Tag: Denver Broncos

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Super Bowl 50: A Contrast of Quarterbacks

By Jim Spiegel

I’ve never been so satisfied by the outcome of a game that did not feature one of my favorite teams.  Why?  Because this time I was rooting for a player—Peyton Manning, the so-called “Sheriff” of the NFL.  Yesterday was the perfect culmination of an 18-year NFL career, vividly illustrating that most beautiful of narrative arcs:  the exaltation of the humble.  Here is a guy who has always done it “the right way.”  Of course, we hear that phrase frequently regarding various athletes, but nowhere is it more aptly applied than in the case of Manning.

Unfortunately, Cam Newton illustrated the inverse principle:  the arrogant shall be humbled.  Many of us cringed when we saw his pre-game garb, featuring flashy gold “MVP” shoes, which brought to mind the biblical proverb, “Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips” (Pr. 27:2).  Then there was Newton’s post-game presser.  Ugh.  (Sports columnist Bill Reiter nails it here, I think.) Newton is not a bad guy.  He’s just an immature 26-year-old who needs to master his emotions in public.  He’ll grow up and hopefully become a model of professionalism.  Twenty years from now, he’ll cringe at how he behaved yesterday—just like

Biography.com
Biography.com

we all cringe at how we behaved in our twenties.  Thankfully, most of us don’t have our youthful petulance broadcast for millions of people to see!

Newton’s lack of maturity and composure serves as a sharp contrast to Peyton Manning’s classy comportment which he’s displayed his entire career (with a few exceptions), including after tough Super Bowl losses.  During the Broncos’ playoff run this post-season, Manning’s humility has been especially evident, as he’s consistently (and correctly) insisted that Denver’s defense was leading the team, rather than his QB prowess.  But this, too, contributed to the beauty of the Manning career narrative.  How fitting that he would conclude his career (yes, I’m assuming he’s retiring) by winning a Super Bowl on the strength of his team’s defense when for so many years Manning dominated at QB on a Colts team with a weak defense (which possibly cost him an additional ring or two).

Also, it is interesting to note that Manning’s final pass of the game yesterday was a completion for a 2-point conversion.  If that turns out to be the final pass of his career, then this too is fitting.  Not only was it perfectly thrown, but the 2-point conversion is, appropriately, a play that provides an “added bonus” point.  And that’s precisely what Peyton Manning has been, not just for NFL football but the sports world generally, for the better part of two decades—a real bonus.

So kudos to the Broncos for winning it all.  But especially congratulations to the class of the NFL, Peyton Manning.  Hats off to you, Sheriff, as you ride off into the sunset of a stellar career.

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Super Bowl XLVIII Analysis

By Jim Spiegel

Super Bowl XLVIII is quickly approaching (or not so quickly, if you’re sick of all of the pre-game hype), so its time for me to weigh in with my own semi-informed analysis.  Those NFL fans who know me well actually care about this, because my track record for predicting Super Bowl outcomes is quite good.  I’ve picked 12 of the last 15 Super Bowls correctly.  So, let’s see if I can go 13 for 16.

Elaine Thompson / Associated Press
Elaine Thompson / Associated Press

Denver is a slight favorite in the game, but most of the pundits I have heard seem to be taking the Seahawks.  It’s the whole “good defense beats good offense” dogma, which fails in this case for several reasons, as I will explain.  I’m calling for a Broncos win, hopefully (as ever), in overtime.  I’ve been rooting for an overtime Super Bowl game since 1970.  Perhaps this year will be the year.  Anyway, here’s why I’m picking the Broncos:

  • The Denver offense is not just any good offense.  They’re historically great, led by the greatest NFL QB ever at the top of his game.  Not only that, Peyton Manning is wiser than ever.  He’s experienced two Super Bowls and knows, far better than his counter-part Russell Wilson, how to effectively prepare.  Wilson might be ready on Sunday, but Peyton Manning will be readier.
  • The Denver defense is playing well.  Not so much during the regular season, but definitely so far in the playoffs.  They shut down the run against both the Chargers and Pats (60 yards each).  They’ll key on Seattle’s run game and contain it (yes, even the “Beast Mode” Marshawn Lynch) and thus force them to pass, which won’t be easy considering what they did to pressure Brady last week.  The Broncos defense could be the story of SB48.  They’re under the radar now, but might not be for long.
  • The Seattle offense will only be as strong as Russell Wilson.  But can the 25-year-old Super Bowl virgin stand up under the pressure? Several others have won Super Bowls at that age (Montana, Brady, Roethlisberger, and Namath), but only because of the strength of their defenses (their teams scored an average of just 19 points).  Most have failed (e.g., Marino, Bledsoe, Kaepernick, etc.).  But, again, the key will be the Denver defense.  If they can rattle Wilson early, it could get ugly.  That would be a recipe for a Broncos route.
  • The distraction factor:  This definitely favors Denver because of the fallout over the Sherman debacle.  Don’t underestimate the negative effect this can have on the entire Seahawks team.  Such constant media pressure wears on even the most sturdy veterans.  And Marshawn Lynch’s games with the media (refusing to answer questions) is a further distraction.
  • Seattle nearly (probably should have) lost in the NFC championship game at home.  That tells me that the Niners would have won at home or even on a neutral field.  So the Broncos are not playing the NFC’s best.  This point is consistently overlooked or ignored by sports commentators (no doubt because it would detract from the drama of the game narrative).  The media often obscures truth, in sports as much as in politics.  It’s just less exasperating when mere sporting events (rather than human lives) are at stake.  But I digress.
  • The team leadership factor:  Give the edge to Denver here as well, because of Manning and Champ Bailey.
  • Coaching: Probably a draw.  But Fox is a steadier, more even-keeled coach than Carroll, which might work in Denver’s favor.  As Terry Bradshaw says, you need to be cool-headed going into the SB.  That’s exactly what Carroll and his team will not be two days from now.

