff berth or playoff position. Arizona’s defense benefits greatly from the bye week, bringing in two key players who have been hurt the past month in Frostee Rucker and Josh Mauro, making the NFL’s 6^th best rushing defense deep and better then the last time the Packers came to town.

Won’t be a blowout, but expect the same results: Arizona 35 Green Bay 21

Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers

Seattle got out of Minnesota by the hair on their chinny chin chins. And that hair was probably frosted up from the 3^rd coldest game in NFL history. The Seahawks didn’t look like the dominate team they were showing towards the end of the season, but did show the moxie and toughness that has carried them to the past two Super Bowls. This defense is still looking like they are clicking on all cylinders, even though they could have lost the game last week, let’s not forget that they didn’t allow a touchdown and held Adrian Peterson to under 50 yards (for the 2^nd time). Going into this game, who is going to be running the ball for Seattle will be a major factor. Marshawn Lynch took himself out last week, which turned out to not be a major factor, but this week they will need him. Being able to control the clock and wear down this Panthers defense will be the key for the Seahawks to pull out a win. The Panthers however, have many more options to beat the Seahawks. When these two teams met in back in week 6 the Panthers exposed the Seahawks defensive weakness: tight ends. The Seahawks were 26^th in the league covering the tight end, which spells trouble because guess who the leading receiver for those Panthers is? That’s right, tight end Greg Olsen. In addition to Greg Olsen, the Panthers defense is nobody to sleep on as a catalyst to win this game. Being led by Luke Kuechly, this defense is grade A across all levels and has saved Cam Newton a couple of times this season. Then there is the ultimate x-factor in the form of Super Cam. His ability to command the offense goes almost unnoticed when reading about his game. When he takes off out of the pocket he doesn’t just run out of bound or slide to the ground, he looks for the hole, isn’t afraid of contact, and is hard to take down. When he stands in the pocket to throw he goes through the progressions and finds the open man, most of the time dropping the ball on a dime in that receiver’s pocket.

Super Cam cements his case as the MVP: Carolina 30 Seattle 21

Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos

The Steelers are playing with house money at this point. Yes, the Bengals had some mental mistakes in the form on reckless penalties that allowed the chip shot field goal for Pittsburgh to advance, but let’s not forget that it was a football play that changed the game for them. The late interception changed their sealed fate to a wild win finish. But it came at a price, with key injuries to the men who make that offense tick. Ben Roethlisberger had his shoulder banged up pretty bad, tearing ligaments and spraining the AC joint. Head Coach says there is still a chance Big Ben plays Sunday, but Landry Jones will be taking nearly all the snaps in practice this week. The other injury is Antonio Brown who is still under the NFL concussion protocol after the vicious hit he took at the end of the game last week. These two are responsible for this team’s success, the Steelers would be facing an uphill battle if they were 100% healthy. If DeAngelo Williams can somehow get in the game, which will help ease the load for whichever QB is taking the snaps for the black and yellow. They are going to need everything against this Denver Broncos team. Through QB controversy, bad offensive line, inconsistent running back play, and a coach who won’t adjust his offense, this team looks every bit the part of the number one seed they earned. Peyton Manning comes in after a short appearance in the regular season finale against the Chargers in week 17, looking like the time off helped improve his health of that foot. The big change that took place in that game that few people talked about was the change at right tackle, right when Manning came in. Michael Schofield was replaced by Tyler Polumbus, and just like that the complexion of the offensive line looked very different. Of course it wasn’t just that, Peyton has seen every defense imaginable, so his pre snap reads and audible calls help make everyone look better. If Peyton reverts and the INT’s start coming back, I don’t expect we will see Brock come back. He isn’t going to be 100% and Kubiak is smart to know the best chances to win still reside in 18. If all else fails, this defense is still number one in the league and taking on a beat up offense.

Pittsburgh has a chance, a small one, but it’s there: Denver 35 Pittsburgh 17