Final Score:  Denver 27 Seattle 24 (in overtime, hopefully)

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Tebowmania!

By Jim Spiegel

If you follow the NFL at all, you know that one of the biggest stories this season is Tim Tebow, quarterback of the Denver Broncos.  And you know that one of the reasons the story is so big is that everyone seems to have a strong opinion about the guy, particularly given what he has accomplished so far.

Flashback to the early weeks of this season.  The Broncos were losing most of their games, and the Denver fans began calling for their coach to give Tebow a shot at quarterback.  Some fans even rented a highway billboard to make their plea.  So the Broncos’ brass finally gave the people what they wanted.  With a record of 1-4, they didn’t have anything to lose.  Some saw the move cynically, figuring their reasoning was basically as follows:  “The season seems to be a wash, and now we can show the fans that Tebow doesn’t have what it takes to be a QB in the NFL.  We can let him prove this with his inept play then move on to the long-term solution, which will be to draft another quarterback in the Spring—which given our eventual abysmal record, is sure to be an early pick.”

But something strange happened on the way to a disastrous season.  The Broncos starting winning.  This unorthodox, run-first, southpaw (and most scandalously) outspokenly Christian quarterback began to engineer late-game comebacks week after week.  Now, seven weeks later, the Broncos find themselves in first place of the AFC West, having won six of their last seven games.

Like anyone else, I was skeptical about Tebow’s ability to be effective at the professional level, mostly because he didn’t have the pinpoint accuracy that successful NFL quarterbacks have.  But as he led his team to more victories, I became a believer.  Tebow has the leadership skills, the work ethic, the physical talent, and perhaps most importantly, the “it” factor that it takes to be a solid, long-term NFL signal-caller.

Yet many sports journalists remain critical despite the mounting wins.  Why?  Ostensibly, their reasons have everything to do with football and nothing to do with the fact that Tebow wears his religious faith on his sleeve, unabashedly giving thanks to “my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ” at the start of every interview.  But now that the “pure football” reasons for skepticism are proving more groundless each week, the naysayers’ persistence is making me more suspicious that their “reasons” don’t really have as much to do with the game as they insist.  (It is noteworthy that so many pundits are quick to declare that their criticisms have nothing to do with Tebow’s public faith pronouncements and notorious “Tebowing”—kneeling and praying on the field after big plays.  To which I want to say, thou doth protest too much.)

Football pundits have refused to credit Tebow with the Broncos’ resurgence this season for a variety of reasons.  Some have insisted that this streak will be short-lived because Tebow’s arm is not accurate enough.  Yet he continues to engineer late game comebacks to pull out victories.  Also, he consistently avoids throwing interceptions, which is a huge asset.  And he has improved each week, as he grows more comfortable with the offense and accustomed to game situations.

Other skeptics have downplayed Tebow’s achievements by crediting the Broncos’ defense, which has shut down opposing teams during the streak.  “Sure,” some have said, “he can pull out a win when the defense only allows 14 points, but what will he do when the defense has a bad day and the offense has to score 30 points to win a game?”  Well, that day came last Sunday, as the Minnesota Vikings racked up 32 points on Denver.  But Tebow was up for the challenge, leading the Broncos again and again on scoring drives, ultimately winning 35-32.

I’m sure the critics will continue diminishing Tebow.  This time I expect they’ll claim the Vikings’ defense was entirely to blame and that anyone—even an unorthodox, run-first,  southpaw (who happens to be an outspoken Christian)—could have led the Broncos to a high-scoring victory against them.  Perhaps.  But perhaps there is another reason.  Perhaps Tebow is just really good.